Learning with Josie

Hey, everybody. I am on my last semester at BYU-Idaho, and I am taking a bunch of English online classes. I don't know why I want to share this with you all so badly, but I'm going to. I am putting off my homework, which is terrible, but they tell us to teach others--so I will. I'm doing British and American Literature classes, and they are so interesting! We learn a little about the history of the countries, because the events really affected the authors and what they wrote.

So far I've learned about John Bunyan who was jailed 12 years altogether for preaching without a license in England (he wouldn't quit, but whenever they jailed him, people would riot). He wrote "Pilgrim's Progress" during his time in jail, and, if you ladies remember, it makes an appearance in the book, "Little Women". I actually finished that book right before I started classes, and am now writing an essay on it...which I still have to finish...

It's just so fun to learn about all these people, and recognize how their works have lasted for hundreds of years, and can be found in our daily lives--especially Palmer lives. Most of us are kind of into old things :) But we don't even realize all the history that can be found behind it! Or maybe you guys already know, and I'm just learning.

I loved learning about William Wilberforce and his dedication to free slaves in England. They didn't have a civil war, like we did. It took 15-20 years, but they used strategy and it worked! Watch the movie "Amazing Grace", it's good. You learn where that song came from. It was written by a man who was once the captain of a slave ship and felt so bad for the deeds he and others did to slaves that he became a monk, wrote his confessions, and helped with the abolition of slavery in England.

Dr. Samuel Johnson wrote a Dictionary in 1755. He kind of scared people and they thought he was odd because he made weird gestures all the time, and had "tics". Research shows that he had Tourette syndrome!

Anyway, I've read and learned so much so fast. Today we were more in the Romantic Period, and learned about Robert Burns. He was a Scottish poet. He was a farmer most of his life, and died at age 37. He wrote "Auld Lang Syne" (which means "long ago"), and--for you Nickel Creek fans--he wrote "Afton Water". You've probably heard it--

"Flow gently, sweet Afton, among they green braes (slopes)

Flow gently, I'll sing thee a song in thy praise;

My Mary's asleep by thy murmuring stream,

Flow gently, sweet Afton, disturb not her dream.) 

It's about a river in Ayrshire, Scotland. The song is beautiful.

If you haven't heard it, here's a youtube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbJlz8mYFeY

The funnest thing I did today, though, was listen to a couple of recitals of Robert Burns' poems. "To A Louse" is a good one. There's a link below of it of a woman reciting the poem. But I would highly advise you to read the poem, first. On words you probably won't know, I put a definition off to the side. In an nutshell, there's an insect on a lady, and the narrator is talking to it. The main point is to see yourself the way other's see you.

To A Louse (a parasitic insect)
On Seeing One On A Lady's Bonnet, At Church

Ha! whaur ye gaun, ye crowlin(crawling) ferlie?
Your impudence protects you sairly;(sorely)
I canna say but ye strunt(strut) rarely,
Owre gauze and lace;
Tho', faith! I fear ye dine but sparely
On sic a place.

Ye ugly, creepin, blastit wonner,(wonder)
Detested, shunn'd by saunt an' sinner,
How daur ye set your fit(foot) upon her-
Sae fine a lady?
Gae somewhere else and seek your dinner
On some poor body.

Swith!(swift) in some beggar's haffet(locks) squattle;
There ye may creep, and sprawl, and sprattle,(struggle)
Wi' ither kindred, jumping cattle,
In shoals and nations;
Whaur horn nor bane(fine-tooth comb made of horn or bone) ne'er daur unsettle
Your thick plantations.

Now haud you there, ye're out o' sight,
Below the fatt'rels,(ribbon ends) snug and tight;
Na, faith ye yet!(confound you!) ye'll no be right,
Till ye've got on it-
The verra tapmost, tow'rin height
O' Miss' bonnet.

My sooth! right bauld ye set your nose out,
As plump an' grey as ony grozet:(gooseberry)
O for some rank, mercurial rozet,(rosin)
Or fell,(sharp) red smeddum,(powder)
I'd gie you sic a hearty dose o't,
Wad dress your droddum.(backside)

I wad na been surpris'd to spy
You on an auld wife's flainen toy;(flannel cap w/ earflaps)
Or aiblins(perhaps) some bit dubbie(ragged/muddy) boy,
On's wyliecoat;(undershirt/vest)
But Miss' fine Lunardi! fye!
How daur ye do't?

O Jeany, dinna toss your head,
An' set your beauties a' abread!(abroad)
Ye little ken what cursed speed
The blastie's(creature) makin:
Thae(those) winks an' finger-ends, I dread,
Are notice takin.

O wad some Power the giftie gie us
To see oursels as ithers see us!
It wad frae mony a blunder free us,
An' foolish notion:
What airs in dress(chastise?) an' gait wad lea'e us,
An' ev'n devotion!

When you watch the video, I would bring up two different windows and put them side by side--it's fun to see the poem and listen to her give it at the same time. It brings out the meaning a lot more. Burns is famous for his use of his native Scottish dialect, and this lady is awesome at it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wO_tdp8pYxg

Anyway, just thought some of you might enjoy that. I still can't keep from smiling whenever I hear it! I love this dialect, it's so fun. It reminds me of Nels (sp?) at those Palmer parties when he would recite stuff with an accent...except that was kind of weird.

Hope you all enjoyed learning with me! This is part of what I do all day. And, as Jeff reminded me the other day, probably the last time I'll be doing school for a loooooong time.