Unit+5+Epic+Poetry

Overview:

 * Students read epic poetry//,// with special attention to the hero’s journey, and learn about the characteristics of an epic hero. They become familiar with classic Greek and Roman mythology and consider the role of the gods in the hero’s adventures. Through pairings with informational text, students learn about the ancient city of Troy and the story of the Trojan War for historical context. Informational texts may be included that describe the experience of soldiers returning from war in contemporary times; students may compare and contrast these accounts with the experiences of epic heros. Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s “The Lotos-Eaters” is included in the unit so that students may explore how themes are explored and built upon throughout literary history.

Focus Standards:

 * **RL.9-10.2:** Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
 * **RL.9-10.3:** Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.
 * **RI.9-10.7:** Analyze various accounts of a subject in different mediums (e.g., a person’s life story told in both print and multimedia), determining which details are emphasized in each account.
 * **W.9-10.9:** Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
 * **SL.9-10.3:** Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, identifying any fallacious reasoning or exaggerated or distorted evidence.
 * **L.9-10.1:** Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

Student Objectives:

 * Identify and explain the elements of an epic poem.
 * Identify and explain the characteristics of an epic hero.
 * Analyze the relationship between myths and legends and epic poetry.
 * Examine the historical context of literary works.
 * Compare and contrast how related themes may be treated in different genres (here, epic poetry and contemporary nonfiction).
 * Hone effective listening skills during oral presentations and class discussions.

Suggested Texts:
Epic Poems:
 * //The Odyssey// (Homer)
 * //Endymion// (John Keats) (excerpts)
 * //The Aeneid// (Virgil)
 * “The Lotos-Eaters” (Alfred, Lord Tennyson)
 * //The Ramayana// (attributed to the Hindu sage Valmiki) (excerpts)

Stories:
 * // Mythology // (Edith Hamilton)

Nonfiction:
 * //Odysseus in America: Combat Trauma and the Trials of Homecoming// (Jonathan Shay) (excerpts)
 * “Poetics” (Aristotle) (excerpt on comedy and tragedy)
 * "The Devious Narrator of The Odyssey" (Scott Richardson, The Classical Journal, Vol. 101, No. 4, pp. 337-359)
 * //The Gold of Troy// (Robert Payne)

**Resources:**

@http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZxs_jGN7Pg
 * Monomyth Theory**
 * Creation Myth Project**
 * Student Study Guide for Edith Hamilton's //Mythology//**