Tell how this poem came to be written. What was Wordsworth"s part? In what volume was it first published? What epoch in the history of poetry does this volume mark?
What were the strong features in Coleridge"s character?
What was lacking? What characteristics of the man may you infer from this poem?
OUTLINE FOR THE STUDY OF THE IDYLLS OF THE KING
I. Preparation
The following topics are more or less important for the pupil to understand before he begins his study of the poems: the meaning of _idyll_ as Tennyson uses it; the facts about King Arthur (what we actually know and what we have reason to believe); the period of history in general covered by his reign; condition of Britain at this time; her enemies within and without; the sources of the large number of legends about Arthur; beginning of Tennyson"s work on this subject; the growth of his plan.
II. A Rapid Reading
It is desirable that the cla.s.s be familiar with all of the Idylls. Such familiarity will give the student not only a greater interest in the ones especially a.s.signed for study, but also a larger grasp of their meaning. If the conditions make it impracticable for the teacher to a.s.sign all of the poems to the entire cla.s.s, the best alternative will be to a.s.sign each of the poems to some members of the cla.s.s for special study. Time enough should be taken in the recitation periods for these students to report somewhat fully on the special Idylls they have been studying, so that the essential facts of the entire series may be in possession of the cla.s.s.
Questions like the following will test a general knowledge of these facts:
Who was King Arthur?
What struggles did he have to make before he became undisputed king?
What were his ideals? Who were his chief knights? What were their characters? What were their tasks? (Specify several.) What great danger to the success of the Round Table soon arose? (See _Marriage of Geraint_, ll. 24-28.) What second danger arose later? (_The Holy Grail_, ll. 203-327.)
Trace briefly the effect of each. Did Guinevere truly repent? What were her feelings toward Arthur at the last?
Who were opponents in the last great battle? What was the result?
III. The Meaning of the Idylls
What explanation does the poet give in the Dedication to the Queen at the end of the Idylls? (ll. 36-44).
In the struggle of "Sense at war with Soul" what part does Arthur play?
What is the position of Guinevere? of Lancelot? Who represent the forces altogether evil?
What is the result of the war in respect to the Round Table? to Guinevere and Lancelot? to the king? Was Arthur victor or vanquished?
How is each separate Idyll related to the general development of the story?
What is the allegorical significance of Arthur"s miraculous birth? of his training by Merlin? of the Lady of the Lake? of the three Queens? of Excalibur?
What tasks of the soul are symbolized in Arthur"s wars against the Heathen? against the lords and barons of his own realm?
How does the search for the Holy Grail symbolize a danger to the soul?
IV. General Questions
Do these Idylls form a grand epic?
Are the places of these poems, Camelot, Caerleon, Glas...o...b..ry, etc., to be identified with known places?
Are the descriptions of scenery such that we think of the places as real, or as places in fairyland? Do the characters seem like real people?
Is there unity in the story as a whole?
Are the episodes closely connected with the main action?
Each of the three Idylls especially chosen for reading should be studied as a story complete in itself, and as part of the series taken as a whole.
_Gareth and Lynette_
SETTING.--Where is the scene of the story? In what season of the year do the events take place? How does the season fit the story? In what condition is the court represented? (ll. 305-309).
How do the cases brought before Arthur, and his disposition of them, show the character of his rule?
How clear an idea do you get of the country between Camelot and Castle Perilous? of Castle Perilous? Of what importance are these descriptions?
PLOT.--How does Tennyson introduce the story?
How is Gareth prepared for his work as a knight?
Give the chain of incidents that lead from Gareth"s leaving home to his victory at Castle Perilous. How do the several contests compare with one another in difficulty?
Is there unity in the plot? Is it more consistent with the story as Tennyson tells it to have Gareth marry Lyonors, as Malory says? Why?
CHARACTERS.--How is the character of Gareth made clear to us at the outset? How, if at all, is his character developed by his service as a scullion?
In what respects does he show himself different from the other scullions?
Would you have respected him any more if he had resented the taunts of Kay and the insults of Lynette? Why?
What impression of Lynette do you form from her interview with the king?
In her language is she coa.r.s.e and rude, or only petulant and thoughtless?
After she is won by Gareth does she show any fineness of nature?
Describe the characters of Lot, Bellicent, Gawain, and Modred.
INTERPRETATION.--What period of a man"s life may Gareth be intended to typify?
What is the allegorical meaning of the gateway to the city of Camelot and of Merlin"s description of the building of the city?
In Gareth"s contests with the four knights for the possession of Lyonors" castle, what does each in turn typify? What does the poet mean by making the first three contests increasingly difficult? by the terror which the fourth knight inspires? by the easy victory over him? What does Lynette represent in her impulsive and persistent opposition to Gareth?