Length: See the individual projects below
Nature of the project: To imitate one of the works we read this semester in both content and style with the aim of truly knowing and understanding a medieval composition.
Select one of the topics below and follow instructions:
1. Carefully study Augustine’s method of both explaining and confessing (in his Confessions) and compose a confession of your own based on some childhood transgression. Make certain that your confession is not too personal (no abortion confessions, for example). Ask me if you are in any doubt about how you want to proceed. For models I have in mind either Augustine’s weeping for Dido or stealing the pears. No less than three pages, typed, double-spaced, 12-point font.
2.Compose a Song of Marsile or a Song of Pinabel or even a Song of Ganelon looking at Roland, Oliver, Charlemagne, and the Christians from the other side or the other point of view. Study the (translated) lines of the Song of Roland; if you know French, study the Old French poetic lines and see how closely you can imitate the style of writing as well as the content. No less than two pages, typed, double-spaced, 12-point font.
3.Compose a lay in the manner and style of Marie de France. This can be either in unrhymed poetry or in prose. If in poetry, try to include about four heavy stresses per line. You may modernize your tale if you like (bring the situation into the 21st century), but the themes should be very similar or quite similar to those Marie raises in her lays. If in poetry, not less than two pages, typed, double-spaced, 12-point font. If in prose, not less than three pages, typed, double-spaced, 12-point font.
Alternative projects: There is a possibility that you may look ahead in the course and imitate some other work (such as Dante’s Inferno), but to do such a project you must (1) have a good reason for it (not liking one of the choices above does not count as a good reason) and (2) present a formal prospectus to me outlining what you want to do and explaining why this proposed project is equal to one of the three topics above. This formal write-up must be in to me no later than class time on Monday, September 30.