Literature is Alive and Everywhere

TTW then show the students the poem "Ode on a Grecian Urn." This poem shows the students how something beautiful can inspire awe and tell a story. The class will discuss the poetic formula for an ODE.

The student will (TSW) brainstorm on things in the word around them that are stereotypically known as "beautiful" and things that are often the inspiration for songs, poems, and other forms of writing.

The teacher will (TTW) show the students some selections from poetry and prose that are centered around unusual things. For example, "This is Just to Say" by William Carlos Williams is centered around the image of a cool and wet bowl of plums in a refrigerator.


TSW then begin to brainstorm things that are beautiful in some way but are not always and readily noticed by everyone. The class will discuss these items, why they are beautiful, and what makes them beautiful.

TTW facilitate a discussion on the dimensions of value and beauty. The class will discuss why some things are always considered classicially beautiful (roses, sunsets, etc) and some things are conditionally beautiful (beaches-clean/dirty, people-taste/social norms). We will also talk about sentimental beauty (grandmother's hands, a first car).

TSW begin to walk around campus with the teacher, looking for things that will or can inspire them to see beauty and even to write about it.

TTW discuss with the students their asignment: Find three things from the world around you that are beautiful. One that is classically beautiful, one that is conditionally beautiful, and one that is sentimentally beautiful. Take a picture of each of these items and print the picture out for the class. Choose one to write an ode to.

Then, the pictures will be compiled, scanned and turned into a slide show to show the dimensions of beauty and how they are appreciated by our class as a whole.