Dr. Norman Prinsky

Engl. 3002 - English Renaissance Literature / Augusta State U

Notes and Questions on Excerpts from Philip Sidney’s the New Arcadia in NAEL and NOA

“[The Absent Urania]” (I.i)

1. (a) How does the style of sent. 1, par. 1, evoke epic, as in Homer’s Odyssey? Why would Sidney desire such an evocation for the novel, and for this chapter? (b) What elements of the pastoral genre can be found in the chapter?

2. How is anaphora (“some . . . some . . . some”) used in sent. 2, par. 2, to convey content?

3. How is repetition of the word “remembrance” used thematically or characterizationally?

4. The word “silly” in Renaissance English has the primary meaning of “simple” or “innocent”; where is the word so used in I.i?

5. How is anaphora plus rhetorical question used thematically and characterizationally in par. 4?

“[The Country of Arcadia”] (I.ii)

1. How is the epic formula used meaningfully and characterizationally in sent. 1, par. 1?

2. How is alliteration used meaningfully and characterizationally in sent. 1, par. 1?

3. How is the long sentence length of sent. 1, par. 2, used to convey its content -- better than several shorter sentences conveying the same details? What is the parallel in cinematography? How does the recurrent parallelism in the sentence help convey something about Aracadia?

4. How is the long sentence length of sent. 1, par. 4, used to convey its content -- better than several shorter sentences conveying the same details?

5. How is the balance in grammar and syllables in “wanting . . . not much” (sent. 2, par. 5) appropriate in conveying both content and characterization (of the shepherd speaking)?

6. How do stylistic elements help convey or suggest harmony, symmetry, and balance (of opposites) built into the world or Arcadia or Laconia? How does the repetition of chiasmus and paired oxymorons (or oxymora) contribute to meaning, along with the other stylistic elements noted for I.ii?

“[Kalander Tells About Basilius]” (I.iii)

1. How is the repeated parenthesis used expressively (to convey meaning or something about character) in I.ii and I.iii?

2. How are balanced antitheses used meaningfully or expressively in sent. 1, par. 2, and in sent. 3, par. 3?

3. How are antitheses used meaningfully or significantly in sents. 3-5 of par. 5?