Mending Wall

Poems have two parts, a subject and an idea. The idea leads you to the theme. Sometimes you can figure out the idea without understanding the subject.

Today we will look at a famous poem, Mending Wall by a famous poet, Robert Frost. It has a very clear subject this time, but can you figure out the idea? (This is the reverse of yesterday.)

The poem is shared with you in your writing group folder. Please go to docs and find the poem in your folder. Listen while I play the poem for you and then use the chat window to discuss it with your group. Remember your guidelines for discussions about literature.

Today you are specifically looking for the IDEAS of this poem.

Discussing "Civil Disobedience"

Good morning,

You've been doing an excellent job discussing Emerson (Self Reliance) with your group in an on-line chat. Today I want to let you talk to each other face to face again.  We are going to look at the writing of one of Emerson's friends, Henry David Thoreau.

Thoreau wrote an essay called "Civil Disobedience"  We are going to read parts of it. This is what Gandhi said about "Civil Disobedience".

"Thoreau was a great writer, philosopher, poet, and withal a most practical man, that is, he taught nothing he was not prepared to practise in himself. ... He went to gaol for the sake of his principles and suffering humanity. His essay has, therefore, been sanctified by suffering. Moreover, it is written for all time. Its incisive logic is unanswerable." - Mohandas Gandhi

We are going to read excerpts of "Civil Disobedience". Between each paragraph I will give you a few minutes to discuss the text with your group. Remember what you have learned about discussing literature from your on-line discussions.