Πρόσφατα άρθρα

The form of Dramatic Monologue as perfected by Ritsos’ poetry.

Yannis Ritsos is widely regarded as one of the most significant figures in contemporary Greek poetry. He managed to revolutionise the idea of a dramatic monologue and create not just beautiful poetry, but also a multifaceted art form that has depth on psychological, social, and philosophical levels throughout all of his publications. The dramatic monologue form was popularised by Victorian poets such as Robert Browning, but Ritsos revitalised it and many poets to this day still use his style as inspiration. His ability to construct identities and characters that the reader can genuinely sense and almost experience is skilful.

The form of Dramatic Monologue as perfected by Ritsos’ poetry.

Discuss the portrayal and effects of loss in the poetry of Cavafy

My Mother's Sin and Other Stories A series of lectures on Modern Greek literature taught by Dr Dimitra Tzanidaki-Kreps This is a first class essay of one of my students, Jenny Wight, who took my course this year writing beautifully on the effects of loss in Cavafy's poetry.

Discuss the portrayal and effects of loss in the poetry of Cavafy

ἐξ ἐρίων δὴ καὶ κλωστήρων καὶ ἀτράκτων

This essay examines that metaphor in the context of the political and war situation at the time Lysistrata was first performed. It considers traditional gender roles in the fifth-century Greek polis and Lysistrata’s inversion of those roles in her weaving analogy. Aristophanes’ comedic purpose in the weaving speech, in Lysistrata as a whole, and more generally across his corpus is examined. In addition, some observations are made about the sound pattern of Lysistrata’s speech and, in a personal argument, a speculative suggestion is advanced that the audience might have associated her cadences with the familiar rhythms of a domestic weaving loom.

ἐξ ἐρίων δὴ καὶ κλωστήρων καὶ ἀτράκτων

In Ritsos’ Moonlight Sonata what sentiments does the woman’s confession provoke/inspire to you and how these compare to the ones felt by the young man who remains silent throughout her long monologue.

Yannis Ritsos' "Moonlight Sonata" is a poignant and emotionally charged poem that presents a deeply intimate monologue of a woman speaking to a silent young man. The setting is night, with the moonlight casting a dreamlike atmosphere over the scene. The woman's confession, filled with personal revelations, memories, and emotions, evokes a variety of sentiments in the reader and provokes a complex response.

In Ritsos’ Moonlight Sonata what sentiments does the woman’s confession provoke/inspire to you and how these compare to the ones felt by the young man who remains silent throughout her long monologue.

How does Seferis’ mythical method interact with Greece’s lasting socio-political issues?

Seferis uses the mythical method in his poetry to allude to and comment upon social and political issues in Greece in his lifetime. Before discussing his poetry, it is important to define what is meant by Seferis’ mythical method. This method can be described as allusive, as although Seferis does make direct references to myth he does so in inventive ways, for example by using narrative space, symbols and characters to evoke Greek myths.

How does Seferis’ mythical method interact with Greece’s lasting socio-political issues?

Discuss the portrayal and effects of loss in the poetry of Cavafy

My Mother's Sin and Other Stories A series of lectures on Modern Greek literature taught by Dr Dimitra Tzanidaki-Kreps This is a first class essay of one of my students, Jenny Wight, who took my course this year writing beautifully on the effects of loss in Cavafy's poetry.

Discuss the portrayal and effects of loss in the poetry of Cavafy

Theatricality, didacticism, prosaic verse, use of persons as symbols, contemplative mood, flashbacks are some of Cavafy’s recurring ‘tropes’. Discuss.

Within the vast poetry collection of Constantine Cavafy, arguably, a pattern of recurring tropes emerges, offering the readers an in depth understanding of what defines his artistry. The poems that I have chosen for this essay being Young Men of Sidon, Alexandrian Kings and Kaisarion, from his book The Collected poems. One might say that they serve as an example of Cavafy’s gravitation towards an array of literary devices such as theatricality, didacticism, prosaic verse, use of persons as symbols, contemplative mood and flashbacks, one might say that they create a narrative that extends beyond the individual poems, inviting us to explore the timeless themes captured by Cavafy.

Theatricality, didacticism, prosaic verse, use of persons as symbols, contemplative mood, flashbacks are some of Cavafy’s recurring ‘tropes’. Discuss.

Poetics and Histories: To What Extent Did C. P. Cavafy Alter Historical Narratives, and for What Artistic Purposes?

stuident Name: Joseph Watson Module Lecturer: Dr Dimitra Tzanidaki-Kreps Date of Submission: 11/01/2016

Poetics and Histories: To What Extent Did C. P. Cavafy Alter Historical Narratives, and for What Artistic Purposes?

«Examine how homoerotic love is expressed in Cavafy’s erotic poetry» By Yousuf Danawi, Reading University

This essay aims to examine the manner in which homoerotic love is expressed in Constantine Peter Cavafy’s erotic poetry.Initially, it will provide a brief introduction entailing contextual information. Subsequently, this essay will bestow an intricate analysis of his erotic poems, with a particular focus on elucidating recurrent themes pertaining tohomoerotic love. The analysis will explore both the formal and thematic constituents of Cavafy’s erotic poetry, accompanied by a pervading extraction of deeper meaning.This examination will be enhanced utilising relevant secondary literature. The primary source that consists of the poems to be discussed in this essay derives from a digital anthology that comprises Cavafy’s ‘Recognised’, ‘Denounced’, and ‘Hidden’ poems

 «Examine how homoerotic love is expressed in Cavafy’s erotic poetry» By Yousuf Danawi, Reading University

Hyperion or the hermit in Greece

Concept, dramaturgy and performance by Dimitra Kreps

Hyperion or the hermit in Greece

Παν/μιο του Reading, προφορικές εξετάσεις για τη γλώσσα (Δήμητρα Τζανιδάκη-Kreps)

ORAL 1 – Spring Term

Preparation time: 10min with the use of a dictionary

1. Choose TWO of the following topics/scenarios to role-play with the examiner:

Topic: introducing and presenting yourself

Scenario: you have successfully applied for a student exchange programme and you have arrived at your chosen university in Greece. You present yourself to the faculty’s secretary to enrol. You must give the following personal details:

a)name, b)country, c) specific place of origin, d)nationality, e)your current address, f)phone numbers, g)occupation, h) family status, i)languages you speak, j)how good your Greek is, k)reason(s) for choosing a Greek university

Roles: secretary, student

 

  1. Topic: go shopping

Scenario: Your Greek boyfriend is throwing a party to introduce you to all his friends in Athens. You need to make a good impression so you decided to buy a brand new outfit and shoes. You go to a big store and ask for a red dress European size 44 and a pair of black shoes size 38. The dress costs 137 euros and the shoes cost 134 euros. You think that the shoes are very expensive. The shop assistant says they are all leather and Italian. You decide to buy everything anyway.

Roles: shop assistant, customer

 

  1. Topic: travel

Scenario: you are going to Mykonos for a few days and you have a car. You go to a travel agent to book a boat ticket for you and your car. You want to leave on Friday morning and come back the following Sunday evening. There are two boats on Friday morning, High Speed 2 departing 8am and arriving at 12pm, and also the Super Ferry 1 departing at 1030am and arriving 230pm. The return ticket is 87euros and the car costs 106 euros. You pay cash.

Roles: travel agent, customer

 

ORAL 2 – Spring Term

Preparation time: 15 min with the use of a dictionary

Students must choose: i) ONE picture from section A below to discuss taking into account the following related questions per picture AND ii) ONE previously researched topic from section B below to present to their examiner

Section A. Discuss ONE of the following pictures and related questions:

 

  1. Using the family relationships vocabulary which you have mastered and the questions below discuss the family pictures in page 1:

a)What is the relationship between the people appearing in each photo?

b)What are the ages of people shown?

c)How are they dressed?

d)How old are these photos?

e) What do the photos tell us about the era in which these people lived?

f)Where were the photos taken and why?

g) How do these photos compare with the modern digital ones?

 

  1. Considering the following questions, discuss the picture in page 2:

a)Where were the Olympic games born?

b)How did they get their name?

c)What did they represent in Ancient Greece?

d)Who took part?

e)What was the prize?

f)When were they reintroduced?

g) How often do they take place?

h) How do modern Olympic games compare with the ancient ones?

i)What did you think of the 2006 Athens Olympic games?

j)What do you think London has to offer in the 2012 Olympic games?

 

  1. Considering the following questions, discuss the picture in page 3:

a)Do you like summer festivals?

b) Have you ever been in one? What made the most impression upon you?

c)Which Greek festival would you like to attend from the ones advertised here?

d)Do you have a preference for a particular type of festival, i.e. a music festival (and if so what kind of music) or a theatre festival or a ballet and why?

e)What is the main role of summer festivals in your opinion?

f)Can you name any famous European and, in particular, Greek Summer festivals?

 

Section B: Present ONE of the following previously researched topics:

 

  • Greek mythology
  • Education
  • Economic refugees and unemployment
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