E212: British Literature since 1760

William Morris Study Questions

Al Drake. 520 Hum. T/Th. 7:30-8:30 | ajdrake@ajdrake.com

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"The Haystack in the Floods"

1. Look up the term "romance" in a good dictionary or a guide to literary terms. What are the major features of romance literature?

2. What romance characteristics does this poem contain? In what sense might Morris, who is of course part of the nineteenth-century "medievalist revival," be distancing himself from naive acceptance of chivalric assumptions?

3. How does the narration prepare us for the central act of violence near its end? Why does Godmar kill Robert? How exactly does Morris present the violent act of Godmar--would you describe his language as realistic? Explain.

4. Jehane the Frenchwoman is the most important character in this poem. How much insight do you find in the poem concerning her inner response to what she witnesses? Is Morris' poem about psychological response, or does its emphasis lie elsewhere? Explain.

Edition: Abrams, M.H. et al. The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Volume 2. Seventh edition. New York: Norton, 2000.