Selection 3: Poetry about Fathers and Sons

The Biblical Tale of a Prodigal Son

http://fits.depauw.edu/aharris/Courses/Gothic/TopicImages/ProdigalSonFS.jpg The Prodigal Son Stained Glass from the Cathedral at Chartes, France

Read this first: Background Reading: Parable of the Prodigal Son NOTE: For our purposes as students of literature, we all should be familiar with the stories from religious texts of all kind: the Hebrew and Christian Bibles, the Qur'an, the Vedas (Hinduism), the Analects (Confucianism), the Dhannapada (Buddism) and others. Why? The literature we encounter will make reference to stories, ideas, symbols in these religious texts, and we become better readers by developing our scope of understanding and reference.

Before reading the poems about the Prodigal Son, go to the Pre-Reading questions and answer those pre-reading questions first. Submit the file on the Lesson 2 Assignment Sheet.

Read the two poems by Sara Henderson Hay linked here. One poem is written from the perspective of the Prodigal Son, "Prodigal," and the other from the perspective of the Prodigal Son's father, "Father," Then read Elizabeth Bishop's poem, "The Prodigal," linked here.

After reading the poems about the Prodigal Son, go to the Post-Reading questions and answer those post-reading questions. Submit on the Lesson 2 Assignment Sheet.

NEXT: Lesson 2 Reading: Mending Fences