The Projects

“The Chamber of the Lord” and “His Once-Royal Visage” by Nathan Oddi

| Nick Hoffman (hoffman.1088)

In these sonnets excerpted from his portfolio, Nathan Oddi (English ’20) poetically captures the spiritual strife inherent in much premodern poetry. In his first, “The Chamber of the Lord,” he ruminates on the anchoritic life of Julian of Norwich, particularly the bodily constraints of living a reclusive life and the spiritual rewards it affords. The second sonnet, “His Once-Royal Visage” is a testament to Miltonian ideas about Satan’s psychology and appearance:

My final sonnet has its roots in Milton’s Paradise Lost, though I approach Satan in a period much later than Milton, and he’s changed. Milton’s Satan is heroic in a rebellious kind of way— “and with ambitious aim against the Throne and Monarchy of God rais’d impious War in Heav’n and Battel proud with vain attempt” (Book I, 41-44)—charismatic—“[Satan] spake: and to confirm his words, out-flew millions of flaming swords, drawn from the thighs of mighty Cherubim” (Book I, 663-665) and still regal-looking despite his lot in Hell—“High on a Throne of Royal State…Satan exalted sat” (Book II, 1-5). But my Satan is older, more damaged than just the “deep scars of Thunder” (Book I, 601) on his face, the rage that drove him to trick Adam and Eve has no real outlet: it fuels him and has left his body (his face, especially) an abhorrent sight to behold, pure evil: think of it as his appearance reflecting his inner hate. I don’t specify it in the poem, but in retrospect, I reckon that behind the mask he wears, Satan’s face shows whoever looks upon it their worst fear, but worse than they could even imagine.

The Chamber of the Lord

The Lord, through which, is made possible all
Exists in each nook, crack of my small home
A bed, the dirt, where I kneel, pray, four walls
Protect me, for the devil looms and roams.
From wealth, I came, a source of pride and shame
Though not until almost too late when I
About to kiss the grave, He raised his flame
Inside my heart. Know this when I, sure, cry:
Forgives, He does, if you repent your ways
Prostrate yourself upon the mercy seat
Your errs, your lies, your sins, let all bare lay
Devote your life to God, prepared to meet.
This “box,” as some deride, exists to show
Despite dark shapes, through me, the Lord’s light glows.

His Once-Royal Visage

The mask he wears, from ore and fire, it stings
To see the fallen soul amid the gey-
-sers near. To him, in Palace, they much bring
Reconnaissance about the King and spies.
A slam upon the table, his wrath arisen.
The odds against his aims, his genius games
Compare not, for His awesome might builds prisons
Without a door, without a key, but flames.
A traitor in our midst, he claims, afire
Obedient lieutenants pick a soul,
A soul, a squire, perhaps, that did conspire
To kill the dark one, prince and evil all.
To him he shows his face. The horror looked
Upon, that none, not even God, can brook.
* * *
Nathan Oddi is a 5th-year English literature major. Before he graduates in the spring, in addition to his major, he’ll have three minors–screenwriting, professional writing, and economics, which express his varied interests (and “indecision, ugh”). In his spare time, he also plays music, mostly guitar. If things work out well, he’ll be the world’s first screenwriter-poet-novelist-guitarist-songwriter; “if not, one of the five is cool, too.”

Devotional Children’s Books by Eleanor Brown

| Nick Hoffman (hoffman.1088)

Eleanor Brown shares these stunning children’s books, inspired by medieval hagiography. These two books translate the lives and enduring significance of St. Euphrosyne and Julian of Norwich to a younger audience without sacrificing any of the narrative beauty and aesthetic appeal of the original texts. Commenting on her intellectual/artistic process, she writes:

For the tale of St. Euphrosyne I was at first unsure whether to lean into the Anglo-Saxon culture of the story-tellers I was reading from, or the Egyptian coptic tradition of the story’s subject. Eventually I chose the latter, as a less confusing communication and a more authentic exploration of Euphrosyne/Smaragdus themselves. Also, I am sure part of what attracted the Anglo-Saxons to this story was the glamour of an ancient vanished culture and far-away land…

Eleanor Brown thinks she might be a sophomore, but isn’t sure since she’s been working at this degree for an awfully long time between babies. She feels most alive, and most terrified, when she is trying to write something beautiful, and her deep down secret hope is that someday she will do that in a great big way.

Four-Panel Painting by Grace Harris

| Nick Hoffman (hoffman.1088)

Grace Harris (Exercise Science ’22) offers a cross-section of the works we explored in English 2201 with this gorgeous four-panel painting. 

Scenes depicted in the full painting (clockwise from the top-left): (1) the cross as depicted in The Dream of the Rood; (2) Julian of Norwich in her cell; (3) The Ranelagh theatre, inspired by Frances Burney’s novel, Evelina; and (4) the Seven Deadly Sins.

The attention to detail given in the final panel carries special significance for those who have read Frances Burney’s Evelina:

The Ranelagh was one of the many theaters that Evelina and her hostesses attended. The flowered gate is supposed to represent an entrance for Evelina into her new world and London society. I colored the sky and scenery specifically bright […] because I wanted to accurately represent how Evelina pictured her new life to be. This was probably my favorite time period to draw about.

* * *

Grace Harris is a second year here at Ohio State University and is planning to major in Exercise Science with a minor in Human Nutrition. Her goal is to eventually become a Physical Therapist and/or train individuals whether that will be through exercise or diet. She writes, “In my free time I enjoy drawing and painting (so the idea of creating my own portfolio project was great for me!)”.

Concept Paintings by Allyssa DiPietro

| Nick Hoffman (hoffman.1088)

Allyssa DiPietro (English ’20) shares her talent for painting with this beautiful concept art, capturing the four periods of literature covered in English 2201: the pre-conquest medieval era, post-conquest medieval era, Renaissance, and Restoration/18th century. Each piece tells its own story about the literature we studied and Allyssa’s engagement with a broad range of literature. She’s been particularly inspired by stained glass, dreamscapes, and abstract art.

* * *

Allyssa DiPietro is a fourth-year English Literature major with a minor in Criminal Justice. She loves to paint, dance, and thoroughly enjoys British literature focusing on the Medieval time period up to the Renaissance. She hopes to become a teacher in the near future, preferably high school!

Playing Pandaemonium by Lilly Chen

| Nick Hoffman (hoffman.1088)

Lilly Chen (English ’22) exhibits her remarkable creativity and artistic skill in this RPG-inspired adaptation of Milton’s Paradise Lost:

For Paradise Lost by Milton, I made some mock-ups for a game, where the player is Satan and has to decide on what he is going to do based on the advice he hears.

Galvanized by Gustave Doré’s nineteenth-century illustrations of Milton’s poem, Lilly breathes new life into Milton’s devils for a modern audience.

 

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Lilly Chen is a second-year English major with a concentration in Writing, Rhetoric and Literacy. She’s not exactly certain what future career awaits her but would love to be involved with creating fiction professionally some day. She enjoys drawing in her free time, which had influenced the portfolio decisions quite a bit. She’s currently working on a webcomic right now, which she plans to launch soon!

Early Printed Cover Pages by Ashley Blaes

| Nick Hoffman (hoffman.1088)

Ashley Blaes (English ’22) deftly transcends period and genre in this collection of Restoration-inspired cover pages for several works studied in English 2201. Explaining her goals and inspiration, she writes:

During our discussion of Evelina and 18th-century novels as a whole, I was very interested in the design and thought that was put into each publisher’s cover pages. From the various fonts, text sizes, and even degree of wear on the page itself, I could tell some novels had been very well received and loved […] Drawing inspiration from Evelina‘s cover page, I created my own covers for four very different pieces we discussed in lecture over the four literary periods: Pre- and Post-Conquest, Renaissance, and the Restoration.

Here’s more on the process of making these stunning pieces, in Ashley’s own words:

After drafting, I used an online typography template to find as close a match to the print type that was utilized on most 1700s cover pages, Evelina included. I referred to covers such as Robinson Crusoe, Pamela, and of course, Evelina, as inspiration for the layout of each page. After editing and printing, each cover page was then stained and blotted with coffee and dried three times over to give the appearance of yellowed and aged parchment that has crinkled/faded over time.

Ashley Blaes is a second-year English undergrad majoring in literature with a minor in creative writing. It’s no secret that like all English majors she adores books and would love to become a writer of my her fictional stories someday! In the mean time, she works at a bookstore and constantly obsesses over the UK and pretty much anything British. OSU is helping her achieve her goal to study abroad in London, England for the entirety of her junior year: “I could not be more excited!” she writes.

An English 2201-Inspired D&D Adventure by Aaron Fisher

| Nick Hoffman (hoffman.1088)

Aaron Fisher (English ’19) offers us the unique opportunity to play through the syllabus of English 2201 with this immensely creative D&D campaign. His grasp of literary history as well as his talent as a story-teller are on full display in this adventure, which culminates in a battle against the “Literary Canon” (as a monster/concept/monstrous concept) itself.

 

* * *

Aaron Fisher just graduated with a BA in English Literature from Ohio State and plans to pursue his Master’s in Library and Information Science, with a focus on either public libraries or academic libraries. He is a tremendous fan of all things game, be it analog or digital. Though card games tend to be his favorite, he enjoys role playing and other forms of strategy gaming as well. His favorite authors are Haruki Murakami and Chuck Palahniuk, and his favorite two classes at OSU were Film and Video Games (Prof. Jesse Schotter) and True Crime (Prof. Elizabeth Hewitt).

Identifying Renaissance F*ckbois by Chloe Nelson

| Nick Hoffman (hoffman.1088)

Chloe Nelson (English ’20) took a humorous approach to her portfolio project with this listicle on the perils of dating in the Renaissance world. Her clever commentary on poetic conventions is sure to please sonnet buffs and fans of The Toast, alike. 

“Is He Just Trying to Sleep With Me?”: Identifying F*ckbois Using Renaissance Poetry

By Chloe Nelson

Ah, the age-old question: “Is he just trying to sleep with me?” If the answer is yes, you might be looking at a f*ckboi, a modern term whose essence dates back hundreds upon hundreds of years. Despite our best efforts, it can still be nearly impossible to figure out a man’s intentions—and that’s where renaissance poetry comes in. Take a trip through time with us as we explore some of the world’s original f*ckbois, both British and Italian varieties! Using these poets and their poems, you’ll be able to protect yourself from accidental heartbreak, objectification, and possibly even venereal disease.

1. His BFF is a guy named Petrarch

You can tell a lot about a person by the company they keep—especially if that company is dusty Italian men who have been dead for over 600 years. Petrarch’s whole thing was lamenting the unattainability of women who wouldn’t sleep with him, so keep this in mind the next time a guy offers to woo you with a sonnet. What is he going to say if/when you refuse to sleep with him? Hopefully not publish a set of poems about it, but you never know.

2. He keeps a catalogue of your physical characteristics

Your beauty deserves more than 14 lines of rhymed iambic pentameter! Beauty aside though, you are more than a laundry list of physical characteristics that men deem attractive. Ask yourself—how many of his compliments have to do with your body? If you find yourself dealing with blazon after blazon, you might simply be the Laura to his Petrarch. Reclaim your poetic voice and dump his ass.

3. He’s full of conceit

Not only is he desperately trying to flex his sonnet abilities, but now he’s comparing sex to a flea, too? John Donne’s sonnet “The Flea” is infamous for its outrageous and raunchy conceit, but girl, any man who needs to draw outlandish comparisons to get your attention is clearly desperate and not worth your time. Avoid both poetic conceits and conceited men, and your two bloods will never mingled be.

4. He won’t stop pestering you about “time’s winged chariot”

Typical of renaissance poetry (and f*ckbois galore) is the invocation of carpe diem, A.K.A. “seize the day.” We could all die tomorrow, so why not enjoy the present with little regard for the future? This is all well and good until, in a classic f*ckboi move, the Andrew Marvells and Robert Herricks of the world descend to try and convince you to sleep with them. Why not, when the “same flower that smiles today / tomorrow might be dying”? Do not fall prey to this kind of manipulation! For starters, there are several reasons why you may not want to have sex with the nearest poet (even if the world was coming to an end), and you do not have to justify ANY of them. If he tries to put pressure on you like this, he’s a f*ckboi.
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Chloe Nelson is a fourth-year English major with a triple minor in women’s, gender and sexuality studies; professional writing; and German. She is a huge fan of horror films, scented candles, intersectional feminism, and a proud member of Slytherin house.

#ChaucerIsOverParty by Fatima Guettatfi

| Nick Hoffman (hoffman.1088)

Fatima Guettatfi (English & Marketing ’20) offers a compelling analysis of Chaucer’s place in the literary canon, particularly in light of Chaucer’s use of sexual violence as a plot device in the Wife of Bath’s Tale. In this blog post (one of several in her portfolio!), she raises powerful questions about the relationship between canonicity and accountability.

Holding the Father of English Literature Accountable: #ChaucerIsOverParty

By Fatima Guettatfi

It’s generally safe to say we live in a world of cancel culture. A lot of people with some form of a media and social media presence have spoken out against cancel culture being toxic, but it’s important to understand why cancel culture exists, because people are tired of being problematic and getting away with it! At this point, we are all exhausted of watching people with some form of power and privilege getting away with problematic actions with barely a slap on the wrist. While cancel culture can be excessive at times, it’s the internet’s retaliation from this exhaustion. If the law/society won’t hold these people accountable, then the internet will. Which leads to the point of this post, I want the internet to retaliate against the Father of English Literature, Geoffrey Chaucer. Therefore, to commence the #ChaucerIsOverParty, these are 4 aspects of the Wife of Bath’s Tale that earned Chaucer a moment under the umbrella of cancel culture.

TRIGGER WARNING: mentions of sexual assault will be explored, so stop reading if you’ll be personally and/or emotionally triggered by mentions of the r word.

1. Uses rape as a major plot device

Writers have full creative freedom to express the events of their plot in any fashion, but when something as traumatic as rape is used to advance the knight’s plot that ultimately ends in him marrying a beautiful woman, there is a major problem. In the Canterbury Tales, The Wife of Bath tells a story of a knight who sexually assaults a woman, and instead of paying for his crimes, the Queen sends him on a quest to find out what women want (905). Fast- forward through the plot, an old “hag” tells him the answer, and he marries the old hag who magically turns into the most beautiful woman. The issue here is that the attack had no narratological purpose aside from getting the knight from a point of criminal trial to his happy ending. Which leads me to my second point

2.The assaulter gets a happy ending! (WTF)

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m tired of seeing this result, both fictionally and in real life. I understand that art has the capacity mimic the realities of life, but sometimes I just want to escape that reality, and the Wife of Bath’s Tale was not a focal point of escapism for me. The only part of the plot that I enjoyed was King Arthur being the voice of reason in the entirety of the narrative. He wanted the knight to pay for his heinous crime, but unfortunately instead of having an empowering female badass like Detective Olivia Benson who would’ve thrown that knight in prison, we get the queen. The queen asks King Arthur for the clemency on the knight’s behalf and is therefore the main reason why the knight gets a happy ending. The worst part about this hard-to-read storyline is that we are to believe that he deserves a happy ending because he changed. Chaucer paints him as “sorweful” and expects the reader to just instantly feel sorry for the knight (986). Drumroll, we don’t feel bad for the knight because he never changed! Yes, Chaucer did in fact pull a Bryce Walker from 13 Reasons
Why narrative on us. But instead of a dead knight, we get a happily married one.

3.The victim isn’t given a space in this narrative

This part of the text is one that doesn’t sit well with me at all. We are told about the event, but we never hear the victim’s narrative, the victim is silenced by a plot that is centralized on the violence subjected to her. I want this to be a life lesson to everyone reading this, don’t be a Chaucer. Don’t silence a victim. Instead of erasing their voice, listen to their story, and always believe victims.

4. The Tale is told through a survivor of domestic violence

The Wife of Bath’s Tale is difficult to unpack because Chaucer narrates the plot through the
Wife of Bath who is a survivor. We learn in her prologue that one of her husband’s is physically abusive towards her. This complicates a major theme of this tale, that women want sovereignty over their husbands and lovers because the sequence of events never allow a woman a chance to achieve sovereignty over their significant other (1037-40). At the end of the day, the one who achieved sovereignty over everyone and everything in the tale is the knight since he gained a happy ending. The abuser is the winner in a narrative told by a survivor of domestic abuse, and if that doesn’t land Chaucer in the list of people Twitter needs to cancel, I don’t know what will. The manipulative aspect behind his intentional use of a women’s voice to narrate a triggering and anti-woman plot is haunting, he used a female voice to make the plot palatable to readers. In Chaucer’s view, using a female voice to narrate sexual violence against women makes the event digestible to various readers. That is a problem and that is a toxic way of writing.

The scariest part about TheWife of Bath’s Tale is that its contents occur every day. Sexual assault victims are silenced, and the assaulters get away with their actions. Chaucer may be the Father of English Literature, but he needs to be held accountable for the toxic messages portrayed in his writing. Hopefully, #ChaucerIsOverParty is a never-ending event, and thank you for attending. Stay safe, believe survivors, and hold problematic people accountable.
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Fatima Guettatfi is a senior double majoring in English and Marketing set to graduate Autumn ’20. Aside from her academics at Ohio State, she’s part of the PR committee at TEDxOhioStateUniversity. In her free time, she likes to consume all forms of pop culture while she watches her friends slowly become TikTok famous. This summer, Fatima will be a marketing intern at Unilever, and her career goal is to land a marketing position after college.

Engaging with Premodern Literatures in English 2201

| Nick Hoffman (hoffman.1088)

We have created this site to feature some of the compelling and creative final projects we’ve received as recitation leaders for English 2201: Survey of British Literature to 1800. This site currently features work from Prof. Karen Winstead‘s autumn 2019 iteration of English 2201. Recitation leaders included Nick Hoffman, Bethany Christiansen, and Shaun Russell. 

The Portfolio Project gives students the opportunity to immerse themselves creatively in some of the texts covered in the survey course. As stated in the syllabus, the Portfolio Project is essentially 

a genre- and period-bending exercise that [demonstrates] your knowledge of each of the four literary periods we covered this semester and challenge you to think creatively about them.

In the spirit of the prompt’s flexibility and focus on each student’s individual talents and interests, we received a broad range of submissions: blog posts, sketches, games, sonnet sequences, reconstructed letters, and more. These projects spoke not only to students’ engagement with four distinct literary periods (Pre-Conquest, Post-Conquest, Renaissance, and Restoration literatures), but reflected the personality and acumen of this year’s course participants—without whom 2201 wouldn’t be possible! 

To showcase some of this fantastic work, we’ve built this site as a reference for future English 2201 students. Just take it from your predecessors in English 2201—the Portfolio is your opportunity to breathe new life into the literatures of premodern Britain. We eagerly await the opportunity to expand this site further, with new projects and insights from this foundational course and its talented participants.