course guidelines path 1 calendar path 2 calendar essay prompts class discussion



ornamental line

Apocalypse

"O, for some medicinal vial to purge unwholesome nature,
and bring back the earth to its accustomed health!" (234).
M. Shelley's The Last Man (1826)


Points for Reflection

G. G., Lord Byron's "Darkness" (1816; 1816), PDF

  1. why might Byron have chosen not to break this poem into separate stanzas of, say, 4-5 lines each, and why use periods so infrequently?
  2. the Romantic-era poets most commonly wrote lyrical, rhyming verse. Why write in blank verse--in unrhyming iambic pentameter? (Recall from high school English that: 1) an iambic metrical foot constitutes two syllables, the first unaccented and the second accented, and that 2) a pentameter line is composed of five metrical feet--or ten syllables total.)
  3. when Byron's narrator opens the poem by claiming that what he's about to describe came him into a dream "which was not all a dream" (l.1), what is he suggested about the truth value of the poem?
  4. what is the principle catastrophe which catalyzes all the other disasters contained within this poem?
  5. what happens to humanity's normal drives and passions in the wake of this catastrophe (ll.7-9)?
  6. why does living near a volcano become preferable to either urban or rural habitation (ll.10-21)?
  7. what does the play of light and shadow from fire do to the appearance of nearby survivors (ll.22-23)? Does it hide or reveal some truth about human nature?
  8. what happens to Nature's other, non-human denizens in the wake of this disaster (ll.32-37)?
  9. does this crisis encourage or discourage conflict (ll.38-41)?
  10. does the inclusion of canine devotion and affection in lines 47-54 lessen or deepen the poem's sombre, gloomy tone?
  11. what exactly is it that kills the two enemies who run into one another around a bonfire (ll.55-69)?
  12. how does inanimate Nature--the stars (l.2), "icy earth" (l.4), waves (l.78), winds (l.80), and clouds (l.81)--behave following this sudden, inexplicable change?
  13. does it make more sense to class this poem as "horrific" or "gothic," and why?


The Last Man, chps 15-19

  1. what aspects of this tale resonate with the COVID-19 epidemic, and what elements seem dissimilar?
  2. does Mary Shelley’s willingness to foreshadow key events intensify or diminish dramatic tension?
  3. what does the narrator, Lionel, choose not to share with the reader?
  4. Adrian pledges, as deputy to the Lord Protector, to bring patience, sympathy, “and such aid as art affords” (247).  Do the arts demonstrate a power to aid humankind amidst widespread tragedy? [sec 02: Hudson]
  5. in its character and progress, does the plague seem like a natural or supernatural agent?
  6. does the role played by Nature change in today’s reading? Does it aid humankind’s endeavors, or forestall them? Is it complicit in the spread of the plague? [sec 02: Connor E]
  7. how do torrential, sustained winds and the plague’s devastation together reshape humanity’s sense of self?
  8. as humanity faces calamity after calamity, what observations does Mary Shelley make about human nature? Recall that, following his recovery from madness, Adrian called on humanity to improve itself by eliminating “death and sickness” as well as “hatred, tyranny, and fear,” asking his fellows to replace these vices with a new spirit of brotherhood (76). Does the growth of disease create the improved social dynamic Adrian longs for, or does humanity grow more selfish as death spreads rapidly?
  9. in what ways does the plague recast personal relationships?
  10. in what ways does the plague recast societal dynamics?
  11. in what ways does the plague recast global relations?
  12. is lying a form of loving in this novel?
  13. why are Lionel and his compatriots so optimistic, early on, about England's unique ability to stave off the plague decimating the world's population [sec 01: Grace B]
  14. does the plague alter society's institutions of government, religion, and education, or do these entities bear up admirably under the strain?
  15. what does today’s reading contribute to the question of Mary Shelley’s position on gender roles? Do men appear stronger, more reliable, and more useful than women, or vice versa? [sec 02: Brianna C]
  16. what evidence does Mary Shelley provide of a powerful link beneath mind and body, as concerns health and general well-being?
  17. a repeat question: does Adrian manifest any faults or character flaws?
  18. does the novel provide an answer as to how the plague spreads?


    a tempestuous painting of Egypt as seen from a distance, dark storm clouds swirling above a white pyramid
    The Fifth Plague of Egypt (1800)
    J. M. W. Turner


Dr. Paul Marchbanks
pmarchba@calpoly.edu