The Beacon School

11^th Grade English

Biblical and Mythical Allusions in Song of Solomon

Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison is filled with references to historical references, biblical figures and Greek mythology. She also weaves together Western folklore and the African oral tradition in both style and content.

Directions: Look up the following terms or read the following texts. Answer the questions in your notebook or in a word document. But if you do the latter, you must send it to yourself, print it out, and then paste it into your notebook.

Song of Songs

1. Google it. What is the Song of Songs?

2. Here are two different versions of the Song of Solomon from the bible. Just look at Chapter 1 and read both.

a. King James version: http://etext.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/KjvCant.html

b. Hebrew Bible version: http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt3001.htm

3. Do a close reading of both. What differences do you see? What is the poem about in your opinion? What associations do you have with the language?

4. Do you think the passage has some larger message or meaning? If so, what is it? How is that grounded in the language?

Icarus and Daedaulus

1. Read this translation of Ovid’s story from Metamorpheses: http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/latin/ovid/trans/Metamorph8.htm#482327661

2. Who is Icarus?

3. Who is Daedalus?

4. How is this story an allegory? What are three possible morals or messages of the story?

“The People Could Fly”, African folktale

http://www.wheelcouncil.org/featuredstories/peoplecouldfly.html

Read this folktale. What do you think its significance is?

Charles Lindbergh

Go to this link: http://www.charleslindbergh.com/ny/

Read at least two articles about his flight and then two articles about his son.

1. What was Lindbergh known for?

2. How did his accomplishment represent a huge moment in American history?

3. What happened to his son?

The Great Migration

1. Google this. When was this and what was it?

2. Jacob Lawrence, an African-American painter, did a series of painting showing the Great Migration. Go to this link: http://www.phillipscollection.org/migration_series/index.cfm

3. Look at the paintings. Describe the images and actions shown in these paintings. What feelings and emotions do they convey? What do you learn about what he felt this experience was like for African Americans?

What’s in a name? Look up the following names and what story in the bible they reference. What pre-conceived notion becomes attached with these characters?

Pilate

Hagar

Corinthians