The White Mans Burden R Kipling February 1899

The White Man‘s Burden R. Kipling, February 1899

background it was originally published in the popular magazine Mc. Clure's in 1899 although Kipling's poem mixed exhortation to the empire with sober warnings of the costs involved, imperialists within the United States took the phrase "white man’s burden" as a characterization for imperialism that justified the policy as a noble enterprise The poem was originally written for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, but exchanged for "Recessional"; Kipling changed the text of "Burden" to reflect the subject of American colonization.

This 1890 s advertisement for soap uses theme of the White Man's Burden, encouraging white people to teach cleanliness to members of other races.

form/analysis seven stanzas regular rhyme scheme (only 2 nd and 4 th verses rhyme) emphasis on non-rhyming words in the 1 st and 3 rd verse central metaphor: Imperialism as the White Man‘s Burden (therefore often criticized to be full of Eurocentric racism or of cultural imperialism) poem could also be read as a satire (and therefore indirect criticism of Imperialism) poem as appeal: take up. . . , go bind. . . , send forth. . . , anaphoras (e. g. verses 4, 5) alliteration (e. g. verse 5: heavy harness; verse 6: fluttered folk) personification: to veil the threat of terror (verse 13)

form/analysis oxymoron: the savage wars of peace (verse 19)

What is a short story? With your neighbour, write down a precise definition for this literary concept. Finished earlier? Why do you think short stories came into existence during the second half of the 19 th century in Britain?

Edgar Allan Poe Aus "[Second Review of: ]Twice-Told Tales. By Nathaniel Hawthorne. . . " We need only here say, upon this topic, that, in almost all classes of composition, the unity of effect or impression is a point of the greatest importance. It is clear, moreover, that this unity cannot be thoroughly preserved in productions whose perusal cannot be completed at one sitting. We may continue the reading of a prose composition, from the very nature of prose itself, much longer than we can persevere, to any good purpose, in the perusal of a poem. This latter, if truly fulfilling the demands of the poetic sentiment, induces an exaltation of the soul which cannot be long sustained. All high excitements are necessarily transient. Thus a long poem is a paradox. And, without unity of impression, the deepest effects cannot be brought about. Epics were the offspring of an imperfect sense of Art, and their reign is no more. A poem too brief may produce a vivid, but never an intense or enduring impression. Without a certain continuity of effort - without a certain duration or repetition of purpose - the soul is never deeply moved. . . Extreme brevity will degenerate into epigrammatism; but the sin of extreme length is even more unpardonable.

defining moments for short stories it‘s short? not always. . . (up to 20 000 words in some definitions) fictional prose text in narrative format very often: unity of time, place and action (cf. to Aristotelian drama theory): one day, one setting, one major event very often: one main character can be read in one sitting (E. A. Poe) sometimes: dramatic structure (exposition, rising action/complication, climax, falling action, resolution/moral) (post-)modern short stories: do not follow a clear structure

An outpost of progress J. Conrad, July 1896

cumulative effect of the ironic method continous build-up of irony superiority of Makola (the black) vs incabalities of Kayerts and Carlier (the whites) role of Kayerts and Carlier as god-like creatures/pioneers of progress idea of good friendship between civilized white official Christianity/Christian symbols vs Evil Spirits celebrated by the natives steamer as an icon of progress (arrives when the white man‘s effort to build an outpost of progress had failed)

Irony and narration Discuss with your partner if Conrad‘s use of the ironic method and the narrative perspective used in the short story fit together. Discuss if the title of the short story is ironic. Conrad‘s short story “An outpost of progress“ was supposed to be split up into two parts for a weekly magazine. Conrad was strictly against it. Discuss why.

An investigation Imagine that a commission from the Trading Company and the police investigate the events on the outpost. Their main interest centres on Makola. He is a suspect. work in groups of four and be able to perform the conversation in 20 minutes (no reading, free performance) Makola: he has to give a detailed report of the two deaths on the outpost. the Commission: play Sherlock Holmes and try to reveal the truth by asking the right questions.