Creating Questions for a Harkness Discussion (Literature Based)

Ask ​three​ questions about the text (three per level). These need to be questions that you want to discuss or hear your classmates
discuss. Do not ask questions that you know the answer to just to have something down on paper to turn in.

Level One Question: - What are some examples of similes in the

For the seminar student, these are not mere recall questions;
poem?
rather, they establish evidence of basic facts presented in the - What are other figurative language
author’s proof paragraph. examples?
- Is the poem ani-war or pro-war?
Examples:
● What evidence does the author use to support his
argument that it is man’s responsibility to care for the
land?
● To what does the author compare his boyhood
experience on the family farm in order to further his
argument that man is forever attached to the land?

Level Two Question: - What are some examples of how the

These questions are textually implicit, requiring analysis and
interpretation of specific parts of the text, pointing out what a
specific part of the text actually means, or what language was
used to create the meaning. It’s not about what happened on
page 47 of the novel; it’s more like, “How does the author’s
description of the dying horse on page 47 of the novel create a
tone?”
imagery relates to the themes of the
poem?
- How does Owen’s POV affect how the tone
of the poem comes across to the readers?
- What is the effect of the person
“drowning” in stanza 3 and 4?

Examples:
● Why do you think the author relies heavily upon visual
imagery in this passage to convey his love of the land?
● How does the heavy use of repetition contribute to the
effectiveness of the author’s argument that
___________?
● What do you think the author means when he says:
_____?

Level Three Question: - What kind of war morals do you have and
These questions are more open-ended and go beyond the text.
how does this poem make you feel about
They are intended to provoke a discussion of an abstract idea or them?
issue, to connect events/themes in the anchor text to other - What is your outside source about and how
texts, other arguments, or to universal issues of does it relate to the poem by Owens?
life/society/mankind itself.
- How does Owen’s background affect the
Examples: story and what he says in the story?
● How has man’s attitude toward nature changed over the
last 100 years?
● How has society’s changing perception toward nature
been advantageous? Detrimental?
In one complete sentence, write what the text is about (a
summary of the purpose, message, plot, theme, etc.).
Create a textual analysis. This analysis should take into account
your previous questions and explore possible answers of your
level two and three questions. (500 words or more)
Dulce et Decorum Est​ by Wilfred Owens is about
WW1 and the experiences he saw to make his
morals he has about war.
The poem, ​Dulce et Decorum Est​ takes its readers
through the awful stories of war. Owens starts off
by talking in first person, with very descriptive
imagery. Owens talks of “Knock-kneed, coughing
like hags,” “Men marched asleep. Many had lost
their boots”. These experiences are his own which
really makes the story even more powerful. This
can relate to the enduring myth of how war is
glorious, but in reality, war is hard, and no one
who has not been in it, can truly have an opinion.
Owens, at the end, writes, “Dulce et Decorum Est”
which translates to “It is sweet and honorable to
die for your country,” which at first may make you
think Owens supports war and supports young
boys serving for their country. After reading it
another time, and reading some other analysis, it
is actually quite ironic. After Owens tells his
readers of how awful war is, and how the
patriotism of war is just hiding its true colors, he
goes on to end the poem with that phrase. He is
being ironic in the sense that, that phrase is what
all these innocent young men are told, but it is just
a blanket, which Owens is trying to get across to
his readers. For example, in stanza 3 and 4, Owens
describes a fellow soldier drowning and dying in a
green gas. He is “guttering, choking, drowning”
which is very graphic, but it has to be graphic. This
can also be taken figuratively, which I think is the
most important way to look at it. These soldiers
are figuratively drowning in war and the guilt of
killing so many other innocent people. In war,
soldiers are taught to Kill, kill, kill, but this can
affect these soldiers mentally. The “drowning” of
this poor soldier is drowning in the guilt of morally
knowing war is wrong, but realistically fighting and
risking his life in battles and war. War is a
complicated topic in that there is no right answer.
War is necessary, in my opinion, for our world to
function, unfortunately, but morally it is sad we
 have to give in to killing. Personally, I do not agree
with war morally, but in reality, I think it is
necessary. To me, war isn’t what we have to talk
about as a society, but it’s now how we will make
it better and help the soldiers who do go to war.
We need to create better conditions and solve
problems to create less war and spend less money
on our military. In my article by Samuel Brittan
from the Financial Times, he says, “If I intentionally
kill another person I will be subject to a long term
of imprisonment or even, in some jurisdictions, the
death penalty. But if I kill 1,000 people, I might
receive a medal; or if a million, I might be
promoted to field marshal or even president,
provided only that those killed come from another
side of a border in a state known as “war”.” My
opinion has been stated to where I really do agree
with our military and feel that the people who do
serve are the most honorable in our world, but
with what I have learned, morally I feel worse
about my opinion.
Remember​: This assignment is due at the beginning of the period in which we will discuss a text —not mid-way through. These
responses will serve as the basis for our class discussion.