Transcript Pandora’s Box

Greek Myth Retold by Louis Untermeyer
Louis Untermeyer was born
in New York City on 1st
October, 1885. After a brief
formal education he left
high school without
graduating and found work
with his father's jewelry
manufacturing company. By
1923 Untermeyer was vicepresident in his father's
company but he decided to
resign and concentrate on
writing.
Over the next fifty years
he wrote, edited or
translated over one
hundred books. This
included several volumes
of his own poetry. He also
produced a series of
anthologies, notably
Modern American Poetry
(1919), Modern British
Poetry (1920), This
Singing World (1923) and
Selected Poems and
Parodies (1935).
Untermeyer was an entertaining talker and in 1950 became a panelist on the
television program, What's My Line. He continued to be active in campaigning
for left-wing causes and as a result the FBI had been collecting a file of his
activities. His name was also mentioned during the House of Un-American
Activities Committee investigation into communist subversion. This was
brought to the attention of the television industry and in 1951 Untermeyer
was sacked from the television show and was blacklisted. Like many left-wing
artists during this period, Untermeyer became a victim of McCarthyism.
Arthur Miller, a friend, writes, "Louis
went back to his apartment. Normally
we ran into each other in the street once
or twice a week or kept in touch every
month or so, but I no longer saw him in
the neighborhood or heard from him.
Louis didn't leave his apartment for
almost a year and a half. An
overwhelming and paralyzing fear had
risen him. More than a political fear, it
was really that he had witnessed the
tenuousness of human connection and it
had left him in terror. He had always
loved a lot and been loved, especially on
the TV program where his quips were
vastly appreciated, and suddenly, he had
been thrown into the street, abolished."
In 1956 Untermeyer was awarded a Gold Medal by the Poetry Society of
America. He also served as a consultant in English poetry for the Library of
Congress from 1961 until 1963.
Louis Untermeyer died on 18th December, 1977.
VOCABULARY WORDS
subtle - slight; difficult to detect
Zeus’ subtle punishment was not immediately obvious.
adorn – to enhance or decorate
The gods adorn her with special gifts.
ensnare – to take or catch in something
Her beauty and charm helped ensnare his attention.
restrain – to hold back; to control
She could no longer restrain her curiosity.
Olympus was the residence of the divine family, the twelve most important ruling
gods and goddesses of ancient Greece, who therefore were called the Olympians.
There they all lived together in an enormous palace, high above the clouds.
Olympus is generally identified with Mount Olympus in Thessaly, which is the
highest mountain in Greece, but very often it is identified also as some
mysterious region far above the earth.
Greek Gods and Goddesses
In the myth, “Pandora’s Box”
Aphrodite
Athene, Greek goddess
Hera, the wife of Zeus
of wisdom
Greece
Literary Terms in “Pandora’s Box”
Theme: A theme is a message about life or human
nature that the writer shares with the reader.
In many cases, readers must infer what the writer’s
message is. One way of figuring out a theme is to apply
the lessons learned by the main characters to people in
real life.
All great stories have a theme, whether it is about the
value of friendship, the bonds of a family’s love, or the
triumph of good over evil.
THEME
Describe a movie that you have seen.
Summarize the important message of
the movie by stating the theme.
What did the movie want you to learn?
What was the film-maker saying to you
about life, friends, money, family, or
happiness?
SYMBOL
SYMBOL: A symbol is a person, place, an object, or
an activity that stands for something beyond itself.
For example, a flag is a colored piece of cloth that
stands for a country. A white dove is a bird that
represents peace.
Get ready to read.
Discuss the questions with a partner.
Why do you think people always want
what they don’t have?
What problems are caused by wanting
things that are out of reach?
Read “Pandora’s Box” carefully. Make note of
the theme and be ready to COMPARE it to the next
story, “Loo-Wit, the Fire-Keeper.” You will also
COMPARE AND CONTRAST the similarities and
differences in mythologies from different cultures.
Native American Myth Retold by Joseph Bruchac
I grew up in the small town of Greenfield
Center, New York, which is in the foothills of
the Adirondacks not far from the city of
Saratoga Springs. It is a place I love, close to
the forests and the mountains.
I was raised by my grandparents, who had a
little general store. My grandmother, Marion
Dunham Bowman, was a graduate of Albany
Law School. Although she never did practice
law, she kept the house filled with books. It's
because of her that I was always reading.
My grandfather, Jesse Bowman, was of
Abenaki Indian descent. He could barely read
and write, but I remember him as one of the
kindest people I ever knew. I followed him
everywhere. He showed me how to walk
quietly in the woods and how to fish. He told
me that his father never spanked him, but
would only talk to him when he misbehaved.
He raised me in the same way.
I started to write when I was in the second
grade. I wrote poems to my teacher. One day,
when she read one to the class, some of the
bigger boys got jealous. They beat me up
after school. That was my first experience
with hostile literary critics. But I kept on
writing. And I was always reading, especially
classic children's stories about animals.
For over thirty years Joseph Bruchac has
been creating poetry, short stories, novels,
anthologies and music that reflect his
Abenaki Indian heritage and Native
American traditions.
He is the author of more than 120 books for
children and adults
Places to Know
Oregon
Willamette River in Oregon
Multnomahs Tribe
Washington
Klickitat Tribe – Native Americans
Living north of the Columbia River in Washington
Mt. Hood
Highest mountain in Oregon
Mount Adams
Highest mountain in the state of Washington
Mount St. Helens
An active volcano in Washington that erupted in 1980
killing 57 people and destroying hundreds of homes,
bridges, highways, and railways.
Mt. Helens Erupting