Title: How to live? The philosophy of Horace

Lesson plan elaborated by: Katarzyna Maciejak

Topic:

Epicureanism, stoicism and hedonism – various attitudes towards life in Horace's poetry.

Target:

1st‑grade students of a high school.

Core curriculum

I. Literary and cultural education.

1. Reading literary works. Student:

3) distinguishes epic, lyrical, dramatic and syncretic genres, including: genres learned in primary school and epos, ode, ancient tragedy, psalm, chronicle, satire, idyll, ballad, romantic drama, poetic novel, as well as variations of the novel and drama , lists their basic species traits;

4) recognises in the literary text the means of artistic expression learned in primary school and the means of meaning: oxymoron, periphrase, euphonia, hyperbole; lexical, including phraseologies; syntactic: antithesis, parallelism, enumeration, epiphora, ellipse; versioning, including the launcher; defines their functions;

9) recognises the subject and issues of the texts learned and its relation to the programs of the literary era, social, historical, existential and aesthetic phenomena; he reflects on it;

13) compares literary works or their fragments, sees continuations and references in the compared works, defines common and different features;

14) presents a proposal for interpretation of the work, indicates in the text places that may constitute arguments in support of its interpretation proposal;

16) recognises universal and national values present in literary works; determines their role and relationship with the work's issues and the importance to build their own value system.

2. Receipt of cultural texts. Student:

5) characterises the main philosophical trends and determines their influence on the culture of the era;

III. Creating statements.

1. Elements of rhetoric. Student:

4) explains how the rhetorical means used (eg rhetorical questions, calculations, exclamations, parallelisms, repetitions, apostrophes, metadases, inversions) affect the recipient;

2. Speaking and writing. Student:

1) agrees with other people's views or polemicizes with them, substantively justifying their own opinion;

2) build a statement in a conscious manner, with the knowledge of its language function, taking into account the purpose and the addressee, keeping the principles of rhetoric.

IV. Self‑study. Student:

1. develops the ability of independent work, inter alia, by preparing various forms of presenting their own position;

2. organises information into the problematic whole by valuing it; synthesizes the learned content around the problem, topic, issue and uses it in your statements;

6. selects relevant quotes from the text and applies them in the speech.

The general aim of education

Pupils learn the works of Horace and consider various attitudes of man towards life.

Operational objectives

Student:

• gets to know the selected poems by Horace;

• defines the subject and issues of the texts learned;

• explains the differences between epicureanism, stoicism and hedonism;

• names stylistic means and defines their functions.

Learning methods

• giving: talk;

• practical: practical exercises, elements of drama;

• programmed: using a computer, using an e‑manual.

Forms of work

• individual activity;

• activity in pairs;

• collective activity.

Lesson plan overview (Process)

Introduction

1. The teacher determines the purpose of the class: students will learn about the works of Horace and consider various attitudes of man towards life.

2. Previously designated student presents the figure and works of Horace. He should also mention the reception of his poetry in later ages.

Realization

1. The teacher encourages students to discuss whether life should focus on the present, the past or the future. They indicate the advantages and disadvantages.

2. Reading the poem Do Leukonoe. A short introduction to the interpretation of the text: description of the sender, recipient, mood, message. The teacher asks students what attitude the position expressed in the poem can be compared to. If the students can not name her yet, all she has to do is describe her. Exercise number 3 in the abstract.

3. Reading the second work by Horace, Do Postuma. An attempt to independently interpret the text by the students. Discussing the pronunciation of a poem on the class forum, describing or naming the posture presented by the subject. Exercise number 4 in the abstract. The teacher then asks the students what connects two of Horace's works and what separates them. He asks them which attitude is closer to them and why (Ex 6).

4. Definition of stylistic means - exercise No. 5 in the abstract.

5. Analysis of the content presented on the timeline. Students will get acquainted with the assumptions of trends: hedonism, epicureanism and stoicism. They give examples from everyday life.

5. The teacher together with the students sums up the current course of classes.

6. Work in groups of 4 people. One person in each team will act as a teenager seeking advice (he must come up with a „problem”). The other three are representatives of three trends: epicurism, hedonism and stoicism, each of them will give advice to a friend or colleague according to the assumptions of his philosophical school. After the appointed time, the class scenes are presented in the class forum. Students can ask questions after the presentation.

Summary

The teacher gives students short surveys with self‑evaluation.

Then he summarises the class by asking students questions:

• Are the topics discussed by Horace still valid? Justify your opinion.

Homework

Choose one of the quotes and expand this thought in your notebook. If necessary, take a look at Horace's poems learned during the lesson.

1. „Lepiej tak przyjąć wszystko, jak się zdarzy”.

2. „(…) łap dzień każdy, a nie wierz ni trochę w złudnej przyszłości obietnice płoche”.

3. „My wszyscy, którzy chleb jemy powszedni, śmiertelnej musimy podjąć się żeglugi”.

4. „Z modlitwy naszej drwi śmierć niepobożna. Kroków starości wstrzymać nikt nie umie”.

The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson

Terms

Texts and recordings

How to live? The philosophy of Horace

People adopt various attitudes towards life – some focus on the past, some prefer to think of what the future holds, while others try to take advantage of the present to the fullest.

Carmina (Odes) of Horace is a collection of over 100 works in four books, which cover a range of subjects including: revelry, love, patriotism, philosophy and contemplation.