World Literature—Student Assignment
Oral Interpretation of Literature: Readers’ Theater
Dr. Joan Kennedy
Collin College
Assignment: After reading and discussing Homer’s Odyssey, students will write a
vignette in response to the work.
What is a vignette ? It is a short, descriptive, creative work written in prose.
Suggested Procedure: As you read and think about Homer’s Odyssey, jot down ideas
and impressions in response. What specific characters, incidents, ideas, issues, themes,
imagery, etc. do you discover within the work? Do you recall any ideas from class
discussion? Free write all ideas as they occur to you. Your journal would be a good
place to record your responses. Then from the free-writing begin the first draft of your
vignette, creating bits and pieces of imagery (descriptive word pictures) that represent
your thoughts about the work.
The vignette should be approximately a half page to a page (typewritten, double-spaced)
in length. Since a vignette is a type of creative writing, it is permissible to use sentence
fragments and phrases to describe your thoughts about the Odyssey.
In essence you are creating an image with words.
Sample Vignette: See attached example. The writer focused on Odysseus’ journey back
to Ithaca after the Trojan War.
The next step is to reshape the vignette into a poem. The wording of the poem may
be exactly like the vignette but rearranged to poetic form. On the other hand, the
wording of the poem may be an adaptation from the vignette. See example of poem
on back of vignette sheet.
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VIGNETTE
My One True Love
The beginning and the end. In life and death. I journeyed far away—called to
Troy to return fair, treacherous Helen. Long I have been gone, and I long to return to
you. –Poseidon, the earth shaker, the wave maker sought vengeance for the
disfigurement of his son. Toils and dangers I have met, with you my precious love
always in my mind’s longing eye. I have traversed to Hell and back. Lain with and been
detained many years by beguiling, bewitching goddess Circe and lustful, lovely nymph
Calypso. Amassed material riches beyond one’s wildest imagination and lost loved
companions every step of the way. Always my sweet love, I felt your pull at my
heart. . .yearning to kiss your Dawn rose tinted body. Twenty years have come and gone,
now your striking beauty, your ethereal loveliness within my sight. Yet, troubles still
linger—suitors plunder and disgrace my home. When I dispose of them, each death to fit
its crime, bloodied and painful—then is when I will fully rejoice. Lying upon your
honeyed breast. The beginning and the end. In life and death. My one true love, my
Ithaca.
Student Vignette
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POEM ADAPTED FROM VIGNETTE
MY ONE TRUE LOVE
The beginning and the end.
In life and death.
I journeyed far away—
--Called to Troy, to return fair, treacherous Helen
Long I have been gone
And I long to return to you.
--Poseidon, the earth shaker
the wave maker,
Sought vengeance for
The d i s f i g u re me nt of his son.
Toils and danger I have met
With you my precious love
Always in my mind’s longing eye.
I have traversed to HELL
and back.
Lain with and been detained many years by
Beguiling, bewitching goddess Circe and
Lustful, lovely nymph Calypso
Gathered material riches
Beyond wildest imagination
And lost loved companions
Every step of the way.
Always my sweet love
I felt your pull on my heart. . .
Yearning to kiss your Dawn rose tinted body.
Twenty years have come and gone.
NOW your striking beauty,
Your ethereal loveliness within my sight
Yet troubles still linger—
Suitors plunder and disgrace my home.
When I dispose of them,
Each death to fit its crime,
Bloodied and painful—
Then is when I will fully rejoice
Lying upon your honeyed breast
--The beginning and the end
In life and death.
My one true love. . .
My ITHACA
Student Poem
3
Excerpt from a 15-page script adapted from student poetry and vignettes—students are
assigned lines from the script.
READERS’ THEATER
IMAGES FROM THE ODYSSEY
The beginning and the end
In life and death
I journeyed far away—
Called to Troy to return fair, treacherous Helen.
Long I have been gone
And long to return to you.
Great goddess, hear my calls
You have given your imperial guidance for all my family
You protected the men with your invincible shield
And poured blessing upon blessing—
All know father and grandfather called on your wisdom throughout their lives
Now I sense my son gains courage from Athena’s wise words
He will overtake the greedy serpents in my home
Who wish to be in my wife’s bed. . .
Penelope, dear—
Please waste no more time—
My volcanic heart is about to erupt
I’m not like the rest—that swear they’re the best
But just look and you’ll find I’m the only one
With true love on his mind
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As the unfaithful go away, you can be sure that I’ll stay and know that in time—
I will surely make you mine.
I can see your form bathed in light—
Your Reubenesque form fills my loins with delight—
Come on girl, I wish you’d finish that shroud—
So then you could choose me out of this crowd.
You tell that boy Telemachus he’d better stay in line—
Or fish in the Aegean, on his body they will dine!
Odysseus is with the gods above
Come on girl, let’s make love
One night of passion—
And you will be mine—
And so will your kingdom—
Every penny—
Nickel—
And dime!
Yes, toils and dangers I have met—
Oh, great goddess, Athena, hear my calls
With your aid my son will see my story through my friends’ tales—
And find strength in my feats—
Find strength to overcome the suitors
Now you persuade Zeus to curb Calypso’s power
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However, none seems to overcome your horrid betrayal
Yes, vengeful nymph revealed your anger to conspire with her my captivity
Athena, my ships lost—
My friends blown astray—
Now seven years upon this isle.
Goats and baby lambs I would sacrifice
Pile all the riches in your hands
And great temples will arise
For one more time of guidance on a speedy journey home
To guard me from suitors—
Monsters—
And gods—
I would be forever, your Odysseus.
Yes, I have traversed to hell and back—
Poseidon, the earth shaker
The wave maker—
Sought vengeance for the disfigurement of his son. . .
Oh, sweet wine—
Oh, sweet wine—
I need you to wash down the flesh of my latest feast
Like a fire in the night—
Yes, I have traversed to hell and back—
Toils and danger I have met
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With you my precious love always in my mind’s longing eye.
Lain with and been detained a year by beguiling, bewitching goddess Circe—
And lustful, lovely nymph Calypso.
Oh, how I long to throw down my weapons and rest!
I wish to dream about my loved ones—
I weep to see my boy all grown.
Was it love divine that brought Odysseus home?
Each step was predestined to answer the questions my pride encountered
Each island could not deny I was ordained to survive
Every man must enjoy the folly of his bosom
Yet what he so craves could be what ends his days
All men deserve to be known for their feat
Though all women’s seductions are what cause them to retreat
It is the noble hope of love that brings honor to a crown
And not the destruction of a kingdom
Nor its downfall
Days
And nights
And for mortal men facing sunrise
I am god-like in my hope
Hope for my freedom
My life
My home. . . .My one true love. . . .My Ithaca!
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