Once you have reviewed
the data table or catalogue and determined which text/s you would like
to use for your class, use the exercise template below to add the
text/s into the bracketed space. Exmp: [Add in the chosen texts here]
You can either copy and paste the exercise template below or you can
download the exercise template in RTF (Rich Text Format) for editing in
any Word Processor.
Click Here For the Print Version (Rich Text Format - Generic Format for
any Word Processor)
Click Here For the Print
Version of the Grading Rubric (Rich Text Format - Generic Format for
any Word Processor)
Many, if not most, older works lack modern editions. In order to work
with such texts, students need to learn the conventions of older forms
of writing, as well as strategies for discerning meaning from texts.
This exercise provides an opportunity for students to analyze and
interpret older texts, focusing on issues of spelling, vocabulary, and
critical apparatus.
As you work through this exercise, please keep the
following in mind:
1. You must comply with all of the rules of the Rare Book Room.
- Please wear gloves (which are provided by the Rare Book
Room) while handling all texts.
- Please handle all texts with care; do not bend book spines
back, bend pages, and so on.
- You may only use pencils while working in the Rare Book
Room; pens are not allowed.
Choose one of the following texts:
[Add in the chosen texts here]
2. The Rare Book Room is open from 9:00 until 5:00, Monday through
Friday, and Tuesday evenings from 5:00 until 9:00.
For the first part of this exercise, you will need to
copy a designated passage from a printed text so as to make the passage
accessible to a modern reader.
- Be sure to copy the passage accurately. (This is not as
easy as it sounds).
- Certain letter substitutions are common in older texts.
Watch for the letter “i” where we would use a “j”, “v” for “u,” a long
“s” for an “f,” and so on. Such usage is not always consistent, and in
some cases, you many need to rely on context to determine whether a
letter is substituted or not. Decide whether or not you want to
modernize the spelling.
- Punctuation is highly variable in older texts. Watch for
the use of colons (where we might use periods), semi-colons (where we
might use commas), and so on. Decide whether or not you want to
modernize the punctuation.
- Capitalization is also highly variable in older texts. In
some older works, every noun is capitalized. Look for patterns in the
capitalization to determine whether it is being used for emphasis, or
not. Decide whether or not you want to retain the capitalization of the
original text.
- Some texts use italics for emphasis, particularly for
significant nouns. Check for patterns in italicization, and decide
whether or not you want to retain the original italicization.
- Assess the vocabulary of the passage. Are there any words
that are unfamiliar to you? Or words that are being used in an unusual
sense? If so, check the Oxford English Dictionary
(OED), which provides definitions of words from
specific periods. (The OED is available through
the Mountainlynx Database system). Provide notes on vocabulary that you
feel will be useful for a modern reader.
- Evaluate the content of the passage. Provide notes on the
author, the text, and/or the ideas in the passage that you think will
be useful for a modern reader.
Based on your transcription of the text and your notes on the
text, you should be able to write a brief (one to two page) essay in
which you develop some ideas about transcription and the editing
process.
Please keep the following in mind:
- State your thesis at the beginning of your essay. Your
thesis may focus on the editing process (and your choices), on the
needs of modern readers, or on the conventions of older texts. Remember
that a thesis is a position statement and that you need to stake a
position about this passage in your essay.
- The more specific evidence you use in your essay to prove
your point, the better.
- Your essay should not be a list of
responses to the questions 1 through 7 above. The questions are
intended to give you some strategies to begin your analysis; they do
not provide the structure (or the thesis) for your essay, nor are they
intended to limit your analysis.
- Each paragraph of your essay should support your thesis
statement. Please make sure that there are transitions between
paragraphs so that each paragraph leads to the next, and make sure that
each paragraph builds upon its predecessor.
- Every book reflects a cultural moment. It is your job to
make sense of it.
- This assignment does not require external research—it
requires careful viewing, thinking, and writing.
- Be sure to attach your transcription (including the notes
for the transcription) to your essay.