Gilgamesh & Language

EC ASSIGNMENT #1 – FALL 2020

ENG-122 English Composition

Assignment #1

Due: Mon. Oct. 5 via Ecourse
Gilgamesh & Language
For your first high-stakes writing assignment, you will write about particular passages or Tablets from Gilgamesh and focus on the use, meaning, and context of language. You will compose your assignment in response to one of the prompts below:

1. Read the description of Enkidu (Tablet I, “The Coming of Enkidu,” ll.100–133). Focus on the figurative language such as metaphors and similes used to describe him. How does the use of figurative language affect our image of him? Finish by considering what the equivalent metaphors or similes in your own First Language are and how you might use them to describe Enkidu.

Or,
2. Look at verbs in Tablet V (“The Combat with Humbaba”). In your opinion, how well do these verbs convey the atmosphere of the fight between Gilgamesh and Enkidu and Humbaba? Identify 3 instances of text fragments (8–10 words) where a verb is used and explain what its purpose is and what it means for us, the Reader. Finish by considering the question: what are some of the differences between this word in English and in your First Language?
Or,
3. In his translation of Gilgamesh, Andrew George frequently inserts italicized words in square brackets, e.g., “[the people]” (Tablet I, l. 225), which represent his conjectures (best guesses) about what the missing words from the original text are. Discuss three passages in Gilgamesh where an italicized word within [square brackets] is used. Why do you think Andrew George chose this word? Discuss how it adds or fits into the passage’s context. What other English synonyms are there for this word the translator could have used. Are any of these alternatives more valid?

Constraints & Requirements:

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  ~750 words. Times New Roman font. 12 pt. Double-line spaced. Justified left.
  
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  1^st Draft due Fri. Sep. 25, online via Ecourse.
  
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  Final draft due Mon. Oct. 5, online via Ecourse
  
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  Somewhere in your writing, you must use the words part-man, part-god, mythical, metaphorical, figurative, and literal. (underline them)
  

Outcomes

By the end of this assignment, you should be able to:

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  Argument – identify and interpret significant units of language, such as words and phrases
  

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  Content – quote accurately and directly from the text in support of your claims
  

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  Structure – construct basic paragraphs on the model of “PIE” (Point–Illustration–Explanation
  

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  Mechanics – compose meaningful sentences based on accuracy, clarity, and economy of expression
  

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  Process – complete a written assignment in a series of steps beginning with brainstorming and finishing with a high-quality final draft, including:
  

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  collecting text fragments
  

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  brainstorming
  

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  outlining
  

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  drafting
  

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  revising
  

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  final draft
  

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  consulting with instructor and WARC tutors