For the Love of Literature:

Why Spend an Entire Semester on Tolkien?

By Randee Baty with The Lukeion Project

This spring, the Lukeion Project will be offering an entire semester on the literature of J.R.R. Tolkien. There's still time to register. Many of our students enjoy Tolkien as their fun, leisure reading, and some may wonder
whether his work deserves time spent in academic study. Will prospective colleges take that high school english credit seriously? Over 30 prominent colleges and university in the United States, including Rice, Rutgers, Purdue, Villanova, the University of Chicago, Harvard, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill all think it deserves enough study to either give Tolkien’s writings a complete course of their own or have made them a prominent part of classes on either epic literature or medieval literature. Many others have had seminars or workshops on his writing, and many of those are at the graduate level. The University of Texas at Austin and Cal State, Northridge have given class time and study to this prominent author. Oxford University, Tolkien’s long time scholarly home, offers all types of classes on the writing of Tolkien.

When literature teachers talk about why we study literature, we mention ideas such as “universal truths,” “studying the human condition,” beauty of the language,” and “enduring effects on the reader.”  We can talk about themes, aesthetic qualities, symbolism, and characterization. We discuss how literature can put us in the shoes of people we will never meet, take us to places we can never go, and gives us both sympathy and empathy for others. The list of what great literature brings us is almost endless, and all of these can be found and studied in Tolkien’s writings without doubt. But they can be found in other authors also, so why does Tolkien merit this type of study? Here are my ideas on that subject.

J.R.R. Tolkien was not just a author of extraordinary fiction, but a preeminent literary scholar and critic. His essay “The Monsters and the Critics” changed the direction of studies and criticism on Beowulf for scholars ever since its publication. Seamus Haney, the former Poet Laureate of Ireland, praised his scholarship on Beowulf and other scholars have called his work “the most important article ever written about the poem.” His study of Beowulf strongly influenced The Hobbit as well as his other writings. Beowulf is a standard text for any college literature class because it is the first epic we have in English, and Tolkien’s study and scholarship on the poem are worth studying.

Tolkien’s own areas of study included Philology (Greek and Latin), Old English, Middle English, Norse Mythology, Medieval Literature, Anglo-Saxon Culture and Literature, and several others. Philology was his main interest and his strong scholarship in this area permeates all the writings he published. In studying Tolkien, we are given access to one of the finest minds in the development of languages that has ever published. 

In the course of his studies, Tolkien, along with E.V. Gordon, translated Sir Gawain and the Green Knight from Middle English. His translation is the most well-known and used translation of that Medieval Classic. He also began The Fall of Arthur, a Arthurian legend written in alliterative form, using Old English meter and based on Medieval legends. 

In studying the work of Tolkien, students are exposed to elements of all the interests Tolkien studies throughout his long and distinguished academic career. This includes the history of the Ango-Saxon culture as many of his creations, such as the Riders of Rohan, are based on Anglo-Saxon history and society, and the mythologies of many different countries, not just the Norse mythology that he was known to have loved. Germanic myths and legends also figure prominently. 

While many fan publications exist over the writings of Tolkien, a scholarly, peer-reviewed journal is also published. Tolkien Studies, published by the University of West Virginia Press has been publication since 2004. 

Students spending a semester with Tolkien will have the opportunity to analyze poetry, do close readings on narrative passages, delve into independent research on such topics as portrayals of Anglo-Saxon culture in Tolkien’s writings, and write character analyses. They may write word studies, comparative literature papers, or philosophical essays. The possibilities are endless, and the work can be rigorous while still being appealing for students.

If you are looking for an English or literature class that is highly academic while fun and engaging, think about a semester of Tolkien studies. 

“It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you
don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.”

How to Apply to College as a Homeschooler

Tips & Tricks from a Former-Homeschooler, College Graduate, & Admission Counselor

By Natalie Williams

Natalie Williams is a former Lukeion student who was homeschooled her whole life before enrolling at the University of Dallas, a small Liberal Arts college in Irving, Texas. She graduated magna cum laude in 2022 with a double major in French and Art History. She now works as the designated homeschool Admission Counselor for the University of Dallas. You can contact her at nataliem@udallas.edu for more information on applying to UD, or to ask what her favorite Lukeion class was.

 It’s time to gear up for another year of homeschool - possibly your last! With new classes and extracurriculars, however, comes new anxiety about the future. Now you are getting asked, “Where do you want to go to college?” Maybe you have already started applying to your favorite school and are already wearing your school colors. Maybe you have absolutely no clue what you want to study, let alone where you want to spend the next four years of adulthood. And of course, the question that is just as--if not more--pressing: “How do I apply to college as a homeschooled student?”

Whether you follow an accredited or unaccredited program (as I did), you have unique opportunities to create your own “school,” and decide what kind of person you want to be. And now you get to share that person with everyone else through the college application process.

But what does that mean in regards to applying to college? It’s not impossible to apply to college as a homeschooler, and many colleges welcome homeschooled students. Here are some questions to get you started:

What college should I look for?

Think about your favorite subjects in school and your favorite things to do outside of school. Here are some questions to get you started:

• What gives you motivation and drive? Also think about why you like what you like. What fascinates you?
• If you do not have a specific academic interest, consider taking electives related to your interests until you find something you like.
• Think about what kind of college you are looking for. Size, the type of education, culture, and campus life all impact the decision process.
• Where is it located? What opportunities are there in the area for you to grow personally and professionally?
• Think about your career path, if you have one in mind. What kind of work do you enjoy?

What do I need to apply to college?

• Application - Many colleges use the Common App, or may have their own internal application. Some schools may charge an application fee, but many will let you waive that fee if you apply early.
• College essay - Some colleges require an essay showcasing something you are passionate about, or how a moment in your life impacted you. At the University of Dallas, we read every single essay for both content and grammar. We want to see students’ unique qualities shining through their work.
• Short answers – Colleges may require additional short answers that are specific to their institution. Ask yourself what you value about the college, their mindset, their values, and let those form your answers.
• Letter(s) of recommendation - Applications may request one or more letters of recommendation, particularly from your high school counselor. As a homeschooler, your counselor would be your primary educator (hello mom or dad!), but it never hurts to get more letters from outside sources. Another teacher, a coach, a mentor, even an employer can all write excellent letters. A good baseline would be two or three letters total.
• Transcript - Your one-page summary of all the courses you have completed or will complete by the time you graduate. Parents: make sure to include your student’s grades as well as a key to interpret those grades. For example, if you grade on a 4.0 scale and you give your student in A in Latin and B+ in Chemistry, providing a key helps colleges understand your student’s success.AP/IB/Dual Credit transcripts - If you took courses from an outside institution that counted for high school and college credit, you may need to request an additional transcript from that school.
• Book list and/or course descriptions - Some colleges may require this for unaccredited homeschoolers. You can start compiling this list as soon as freshman year with a short description of your classes, including: (A) What you learne, (B) How the content was administered, (C) What materials you used to learn.
• Standardized test scores - The SAT, ACT, and CLT are the most common tests to submit to colleges. However, many colleges are test-optional. For some, this means they do not take test scores into consideration when it comes to the admissions process. For others, like the University of Dallas, it means we do not use test scores to award merit-based scholarships. Ask your intended school what its test policy is.
• FAFSA and scholarship applications - Fill out the FAFSA to get the best financial aid package possible, and ask your school what financial aid it can provide you. Some scholarships may be awarded as part of your application or separately.

What expectations do colleges have from homeschoolers? What can I do now to prepare for college?

These are my two most commonly asked questions from homeschooled students. Homeschoolers are sometimes concerned about the impression universities have of them, and thus students feel it necessary to “prove” themselves to get into their dream school.

I understand that fear. I know both the uncertainty of not knowing what lies ahead in college, and the longing of just wanting to be at my new school. I remember the anxiety of waiting for an answer from my dream school only to be assured that I did get a spot. I even know the pain of rejection from my backup school (which was a last resort school, but the rejection still hurts). Rest assured, you are more prepared than you think, and I guarantee you are not alone in your worries. That’s why we are here - to answer all of your questions, and then some.

As for expectations, colleges expect that homeschooled students have a variety of interests and talents. They expect that homeschooled students are disciplined, mature, and achieve all their goals. More often than not, homeschoolers are our best students. What you can do now is keep taking classes that interest you, or otherwise just keep fueling that thirst for knowledge. Do you love researching obscure Roman emperors, or creating elaborate henna tattoos? Get a book from the library or research a YouTube video to improve your knowledge. Do you love performing for your family or performing science experiments in the kitchen? Sign up for an acting class or a science subscription. Find ways to fuel your passion and the rest will come easily.

Do's and Don’ts about College Applications

• DO make note of important dates and deadlines. Colleges may have early deadlines for applications and scholarships, and it’s important to keep track of them so you can get a spot in class or the best financial aid package.
• DO visit the college - or colleges - you are interested in. More often than not you have more freedom to arrange your schedule as a homeschooler, so plan a road trip with the family and check out some schools!
• DO make the most of your visit. Meet with your admission counselor, tour the campus, ask to sit in on classes, and have lunch with students. Picture yourself coming here in a year, or two, or four. Check out the local coffee shops or visit a museum and turn the visit into a mini vacation!
• DO get a second pair of eyes to look over your materials, especially your essays. Some colleges are very particular about application materials, and smaller schools in particular read everything. Clean up your grammar and spelling, and make sure your essays and short answers are consistent.
• DO get to know your college admission counselor. Many schools have a specific homeschool liaison or dedicated admission counselor (like me!). Scheduling an appointment or visit with them can help you stand out from the crowd even more. Ask questions about campus culture, academics, and fun things to do in the area.
• DON’T look at the sticker price. Ok, look at it a little bit. Let’s face it, college is expensive. But often universities and organizations will offer scholarships to ease the financial burden. These scholarships can range from a few hundred dollars to free tuition or (even better) free rides. Ask what scholarships are available, and research 3rd party scholarships too.
• DON’T pay money to win a scholarship. The whole point of a scholarship is that it’s free money. If you’re paying money to get money, it’s not worth it.
• DON’T wait until the last minute to apply. Chances are if you do apply late, you may still get into the college of your choice, but you may miss out on important scholarships and financial aid. Plus, it’s less stressful for you if you’re not scrambling at the last minute.
• One Last “Don’t”… Don’t worry about your major.“What do you mean don’t worry?? Isn’t that the whole purpose of college? What about all that ‘find your passion’ stuff? Why even go to college if my major doesn’t matter?”Ok, when I said that I didn't mean to disregard absolutely everything I said above. What I do mean is, if you have a great education, you will not be limited by your major. Often there are certain roles associated with certain majors, and if you want to be a teacher after studying English for four years, that’s awesome! But just because you majored in English does not mean you are bound to only English-related careers. My dad majored in history, went into computer programming, and is currently a senior manager at one of the largest web companies in the world. My childhood best friend graduated with a philosophy major and wanted to be a philosophy professor only to discover her love of nursing. My college best friend was a biology major for the first year of college before switching to psychology, and now she works with special-needs children. And the best part of all these stories? They were all homeschooled. Their education prepared them to follow their passions, even when those passions changed.

You’re graduating college as a twenty-something year old. That is still plenty of time to figure out how you want to shape your future. The journey is yours alone, but that doesn’t mean you are alone. Your high school counselors (AKA your parents) and your college counselors (AKA people like me!) are here to help you find the best fit for you, and we can’t wait to see you grow into the person you are meant to be.

 

Do it Anyway

Lessons from the Green Beans

By Dr. Susan Fisher with The Lukeion Project

The original title for this piece was "Tales from the Pressure Canner," for that’s where the story begins.

This summer we had a bumper crop of green beans in the garden, and I decided it was finally time to put aside my fear of explosions and use my pressure canner for the first time. I won’t bore you with the humiliating details of my canner-side vigil, and the parting texts to friends whom I was sure I would never see again. The upshot is the beans came out fine and the house is still standing. A few weeks later when I canned my next batch, I was much calmer and that is where this blog post began – literally in a chair next to the pressure canner on the stove.

Just like most people, as I watched the pressure valve on my canner, I was thinking about Cato the Elder. Ok, that first part was a joke, but I really was thinking about Cato the Elder, an influential senator and historian of the early Republic, whose work and thought influenced statesmen and orators like Cicero and many others. He was also known as Cato the Censor for his strong opinions, particularly about self-reliance, hard work, and discipline.

While it is easy to dismiss Cato the Censor as a cranky old coot, with an overly starched toga who shook his noble fist while shouting at kids to get off his lawn, he does make some good points. First and foremost is the point that all of us, young or old, ancient or modern, cranky or not, tend to slack a bit when things get too easy. To be fair, we are animals after all and all animals lean toward slacking, since moderating energy expenditure is imperative for survival. Since this is a natural inclination, it falls to the vigilant like Cato the Elder to periodically remind people of the dangers of kicking back too much.

As the valve jiggled back and forth at ten pounds of pressure, I thought how easy it would have been to give in to my fear of learning pressure canning and just freeze the beans, pickle them, or not grow so many in the first place. Green beans are plentiful in Ohio, after all, and it is much easier just to get them at the store. However, this is just the sort of danger against which Cato was warning. Had I given in to my fear of the pressure canner, I would not have learned a new skill, nor would I have some nice quarts of green beans for this winter. 

Feeling smug that I hadn’t gone the easy route where the green beans were concerned, I started thinking about other areas in which, by Cato’s reckoning, I might have slid into slackerdom and was thereby missing out. This mental inventory led me to three pertinent questions for myself and others for determining whether one is taking the easy route to their own detriment:

• When is the last time you tried something new?

• When is the last time you tried something scary? (I’m not talking about alligator wrestling here, although if that’s your thing, then more power to you. I’m talking about things that people do regularly that you have psyched yourself out about.)

• When is the last time you told yourself you were incapable of doing something?

If you answered “a long time ago” or “I can’t remember the last time I tried something new” for questions one and two and/or “yesterday” for question three, odds are that you have given in to fear, laziness, or inertia and are on the road to becoming soft. (I can hear that overly starched toga rustling from here.)

Luckily you don’t need a crusty old coot of a Roman to point his bony finger in your face to get you back on the straight and narrow. Three words will do the trick. Grab a pen and write these down: Do it anyway.

• This is new – I don’t know how to do it! Do it anyway.
• I know that this is safe, but I’m scared. Do it anyway.
• There are so many sentences here to translate. Do it anyway.
• I might make a mistake. Do it anyway.
• It would be easier to get my answers off the internet. Do it anyway.
• I left this assignment until the last minute, and I’ll never finish in time. Do it anyway.

“Do it anyway” is the key to shutting down all the excuses that allow you to cop out, give up, or take the easy way out. More importantly, these three words are also the key to guaranteeing success, new skills, and growth. Do it once and you might have some quarts of green beans. Keep at it and you’ll have character, of the sort that would make Cato the Elder very pleased indeed.

Felix, Qui Potuit Rerum Cognoscere Causas

Lucky Is He Who Can Understand the Causes Of Things

By Amy Barr at The Lukeion Project

In a brighter and better world, October would mean most of us would now be finishing the chores of harvesting. Moods would brighten as temperatures drop. Communities come together to enjoy the celebration of a good harvest and the promise of a well-earned winter rest with well-stocked larders.

The virtues of various agrarian cycles seem a bit dreamy (at least if you are wired like I am) but I get to experience this ancient autumn ritual, albeit vicariously. I live close to Amish communities and have several Amish friends whose skilled planting, harvesting, and preserving make my attempts utterly incompetent. In early October, most fields have been put to bed for the winter except for a few beds of cabbage and collards. Everyone pulls together for last harvest chores which, about now, includes boiling down this season’s sorghum syrup while the final hay cuttings are tucked into barns. If families are too busy to cook during this final autumn rush, there are shelves and shelves of home preserves that make for fast feasts.

There’s a brilliant tango of tasks, chores, habits, rituals, and celebrations connected with an agrarian life. The deep satisfaction over successfully navigating the caprice of weather, animal health, and a zillion other challenges of growing things for oneself. Having a deep understanding of the causes of things—from what it takes to grow great tomatoes, to knowing when is best to harvest, to figuring out when is best to plant again—that is the very substance of a deeply satisfying life.  

One of the earliest pieces of Greek poetry was composed by Hesiod around the same time that Homer was composing his Iliad and Odyssey (roughly 750 B.C.). His Works and Days extols the virtues of the human relationship with the land and the importance of hard work. Philologists describe his poetry as didactic (educational). If you’ve never read this poem for yourself, it may be because few today are attracted to poems teaching you how to farm!

Hesiod and other poets inspired the Roman writer Vergilius (aka Virgil) who composed a 4-part (4 seasons) poem called Georgics, named from the Greek word γεωργικά, "agricultural things." Vergil expounds on the beauty of an agrarian life and then, as they say, he gets real. After extolling the virtue of hard work and the satisfaction of success in book 1, he describes a massive storm that brings all of man's efforts to nothing. I’m sure there are some citrus farmers in Florida that can relate right now.

In book 2 Vergil focuses on seemingly mundane things like grafting, growing vines, and the beauty of spring, all while describing agriculture as man's struggle against a hostile natural world (much like goats eating what he’s so carefully planted). He soothes his readers with assurances that despite the challenges, there’s certainly more to offer in the country vs. corrupt and filthy cities.

After book 3, when Vergil addresses the issues of taking care of animals, the poet compares the habits of bees to the lives of humans in book 4. Bees suggest many applicable virtues but “lack love and the arts.” The poet impactfully compares the fragility of a colony of bees to human civilization which may buzz along with much success until suddenly it does not.

There are many other poets drawn to this subject including Nicander, Aratus, Aristotle, Theophrastus, Callimachus, Lucretius, Ennius, and others now lost to us. Vergil patterns his efforts on the neoteric poets who adored intimate personal themes expressed in a learned (well-informed) style. Think in terms of a textbook on agriculture written as a lofty poetic philosophical piece.

Vergil ties his poetic passion for all things agricultural to politics. In case you aren’t up to date on all the happenings of Rome in 29 B.C., suffice it to say that Roman politics make ours seem fairly tame. Rome had been rocked by civil war for a good part of a century and had only recently found small respite after the battle of Actium in which Octavian established the premise and groundwork to throw out the Roman Republic to better manage the “emergency” of a war that Rome picked with Egypt. Vergil even refers to a recent plague in book 3.

Though mixing didactic agrarian poetry, philosophy, politics, and bees seems like a strange mix, you’d be surprised. Vergil is in touch with the perils of losing everything to sudden storms or shifts in world events or the loss of loved ones due to illness. Though he’s known as one of Rome’s best poets in his war-focused work Aeneid, his first and best delight was in his little plot of land and a villa in the country.  "How lucky, if they know their happiness, are farmers, more than lucky, they for whom, far from the clash of arms, the earth herself, most fair in dealing, freely lavishes an easy livelihood."