This book presents not just the Romantic Wordsworth, but Wordsworth as part of a large historical movement in poetry, beginning in the eighteenth century and continuing to the present day. It concentrates on the difficult, much discussed, but little analyzed problem of "sincerity" in poetry, which it treats both critically and historically, as a demand relatively new in Wordsworth's time and still with us. It contains an extended criticism of Wordsworth's later poems, and explores the vexing question of why the mode of his poetry changed as he grew older.

The author shows that the ideal of sincerity has influenced poets, critics, and common readers from Wordsworth to now, and describes the problems raised for poets by this new challenge. The first problem is the adequacy of language--does the very structure and fact of language stand as an obstacle to a complete sincerity? Perkins says: "One can hardly explain the history of poetic style or, indeed, of literature since Wordsworth, unless one keeps in mind that there has been a continuing mistrust of language. By words, it is feared, we chop realities into categories. The categories are arbitrary, or, even if they are not, their generality strips our experience of its unique aspects."

Another problem raised by the challenge of sincerity is the distrust of poetic form. How can you write with a personal sincerity when you have to use meters and stanzas? Or, more fundamentally, how can you be honest to the complexity and uncertainty of your own experience, when a poem must always be more limited than the consciousness from which it arises? Still another problem is the distrust of poetic conventions and traditions. The author says, "The wish to be sincere is challenged and baffled by the fact that poetry is a learned performance, that all poetic expression depends on traditions and conventions peculiar to the art and inherited from the past...Yet if you imitate the great achievements of the past, how can your poem be thought a sincere personal utterance? The question of imitation is only the most obvious result of this anxiety. For a fanatic sincerity may suppose that merely to be influenced by other writers--in fact, to be influenced by anything at all--somehow clouds the purity of self-expression."

When the pupils of St Winifred's and St Albert's arrive for a camping trip at the beautiful Dumsey Meadow, deep in the heart of the English countryside, they find themselves in a spot of bother - there has been a double booking and only one school may camp there. Whilst trying to decide which of them should stay, they become aware of some mysterious things happening around them: What is the peculiar smell in the air? Why is the Farmer always singing? Why do the cows and sheep appear to be laughing? Why did the Dumsey apple harvest fail for the first time in 300 years? And who is the hooded woman with the horrible cackle? With sleuth-like commitment the children attempt to find answers to these puzzling questions. Set in the 1930s with a cast of colourful characters, this is a musical play for mystery lovers everywhere with a flexible performing age range of 8 to adult.

It's Christmas: the best time of year for toys and stories. But all over the world, the magic of Make Believe is fading. Only the toys know the truth: the Queen and King of Mouses have stolen the Christmas Star, and used its magic to turn the Prince of Make Believe into a wooden Nutcracker. Can Clara and her brother Fritz bring the Nutcracker back to life, help him defeat the House of Mouse, and restore him to the throne? First, they must believe... The Nutcracker is a magical musical play for young people, inspired by E.T.A. Hoffman's The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. It was first presented in 2012 at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Guildford by their youth group Act 2.

Large Cast / Flexible Age Range / Unit Set A touching musical based on the well-loved story by Oscar Wilde... the golden statue of the Happy Prince stands high above the city looking down on the misery and poverty beneath him. Desperate to bring hope and happiness to the poor people, he asks a swallow to distribute his gold and jewels to them. The generosity of the Happy Prince and the courage of the swallow help to overcome the greed of the powerful mayor and we are shown that the most precious things in life are often the least obvious. THE HAPPY PRINCE has been specially written for a large cast with a mixed range of ages and abilities making it suitable for schools, youth theatres or amateur groups. The 16 principal roles are augmented by much chorus work which can be adapted according to the size of the company. Helpful and detailed Director's Notes are included to assist with every aspect of the production. The running time is approximately 80 minutes.

From the authors of Shake, Ripple & Roll and Pandemonium! (A Greek Myth-adventure) comes this new musical for children aged from 7 to 14. On a tranquil Caribbean island, the inhabitants are preparing a ceremony to the gods. Suddenly harmony is shattered when pirates sail in and threaten to take over the island. A battle commences and Fafa, the Sun God's teenage son, descends to help. However, his father has forbidden him to use magic and therefore, he and the islanders have to think quickly to save their island. They manage to conjure up something more powerful and more terrifying than they could ever have imagined - a school headmistress! Sizzling with Caribbean-style music, this show is a fun, toe-tapping treat for the whole family.

A giant builds a high wall around his beautiful garden to prevent the children from playing in it. However, he is taught a valuable lesson when spring does not return and the garden remains in winter all year round. One morning the unusual sound of birdsong and the sight of a small, frail child trying to climb a tree reminds the giant how selfish he has been. He knocks down the wall, spring arrives and the giant is happy that his garden is now free for all. This enchanting sung-through musical was written especially for a large cast of young people and enjoyed three successful seasons at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford in 1995, 1999 and 2002. It has great opportunity for lots of chorus and solo work, which can be easily adapted according to how many children are available.

Welcome to Ancient Greece and the wedding of Pandora and Epimetheus! Pandora's a gift from Zeus, the king of the gods. A strange box appears amongst the wedding presents, and curiosity compels Pandora to open it. All manner of evil is released into the world! She grabs the box and runs away. This wasn't part of Zeus's plan! Follow the gods, goddesses, nymphs and mortals in their mad race to find Pandora and the box.Large flexible cast

Children's Musical / Cast: 10 principals, chorusScenery: Unit set This exuberant, fun packed musical written for a large cast of young people features a glitzy rock 'n' roll score and plenty of action. Unless Joey Nobody and private detective Dirk Manley find Angelo's will in time, bogus heir Deanne la Domme, the glamorous film star, will sell Angelo's New York ice cream parlour to Crazy Flavors. So get out the bobby socks and join Chuck and the gang as they rock in this sizzling hour long musical for schools and youth groups.

Jesse, Meggie and Teddy embark on an eventful journey into the mysterious world of silver tongued Harry, the Sandman, to retrieve the magical sand. Along the way they meet some extraordinary creatures (Snoodle Werps, the Trash Trump and Litter Bugs, to name a few) before their final showdown with Jewels, the Witch, and the awesome Gump Grump. This is a colourful, fun packed adventure musical for a large cast of young people with a wonderful jazz and blues score.3 women, 2 men, 6 girls or boys

In England in the second half of the eighteenth century an unprecedented amount of writing urged kindness to animals. This theme was carried in many genres, from sermons to encyclopedias, from scientific works to literature for children, and in the poetry of Cowper, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Clare and others. Romanticism and Animal Rights discusses the arguments writers used, and the particular meanings of these arguments in a social and economic context so different from the present. After introductory chapters, the material is divided according to specific practices that particularly influenced feeling or aroused protest: pet keeping, hunting, baiting, working animals, eating them, and the various harms inflicted on wild birds. The book shows how extensively English Romantic writing took up issues of what we now call animal rights. In this respect it joins the growing number of studies that seek precedents or affinities in English Romanticism for our own ecological concerns.

Demonstrating how English Romantic writing took up issues of what we now call animal rights, this study joins the growing number of studies that seek precedents or affinities in English Romanticism for ecological concerns. An unprecedented amount of writing advocated kindness to animals in England during the second half of the eighteenth century. This theme was carried through many genres, from sermons to encyclopedias, scientific works to literature for children, and to the poetry of Cowper, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Clare and others.

In writing this book, I have attempted to provide information about the relative value of particular investigations in various neurological disorders. The book is divided into sections dealing with the methods of investigation, the investigation of particular symptoms, the investigation of specific neurological conditions and neurological emergencies. Finally, the assessment of certain disorders suggesting a particular anatomical localization, for example isolated optic atro phy, is considered. Following an appraisal of the literature, each section ends with a recommendation regarding appropriate investigation. In some in stances this is supported by an algorithm. Specific recommendations have been attempted despite the risk of producing over-dogmatic criteria for patient management. A small amount of illustrative material is included. I am grateful to colleagues at Charing Cross Hospital who have provided some of the illustrations. Figs 1. 4, 2. 1 and 10. 2 are reproduced from Atlas of Clinical Neurology, by G. D. Perkin eta/. , Gower Medical Publishing, 1986, courtesy of the publishers. Fig. 3, in Chapter 4, is reproduced from Brain, vol. 2 104, 753-78, 1981, courtesy of the editor and Dr. R. S. J. Frackowiak. Fig. 6, in the same chapter, is reproduced from Fig. 62 in the Atlas of Positron Emission Tomography, edited by E-D. Heiss et al. , Springer-Verlag, 1985, courtesy of the publishers and Dr. J. C. Maziotta. Fig. 3 in Chapter 6 is reproduced from Fig.

How to teach big understandings and the ideas that matter most

Everyone has an opinion about education, and teachers face pressures from Common Core content standards, high-stakes testing, and countless other directions. But how do we know what today's learners will "really" need to know in the future? "Future Wise: Educating Our Children for a Changing World" is a toolkit for approaching that question with new insight. There is no one answer to the question of what's worth teaching, but with the tools in this book, you'll be one step closer to constructing a curriculum that prepares students for whatever situations they might face in the future.

K-12 teachers and administrators play a crucial role in building a thriving society. David Perkins, founding member and co-director of Project Zero at Harvard's Graduate School of Education, argues that curriculum is one of the most important elements of making students ready for the world of tomorrow. In "Future Wise," you'll learn concepts, curriculum criteria, and techniques for prioritizing content so you can guide students toward the big understandings that matter.Understand how learners use knowledge in life after graduationLearn strategies for teaching critical thinking and addressing big questionsIdentify top priorities when it comes to disciplines and content areasGain curriculum design skills that make the most of learning across the years of education

"Future Wise" presents a brand new framework for thinking about education. Curriculum can be one of the hardest things for teachers and administrators to change, but David Perkins shows that only by reimagining what we teach can we lead students down the road to functional knowledge." Future Wise" is the practical guidebook you need to embark on this important quest.