Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Usage: Elysian Fields

An NPR discussion between Scott Simon and classicist Elain Fantham informed me years ago about an American baseball park of historical and mythological significance. The Elysian Fields near Hoboken, NJ continues a placename from classical mythology. It's a good topic for a Reception Paper.

http://www.openstance.com/relics/elysian_fields/images/elysian_fields_06.jpg
If I were reading a Reception Paper on this topic, I would look for these elements.
  • Has the author sought to inform herself about the mythological background? Did she check Reid, the acknowledged authoritative source.
  • Does the paper have a clearly stated thesis, one that drives the paper and guides the reader?
  • Has the author looked into the usage itself so as to determine whether the original usage of the myth expressed overt awareness of the mythological connection? (Here: Did the guy who named the place after Elysium know what he was doing?)
  • Does the author try to convince me, the reader, that he knows why the classical myth is invoked?
  • Does the author show that she has looked for evidence that supports her thesis?
    • And is this evidence gathered from authoritative sources? [These days: Is the internet used appropriately for gathering evidence, or does the author rely on easy-peasy cheap searches only?]
NB: I choose this one, because finding it in Reid was going to be challenging. However, the name of the baseball grounds after the classical Elysian Fields is so clearly overt, that I know there's going to be material for writing a good paper.
  The OGCMA reference would be OGCMA0486NOTHades(2)_Hoboken [but, when I learn who named the place, I'll change the "artist's" name in the listing.]

INVITATION: Have at it. Go write this paper for me. Please.




1 comment:

  1. I could not find the reason for the name. The company who named it no longer exists

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