It is desirable that the class be familiar with all of the Idylls. Such familiarity will give the student not only a greater interest in the ones especially assigned for study, but also a larger grasp of their meaning. If the conditions make it impracticable for the teacher to assign all of the poems to the entire class, the best alternative will be to assign each of the poems to some members of the class for special study. Time enough should be taken in the recitation periods for these students to report somewhat fully on the special Idylls they have been studying, so that the essential facts of the entire series may be in possession of the class. Questions like the following will test a general knowledge of these facts: Who was King Arthur? What struggles did he have to make before he became undisputed king? What were his ideals? Who were his chief knights? What were their characters? What were their tasks? (Specify several.) What great danger to the success of the Round Table soon arose? (See _Marriage of Geraint_, ll. 24-28.) What second danger arose later? (_The Holy Grail_, ll. 203-327.) Trace briefly the effect of each. Did Guinevere truly repent? What were her feelings toward Arthur at the last? Who were opponents in the last great battle? What was the result? III. The Meaning of the Idylls What explanation does the poet give in the Dedication to the Queen at the end of the Idylls? (ll. 36-44). In the struggle of "Sense at war with Soul" what part does Arthur play? What is the position of Guinevere? of Lancelot? Who represent the forces altogether evil? What is the result of the war in respect to the Round Table? to Guinevere and Lancelot? to the king? Was Arthur victor or vanquished? How is each separate Idyll related to the general development of the story? What is the allegorical significance of Arthur's miraculous birth? of his training by Merlin? of the Lady of the Lake? of the three Queens? of Excalibur? What tasks of the soul are symbolized in Arthur's wars against the Heathen? against the lords and barons of his own realm? How does the search for the Holy Grail symbolize a danger to the soul? IV. General Questions Do these Idylls form a grand epic? Are the places of these poems, Camelot, Caerleon, Glastonbury, etc., to be identified with known places? Are the descriptions of scenery such that we think of the places as real, or as places in fairyland? Do the characters seem like real people? Is there unity in the story as a whole? Are the episodes closely connected with the main action? Each of the three Idylls especially chosen for reading should be studied as a story complete in itself, and as part of the series taken as a whole. _Gareth and Lynette_ SETTING.--Where is the scene of the story? In what season of the year do the events take place? How does the season fit the story? In what condition is the court represented? (ll. 305-309).