French on Fridays: Clusters, Macbeth and Thunder

Use clustering to learn.

This is one suggestion in Harary and Weintraub's Right Brain Learning In 30 Days. There are other suggestions, many having to do with the use of dreams (hey, Gordon! :)

Today I am focusing on the idea of clusters.

Mostly, Harary and Weintraub suggest writing anything and everything you can think of regarding the subject you're trying to learn. I'm modifying this a bit by using my daughter's graphic play (above) as a starting place, then trying to cluster in French. This may not be what H&W had in mind, but it's my cluster. So! :)



Clusters lead naturally to poetry (I also tend to use them before I begin a new chapter when writing a book). I'm not going to claim that clusters always lead to good poetry, but they are an excellent way to free the mind and, if H&W are correct, to learn.

Le Temps

Did Macbeth raise his eyes to
le temps, the weather urging him
on. Did he hear le tonnerre, thunder
of threat, in witches' voices and

les èclairs (lightning-surge of
his heart). Did he feel le vent, swirling
wind, which would sweep his soul
to nuage and brouillard. A storm (l'orage)

stirred greying heath, la pluie (the rain)
bid tragedy's start.


nuage - cloud
brouillard - fog

Macbeth Graphic Play, by Sara, 13. Used with permission.

---

Want to participate in French on Fridays, but don't know French? Type any English word here and get a translation into French. Include your word in a poem or vignette. Or just write about anything French (music, history, art, food). We're flexible. If you feel comfortable doing so, link back here in your post. That way we have a meeting place.