For many writers, including published authors, Miguel de Cervantes is a source of great inspiration. He is credited with writing the first novel, but he is also known for his tremendous versatility―his ability to write well in many different forms, genres, and traditions. The novel Don Quixote includes numerous poems and songs, and it combines elements of other kinds of writing, such as fairy tales and philosophy.
As you learned earlier in the lesson, Cervantes even created a form of poetry for his novel―the ovillejo. Ovillejo is a Spanish word meaning “little bundle of yarn.” Like a bundle of yarn, an ovillejo rolls out its meaning a little at a time, forcing readers to “unravel” it.
Journal
For this lesson’s journal entry, try creating an ovillejo of your own. Open your journal file for this lesson and follow the steps below. Each tab shows you an example of what that step might look like.
Choose a topic―something you know well and also something that means a lot to you.
Example:
dribbling
a basketball
When you are satisfied with your ovillejo, save your journal file so that you can open it again for the next lesson with a journal assignment. (You will submit your journal to your teacher for grading once or twice during the module.)
