Summer Reading, Book II

This summer you had the unique opportunity to choose both of your summer reading books for English class.

• Is this a better alternative to having books assigned to you?  Why or why not? 
• What was your favorite book of all the books you read this summer?  Explain in detail.
• Explain why your favorite book  should be assigned reading for next year's freshmen. 

Please respond to all three questions above, dedicating at least one paragraph to each.  You may want to draft your response in Word first so that you do not lose your text.  DUE BY THE END OF CLASS.

What makes a hero?

Everyone has a hero or two who inspires them.  Describe one of your heroes.  It can someone real or fictional, mortal or immortal.  Do you best to detail their heroic traits.  What makes them a hero?  What is their quest or objective?  What weaknesses or imperfections do they possess?  One paragraph.   DUE 9/11/14 BY 7 A.M.

How to write a book by Mark Twain

For PERIOD C- DUE SEPTEMBER 11, 7:00 A.M.

Widely regarded as the greatest American writer of his time, Mark Twain was often asked for advice on the art and craft of writing. Sometimes the famous humorist would respond seriously, and sometimes not. Here, in remarks drawn from his letters, essays, novels, and speeches, are ten of Twain's most memorable observations on the writer's craft.

1. Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please.
2. Use the right word, not its second cousin.
3. As to the Adjective: when in doubt, strike it out.
4. You need not expect to get your book right the first time. Go to work and revamp or rewrite it. God only exhibits his thunder and lightning at intervals, and so they always command attention. These are God's adjectives. You thunder and lightning too much; the reader ceases to get under the bed, by and by.
5. Substitute damn every time you're inclined to write very; your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.
6. Use good grammar.
7. Damnation (if you will allow the expression), get up & take a turn around the block & let the sentiment blow off you. Sentiment is for girls. . . . There is one thing I can't stand and won't stand, from many people. That is, sham sentimentality.
8. Use plain, simple language, short words and brief sentences. That is the way to write English--it is the modern way and the best way. Stick to it; don't let fluff and flowers and verbosity creep in.
9. The time to begin writing an article is when you have finished it to your satisfaction. By that time you begin to clearly and logically perceive what it is that you really want to say.
10. Write without pay until somebody offers pay. If nobody offers within three years, the candidate may look upon this circumstance with the most implicit confidence as the sign that sawing wood is what he was intended for.

Read ten tips shared by Mark Twain during his lifetime.  Some of these will not be relevant to you as a freshman in high school, but most of them can directly impact your experience in English class.  Which one might you disagree with?   Which tip is most surprising?  Which one of these are most important to your writing this year and why? ONE PARAGRAPH.

Creative Blast, September 8

Read the quote below:

“And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.” 
― Sylvia Plath, The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath

Interpret this quote.  What does it mean?

Apply it to your own experiences as a writer.  When you are asked to write about yourself, does it relate to the way you feel?

Go the extra step:  What is the most difficult thing about evaluating another student's writing?


You may post as "Anonymous" but be sure to start your response with your own name.

Romeo and Juliet - what does it mean?

Consider this a Socratic Seminar online.  You may respond to other student's ideas.  In fact, I would like you to post your answers first, then express agreement or disagreement at least once with another classmate, making certain that you clearly state your reasons for agreement or disagreement.  Any abuse of this blog will result in a grade of zero.  That means no fooling around.

Read the text below.  THE ORIGINAL VERSION is shown first.  The same passage, in more MODERN VERSION follows (in a different font) to help you understand the conversation.  After reading, answer the questions in a post.  In the event that a post is not possible, please email your response to me.


Lady Capulet 
Enough of this; I pray thee, hold thy peace.
Nurse
Yes, madam: yet I cannot choose but laugh,
To think it should leave crying and say 'Ay.'
And yet, I warrant, it had upon its brow
A bump as big as a young cockerel's stone;
A parlous knock; and it cried bitterly:
'Yea,' quoth my husband,'fall'st upon thy face?
Thou wilt fall backward when thou comest to age;
Wilt thou not, Jule?' it stinted and said 'Ay.'
Juliet
And stint thou too, I pray thee, nurse, say I.
Nurse 
Peace, I have done. God mark thee to his grace!
Thou wast the prettiest babe that e'er I nursed:
An I might live to see thee married once,
I have my wish.
Lady Capulet 
Marry, that 'marry' is the very theme
I came to talk of. Tell me, daughter Juliet,
How stands your disposition to be married?
Juliet It is an honour that I dream not of.
Nurse An honour! were not I thine only nurse,
I would say thou hadst suck'd wisdom from thy teat.
Lady Capulet
Well, think of marriage now; younger than you,
Here in Verona, ladies of esteem,
Are made already mothers: by my count,
I was your mother much upon these years
That you are now a maid. Thus then in brief:
The valiant Paris seeks you for his love.
Nurse
A man, young lady! lady, such a man
As all the world--why, he's a man of wax.
Lady Capulet 
Verona's summer hath not such a flower.
Nurse 
Nay, he's a flower; in faith, a very flower.
Lady Capulet
What say you? can you love the gentleman?
This night you shall behold him at our feast;
Read o'er the volume of young Paris' face,
And find delight writ there with beauty's pen;
Examine every married lineament,
And see how one another lends content
And what obscured in this fair volume lies
Find written in the margent of his eyes.
This precious book of love, this unbound lover,
To beautify him, only lacks a cover:
The fish lives in the sea, and 'tis much pride
For fair without the fair within to hide:
That book in many's eyes doth share the glory,
That in gold clasps locks in the golden story;
So shall you share all that he doth possess,
By having him, making yourself no less.
Nurse
No less! nay, bigger; women grow by men.
Lady Capulet
Speak briefly, can you like of Paris' love?
Juliet 
I'll look to like, if looking liking move:
But no more deep will I endart mine eye
Than your consent gives strength to make it fly.

------------------------------------------------
LADY CAPULET

Enough of this. Please be quiet.

NURSE

Yes ,madam. But I can’t help laughing to think that the baby stopped crying and said, “Yes.” I swear, she had a bump on her forehead as big as a rooster’s testicle. It was a painful bruise, and she was crying bitterly. “Yes,” said my husband, “Did you fall on your face? You’ll fall backward when you grow up, won’t you, Jule?” And she stopped crying and said, “Yes.”

JULIET

Now you stop too, Nurse, please.

NURSE

Peace. I’m done talking. May God choose you to receive his grace. You were the prettiest baby I ever nursed. If I live to see you get married someday, all my wishes will come true.

 LADY CAPULET

Well, marriage is exactly what we have to discuss. Tell me, my daughter Juliet, what is your attitude about getting married?

JULIET

It is an honor that I do not dream of.

NURSE

“An honor?” If I weren’t your only nurse, I’d say you had sucked wisdom from the breast that fed you.

LADY CAPULET

Well, start thinking about marriage now. Here in Verona there are girls younger than you—girls from noble families—who have already become mothers. By my count, I was already your mother at just about your age, while you remain a virgin. Well then, I’ll say this quickly: the valiant Paris wants you as his bride.

NURSE

What a man, young lady. He’s as great a man as any in the whole world. He’s as perfect as if he were sculpted from wax.

LADY CAPULET

Summertime in Verona has no flower as fine as him.

NURSE

No, he’s a fine flower, truly, a flower.

LADY CAPULET

(to JULIET) What do you say? Can you love this gentleman? Tonight you’ll see him at our feast. Study Paris’s face and find pleasure in his beauty. Examine every line of his features and see how they work together to make him handsome. If you are confused, just look into his eyes. This man is single, and he lacks only a bride to make him perfect and complete. As is right, fish live in the sea, and it’s wrong for a beauty like you to hide from a handsome man like him. Many people think he’s handsome, and whoever becomes his bride will be just as admired. You would share all that he possesses, and by having him, you would lose nothing.

NURSE

Lose nothing? In fact, you’d get bigger. Men make women bigger by getting them pregnant.

LADY CAPULET

(to JULIET) Give us a quick answer. Can you accept Paris’s love?

JULIET

I’ll look at him and try to like him, at least if what I see is likable. But I won’t let myself fall for him any more than your permission allows.

Describe the relationships between the 3 women (Juliet and the Nurse; Juliet and her mother; the nurse and the mother).  What do you find surprising or unusual? 

Who's the Bully?

Piggy brings order and civilization to the island.  It is his idea to have a meeting, use the conch to avoid chaos, and to worry about the littluns.  But he is not treated kindly by the other boys.  Give three examples of how Ralph and Jack treat him unfairly, then determine whether or not you consider their actions as bullying.  You have 15 minutes to respond.  Please start with your name on the top of the post. 

What are we willing to do for love?

Would you, as King, leave your throne to marry a woman who doesn't meet the royal expectations of your country?

Would you give up a glamorous career as a film star, to join your soul mate in a world that is so insulated, no one remembers one movie you've done?

Would you give up your parents, friends and siblings to go off with someone they consider undesirable?

If you had to choose between your parents and a love interest, who would win?

What kinds of sacrifices are reasonable when it comes to love?  Is there a limit on what you are willing to give up for your true love?

Share your thoughts before Thursday, February 27, 12 noon.

Which are you?

Civilization is made up of leaders, followers, inventors and peacemakers.  Which are you?  Give examples of the qualities you have that make you a leader, follower, inventor or peacemaker.  Four to five sentences.

Never give all the heart

Consider the poem below.  What is the author's attitude toward romantic love?  Do you agree with his position?  Please post before Wednesday, 12 noon.

Never give all the heart

  by W. B. Yeats

Never give all the heart, for love
Will hardly seem worth thinking of
To passionate women if it seem
Certain, and they never dream
That it fades out from kiss to kiss;
For everything that's lovely is
But a brief, dreamy, kind delight.
O never give the heart outright,
For they, for all smooth lips can say,
Have given their hearts up to the play.
And who could play it well enough
If deaf and dumb and blind with love?
He that made this knows all the cost,
For he gave all his heart and lost.

Where are you going, where is the theme?

Consider the elements of Southern Gothic Literature:
* Setting is eerie, remote, sometimes drafty old family estate;
* Atmosphere is mysterious, suspenseful;
* There is a ghostly legend, an unexplained occurrence, OR a horrible death or tragedy that took place;
* Omens, foreshadowing, dreams, that add to the mystery;
* Emotions run high, particularly terror, anxiety, anger, agitation, a feeling of doom, or obsessive love;
* Supernatural events (sometimes masqueraded as natural events -- including weather and natural disasters);

* Damsel in distress, women who are frightened, threatened or confused; women who are ailing, dying of a mysterious disease;
* Words (diction) that evoke gloom and doom, foreboding, forbidding, ghostly imagery;
* Romanic themes of that involve the death of a man or woman who are madly in love; obsessive love, excessive grief upon the loss of a loved one;
* Injustice.

How do Mockingbird and "Where are you going..." measure up as Gothic works?  Is one work more "gothic" than the other?  Explain your answer.  Due in class today.

Good or evil? It's complicated.

 

NATURE VS. NURTURE:  Ender's Game deals with characters  failing to live up to our standards of morality, civility, or generosity.  Does this novel truly reflect how people are, at their core?  Are men and women born with evil in their hearts, or is it shaped by the environment in which they are born and raised?  Due during the first 10 minutes of class.

FOR PERIOD F - Same poem, over a century later...

Read the poem, below.  Consider the theme, tone and message of the poem, and write your own UNIQUE poem using the ideas and attitudes demonstrated by Dickinson.  Do not simply paraphrase Dickinson's poem, but create your own special way of discussing this topic. Because I could not stop for Death
by Emily Dickinson
Because I could not stop for Death –  He kindly stopped for me –  The Carriage held but just Ourselves –  And Immortality. We slowly drove – He knew no haste And I had put away My labor and my leisure too, For His Civility –  We passed the School, where Children strove At Recess – in the Ring –  We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain –  We passed the Setting Sun –  Or rather – He passed us –  The Dews drew quivering and chill –  For only Gossamer, my Gown –  My Tippet – only Tulle –  We paused before a House that seemed A Swelling of the Ground –  The Roof was scarcely visible –  The Cornice – in the Ground –  Since then – 'tis Centuries – and yet Feels shorter than the Day I first surmised the Horses' Heads Were toward Eternity –

This poem, more than a century later.

Read and reflect on the poem below, determining the poet's message.  Now, in your own unique way, rewrite your own version of this poem, keeping its message intact.  You have 7 minutes.

THE BODY grows outside,—
The more convenient way,—
That if the spirit like to hide,
Its temple stands alway
Ajar, secure, inviting;	5
It never did betray
The soul that asked its shelter
In timid honesty.

Emily Dickinson 

(1830–86).  

POETRY - How to read a poem

Read the poem below and answer question one here on the blog.  Attempt to answer questions 2 through 16 on a sheet of paper.  Hand in on Monday.

DO NOT GO GENTLE INTO THAT GOOD NIGHT

By Dylan Thomas

  

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

1. Who is the speaker in this poem? What kind of person is he or she?

2. To whom is he/she speaking? In other words, describe the speaker's audience.

3. What is the situation and setting in time (era) and place?

4. What is the purpose of the poem?

5. State the poem's central idea or theme in a single sentence.

6. Indicate and explain (if you can) any allusions. Do the allusions share a common idea?

7. Describe the structure of the poem. What is its meter and form? (Scan it.)

8. How do the structure of the poem and its content relate?

9. What is the tone of the poem? How is it achieved?

10. Notice the poem's diction. Discuss any words that seem especially well chosen?

11. Are there any predominant images in the poem?

12. Note metaphors, similes, and personification, and discuss their effects.

13. Recognize and discuss examples of paradox, overstatement (hyperbole), and understatement (litotes).

14. Explain any symbols. Is the poem allegorical?

15. Explain the significance of any sound repetition (alliteration, assonance, consonance, etc.).

16. Discuss whether or not you think the poem is successful.

Poetry during the Final Period




Poem by Dick Dayton

 

1. Explain the concept, as you understand it, in the textbook preface featured in today's clip from Dead Poet's Society. (http://youtu.be/tmayC2AdkNw).  What did the authors of the fictitious textbook ask students to do and why?

2.  If you had to finish the sentence beginning, "Poetry is..."  what would you write?

You have seven minutes.  The timer will be featured on the screen.

What is poetry?

What is poetry? Attempt to answer the question in one brief paragraph or verse that somehow reflects the very poetry you are attempting to define.

Now, reflect on the clip we viewed today, http://youtu.be/tmayC2AdkNw, from The Dead Poet's Society.   What is does the preface in the students' textbook attempt to teach high school students about "understanding poetry?"  What kind of advice would you give your peers and next year's freshmen about that topic?

You have 9 minutes.

WHAT IS EVERLASTING LOVE?

Please reflect on and respond to the video clips in one complete paragraph.  What is revealed in the clips we just watched that connects to your concept of everlasting love?  What contradicts your beliefs?  What is the filmmaker trying to reveal?  Do you feel that these depictions are authentic?  You have less than 9 minutes.

LONG LASTING LOVE

Reflect on the clips taken from When Harry Met Sally.  How do the filmmakers portray these long-lasting relationships?  How do these interviews reflect the work you've done thus far in your exploration of romantic love?

Seeing the future in nature...

FRIAR LAURENCE
    The grey-eyed morn smiles on the frowning night,
    Chequering the eastern clouds with streaks of light,
    And flecked darkness like a drunkard reels
    From forth day's path and Titan's fiery wheels:
    Now, ere the sun advance his burning eye,
    The day to cheer and night's dank dew to dry,
    I must up-fill this osier cage of ours
    With baleful weeds and precious-juiced flowers.
    The earth that's nature's mother is her tomb;
    What is her burying grave that is her womb,
    And from her womb children of divers kind
    We sucking on her natural bosom find,
    Many for many virtues excellent,
    None but for some and yet all different.
    O, mickle is the powerful grace that lies
    In herbs, plants, stones, and their true qualities:
    For nought so vile that on the earth doth live
    But to the earth some special good doth give,
    Nor aught so good but strain'd from that fair use
    Revolts from true birth, stumbling on abuse:
    Virtue itself turns vice, being misapplied;
    And vice sometimes by action dignified.
    Within the infant rind of this small flower
    Poison hath residence and medicine power:
    For this, being smelt, with that part cheers each part;
    Being tasted, slays all senses with the heart.
    Two such opposed kings encamp them still
    In man as well as herbs, grace and rude will;
    And where the worser is predominant,
    Full soon the canker death eats up that plant.

  (Act II, sc. iii)                                                                             

In a complete paragraph, explain Friar Laurence's soliloquy.  How does his meditation on nature foreshadow possible future events in the play?  You have 10 minutes. 

Love at first sight

When Romeo first sees Juliet at the ball in Act I, sc. v, he is immediately taken with her.  He becomes a victim of love at first sight:   What lady's that, which doth enrich the hand Of yonder knight? ... O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright! It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night Like a rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear— Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear! So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows(50) As yonder lady o'er her fellows shows. The measure done, I'll watch her place of stand And, touching hers, make blessed my rude hand. Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night.(55)
----- Cosmopolitan magazine reported that readers in Great Britain still believe in love at first sight, with only 28% declaring love at first sight as impossible. This statistic does come as a surprise however, especially when nine out of ten questioned said they’d never experienced it. A total of 41% of respondents believed it takes at least a few weeks to fall in love in contrast to 55% who believe it takes months rather then days. A random 4% however, think it’s a matter of years before you can feel those all important three words. (http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/love-sex/relationships/romantic-britains-still-believe-in-love-at-first-sight-2120#ixzz2MWTH3xW5) -----
Do you believe in love at first sight?  Write a TEXT paragraph that is aimed at persuading your peers to agree with your opinion on this matter.  Use Romeo's soliloquy above, or other parts of Act One, as well as your research and interviews as evidence.  Remember, acknowledging the opposition's argument and responding directly to it can help you strengthen your own persuasive argument. YOU HAVE 9 MINUTES.