I grew a lot this semester. AP Literature and Composition has taught me a lot. And that statement only brushes the surface of what I've learned. Specifically, I've learned to write a more complex thesis statement and address the complexity with a stronger analysis than I started out with. I learned to look at things from a different perspective. Instead of just improving the skills I currently have, I expanded my skill set allowing for further growth. For example, Mis en Scene, was a new type of analysis that I was introduced to this semester.
I think I did well in finding the complexity in passages or texts. I thought I did well in keeping up with what was assigned considering it was a college course level. My goal this year was to become a better thinker and writer. Being broad goals, I had to specify something that could be measured to see if I was achieving the goal or not. So I followed the tracking category. Looking at the scoring guidelines, I know by looking at the score pairs 9-8, 7-6, 5-4, etc. I can tell where my level of complexity and writing lies. Grades are not everything, but I do believe they are a great indication of where I stand.
I 'd like to be able to spot complexity everywhere (and quickly too). My goal is to better write thesis statements that hold complexity. I would also like to increase the rate of my thinking. The AP test only allots a few minutes so I have to be able to read a text quickly and write a thesis that addresses complexity within a respectable time frame.
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
Monday, November 30, 2015
Blog #14 "To Sir John Lade, On Coming of Age" and "When I was One and Twenty"
In “To Sir John Lade, on His Coming of Age” Johnson describes Lade’s twenty-first birthday as the gateway to his inheritance. In “When I was One and Twenty” Housman uses his memory of a heartbreak to describe his maturation through his experiences. While both poems discuss the age of twenty-one, “To Sir John Lade, on His Coming of Age” Johnson purposefully crafts a flawed argument to sarcastically disclose the careless attitude and disregard for financial responsibility while in “When I was one and twenty” Housman alludes to the idea that society sets the age of maturation as twenty-one, however, argues that individuals mature on their own timeline through experience and reflection. “To Sir John Lade, on His Coming of Age” and “When I was One and Twenty” use the specific point of views from each subject and ever-changing tone shifts to achieve the different perspectives the age of one-and-twenty bring about.
"To Sir John Lade, on His Coming of Age" is told by the narrator/speaker, Johnson, about a subject, John Lade, on his, “Long-expected one and twenty”. Johnson congratulates Lade, anticipating his long-awaited coming-of-age, yet alludes to the idea that Lade is not ready for the responsibility that is to come. The diction choice “pomp and pleasure, pride and plenty” gives the first hints that Johnson believes Lade does not understand the consequences of being 21, and that Lade isn’t mature enough for adulthood. In the second stanza, the focus shifts from the initial congratulation to a celebration of the reminders of the powers that Lade now possesses. Johnson uses parallelism within the stanza to sensationalize the liberation from restriction. This is shown by the lines "Loosened from the minor's tether...Bid the slaves of thrift farewell."
Johnson's tone becomes more sarcastic within the third stanza. He begins to tell Lade to live his life like a heir, which connotes a lavish style of life. While this is the advice being written, it is not sincere, supporting the idea of a sarcastic tone. In the fourth stanza, Johnson shifts the focus to Lade's carefree attitude towards money. The tone shifts from a cautionary approach to didactic as Johnson tries to get inside Lade's head to warn him of the dangers of coming to age. Johnson personifies wealth, "Wealth, Sir John, was made to wander... Let it wander as it will”. In the fifth stanza, the tone becomes notable sarcastic again. The diction becomes colloquial to romanticize the joys of a lifestyle without restraint while introducing that the coming of age and introduction to wealth may lead to a financial downfall if not responsibly driven. In the final lines of the poem, Johnson reveals that the poem was a satire of Lade's careless attitude towards wealth. Lade believes that his new wealth will provide him stability but he is mistaken. Not only does Lade's careless attitude put him in a dangerous position financially, it may cause him to dishonor the reputation of the family.
While the first poem talks of a coming of age represents maturation, the second poem contrasts this idea by implicitly alluding that twenty-one is society's standard of maturity and not actually what happens.
The first stanza of the second poem starts off by saying, " When I was one-and-twenty, I heard a wise man say,“Give crowns and pounds and guineas, But not your heart away;" This is significant, because we can assume that the speaker failed to take in this advice. Within the first two stanza of the second poem, the writer implies that he is too young to listen by saying, “But I was one-and-twenty, no use to talk to me”. The age of twenty one represents an age of maturation. But it's ironic because for the speaker, at age twenty one, he was too foolish to listen to advice. We see that as the poem goes on, the speaker agrees with the wise man's advice. Just as the poem goes on, the speaker matures. The speaker went through a heartbreak, one he was not prepared for. The ending of the poem intends to make clear that the speaker has now matured at the age of twenty-two, different from society's idea of a coming of age. The tone is reflective as he realizes what experiences it took for him to become an "adult".
Both poems have the same subject about the age of twenty-one being the coming of age, but the second poem combats the idea of the first. "To Sir John Lade, A coming of Age" was written first. "When I was one and twenty" came second as a response to the first poem. The first poem represents a maturation at the age of twenty-one, where you are allowed your rights and inheritance, however, emotionally and mentally, you may not be mature enough to handle responsibility. The second alludes to the age of maturation being whenever the person naturally occurs through his or her own experiences. While both took contrasting routes to get to the final point, both support the idea that twenty-one does not mean complete maturation.
"To Sir John Lade, on His Coming of Age" is told by the narrator/speaker, Johnson, about a subject, John Lade, on his, “Long-expected one and twenty”. Johnson congratulates Lade, anticipating his long-awaited coming-of-age, yet alludes to the idea that Lade is not ready for the responsibility that is to come. The diction choice “pomp and pleasure, pride and plenty” gives the first hints that Johnson believes Lade does not understand the consequences of being 21, and that Lade isn’t mature enough for adulthood. In the second stanza, the focus shifts from the initial congratulation to a celebration of the reminders of the powers that Lade now possesses. Johnson uses parallelism within the stanza to sensationalize the liberation from restriction. This is shown by the lines "Loosened from the minor's tether...Bid the slaves of thrift farewell."
Johnson's tone becomes more sarcastic within the third stanza. He begins to tell Lade to live his life like a heir, which connotes a lavish style of life. While this is the advice being written, it is not sincere, supporting the idea of a sarcastic tone. In the fourth stanza, Johnson shifts the focus to Lade's carefree attitude towards money. The tone shifts from a cautionary approach to didactic as Johnson tries to get inside Lade's head to warn him of the dangers of coming to age. Johnson personifies wealth, "Wealth, Sir John, was made to wander... Let it wander as it will”. In the fifth stanza, the tone becomes notable sarcastic again. The diction becomes colloquial to romanticize the joys of a lifestyle without restraint while introducing that the coming of age and introduction to wealth may lead to a financial downfall if not responsibly driven. In the final lines of the poem, Johnson reveals that the poem was a satire of Lade's careless attitude towards wealth. Lade believes that his new wealth will provide him stability but he is mistaken. Not only does Lade's careless attitude put him in a dangerous position financially, it may cause him to dishonor the reputation of the family.
While the first poem talks of a coming of age represents maturation, the second poem contrasts this idea by implicitly alluding that twenty-one is society's standard of maturity and not actually what happens.
The first stanza of the second poem starts off by saying, " When I was one-and-twenty, I heard a wise man say,“Give crowns and pounds and guineas, But not your heart away;" This is significant, because we can assume that the speaker failed to take in this advice. Within the first two stanza of the second poem, the writer implies that he is too young to listen by saying, “But I was one-and-twenty, no use to talk to me”. The age of twenty one represents an age of maturation. But it's ironic because for the speaker, at age twenty one, he was too foolish to listen to advice. We see that as the poem goes on, the speaker agrees with the wise man's advice. Just as the poem goes on, the speaker matures. The speaker went through a heartbreak, one he was not prepared for. The ending of the poem intends to make clear that the speaker has now matured at the age of twenty-two, different from society's idea of a coming of age. The tone is reflective as he realizes what experiences it took for him to become an "adult".
Both poems have the same subject about the age of twenty-one being the coming of age, but the second poem combats the idea of the first. "To Sir John Lade, A coming of Age" was written first. "When I was one and twenty" came second as a response to the first poem. The first poem represents a maturation at the age of twenty-one, where you are allowed your rights and inheritance, however, emotionally and mentally, you may not be mature enough to handle responsibility. The second alludes to the age of maturation being whenever the person naturally occurs through his or her own experiences. While both took contrasting routes to get to the final point, both support the idea that twenty-one does not mean complete maturation.
Sunday, November 22, 2015
Blog #13 "The Chimney Sweepers" Revision
In William Blake's two poems, both named The Chimney Sweeper, Blake exemplifies the woeful lives of chimney sweepers by masking the cruel realities the children experience. Both the earlier poem and the later poem remain constant in shedding false hope for the sweepers, however, the time between when the two poems were written alludes to shift from the glorification of a Savior and God, to a rejection of the faith that once provided assurance. In both the first and the second poem, Blake's use of a purposeful diction to create a strict rhyme scheme and lucid imagery written in the ballad form, is all in effort to implicitly depict the Chimney Sweepers changes in ideology over time while still under the same fabricated sense of hope as a survival mechanism.
The ballad form requires a strict rhyme scheme. Blake conscientiously chooses the words he rhymes as emphasis naturally occurs at the end of a line due to the rhyming. The rhymes naturally help the poem flow but also hold importance as most of them hold a connotative meaning. In lines 13-15 of the first poem, Tom, the Chimney Sweeper, envisioned a dream where an "Angel had a bright key and [he] open'd the coffins & set them all free." Freedom is a word that holds much meaning especially when put into context. A key is meant to unlock something, in essence, set something free. It doesn't have to be physical but implies a release or freedom of a subject. The boys were confined in the cramped, sleeping in soot-filled chimneys. And the dream of an Angel, a heavenly figure, letting the boys out of the Chimney which was juxtaposed with a coffin, unveils Tom's where he find safety or comfort– religious figures. The first poem represents The Chimney Sweepers finding hope in a deity which is starkly contradicted in the second poem.
This faith or trust in a religious figure as a safety line is non-existent in the second poem and the Chimney Sweepers have found a new way of coping. In lines 5-8 in second poem, The Chimney Sweepers was "happy upon the heath" while also being clothed in "clothes of death". This happens in a simple a-b-a-b rhyme scheme but holds a negative connotation written in a contrasting conversational mood. The Chimney Sweeper described himself as being "happy" for losing the religion he had once put so much trust in. Heath is matched with the word death. Death is a word that holds much power. It can represent a better option or a honor in terms of battle. In this context, it is shone in a negative light. The Chimney Sweeper was "clothed in death" along with the dark soot of the chimney. He is described as having his fate, death, being decided by not only his parents, but by God who had abandoned him.
However, the meaning of the second poem is hidden behind the conversational tone and the repetition of the the phrase, "I am happy". Saying "I'm happy" is in essence, the same thing as saying "I'm fine" when in reality, nothing is actually fine. While the first poem starts out dark ask the Children are sold into, what could be called, slavery. The second poem starts out in a conversational, relatively positive mood. By the end of the first poem, however, hope is gained with each stanza. Tom wakes with a new hope to survive the darkness of the coffin as he does not need to "fear harm" anymore. While the second poem ends as Blake asserts that the root of the children's misery stemmed from "God & his Priest & King".
The author's purpose is not to show how God abandoned the children, but rather to condemn and criticize the church system of the time. A church that hides it's true intention by acting as a righteous establish but instead, takes money and returns none of it to the working class, or chimney sweepers. The first poem describes what the church supposedly stands for– hope, safety, etc. While the second inveighs against the church. Having both essays allows for the reader to see the shift from the glorification of the church, to the rejection of the church.
As the first poem builds up hope and looks towards a religious figure, the second poem rejects the religion that was supposedly their salvation. The rhymed pairs held connotations that supplied meaning to the stanzas while the stanzas worked to piece together to meaning of the two poems whose purpose was to describe a shift over time in belief.
The ballad form requires a strict rhyme scheme. Blake conscientiously chooses the words he rhymes as emphasis naturally occurs at the end of a line due to the rhyming. The rhymes naturally help the poem flow but also hold importance as most of them hold a connotative meaning. In lines 13-15 of the first poem, Tom, the Chimney Sweeper, envisioned a dream where an "Angel had a bright key and [he] open'd the coffins & set them all free." Freedom is a word that holds much meaning especially when put into context. A key is meant to unlock something, in essence, set something free. It doesn't have to be physical but implies a release or freedom of a subject. The boys were confined in the cramped, sleeping in soot-filled chimneys. And the dream of an Angel, a heavenly figure, letting the boys out of the Chimney which was juxtaposed with a coffin, unveils Tom's where he find safety or comfort– religious figures. The first poem represents The Chimney Sweepers finding hope in a deity which is starkly contradicted in the second poem.
This faith or trust in a religious figure as a safety line is non-existent in the second poem and the Chimney Sweepers have found a new way of coping. In lines 5-8 in second poem, The Chimney Sweepers was "happy upon the heath" while also being clothed in "clothes of death". This happens in a simple a-b-a-b rhyme scheme but holds a negative connotation written in a contrasting conversational mood. The Chimney Sweeper described himself as being "happy" for losing the religion he had once put so much trust in. Heath is matched with the word death. Death is a word that holds much power. It can represent a better option or a honor in terms of battle. In this context, it is shone in a negative light. The Chimney Sweeper was "clothed in death" along with the dark soot of the chimney. He is described as having his fate, death, being decided by not only his parents, but by God who had abandoned him.
However, the meaning of the second poem is hidden behind the conversational tone and the repetition of the the phrase, "I am happy". Saying "I'm happy" is in essence, the same thing as saying "I'm fine" when in reality, nothing is actually fine. While the first poem starts out dark ask the Children are sold into, what could be called, slavery. The second poem starts out in a conversational, relatively positive mood. By the end of the first poem, however, hope is gained with each stanza. Tom wakes with a new hope to survive the darkness of the coffin as he does not need to "fear harm" anymore. While the second poem ends as Blake asserts that the root of the children's misery stemmed from "God & his Priest & King".
The author's purpose is not to show how God abandoned the children, but rather to condemn and criticize the church system of the time. A church that hides it's true intention by acting as a righteous establish but instead, takes money and returns none of it to the working class, or chimney sweepers. The first poem describes what the church supposedly stands for– hope, safety, etc. While the second inveighs against the church. Having both essays allows for the reader to see the shift from the glorification of the church, to the rejection of the church.
As the first poem builds up hope and looks towards a religious figure, the second poem rejects the religion that was supposedly their salvation. The rhymed pairs held connotations that supplied meaning to the stanzas while the stanzas worked to piece together to meaning of the two poems whose purpose was to describe a shift over time in belief.
Friday, November 20, 2015
Blog #12 "The Chimney Sweepers"
In William Blake's two poems, both named The Chimney Sweeper, Blake exemplifies the woeful lives of chimney sweepers by masking the cruel realities the children experience. Both the earlier poem and the later poem remain constant in shedding false hope for the sweepers, however, the time between when the two poems were written alludes to shift from the glorification of a Savior and God, to a rejection of the faith that once provided assurance. In both the first and the second poem, Blake's use of a purposeful diction to create a strict rhyme scheme and lucid imagery written in the ballad form, is all in effort to implicitly depict the Chimney Sweepers changes in ideology over time while still under the same fabricated sense of hope as a survival mechanism.
The ballad form requires a strict rhyme scheme. Blake conscientiously chooses the words he rhymes as emphasis naturally occurs at the end of a line due to the rhyming. The rhymes naturally help the poem flow but also hold importance as most of them hold a connotative meaning. In lines 13-15 of the first poem, Tom, the Chimney Sweeper, envisioned a dream where an "Angel had a bright key and [he] open'd the coffins & set them all free." Freedom is a word that holds much meaning especially when put into context. A key is meant to unlock something, in essence, set something free. It doesn't have to be physical but implies a release or freedom of a subject. The boys were confined in the cramped, sleeping in soot-filled chimneys. And the dream of an Angel, a heavenly figure, letting the boys out of the Chimney which was juxtaposed with a coffin, unveils Tom's where he find safety or comfort– religious figures. The first poem represents The Chimney Sweepers finding hope in a deity which is starkly contradicted in the second poem.
This faith or trust in a religious figure as a safety line is non-existent in the second poem and the Chimney Sweepers have found a new way of coping. In lines 5-8 in second poem, The Chimney Sweepers was "happy upon the heath" while also being clothed in "clothes of death". This happens in a simple a-b-a-b rhyme scheme but holds a negative connotation written in a contrasting conversational mood. The Chimney Sweeper described himself as being "happy" for losing the religion he had once put so much trust in. Heath is matched with the word death. Death is a word that holds much power. It can represent a better option or a honor in terms of battle. In this context, it is shone in a negative light. The Chimney Sweeper was "clothed in death" along with the dark soot of the chimney. He is described as having his fate, death, being decided by not only his parents, but by God who had abandoned him.
However, the meaning of the second poem is hidden behind the conversational tone and the repetition of the the phrase, "I am happy". Saying "I'm happy" is in essence, the same thing as saying "I'm fine" when in reality, nothing is actually fine. While the first poem starts out dark ask the Children are sold into, what could be called, slavery. The second poem starts out in a conversational, relatively positive mood. By the end of the first poem, however, hope is gained with each stanza. Tom wakes with a new hope to survive the darkness of the coffin as he does not need to "fear harm" anymore. While the second poem ends as Blake asserts that the root of the children's misery stemmed from "God & his Priest & King"
As the first poem builds up hope and looks towards a religious figure, the second poem rejects the religion that was supposedly their salvation. The rhymed pairs held connotations that supplied meaning to the stanzas while the stanzas worked to piece together to meaning of the two poems whose purpose was to describe a shift over time in belief.
Reflection:
In class, we were given 40 minutes to read, analyze and write an essay, comparing and contrasting William Blake's two poems both named, The Chimney Sweeper, while also touching base on poetic techniques.
Initially, I was overwhelmed because I didn't know how I was going to answer the prompt correctly. After analyzing and planning, I was able to get going. For me, the most prevalent issue was trying to put my thoughts into understandable sentence. A lot of times I know what I want to say but I don't know how to express it. A lot of times I struggle with finding the perfect vocabulary word that would best get what I'm trying to express across. At the time, I find anxious under the time constraint. I went over 40 minutes and ended up finishing at home. This worries me because I'm afraid I will not be able to write fast enough come the AP test.
Having written an essay regarding poetry once before, I felt like this one went better since I did know more about poetry, how to analyze poetry, and answer the prompts. I would give myself a 4 on this essay. Last time I gave myself a 3. With more practice, I feel like I could further improve my score. I have significantly improved my thinking skills, however, there is more to improve on. The AP exam doesn't just focus on how well you analyze, but how well you write. To get to the 5/6/7 range I must increase the level of my analysis and start writing better. Learning to write comes with practice and I know that I can improve. As a next step, I need to work on decreasing the time it takes for me to write a thesis and analyze. While writing a good thesis is important, writing a good thesis in a shorter amount of time is even more important.
The ballad form requires a strict rhyme scheme. Blake conscientiously chooses the words he rhymes as emphasis naturally occurs at the end of a line due to the rhyming. The rhymes naturally help the poem flow but also hold importance as most of them hold a connotative meaning. In lines 13-15 of the first poem, Tom, the Chimney Sweeper, envisioned a dream where an "Angel had a bright key and [he] open'd the coffins & set them all free." Freedom is a word that holds much meaning especially when put into context. A key is meant to unlock something, in essence, set something free. It doesn't have to be physical but implies a release or freedom of a subject. The boys were confined in the cramped, sleeping in soot-filled chimneys. And the dream of an Angel, a heavenly figure, letting the boys out of the Chimney which was juxtaposed with a coffin, unveils Tom's where he find safety or comfort– religious figures. The first poem represents The Chimney Sweepers finding hope in a deity which is starkly contradicted in the second poem.
This faith or trust in a religious figure as a safety line is non-existent in the second poem and the Chimney Sweepers have found a new way of coping. In lines 5-8 in second poem, The Chimney Sweepers was "happy upon the heath" while also being clothed in "clothes of death". This happens in a simple a-b-a-b rhyme scheme but holds a negative connotation written in a contrasting conversational mood. The Chimney Sweeper described himself as being "happy" for losing the religion he had once put so much trust in. Heath is matched with the word death. Death is a word that holds much power. It can represent a better option or a honor in terms of battle. In this context, it is shone in a negative light. The Chimney Sweeper was "clothed in death" along with the dark soot of the chimney. He is described as having his fate, death, being decided by not only his parents, but by God who had abandoned him.
However, the meaning of the second poem is hidden behind the conversational tone and the repetition of the the phrase, "I am happy". Saying "I'm happy" is in essence, the same thing as saying "I'm fine" when in reality, nothing is actually fine. While the first poem starts out dark ask the Children are sold into, what could be called, slavery. The second poem starts out in a conversational, relatively positive mood. By the end of the first poem, however, hope is gained with each stanza. Tom wakes with a new hope to survive the darkness of the coffin as he does not need to "fear harm" anymore. While the second poem ends as Blake asserts that the root of the children's misery stemmed from "God & his Priest & King"
As the first poem builds up hope and looks towards a religious figure, the second poem rejects the religion that was supposedly their salvation. The rhymed pairs held connotations that supplied meaning to the stanzas while the stanzas worked to piece together to meaning of the two poems whose purpose was to describe a shift over time in belief.
Reflection:
In class, we were given 40 minutes to read, analyze and write an essay, comparing and contrasting William Blake's two poems both named, The Chimney Sweeper, while also touching base on poetic techniques.
Initially, I was overwhelmed because I didn't know how I was going to answer the prompt correctly. After analyzing and planning, I was able to get going. For me, the most prevalent issue was trying to put my thoughts into understandable sentence. A lot of times I know what I want to say but I don't know how to express it. A lot of times I struggle with finding the perfect vocabulary word that would best get what I'm trying to express across. At the time, I find anxious under the time constraint. I went over 40 minutes and ended up finishing at home. This worries me because I'm afraid I will not be able to write fast enough come the AP test.
Having written an essay regarding poetry once before, I felt like this one went better since I did know more about poetry, how to analyze poetry, and answer the prompts. I would give myself a 4 on this essay. Last time I gave myself a 3. With more practice, I feel like I could further improve my score. I have significantly improved my thinking skills, however, there is more to improve on. The AP exam doesn't just focus on how well you analyze, but how well you write. To get to the 5/6/7 range I must increase the level of my analysis and start writing better. Learning to write comes with practice and I know that I can improve. As a next step, I need to work on decreasing the time it takes for me to write a thesis and analyze. While writing a good thesis is important, writing a good thesis in a shorter amount of time is even more important.
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Blog #9 Sestina
Reflection:
In this project, our group was given a Sestina to analyze. Our goal was to find how the tone shifts created the attitude of poem. Our sestina was called Sestina Altaforte and was written by Ezra Pound. With this project, we had to analyze, storyboard, create a music video based on a style model, and present. The project as a whole seemed overwhelming at first but was easier once we got started.
The most important aspect of the project to ensure success was to work out everyone's schedule. We were able to work effectively when together but once apart, we couldn't agree on the next step. For me the most significant issue was our time constraints tied in with the complexity of our poem. It was a lot to work on when all of our schedules only matched up for 30 minutes at a time. For me, the most learning arose from interpreting the poem into a visual form, such as the music video. It was much easier to pull out what was important and what needed to be highlighted in the poem when making decisions about what to put in the music video. Initially, we spent too much time on deciding on a thesis and style model but once we realized how much more important storyboarding and filming was, we effectively got down to work. Personally, editing was the hardest part for me since I was the only one who had the software. I had never used it before and had to learn in a limited time frame.
Having finished the project, I feel confident in our product. We had bumps in the way but the end result is something to be proud of. I have confidence in being able to pick out a sestina based on its form after our project. Our group did a good job finding what made the Sestina a Sestina and portraying it visually. Knowing how our schedule's work, next time we will first dive into scheduling rather than the poem. Once we smooth out when we will meet, then we can start analyzing the project. Time management is a skill that will prove helpful in our next projects and in our futures.
In this project, our group was given a Sestina to analyze. Our goal was to find how the tone shifts created the attitude of poem. Our sestina was called Sestina Altaforte and was written by Ezra Pound. With this project, we had to analyze, storyboard, create a music video based on a style model, and present. The project as a whole seemed overwhelming at first but was easier once we got started.
The most important aspect of the project to ensure success was to work out everyone's schedule. We were able to work effectively when together but once apart, we couldn't agree on the next step. For me the most significant issue was our time constraints tied in with the complexity of our poem. It was a lot to work on when all of our schedules only matched up for 30 minutes at a time. For me, the most learning arose from interpreting the poem into a visual form, such as the music video. It was much easier to pull out what was important and what needed to be highlighted in the poem when making decisions about what to put in the music video. Initially, we spent too much time on deciding on a thesis and style model but once we realized how much more important storyboarding and filming was, we effectively got down to work. Personally, editing was the hardest part for me since I was the only one who had the software. I had never used it before and had to learn in a limited time frame.
Having finished the project, I feel confident in our product. We had bumps in the way but the end result is something to be proud of. I have confidence in being able to pick out a sestina based on its form after our project. Our group did a good job finding what made the Sestina a Sestina and portraying it visually. Knowing how our schedule's work, next time we will first dive into scheduling rather than the poem. Once we smooth out when we will meet, then we can start analyzing the project. Time management is a skill that will prove helpful in our next projects and in our futures.
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Sunday, October 4, 2015
Friday, September 25, 2015
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Blog #4 Open Essay
William Golding, author of "The Lord of the Flies", writes a dark, compelling story of an "adventure" gone awry when a group of kids are stranded on an island. The kids, having never lived one day on their own, were to survive in the wild. Terrified, fear ran high, bringing out the true identities of the children, some bold and some cold. The stranded kids, blinded by their need for survival, turned to cruelty to get the job done. Cruelty works as a form of oppression, ranking one above another, while reflecting the true nature of the heart in both the oppressor and the suppressed.
Originally good-mannered kids, the island made the kids lose their meaning and in effect, turned the kids into "savages". In effort to be civilized, they made an object, the conch, a symbol of power. It had the ability to bring people together and put the power in whoever held it. Meant with good intentions to enact order, the conch instead desire. Desire to rule, desire to oppress.
The cruelty is brought out by fear. Fear that stemmed from the children's will to live. Fear blinded the kids to act upon their emotions rather than reason, where their emotions lead them to enact cruelty. When the Beast is introduced, and kids go hungry, Roger, a bully, takes civilization and transforms it into anarchy, using cruelty as a tool to control the others. But cruelty in one person is like a mirror, others will reflect the personality to benefit themselves or people will run and become submissive in fear, afraid of their own reflection. Situations constantly change, and people slowly shift from human to savage, losing their moral compass for the sake of survival.
Cruelty is a form of ranking. By ranking, I mean that it tells others, "I'm better than you". If we think about, the oppressor is the big man while the rest of the population will fall under his orders. It's a way of revealing people who believe that are more superior that another.
In The Lord of the Flies, Roger is the boss of the bullies in short. Piggy, slightly more abundant in adipose and skin, glasses and everything, didn't fit in with the rest of the pack. Immediately ostracized, Piggy is put down, made fun of, and deemed worthless to everyone else. By just living and being Piggy, he is placed at the bottom of the ranks. No one has a concern about him, dead or alive, Piggy was just there.
Darkness taking over Roger and his pack, they begin to not only taunt Piggy, but use actions too. Forcing Piggy into "slavery" in simple terms and using Piggy as entertainment, the "savages" go too far and their actions end up putting Piggy over a cliff, leading to his ultimate death. In just a few days, consumed by power in the form of cruelty, the "savages" have managed to kill. This shows how even in the most mannered of people, how cruelty can grow like bacteria, spreading through-out the body transforming anyone from human to "savage".
And that's what cruelty is. It can start small and then it multiplies contagiously, spreading amongst a pack till everyone is no longer recognizable.
Reflection:
Friday, August 28th, we took a diagnostic open question essay. The prompt, in simple, asked how cruelty worked in the world by using a work of literature to defend your stance.
The hardest part for me was remembering what happened in any of the books the prompt allowed for. Remembering the plot and then having to manipulate it, unsure of whether you're talking about the right book or not, was what made me uncomfortable with the essay. In comparison to the Prose and Poetic essay, I believe it was easier to answer the prompt because it allows for more room with interpretation. I still think that my thinking could be more complex. I feel as if I am scratching the surface of glass, not quite where I need to be but in a good place.
The goal is to have a better control over my writing and stronger analysis. To track my progress, I should be able to norm where my essay with the sample one's given in class. Though totally different topics, I'll be able to see where the strength of analysis and writing lie. If I really am making progress, my essays should compare better each time with the sample open essays.
Overall, I think I could manage a 4 or 5 on this essay based on lack of significant analysis.
Essay Revision:
William Golding, author of "The Lord of the Flies", writes a dark, compelling story of an "adventure" gone awry when a group of kids are stranded on an island. The kids, having never lived one day on their own, were to survive in the wild. Terrified, fear ran high, bringing out the true identities of the children, some bold and some cold. The stranded kids, blinded by their need for survival, turned to cruelty to get the job done. Aware of their survival being dependent upon the structure of teamwork, the boys naturally turned to a pyramid of order infiltrated and propelled by cruelty. Cruelty works as a form of oppression, ranking one above another, while exposing the true nature of the heart in both the oppressor and the suppressed.
Originally good-mannered kids, the island made the kids lose their meaning and in effect, turned the kids into "savages". In effort to be civilized, they made an object, the conch, a symbol of power. It had the ability to bring people together and put the power in whoever held it. Meant with good intentions to constitute order, the conch instead represented desire. Desire to rule, desire to oppress.
Cruelty is brought out by fear. Fear that stemmed from a situational change. Fear blinded the kids to act upon their emotions rather than reason, where their emotions lead them to act with cruelty. Fear will create enemies out of oneself, fighting to take over ones conscience that discerns what is moral and immoral, turning boys from structured human to cruel savage. When the Beast, representative of fear, is introduced, testing the courage of the survivors, Roger, a bully, takes civilization and transforms it into anarchy, using cruelty as a tool to control the others. But cruelty in one person is like a mirror, others will reflect the personality to benefit themselves or people will run and become submissive in fear, afraid of their own reflection. Situations constantly change, and people slowly shift from human to savage, losing their moral compass for the sake of survival.
Cruelty is a form of ranking. By ranking, I mean that it tells others, "I'm better than you". If we think about, the oppressor is the big man while the rest of the population will fall under his orders. It's a way of revealing people who believe that are more superior that another.
In The Lord of the Flies, Roger is the boss of the bullies. Piggy, slightly more abundant in adipose and skin, glasses and everything, didn't fit in with the rest of the pack. Immediately ostracized, Piggy is put down, made fun of, and deemed worthless to everyone else. By just living and being Piggy, he is placed at the bottom of the ranks. No one has a concern about him, dead or alive, Piggy was just there.
Darkness taking over Roger and his pack, they begin to not only taunt Piggy, but use actions too. Forcing Piggy into "slavery" in simple terms and using Piggy as entertainment, the "savages" go too far and their actions end up putting Piggy over a cliff, leading to his ultimate death. Piggy is a true test to the morality of the boys, which they undeniably failed. Once he is killed, the boys have become full-fledged savages overcome by the cruelty in their hearts. In just a few days, consumed by power in the form of cruelty, the "savages" have managed to kill. This shows how even in the most mannered of people, how cruelty can grow like bacteria, spreading through-out the body transforming anyone from human to "savage".
When/if the immorality of cruelty is ever recognized, it instills shame, loss of self-respect. The irony of cruelty is that once identified, it can humble the heart. The boys, once found, were immediately disgusted by their loss of reverence, ashamed and heart changed, they went home never to be the same.
3x3
Boys constitute structure: Increased awareness:
Fear exposes identities: Test, Allies, Enemies
Recognition of irreverence: Return home
Final Reflection:
I definitely think that the 3x3 has helped me revise my essay. I didn't have very much plot summary to begin with but the 3x3 paralleled with the "hero's journey" allowed for deeper analysis. My analysis was originally very shallow but by using the 3x3, I was able to make my analysis hold more ground. By "hold more ground" I mean that my analysis was rooted deeper and showed more complex thinking. Though Lord of the Flies is not a fairytale, by comparing it to the hero's journey, I was able to pull out comparisons between the two and add it to my writing. The 3x3 has also helped me realize how much more psychological, rather than physical, the "journey" was for the boys on the island.
Originally good-mannered kids, the island made the kids lose their meaning and in effect, turned the kids into "savages". In effort to be civilized, they made an object, the conch, a symbol of power. It had the ability to bring people together and put the power in whoever held it. Meant with good intentions to enact order, the conch instead desire. Desire to rule, desire to oppress.
The cruelty is brought out by fear. Fear that stemmed from the children's will to live. Fear blinded the kids to act upon their emotions rather than reason, where their emotions lead them to enact cruelty. When the Beast is introduced, and kids go hungry, Roger, a bully, takes civilization and transforms it into anarchy, using cruelty as a tool to control the others. But cruelty in one person is like a mirror, others will reflect the personality to benefit themselves or people will run and become submissive in fear, afraid of their own reflection. Situations constantly change, and people slowly shift from human to savage, losing their moral compass for the sake of survival.
Cruelty is a form of ranking. By ranking, I mean that it tells others, "I'm better than you". If we think about, the oppressor is the big man while the rest of the population will fall under his orders. It's a way of revealing people who believe that are more superior that another.
In The Lord of the Flies, Roger is the boss of the bullies in short. Piggy, slightly more abundant in adipose and skin, glasses and everything, didn't fit in with the rest of the pack. Immediately ostracized, Piggy is put down, made fun of, and deemed worthless to everyone else. By just living and being Piggy, he is placed at the bottom of the ranks. No one has a concern about him, dead or alive, Piggy was just there.
Darkness taking over Roger and his pack, they begin to not only taunt Piggy, but use actions too. Forcing Piggy into "slavery" in simple terms and using Piggy as entertainment, the "savages" go too far and their actions end up putting Piggy over a cliff, leading to his ultimate death. In just a few days, consumed by power in the form of cruelty, the "savages" have managed to kill. This shows how even in the most mannered of people, how cruelty can grow like bacteria, spreading through-out the body transforming anyone from human to "savage".
And that's what cruelty is. It can start small and then it multiplies contagiously, spreading amongst a pack till everyone is no longer recognizable.
Reflection:
Friday, August 28th, we took a diagnostic open question essay. The prompt, in simple, asked how cruelty worked in the world by using a work of literature to defend your stance.
The hardest part for me was remembering what happened in any of the books the prompt allowed for. Remembering the plot and then having to manipulate it, unsure of whether you're talking about the right book or not, was what made me uncomfortable with the essay. In comparison to the Prose and Poetic essay, I believe it was easier to answer the prompt because it allows for more room with interpretation. I still think that my thinking could be more complex. I feel as if I am scratching the surface of glass, not quite where I need to be but in a good place.
The goal is to have a better control over my writing and stronger analysis. To track my progress, I should be able to norm where my essay with the sample one's given in class. Though totally different topics, I'll be able to see where the strength of analysis and writing lie. If I really am making progress, my essays should compare better each time with the sample open essays.
Overall, I think I could manage a 4 or 5 on this essay based on lack of significant analysis.
Essay Revision:
William Golding, author of "The Lord of the Flies", writes a dark, compelling story of an "adventure" gone awry when a group of kids are stranded on an island. The kids, having never lived one day on their own, were to survive in the wild. Terrified, fear ran high, bringing out the true identities of the children, some bold and some cold. The stranded kids, blinded by their need for survival, turned to cruelty to get the job done. Aware of their survival being dependent upon the structure of teamwork, the boys naturally turned to a pyramid of order infiltrated and propelled by cruelty. Cruelty works as a form of oppression, ranking one above another, while exposing the true nature of the heart in both the oppressor and the suppressed.
Originally good-mannered kids, the island made the kids lose their meaning and in effect, turned the kids into "savages". In effort to be civilized, they made an object, the conch, a symbol of power. It had the ability to bring people together and put the power in whoever held it. Meant with good intentions to constitute order, the conch instead represented desire. Desire to rule, desire to oppress.
Cruelty is brought out by fear. Fear that stemmed from a situational change. Fear blinded the kids to act upon their emotions rather than reason, where their emotions lead them to act with cruelty. Fear will create enemies out of oneself, fighting to take over ones conscience that discerns what is moral and immoral, turning boys from structured human to cruel savage. When the Beast, representative of fear, is introduced, testing the courage of the survivors, Roger, a bully, takes civilization and transforms it into anarchy, using cruelty as a tool to control the others. But cruelty in one person is like a mirror, others will reflect the personality to benefit themselves or people will run and become submissive in fear, afraid of their own reflection. Situations constantly change, and people slowly shift from human to savage, losing their moral compass for the sake of survival.
Cruelty is a form of ranking. By ranking, I mean that it tells others, "I'm better than you". If we think about, the oppressor is the big man while the rest of the population will fall under his orders. It's a way of revealing people who believe that are more superior that another.
In The Lord of the Flies, Roger is the boss of the bullies. Piggy, slightly more abundant in adipose and skin, glasses and everything, didn't fit in with the rest of the pack. Immediately ostracized, Piggy is put down, made fun of, and deemed worthless to everyone else. By just living and being Piggy, he is placed at the bottom of the ranks. No one has a concern about him, dead or alive, Piggy was just there.
Darkness taking over Roger and his pack, they begin to not only taunt Piggy, but use actions too. Forcing Piggy into "slavery" in simple terms and using Piggy as entertainment, the "savages" go too far and their actions end up putting Piggy over a cliff, leading to his ultimate death. Piggy is a true test to the morality of the boys, which they undeniably failed. Once he is killed, the boys have become full-fledged savages overcome by the cruelty in their hearts. In just a few days, consumed by power in the form of cruelty, the "savages" have managed to kill. This shows how even in the most mannered of people, how cruelty can grow like bacteria, spreading through-out the body transforming anyone from human to "savage".
When/if the immorality of cruelty is ever recognized, it instills shame, loss of self-respect. The irony of cruelty is that once identified, it can humble the heart. The boys, once found, were immediately disgusted by their loss of reverence, ashamed and heart changed, they went home never to be the same.
3x3
Boys constitute structure: Increased awareness:
Fear exposes identities: Test, Allies, Enemies
Recognition of irreverence: Return home
Final Reflection:
I definitely think that the 3x3 has helped me revise my essay. I didn't have very much plot summary to begin with but the 3x3 paralleled with the "hero's journey" allowed for deeper analysis. My analysis was originally very shallow but by using the 3x3, I was able to make my analysis hold more ground. By "hold more ground" I mean that my analysis was rooted deeper and showed more complex thinking. Though Lord of the Flies is not a fairytale, by comparing it to the hero's journey, I was able to pull out comparisons between the two and add it to my writing. The 3x3 has also helped me realize how much more psychological, rather than physical, the "journey" was for the boys on the island.
Friday, August 28, 2015
Blog #3 Prose Essay
The Branch, an excerpt from The Beat
Queen, America was still settling down in West. It follows two children,
and how the environment affects each differently in contrasting ways. Erdrich
diptychs their story and reactions to the environment through his sensational
imagery created by his selection of detail, tone, and the contrasting shifts in
point of view.
From the beginning, the train drops off two
children, an addition and a subtraction. It is clear that the new place the
children have stepped into, is a relatively new and blossoming place. In
reality, the place is bleak and gray. At the beginning, Erdrich describes the
soil as, "so newly tilled...the way it had in Kansas" shows us, not
only the original impression of the youthfulness of the town, but also a deeper
understanding of the settings and characters background.
Looking for the aunt, the reality of the new place
starts to sink in. The "string of houses, weathered gray or peeling gray
paint" describes the bleakness of the new town. The choice to describe the
color of the houses proves how run down and depressed the town is. But still,
the two kids trudge on.
We start to see more interest in the children from
Erdrich after their original introductions. Karl, bright, tall and skinny, is
in contrast with plain and extra-ordinary Mary with her square personality. In
contrast with the gray town, the introduction of a tree is a whole other story.
The tree is described as having a dark beauty, weakly blossoming in a blooming
but struggling town. While Mary continues to keep walking, Karl stops,
entranced by the blossoming tree.
Erdrich's decision to include the detail of the
tree magnifies how the town was a budding "industry". Weak and
beautiful, the town, like the tree, stand for a beauty that is trying to break
through.
Karl snaps out of the trance. Scared, Karl runs
back to his comfort zone, the train, while Mary runs toward her aunt. This is
due to the contrasting personality between the two and the effects of the new
town. Mary tells this part from her point of view, reinforcing the idea that
Karl is no longer part of the picture, he is the subtraction.
Through the "gray" imagery and specific
selection of detail, Erdrich shines light on the lives of two children,
one addition to the town, the other, a subtraction, both to lead separate paths
after their experience in their new environment.
Reflection:
We wrote the prose essay Tuesday, August 28th. We
were given 40 minutes to read and write an analysis describing how the
environment affected two children through Erdrich's writing.
Being a diagnostic essay, I feel like I was given a task that seemed too
much to handle at first. After I started reading it and breaking the writing
down I began to feel better about myself. The passage itself was a bit harder
to understand in my opinion and I think that was clear through my, rather
superficial, analysis. I’m hoping that I’ll be able to improve on choosing
better quotes and provide deep analysis that relates back to it.
To set a measureable goal, I need to observe how many quotes I use and
observe how much analysis I can provide from the evidence. To improve my
control of writing, I want to be able to see my diction match the type of
diction appropriate for the essay (elevated, colloquial, etc.). To see how well
I do this, I need to count how many times I use passive diction when it could
be active diction. I’ll know I’m improving when I “count” less and less passive
diction.
Overall, I give myself a 4 for lack of better analysis and weak control
of language.
Peer Edit
Divya,
First off, great job tackling your prose essay. To be honest, I saw more complexity and better analysis that I did with the Poetry Essay. I see you settling into the atmosphere of AP Literature and Composition.
I think you do a great job with comparing and contrasting Mary and Karl, not only against each other but with the environment too. I think you missed the point of the "addition and subtraction" but you definitely made up for it with your complex analysis. I'd like to see this analysis throughout the entire essay. You start off strong and then you slowly die off a little, which is fine, but I'd like to see you endure through the pain of essay writing.
I wish I had your confidence (not). I don't believe you deserve a four, but instead a 5 or maybe even a 6! Great job. Keep up the good work!
Selina
Peer Edit
Divya,
First off, great job tackling your prose essay. To be honest, I saw more complexity and better analysis that I did with the Poetry Essay. I see you settling into the atmosphere of AP Literature and Composition.
I think you do a great job with comparing and contrasting Mary and Karl, not only against each other but with the environment too. I think you missed the point of the "addition and subtraction" but you definitely made up for it with your complex analysis. I'd like to see this analysis throughout the entire essay. You start off strong and then you slowly die off a little, which is fine, but I'd like to see you endure through the pain of essay writing.
I wish I had your confidence (not). I don't believe you deserve a four, but instead a 5 or maybe even a 6! Great job. Keep up the good work!
Selina
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
Blog #2 Poetry Essay
For the He Looked Not upon Her, a poem by English
poet, George Gascoigne, reflects on a character’s emotions that have come about
a previous mistake. This mistake, a girl he has fallen for, is the root for his
feelings of resent that stem from him feeling wronged. This complex,
multiple-sided attitude is developed through the poet’s imagery, and within
that imagery, his purposeful diction.
Within the first two lines, Gascoigne sets a dark mood. “You
must not wonder though you think it strange, to see me hold my louring head so
low;” At first glance, this first line introduces the character as a wronged,
shameful man who has bouts of, what we can assume as, depression. It can be
assumed through the first line, that the other character, the girl, constantly
gets looked at fondly by many for she finds it strange that the main character
now shames his face around her.
In the next four lines (lines 5-8), Gascoigne uses imagery
to reflect his character’s emotion after he had been wronged. The four lines
after that (lines 9-11), are purposefully written to match the previous four
with another example reflecting his reconciled emotions.
The first set of four lines uses a mouse to replace the
character symbolically. The mouse, a lowly creature, can be compared to our
character at his lowest point. “Broken out of a trap”, the character has broken
free of his dark desire for the girl. The next line, “is seldom [enticed] with
the trustless bait, But lies aloof for fear of more mishap” clearly tells us
that the main character has learned his lesson, is resentful of his previous self
and projects his anger and life’s mistake on her. She, the girl, being the
reason for his misery, has made him feel as a fly—one of earth’s many small,
pesky creatures, unworthy to live longer than a week on the planet. The fly, “scorched”
by the fire, is worse off than it was before the encounter. Our main character
has been “burned” and feels misery after associated with the girl, he also
compares to as “fire”—a dangerous but beautiful creation.
He ends it as de
Reflection:
Reflection:
In AP Language and Composition, we wrote an argumentative analysis on the poem, For He That Looked Not Upon Her. If I were to give myself an overall score, it would be a 4. First off, I didn’t even finish the essay so timing was an issue. My analysis was also slightly superficial. Subpar analysis and lack of control of writing would be my main two issues. I find that I know what I want to say but I have a hard time communicating it through words. Part of me knows that once I’ve written a couple more essays, I’ll be able to get back into the swing of things. The other part knows I need to work on becoming a more concise writer. By the end of the year, I should see a steady increase in my score. To measure my progress, I need to be able to list what I think I did well and poorly for each essay I’ll do in the future. By the end of AP Literature, I should see more “pros than cons”.
My comments:
Dear Diva,
First off, I would like say, great job on your first AP Literature Essay. That being said, there are still some problems, obviously. I don't believe you deserve a 4 but you certainly don't deserve a 9. Don't underestimate your writing abilities. Your interpretation of the poem is accurate but your analysis could use some work.
Your analysis can be summed up as this. Your scratching the top of the glass but aren't breaking through. I would say your analysis was good enough to bump you a point or 2 up. I feel like you know what you want to say but you have a hard time communicating it. Try working on more effective diction rather than using phrases like "very good"
You do a good job at organizing and have a solid open-ended thesis allowing room for discussion.
Overall, there is room for improvement but you did a decent job considering that it is the beginning the year. I expect growth.
First off, I would like say, great job on your first AP Literature Essay. That being said, there are still some problems, obviously. I don't believe you deserve a 4 but you certainly don't deserve a 9. Don't underestimate your writing abilities. Your interpretation of the poem is accurate but your analysis could use some work.
Your analysis can be summed up as this. Your scratching the top of the glass but aren't breaking through. I would say your analysis was good enough to bump you a point or 2 up. I feel like you know what you want to say but you have a hard time communicating it. Try working on more effective diction rather than using phrases like "very good"
You do a good job at organizing and have a solid open-ended thesis allowing room for discussion.
Overall, there is room for improvement but you did a decent job considering that it is the beginning the year. I expect growth.
Dear Morgan,
First off, good job. That being said, there is room for improvement.
The thesis, the basis for your entire essay, is a bit close-ended and doesn't tell much. What kind of diction, what kind of form? Is the imagery vivid? Work on opening up that thesis a bit more instead of having an AP EURO DBQ style thesis. You feel?
You have a good writing style. By good writing style, I mean that it's easy to read and you have a firm control over your writing. I would like to the see the content of what your writing about (the analysis) go a bit more in depth. Think, "why would the author include this example, this word, this form? And how does it work together to create a complex attitude?"
I would give you a 5 because, though your analysis was lacking a bit, your control of language was good.
Sincerely,
Selina
http://jewettmorganapenglish2016.blogspot.com/2015/08/blog-2-poetry-essay.html?showComment=1440435868157#c6392756840393873994
REVISED DRAFT:
In the sonnet "For That He Looked Not Upon Her", George Gascoigne exhibits a complex, multi-sided attitude through several tone shifts when expressing his past with "Her". Gascoigne matches nature's infliction of pain on innocent animals to his own sense of betrayal when a women rejects his love. The sober analogy of a scarred mouse and hurt fly pairs with the sour alliteration and despairing diction of Gascoigne’s commentary to dismiss love as a malicious and deceiving siren.
There are several shifts within the sonnet that shape the complex attitude of the speaker. In the first shift we see. The speaker changes the focus from describing his own emotions to drawing a comparison with a mouse who cannot trust bait after he escaped a trap. The tone becomes pitiful as the speaker empathizes with the figurative mouse who has just broken out of a trap, no longer "’ticèd with the trustless bait". The speaker cannot trust the woman, just as the mouse cannot trust the food. Both desired food/love, and both were betrayed.
Parallel in structure, the next shift that occurs within the next two lines, the speakers tone becomes more condemning and accusatory of the wrongdoer. The focus shifts to the consequence of the mouse escaping the trap, and the psychology of its aversion. “But lies aloof for fear of more mishap, And feedeth still in doubt of deep deceit". In this quatrain, the speaker is, without a doubt, upset and now cautious of his future, fearing the same situation happening again. He shows this attitude by first, stating a metaphor that is reflective of himself, and then stating the consequences of his mistake.
We see that in the next quatrain, it is very similar to the one before. The focus shifts to another analogy of a fly who has been scorched by fire. The tone returns to being pitiful, in parallel with the 1st shift. The fly, naturally attracted to fire, will “hardly come to play with [it]” again. This is parallel to his other metaphor and his situation because he naturally drawn to a woman but must avoid her to protect himself. He uses the fly's and the mouses' situation to justify his avoiding her.
Finally his last shift happens in the rhyming couplet at the very end of the sonnet. The rhyming at the end of the sonnet, meant to emphasize a point, wraps up the speakers last exclamation against his love interest. Relating to the title, the speaker expresses how he will "wink or else hold down my head, Because your [her] blazing eyes my bale have bred." This final shift is a change in focus from an abstract, general surrender of love to a specific description of his own heartbreak. The tone is resigned as the speaker submits to the “inevitable” solution to his problem. We see that the speaker accepts his aversion to his love as the only solution to his emotional anguish.
Through the multiple tonal shifts, we see how the speaker's tone and attitude change as the poem progresses, finally ending with the acceptance of his emotional state. Comparisons in the poem that helped develop the tonal shifts, were intended to reveal more about the author’s situation and mindset, and show that he really does have no other option but to avoid love, because in his natural attempt to find it, he scorched himself and learned of the dangers of the game. We see that the speaker passes through several tones that combined create a complex attitude.
Reflection:
The new, three-sentence thesis, was beneficial because it was straight-forward but allowed for complexity. The thesis stated a stance rather than just copying the prompt. The tone shift chart helped clearly show the authors complex attitude, especially as it changed from shift to shift. Looking at each shift, I could compare and contrast them to each other, using those observations to support the idea of the speaker's complex attitude. The tone chart contained everything from, tone to literary devices that helped me deepen my analysis while still relating to thesis. Most importantly, I believe that the tone chart helped me focus in on necessary details, which I struggled with the first time around. Overall, I feel like the tone chart coupled with the new thesis, boosted my confidence when writing the second draft.
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
Blog #1 Multiple Choice Reflection
It was our 4th day of AP Literature and
Composition. All of us got out our 5 Steps to a 5 book and began taking
a practice AP Literature and Composition multiple-choice test. We were short on time so we only did
questions 25-50.
For me, the most significant problem I encountered was my
inability to know what several of the answers meant, especially ones containing
literary devices. Some of this confusion is due to a lack of vocabulary while
other issues I faced were simply the ones I nodded my head and whispered, “I
don’t know, please send help, SOS sinking in my struggles”. I also felt
difficulty in understanding the text in general and looking beyond what the literal text meant. The types of questions I found most difficult
for me were the “inferential” ones such as, “tone, effect, and “why the author
chose to do (insert what they did)”.
Overall, I felt that this was a good indicator of where I am
when it comes to AP multiple-choice tests. It being the “diagnostic test”, I
expect to, by the end of the year, improve from a depressing, 16/25. From this test, I’ve gotten a feel for my weaknesses
and (dare I even say it) my “strengths”. As a
next step, I plan on taking more practice tests in the future to see, hopefully,
where I improved and where I’ve stayed consistent. Throughout the year, I should see a steady
increase in my ability to understand the text and answer questions correctly,
thus increasing my score.
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