1. Explain how the subject of family is treated in Brave New World, Hamlet, and The Stone Angel. What does the study of these texts help us understand about the role of family in our own lives and society?
2. Explain how studying Brave New World, Hamlet and The Stone Angel can help us understand the purpose of existence. How does the study of these texts help us to live meaningfully in the world?
3. "Violence, despair, darkness, betrayal and human weakness are excellent sources for literature to explore. By examining the weaknesses of others, we learn more about our own set of values and those of our society." Take a position with respect to this quotation by referring specifically to Brave New World, Hamlet and The Stone Angel.
4. Explore and discuss the issues of feminism and female representation in Brave New World, Hamlet and The Stone Angel. What do each of these texts suggest about women and how do these roles compare to women’s roles in today’s society?
5. To varying degrees, all three texts portray a tension between public and private individuals. With specific references to Brave New World, Hamlet and The Stone Angel, explain what these texts have to teach about the ways in which individual lives are shaped by their public and private dimensions.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Evan's Poetry Assignment
"To A Friend" by Alexisonfire
*It's important to know there are different vocals in this song. The lyrics in italics are coarse and loud (screaming essentially) and the others are from Dallas Green.. No more need be said.*
I'm thinking that it's time to get out
My patients are fading fast
The mind bruises just a little bit easier
In dark times and shadow's cast
What are you suffering for?
Your pride or some kind of personal war?
And will you throw it away
For nothing more than a simple taste?
I stay in time and watch you pass by (paranoia woven deep beneath my skin)
And I draw this line and hope you'll take my side (breathe slow, breathe slow)
You shouldn't have to fight alone (you shouldn't have to fight at all)
It's nobody's battle but your own
Panic holds me like a gun
Firm and steadfast, bleak and cold
I think it's time to kill the drama
This life style's getting old
Whispers behind closed doors
Eyes spy from dark windows
Plotting minds that seek to harm me,
Or maybe not, I don't really know
There is something
Waiting for me
In the darkest part of my imagination
I stay in time and watch you pass by (paranoia woven deep beneath my skin)
And I draw this line and hope you'll take my side (breathe slow, breathe slow)
You shouldn't have to fight alone (you shouldn't have to fight at all)
It's nobody's battle but your own
This is just self-induced terror
There's more to come, this is just a glimpse
I tell myself it's all in my head
But I'm pretty hard to convince
Oh, there's no relief
Oh, this world can offer
Oh, there's no relief
Oh, this world can offer me
I stay in time and watch you pass by
I draw this line and hope you'll take my side
You shouldn't have to fight alone
It's nobody's battle but your own
Thesis: The lyricists use mood, comparisons, and the use of a dialogic relationship to convey their thoughts on a personal issue through song (lyric) based poetry.
1. You may have noticed either set of vocals has a certain tone to it. Why do you think different tones were used? What do you feel each tone symbolizes in terms of emotions, views, or attitudes?
2. Which verse do you think stands out and which do you think sums the song up as a whole? (both in regards to imagery and mood)
3. The second line of the song is "My patients are fading fast". What do you suppose this means?
4. Do you notice a difference in the chorus from the rest of the song? How and why do you think the lyricists did this?
5. If you thought of this as an argument or discussion, what do you think they'd be talking about?
6. After thinking about the general theme this song delivers, could it still be delivered as effectively with only one singer instead of two very different singers? Could it be as effective in another form of poetry?
*It's important to know there are different vocals in this song. The lyrics in italics are coarse and loud (screaming essentially) and the others are from Dallas Green.. No more need be said.*
I'm thinking that it's time to get out
My patients are fading fast
The mind bruises just a little bit easier
In dark times and shadow's cast
What are you suffering for?
Your pride or some kind of personal war?
And will you throw it away
For nothing more than a simple taste?
I stay in time and watch you pass by (paranoia woven deep beneath my skin)
And I draw this line and hope you'll take my side (breathe slow, breathe slow)
You shouldn't have to fight alone (you shouldn't have to fight at all)
It's nobody's battle but your own
Panic holds me like a gun
Firm and steadfast, bleak and cold
I think it's time to kill the drama
This life style's getting old
Whispers behind closed doors
Eyes spy from dark windows
Plotting minds that seek to harm me,
Or maybe not, I don't really know
There is something
Waiting for me
In the darkest part of my imagination
I stay in time and watch you pass by (paranoia woven deep beneath my skin)
And I draw this line and hope you'll take my side (breathe slow, breathe slow)
You shouldn't have to fight alone (you shouldn't have to fight at all)
It's nobody's battle but your own
This is just self-induced terror
There's more to come, this is just a glimpse
I tell myself it's all in my head
But I'm pretty hard to convince
Oh, there's no relief
Oh, this world can offer
Oh, there's no relief
Oh, this world can offer me
I stay in time and watch you pass by
I draw this line and hope you'll take my side
You shouldn't have to fight alone
It's nobody's battle but your own
Thesis: The lyricists use mood, comparisons, and the use of a dialogic relationship to convey their thoughts on a personal issue through song (lyric) based poetry.
1. You may have noticed either set of vocals has a certain tone to it. Why do you think different tones were used? What do you feel each tone symbolizes in terms of emotions, views, or attitudes?
2. Which verse do you think stands out and which do you think sums the song up as a whole? (both in regards to imagery and mood)
3. The second line of the song is "My patients are fading fast". What do you suppose this means?
4. Do you notice a difference in the chorus from the rest of the song? How and why do you think the lyricists did this?
5. If you thought of this as an argument or discussion, what do you think they'd be talking about?
6. After thinking about the general theme this song delivers, could it still be delivered as effectively with only one singer instead of two very different singers? Could it be as effective in another form of poetry?
Thursday, December 23, 2010
MARCEL'S NEW POETRY PRESENTATION
Good Hours
I had for my winter evening walk--
No one at all with whom to talk,
But I had the cottages in a row
Up to their shining eyes in snow.
And I thought I had the folk within:
I had the sound of a violin;
I had a glimpse through curtain laces
Of youthful forms and youthful faces.
I had such company outward bound.
I went till there were no cottages found.
I turned and repented, but coming back
I saw no window but that was black.
Over the snow my creaking feet
Disturbed the slumbering village street
Like profanation, by your leave,
At ten o'clock of a winter eve.
1) Find any imagery and personification in this poem?
2) Of what age do you think the person in the poem is?
3) In the third stanza, why do you think that the person in the poem turned back to go to the village.?
4) Is there any significance that it is winter?
5)Overall what do you think that this poem represents?
HISTORY OF THE AUTHOR
Robert Frost was born on march 26 1875 and died on January 29 1963. Frost's personal life is filled with grief and loss, Frost was only 11 years old when in 1885 his father died of tuberculosis. In 1900 Frost's mother died of cancer, and in 1920, Frost had to commit his younger sister to a mental hospital. 9 years later she also died. Mental illness ran in Frost's family, both he and his mother suffered from depression and later on as he had his own family, 2 out of his 6 children died from suicide or died in a mental hospital.
I had for my winter evening walk--
No one at all with whom to talk,
But I had the cottages in a row
Up to their shining eyes in snow.
And I thought I had the folk within:
I had the sound of a violin;
I had a glimpse through curtain laces
Of youthful forms and youthful faces.
I had such company outward bound.
I went till there were no cottages found.
I turned and repented, but coming back
I saw no window but that was black.
Over the snow my creaking feet
Disturbed the slumbering village street
Like profanation, by your leave,
At ten o'clock of a winter eve.
1) Find any imagery and personification in this poem?
2) Of what age do you think the person in the poem is?
3) In the third stanza, why do you think that the person in the poem turned back to go to the village.?
4) Is there any significance that it is winter?
5)Overall what do you think that this poem represents?
HISTORY OF THE AUTHOR
Robert Frost was born on march 26 1875 and died on January 29 1963. Frost's personal life is filled with grief and loss, Frost was only 11 years old when in 1885 his father died of tuberculosis. In 1900 Frost's mother died of cancer, and in 1920, Frost had to commit his younger sister to a mental hospital. 9 years later she also died. Mental illness ran in Frost's family, both he and his mother suffered from depression and later on as he had his own family, 2 out of his 6 children died from suicide or died in a mental hospital.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
MARCEL'S POETRY PRESENTATION
THE ROAD NOT TAKEN
by ROBERT FROST
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
BIOGRAPHY
ROBERT FROST was born on march 26 1875 and died on January 29 1963. Frost's personal life is filled with grief and loss, Frost
was only 11 years old when in 1885 his father died of tuberculosis. In 1900 Frost's mother died of cancer, and in 1920, Frost
had to commit his younger sister to a mental hospital. 9 years later she also died. Mental illness ran in Frost's family, both
he and his mother suffered from depression and later on as he had his own family, 2 out of his 6 children died from suicide or
died in a mental hospital.
QUESTIONS
1) DESCRIBE ANY IMAGERY THAT YOU SEE IN THIS POEM.
2) WHY DO YOU THINK THAT THE NARRATOR DECIDED TO TAKE THE ROAD THAT WAS LESS USED.
3) DESCRIBE WHY YOU THINK THAT THE NARRATOR SAYS,"I doubted if I should ever come back."
4) IN THE LAST LINES, " I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."
WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT THE NARRATOR IS SAYING ABOUT HIS DECISION.
5) IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT IS THE ESSENTIAL MEANING OF THIS POEM.
by ROBERT FROST
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
BIOGRAPHY
ROBERT FROST was born on march 26 1875 and died on January 29 1963. Frost's personal life is filled with grief and loss, Frost
was only 11 years old when in 1885 his father died of tuberculosis. In 1900 Frost's mother died of cancer, and in 1920, Frost
had to commit his younger sister to a mental hospital. 9 years later she also died. Mental illness ran in Frost's family, both
he and his mother suffered from depression and later on as he had his own family, 2 out of his 6 children died from suicide or
died in a mental hospital.
QUESTIONS
1) DESCRIBE ANY IMAGERY THAT YOU SEE IN THIS POEM.
2) WHY DO YOU THINK THAT THE NARRATOR DECIDED TO TAKE THE ROAD THAT WAS LESS USED.
3) DESCRIBE WHY YOU THINK THAT THE NARRATOR SAYS,"I doubted if I should ever come back."
4) IN THE LAST LINES, " I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."
WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT THE NARRATOR IS SAYING ABOUT HIS DECISION.
5) IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT IS THE ESSENTIAL MEANING OF THIS POEM.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Brandon's Poetry
The Guy You Work With
By:John Grey
What you want more than anything
is to grab the zebra in your jaws.
Forget the job. Forget teamwork.
Roll the nature film,
You''ve seen your neighbor
in his flashy car.
You've heard the whispers
of bonuses for others
delivered behind locked doors
like secret Mason handshakes.
You just need five minutes or so
of stalking in the dry Savannah grass.
And then one good sniff of your prey
nibbling weeds by a small lagoon.
What better than a slow creep
up behind that unknowing striped back
as deliberate as sharpening a pencil.
And then the pounce,
the real law of the jungle,
you with your fangs around its rump,
it braying in agonizing terror.
What you want from life
is to trot back to your den in triumph,
zebra intestine flapping in your jaw
like spaghetti.
So they don't pay you as much as the next guy.
You're at the point now
that if they paid you in zebras
that would be enough.
Thesis: Through the use of imagery, as well as line breaks and enjambment, Grey presents a poem in which the reader sees an individual’s jealousy of others become savage and inhuman.
Enjambment: The breaking of a syntactic unit (a phrase, clause, or sentence) by the end of a line or between two verses.
1) The Poem is written in second person how would it be different if it were in first person?
2) Why does John Grey compare work life to the life of an animal?
3) What is meant by the third line "Roll the nature film"?
4) Who is the poem being written about?
5) Explain what is meant by the last three lines."You're at the point now,that if they paid you in zebras,that would be enough."
By:John Grey
What you want more than anything
is to grab the zebra in your jaws.
Forget the job. Forget teamwork.
Roll the nature film,
You''ve seen your neighbor
in his flashy car.
You've heard the whispers
of bonuses for others
delivered behind locked doors
like secret Mason handshakes.
You just need five minutes or so
of stalking in the dry Savannah grass.
And then one good sniff of your prey
nibbling weeds by a small lagoon.
What better than a slow creep
up behind that unknowing striped back
as deliberate as sharpening a pencil.
And then the pounce,
the real law of the jungle,
you with your fangs around its rump,
it braying in agonizing terror.
What you want from life
is to trot back to your den in triumph,
zebra intestine flapping in your jaw
like spaghetti.
So they don't pay you as much as the next guy.
You're at the point now
that if they paid you in zebras
that would be enough.
Thesis: Through the use of imagery, as well as line breaks and enjambment, Grey presents a poem in which the reader sees an individual’s jealousy of others become savage and inhuman.
Enjambment: The breaking of a syntactic unit (a phrase, clause, or sentence) by the end of a line or between two verses.
1) The Poem is written in second person how would it be different if it were in first person?
2) Why does John Grey compare work life to the life of an animal?
3) What is meant by the third line "Roll the nature film"?
4) Who is the poem being written about?
5) Explain what is meant by the last three lines."You're at the point now,that if they paid you in zebras,that would be enough."
ISU Presentations
Many of you have been patiently awaiting the final course component: instructions for how to prepare your ISU presentations. They follow:
-prepare a 10 minute presentation based on one topic or issue related to your ISU novel
-you may prepare a digital presentation or a traditional presentation (using a poster board)
-review 4-6 current and authoritative sources on your chosen topic (the databases will be of great help here but so too will be general references like encyclopedias or books on your topic, avoid the information yielded by typical google searches)
-form an interesting and thought-provoking thesis on your topic
-select information, anecdotes, facts, statistics and references from your research in order to prove your thesis
-present your work in an engaging manner (you may wish to script what you will say)
-this presentation is not a summary of the book, nor is it suppose to be an oral presentation of your ISU paper
-the single most important ingredient is research.
-presentations will run from Fri., January 14th to Wed., Jan. 19th. You will be asked to present within a group of 6 once per day. You will also be involved in providing feedback to some of your classmates.
Any questions?
-prepare a 10 minute presentation based on one topic or issue related to your ISU novel
-you may prepare a digital presentation or a traditional presentation (using a poster board)
-review 4-6 current and authoritative sources on your chosen topic (the databases will be of great help here but so too will be general references like encyclopedias or books on your topic, avoid the information yielded by typical google searches)
-form an interesting and thought-provoking thesis on your topic
-select information, anecdotes, facts, statistics and references from your research in order to prove your thesis
-present your work in an engaging manner (you may wish to script what you will say)
-this presentation is not a summary of the book, nor is it suppose to be an oral presentation of your ISU paper
-the single most important ingredient is research.
-presentations will run from Fri., January 14th to Wed., Jan. 19th. You will be asked to present within a group of 6 once per day. You will also be involved in providing feedback to some of your classmates.
Any questions?
Thursday, December 9, 2010
ISU Paper - Respond to a Critical Essay
In many ways your ISU paper will be similar to the Stone Angel essay. Your thesis will outline to what extent you feel the remarks made in the critical essay you selected do or do not apply to your ISU novel.
I suggest you spend a good deal of time trying to digest your critical essay. Having a printed copy which you can annotate and highlight will be highly advantageous. Once you are comfortable with the essay you can begin to identify whether or not you agree with your reviewer.
If you largely agree with your reviewer then you can represent his or her argument and add in examples of your own. If you disagree with your reviewer, then you can quote your ISU novel (and your essayist) in order to show where he or she is missing the point.
Length: 1000 words
Type: Formal
** Please be sure to look carefully at my comments on your Stone Angel Essays
I suggest you spend a good deal of time trying to digest your critical essay. Having a printed copy which you can annotate and highlight will be highly advantageous. Once you are comfortable with the essay you can begin to identify whether or not you agree with your reviewer.
If you largely agree with your reviewer then you can represent his or her argument and add in examples of your own. If you disagree with your reviewer, then you can quote your ISU novel (and your essayist) in order to show where he or she is missing the point.
Length: 1000 words
Type: Formal
** Please be sure to look carefully at my comments on your Stone Angel Essays
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