6/27/07
1)Significance of Caliban?
-anagram of cannibal
2)Why do we enjoy scapegoats?
-Expulsion, makes us feel better about ourselves.
3)How do you kill Prospero?
-Take his books, then he is nothing and has no power.
4)What does Miranda's name mean?
-Miracle or Wonder
5)Auden-"How we know what we think until we see what we say?"
-Words speak louder than actions, we need to write things down if we want them to live forever.
6)Significance of "Little more kin, less than kind."
-Pun on kin/kind
7) Symbol of innocence of experience in Tempest
-Miranda
8) Hamlet- what color are his clothes?
-black
9)Alchemy is thought of as transformation of metals to gold.
-Fraud: materialistic "money"
-True: philosophical-perfecting the human creature
10)Hamlet-Who are dumb and dumber? (spelled correctly)
-Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
11)What is message of Gertrude talks back?
-see page 1334 for answer
12)Father forbids daughter from being with the man she loves.
-Senex
13)The Night Sea Journey
-story being told: journey of sperm to egg.
14)What real person is Prospero a metaphor for?
-Shakespeare himself
15)Master magician insists upon
-Disillusionment
-it's all just a dream/story
16)Name of Airy spirit in Tempest
-Ariel
17)Most question marks, Tempest/Hamlet?
-Hamlet
18)Tempest-Shakespeare's farewell play
-retelling of all other plays he wrote.
19)Theme of Hamlet?
-"The readiness is all"
20)Title Tempest is ironic why?
-There was no tempest, it was only their imagination.
21)Fishmonger
-a pimp
22)Playton says "our shoulders itch"-Onomnasius
-Remembrance/recollection of our winged state in beginnings (city of angels)
Thursday, June 28, 2007
In-class Notes
6/27/07
*Hamlet
-2 endings
*Metaphor:
1)Fencing match: life, you are going to get cut down eventually.
2)1000 shocks: if it hasn't happened to you yet, it will.
3)The stage: you never leave it. The world is a stage and the people are just actors.
-You must go for the risk instead of withdrawing from it.
-One's death makes you pay attention.
*we take things for granted
*Don't see the little things until the person we care about is gone.
*Hamlet
-2 endings
*Metaphor:
1)Fencing match: life, you are going to get cut down eventually.
2)1000 shocks: if it hasn't happened to you yet, it will.
3)The stage: you never leave it. The world is a stage and the people are just actors.
-You must go for the risk instead of withdrawing from it.
-One's death makes you pay attention.
*we take things for granted
*Don't see the little things until the person we care about is gone.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
In-class Presentations
While listening to my classmates read their poetry I was happy to see the wide variety of poems chosen. I like how Dr. Sexson choose poems that he felt each person would like, and that they reflected each of us in some way. These poems were all so different, yet they had one thing in common.
All of these poems were presented in a way that I really wanted to read more. I eventually did go back through and read some of the poems on my own. I realized that because it had been so long since the poems were presented to me, I saw them in a new light. I was reading through them and found that I had many different ideas of what they meant to me than what my classmates suggested. This did not surprise me because of the different ways that people read into poetry. When I looked back on my notes of the presentations I found that my ideas were not too different from theirs, and the more I read them, the more I agreed with them.
I think that having an idea of what a poem is about is a good idea when reading poetry so that you know what direction to go in terms of making sense of it. Many of my classmates had quite the job to do, as many of the poems that were presented were very complex and difficult for me to read. I really enjoyed this assignment, despite what I may have thought about it to being with. I think that it really opened my eyes to the different interpretations of poetry, as well as the poets behind this work.
All of these poems were presented in a way that I really wanted to read more. I eventually did go back through and read some of the poems on my own. I realized that because it had been so long since the poems were presented to me, I saw them in a new light. I was reading through them and found that I had many different ideas of what they meant to me than what my classmates suggested. This did not surprise me because of the different ways that people read into poetry. When I looked back on my notes of the presentations I found that my ideas were not too different from theirs, and the more I read them, the more I agreed with them.
I think that having an idea of what a poem is about is a good idea when reading poetry so that you know what direction to go in terms of making sense of it. Many of my classmates had quite the job to do, as many of the poems that were presented were very complex and difficult for me to read. I really enjoyed this assignment, despite what I may have thought about it to being with. I think that it really opened my eyes to the different interpretations of poetry, as well as the poets behind this work.
The first time that I read a piece of literature I tend to skim through it, not really paying any specific detail to the little things that I should. I like to begin by reading something simply as it is, rather than picking it apart piece by piece and "decoding" what it really is trying to tell me. Throughout this class we are taught how to really get into a story or poem, and how to make it work for us. This advice will be very helpful for us in the long run, but I don't necessarily think that this is always the best idea.
Literature is meant to be enjoyed. But what is really enjoyable about stretching something so thin the the point of not being able to recognize it? I came across the problem when I was researching and decoding my poem that I presented to the class. I read the Poem Shall I compare thee to a summers day? by Shakespeare. This poem was something that I instantly enjoyed, but the more I tried to look deeper into it, the more I disliked it. I wondered, is there a point of reading so much into a piece of literature that it is no longer enjoyable to you, and that it no longer makes much sense? These questions really make me think about how much one should read into poetry. Take the story of Little Red Riding Hood for instance. This is a normal kids story that is meant for enjoyment and a life lesson at the end. But after we picked through it so much, I'm not so sure it is something I will be able to enjoy again.
I remember my psychology class in high school got on a discussion about Winnie the Pooh one day and I was shocked at what I had heard. My teacher was telling me how some of his friends really started to analyze this show and make it into something that it is not. He went on to say how all of the characters really had something wrong withe them. Eore was depressed, Tigger was ADHD, The kangaroo had an attachment disorder from her baby, Christopher (the child who has the stuffed animals) is suffering from disillusions, and Winnie had an obsessive compulsive disorder that made him eat all of the time. I found this funny at first, then I thought about it and realized that it was kind of sad. This is a show meant to entertain children, and a group of adults decide that they will watch it and analyze every aspect of it so that it makes parents second guess showing their children them? I realize that this is going to happen no matter what, there just seems to be a line that was crossed when it comes to this scenario.
I realize that everyone is going to have their own interpretation of these shows, and it is up to each person how much they want to rely on other people's views in relation to their own. This does not change how I feel about Winnie the Pooh or literature in general, but it really makes me think twice before I take someones word. In this case I think that being your own person and making your own decisions is the best option one has.
Literature is meant to be enjoyed. But what is really enjoyable about stretching something so thin the the point of not being able to recognize it? I came across the problem when I was researching and decoding my poem that I presented to the class. I read the Poem Shall I compare thee to a summers day? by Shakespeare. This poem was something that I instantly enjoyed, but the more I tried to look deeper into it, the more I disliked it. I wondered, is there a point of reading so much into a piece of literature that it is no longer enjoyable to you, and that it no longer makes much sense? These questions really make me think about how much one should read into poetry. Take the story of Little Red Riding Hood for instance. This is a normal kids story that is meant for enjoyment and a life lesson at the end. But after we picked through it so much, I'm not so sure it is something I will be able to enjoy again.
I remember my psychology class in high school got on a discussion about Winnie the Pooh one day and I was shocked at what I had heard. My teacher was telling me how some of his friends really started to analyze this show and make it into something that it is not. He went on to say how all of the characters really had something wrong withe them. Eore was depressed, Tigger was ADHD, The kangaroo had an attachment disorder from her baby, Christopher (the child who has the stuffed animals) is suffering from disillusions, and Winnie had an obsessive compulsive disorder that made him eat all of the time. I found this funny at first, then I thought about it and realized that it was kind of sad. This is a show meant to entertain children, and a group of adults decide that they will watch it and analyze every aspect of it so that it makes parents second guess showing their children them? I realize that this is going to happen no matter what, there just seems to be a line that was crossed when it comes to this scenario.
I realize that everyone is going to have their own interpretation of these shows, and it is up to each person how much they want to rely on other people's views in relation to their own. This does not change how I feel about Winnie the Pooh or literature in general, but it really makes me think twice before I take someones word. In this case I think that being your own person and making your own decisions is the best option one has.
Writing Poetry
As I was reading through Retellings I decided to look into some of the authors a little bit more. I noticed that many of them had one thing in common, they let somewhat tragic lives. There stories may not have all ended the same, but they seemed to be headed down the same path. This leads me to my question: in order to create such beautiful poetry does one need to be depressed?
I came across an article where one poet was arguing the issue saying that he was nowhere near depressed, in fact he was impressed. Dennis Domrzalski took offense when people would say that the only good poetry comes from depressed individual. He seemed to think that humor in poetry is something to be just as familiar with. He writes about the fact that he is in a good place in his life, and that not all poetry needs to be so intense. There is no telling what one will be inspired by. What moves one person can have no effect on another. For me I think that some of the "depressing" poetry that I read doesn't do much for me. I find myself looking for something positive in it so that I can focus on something other than the reality that the poet is bringing to the poem. I think that there are some things better left unsaid, and some poetry crosses that line for me. This is not to say that all poetry and all poetry is depressing though.
I have read a number of poems that have a positive aspect brought to them. These poems still have something about them that catches my attention and really makes me think. They put me at ease by bringing me to a place in my life where I am really happy, and where I am free from distractions. I like to read all forms of poetry, because I like to shine my own light on some of the things that I take out of the poem that maybe not everyone else can see. I really think that to really enjoy a poem one must make it their own, and take away from it something that will make them happy.
I came across an article where one poet was arguing the issue saying that he was nowhere near depressed, in fact he was impressed. Dennis Domrzalski took offense when people would say that the only good poetry comes from depressed individual. He seemed to think that humor in poetry is something to be just as familiar with. He writes about the fact that he is in a good place in his life, and that not all poetry needs to be so intense. There is no telling what one will be inspired by. What moves one person can have no effect on another. For me I think that some of the "depressing" poetry that I read doesn't do much for me. I find myself looking for something positive in it so that I can focus on something other than the reality that the poet is bringing to the poem. I think that there are some things better left unsaid, and some poetry crosses that line for me. This is not to say that all poetry and all poetry is depressing though.
I have read a number of poems that have a positive aspect brought to them. These poems still have something about them that catches my attention and really makes me think. They put me at ease by bringing me to a place in my life where I am really happy, and where I am free from distractions. I like to read all forms of poetry, because I like to shine my own light on some of the things that I take out of the poem that maybe not everyone else can see. I really think that to really enjoy a poem one must make it their own, and take away from it something that will make them happy.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Expect the unexpected
6/25/07
Something we were discussing in class the idea of our daily lives the question came up on how unpredictable they can be. We were asked this question:
"If you knew how your day was going to end up, would you even get out of bed?"
Many times I am walking home at the end of the day and I think, I should have stayed home today. Life can be full of so many surprises, some good and some bad, and you never knew how things are going to end up. I would say that I am a very organized person, and I like to knew where I am going at all times. I feel the need to play everything, something I am pretty sure I inherited from my mother. Down to the smallest detail, I like to know where things are going. More often than not, something always changes, making all of my plans useless, leaving me to go with the flow. It is in these times that I find myself having the most fun! I don't have to worry about sticking to what was planned and making sure that there is time to do everything that was planned.
As much as I enjoy these moments when all plans are thrown out the window, I find myself back to planning the next adventure in my life. I think that deep down I know that my efforts will go unnoticed, as things are bound to change, but the feeling of being in control, even if for a second, so something that I need to do. I think that in life, there is a time for having a schedule and sticking to is, and there is a time to let loose and just do it! Finding the difference between these two and being able to tell which one you are supposed to do at the moment is hard to do, and it is something that will always be a challenge for me.
Literature has a way of keeping us guessing. To instantly read a poem you could think that it is so depressing, or that it is insulting in a way. But to take a second glance at it, you see that the words in front of you mean something completely opposite of what you initially thought. So I ask myself this, would I like to know what a poem is really about before I read it. I would have to say no, mostly because working through a poem and deciding what it means to me is what makes me love even more.
To sum it up, I don't really think that the question of weather to get out of bed really exists in the end. I also don't think that I would benefit from knowing where my day was going, and knowing everything, both good and bad, that will happen on an "average" day for me. I like to be surprised throughout the day, and I wouldn't have it any different. Ultimately, I would decide to always get up and get on with my day; because in the end, the things that make or break my day are the things that I live for.
Something we were discussing in class the idea of our daily lives the question came up on how unpredictable they can be. We were asked this question:
"If you knew how your day was going to end up, would you even get out of bed?"
Many times I am walking home at the end of the day and I think, I should have stayed home today. Life can be full of so many surprises, some good and some bad, and you never knew how things are going to end up. I would say that I am a very organized person, and I like to knew where I am going at all times. I feel the need to play everything, something I am pretty sure I inherited from my mother. Down to the smallest detail, I like to know where things are going. More often than not, something always changes, making all of my plans useless, leaving me to go with the flow. It is in these times that I find myself having the most fun! I don't have to worry about sticking to what was planned and making sure that there is time to do everything that was planned.
As much as I enjoy these moments when all plans are thrown out the window, I find myself back to planning the next adventure in my life. I think that deep down I know that my efforts will go unnoticed, as things are bound to change, but the feeling of being in control, even if for a second, so something that I need to do. I think that in life, there is a time for having a schedule and sticking to is, and there is a time to let loose and just do it! Finding the difference between these two and being able to tell which one you are supposed to do at the moment is hard to do, and it is something that will always be a challenge for me.
Literature has a way of keeping us guessing. To instantly read a poem you could think that it is so depressing, or that it is insulting in a way. But to take a second glance at it, you see that the words in front of you mean something completely opposite of what you initially thought. So I ask myself this, would I like to know what a poem is really about before I read it. I would have to say no, mostly because working through a poem and deciding what it means to me is what makes me love even more.
To sum it up, I don't really think that the question of weather to get out of bed really exists in the end. I also don't think that I would benefit from knowing where my day was going, and knowing everything, both good and bad, that will happen on an "average" day for me. I like to be surprised throughout the day, and I wouldn't have it any different. Ultimately, I would decide to always get up and get on with my day; because in the end, the things that make or break my day are the things that I live for.
Final Paper!!!
When I think of the word “retelling” many things come to mind. Taking this course has made a difference on what I think of retelling and of literature in general. I have to admit that I was not crazy about this class, in fact I was really nervous when I saw how much poetry was involved in this class. I think that high school makes many people scared of literature. We are told that our interpretations of literature are wrong and that some of us will just never get it. This is the main reason that I was so apprehensive of taking this course, because of all the doubts I have when it comes to poetry and my ability to decipher it.
When I was younger I loved poetry. I would spend hours up in my room pouring my heart out of a page, usually having to do with the every day stresses of a middle school girl. I would never show my poetry to anyone, until the day that I finally had the opportunity to turn in one of my poems for my English class in seventh grade. I was so excited, and nervous at the same time, it took every ounce of will power that I had to hand in that paper with my innermost thoughts on it, but it was something I was proud of, and wanted to be rewarded for. I will never forget the moment when our teacher, Mrs. Dart, handed back out papers. I couldn’t even look at her comments until I got home, though I was sure she loved my poem, even if it were only a fraction as much as I did. I remember seeing red pen covering my paper, and almost every word had one of her comments attached to it. She told me that my rhyme scheme did not make sense, that I contradicted myself, and that the poem in general, was not good. I was so insecure to begin with, as is any other middle school girl, and this just pushed me over the edge.
I managed to get through my high school English classes decoding poetry as I was taught to, simply writing what I thought the teachers wanted to hear. I went over every word and tried to make sense of what I was reading, but really never having any real connection with the words on the page. I have not wrote any more poetry since my seventh grade English class, except for the little bit of poetry that was required of us through our high school years. I feel like high school English teachers are just as scared of poetry as their students, and I apply this back to my idea of people reacting to the unknown. I have found that people are scared of that which they do not know. An instance that I know everyone has had to face would be death. We have all faced it, and still, we do not like to talk about it, mostly because we don’t know much about it. I have yet to find someone who is as comfortable talking about death, but then again, I am one of them.
My idea of retelling is taking something that is new to you, and interpreting it in your own way, then sharing your ideas with someone else. This concept can in fact be related to all forms of literature. This class has been very helpful in the sense that it makes you get your ideas out there. It doesn’t matter how nervous I was to post my inner most feelings on the web, I knew that in order to pass the class I had to do it. At first I saw myself holding back what I was really feeling, of simply reading a story just because it was assigned to us. Then something snapped in me, I realized that the only people that would be reading my blogs would be our class (most of whom probably did not even read all of them) and Dr. Sexson. I think this moment came when I was reading the short story, Cathedral, by Raymond Carver. Dr. Sexson told us specifically NOT to read this story. It was not required for the class, and he simply did not want us to read this. Although his tone of voice and the fact that he said this was one of his favorite stories made me think he was trying to pull some reverse psychology on us, which was pretty easy to see through (sorry Dr. Sexson, but it’s true). This story really made me think about how we see things in our life, and what retellings really means.
Cathedral, which I know is just a retelling of another story, for every story is a retelling of one that is already out there, took me out of my “comfort” zone and helped me see the big picture. This story, although titled Cathedral, doesn’t have much to do with cathedrals at all. In the same sense, retellings do not always have to follow such strict guidelines. There is no right way to retell a story; therefore, one has the opportunity to really make their interpretations known about any piece of literature out there. When the blind man asked how it looked (referring to the picture they had drawn of the cathedral) the man answered him “It’s really something.” The blind man was not referring to the picture itself, nor was the other man answering in such a sense. I think that he was asking about life in general, and showing this man, who was so uncomfortable with a blind man in his house, that they are not very different.
This idea of reading all forms of literature makes me think about the discussion we had in class about what literature was asking of us. Literature is not asking us to believe, it is simply asking us to suspend our disbelief. I know that I have had a problem with this concept, as Dr. Sexson has pointed out to me, in stories such as Metamorphoses, or Oedipus. These stories are something that would never happen, and I have a really hard time suspending my ideas of reality in order to truly enjoy these novels. I think this is why I never got into the Harry Potter novels. I know that I am a realistic person, and in most cases in life this is an important characteristic to poses, but literature may be the biggest exception to this rule. When it comes to retelling, one has to be able to retell a variety of stories, which puts me at a huge disadvantage in this situation. I am planning on making myself read more stories that are outside of my comfort zone, starting with Metamorphoses. I think that this will be a difficult task for me, but then again, so was decoding the poem Shall I compare thee to a summers day.
Even more of a challenge than posting my thoughts on my blog for all to see, decoding this poem was my greatest challenge in this class, and not surprisingly, the biggest thing that I will take out of English 123. I was so nervous to decode this poem, when I looked at it to begin with, it may have well been in another language the first couple times I read it. I looked up almost every word in the poem, as I had always done in high school, and tried to make sense of what was in front of me. I knew that my retelling of this poem to the class was going to be a challenge for me, but I was determined to make it work. Shakespeare was a very talented individual, and he managed to make an impression on people almost 400 years after his death. His language is hard to interpret right away, but once you have it down, it is easy to see that these words are part of what makes his writing so special. He doesn’t try to simplify the things he is trying to say, for that would mead holding back these feelings that he is expressing.
I think that Shakespeare may be one of the best authors to retell stories, mostly because of the passion that he brings to his work. He truly defines the term “retelling” and makes it easy to see why he is still such a huge figure in the literature field today. I have really enjoyed what I have taken from this class, and feel that I am once again ready to bring literature, and most importantly, poetry, back into my life.
When I was younger I loved poetry. I would spend hours up in my room pouring my heart out of a page, usually having to do with the every day stresses of a middle school girl. I would never show my poetry to anyone, until the day that I finally had the opportunity to turn in one of my poems for my English class in seventh grade. I was so excited, and nervous at the same time, it took every ounce of will power that I had to hand in that paper with my innermost thoughts on it, but it was something I was proud of, and wanted to be rewarded for. I will never forget the moment when our teacher, Mrs. Dart, handed back out papers. I couldn’t even look at her comments until I got home, though I was sure she loved my poem, even if it were only a fraction as much as I did. I remember seeing red pen covering my paper, and almost every word had one of her comments attached to it. She told me that my rhyme scheme did not make sense, that I contradicted myself, and that the poem in general, was not good. I was so insecure to begin with, as is any other middle school girl, and this just pushed me over the edge.
I managed to get through my high school English classes decoding poetry as I was taught to, simply writing what I thought the teachers wanted to hear. I went over every word and tried to make sense of what I was reading, but really never having any real connection with the words on the page. I have not wrote any more poetry since my seventh grade English class, except for the little bit of poetry that was required of us through our high school years. I feel like high school English teachers are just as scared of poetry as their students, and I apply this back to my idea of people reacting to the unknown. I have found that people are scared of that which they do not know. An instance that I know everyone has had to face would be death. We have all faced it, and still, we do not like to talk about it, mostly because we don’t know much about it. I have yet to find someone who is as comfortable talking about death, but then again, I am one of them.
My idea of retelling is taking something that is new to you, and interpreting it in your own way, then sharing your ideas with someone else. This concept can in fact be related to all forms of literature. This class has been very helpful in the sense that it makes you get your ideas out there. It doesn’t matter how nervous I was to post my inner most feelings on the web, I knew that in order to pass the class I had to do it. At first I saw myself holding back what I was really feeling, of simply reading a story just because it was assigned to us. Then something snapped in me, I realized that the only people that would be reading my blogs would be our class (most of whom probably did not even read all of them) and Dr. Sexson. I think this moment came when I was reading the short story, Cathedral, by Raymond Carver. Dr. Sexson told us specifically NOT to read this story. It was not required for the class, and he simply did not want us to read this. Although his tone of voice and the fact that he said this was one of his favorite stories made me think he was trying to pull some reverse psychology on us, which was pretty easy to see through (sorry Dr. Sexson, but it’s true). This story really made me think about how we see things in our life, and what retellings really means.
Cathedral, which I know is just a retelling of another story, for every story is a retelling of one that is already out there, took me out of my “comfort” zone and helped me see the big picture. This story, although titled Cathedral, doesn’t have much to do with cathedrals at all. In the same sense, retellings do not always have to follow such strict guidelines. There is no right way to retell a story; therefore, one has the opportunity to really make their interpretations known about any piece of literature out there. When the blind man asked how it looked (referring to the picture they had drawn of the cathedral) the man answered him “It’s really something.” The blind man was not referring to the picture itself, nor was the other man answering in such a sense. I think that he was asking about life in general, and showing this man, who was so uncomfortable with a blind man in his house, that they are not very different.
This idea of reading all forms of literature makes me think about the discussion we had in class about what literature was asking of us. Literature is not asking us to believe, it is simply asking us to suspend our disbelief. I know that I have had a problem with this concept, as Dr. Sexson has pointed out to me, in stories such as Metamorphoses, or Oedipus. These stories are something that would never happen, and I have a really hard time suspending my ideas of reality in order to truly enjoy these novels. I think this is why I never got into the Harry Potter novels. I know that I am a realistic person, and in most cases in life this is an important characteristic to poses, but literature may be the biggest exception to this rule. When it comes to retelling, one has to be able to retell a variety of stories, which puts me at a huge disadvantage in this situation. I am planning on making myself read more stories that are outside of my comfort zone, starting with Metamorphoses. I think that this will be a difficult task for me, but then again, so was decoding the poem Shall I compare thee to a summers day.
Even more of a challenge than posting my thoughts on my blog for all to see, decoding this poem was my greatest challenge in this class, and not surprisingly, the biggest thing that I will take out of English 123. I was so nervous to decode this poem, when I looked at it to begin with, it may have well been in another language the first couple times I read it. I looked up almost every word in the poem, as I had always done in high school, and tried to make sense of what was in front of me. I knew that my retelling of this poem to the class was going to be a challenge for me, but I was determined to make it work. Shakespeare was a very talented individual, and he managed to make an impression on people almost 400 years after his death. His language is hard to interpret right away, but once you have it down, it is easy to see that these words are part of what makes his writing so special. He doesn’t try to simplify the things he is trying to say, for that would mead holding back these feelings that he is expressing.
I think that Shakespeare may be one of the best authors to retell stories, mostly because of the passion that he brings to his work. He truly defines the term “retelling” and makes it easy to see why he is still such a huge figure in the literature field today. I have really enjoyed what I have taken from this class, and feel that I am once again ready to bring literature, and most importantly, poetry, back into my life.
Reflections
6/26/07
Looking back over my past blogs I realized something, I have really managed to open my mind to many forms of literature, and I have managed to read poetry without being intimidated by it.
I have always loved poetry, but feared that my interpretations were not correct, or that they would be mocked by whomever I confided in. I began this class looking through this book, which I will admit intimidated me to begin with, and tried to pick something out of it that stood out to me. I choose the Starry Night picture and the poem that went along with it. As I read through my blog I realized that although my thoughts were insightful, they were not my own. I was taking the information that I had heard in the past by some people that I respect, and translated it into my own words. I didn't really look at it to see what it was that I saw.
This realization made me think about the retelling of my life, and how I was going about my story. I would say that I am an average person. I get up, go to school, go to work, go home, go to bed, and start my day all over again. This, I think, is just another retelling of a story that we all know too well. But is this really how I want my story to end? I love stories that are unpredictable, and mine, so far, is not! Looking at poetry gives me a good understanding of how I want to live my life from now on. I want my life to be that story that someone can't put down. I want people to think that my life is an original story, rather than a retelling. I know that on the first day of class we discussed how every story we read is a retelling of another, but I think that there are some stories so enticing that we forget about all of the other ones we have read and think about what a wonderful new story it is. And this, is how I want my life to be.
Looking back over my past blogs I realized something, I have really managed to open my mind to many forms of literature, and I have managed to read poetry without being intimidated by it.
I have always loved poetry, but feared that my interpretations were not correct, or that they would be mocked by whomever I confided in. I began this class looking through this book, which I will admit intimidated me to begin with, and tried to pick something out of it that stood out to me. I choose the Starry Night picture and the poem that went along with it. As I read through my blog I realized that although my thoughts were insightful, they were not my own. I was taking the information that I had heard in the past by some people that I respect, and translated it into my own words. I didn't really look at it to see what it was that I saw.
This realization made me think about the retelling of my life, and how I was going about my story. I would say that I am an average person. I get up, go to school, go to work, go home, go to bed, and start my day all over again. This, I think, is just another retelling of a story that we all know too well. But is this really how I want my story to end? I love stories that are unpredictable, and mine, so far, is not! Looking at poetry gives me a good understanding of how I want to live my life from now on. I want my life to be that story that someone can't put down. I want people to think that my life is an original story, rather than a retelling. I know that on the first day of class we discussed how every story we read is a retelling of another, but I think that there are some stories so enticing that we forget about all of the other ones we have read and think about what a wonderful new story it is. And this, is how I want my life to be.
In-class Notes
6/25/07
*Domestic Farce: a family with many misunderstandings.
*Romantic Comedy: man and woman fall in love, but something is getting in the way of their happiness.
*Scape goat figure: the person in the play (Falstaff) who is made a fool, and who is run out of town often. Usually humiliated at the end.
*Retelling expulsion of figure of noxiousness.
*to say/see/do
-we need to rethink how we say things.
-literature asks us to do this.
*Hamlet says:
-pg. 1307, line 73-74
-"It will be short: the interim is mine; and a man's life's no more than to say 'one'".
*pg. 1310
-Horatio tells Hamlet he has a bad feeling about the fencing match.
-line 184
-"If it be now, 'tis not to come; if it be not to come, it will be now; if it be not now, yet it will come: the READINESS is all."
-Readiness is the theme of Hamlet.
-The be perfectly there in the moment.
*Domestic Farce: a family with many misunderstandings.
*Romantic Comedy: man and woman fall in love, but something is getting in the way of their happiness.
*Scape goat figure: the person in the play (Falstaff) who is made a fool, and who is run out of town often. Usually humiliated at the end.
*Retelling expulsion of figure of noxiousness.
*to say/see/do
-we need to rethink how we say things.
-literature asks us to do this.
*Hamlet says:
-pg. 1307, line 73-74
-"It will be short: the interim is mine; and a man's life's no more than to say 'one'".
*pg. 1310
-Horatio tells Hamlet he has a bad feeling about the fencing match.
-line 184
-"If it be now, 'tis not to come; if it be not to come, it will be now; if it be not now, yet it will come: the READINESS is all."
-Readiness is the theme of Hamlet.
-The be perfectly there in the moment.
In-class Notes
6/22/07
*Hamlet
-Whole word has a retelling
-Many say it's boring, which really means they do not understand it.
-What?
*told about dad's death and uncle marrying mother.
-This is the story of our lives
-Hamlet has most question marks out of all Shakespeare's plays/
*That is the theme of the play
*Not resolvable question
*To be or not to be, that is the question. -most famous line.
-to do: what are we going to do with our lives?
-the minds eye (many words created)
*Shakespeare is teaching us how to speak.
-Gertrude
*Margaret Atwood wrote book about her.
*Doesn't have many lines
-Pun: playing on words
*Hamlet does this a lot!
*pg. 1222, line 65
-The Black Prince
*Hamlet wears black in this play often.
*This is a retelling of Hamlet, by Iris Murdock
-Common- vulgar (3rd dictionary definition)
-The tragic sense of life
*people who are unhappy see no end, they have a negative view on everything in life.
-pg. 1230, Irony!
*Hamlet
-Whole word has a retelling
-Many say it's boring, which really means they do not understand it.
-What?
*told about dad's death and uncle marrying mother.
-This is the story of our lives
-Hamlet has most question marks out of all Shakespeare's plays/
*That is the theme of the play
*Not resolvable question
*To be or not to be, that is the question. -most famous line.
-to do: what are we going to do with our lives?
-the minds eye (many words created)
*Shakespeare is teaching us how to speak.
-Gertrude
*Margaret Atwood wrote book about her.
*Doesn't have many lines
-Pun: playing on words
*Hamlet does this a lot!
*pg. 1222, line 65
-The Black Prince
*Hamlet wears black in this play often.
*This is a retelling of Hamlet, by Iris Murdock
-Common- vulgar (3rd dictionary definition)
-The tragic sense of life
*people who are unhappy see no end, they have a negative view on everything in life.
-pg. 1230, Irony!
Monday, June 25, 2007
Poem Reflection
As I was preparing to study for our final exam I came across the question that we developed in class. We are going to be asked what Sylvia Plath did and did not compare her father to in her poem, Daddy. I thought that I would read over this poem to remind myself of what exactly it was all about.
This poem is so sad and so full of emotion that it doesn't matter how you read it, something has to pop out at you when you read it. Sylvia was obviously so emotional when it came to talking about her father that her words seem to jump out of the page at you. The more I thought about this the more I realize that all poetry is written out of some form of emotion. This emotion can be anger, and it can also be an overwhelming feeling of joy, there is really no telling what is going to happen in each and every poem. People tend to let their emotions control them at times, but when it comes to poetry I think that this is a very good thing. When I think to times that I am so overwhelmed with emotion I realize that it is at those times when my words are more than just words, they are my form of expressing everything that I am holding inside of me.
This poem, Daddy, is very powerful, but so is Shall I compare thee to a summers day by Shakespeare. But they are powerful in different ways. In Shakespeare's poem he is so taken back by this beauty that stands before him, not even his beautiful words can do it any justice. If someone were to simply sit down on a typical day and use average words put together to make a poem the reader would not feel the same connection to their work. The words in the poem would be lacking the urgency that these authors are trying to get across in their work. The part of Daddy that makes me feel how angry she really was at her father was:
I have always been scared of you
With your Luftwaffe, your gobbledygoo.
And your neat moustache
And your Aryan eye, bright blue.
Panzer-man, panzer-man, O You.
In this part of the poem Sylvia shows how much she has really thought about her words. She doesn't simply say that she hates her father, she goes into how much she despises every bit of him. She has taken the time to think of the things that would really give the reader the ability to imagine this "monster" that she hates to much. The fact that something so horrible (meaning her memories of her father) could end up creating emotions that speak to so many readers is really something amazing. These poems all have a story to tell beyond what the poem is directed towards, and by reading these poems carefully and feeling each word that is written down, one can see deep into what the author is really feeling.
This poem is so sad and so full of emotion that it doesn't matter how you read it, something has to pop out at you when you read it. Sylvia was obviously so emotional when it came to talking about her father that her words seem to jump out of the page at you. The more I thought about this the more I realize that all poetry is written out of some form of emotion. This emotion can be anger, and it can also be an overwhelming feeling of joy, there is really no telling what is going to happen in each and every poem. People tend to let their emotions control them at times, but when it comes to poetry I think that this is a very good thing. When I think to times that I am so overwhelmed with emotion I realize that it is at those times when my words are more than just words, they are my form of expressing everything that I am holding inside of me.
This poem, Daddy, is very powerful, but so is Shall I compare thee to a summers day by Shakespeare. But they are powerful in different ways. In Shakespeare's poem he is so taken back by this beauty that stands before him, not even his beautiful words can do it any justice. If someone were to simply sit down on a typical day and use average words put together to make a poem the reader would not feel the same connection to their work. The words in the poem would be lacking the urgency that these authors are trying to get across in their work. The part of Daddy that makes me feel how angry she really was at her father was:
I have always been scared of you
With your Luftwaffe, your gobbledygoo.
And your neat moustache
And your Aryan eye, bright blue.
Panzer-man, panzer-man, O You.
In this part of the poem Sylvia shows how much she has really thought about her words. She doesn't simply say that she hates her father, she goes into how much she despises every bit of him. She has taken the time to think of the things that would really give the reader the ability to imagine this "monster" that she hates to much. The fact that something so horrible (meaning her memories of her father) could end up creating emotions that speak to so many readers is really something amazing. These poems all have a story to tell beyond what the poem is directed towards, and by reading these poems carefully and feeling each word that is written down, one can see deep into what the author is really feeling.
Test Questions
6/22/07
1) Michelle- structure isn't readily apparent
2) Dale- Second Coming by W.B. Yeats
3) How is immortality achieved? By writing it down (Sonnet 18, Shall I compare thee to a summers day?)
4) Halie- What did speaker of poem (My last Duchess) do? Killed his wife.
5) Relationship between lamb and tiger? Innocence and Experience.
6) (Because I could not stop for death) what was used? Personification
7) Dover Beach/Dover Bitch (retelling)- 2 poems contradict each other at first, but then come together and make more sense.
8) Sonnet #26, what was the theme? To embrace imperfections rather than reject them.
9) In (Worlds too much for us) name one of the two Gods. Proteus or Triton
10) In the poem Daddy, what add did she compare her father to?
11) Theme of Ozymandias. Even great works are subject to last.
1) Michelle- structure isn't readily apparent
2) Dale- Second Coming by W.B. Yeats
3) How is immortality achieved? By writing it down (Sonnet 18, Shall I compare thee to a summers day?)
4) Halie- What did speaker of poem (My last Duchess) do? Killed his wife.
5) Relationship between lamb and tiger? Innocence and Experience.
6) (Because I could not stop for death) what was used? Personification
7) Dover Beach/Dover Bitch (retelling)- 2 poems contradict each other at first, but then come together and make more sense.
8) Sonnet #26, what was the theme? To embrace imperfections rather than reject them.
9) In (Worlds too much for us) name one of the two Gods. Proteus or Triton
10) In the poem Daddy, what add did she compare her father to?
11) Theme of Ozymandias. Even great works are subject to last.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Shakespeare in the park
6/21/07
Last night I had the chance to go to Shakespeare in the park, and was surprised that I had not gone to it before. I think when many people here "Shakespeare" they may lose interest because of how little they know about him and his plays, but it was actually very easy to follow. Due to the rain I only had a chance to see a little bit of the play, but I really liked what I had the chance to see.
The thing that really stuck out to me was very funny! The play was Merry Wives of Windsor, by Shakespeare. My favorite character was Sir John Falstaff, the fat money hungry man who is attempting to court two wealthy married women, Mistress Ford and Mistress Page. Throughout the whole play Falstaff thinks that these two women don't know about the identical love letters he is sending to them and the fact that he is coming on to both women, but really both women know about the whole thing. They are constantly telling each other about the moves Falstaff is making on both of them, and decide to play a trick of their own. Page's daughter, Mistress Anne Page, is also caught in a love triangle when she really only loves Master Fenton, whom her mother tells her is no good for her. The two eventually end up together and Ford and Page teach Falstaff a thing or two about the games he is trying to play.
This play is different from any of the other plays I am familiar with of Shakespeare's. I loved the humor that the actors brought to it, and thought that they did such a good job altogether, despite the few rain delays. I think that this play is a good way of seeing all that Shakespeare is capable of. Not only can he write tragic love stories, but he is also able to keep an audiences attention in a comedy full of characters we will never forget.
Last night I had the chance to go to Shakespeare in the park, and was surprised that I had not gone to it before. I think when many people here "Shakespeare" they may lose interest because of how little they know about him and his plays, but it was actually very easy to follow. Due to the rain I only had a chance to see a little bit of the play, but I really liked what I had the chance to see.
The thing that really stuck out to me was very funny! The play was Merry Wives of Windsor, by Shakespeare. My favorite character was Sir John Falstaff, the fat money hungry man who is attempting to court two wealthy married women, Mistress Ford and Mistress Page. Throughout the whole play Falstaff thinks that these two women don't know about the identical love letters he is sending to them and the fact that he is coming on to both women, but really both women know about the whole thing. They are constantly telling each other about the moves Falstaff is making on both of them, and decide to play a trick of their own. Page's daughter, Mistress Anne Page, is also caught in a love triangle when she really only loves Master Fenton, whom her mother tells her is no good for her. The two eventually end up together and Ford and Page teach Falstaff a thing or two about the games he is trying to play.
This play is different from any of the other plays I am familiar with of Shakespeare's. I loved the humor that the actors brought to it, and thought that they did such a good job altogether, despite the few rain delays. I think that this play is a good way of seeing all that Shakespeare is capable of. Not only can he write tragic love stories, but he is also able to keep an audiences attention in a comedy full of characters we will never forget.
In-class Notes
6/20/07
*Vocabulary:
-Scatological: the study of or preoccupation with excrement or obscenity.
*The Island
*Lost
*Buffy The Vampire Slayer- Movie: Serenity
-All of these pick up themes of The Tempest
*The Tempest
-Retelling of history of Shakespeare's plays
-Kept some plot summary
-Kept love interest
-How do we make the moments of our life last?
*Prospero asked this.
-Remembrance is the same as psychoanalysis (Freud)
*Literature doesn't ask us to believe, it simply asks us to suspend our disbelief.
-Pg. 280, line 241, "The time twixt six and now must by us both spend more preciously." (Prospero)
-Pg. 284, line 368, "You taught me language, and my profit on't is I know how to curse. The red plague rid you for learning me your language."
-Pg. 299, line 32, "Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows. I will here shroud till the dregs of the storm be past."
*Scatological
-pg. 318, line 146 (most famous speech) "You do look, my son, in a moved sort, as if you were dismayed..."
-Ferdinand and Miranda playing chess when Alonso thought he lost his son. Talking to Prospero.
*Vocabulary:
-Scatological: the study of or preoccupation with excrement or obscenity.
*The Island
*Lost
*Buffy The Vampire Slayer- Movie: Serenity
-All of these pick up themes of The Tempest
*The Tempest
-Retelling of history of Shakespeare's plays
-Kept some plot summary
-Kept love interest
-How do we make the moments of our life last?
*Prospero asked this.
-Remembrance is the same as psychoanalysis (Freud)
*Literature doesn't ask us to believe, it simply asks us to suspend our disbelief.
-Pg. 280, line 241, "The time twixt six and now must by us both spend more preciously." (Prospero)
-Pg. 284, line 368, "You taught me language, and my profit on't is I know how to curse. The red plague rid you for learning me your language."
-Pg. 299, line 32, "Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows. I will here shroud till the dregs of the storm be past."
*Scatological
-pg. 318, line 146 (most famous speech) "You do look, my son, in a moved sort, as if you were dismayed..."
-Ferdinand and Miranda playing chess when Alonso thought he lost his son. Talking to Prospero.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Tempest
6/20/07
While reading The Tempest and A Tempest I noticed a difference between the two. I immediately liked The version by Cesaire more, mostly because I was not looking up every other word I read, trying to make sense of it all. When I was reading through the Spark Notes version of Shakespeare's version I found a much different interpretation than what I had got from the book.
I think that it is easier to enjoy things if you have somewhat of a familiar background with the subject at hand. I would like to think of myself as having a wide variety of knowledge, but I need to recognize that there are some things that I would enjoy much more, if I just knew more about them. For this reason, I think that the vocabulary in Cesaire's version was more appealing to me. I liked our discussion in class about how Cesaire was a black writer, therefore transforming his work into what he got from Shakespeare's version. He saw things that others did not see, others being the white society. He added a black character, which did not appear in the first version, because he thought that although this was not added initially, it was assumed. I think that in either version one has to expand their imagination, something I have a hard time with, and think outside of the box. The idea that there is this enchanted island where a select few people are isolated on has some realistic qualities to it, so for me, this was where I had to begin.
I do like the idea of boy meeting girl and falling in live, but what really makes the story would be the obstacles surrounding this budding romance. I found it interesting that Miranda's father was creating distractions for Ferdinand on purpose, something that I think still goes on in society today. Weather the things that Prospero was doing were realistic, they created something that captivates the reader, making the ending so much more exciting.
We discussed in class the idea of "happily ever after" can only be done so much. Take Romeo and Juliet, for instance (another one of Shakespeare's famous plays). This story did not end well for either party, yet it is still something we have accepted as one of the greatest pieces of work, and by far one of Shakespeare's most popular plays. Miranda and Ferdinand had to work hard for the love they shared, and this is what makes it so appealing. I think that the more I read Shakespeare the more I will learn to appreciate his work, difficult language and all.
While reading The Tempest and A Tempest I noticed a difference between the two. I immediately liked The version by Cesaire more, mostly because I was not looking up every other word I read, trying to make sense of it all. When I was reading through the Spark Notes version of Shakespeare's version I found a much different interpretation than what I had got from the book.
I think that it is easier to enjoy things if you have somewhat of a familiar background with the subject at hand. I would like to think of myself as having a wide variety of knowledge, but I need to recognize that there are some things that I would enjoy much more, if I just knew more about them. For this reason, I think that the vocabulary in Cesaire's version was more appealing to me. I liked our discussion in class about how Cesaire was a black writer, therefore transforming his work into what he got from Shakespeare's version. He saw things that others did not see, others being the white society. He added a black character, which did not appear in the first version, because he thought that although this was not added initially, it was assumed. I think that in either version one has to expand their imagination, something I have a hard time with, and think outside of the box. The idea that there is this enchanted island where a select few people are isolated on has some realistic qualities to it, so for me, this was where I had to begin.
I do like the idea of boy meeting girl and falling in live, but what really makes the story would be the obstacles surrounding this budding romance. I found it interesting that Miranda's father was creating distractions for Ferdinand on purpose, something that I think still goes on in society today. Weather the things that Prospero was doing were realistic, they created something that captivates the reader, making the ending so much more exciting.
We discussed in class the idea of "happily ever after" can only be done so much. Take Romeo and Juliet, for instance (another one of Shakespeare's famous plays). This story did not end well for either party, yet it is still something we have accepted as one of the greatest pieces of work, and by far one of Shakespeare's most popular plays. Miranda and Ferdinand had to work hard for the love they shared, and this is what makes it so appealing. I think that the more I read Shakespeare the more I will learn to appreciate his work, difficult language and all.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
In-class Notes
6/18/07
*A Tempest:
-Cesaire-black writer
*He saw what whites in colonial settings did not see.
*Student Essay:
-Usurper: to seize and hold (a position, office, power, etc.) by force or without legal right
*Pg. 372
-The Tempest: a night club!
*Shakespeare's version:
-Trouble keeping characters straight.
-The story felt long, even though it was one of the shortest plays he ever wrote.
-Miranda: air head girl, her name means miracle, or wonder.
-Trying to give us a sense of what's important
*Brothers at odds
-Star wars is retelling of other romance
-Caliban: almost the same as cannibal.
*rearrange letters to make something else
-Only two stories ever told
1)Calcification on a hill
2)Search of Mediterranean for an enchanted island
-3 stories- all alike
1)Magic flute
2)The Tempest
3) Wizard of OZ
*all having a male magic figure
-Prospero is a micro manager
*everything needs to be perfect
-Prospero, Miranda, Ariel, and Caliban all on an island.
*Ferdinand goes to island (Miranda is fascinated)
-Called Tempest- Ironic because it was a figment of their imagination- there was no tempest
-The old story= boy meets girl, but there is something in the way of getting her
*Shakespeare knew this- he made her father the obstacle.
-Senex- old and important
-Alcamene- turn lead into gold
-"We already know everything we need to know, we just forgot it."
*Check out this site to get a little better understanting of The Tempest:
http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/tempest/summary.html
*A Tempest:
-Cesaire-black writer
*He saw what whites in colonial settings did not see.
*Student Essay:
-Usurper: to seize and hold (a position, office, power, etc.) by force or without legal right
*Pg. 372
-The Tempest: a night club!
*Shakespeare's version:
-Trouble keeping characters straight.
-The story felt long, even though it was one of the shortest plays he ever wrote.
-Miranda: air head girl, her name means miracle, or wonder.
-Trying to give us a sense of what's important
*Brothers at odds
-Star wars is retelling of other romance
-Caliban: almost the same as cannibal.
*rearrange letters to make something else
-Only two stories ever told
1)Calcification on a hill
2)Search of Mediterranean for an enchanted island
-3 stories- all alike
1)Magic flute
2)The Tempest
3) Wizard of OZ
*all having a male magic figure
-Prospero is a micro manager
*everything needs to be perfect
-Prospero, Miranda, Ariel, and Caliban all on an island.
*Ferdinand goes to island (Miranda is fascinated)
-Called Tempest- Ironic because it was a figment of their imagination- there was no tempest
-The old story= boy meets girl, but there is something in the way of getting her
*Shakespeare knew this- he made her father the obstacle.
-Senex- old and important
-Alcamene- turn lead into gold
-"We already know everything we need to know, we just forgot it."
*Check out this site to get a little better understanting of The Tempest:
http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/tempest/summary.html
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Poem Presentation
6/14/07
In William Shakespeare’s Sonnet #18 “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” there is much interpretation that can be obtained in just a few lines. This poem is technically described as an Italian of Petrarchan sonnet in iambic pentameter with the rhyme scheme representing that of three quatrains.
The most controversial aspect of this poem is the question of who this poem was written to. Ones first image is of Shakespeare writing this to a woman beautiful in both body and soul. However, there are some who speculate that he was in fact, writing to a man. It is said that many of Shakespeare’s poems were written to a man whom he had an infatuation for. But no matter who this poem is for, one can not deny the beauty behind these words. There are so many speculations about Shakespeare, as well as his poetry, many of which will go unanswered, but with many speculations as to what the “correct” answer is. For instance, no one even knew Shakespeare’s birth date, but some speculate that he was born and died on the same day, April 23rd. Although so much of his work is famous now, he choose to not publish any of his plays himself. Although, Shakespeare was pretty well known while he was alive, if you type his name in google today you will find that there are over 50 million sites he is included in, and probably the most fascinating is that all of Shakespeare’s family were illiterate!
Upon first reading this poem I am taken back to a warm summer day in my youth where I was completely at ease. I feel comfortable and free of distractions, while I think about each word as it makes its way through the poem itself. Have you ever wanted to express yourself but not know how to? This is what I think Shakespeare is trying to do, so rather than simply saying there are no words, he is making words that mean one thing to us, mean something else in this poem. He is seeing this unchanging beauty of
someone, and comparing that to the long, “youth” of summer. When I read through this poem I do not rush through it. These words were meant to be appreciated and thought long and hard about. As this unchanging beauty is right in front of us, we are asked to spend as much time as we need to fully grasp this beauty that is in front of us. It would be easy to read this and think how arrogant Shakespeare is being in just paying attention to ones outer beauty, but the fact that he is saying this beauty will live on forever (unlike youth) he is referring to ones inner beauty that shines through. The line saying how fair from fair sometime declines is referring to the external beauty of something, and even though this may fade, internal beauty will last forever.
As a closing to this poem we are left with the lines: so long as men can breathe or eyes can see, so long lives this, and this gives life to thee. I am reminded of the saying we spoke of in class “writing something down give one eternal life”. Not only is Shakespeare immortalizing the person described in this poem, but because of his beautiful words, he too will live forever in writing. There is also the thought that not only will the two of them be remembered forever, but the love that they shared will also never be forgotten.
In William Shakespeare’s Sonnet #18 “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” there is much interpretation that can be obtained in just a few lines. This poem is technically described as an Italian of Petrarchan sonnet in iambic pentameter with the rhyme scheme representing that of three quatrains.
The most controversial aspect of this poem is the question of who this poem was written to. Ones first image is of Shakespeare writing this to a woman beautiful in both body and soul. However, there are some who speculate that he was in fact, writing to a man. It is said that many of Shakespeare’s poems were written to a man whom he had an infatuation for. But no matter who this poem is for, one can not deny the beauty behind these words. There are so many speculations about Shakespeare, as well as his poetry, many of which will go unanswered, but with many speculations as to what the “correct” answer is. For instance, no one even knew Shakespeare’s birth date, but some speculate that he was born and died on the same day, April 23rd. Although so much of his work is famous now, he choose to not publish any of his plays himself. Although, Shakespeare was pretty well known while he was alive, if you type his name in google today you will find that there are over 50 million sites he is included in, and probably the most fascinating is that all of Shakespeare’s family were illiterate!
Upon first reading this poem I am taken back to a warm summer day in my youth where I was completely at ease. I feel comfortable and free of distractions, while I think about each word as it makes its way through the poem itself. Have you ever wanted to express yourself but not know how to? This is what I think Shakespeare is trying to do, so rather than simply saying there are no words, he is making words that mean one thing to us, mean something else in this poem. He is seeing this unchanging beauty of
someone, and comparing that to the long, “youth” of summer. When I read through this poem I do not rush through it. These words were meant to be appreciated and thought long and hard about. As this unchanging beauty is right in front of us, we are asked to spend as much time as we need to fully grasp this beauty that is in front of us. It would be easy to read this and think how arrogant Shakespeare is being in just paying attention to ones outer beauty, but the fact that he is saying this beauty will live on forever (unlike youth) he is referring to ones inner beauty that shines through. The line saying how fair from fair sometime declines is referring to the external beauty of something, and even though this may fade, internal beauty will last forever.
As a closing to this poem we are left with the lines: so long as men can breathe or eyes can see, so long lives this, and this gives life to thee. I am reminded of the saying we spoke of in class “writing something down give one eternal life”. Not only is Shakespeare immortalizing the person described in this poem, but because of his beautiful words, he too will live forever in writing. There is also the thought that not only will the two of them be remembered forever, but the love that they shared will also never be forgotten.
Reading Poetry
6/14/07
I have been working quite a bit on my poem, and as I come across some of the problems I am having with memorization I have found that simply decoding the poem helps a great deal in this process. I think I have an advantage in the fact that I really like my poem. The first time I read it I thought about how beautiful it was. The words are put together so graciously, I find it hard finding anything I don't like about this poem.
As I was preparing to write my paper and put together my presentation to the class I found some very interesting things about Shakespeare himself. I realize that there will be a few other Shakespeare poems in the class, and that everyone (unless you have been living under a rock all of your life) knows something about him. He is such an important figure today, especially when it comes to literature. I don't want to give away too much of my presentation to the class, but I feel I need to address something very important that I came across. There was a page addressed to facts of Shakespeare and something struck me as a bit odd. Someone made the comment that much of Shakespeare's poems were directed at a student of his, about 19 years old, who he had an infatuation with. As soon as this was brought to everyone's attention who was posting on this site, the mood of the conversation changed dramatically. Many people lost focus of his work and viewed him as the "gay" person. They didn't care what a difference he is still making in terms of poetry, or all the beautiful things he wrote, but now he is gay, and that has changed everything.
Who really cares whom these poems are directed towards, female or male, they are still beautiful words. And who is to say if this information is in fact true? For all we know this could be the work of a random person who had nothing better to do with their time than to make up such a fabrication. The fact that Shakespeare is not here to defend himself, makes me see how unfair these assumptions are. I am very surprised also at how unforgiving these people seem to be considering the generation we are living in. We are growing up in a time when there are so many different life styles around us, yet we can't accept this?
So I have found that the best way to memorize poetry is not to memorize the words on the page, but to memorize the meaning behind those words.
I have been working quite a bit on my poem, and as I come across some of the problems I am having with memorization I have found that simply decoding the poem helps a great deal in this process. I think I have an advantage in the fact that I really like my poem. The first time I read it I thought about how beautiful it was. The words are put together so graciously, I find it hard finding anything I don't like about this poem.
As I was preparing to write my paper and put together my presentation to the class I found some very interesting things about Shakespeare himself. I realize that there will be a few other Shakespeare poems in the class, and that everyone (unless you have been living under a rock all of your life) knows something about him. He is such an important figure today, especially when it comes to literature. I don't want to give away too much of my presentation to the class, but I feel I need to address something very important that I came across. There was a page addressed to facts of Shakespeare and something struck me as a bit odd. Someone made the comment that much of Shakespeare's poems were directed at a student of his, about 19 years old, who he had an infatuation with. As soon as this was brought to everyone's attention who was posting on this site, the mood of the conversation changed dramatically. Many people lost focus of his work and viewed him as the "gay" person. They didn't care what a difference he is still making in terms of poetry, or all the beautiful things he wrote, but now he is gay, and that has changed everything.
Who really cares whom these poems are directed towards, female or male, they are still beautiful words. And who is to say if this information is in fact true? For all we know this could be the work of a random person who had nothing better to do with their time than to make up such a fabrication. The fact that Shakespeare is not here to defend himself, makes me see how unfair these assumptions are. I am very surprised also at how unforgiving these people seem to be considering the generation we are living in. We are growing up in a time when there are so many different life styles around us, yet we can't accept this?
So I have found that the best way to memorize poetry is not to memorize the words on the page, but to memorize the meaning behind those words.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Fairy Tales
6/11/07
As I was preparing for our upcoming exam I decided to take one more look at Bettenheim's essay on Little Red Riding Hood. I was reminded of how much I was taken back by some of the information in this text, and to be completely honest, had a hard time even finishing it the first time through.
I grew up hearing all of these fairy tales. They were stories that kept my attention, which was not very long. I could hear these tales over and over again, to the point that I could repeat them word-for-word, as my mom read them aloud to my siblings and I. I loved the stories, but at no point did I read so much into them that I thought Little Red Riding Hood was desiring sexual attention from her father (which is a point that Bettenheim makes at one point)!!! These stories are meant to entertain and if there is any hidden message, it is simply a moral in order to keep children safe and guarded. I know that I have to open my mind when reading literature, but where do we draw the line of reading too much into a piece?
I realize that we all have our own opinions on these tales, as well as any other piece of literature, but Bettenheim's (in my opinion) is much too far fetched! Why does Little Red's name and color of her cap have to stand for sexuality? This is a children's story, and such ideas which will eventually, much further down the road be brought up, don't need to be included. I found myself getting irritated with how Bettenheim couldn't let anything go. He was reading so much into every little aspect of the story that after awhile, it made no sense whatsoever!!! He seems to be so set in his ways, that I almost feel sorry that he can't take a piece a literature, no matter how simple, and just enjoy it. And yes, I used the word JUST in the sense that Mr. Sextson was explaining to us now to use it in such a way, but sometimes you have to simply take something how it is.
I think that if I were to come upon another piece of Mr. Bettenheim's work that picked apart another story that I was fond of, I would not read it. Call me simple minded, but I still stand by the fact that some things are better lift without being analyzed!
As I was preparing for our upcoming exam I decided to take one more look at Bettenheim's essay on Little Red Riding Hood. I was reminded of how much I was taken back by some of the information in this text, and to be completely honest, had a hard time even finishing it the first time through.
I grew up hearing all of these fairy tales. They were stories that kept my attention, which was not very long. I could hear these tales over and over again, to the point that I could repeat them word-for-word, as my mom read them aloud to my siblings and I. I loved the stories, but at no point did I read so much into them that I thought Little Red Riding Hood was desiring sexual attention from her father (which is a point that Bettenheim makes at one point)!!! These stories are meant to entertain and if there is any hidden message, it is simply a moral in order to keep children safe and guarded. I know that I have to open my mind when reading literature, but where do we draw the line of reading too much into a piece?
I realize that we all have our own opinions on these tales, as well as any other piece of literature, but Bettenheim's (in my opinion) is much too far fetched! Why does Little Red's name and color of her cap have to stand for sexuality? This is a children's story, and such ideas which will eventually, much further down the road be brought up, don't need to be included. I found myself getting irritated with how Bettenheim couldn't let anything go. He was reading so much into every little aspect of the story that after awhile, it made no sense whatsoever!!! He seems to be so set in his ways, that I almost feel sorry that he can't take a piece a literature, no matter how simple, and just enjoy it. And yes, I used the word JUST in the sense that Mr. Sextson was explaining to us now to use it in such a way, but sometimes you have to simply take something how it is.
I think that if I were to come upon another piece of Mr. Bettenheim's work that picked apart another story that I was fond of, I would not read it. Call me simple minded, but I still stand by the fact that some things are better lift without being analyzed!
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Test Questions
6/11/07
1) Golden Sedan=Homeric Hymm to Demeter
2) Icarus meets his doom=Flew too high, look at Broyggle's painting
3) All of following are from same archetype=not Cathedral
4) Most comedy is funny because?
5) Symbolism behind hour glass in death and the maiden? =Death
6) In Yellow Women Ka'tsina means=Mountain Spirit
7) Difference between simile and metaphor
8) "Death be not proud"=personification
9) Widely approved literature=Cannon of Canonical
10) General Cinderella trait come from the Chinese version of Cinderella=small feet
11) Bettenheim analyzes LRRH from which perspective?psychoanalytic/Freudian
12) Bettenheim doesn't like what version of LRRH? Peroe because he added a moral
13) Bettenheim-Freudian theme of Hansel and Gretal=oral fixation
14) Accent mark in a scan of poetry=a stressed syllable
15) Because I could not stop for death he kindly stopped for me (analyze this poem)
16) Italian and English sonnet
17) Franese Fostins essay-What does LRRH crave? Power
18) Metamorphoses=Transformation
19) Which table explains why there are partridges? Dedaus and Icarus from Metamorphoses
1) Golden Sedan=Homeric Hymm to Demeter
2) Icarus meets his doom=Flew too high, look at Broyggle's painting
3) All of following are from same archetype=not Cathedral
4) Most comedy is funny because?
5) Symbolism behind hour glass in death and the maiden? =Death
6) In Yellow Women Ka'tsina means=Mountain Spirit
7) Difference between simile and metaphor
8) "Death be not proud"=personification
9) Widely approved literature=Cannon of Canonical
10) General Cinderella trait come from the Chinese version of Cinderella=small feet
11) Bettenheim analyzes LRRH from which perspective?psychoanalytic/Freudian
12) Bettenheim doesn't like what version of LRRH? Peroe because he added a moral
13) Bettenheim-Freudian theme of Hansel and Gretal=oral fixation
14) Accent mark in a scan of poetry=a stressed syllable
15) Because I could not stop for death he kindly stopped for me (analyze this poem)
16) Italian and English sonnet
17) Franese Fostins essay-What does LRRH crave? Power
18) Metamorphoses=Transformation
19) Which table explains why there are partridges? Dedaus and Icarus from Metamorphoses
In-class Notes
6/11/07
*Literature doesn't ask you to believe, just suspend your views for the time being.
-Metamorphoses
*Make a willing suspension of disbelief.
*Poems and reading
-Sense- the meaning
-Sound
*Phonic Symbolism
-A sound communicates without being understood
*St (rick's blog)-makes a disturbing word usually.
*Sn-Coming from nose, usually not a pleasant word
*ex: Flem Snopes
-Good poets read into poems
*game in class: see how long we could go without saying "like" or "just"
-Those words usually are connected to a negative sentence and have found their way into our vocabulary on a daily basis.
*Sonnet #73
-Form of poem that's highly formal
1)English Sonnet-"Shakespearean Sonnet"
*(2)3 Quatrains and 1 couplet=14 lines
2)Italian Sonnet-Patrindo
*Octane and sestes=6 lines
*Clear dividing mark
-Volta-a shift from a problem to a resolution
*Most popular poem
-Divided into 3
-To His Coy Mistress is an example
-Closed and rhyming couplets only
-all 3 parts have to do with time
*Literature doesn't ask you to believe, just suspend your views for the time being.
-Metamorphoses
*Make a willing suspension of disbelief.
*Poems and reading
-Sense- the meaning
-Sound
*Phonic Symbolism
-A sound communicates without being understood
*St (rick's blog)-makes a disturbing word usually.
*Sn-Coming from nose, usually not a pleasant word
*ex: Flem Snopes
-Good poets read into poems
*game in class: see how long we could go without saying "like" or "just"
-Those words usually are connected to a negative sentence and have found their way into our vocabulary on a daily basis.
*Sonnet #73
-Form of poem that's highly formal
1)English Sonnet-"Shakespearean Sonnet"
*(2)3 Quatrains and 1 couplet=14 lines
2)Italian Sonnet-Patrindo
*Octane and sestes=6 lines
*Clear dividing mark
-Volta-a shift from a problem to a resolution
*Most popular poem
-Divided into 3
-To His Coy Mistress is an example
-Closed and rhyming couplets only
-all 3 parts have to do with time
Monday, June 11, 2007
Shall I Compare Thee to a Summers Day
As I read through the beginning of our book I see that how I read poetry is somewhat similar to how the average person reads it. I constantly tell myself that the reason I don't like poetry is because I don't know how to interpret it. I was happy to hear that no matter what, all answers to poems are wrong. So I figure, I might as well take a jab at it. I also was relieved to hear that everyone has a different interpretation of poems.
I was really nervous when we were told that we had to read a poem in front of our class. I was at ease a bit when I found out that we did not have to actually write the poem, but still feel like I don't know exactly what we are being asked. I really enjoy my poem. It is something that I can hear and think, that is a nice poem. But that answer would be similar to saying that the cathedral is tall. At first I was reading so much into every word that it all started to lose it's appeal to me. So this is what I did...
I thought of a peaceful moment for me. I pictured myself on a warm day, feeling the sun beams beat down upon me. I take in the fresh lilac smell as I try and relax myself as best I can. I think through these words one-by-one, and then I put them together. In my head I don't hear them as they are spelled, or in the correct iambic pentameter as we are taught. I just hear them how I have always known how to. I feel proud of myself because poetry is finally starting to "click" with me. I feel as if I could pick up a poem, and given the time, I think that I could come up with a good interpretation of it. I find that my interpretations of poems are pretty much upbeat. I can read something so dark, but somehow see something enlightening in it. I no longer see poetry as something I need to be constantly worrying about, and hope that as this class continues I become even more able to read it all.
I was really nervous when we were told that we had to read a poem in front of our class. I was at ease a bit when I found out that we did not have to actually write the poem, but still feel like I don't know exactly what we are being asked. I really enjoy my poem. It is something that I can hear and think, that is a nice poem. But that answer would be similar to saying that the cathedral is tall. At first I was reading so much into every word that it all started to lose it's appeal to me. So this is what I did...
I thought of a peaceful moment for me. I pictured myself on a warm day, feeling the sun beams beat down upon me. I take in the fresh lilac smell as I try and relax myself as best I can. I think through these words one-by-one, and then I put them together. In my head I don't hear them as they are spelled, or in the correct iambic pentameter as we are taught. I just hear them how I have always known how to. I feel proud of myself because poetry is finally starting to "click" with me. I feel as if I could pick up a poem, and given the time, I think that I could come up with a good interpretation of it. I find that my interpretations of poems are pretty much upbeat. I can read something so dark, but somehow see something enlightening in it. I no longer see poetry as something I need to be constantly worrying about, and hope that as this class continues I become even more able to read it all.
In-class Notes
6/8/07
Vocabulary:
-Prosody-poetic language and structure
-Conceit-
-Tempest-
-Denotation-The literal meaning of words
-Connotations-The emotional meaning of words.
-Extended Metaphor-A metaphor of more than a line or two.
-Symbol- A Representative of something else.
-Allusion-References to people and events outside of ones work.
-Personification-Giving of human characteristics and personality to an inanimate being or even an idea.
-Paradox-When two contradictory ideas are considered equally believable.
-Understatement-The deliberate and extreme diminishing of a response of idea.
-Hyperbole-exaggerating what is being said.
-Scan-to mark the metrical beat of.
-Accent/Stress-mark over a word of syllable indicating where the emphasis would go.
-Meter-rhythm of a poem.
-Caesuras-punctuation breaks.
-Free Verse- a poem with no regular rhythm of rhyme pattern.
-Iamb-an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable.
-Iambic Pentameter- 10 syllable lines composed of 5 iambs.
-Blank Verse-Unrhymed iambic pentameter lines.
-Iambic Tetrameter-4 iambs per line
-Iambic Trimeter- 3 iambs per line
-Ballad Stanza-alternates lines of iambic tetrameter and iambic trimeter.
-Trochee-a stressed followed by an unstressed mark.
-Dactyl-an unstressed followed by a stressed mark.
-Rhyme Schemes-shorthand for talking about the rhyme patterns.
-Couplet-The final two rhyming lines
-Internal Rhyme-a rhyme occurs within a line itself.
-Eye Rhyme-Looks like it rhymes, but it does not.
-Slant Rhyme/Near Rhyme- words that almost rhyme.
-Alliteration-repetition of consonant sounds, usually at the beginning of words.
-Assonance-the repetition of vowel sounds.
-Stanza-sections of a poem.
-Sonnet-14 lined poem in iambic pentameter with a particular repeating rhyme scheme.
-Quatrains-groups of 4 lines.
-Italian/Petrarchan sonnet-contains an octave and a sestet.
-Octave-a unit of eight lines with a repeating rhyme scheme.
-Sestet-a unit of six lines with a repeating rhyme scheme.
-Ballads-an alternation of iambic tetrameter and iambic trimeter.
-Dramatic Monologue-a poem meant to be read as the words of someone thinking aloud.
-Lyric-verse song.
*To His Coy Mister = seize the gay!
-Carpe Diem-Seize the day, play on words
-the relationship between two men.
-closet: hiding his sexuality
*To His Coy Mistress
-"If we had but world enough and time" 1st line
*Prosody
*Conceit
-Shakespeare is making fun of something that other poets do.
-Tempest
*Disillusionment at 10:00
-Duplicated-wrote paper on it.
*procrastination because she doesn't understand it and does not know what to write on it.
-Poetry is not always clear, it means something different to everyone.
*don't be afraid to make your own interpretations.
*Make your own opinions and mold them to others.
*all answers are wrong, can comment on them though.
-an artist is someone who has an imagination
*pg. 85-102
-Paying attention and asking questions
-Figurative language
*Metaphors do not use the word like.
*Similes use the describing word like
-Every poem is a form of music
*No longer a colorless word
*Keep ones attention (story of 2 sisters)
-Elaborate!!!
Vocabulary:
-Prosody-poetic language and structure
-Conceit-
-Tempest-
-Denotation-The literal meaning of words
-Connotations-The emotional meaning of words.
-Extended Metaphor-A metaphor of more than a line or two.
-Symbol- A Representative of something else.
-Allusion-References to people and events outside of ones work.
-Personification-Giving of human characteristics and personality to an inanimate being or even an idea.
-Paradox-When two contradictory ideas are considered equally believable.
-Understatement-The deliberate and extreme diminishing of a response of idea.
-Hyperbole-exaggerating what is being said.
-Scan-to mark the metrical beat of.
-Accent/Stress-mark over a word of syllable indicating where the emphasis would go.
-Meter-rhythm of a poem.
-Caesuras-punctuation breaks.
-Free Verse- a poem with no regular rhythm of rhyme pattern.
-Iamb-an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable.
-Iambic Pentameter- 10 syllable lines composed of 5 iambs.
-Blank Verse-Unrhymed iambic pentameter lines.
-Iambic Tetrameter-4 iambs per line
-Iambic Trimeter- 3 iambs per line
-Ballad Stanza-alternates lines of iambic tetrameter and iambic trimeter.
-Trochee-a stressed followed by an unstressed mark.
-Dactyl-an unstressed followed by a stressed mark.
-Rhyme Schemes-shorthand for talking about the rhyme patterns.
-Couplet-The final two rhyming lines
-Internal Rhyme-a rhyme occurs within a line itself.
-Eye Rhyme-Looks like it rhymes, but it does not.
-Slant Rhyme/Near Rhyme- words that almost rhyme.
-Alliteration-repetition of consonant sounds, usually at the beginning of words.
-Assonance-the repetition of vowel sounds.
-Stanza-sections of a poem.
-Sonnet-14 lined poem in iambic pentameter with a particular repeating rhyme scheme.
-Quatrains-groups of 4 lines.
-Italian/Petrarchan sonnet-contains an octave and a sestet.
-Octave-a unit of eight lines with a repeating rhyme scheme.
-Sestet-a unit of six lines with a repeating rhyme scheme.
-Ballads-an alternation of iambic tetrameter and iambic trimeter.
-Dramatic Monologue-a poem meant to be read as the words of someone thinking aloud.
-Lyric-verse song.
*To His Coy Mister = seize the gay!
-Carpe Diem-Seize the day, play on words
-the relationship between two men.
-closet: hiding his sexuality
*To His Coy Mistress
-"If we had but world enough and time" 1st line
*Prosody
*Conceit
-Shakespeare is making fun of something that other poets do.
-Tempest
*Disillusionment at 10:00
-Duplicated-wrote paper on it.
*procrastination because she doesn't understand it and does not know what to write on it.
-Poetry is not always clear, it means something different to everyone.
*don't be afraid to make your own interpretations.
*Make your own opinions and mold them to others.
*all answers are wrong, can comment on them though.
-an artist is someone who has an imagination
*pg. 85-102
-Paying attention and asking questions
-Figurative language
*Metaphors do not use the word like.
*Similes use the describing word like
-Every poem is a form of music
*No longer a colorless word
*Keep ones attention (story of 2 sisters)
-Elaborate!!!
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Metamorphoses
6/6/07
The last class we got into a discussion of metamorphoses, by Ovid. I got to thinking more about the concept and decided to look a little more into the book, as well as the idea of morphing into something else. Looking more into Greek and Roman mythology I found what a huge role they played in Ovid's book.
Ovid emphasizes tales of transformation often found in myths, in which a person or lesser deity is permanently transformed into an animal or plant. The poem begins with the transformations of creation and Prometheus metamorphosing earth into Man and ends with the transformation of the spirit of Julius Cesar into a star. The idea of transforming into another thing is hard for me to imagine, in fact, I don't believe in it. I don't agree when people say that when we die we will come back as an animal, for example. I have to realize, as well as anyone else interested in reading some of the older novels would have to, that these transformations were a party of everyday life for people back then. Tracing even back to the Romans, they believed in the after life, and took their time in preserving the dead so that they would have a successful after life.
Greek mythology is filled with gods, and heroes. It is something we have molded into our society today, and still managing to bring some of the past theories into it. When we say something is great, we might use the term herculean. This can be tied back to Hercules, a Greek hero that saved many. I am a firm believer in society today, as well as the modern medicines we have brought with us. This is when I got to thinking, are we really better today? And if we are, why is tragedy becoming even more common? When I read Greek or Roman myths I am overcome with the heroism included in it. But then, I think about society today. Aren't our soldiers over fighting in Iraq just as brave? When we read stories we are overwhelmed with all the good we read, but is this simply because someone choose to not include all the bad associated with these stories? The more I look into modern day books dealing with heroic ending I realize one common theme among them. All of them begin with some tragedy. Look at 9/11. This was one of the most terrible things to happen to our country, and out of it we see how united we all have become, as well as all of the support we have been given. The residents involved in Hurricane Katrina given so much help to rebuild their homes, which were destroyed tragically.
I think that this ties back to the saying that the transformation involved in story telling helps us live on forever. When we die, if we leave behind our stories, we will live forever.
The last class we got into a discussion of metamorphoses, by Ovid. I got to thinking more about the concept and decided to look a little more into the book, as well as the idea of morphing into something else. Looking more into Greek and Roman mythology I found what a huge role they played in Ovid's book.
Ovid emphasizes tales of transformation often found in myths, in which a person or lesser deity is permanently transformed into an animal or plant. The poem begins with the transformations of creation and Prometheus metamorphosing earth into Man and ends with the transformation of the spirit of Julius Cesar into a star. The idea of transforming into another thing is hard for me to imagine, in fact, I don't believe in it. I don't agree when people say that when we die we will come back as an animal, for example. I have to realize, as well as anyone else interested in reading some of the older novels would have to, that these transformations were a party of everyday life for people back then. Tracing even back to the Romans, they believed in the after life, and took their time in preserving the dead so that they would have a successful after life.
Greek mythology is filled with gods, and heroes. It is something we have molded into our society today, and still managing to bring some of the past theories into it. When we say something is great, we might use the term herculean. This can be tied back to Hercules, a Greek hero that saved many. I am a firm believer in society today, as well as the modern medicines we have brought with us. This is when I got to thinking, are we really better today? And if we are, why is tragedy becoming even more common? When I read Greek or Roman myths I am overcome with the heroism included in it. But then, I think about society today. Aren't our soldiers over fighting in Iraq just as brave? When we read stories we are overwhelmed with all the good we read, but is this simply because someone choose to not include all the bad associated with these stories? The more I look into modern day books dealing with heroic ending I realize one common theme among them. All of them begin with some tragedy. Look at 9/11. This was one of the most terrible things to happen to our country, and out of it we see how united we all have become, as well as all of the support we have been given. The residents involved in Hurricane Katrina given so much help to rebuild their homes, which were destroyed tragically.
I think that this ties back to the saying that the transformation involved in story telling helps us live on forever. When we die, if we leave behind our stories, we will live forever.
In-class Notes
6/6/07
Vocabulary:
-Prosody: The technical aspect of literature. How we pay attention to a text.
-Allusion: referance to something else.
-Limerick: A kind of humorous verse of five lines, in which the first, second, and fifth lines rhyme with each other, and the third and fourth lines, which are shorter, form a rhymed couplet.
-Maiden: A girl or young unmarried woman; maid.
-Metamorphoses: A complete change of form, structure, or substance
*Gone With the Wind
*War and Peace
*Three Poems:
1)Disallusionment at 10:00
2)To His Coy Mistress
3) Sonet #73
*All literature is a retelling of another piece:
-The Princess and the tin box.
*We think we know what she is going to choose based on fairy tales we have heard in the past, but at the end we are surprised to find that she chooses the rich prince
-It's only comedy if you know what the joke is.
*If you don't get it, you don't know anything.
*If you do get it, you should feel smart for knowing why it is funny.
*Simpsons
-Allusion, knowing when something is funny.
-in Shrek you need to be familiar with allusions
*Well known fairy tales are made modern and re-enacted in this movie.
-Limericks, they are known for being "dirty"
*End of Cluster's of Little Red Riding Hood
-Bettenheim (will be on test)
*April and Franise essays, pg. 668
*Thesis is that the version with the moral at the end, Bettenheim doesn't like that. He thinks that stories should not be sensored, they are meant to teach something to someone. He thinks that you should not "romanticize" it.
*First one= "the cathedral is tall"
-This paper is too dry. It is bland and doesn't look deeply enough into the meaning of the story.
*Second one= Dr. Sexson's favorite
-This paper doesn't sugar coat what they are trying to get across.
-Going into the belly of the beast, it will change you. When Little Red Riding Hood is eaten it is to make children think about the decisions they make.
-If Little Red Riding Hood doesn't learn, she will end up "eating" herself.
*What is a maiden?
-Used to represent a virgin.
-We still ask women what their maiden name is, but we mean it in a different way now.
*Metamorphoses
-everything changes and nothing dies.
-Transmigration of change.
-Ovid-retelling of old stories
-Child who was half bull/half human-line of terror.
*Transformations
-Transformation of story teller- he will live on forever.
*If you leave something is writing, you will never die.
*When you write it down-it lives forever.
*Icarus and Dedalus, pg. 855
-Wings burned off.
-Metamorphoses, arachnaphobia came from this story.
*arachnaphobia: fear of spiders
-Red Wheel Barrel
*Sick little girl.
*Last thing she would see.
Vocabulary:
-Prosody: The technical aspect of literature. How we pay attention to a text.
-Allusion: referance to something else.
-Limerick: A kind of humorous verse of five lines, in which the first, second, and fifth lines rhyme with each other, and the third and fourth lines, which are shorter, form a rhymed couplet.
-Maiden: A girl or young unmarried woman; maid.
-Metamorphoses: A complete change of form, structure, or substance
*Gone With the Wind
*War and Peace
*Three Poems:
1)Disallusionment at 10:00
2)To His Coy Mistress
3) Sonet #73
*All literature is a retelling of another piece:
-The Princess and the tin box.
*We think we know what she is going to choose based on fairy tales we have heard in the past, but at the end we are surprised to find that she chooses the rich prince
-It's only comedy if you know what the joke is.
*If you don't get it, you don't know anything.
*If you do get it, you should feel smart for knowing why it is funny.
*Simpsons
-Allusion, knowing when something is funny.
-in Shrek you need to be familiar with allusions
*Well known fairy tales are made modern and re-enacted in this movie.
-Limericks, they are known for being "dirty"
*End of Cluster's of Little Red Riding Hood
-Bettenheim (will be on test)
*April and Franise essays, pg. 668
*Thesis is that the version with the moral at the end, Bettenheim doesn't like that. He thinks that stories should not be sensored, they are meant to teach something to someone. He thinks that you should not "romanticize" it.
*First one= "the cathedral is tall"
-This paper is too dry. It is bland and doesn't look deeply enough into the meaning of the story.
*Second one= Dr. Sexson's favorite
-This paper doesn't sugar coat what they are trying to get across.
-Going into the belly of the beast, it will change you. When Little Red Riding Hood is eaten it is to make children think about the decisions they make.
-If Little Red Riding Hood doesn't learn, she will end up "eating" herself.
*What is a maiden?
-Used to represent a virgin.
-We still ask women what their maiden name is, but we mean it in a different way now.
*Metamorphoses
-everything changes and nothing dies.
-Transmigration of change.
-Ovid-retelling of old stories
-Child who was half bull/half human-line of terror.
*Transformations
-Transformation of story teller- he will live on forever.
*If you leave something is writing, you will never die.
*When you write it down-it lives forever.
*Icarus and Dedalus, pg. 855
-Wings burned off.
-Metamorphoses, arachnaphobia came from this story.
*arachnaphobia: fear of spiders
-Red Wheel Barrel
*Sick little girl.
*Last thing she would see.
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
In-class Notes
6/4/07
*Modern Day Fairy Tales
-Check out this web site to find some novels of modern day fairy tales available to you:
http://www.carnegielibrary.org/teens/read/booklists/teenfairy.html
-This class we focused on telling our fairy tales.
-It is important to remember the origional fairy tale when remaking a new modern one.
-When retelling a fairy tale we were asked to hide the story for the most part, but to have clues in it so that others in the class can somewhat identify with it.
*Modern Day Fairy Tales
-Check out this web site to find some novels of modern day fairy tales available to you:
http://www.carnegielibrary.org/teens/read/booklists/teenfairy.html
-This class we focused on telling our fairy tales.
-It is important to remember the origional fairy tale when remaking a new modern one.
-When retelling a fairy tale we were asked to hide the story for the most part, but to have clues in it so that others in the class can somewhat identify with it.
Monday, June 4, 2007
Happy ever after?
As I was preparing to write my modern day fairy tale I was going over ways to make it more believable. Just then I thought about it, these tales would have to be changed so much, just so that they would fit into society today, and that doesn't even add in the factor of making it interesting enough so that people would stay interested in it. Growing up I believed every word of these stories, that someday I would find my price charming, and that we would live happily ever after. Unfortunately, taking a look today, these fairy tales seem to be slipping further and further away from us.
Reading the different scenarios in the book, they seem to be much more like something we would see today. This really makes me thing, because reading them is so depressing, but these things really happen. The chance today of things working out so perfectly for someone is a little hard to believe, which is difficult for some to grasp, but ultimately, true. Factoring in the divorce rate, as well as all of the other problems in the world today, many more serious than some girl and guy finding true live, it is truly a sobering fact.
I wanted to get the attention of my classmates and keep it, but in order to do this, my story had to take a drastic turn for the worse. I like how my story turned out, but I still wish that the original fairy tales of everything being so perfect in the world, could still come true. I think that to give up all hope for such happiness is something hard to do for people, and something that I never want to do. I don't want to come to terms with reality, and how much things have changed. I also think that it is not a good thing to base your life around such fairy tales, because they are just that, TALES. They are not true, they never were, and probably never will be. So to sum it all up, there has to be some sort of happy medium in all of this. Is it possible to stay optimistic and realistic at the same time? I think that it all depends on how one lives their daily life, living in the present, and striving for whatever makes them happy.
Reading the different scenarios in the book, they seem to be much more like something we would see today. This really makes me thing, because reading them is so depressing, but these things really happen. The chance today of things working out so perfectly for someone is a little hard to believe, which is difficult for some to grasp, but ultimately, true. Factoring in the divorce rate, as well as all of the other problems in the world today, many more serious than some girl and guy finding true live, it is truly a sobering fact.
I wanted to get the attention of my classmates and keep it, but in order to do this, my story had to take a drastic turn for the worse. I like how my story turned out, but I still wish that the original fairy tales of everything being so perfect in the world, could still come true. I think that to give up all hope for such happiness is something hard to do for people, and something that I never want to do. I don't want to come to terms with reality, and how much things have changed. I also think that it is not a good thing to base your life around such fairy tales, because they are just that, TALES. They are not true, they never were, and probably never will be. So to sum it all up, there has to be some sort of happy medium in all of this. Is it possible to stay optimistic and realistic at the same time? I think that it all depends on how one lives their daily life, living in the present, and striving for whatever makes them happy.
Modern Day Fairy Tale
In a penthouse in upstate New York lived a woman named Cindy. Cindy had somewhat of a difficult childhood. Her mother, April, and father, Mike, was in a tragic accident when she was only twenty years old, and unfortunately her mother did not make it. Eventually Cindy’s father recovered and was determined to make Cindy’s life go back to normal, or as normal as was possible. Cindy and her mother had been best friends. Although Cindy missed her very much, she was happy to have her father back, and when he started seeing someone else, she couldn’t have been happier. Her father began seeing his ICU nurse, Linda, and before long, they were married. Linda was known around the hospital for liking the rich doctors, and with the money from his wives death, Mike was her next target. In fact, she had two unruly daughters from a doctor at another hospital, which she made sure paid his child support.
Linda was acting as Mike’s nurse at home so that he could be discharged from the hospital earlier; although, it was Cindy who did most of the work. One weekend when Cindy took a trip to the coast to see some of her friends she got a distraught phone call. He father had passed away due to problems with some of his wounds from the accident. She was shocked, because when she had left, he had been doing just fine. Linda posed as the distraught widow for all to see at the wedding, but the second it was over, her true colors came out. She made Cindy do all the work around the house, while her and her daughters, Misty and Mia, sat around living off all the money they had inherited. The police had ruled Mike’s death as an accident, and no matter what Cindy said, they were not willing to look any further into it.
Months went by with things remaining the same. Cindy did all the work, never complaining, and was treated horribly. Soon Linda received an e-mail about the coming up hospital’s Christmas party. Everyone who was family to any staff was invited, but Linda informed Cindy that she would not be attending. There was simply too much for her to do around the house, and soon Cindy made her peace with that. As soon as Linda and her daughters were ready they left for the party, anxious to meet the new young doctor in town that everyone was talking so much about.
Suddenly there was a knock at the door, when Cindy got to the door she saw a box with her name on it. Inside was the most beautiful Louis Vuitton dress she had ever seen, and the instructions told her to get ready, for she was going to that party. She had her chores done, and she figured there would be so many people at the party she could go unnoticed. So Cindy headed to the party dressed to kill. She immediately snagged the attention of the new doctor, Brian, and they hit it off right away. She told him all about losing her mother, and now her father too. He was determined to do everything he could. She explained to him that because of all that was going on in her life she did not have time to be dating, and before he could protest, she was gone.
The next day there was a knock at the door. To the shock of Linda and her daughters, Brian was standing on the other end. He said that he was told that the woman he met at the party the other night lived at this address. Misty and Mia rushed upstairs to do their best to look like Cindy, but the doctor saw right through their attempts. Just as he was about to leave Cindy walked down the stairs, vacuum in hand. Brian smiled and led her to his limousine waiting outside. Together him and Cindy worked through the mysterious death of her father and soon found that someone had given him a lethal dose of sleeping pills, the only one who had the availability to these pills was a nurse, a nurse like Linda. Once the news was leaked to the police they had no choice but to inform the media and arrest Linda for the murder of Mike. After months of court appeals Linda was convicted of murder and put to jail for life. Misty and Mia were left to fend for themselves, leaving all of the inheritance to Cindy. Cindy soon married Brian and they had children of their own. Cindy was finally happy once again.
Linda was acting as Mike’s nurse at home so that he could be discharged from the hospital earlier; although, it was Cindy who did most of the work. One weekend when Cindy took a trip to the coast to see some of her friends she got a distraught phone call. He father had passed away due to problems with some of his wounds from the accident. She was shocked, because when she had left, he had been doing just fine. Linda posed as the distraught widow for all to see at the wedding, but the second it was over, her true colors came out. She made Cindy do all the work around the house, while her and her daughters, Misty and Mia, sat around living off all the money they had inherited. The police had ruled Mike’s death as an accident, and no matter what Cindy said, they were not willing to look any further into it.
Months went by with things remaining the same. Cindy did all the work, never complaining, and was treated horribly. Soon Linda received an e-mail about the coming up hospital’s Christmas party. Everyone who was family to any staff was invited, but Linda informed Cindy that she would not be attending. There was simply too much for her to do around the house, and soon Cindy made her peace with that. As soon as Linda and her daughters were ready they left for the party, anxious to meet the new young doctor in town that everyone was talking so much about.
Suddenly there was a knock at the door, when Cindy got to the door she saw a box with her name on it. Inside was the most beautiful Louis Vuitton dress she had ever seen, and the instructions told her to get ready, for she was going to that party. She had her chores done, and she figured there would be so many people at the party she could go unnoticed. So Cindy headed to the party dressed to kill. She immediately snagged the attention of the new doctor, Brian, and they hit it off right away. She told him all about losing her mother, and now her father too. He was determined to do everything he could. She explained to him that because of all that was going on in her life she did not have time to be dating, and before he could protest, she was gone.
The next day there was a knock at the door. To the shock of Linda and her daughters, Brian was standing on the other end. He said that he was told that the woman he met at the party the other night lived at this address. Misty and Mia rushed upstairs to do their best to look like Cindy, but the doctor saw right through their attempts. Just as he was about to leave Cindy walked down the stairs, vacuum in hand. Brian smiled and led her to his limousine waiting outside. Together him and Cindy worked through the mysterious death of her father and soon found that someone had given him a lethal dose of sleeping pills, the only one who had the availability to these pills was a nurse, a nurse like Linda. Once the news was leaked to the police they had no choice but to inform the media and arrest Linda for the murder of Mike. After months of court appeals Linda was convicted of murder and put to jail for life. Misty and Mia were left to fend for themselves, leaving all of the inheritance to Cindy. Cindy soon married Brian and they had children of their own. Cindy was finally happy once again.
In-class Notes
6/1/07
Vocabulary:
-Repetition: the act of repeating; repeated action, performance, production, or presentation.
-Rhyme: identity in sound of some part, esp. the end, of words or lines of verse.
-Rhythm: movement or procedure with uniform or patterned recurrence of a beat, accent, or the like.
-Signature- personality we bring to a story.
- Cannon- List of approved text.
*What is the secret of making illusions?
- When I think about illusions I think of magic: Magic, including the arts of prestidigitation and conjuring, is the art of entertaining an audience by performing illusions that baffle and amaze, often by giving the impression that something impossible has been achieved, almost as if the performer had magic or supernatural powers. Yet, this illusion of magic is created entirely by natural means. The practitioners of this mystery art may be called magicians, conjurors, illusionists or prestidigitators. Artists in other media such as theatre, cinema, dance and the visual arts increasingly work using similar means but regard their magical techniques as of secondary importance to the goal of creating a complex cultural performance.
- Check out this site for more insight into this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_(illusion)
*Trouble finding words to describe something.
- Having no words to describe something is not a bad thing. Sometimes the things that mean the most to us are the things we can not describe.
*Wikipedia- Don't use other words
- you need to engage yourself, therefore, simply looking something up and pasting it is only going to go so far. We are taught at a young age how to comprehend things, those same things should be put to use when reading anything.
- see archetype structure triangle in notes for a visual aid.
*When to make words more than just words.
-Repetition
-Rhyme
-Rhythm
*Best words, in best order.
* Matching words to feelings
* 14 lines in a poem to get point across is tricky, must be selective and to the point.
*Archetypes- Shadow cast by the plot (as stated by Rick)
-In the shadows, which one is the correct story? We really don't know, because as we go on, it continues to get more and more murky along the way.
-We lose reality as we move down the triangle, into the Wikipedia definitions.
-Never one or the other, it is always both.
* Yellow Woman, Leslie Silco, pg. 36
-This story made cannon- list of approved text (selective)
-"The good housekeeping seal of approval"
*Have been tested by the best, and given the okay.
*Two levels of a story:
-Regular daily life
-romantic side
-blurs boundaries (between characters)
*Happy Endings, pg. 25
- each story is a different version of the same story, they are all connected somehow.
- one effects the other.
- shift stories from one topic to another
*Little Red Riding Hood
-Charles Pero's version
* has more pending to it.
-Grimm Brothers version
* both get eaten and survive it.
* get two versions.
-Disney version
*romanticizes it
*pg. 640- if you eat flowers you will get a gift (wolf= goddess)
*wolves and snakes always get the bad reputation.
*Enchanted Island- goddess
*movie: The crying game
*Transformation from woman (puberty)
-why is sexuality so vital to stories?
Vocabulary:
-Repetition: the act of repeating; repeated action, performance, production, or presentation.
-Rhyme: identity in sound of some part, esp. the end, of words or lines of verse.
-Rhythm: movement or procedure with uniform or patterned recurrence of a beat, accent, or the like.
-Signature- personality we bring to a story.
- Cannon- List of approved text.
*What is the secret of making illusions?
- When I think about illusions I think of magic: Magic, including the arts of prestidigitation and conjuring, is the art of entertaining an audience by performing illusions that baffle and amaze, often by giving the impression that something impossible has been achieved, almost as if the performer had magic or supernatural powers. Yet, this illusion of magic is created entirely by natural means. The practitioners of this mystery art may be called magicians, conjurors, illusionists or prestidigitators. Artists in other media such as theatre, cinema, dance and the visual arts increasingly work using similar means but regard their magical techniques as of secondary importance to the goal of creating a complex cultural performance.
- Check out this site for more insight into this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_(illusion)
*Trouble finding words to describe something.
- Having no words to describe something is not a bad thing. Sometimes the things that mean the most to us are the things we can not describe.
*Wikipedia- Don't use other words
- you need to engage yourself, therefore, simply looking something up and pasting it is only going to go so far. We are taught at a young age how to comprehend things, those same things should be put to use when reading anything.
- see archetype structure triangle in notes for a visual aid.
*When to make words more than just words.
-Repetition
-Rhyme
-Rhythm
*Best words, in best order.
* Matching words to feelings
* 14 lines in a poem to get point across is tricky, must be selective and to the point.
*Archetypes- Shadow cast by the plot (as stated by Rick)
-In the shadows, which one is the correct story? We really don't know, because as we go on, it continues to get more and more murky along the way.
-We lose reality as we move down the triangle, into the Wikipedia definitions.
-Never one or the other, it is always both.
* Yellow Woman, Leslie Silco, pg. 36
-This story made cannon- list of approved text (selective)
-"The good housekeeping seal of approval"
*Have been tested by the best, and given the okay.
*Two levels of a story:
-Regular daily life
-romantic side
-blurs boundaries (between characters)
*Happy Endings, pg. 25
- each story is a different version of the same story, they are all connected somehow.
- one effects the other.
- shift stories from one topic to another
*Little Red Riding Hood
-Charles Pero's version
* has more pending to it.
-Grimm Brothers version
* both get eaten and survive it.
* get two versions.
-Disney version
*romanticizes it
*pg. 640- if you eat flowers you will get a gift (wolf= goddess)
*wolves and snakes always get the bad reputation.
*Enchanted Island- goddess
*movie: The crying game
*Transformation from woman (puberty)
-why is sexuality so vital to stories?
Movie vs. Book
6/1/07
When we read the story Where are you going? Where have you been? I was doing all of the visualizing of the characters as well as the setting in my head. I had this image of what was happening running through my mind. When I try to think about where these images came from I draw a huge blank. They are instantly attached to each point in the book the moment I read it, some of them growing as I learn more about a character, for instance. I relate back to my life, and try to think of something that I have seen or experienced, or someone who I have actually met to give each aspect of this story a personality.
I was drawn into the story by it's suspense, as well as the danger and fear I sensed coming from Connie in particular. The story was so life-like. Almost everything that happened could happen, and many of the instances I have experienced myself. The moment when the sound of A. Friend's voice paralyzed Connie with fear, this could truly happen, and has happened to me. I felt a strong connection with Connie, as she is just like every other teenage girl at one point, testing her boundaries, and getting into trouble along the way.
I hate to say that the movie ruined the story for me, but in a way, it really did. I liked the movie, and had I not just recently read and analyzed the story, I would have liked it much more. I feel that some of the characters were polar opposites from what I had construed in my mind, changing the story very much. For instance, the mother. The mother to me was more of a wicked woman. In the movie she was more like any other mother, simply watching out for her family, where as I feel that the book made her seem more on edge with every aspect of Connie's life. A. Friend was one thing that I feel the movie got to a tee, as relating to what I had come up with in my mind. He was creepy, but not in an obvious way. He was someone who I can see myself misjudging for a nice guy at first, possibly one who is sincere, and truly has an interest in me. He was a boarder line creeper, and in just a few seconds, that line was crossed. I feel that the producer did a perfect job at crossing this line at just the right time.
In conclusion, I feel that this movie was accurate at translating this short story to a movie, which I can only imagine is somewhat of an extremely difficult task. Overall, I liked the book more, because I could use my imagination, and there was no limit to what I could come up with. I can see how some people could totally disagree with me, and that is a question of how thick ones imagination is.
When we read the story Where are you going? Where have you been? I was doing all of the visualizing of the characters as well as the setting in my head. I had this image of what was happening running through my mind. When I try to think about where these images came from I draw a huge blank. They are instantly attached to each point in the book the moment I read it, some of them growing as I learn more about a character, for instance. I relate back to my life, and try to think of something that I have seen or experienced, or someone who I have actually met to give each aspect of this story a personality.
I was drawn into the story by it's suspense, as well as the danger and fear I sensed coming from Connie in particular. The story was so life-like. Almost everything that happened could happen, and many of the instances I have experienced myself. The moment when the sound of A. Friend's voice paralyzed Connie with fear, this could truly happen, and has happened to me. I felt a strong connection with Connie, as she is just like every other teenage girl at one point, testing her boundaries, and getting into trouble along the way.
I hate to say that the movie ruined the story for me, but in a way, it really did. I liked the movie, and had I not just recently read and analyzed the story, I would have liked it much more. I feel that some of the characters were polar opposites from what I had construed in my mind, changing the story very much. For instance, the mother. The mother to me was more of a wicked woman. In the movie she was more like any other mother, simply watching out for her family, where as I feel that the book made her seem more on edge with every aspect of Connie's life. A. Friend was one thing that I feel the movie got to a tee, as relating to what I had come up with in my mind. He was creepy, but not in an obvious way. He was someone who I can see myself misjudging for a nice guy at first, possibly one who is sincere, and truly has an interest in me. He was a boarder line creeper, and in just a few seconds, that line was crossed. I feel that the producer did a perfect job at crossing this line at just the right time.
In conclusion, I feel that this movie was accurate at translating this short story to a movie, which I can only imagine is somewhat of an extremely difficult task. Overall, I liked the book more, because I could use my imagination, and there was no limit to what I could come up with. I can see how some people could totally disagree with me, and that is a question of how thick ones imagination is.
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