Outside Reading #3:Editorial (December 29th, 2010)

He found bag of cash, but did the unexpected.

Written by Marc Lacey

Published on December 11th, 2010

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/12/us/12backpack.html

This story is about a guy named Dave Tally, an honest homeless guy, returned the bag of cash that he had founded back to its owner. Then the whole town praises him for it and it completely transformed his life. It seems to me that Lacey's purpose of writing this essay is to show the appreciation of Dave Tally. He creates a voice and narrative persona by using a variety of literary terms.

For example, Lacey clearly praises him as a hero by using positive diction. He describes him as a “homeless hero” instead of using “a guy who did good deeds”, in which seems to be less sympathy to Tally’s action.  He also uses the word “selflessness” and “inspiration” to describe Tally’s actions.  This seems to be the strength of this piece, using strong dictions to persuade people to like Tally. However, the weakness of this reading is a lack of vocabulary words. It only contains simple words.

In addition, he uses syntax. He uses punctuations after punctuations such as “Food. Shelter. Repairs to his bicycle”, using period as segmented patterns, thus creating a positive tone. Also, he uses active voice such as using “gave the backpack” instead of “backpack was given by him”, showing more clarity. In addition, he separates the quotation in order to create a small tension so that audience can guess what the rest of quotation is. For instance, he quotes Mr.Belanger, a guy who lost money; Belanger states Lacey’s action as “humbling,” Then Lacey creates a little break by adding fact rather than Belanger’s quotation”. Lacey also seems to use active voice rather than passive voice, thus making this reading more clear.

These elements that the author had used made me appropriate this homeless hero named Dave Tally. It made me believe that his action was one hundred percent selfish and that he deserves a round of applause for his selfish action. I do hope that he will become a successful man some day. Lacey convinced me to believe that Tally is really a hero. Strong diction choice such as “homeless hero” and “selfness” made me feel sympathy towards Tally. I laud Lacey for using various techniques to support his position on this editorial reading. It shows his position very clearly.

The speaker in this reading would be appropriate for an AP essay since it is formal and uses various syntax and diction to supplement the tone.

Core Concept #2 (11/29/10-12/10/10)

For past two weeks, we have discussed explicitly on Hamlet. 

Some of the things we have discussed were:

• Did Ophelia even care about Hamlet? Some people argued that since Ophelia decided not to help Hamlet when he was in emotional distress because of losing of his father and the fact that his mom remarrying his uncle, she did not have a feeling for Hamlet. Also, when Hamlet came to Ophelia, holding her waists and sighing, then walked away, Ophelia did not go after him. Instead, she went directly to her father. In addition, when Hamlet asked Ophelia where her father was when they were talking, Ophelia replied that her father was in the home, instead of giving him a signal that his father was hidden in the room.

Connections: In Oedipus, Oedipus's mother, or also known as his wife, seems to not care about her son at all. In fact, she decided to abandon him on the mountain. No mother will ever do that cruel thing to her own son

• Was Ophelia pregnant? There are sufficient amount of evidences to state that Ophelia was indeed pregnant when she drown herself. For example, she sang a song about the dead violets, which seem to convey the message of losing innocent. Also, in Elizabethan time, an unmarried and pregnant woman often drowned herself in the water.

• Does it even matter if everyone thinks the Hamlet exactly same way?: In certain Africa tribes, they thought Hamlet differently than most European Countries. For example, one of the tribes thought that the Laetes killed Ophelia, which is surely not to be agreed upon in Okemos High School’s English classes.

Connections: My grandmother strongly believes that the Huckleberry Finn is racist even though he was the one who saved Jim, the slave. I have tried to convince her that that is not the case but she is stubborn with her decison. We don't exactly share the values same way.


We have watched three film versions of Hamlet. One of the films that we watched carried a certain message: Hamlet is gay. For example, when the ghost Hamlet appeared, Hamlet laid upon the Horatio’s lap.

Homework

-Ophelia Forum due on December 2nd

-Ophelia Forum part 2 due on December 3rd

-"Shakespeare in the Bush" due on December 5th
-"Shakespeare in the Bush" part 2 due on December 6th

-Journal Evaluations due on December 6th.

-

-

Core Concepts Journal #1: Resubmitted (11/15/10- 11/29/10)

AP Multiple Choice Questions:

Strategy #1: Know what you are supposed to do.

l       READ VERY CAREFULLY AND SLOWLY

l       Read the passage FIRST before answering the questions.

Strategy #2: Know your enemy

There are generally five structures of the multiple choice questions:

1)      Rhetorical Function: What’s author’s purpose of sentence, group of sentences, whole paragraph, or line/stanza of poetry in relation to the rest of the piece.

Ex: Between in lines 50 and 75 and between lines 34 and 35, there is a shift from…

2)      Context: It is like a vocabulary text, asking the meaning of a word used in the context of a passage. Must choose the meanings well so that it can be fit into the passage.

 Ex) In line 56, the word “fat” describes the…

3)      Antecedent: It is almost always can be seen in poetry. Asks which antecedent the quoted word is referring to. IT IS USUALLY NOT THE MOST OBVIOUS ONES CLOSED TO THE QUOTED WORD, HOWEVER.

Ex) All of the following appear to shed tears or be filled with tears EXCEPT the…

4)      Style: Global kind of question (Answer that is better, the most time consuming one). Asks the styles that author has chose to made such as shift in the one’s style.

Ex) The grandmother and the child in the poem are portrayed primarily through…

5)      Tone: (Also global questions. If one part of answer is wrong, the other part of it is wrong). Asks to identify the tone of the passage or a selection from the passage.

Ex) The mood of this poem is best described as…

Connections between this and my own experience: I have found out that the questions appeared on the AP English and Literature exams were similar to those on the ACT and SAT. They both have questions about certain vocubary words and ask for main ideas. Thus, it is wise to study ACT and SAT as well as AP English and Literature exam.

AP ESSAY

For past English classes, I have learned to write only one sentence for thesis. But now I know that I can write more than one sentences for thesis statement. In addition, I also learned that even though the prompt does not explicitly state about “hidden” so what questions, I have to mention it. 

http://www.collegeconfidential.com/ is the great site to prepare for the AP English and Literature exam. It gives the readers about what to expect and how to prepare for the test.

 

Hamlet

(I'm sorry for disorganize paragraph below; i have no idea how to fix it)

-         The original story was Norse legend, written on 1200 AD by Saxo Grammaticus.

-         Shakespeare used Norse legend  play by Thomas Kyd, which is called Ur-Halmet

-         Original ending: Hamlet takes revenge against his uncle and becomes the new king. He doesn’t die.

-         Hamlet’s original name is Amleth.

-         Seneca is the type of Roman tragedy that Shakespeare used in his play, Hamlet.

-         Characteristics of Seneca are:

1.        Son’s revenge for a father’s murder

2.        Murder is revealed by protagonists ghosts

3.        Revenge results from conscious and focused action

-         The some of the plots of Seneca includes:

-The hero’s hesitation                    

-The hero’s insanity (either real or pretended)

-The hero’s contemptation of Suicide

-Multiple levels of intrigue

-An able scheming villain

-The sensationalized of murder on state or the exhibition of dead bodies.

Managing the dynamics of revenge, audiences encounter

-         The offense, which can be maximized by the multiplication of injuries and the adding of insult.

-         The antagonist, most effectively some really formidable (But still vulnerable) person or force.

-         Clarification of strategy and marshalling of resources.

-         A series of delays, obstacles, diversions, mistakes, reservations- anything to retard the momentum.

-         Some unforeseen development that almost thwarts the scheme.

-         The showdown, with the revenge carried out in some answerable.

Connections between this and the older materials: Oedipus, which is the main character of the Oedipus Rex, is similar to Hamlet. For example, their downfalls were technically created by their parents. For example, if Oedipus's parents decided not to abandon Oedipus in the forest, Oedipus's downfall could have avoided. In addition, if Hamlet's uncle didn't kill Hamlet's father, Hamlet would not have planned to kill Hamlet's uncle. Also, it is arguable that faiths had controlled their lives. Hamlet admitted in the end that his life depended on faith. Oedipus at first tried to avoid the faith, but in the end, the faith won.

-During the class, we have discussed Hamlet. We have concluded that one of the themes in Hamlet is that he is chained to be a king and not be anyone else. Even his name is chained, since it is named after the prior kings. He is nobody. Thus, it can be seen that the Denmark is prison.

-This book seems to hold beliefs that ghosts are not holy. In the first scene, the guards wanted to throw the spear at the ghost of king and referred to him as “it”, not “him.”

Homework:
-Core concepts
-Comment on the first scene of Hamlet
-Finish Core Concepts
-Finish class notes and outside readings by November 15th.
-Finish the final draft of drama essay

Class note #7: Resubmitted (11/8/10-11/12/10)

Class Notes #7

11.08.10- 11.12.10.

Tips for writing AP Essay:

-Read prompt CAREFULLY before writing about it. Some students have written the essays before reading prompt carefully, thus losing the credit. That’s why College Board has decided to give us 5 minutes to read the prompt.

-Identify and underline (or highlight) the goals that are stated in the prompt

l       Make it routine to figure out the prompt and stick to it.

l        T (Thesis)

l        A (Answers)

l        P (Prompt)

-Do not restate the prompt. For example, if a given prompt was “How the author uses diction to create happy tone in his work?” do not write “Author seems create happy tone in his work by using diction.

-When the literature elements are given, it is best for students to include those elements in their essays.

-Meanings= theme; functions= techniques.

- Even when the prompt does not explicitly state about the “hidden so what question”, make sure that you answer it. It is an essential piece to the essay.

-You may want to discuss techniques to support your argument.

For example, here is the prompt.

The meaning of some literary works is often enhanced by sustained allusion to myths, the bible, or other works of literature. Select a literary work that makes se of such a sustained reference. Then write a well-organized essay in which you explain the allusion that predominates in the work and analyze how it enhances the work’s meaning.

Good Thesis: In ____’s ____, the premonitory biblical allusion to Noah’s Ark gives the ____ theme a deeper meaning and familiar meanings to general Christian thus trying to illustrate that “God is all thing” ß states the hidden so what question

http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/thesis_statement.shtml is a great website that shows how to write good thesis.

http://www.collegeconfidential.com/ is the great site to learn how the ap exams work and give tips to be successful at AP exams.

Connections between this material and my own experience: I have been writing thesis statements sincce 6th grade and have learned great amounts of knowledge. One of the things that i have learend during the englass classes i had was to write my thoughts and opinions on the paper and then combine those ideas into thesis statement. Also, i learned that it is important to put the theme in thesis statements, which is similar to "hidden so what question?"

We have also discussed Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex.

-One of the topics that were intensely debated on was free will vs. faith. We argued about whether the Oedipus had free will to determine not to kill father or did he not have that at all since he had been destined to kill his father anyway.

-We have also talked about Freud, who created the “Oedipus Complex”, which states the unconscious of son/daughters desiring their parents (like a lover). This theory developed when he saw Oedipus marrying his mom and having children. He stated that the sons/daughters whom had physical and emotional comforts by their parents ended up loving their parents. Son would love his mom and daughter would love her dad. However, it is wrong to assume that this theory is correct since Oedipus's real mom made him stay in the mountain.The one who provided these to Oedipus was fake mom and shand she was the only who provided emotinal and physical comfort to Oedipus, thus counter exampling Freud’s argument.

Homework

- Outside Readings and Class notes due on November 15th.

-Hamlet annotaitons due on November 22nd

Works Cited

-http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/thesis_statement.html: website to show how to write good thesis

http://www.collegeconfidential.com/ is the great site to learn how the ap exams work and give tips to be successful at AP exams.

-

-





Outside Reading #2: Reflective Essay 11.14.10

Outside Reading #2: Reflective Essay

A veteran’s story by Robert Friendland

http://www.pifmagazine.com/1998/04/a-veterans-story/

Written on 4.1.98

A veteran’s story by Robert Friendland is about a son who discusses the war in which his dad had participated. He explains that his dad did not talk about the war often. At the end of the essay, he discusses how he should have received war medals for doing a good deed.

One of the strengths that I see in this piece is syntax. He often uses active voice instead of passive voice, which is essential piece to any essays. He also uses various beginning sentences instead of using “the” or “I”, which makes his essay more professional.

One weakness that I have found in this piece is lack of diction. He rarely uses well-diction, making his essay less professional.

I saw various writing techniques that I have learned in AP English Literature class so far. One of the examples of this is syntax; Friendland uses active voice instead of passive voice. Also, imagery can be seen throughout this essay. For example, he describes a looter Philippine boy’s running as stride, rather than using the word “running” or “jumping fast”, thus creating this vivid imagery of the boy running.

Friendland seems to adopt mixed tone in this piece. At first, he seems to be apathy about father’s experience in the war.  He creates this tone by describing his father’s experience in the war. He describes how his dad was working under the Signal Corp and that he ended up being a master sergeant, without offering much excitement or kindness. However, towards the end of this essay, Friendland states that when he was young, he did not think his dad of a hero when the dad did not shoot a Philippines looter boy. Later on, he learned that his dad’s act was very humane. To conclude his sentence, he says that there should be a medal for not killing a poor Philippines boy who tried to support himself, showing his feelings toward the act. This clearly shows the feeling of sympatric for Friendland’s father.  

His variations of tones have affected my response to the content of the piece. I can see clearly that his thinking and feelings toward his dad’s experience at war have changed throughout his life. I laud him for using this tone, showing that he has matured from his boyhood thinking.

I think that this piece’s tone is not appropriate for AP essay tone because it is mixed between apathy and sympathy. It is encouraged that a writer should stick to one tone that he or she has chosen.

Outside Reading #2: Book Review 11.07.10

Outside Reading #2: Book Review

Isn’t it Rich by Paul Simon

Published on 10.27.10

The book: Finishing the Hat by Stephen Sondheim

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/31/books/review/Simon-t.html?ref=books

Paul Simon starts his review by explaining what the book’s title means. He explains that the title came from the song, “Sunday in the park with George”, and then it gives details about the book itself and how he comes to enjoy the book.

The critical perspective in this work seems to be Formalism for Simon only discusses the details of the book such as quotes and plot rather than explaining the background of the author or history.

I see dictions that illustrate Simon’s feelings toward the book. For instance, he describes the book as “fascinating”, which is a positive word. He could have used the negative word such as “terrible” or “awful to denounce the book. Also, I see syntax in this piece. For example, there is a variety of sentences such as conjugating and complex. He also starts his beginning sentences with variety. For instance, he uses the word “after” to start the sentence other than “the”. 

One of the strengths that I see in this piece is numerous evidences to support his position. He praises the book then often cites the exempts from it to support it. He also relates his own experiences from the musical, “West Side Story” to praise the book, thus telling his own experience rather than adding reluctant examples. In addition, he adds his own thoughts to the details of the book such as humming a song.

A weakness that I have found in this piece is switching point of view. Paul Simon switches from the third point of view to first point of view. For example, he starts the sentence with “I”. He should have chosen one point of view and stick to that.

I see a connection between this piece and the materials that I learned in US America History four years ago. In that class, I learned about roaring twenties, the time period where people started to play jazz, sing songs, and great musicals, filling the lives of people with excitement. This piece is similar to this for the book also covers about musical and songs. It also talks about how they were fascinating and filled people with entertainment.

Overall, I laud Simon for staying on topic and supporting his position with his own experience and numerous examples.  He includes great diction and syntax. Even though he made mistakes with switching the point of views sometimes, this book review is a great piece that everyone should look at.

Class note #6: Resubmitted (10.25.10-10.29.10)

Terms

Drama:  It is a visual and auditory medium. Movement, dialogue and monologue can be the tools with  which drama creates character, theme, plot, etc.

Drama is often performed to create “Verisimilitude”, which is the feeling that what you see happening on state is really happening.

There are several ways to look at dramatcatic structure such as five-part plot and episodic plot. Drama is constructed to get the attention of the audience immediately and hold it until the play ends.

In well written play, the question provokes a new question in the audience’s mind so that the overall dramatic tension of the production has no weak spots.

Connections between this material and my own experience: I was fortune enough to attend the musical called "Phantom of th Opera", performed by the Broadway musical. As i was watching this masterpiece, i began to think about whether this drama shows any social problems. The Phantom, one of the leading characters of this play, was humiliated and hated by the people in his town when he was young because of his face. That was the reason why he wore the mask,to cover up his face. In addition, it is arguable that one of the reasons why he hid in the threater was to escape from taunts and to punish those who made fun of him. This drama is clearly tragedy since Phantom is rejected by his love, Christine. Thus, this drama should be categorizd as Tragdy.

Types of drama:

Tragedy: It involves the ruin of the leading characters.

Ex: Romeo and Juliet.

Comedy: Lighter drama in which the leading characters overcome the difficulties which temporarily beset, usually humorous.

Ex: A midnight night’s dream

Melodrama: A blend of the serious action of tragedy with the happy ending of comedy. It is often structured as a series of escapes by the protagonist from various threatening circumstances. Clearly shows defined “good” overcoming “Evil”

Tragi-Comedy: Serious action with a happy ending but is complex and with more carefully drawn characters and more thoughtful treatment of serious subject matter such as love, friendship, courage, death, etc. It is more likely to have humor than melodrama.

Problem Play: Drama of social criticism that discusses social, economic, or political problems.
Ex) Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller  

Farce: When comedy involves ridiculous or hilarious complications without regard for human values, it becomes farce.

Comedy of Manners: Comedy which wittily portrays fashionable life.

Domestic/Bourgeois Drama: A serious play that deals with “ordinary” people, from everyday life. The domestic drama has in the last 150 years replaced both classical tragedy and “heroic” drama as the predominant form of serious drama.

We have also gone over the plagiarism. We learend that colleges treat plagiarising intentionally or without knowing equally by immediately failing who have done that.

Theater of the Absurd: Not learned yet.

Connections between this material and the older material: The basic idea of tragedy is about leading charaters downfalling. Oedipus Rex, which we have discussed explictly in our clas, fulfills this description. The play is about a guy who killed his father without knowingly and became the king of Thebes and married his mother. He was trying to avoid th faith, which stated that he was destined to kill his father and marry his mother. Fearing this, he escaped from the town that he had lived after his real paents abandoned him on the mountain. However, in the end, he could not avoid his faith. He ended up killing his dad and marrying his mothr. Once he realizd this, he was led to downfalls since his wife, or his wife, killed herself and that he blinded himself.

Assignment:

-Read and annotate Oedipus Rex by November 2^nd.

-Finish first marking period portfolio by October 29^th.

http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072405228/student_view0/drama_glossary.html is a great website to learn the terms of drama.

Outside Reading #2: Editorial Review. 10.23.10

Outside Reading #2: Editorial paper

In Losing the Midterms, there may be winning by Peter Baker
Published on Oct. 23. 2010

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/24/weekinreview/24baker.html

In this article, Peter Beaker states that it might be beneficial for Barrack Obama to let House of Representatives take over by Republicans. He also argues that it may be even better for him if Senate falls to Republican. Baker starts his paper by saying that people should not make mistake of assuming that Obama do not want Democrats to win both House of Representative and Senate this year’s mid term election. Then he goes on by saying that if he were to lose both houses, he might have a better chance of reelecting as a president on 2012. He uses many quotes to accomplish his position.

One of the quotes that he put was “If the Republican capture both house and Senate, the odds of Obama winning in 2012 go up”; said by Steven M. Gillon, who is a professor of University of Oklahoma.

Then he uses historical examples to further support his argument. He said that Bill Clinton managed to win the reelection in 1994 because Republican took over the Congress. Also, he said that Harry S. Truman managed to get elected as the president by blaming his Republican congress for not making any progress toward reform.

One of the strengths that I see in this piece is strong diction. For example, he uses the word “hoarse” instead of “raspy” or “dry”, thus making the sentence more vivid for people. Another strength of this piece is many examples. Baker uses historical examples as well as quotes from educated people.

I see variety of sentences in this piece. He uses coordinate conjunctions as well as complex sentences. He also uses different punctuations such as semi colon and comma other than adding periods continuously.

One weakness that I witness in this piece is using many examples. It seems that he use many examples and quotes, but he rarely adds his own opinion, thus making this paper a bit more confusing. It is difficult to understand his position.

He seems to create his narrative voice by putting many quotes and dictions. He also put his own opinion about this issue rather than just putting quotes. He also seems to use syntax such as using variety of sentences and active voices. He rarely uses passive voice in this paper.  

I laud him for using this element. It has clearly impacted my response. I praise him for using many intellect vocabulary words and variety of sentence structures.

If this were an AP Essay, speaker would be appropriate for Baker uses 3^rd point of view, which is essential for AP essay. In addition, he uses variety of sentences and good diction.

Class note #5: Resubmitted (10/11/10- 10/22/10)

Class note #5: 10/11/10- 10/22/10

Tone: In Literature, is writer’s or speaker’s attitude toward the subject, the reader, or herself or himself.

l       May affect the mood/attitude of the poem

l       Described in “emotion”

l       An effect created by the author’s choices in techniques such as diction, syntax, and figurative language)

Ex: “Hooray! I’m going to get an ice cream” seems happier than “How horrible is it for me to get an ice cream!”

Voice: Speaker/Narrator’s PERSONALITY toward life, the world in general- may change if the character is “dynamic” (has double mind) but doesn’t change often.

l       Discussed in terms of character

l       An effect created by the author’s choices in techniques such as diction, syntax, and figurative language)

l       In order to identify the voice, ask this question to yourself, “What kind of person does the narrator sound like?”

l       The voice may be comic or tense

Style: Language conventions used to construct the story. Author’s “written personality”

(It does not reflect their own human beings, however.)

l       toward life, the world in general- may change if the character is “dynamic” (has double mind) but doesn’t change often.

l       Described in terms of character

l       An effect created by the author’s choices in techniques such as diction, syntax, and figurative language)

In Perrine’s Liteature…

Musical Device

Poet uses sound word

Alliteration: The repetition of initial consonant sounds.

Ex: Tried and true. First and Foremost

Assonance: The repetition of vowel sounds.

Ex: Free and easy.

Consonance: The repetition of final consonant sounds.

Ex: Short and Sweet. Odds and Ends. First and Last.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Alliteration,-Assonance-and-Consonance&id=675686 is a great website that gives examples of consonance, alliteration, and consonance.

Approximate Rhymes (or Slant rhymes): Words with any kind of sound similarity, from close to fairly remote.

Sound and Meaning

Rhythm and sound cooperate to produce the music of poetry

Onomatopoeia: Use of words which, at least supposedly, sound like what they mean.

The video below shows the examples of Onomatopoeia.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-BVwwKTjlI

Phonetic Intensives: Who sound, by a process as yet obscure, to some degree connects with their meaning.

Ex: Flame, Flare, Flash, Ficker, Flimmer. (Has initial fl sound)

You may choose to create effect that is

Euphonious: Smooth and pleasant sounding

Cacophonous: Rough and harsh sounding.

Synesthesia: The stimulation of two or more senses simultaneously.

Ex: “Blue” and “Buzz”

Pattern

Structure: The arrangement of ideas, images, thoughts, sentences

Form: External pattern on a poem

There are three broad kinds of forms

1)      Continuous: The element is slight; lines follow each other without formal grouping, the only breaks being dictated by units of meaning, as paragraphs are in prose.

2)      Stanzaic form: In a series of stanzas (repeated units having the same number of lines), usually the same metrical pattern.

l        Designated into 4 things

-         The rhyme scheme (If there is one)

-         The position of the refrain (If there is one)

-         The prevailing metrical foot

-         The number of feet in each line

3)      Fixed Form: The traditional pattern that applies to a whole poem

n        Limerick: Serves to illustrate the fiexed form in general. Pattern: aa^3 bb^2 a^3. Used often for humorous and nonsense verse (short lines, swift catchy meter, and emphatic rhymes)

n        Sonnet: 14 lines in length and almost always iambic pentameter.

-         Italain (Petrarchan) Sonnet: Usually devided between 8 lines (Octave), using two rhymes arranged abbaabba, and 6 lines (sestet) using arrangement of either 2 or 3 rhymes: Common ones are  cdcdcd and cdeecde

-         English (Shakespearean) Sonnet: Three quatrains and a concluding coplet, rhyming abab cdcd efef gg.

n        Villanelle: Only requires 2 rhyme sounds. (19 lines are divided into five three-line stanzas (tercets) and a four line concluding quatrain)

-         1^st and 3^rd of the first stanzas serve as refrain lines entwined with the rhyme pattern (The first line repeated at the ends of the second and the fourth stanzas- the third repeated at the ends of the third and fifth stanza)

-         Concluding Stanza: refrains are repeated as line 18 and 19.

The pattern is A^1 Ba^2 abA^1 abA^2 abA^1 abA^2 abA^1A^2

Evaluating Poem

To judge poems, ask these three questions:

1)      What is its central purpose?

-Needed to understand the poem

2)      How fully has this purpose been accomplished?

-Judges the poem on a scale of perfection

3)      How important is this purpose?

-Judges the poem on a scale of significance

In order for poem to be excellent, its combination of emotion, language, thought, and sound must be fresh and original.

3 ways in which a poem can fail to receive excellence.

1)      Sentimentality: Indulgence in emotion for its own sake, or expression of more emotion than an occasion warrants. “Tear-jerking” literature, aiming primarily at stimulating the emotions directly rather than at communicating experience truly and freshly. Depends on trite and well tried formulas for exciting emotion.

2)      Rhetorical: Uses a language more glittering and high flown than its substance warrants. Offers language that is without a corresponding reality of emotion or thought underneath. Often superficial and trite.

3)      Didactic: Has a primary purpose to teach or preach, communicating information or moral instruction only.

CAUTION to student: When making a judgment, be honest

Connections between this material and my own experience: When i was in 6th grade, my english teacher first introdced me to literary terms. Since i had only stayed in Amrica for 2 years that time, i had no ide what in the world she was talking about. My english teacher was very excited to teach me, however. She told me that it was her duty to make sure that every students in her class learn the english successfully. She taught me the words such as "style". She said that "style" was author's feelings or emotions toward the world or life. She also stated that authors often show one's "style" by using different word choices. In order to make sure that I understand this concept, she held an activity for our class, which was to write a short story about a slave girl back in 1600s. I, a 6th grader who wanted justice and freedom, immediately wrote a story about a slave girl named Jenny. i expressd my opinons of slavery in a form of Jenny. She, like me, wanted to be free, do anything, and to have fun. However, since she could not do that for she was slave. She was extremely mad about that; why couldn't she go to same school as her white friend who lived beside her? Why do white people treat her cruely? But Jenny was a sweet girl. She believed that only few people were mean, that there were many people who were like angels, kind. She viewed the world a great place to live. That's what i think about it, too. By Jenny, i was able to express my opinons about life. My 8th english teacher prasised my work in front of my classroom. Now whenever i have to write short stories, i will always think of Jenny

Works Cited

http://ezinearticles.com/?Alliteration,-Assonance-and-Consonance&id=675686: website that gives examples of consonance, alliteration, and consonance.

http://www.poewar.com/what-is-a-stanza/: website that gives definition of stanza

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-BVwwKTjlI : A video that shows examples of Onomatopoeia.

(P.S: I'm sorry if there are unnessary terms that i have listed. I missed one day of school and i feel that i missed the Mrs.Holmes listing the terms that we didn't have to discuss in this class note)

Outside Reading #1: Reflective essay 10.3.10

Reflective Essay

“Oh, brother, Glad You’re Still With Us” by Derek Alger.

Written on August 6^th. 2010

“Oh, brother, Glad You’re Still With Us” by Derek Alger is about how Alger’s brother was ran over by a van. Then it gives a detail about his brother’s life. After that, Alger explains how his brother hurt his leg and foot by a van.

In the beginning of the essay, Alger revealed that his mother said that whenever one of them was hurt, the injured one should call his brother and say “I’m okay” and then state what was wrong with him. When Alger came home from work, his brother called and said “I’m okay”, then saying that he was in the hospital. This seems to be flash-back. Since it reveals the past before the present event happens, thus making this story non-linear.

The tone of this essay seems to be emotional and personal. He created this tone by first mentioning his dead mom’s quote. Also, it gives details about how his brother was depressed for he would not be able to make enough livings to survive since he no longer could work.

Because of the tone, I have to say that I’m in favorable of this essay. It is personal and gives readers the feeling of emotional distressed person, thus giving sympathy to those. I can actually feel the pain of the author’s brother, who could no longer work because he was injured. I give my sympathy to him.

One of the strengths of this essay is diction. Alger uses some complex vocabulary. For example, he uses the word “he uses the word “envisioned” instead of predicted in the sentence “…he never envisioned what condition he would be in that night”, thus creating more vivid images than the word “predicted” will do. Also, His paragraphs consist of long sentences, thus creating a continuous flow to paragraphs. The only weakness that I found in this story was the lack of organizations. At first, the author talks about how he heard that his brother was injured. Then he stated that he remember quote of his friend, and then giving details to them. After that, the author told how his brother was injured, thus left me confused.
In the ending of the story, Alger states that he is just happy to be with his living brother. He does not predict what is going to happen next. Even though his leg and foot are injured, Alger’s brother states that since he can still drive, he is going back to his jobs within a week. Alger does not state whether his brother will succeed or not. Rather, he simply concludes the story with happiness of being with his brother. I think that Alger ended his story well.


This tone should not be appropriate for an AP essay since this piece is too personal and emotional. Essay can be personal and emotional, but not too much.