We started this semester by writing benchmark essays for each of the three types of essays. We then explored symbolism, complexity, and the three-sentence thesis structure by doing presentations to analyze poems.
This semester, I've learned how irony and binary opposition build complexity. Furthermore, I've learned how literary devices such as diction, syntax, and imagery contribute to meaning in pieces of literature. Some of the goals I set for myself this semester was to find 1 or 2 pieces of complexity is each piece of literature, to learn more literary devices, and to improve my writing by not following the rigid 5 paragraph structure. I am definitely learning to see complexity in everything I read, by finding ironic contrasts. This has made finding complexity much easier. Furthermore, while I have not learned that many new literary devices, I have a solid foundation in the most basic ones that I can use to analyze literature. I am still working on not following the 5 paragraph structure because its been something that I've been conditioned to do all my writing career.
Going into second semester, I want to continue to working on the organization of my writing. I think I will try to separate my paragraphs by ideas the author conveys or by tone shifts instead of literary devices. Furthermore, I want to improve my thesis statements by making them more concise. And as always, I will continue my search for complexity and binary opposition.
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Monday, November 30, 2015
Friday, November 20, 2015
Blog #13: Paired Poems Revision (Chimney Sweeper)
In two poems, both titled "The Chimney Sweeper", William Blake critiques the depraved conditions of life as a chimney sweep. Despite the similar names, Blake contrasts innocence with the disillusionment of a higher power through the two essays. Utilizing religious diction, similar rhyme schemes,and heartbreaking imagery, Blake draws a parallelism between the two poems that he ultimately shatters by revealing the loss of innocence of the chimney sweeps.
In "The Chimney Sweeper" written in 1789, Blake keeps a consistent rhyme scheme of AABB throughout compared to "The Chimney Sweeper" written in 1794 which switches from an AABB rhyme scheme to a CACADEDE after the first stanza. The consistent rhyme scheme in the 1789 version represents the sense of innocence that pervades the whole poem. Meanwhile the inconsistent rhyme scheme of the 1794 versions represents the disillusionment that the narrator experiences throughout the poem. Furthermore, Blake repeats the ending of the first two lines of the poem, but puts them in a different rhyme scheme in the second stanza. "Crying...in notes of woe" is juxtaposed with "taught me to sing the notes of woe" indicating the tone shift that has occurred between the two stanzas. The narrator is no longer desolate in his conditions but has learned to accept his horrible fate, an indication of his disillusionment and the hopelessness he feels.
The narrator is not only disillusioned with his occupation but also with a higher power. He no longer feels that God will take him out of his misery as he says, "praise God....who make up a heaven of our misery". The contrast between heaven and misery in this line indicates that the narrator no longer believes there is a heaven to be found as his heaven, or the place he will eventually end up is only a place of misery. Meanwhile, in the 1789 version, "little Tom Dacre, who cried when his head...was shav'd" shifts from despondent to hopeful after he dreamt that "Angel told [him]...he'd have God for his father & never want joy." This displays Tom's hopeful innocence. He believes that a higher power will rescue him from his current situation. He has not accepted his misery as he thinks that there is an escape, that there is a father figure looking out for his orphaned soul. It is this sense of hope that Blake brings to the 1789 version of his poem that the audience does not see in the 1794 poem.
Despite the differences in the two poems, the same author wrote both and that same author plays on the sentiments of the reader in order to draw their sympathies towards the desolate conditions of life as a chimney sweep. With the line "weep! weep!" repeated in both poems, Blake draws attention to the young age of these miserable workers as he depicts their feeble attempt at pronouncing "sweep" with their lisps. This repeated line in both poems illustrates that despite differences in tone and diction, Blake wrote both poems with one ultimate goal: to invoke pity for these poor chimney sweeps.
In "The Chimney Sweeper" written in 1789, Blake keeps a consistent rhyme scheme of AABB throughout compared to "The Chimney Sweeper" written in 1794 which switches from an AABB rhyme scheme to a CACADEDE after the first stanza. The consistent rhyme scheme in the 1789 version represents the sense of innocence that pervades the whole poem. Meanwhile the inconsistent rhyme scheme of the 1794 versions represents the disillusionment that the narrator experiences throughout the poem. Furthermore, Blake repeats the ending of the first two lines of the poem, but puts them in a different rhyme scheme in the second stanza. "Crying...in notes of woe" is juxtaposed with "taught me to sing the notes of woe" indicating the tone shift that has occurred between the two stanzas. The narrator is no longer desolate in his conditions but has learned to accept his horrible fate, an indication of his disillusionment and the hopelessness he feels.
The narrator is not only disillusioned with his occupation but also with a higher power. He no longer feels that God will take him out of his misery as he says, "praise God....who make up a heaven of our misery". The contrast between heaven and misery in this line indicates that the narrator no longer believes there is a heaven to be found as his heaven, or the place he will eventually end up is only a place of misery. Meanwhile, in the 1789 version, "little Tom Dacre, who cried when his head...was shav'd" shifts from despondent to hopeful after he dreamt that "Angel told [him]...he'd have God for his father & never want joy." This displays Tom's hopeful innocence. He believes that a higher power will rescue him from his current situation. He has not accepted his misery as he thinks that there is an escape, that there is a father figure looking out for his orphaned soul. It is this sense of hope that Blake brings to the 1789 version of his poem that the audience does not see in the 1794 poem.
Despite the differences in the two poems, the same author wrote both and that same author plays on the sentiments of the reader in order to draw their sympathies towards the desolate conditions of life as a chimney sweep. With the line "weep! weep!" repeated in both poems, Blake draws attention to the young age of these miserable workers as he depicts their feeble attempt at pronouncing "sweep" with their lisps. This repeated line in both poems illustrates that despite differences in tone and diction, Blake wrote both poems with one ultimate goal: to invoke pity for these poor chimney sweeps.
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Blog #12: Paired Poems Benchmark Essay & Reflection (Chimney Sweeper)
In two poems, both titled "The Chimney Sweeper", William Blake depicts the depraved conditions of life as a chimney sweep. Despite the similar names, Blake contrasts innocence with the disillusionment of a higher power through the two essays. Utilizing religious imagery and similar rhyme schemes, Blake draws a parallelism that he ultimately shatters by revealing the loss of innocence of the chimney sweeps.
In "The Chimney Sweeper" written in 1789, Blake keeps a consistent rhyme scheme of AABBCC...KKLL throughout compared to "The Chimney Sweeper" written in 1794 which switches from an AABB rhyme scheme to a CACADEDE after the first stanza. The consistent rhyme scheme in the 1789 version represents the sense of innocence that pervades the whole poem. Meanwhile the inconsistent rhyme scheme of the 1794 versions represents the disillusionment that the narrator experiences throughout the poem. Furthermore, Blake repeats the ending of the first two lines of the poem, but puts them in a different rhyme scheme in the second stanza. "Crying...in notes of woe" is juxtaposed with "taught me to sing the notes of woe" indicating the tone shift that has occurred between the two stanzas. The narrator is no longer desolate in his conditions but has learned to accept his horrible fate, an indication of his disillusionment and the hopelessness he feels.
The narrator is not only disillusioned with his occupation but also with a higher power. He no longer feels that God will take him out of his misery as he says, "praise God....who make up a heaven of our misery". The contrast between heaven and misery in this line indicates that the narrator no longer believes there is a heaven to be found as his heaven, or the place he will eventually end up is only a place of misery. Meanwhile, in the 1789 version, "little Tom Dacre, who cried when his head...was shav'd" shifts from despondent to hopeful after he dreamt that "Angel told [him]...he'd have God for his father & never want joy." This displays Tom's hopeful innocence. He believes that a higher power will rescue him from his current situation. He has not accepted his misery as he thinks that there is an escape, that there is a father figure looking out for his orphaned soul. It is this sense of hope that Blake brings to the 1789 version of his poem that the audience does not see in the 1794 poem.
Reflection:
In class, we were given the task to write a compare and contrast essay analyzing two poems both titled "The Chimney Sweep". We were also told to read pages in our Literature and Composition textbooks the night before in preparation. The main takeaway I got from the reading was to make a chart contrasting the poetic devices and their effects in order to develop a more insightful analysis; however, I do need to review the pages again to see how the textbook structured their example essay. At times, I felt my wording was very awkward because I didn't know how to transition between talking about the two poems, especially because they both had the same title. I would give myself a 6 on this essay because my analysis was not fully developed as my essay was very very short. I did not time myself well because I spent the majority of my time prewriting and therefore only had about 20 minutes to write my essay. My analysis was adequate but I was very repetitive in my continual use of the words "innocence" and "disillusionment". I could've developed more complexity in my analysis which is why my essay did not merit a higher score. Moving forward, I will reread the textbook pages to get a better sense on how to organize a compare and contrast essay and watch my time more closely in order to leave myself 30 minutes to write.
In "The Chimney Sweeper" written in 1789, Blake keeps a consistent rhyme scheme of AABBCC...KKLL throughout compared to "The Chimney Sweeper" written in 1794 which switches from an AABB rhyme scheme to a CACADEDE after the first stanza. The consistent rhyme scheme in the 1789 version represents the sense of innocence that pervades the whole poem. Meanwhile the inconsistent rhyme scheme of the 1794 versions represents the disillusionment that the narrator experiences throughout the poem. Furthermore, Blake repeats the ending of the first two lines of the poem, but puts them in a different rhyme scheme in the second stanza. "Crying...in notes of woe" is juxtaposed with "taught me to sing the notes of woe" indicating the tone shift that has occurred between the two stanzas. The narrator is no longer desolate in his conditions but has learned to accept his horrible fate, an indication of his disillusionment and the hopelessness he feels.
The narrator is not only disillusioned with his occupation but also with a higher power. He no longer feels that God will take him out of his misery as he says, "praise God....who make up a heaven of our misery". The contrast between heaven and misery in this line indicates that the narrator no longer believes there is a heaven to be found as his heaven, or the place he will eventually end up is only a place of misery. Meanwhile, in the 1789 version, "little Tom Dacre, who cried when his head...was shav'd" shifts from despondent to hopeful after he dreamt that "Angel told [him]...he'd have God for his father & never want joy." This displays Tom's hopeful innocence. He believes that a higher power will rescue him from his current situation. He has not accepted his misery as he thinks that there is an escape, that there is a father figure looking out for his orphaned soul. It is this sense of hope that Blake brings to the 1789 version of his poem that the audience does not see in the 1794 poem.
Reflection:
In class, we were given the task to write a compare and contrast essay analyzing two poems both titled "The Chimney Sweep". We were also told to read pages in our Literature and Composition textbooks the night before in preparation. The main takeaway I got from the reading was to make a chart contrasting the poetic devices and their effects in order to develop a more insightful analysis; however, I do need to review the pages again to see how the textbook structured their example essay. At times, I felt my wording was very awkward because I didn't know how to transition between talking about the two poems, especially because they both had the same title. I would give myself a 6 on this essay because my analysis was not fully developed as my essay was very very short. I did not time myself well because I spent the majority of my time prewriting and therefore only had about 20 minutes to write my essay. My analysis was adequate but I was very repetitive in my continual use of the words "innocence" and "disillusionment". I could've developed more complexity in my analysis which is why my essay did not merit a higher score. Moving forward, I will reread the textbook pages to get a better sense on how to organize a compare and contrast essay and watch my time more closely in order to leave myself 30 minutes to write.
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Sunday, October 25, 2015
Blog #9: Poetry Forms PPT
Reflection
For our poetry presentation, my group was assigned the villanelle form and the poem "One Art" by Elizabeth Bishop. After finishing our poetry presentation in class today, I was very satisfied with the end product. The video turned out more nicely than we expected due to our poor lack of editing skills. Surprisingly, it didn't take long to film either. Initially I was also worried that our creative choices weren't too evident in the video, but presenting our choices before the video really helped people to better see the mis en scene choices we made. If I were able to do this again, I would go more in depth with the analysis of the poem because there were so many subtle nuances that I didn't have time to talk about. Moving forward, I have definitely learned the value of pacing yourself. Because we finished almost everything in class, we only had to get together twice to film and I didn't have homework all that week. Overall, I learned a lot about the villanelle form, and what is expected of group presentations in the future.
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Monday, October 12, 2015
Thursday, September 24, 2015
Saturday, September 5, 2015
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Blog #4: AP English Literature Benchmark Open Question Essay & Reflection/3x3, Revisions & Reflection
Blog #4: Open Question Essay
In The Crucible, the cruel acts of Abigail and her followers are the driving force for the social unrest of the Salem Witch Trials that the plot centers around although Abigail's love for John Proctor is also a motivating factor for her cruel actions.
The novel is set in Salem, Massachusetts in the early 1700's where religion was a key aspect of life. The mere suspicion of being a witch or consorting with the devil could put one's life at risk. Out of curiosity, Abigail and her friends go to the woods with Tituba, a family servant, to perform rituals. When they are caught, Abigail pretends to be a victim, possessed by the devil, and bewitched by Tituba. This cowardous act to save face sets off a domino effect in other accusations, except these new accusations have a malicious intent. Innocent women are being targeted by Abigail and her band of followers. As the number of accusations rise, panic grows and fear is sown in the hearts of many. The townspeople are given a choice: either accuse or be accused. What started as a small series of cruel acts becomes a catalyst for major upheaval.
While this novel is set in Salem in the 1700's, it was written in the mid-1900's during the time of the red scare, but there are many parallels that can be drawn between these two time periods. In Salem, there is panic springing from many witch accusations and the unfair trial and conviction of every witch accused. In the U.S., there is a similar chaos in the accusations of being a communist. The suspicion of sympathizing with communists could get you fired from your job and the communist trials were just as unfair as the Salem Witch Trials. These parallels allow the author to emphasize the tragedy that can be caused by cruel acts done out of fear, whether that be fear of witches or fear of communists or the fear of being accused of being a witch or a communist. By denouncing these cruel acts, the author is able to subtly express his opinion on the Red Scare without being accused of being a communist himself.
Much like the author had many motivations in writing the plot of his book, the characters in his story had varying motivations in their actions, mainly Abigail. While she had Tituba accused out of fear, she accused John Proctor's wife, Elizabeth, out of jealousy. Knowing that she could easily get rid of Elizabeth through an accusation, Abigail plans to reunite with John, whom she has had an affair with. This act reflects how selfish of a girl Abigail is, willing to do anything to get what she wants. It also demonstrates how much of an attention-seeker she is. Meanwhile, her cruel acts bring out the noble side of the protagonist, John Proctor. After defending his wife and thus being accused of consorting with the devil, John Proctor is given a decision: confess his sins and be jailed or don't confess and die. Proctor chooses the latter, refusing to confess something he hasn't done, and dying a noble death with his honor intact.
Reflection:
I would give myself a 6 on my first attempt at a Lit open response essay. My analysis was reasonable as I addressed how cruelty functioned in the work (as a catalyst for social upheaval, and a way for the author to make social commentary) and what it revealed about the antagonist (Abigail's selfishness); however it is less specific than an 8-9 essay. I failed to mention the author (Arthur Miller) of the work and I was also wrong in my assessment of the time period. The Salem Witch Trials occurred in the late 1600's not the early 1700's. Furthermore, some of my plot summary was inaccurate as I forgot some details about the plot, My essay could be improved by focusing less on plot summary and more on the analysis. I also realize that I need to review important pieces of literature in preparation for writing this essay. A goal to help improve my essays would be to memorize a significant quote from at least five worthy pieces of literature before the AP exam.
Comment on Madison's Open Response:
Reflection:
I would give myself a 6 on my first attempt at a Lit open response essay. My analysis was reasonable as I addressed how cruelty functioned in the work (as a catalyst for social upheaval, and a way for the author to make social commentary) and what it revealed about the antagonist (Abigail's selfishness); however it is less specific than an 8-9 essay. I failed to mention the author (Arthur Miller) of the work and I was also wrong in my assessment of the time period. The Salem Witch Trials occurred in the late 1600's not the early 1700's. Furthermore, some of my plot summary was inaccurate as I forgot some details about the plot, My essay could be improved by focusing less on plot summary and more on the analysis. I also realize that I need to review important pieces of literature in preparation for writing this essay. A goal to help improve my essays would be to memorize a significant quote from at least five worthy pieces of literature before the AP exam.
Comment on Madison's Open Response:
I agree that your essay scores in the 3-4 range.
Your analysis could have been better if you had focused on the reasons behind
the character’s actions and motivation of the author in writing the story. You
could have also improved your analysis by making it longer. If you had
maintained the same depth of analysis but written more of it, then your essay
could score much higher. There were also some minor surface errors including
syntax and plot summary inaccuracies. Overall, I think your problem lies in the
fact that you didn’t remember the text, which is understandable since we read
it in class almost a year ago; however, this could also be an area of
improvement for you to focus on. Try to read more books that have literary
significance and review their plots before the AP exam.
Essay Revision
3X3
- John has affair (Call to Adventure)
- Abigail accuses Elizabeth (Road of Trials)
- John pleads innocent (Master of Two Worlds)
Revision
In The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, the cruel acts of Abigail and her followers are the driving force for the social unrest of the Salem Witch Trials that the plot centers around although Abigail's love for John Proctor is also a motivating factor for her cruel actions which the author parallels to the Red Scare to make social commentary. The trials also test the honor of John Proctor when it is revealed he had an affair with Abigail.
The novel play is set in Salem, Massachusetts in the early 1700's late 1600's where religion was a key aspect of life. The mere suspicion of being a witch or consorting with the devil could put one's life at risk. Out of curiosity, Abigail and her friends go to the woods with Tituba, a family servant, to perform rituals. When they are caught, Abigail pretends to be a victim, possessed by the devil, and bewitched by Tituba. What started as a cowardous accusation against Tituba to save face, sets off a domino effect in other accusations, except these new accusations have a malicious intent. Innocent women are being targeted by Abigail and her band of followers as Abigail realizes that pretending to be bewitched allows her power that she had previously not had as an orphaned servant girl. As the number of accusations rise, panic grows and fear is sown in the hearts of many. The townspeople are given a choice: either accuse or be accused. What started as a small series of cruel acts becomes a catalyst for major upheaval.
While this novel is set in Salem in the 1700's 1600's, it was written in the mid-1900's during the time of the red scare, but there are many parallels that can be drawn between these two time periods. In Salem, there is panic springing from many witch accusations and the unfair trial and conviction of every witch accused. In the U.S., there is a similar chaos in the accusations of being a communist. The suspicion of sympathizing with communists could get you fired from your job and the communist trials were just as unfair as the Salem Witch Trials. These parallels allow the author to emphasize the tragedy that can be caused by cruel acts done out of fear, whether that be fear of witches or fear of communists or the fear of being accused of being a witch or a communist. By denouncing these cruel acts, the author is able to subtly express his opinion on the Red Scare without being accused of being a communist himself.
Much like the author had many motivations in writing the plot of his book, the characters in his story had varying motivations in their actions, mainly Abigail. While she had Tituba accused out of fear, she accused John Proctor's wife, Elizabeth, out of jealousy. Knowing that she could easily get rid of Elizabeth through an accusation, Abigail plans to reunite with John, whom she has had an affair with. This act reflects how selfish of a girl Abigail is, willing to do anything to get what she wants; however, it is also understandable as Abigail previously occupied a very low rung on Salem's social ladder, and her accusations empower her status. While she was once accused of adultery, she is now able to accuse others, such as the virtuous Elizabeth Proctor, of witchcraft, a much worse sin. It also demonstrates how much of an attention-seeker she is. Meanwhile, her cruel acts bring out the noble side of the protagonist, John Proctor. After defending his wife and thus revealing his adulterous acts, John tarnishes his once respected name. He is further accused of consorting with the devil, John Proctor is given a decision: confess his sins and be jailed or don't confess and die. Proctor chooses the latter, refusing to confess something he hasn't done, and dying a noble death with his honor intact. By refusing to confess, Proctor saves his soul even though he could not save his name.
Reflection:
In my revision of the Open Response Essay, I tried to incorporate aspects of the Hero's journey, although I'm not sure how well I succeeded. This is mainly because my 3x3 centered around John Proctor's journey and I didn't want to limit my essay to just discussing John as I felt there were other noteworthy themes in the book worthy of discussion. While I see the merits of using a 3x3 to provide insightful analysis, it didn't really help me for this essay just because I already knew what I wanted too say and I couldn't reconcile it with the 3x3 that I had written. What helped me more with my analysis was refreshing my memory on the plot and realizing that plot summary wasn't necessary, Certainly, the 3x3 will be very helpful in developing analysis and realizing key themes of pieces of literature for future essays, it just wasn't helpful for an essay that I had already written in which I knew what I wanted to say about the book and just had to go more in depth with it.
Reflection:
In my revision of the Open Response Essay, I tried to incorporate aspects of the Hero's journey, although I'm not sure how well I succeeded. This is mainly because my 3x3 centered around John Proctor's journey and I didn't want to limit my essay to just discussing John as I felt there were other noteworthy themes in the book worthy of discussion. While I see the merits of using a 3x3 to provide insightful analysis, it didn't really help me for this essay just because I already knew what I wanted too say and I couldn't reconcile it with the 3x3 that I had written. What helped me more with my analysis was refreshing my memory on the plot and realizing that plot summary wasn't necessary, Certainly, the 3x3 will be very helpful in developing analysis and realizing key themes of pieces of literature for future essays, it just wasn't helpful for an essay that I had already written in which I knew what I wanted to say about the book and just had to go more in depth with it.
Thursday, August 27, 2015
Blog #3: AP English Literature Benchmark Prose Essay & Reflection/Revisions & Reflection
Blog #3: Prose Passage
The Beet Queen, Louise Erdrich's 1986 novel, tells the story of two drastically different siblings as they arrive in the town of Argus. Argus, the setting of this story is vital as it is this small-twon environment that shapes these two children, giving one a home, and making the other one an outcast.
The town of Argus is characterized by its people and contents. It is mentioned that on the morning the children arrived, "the train brought both an addition and subtraction," implying that one of these children would help the town while the other would "diminish" it. The imagery Erdrich uses to describe these children immediately sets up a striking contrast between the two. Mary, whose name is as, "square and practical as the rest of her" can be implied to be the addition to the town. Much like this ordinary, mid-western town, Mary is plain and realistic. Argus is a safe haven for her where, "times were much better" than where she had come from. It is a place able to nurture her ordinariness, a place where she belongs.
Meanwhile, Mary's brother, Karl, is anything but ordinary. He is described as, "a tall fourteen...[with] skin fine and girlish". This imagery gives him an etheral quality making him seem like a dreamer with his head in the clouds, nothing like his practical sister, or this sturdy town that he has just arrived in. Due to his differences with the town, it can be assumed that he will be the "subtraction". Indeed, the author confirms this by the selection of details of Karl accidentally killing a tree that was "a scratch of light against the gray of everything else". The author depicts this tree as the only source of beauty in this plain, "gray" town. "The tree drew [Karl] with its delicate perfume," but in his admiration of the tree's blooms, Karl puts himself in danger of a dog. "To protect himself or to seize the blooms", Karl tears off a branch thus scarring the tree. While the fate of the tree would not have been known in that moment, the author chooses to tell the audience that the tree diminishes and "that it bore no blossoms" the next year. The author is informing the audience that Karl has ruined the town's source of beauty thus implying that he is the subtraction to the town. This selection of detail characterizes Karl as an outcast from the town because he is so different, and because he has negatively affected the town.
It is also further implied that this environment is not good for Karl by the detail that when the vicious dog chased Karl, "[he] ran back to the..train". The fact that Karl ran back implies that he does not want to live in this town as we can already see that he will have a negative relationship with this environment. Meanwhile, his sister runs deeper into the town, as it is implied she belongs there.
Reflection:
I would give myself a score of a 6 for this essay. My analysis was reasonable but not overly persuasive mainly because there were parts of my analysis that were very superficial. I analyzed the juxtaposition of Karl and Mary, Karl being very unique and Mary being very plain, but I never recognized the complexity in that both characters could be more than just unique or plain. Furthermore, my reading of the passage was competent in that I used a lot of specific quotes and identified imagery and selection of detail in the passage, but I could have identified another literary device as Erdrich used many to develop his piece. I could have also identified these literary devices in my thesis so that I would have better answered the prompt. Moving forward, I want to improve my thesis statements, so that they directly address the prompt each time. I will also strive to include at least two mentions of complexity in my analysis essays from now on.
Comment on Natalie's Prose Passage:
It is also further implied that this environment is not good for Karl by the detail that when the vicious dog chased Karl, "[he] ran back to the..train". The fact that Karl ran back implies that he does not want to live in this town as we can already see that he will have a negative relationship with this environment. Meanwhile, his sister runs deeper into the town, as it is implied she belongs there.
Reflection:
I would give myself a score of a 6 for this essay. My analysis was reasonable but not overly persuasive mainly because there were parts of my analysis that were very superficial. I analyzed the juxtaposition of Karl and Mary, Karl being very unique and Mary being very plain, but I never recognized the complexity in that both characters could be more than just unique or plain. Furthermore, my reading of the passage was competent in that I used a lot of specific quotes and identified imagery and selection of detail in the passage, but I could have identified another literary device as Erdrich used many to develop his piece. I could have also identified these literary devices in my thesis so that I would have better answered the prompt. Moving forward, I want to improve my thesis statements, so that they directly address the prompt each time. I will also strive to include at least two mentions of complexity in my analysis essays from now on.
Comment on Natalie's Prose Passage:
I agree with your score of a 5. You did a good job
of referring back to the passage for specific textual support, and addressing
the prompt. Your thesis statement answered each part of the prompt and you
devoted a paragraph to each literary device. While this is an effective way to
make sure that you stay on topic, a five paragraph essay format is
constricting. Try to maneuver out of that if you can! Your reading of the
passage was plausible but your analysis was very short and therefore
superficial. You briefly touched on the juxtaposition of Mary and Karl but if
you had gone more in depth with that your analysis could have been much
improved. Also try to rely less on paraphrase. You can make your analysis
lengthier by deconstructing the quotes that you choose. For example, for
imagery you could not only talk about the image the words convey, but also the
diction that the author chose and the tone that conveys.
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
Blog #2: AP English Literature Benchmark Poetry Essay & Reflection/Revision & Reflection
Blog #2: Poetry Assessment
Sixteenth century poet, George Gascoigne, expresses his heartache over a woman through writing a poem in which he uses gloomy diction and vivid imagery.
The author's first choice in his writing was that he chose to express his emotions through the use of a poem. This form of writing allows him to express his emotions over his heartache in an elegant way. Without explicitly stating his heartache, he implies it by drawing two metaphors, one between himself and a mouse and the other between himself and a fly. In both of these metaphors, the animal has just barely escaped death and is now wary of coming too close to the dangerous objects that almost killed them. In this metaphor, the author compares the dangerous objects to the eyes of the woman who broke his heart as he claims these eyes have bred his misery. He also draws a parallel between the fear of death and his fear of falling in love again, which implies that he has already been scorched once by love. By likening a heavy topic such as death with that of heartache, the extent of the author's inner turmoil is revealed. He is fearful of finding love again, but without love, his inner misery grows.
Gascoigne's inner misery shines outwards through his use of gloomy diction. Through words such as, "louring", "trustless", "deceit", and "grievous", Gascoigne sets the tone for the poem. His tone is miserable, which is fitting for a poem about heartache. His longing for the woman he loves is making him miserable, but he can not pursue her for fear of being hurt again. This battle between fear for himself and love for another is tearing him apart, as he can not even look upon her because she causes him so much despair. Gascoigne's depressing diction describes his attitude towards the subject of his pieces, as his heartache is causing him depression.
The author creates a vivid scene for the reader by likening his situation to more common situations such as a mouse getting stuck in a mousetrap and fly just barely escaping a flame. These occurrences can be easily visualized by a reader and the accompanying emotions just as easily sympathized with. Gascoigne further creates imagery through the use of words such as "scorched" and "dazzled". This imagery allows the reader to sympathize with the author as well as to better understand the author's attitude towards love. Everyone can recognize the fear of death, but it is harder to empathize with the fear of falling in love. By comparing these situations, the author is able to demonstrate the complex emotions he is feeling
Reflection:
Looking back at my first attempt at poetry analysis, I would give this essay a solid 5. While I did answer the prompt by analyzing Gascoigne's use of form, diction, and imagery, it was a very superficial analysis especially concerning form. Because I had no idea how to identify what form of poetry this poem was, my analysis of that device was nonexistent. While I was also able to identify the metaphors Gascoigne used, I paraphrased them instead of quoting from the text thereby limiting my analysis. This makes my analysis plausible, but not as persuasive as it was intended to be resulting in a 5. As we move into this school year and as I get more practice at analyzing poetry, I hope to be able to correctly identify forms of poetry such as this sonnet. My analysis would also be improved by recognizing the complexity that exists in any piece of writing that I must scrutinize. To measure how I have reached these goals, I hope to learn at least 3 new forms of poetry and try to incorporate complexity in every one of my analysis pieces from here on out.
Comment on Madison's blog:
I agree with your score of a 6. I like how you were very
specific in your essay by utilizing a lot of quotes and even integrating quotes
into sentences. You could raise the score of your essay by offering a more
thorough analysis of the poem by analyzing the metaphors that Gascoigne drew
between himself and the fly and himself and the mouse as well as analyzing the
form of the poem, although I realize that would have been very difficult due to
our limited understanding of forms of poetry. You were very accurate in your
interpretation of Gascoigne’s attitude, recognizing the complexity of his
contradicting feeling of betrayal and attraction to a woman. I also liked how
you made allusions to other famous works of literature. By drawing a metaphor
between his relationship with this woman and other starstruck relationships
such as that of Romeo and Juliet, you were better able to express your
interpretation of Gascoicge’s mindset.
Comment on Natalie's Blog:
Comment on Natalie's Blog:
I agree with your score of a 4. While you did a really good job
of identifying the devices and picking specific, relevant evidence from the
text, your analysis was very short. Your score could be improved by offering a
deeper analysis of the poem. Rather than explaining what the poem said, explain
why Gascoigne said it or how he used a device to accomplish what he was trying
to say. A deeper analysis would also help you address the complexity of the
subject matter so that you could further explore Gascoigne’s attitude. I also
agree with you that not having answered one part of the prompt detracted from
your essay, although once we go more in depth about the forms of poetry in
class, you will be better equipped to discuss form. Another way to bump your
essay from a 4 would be to try to craft a more effective thesis. While you
identified the devices that Gascoigne used, you did not identify his complex
attitude towards love, something that could have been explored more thoroughly
when you were analyzing the metaphors Gascoigne drew.
Poetry Revision
In "For That He Looked Not upon Her", George Gascoigne expresses his heartache over his last love. Gascoigne's juxtaposition of the gleaming light of the woman he loved against his own weak and cowardly feelings allows him to demonstrate the uneven distribution of power in his previous relationship. In the form of a Shakespearean sonnet, Gascoigne uses depressing diction and binary imagery to make a comment on the depressing nature of love.
Gascoigne's inner misery shines outwards through his use of gloomy diction. Through words such as, "louring", "trustless", "deceit", and "grievous", Gascoigne sets the tone for the poem. His tone is miserable, which is fitting for a poem about heartache. His longing for the woman he loves is making him miserable, but he can not pursue her for fear of being hurt again. This battle between fear for himself and love for another is tearing him apart, as he can not even look upon her because she causes him so much despair. Gascoigne's depressing diction describes his attitude towards the subject of his pieces, as his heartache is causing him depression.
The complex nature of his love is further revealed through the shift of tone and focus beginning after line 4. The author creates a vivid scene for the reader by likening his situation to more common situations such as a mouse getting stuck in a mousetrap and fly just barely escaping a flame. These metaphors allow the author to move from mere description of how he is unable to face this woman to an explanation of why he feels the way he does. Indeed, the tone shifts slightly as well to one of fear, although the somber tone is still present as well. In drawing these metaphors, Gascoigne chooses diminutive creatures such as the common mouse and the pesky fly. These lay in contrast with his choice of imagery to describe the woman he is in love with. He uses words such as "dazzled", "blazing", and "gleams" to describe her, all words that depict the light. Meanwhile, Gascoigne is in a dark place due to his heartbreak. This uneven distribution of power is further enforced by the fly "which once hath 'scaped the flame". He draws a parallel between himself and the weak fly who was scorched by the bright, gleaming flame demonstrating that the flame, or in this case the woman, had all the power to hurt him, a diminutive creature.
Furthermore, Gascoigne uses the nature of the Shakespearean sonnet to make a declarative statement about the nature of his love. The first twelve lines of the poem follows an ABAB rhyme scheme, but the last two lines are a rhyming couplet, deviating from the rhyme scheme established previously. This also allows for a tone shift. While in the previous two lines, Gascoigne was contemplating how "grievous is the game" because of love, he seemed resigned to his miserable fate; however, in the rhyming couplet, he presents himself with two options moving forward. He can either "hold down [his] head" or "wink" . This is important because the majority of his poem has been devoted to describing how he has held his head down because he cannot make eye contact with this woman as her "blazing eyes" have bred his misery. In line 11, he presents the option of him winking at her. A wink is seen as a flirtatious gesture and to be able to wink at her means that he must make eye contact. This indicates that he is willing to take power back in his own hands by making a move, and it also indicates that he is willing to give love another try even though it has caused him so much misery.
Reflection:
Gascoigne's inner misery shines outwards through his use of gloomy diction. Through words such as, "louring", "trustless", "deceit", and "grievous", Gascoigne sets the tone for the poem. His tone is miserable, which is fitting for a poem about heartache. His longing for the woman he loves is making him miserable, but he can not pursue her for fear of being hurt again. This battle between fear for himself and love for another is tearing him apart, as he can not even look upon her because she causes him so much despair. Gascoigne's depressing diction describes his attitude towards the subject of his pieces, as his heartache is causing him depression.
The complex nature of his love is further revealed through the shift of tone and focus beginning after line 4. The author creates a vivid scene for the reader by likening his situation to more common situations such as a mouse getting stuck in a mousetrap and fly just barely escaping a flame. These metaphors allow the author to move from mere description of how he is unable to face this woman to an explanation of why he feels the way he does. Indeed, the tone shifts slightly as well to one of fear, although the somber tone is still present as well. In drawing these metaphors, Gascoigne chooses diminutive creatures such as the common mouse and the pesky fly. These lay in contrast with his choice of imagery to describe the woman he is in love with. He uses words such as "dazzled", "blazing", and "gleams" to describe her, all words that depict the light. Meanwhile, Gascoigne is in a dark place due to his heartbreak. This uneven distribution of power is further enforced by the fly "which once hath 'scaped the flame". He draws a parallel between himself and the weak fly who was scorched by the bright, gleaming flame demonstrating that the flame, or in this case the woman, had all the power to hurt him, a diminutive creature.
Furthermore, Gascoigne uses the nature of the Shakespearean sonnet to make a declarative statement about the nature of his love. The first twelve lines of the poem follows an ABAB rhyme scheme, but the last two lines are a rhyming couplet, deviating from the rhyme scheme established previously. This also allows for a tone shift. While in the previous two lines, Gascoigne was contemplating how "grievous is the game" because of love, he seemed resigned to his miserable fate; however, in the rhyming couplet, he presents himself with two options moving forward. He can either "hold down [his] head" or "wink" . This is important because the majority of his poem has been devoted to describing how he has held his head down because he cannot make eye contact with this woman as her "blazing eyes" have bred his misery. In line 11, he presents the option of him winking at her. A wink is seen as a flirtatious gesture and to be able to wink at her means that he must make eye contact. This indicates that he is willing to take power back in his own hands by making a move, and it also indicates that he is willing to give love another try even though it has caused him so much misery.
Reflection:
I like my revision of the poetry essay a lot more than the original because I was able to go more in depth about the author's purpose and recognize the complexity of his multifaceted view on love. The three sentence Thesis Statement and the Tone Shifts Chart really helped me with both of these things. The three sentence Thesis Statement guided me in writing an effective introductory paragraph that not only stated the devices Gascoigne used in conveying his complex attitude, but it allowed me to identify the complex attitude as well. I used to always feel restricted by a one sentence thesis statement because I couldn't fit everything that I wanted to say in just one sentence, but this three sentence thesis statement gives me more room and flexibility to express everything that I want to say. The Tone Shifts chart was also really helpful because it forced me to identify the tone shifts and the purpose of each one. These tone shifts were helpful in analyzing the underlying complexity of this piece, and it allowed me to see how his attitude towards love shifted throughout the essay. The thesis statement and tone shifts chart were helpful tools in helping me identify the complexity necessary to write my analysis, and I will use both these tools in the future.
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
Blog #1: AP Literature Multiple Choice Test Reflection
Blog #1: Multiple Choice Reflection
Today, we received back our scores from the first multiple choice practice that we did yesterday. While a 19/25 would be a disappointing score in any other class, in Lit, it might as well be an A+. The majority of the questions that I missed asked about my ability to recognize rhetorical devices. I missed these questions simply due to my lack of knowledge in not knowing what an apostrophe or a synedoche is. For other questions, I missed them due to either dumb mistakes such as not reading closely enough or because I didn't know what a word or phrase meant and therefore did not know how to answer the question. Moving forward, I can improve my multiple choice score simply by expanding my knowledge of rhetorical devices as well as my vocabulary. This knowledge will equip me to better answer multiple choice questions on the Lit exam.
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