Happy Christmas, Merry Holidays, and a Wicked Awesome New Year

from Mr. G

on a side note

details for assignment

over break are below

and I will email you

your averages when I grade

your Camus papers

click here for the gallagher's christmas card

Winter Break Assignment

So you will obviously need to finish your independent reading book over the break. You should know the book very well. I expect you to have post-it notes and be able to find moments in the book at will.

As you were well aware, the books that you were able to choose from also had movies that accompanied them. You will need to see the movie before January 4th. You will also need to take notes--look especially for moments that either differ from the book or that were dealt with in an interesting way on film. You will need to take notes during the movie to do this effectively. Don't depend on your recall abilities! If seeing the movie before the 4th is a major problem, I will give you a more traditional assignment--but I think this one is more interesting.

Anyway, we have computer lab time set up for the 4th, and your assignment, worth a major paper grade, will be due soon after this. The quarter closes a couple after the second week in January! Please be prepared for this.

Albert Camus’ The Stranger

due: December 20th, 2008

For this Essay on Albert Camus’ The Stranger, you need to combine two passage explications to create an original thesis.

• You need to title the paper.
• One passage needs to be from Part 1 and one passage needs to be from Part 2.
• This should be 4-6 pages, typed, double-spaced, Times New Roman.

A passage explication is an essay that takes apart the pieces of a prose passage to demonstrate how it creates meaning – its main question can be reduced to the simple idea of “What does the passage mean? What is its purpose? How does it create that meaning and achieve its purpose? How does it fit in with the rest of the text(if available)?” The creation of meaning comes through literary techniques, like simile and metaphor, through argument, through imagery, and through word choice.

Agenda Update

Hi all,

I look forward to reading / grading your blogs on Camus. . .as well as spending as much time as possible on those college essays. If you need it asap--please come and see me and I will pull your paper out of my pile and go over with you.

Agenda:

1. Reader's Notebook Entries (see handout) are due Monday, November 19th for Period 7 and Tuesday, November 20th for Periods 1 & 2.

2. A Self-Assessment Analysis is due November 19th for Period 7 and November 21st for Periods 1 & 2. You are to print out a copy of your first quarter grades, with all assignments included, and write me at least a paragraph analysis of your performance in the class based on the data. Include in the analysis what your goal is for 2nd quarter and what you will be doing to insure you meet your goal. This is an easy assignment to receive full credit on--so please take it seriously and put the appropriate effort in.

Other than that, make sure you are in a lit group before you leave for Thanksgiving break.
Here are the choices (feel free to do some research on these books before you choose):

John Irving, A Prayer for Owen Meany

John Gardner, Grendel (with brief selections from Beowulf)

Jane Austin, Pride and Prejudice

Phillip K. Dick, A Scanner Darkly

Alice Walker, The Color Purple

Jon Krakauer, Into the Wild

Truman Capote, In Cold Blood

Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Love in the Time of Cholera

Arthur Golden, Memoirs of a Geisha

Nick Hornby, High Fidelity

Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club

Anyone notice what all these choices have in common?

Camus Class Discussion Period 2

due date: Friday, November 16th, 2:30 p.m.

Grading Criteria: See Open Response

40 points: Quality of Response, Use of Evidence, Analysis of Evidence, & Conventions

Directions: 1. Directly respond to something someone said in class. It helps to start with something like "When Blank was speaking, he (or she) mentioned that (paraphrase or quote extensively from your notes). . ." and then continue the dialogue in writing. Again, I am looking for depth with these posts (and they should probably be 300-500 words). Make sure to include page numbers. SAY SOMETHING NEW!

Period 2 post here Period 2 post here Period 2 post here

Camus Class Discussion Period 1

due date: Friday, November 16th, 2:30 p.m.

Grading Criteria: See Open Response

40 points: Quality of Response, Use of Evidence, Analysis of Evidence, & Conventions

Directions: 1. Directly respond to something someone said in class. It helps to start with something like "When Blank was speaking, he (or she) mentioned that (paraphrase or quote extensively from your notes). . ." and then continue the dialogue in writing. Again, I am looking for depth with these posts (and they should probably be 300-500 words). Make sure to include page numbers. SAY SOMETHING NEW!

Period 1 post here Period 1 post here Period 1 post here

Camus Class Discussion Period 7

due date: Friday, November 16th, 2:30 p.m.

Grading Criteria: See Open Response

40 points: Quality of Response, Use of Evidence, Analysis of Evidence, & Conventions

Directions: 1. Directly respond to something someone said in class. It helps to start with something like "When Blank was speaking, he (or she) mentioned that (paraphrase or quote extensively from your notes). . ." and then continue the dialogue in writing. Again, I am looking for depth with these posts (and they should probably be 300-500 words). Make sure to include page numbers. SAY SOMETHING NEW!

Period 7 post here Period 7 post here Period 7 post here

College Essay Scoring Guide

Jay De Feo 1958, one of my favorite painters, standing in front of her painting The Rose--a really amazing piece that you have to stand in front of to appreciate the intensity of it.

50 points--Grammar, mechanics, typos, spelling, & usage. Remember, this is your only impression to show yourself through language. No matter the content of your essay, careless mistakes make you seem--well, careless. And you do not want the college admissions team to think you are apathetic. I expect you to make sure the essay is flawless. I would be happy to suggest how to phrase things grammatically better, but I should not be spending my time fixing your careless typos and spelling errors (and I won't).

• 50 points--Writer demonstrates control of sentence structure, grammar and usage.
• 40 points--Errors do not interfere with communication. There are few errors relative to length.
• 30 points--Errors interfere with communication.

50 points--Insight and creativity, readability, and is your essay compelling? A note to remember your audience here and the purpose of your essay: All writers do this on some level--we consistently look at audience and purpose when we analyze writing. If you are using this to apply to college, keep in mind that the admissions officers are looking for intelligent and motivated students who will be successful at their school. Your essay should:

• Be personal (instead of general)
• Be concrete (instead of abstract--can you make your reader "see" your world?)
• Include anecdote (instead of summary--this is not a resume)
• Include a hook or lead
• Have sophisticated and / or subtle organization
• Show a sophisticated or subtle mastery of language
• AND AVOID CLICHE!

PLEASE PRINT THIS PAGE OUT AND ATTACH TO THE BACK OF YOUR ESSAY SO I CAN WRITE COMMENTS. WHEN YOU PRINT, MAKE SURE YOU ONLY PRINT THIS PAGE.

College Essay Prompts

photo of Borges

The prompts provided are often a starting point—it’s not really about which prompt you choose to answer, but HOW you use the topic to write an essay. Remember the Borges, “people tend to prefer the personal to the general, the concrete to the abstract”(Blindness). You will notice that the questions are vague, repetitive, and general. You could almost adapt any good essay to fit a prompt.

Anyway, here are the common application prompts*

• Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.
• Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you.
• Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.
• Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and describe that influence.
• A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds much to the educational mix. Given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community, or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you.
• A prompt of your choice is another option. (See below)

I also have a handout from Ms. C that lists a number of essay prompts (from way back in the day)… I’m going to break into my I’m older than you persona now: “when I applied to college I actually had to write a separate essay for each school because each school had a question—oh, and life was (of course) harder back then—we suffered like you kids nowadays have no idea of….”(Kidding of course).

I would be happy to photocopy these for you. They might stir the creative juices in a way that the above prompts do not.

WE ARE IN THE COMPUTER LAB ON TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. PLEASE HAVE A ROUGH DRAFT THAT I CAN WORK WITH YOU ON. FINAL DRAFT IN DUE THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1ST.

* https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/default.aspx

Independent Reading Assignments (1st Person Narrative)

Andy Warhol's Elvis. This assignment is for all classes and due October 29th in class. Remember that the quarter ends on November 2nd. You will need to have Camus' Stranger read by then.

40 points (Homework, notebook, blog grade)

Design a cover. You will be graded on the following items:

A: 10 points: Your cover should show creativity, depth in thought, and visually represent important events, themes, or symbols throughout the book. The cover should look professionally and carefully constructed. You may draw or use the computer, but be careful not to commit the visual equivalence of plagiarism.

If you use someone else’s images, change or collage them until they are your own.
Make sure you have a front and back cover as well as a spine.
Spelling the author’s name wrong would be about the worst thing you could do!

B: 10 points: You should provide a 100 word description of the book on the back cover. WARNING: DO NOT PLAGIARIZE THIS!—you will risk a zero for an easy part of the requirements. Remember: the point of a 100 word description on the back of a book is to convince someone in a store to buy the book. Remember this when you write the blurb. Why should someone buy this?

C: 20 points: Write a two page paper (400-500 words) explaining the choices you made when designing the cover. Pretend you work for me[1] and are trying to convince me to go with your cover over someone else’s. You will need to provide evidence from the book to effectively do this.
Make sure you include page numbers and cite properly.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞


40 points (Homework, notebook, blog grade)

Write a “filler chapter”. In other words, write what happens in between two chapters (or pages—or rewrite a section or imitate the author’s style). You will be graded on the following items:

A: 10 points: Completes the page length requirements: 2-3 typed, double-spaced pages, Times New Roman, 12 point font.

B: 10 points: The details and facts in your story are factually and contextually accurate in relation to the existing story. This includes the setting and historical time frame!

C: 20 points: You successfully capture the tone and style of your author.[2]

If you have another creative idea, propose it to me with criteria on which you would like to be graded. I must approve this first.

[1] I do not provide health insurance. Welcome to the world of contracted labor, boys and girls.
[2] (which includes, but is not limited to: how author presents dialogue, appropriate word choice, symbols, etc.)

Class Generated Thesis Statements

Here's what your classmates came up with when developing thesis statements for William Carlos Williams' poem "Landscape with the Fall of Icarus":

I have broken up all the suggestions into two categories--you can use this list to build your own thesis, or come up with one that is not listed.

In the poem "Landscape with the Fall of Icarus", William Carlos Williams suggests that

a. people are selfish and unaware of their surroundings

b. people conform to society

c. people will not learn from the death of Icarus

d. nature will ultimately punish human actions

e. Icarus is not as important as the farmer to understanding the moral of Ovid's myth

f. humans often do not see tragic flaws

The following list should explain HOW Williams creates the above meaning

• by personifying images in the poem.


• by personifying nature.


• by personifying the sea.


• through his use of enjambment and short, unpunctuated lines.

Your introduction should include a thesis as well as a brief elaboration of your thesis. You should also reference Ovid and Brueghel in your introduction.

Red Shift Model Paper Example 4

Though this is a model paper--I'll add some of my comments in red to let you know what could've been added to this essay...

Kenny D. 1

In the poem "Red Shift", the poet Ted Berrigan suggest the human element is going to waste due to eternal conformity; Pretty solid thesis--but the intro and thesis could be expanded here with specifics--remember: explication is a very close reading of HOW a poem works to achieve and create meaning. Some more writing here is necessary to establish this.

The poem begins "here I am" with a pronoun, I. Already he begins the poem leaving the reader to wonder who he is. I believe that Berrigan is trying to start the poem off to a human that wants to know, that will look for an answer rather then accepting the pronoun. I is one letter, with various questions. Who is he? Where is he? A quick reader like the majority might skip the importance who exactly is trying to be portray? Wonderful thing to point out--phrase as sentences (for analysis) rather than questions.

Right away he mentions fierce arabesques. (Be specific and show by integrating evidence) Arabesque has several definitions; an arabesques painting is a geometric painting with many shapes and a complex design. When people look at a painting, they see the big picture. Never do they see the complex meaning within the painting, what the painter is trying to show and give out. A poem can hold many meanings that people will simply just burn and put to waste. Berrigan uses the word air various times during "Red Shift". Air is something we need, something many people think lowly of. Without air, life is not possible. Air is something all humans regardless or race, sex, or age, need. Air is something many take for granted. We have so much of it that we barely notice its effects and its wonders of life. Like air, life isn’t possible without humans. People are the definition of life and without them life cannot exist. Many people are too conformed to notice the accomplishments of the human element. Berrigan is trying to radiate these thoughts to our minds as he states "I drink…and smoke to have character and lean in". people in this world are now to busy worrying about blending in, rather then to express their human element and spread their ideas. Humans I believe are racing life, using it as an excuse to try and accomplish as many things while they breathe until they notice that it has gone to waste with the final curse of death. That no one around them will notice what they have done to change life. There are some cool ideas in this paragraph, but the language is really getting in the way of ideas here--more focus on writing about HOW the poem expresses these ideas would clarify these issues--any suggestions?

Berrigan considerably uses pronouns through out the poem. He never mentions his name. A pronoun is a word that takes place of a normal noun or name. Berrigan is perhaps showing the view, and status of the human element of our times. (Great analysis here) Showing the reader that pronouns are what people are beginning to conform to rather then notice the uniqueness of each body. Perhaps one day people will be called it and I. no one around cares for such personality. Towards the end of the poem, Berrigan begins to blame mankind for all of this. Ending the poem with the following, "the world’s furious song flows through my costume". The world’s furious song is the people adapted to their conformity. Through my costume is what people see him as, nothing. They only see the costume covering the emotions, and the life inside. Also blaming the public that he didn’t ask to be a pronoun, "You did". The people have just walk past him like he is just there. No one caring or giving attention to the creative element of life. Finally at the end of poem Berrigan states "I slip softly into the air". I think he wants to let the reader know that himself is falling into the invisible life needed air. That although people wont notice its gone or even there, they will still forever need it and cherish it if it is life they seek. Humans are only thinking about their lives and what they need rather then to help there fellow populace. That once we do start caring and appreciating this, that life will finally reach its meaning.

Feel free to post any constructive comments here, or questions, or observations. Trenchant insights are always welcome but please (always) avoid pithy observations.

Red Shift Model Paper Example 3

Though this is a model paper--I'll add some of my comments in red to let you know what could've been added to this essay...

Samyr F. 1

In the poem “Red Shift” by Ted Berrigan suggests that the speaker's life changes as the poem progresses. At the beginning of the poem the speaker seems to talk generally talk about his physical self and how it has changed over time, towards the end the end of the poem the speaker seems to switch to the emotional side of the speakers life. The title “Red Shift” adds conformation to this idea. “Red Shift” is a shift toward longer wavelengths of the spectral lines emitted by a celestial object that is caused by the object moving away from the earth. As a star gets energy it begins to glow which makes it seem to get more intense and seems to switch. I thought this was the most interesting thesis--both because it focused on change (a great thing for a thesis because it forces you to show how and why something changes) as well as because Samy incorporated the title effectively.

The speaker talks about his body physically on the beginning of this poem. “Here I am at 8:08 p.m. indefinable ample rhythmic frame the air is biting, February, fierce arabesques on the way to tree in winter streetscape”. Here the speaker describes his body at that very moment in time while walking down a New York city street the speaker also writes about his surroundings using personification to describe to the reader the air is very cold and frigid outside. By using personification to describe his area around him the speaker gives it a physical aspect to this. Also the speaker describes the leaf-less trees in the winter as “arabesques” which is an aggressive dance move made by dancers. “it'sHeavy with that lightness, heavy on me, I heave through it”. The speaker seems to be saying that he is now became obese unlike he was once before and how he seems to be in some sort of suit or costume. Vey well done here on topic and providing evidence and analysis of the effect of personification. Could work on integrating evidence better and more fluidly.

As the poem progresses towards the middle of the poem the speaker seems to begin to change switch or make a transition to the physical to the more emotional side. The speaker switches to quiet calm to emotional reflecting on the changes. “Twenty years almost ago, and the man smoking is looking at the smilingly attentive woman, & telling. Who would have thought that I'd be here, nothing wrapped up, nothing buried, everything Love, children, hundreds of them, money, marriage ethics, a politics of grace, Up in the air, swirling, burning even or still, now more than ever before?” the speaker here is talking how the years have past and did expect that he would where is at this moment in his life and talks about his changes in a very emotional and depressed manner. As the poem progresses deeper and deeper into the middle the speaker begins to get more a more intense with his emotions and feelings. For example “Not that pretty girl, nineteen, who was going to have to go, careening into middle-age so, To burn, & to burn more fiercely than even she could imagine so to go. Not that painter who from very first meeting I would never & never will leave alone until we both vanish into the thin air we signed up for & so demanded To breathe & who will never leave me, not for sex, nor politics nor even for stupid permanent estrangement which is Only our human lot & means nothing”. The speaker is very emotional fiercely as he describes about a person in his past and how she changed. How this once pretty in now a women going through middle ages. Focusing on How the evidence shows the change in the speaker would've been helpful here. However, nice transition in the topic sentence to set up idea.

As the poem heads towards the end the speaker makes a full transition from talking about physical and calm to being fierce and letting all his emotions out. “But no, I won't do that I am 43. When will I die? I will never die, I will live to be 110, & I will never go away, & you will never escape from me who am always & only a ghost, despite this frame, Spirit Who lives only to nag. I'm only pronouns, & I am all of them, & I didn't ask for this You did I came into your life to change it & it did so & now nothing will ever change That, and that's that. Alone & crowded, unhappy fate, nevertheless I slip softly into the air the world's furious song flows through my costume”. From the beginning to the end of this poem the speaker begins to become extremely emotional and many feelings he has about begin to flow out very intensely as if the poem were like “Red Shift” itself. And at the end the speaker closes the poem as if it were Red shift by going out the way it started by making a reference back to his physical self.

Feel free to post any constructive comments here, or questions, or observations. Trenchant insights are always welcome but please (always) avoid pithy observations.

Red Shift Model Paper Example 2

Though this is a model paper--I'll add some of my comments in red to let you know what could've been added to this essay...

Miranda P.2

In the poem "Red Shift", Ted Berrigan suggests that life means nothing and that if it has any meaning, it is a stupid life filled with loneliness. He also suggests that love is never permanent. The first part of the thesis is solid, but Miranda is missing HOW the meaning is created by the author in the poem (this is the hardest and most important part of explication that we are all working on this year.)

The title "Red Shift" says a lot about the idea of love never being permanent. The color red symbolizes love, anger, and passion. Shift simply means change. Also, "Red Shift" is also relating to astronomy. In astronomy, red shift is when a star's light because intense and the star appears to be red. The idea of intensity of the poem grows as it progresses. At first it is calm and reminiscent, "I drink some American poison liquid air which bubbles and smoke to have character and to lean In. The streets look for Allen, Frank, or me... The Calvados is being sipped on Long Island now twenty years almost ago... (4-11)". The lines are pretty short and smooth which makes the reader sense the calmness as the speaker talks about the past. Then, it becomes more intense as the speaker goes on to say, "Love, children, hundreds of them, money, marriage, ethics, a politics of grace, Up in the air, swirling, burning even or still, now more than ever? (15-18)" The lines are becoming longer and there are more pauses which makes the reader sense that the tone changes to slight frustration. By the end of the poem the speaker is completely angry and it is noticeable because the intensity is at its greatest point. The intensity in this section is seen through the words that are used. "Red Shift" symbolizes the change of intensity and also a change in love. A pretty solid paragraph here, using the title to some emotional change in the speaker. Miranda's language, however, could be much more specific. I'm not talking here about using "fancier" words, but more specific language. Instead of phrases like "says a lot about the idea" replace with what it actually says, and there are words that mean "completely angry" and "slight frustration" etc...

The speaker starts by saying "Here I am... The air is biting, February... a winter streetscape... (1-3)" In this section you get an idea of the setting. This poem takes place in a city in February. Having it set in February gives the reader an idea of how cold it is (How cold is it?) and lets him/her (pick a gender and stick with it) know that it's in the middle of winter. When a person thinks of winter he might think of how cold it is and also how lonely, dead, and desolate everything seems to be. This relates to the idea that life is filled with nothing but loneliness because of the fact that as was mentioned before, winter can be used to symbolize loneliness. Fine on topic for this last sentence--but show me HOW evidence works to establish these points. Missing a topic for the paragraph here.

As the speaker goes to say, "Not that painter who from very first meeting I would never & never will leave alone until we both vanish into the thin air we signed up for & so demanded To breathe & who will never leave me, not for sex, nor politics nor even for stupid permanent estrangement which is Only our human lot & means nothing. (24-29)" This section makes the reader think about how love is thought to be everlasting and how nothing is supposed to get in the way of it. But, when reading this section the reader gets the feeling that the speaker, even though he/she thinks of love the same way, is saying that love is stupid and won't last because humans are meant to end up alone with everything he or she thinks may mean something actually means nothing.

Solid ending to paper (but banish the word get). Thanks to Miranda for sharing her paper--it was one of the best from the classes and she should be commended for sharing her work and being open to constructive criticism.

Feel free to post any constructive comments here, or questions, or observations. Trenchant insights are always welcome but please (always) avoid pithy observations.

Red Shift Model Paper Example 1

Though this is a model paper--I'll add some of my comments in red to let you know what could've been added to this essay...
Judith P.1

In the poem “Red Shift” the poet Ted Berrigan examines the different stages that one goes through before death by giving his poem the title “Red Shift”, which indicates the negative changes in ones life. He uses the setting of the poem to associate his mood and emotions on how he is feeling about life. Some of the stages that the speaker touches upon are the failure of obtaining the American dream and struggling with low self-esteem. Solid intro.

Throughout the poem, the speaker uses the setting to express his thoughts and feelings about life. The poem is written in a sad, depressing, and angry tone. The setting is symbolic to the different stages that one goes through in their lives before death. The poem takes place in a bitter cold winter February in New York City. “The air is biting, February, fierce arabesques on the way to tree in winter streetscape I drink some American poison liquid air which bubbles and smoke to have character and to lean in”(2-6). The speaker is walking down the cold winter street in New York City. Ted Berrigan uses an incredible example of personification by giving the air human like quality which helps the reader to recognize how cold it is. Ah, what makes it "incredible" and why is personification an important technique here?--it is not just that it helps the reader recognize....

One of the stages that the speaker goes through is the failure of not obtaining the American dream. He reminisces about his childhood and envies his parents because they lived the American dream. He is truly depressed about not achieving the American dream. “The Calvados is being sipped on Long island now twenty years almost ago, and the man smoking is looking at the smilingly attentive woman, & telling. Who would of thought that I’d be here, nothing wrapped up, nothing buried, everything love, children, hundreds of them, money, marriage-ethics, a politics of grace, up in the air, swirling, burning even still, now more than ever before? ” (10-18). The speaker is thinking about his childhood life. His father, who he refers to as the man, is drinking Calvados, which is a type of alcohol beverage in Long island in New York City. His father is living the American dream; watching his beautiful wife; who the speaker refers to as the smilingly attentive woman. His father has money, love, a wife, and children, etc. The speaker is asking himself how did his life take this big red shift? This is a big realization that his life as taken a big negative shift. He never thought that he would fail to follow in his father’s footsteps, which is to obtain the American dream. The speaker at this point, feels as if he has nothing to look forward to and is hurting by this harsh awareness. He is sad, hurt, and awfully disillusioned of his reality. The main point of this paragraph is solid but if Judith had integrated the evidence more fluidly (rather than just quoting long lines), she could've deleloped how the langauge was creating this effect--what techniques does the author use to help make us see the speaker in this light?

Another issue that is upsetting to the speaker is not dying soon enough. His life is ruined and feels he is not worthy of living. “Nor even for stupid permanent estrangement which is only our human lots & means nothing. No, not him. There’s a song, “California Dreaming”, but no, I won’t do that I am 45. When will I die? I will never die, I will live to be 110, & I will never go away, & you never escape from me who am always & only a ghost” (28-33). The speaker is talking about how life is stupid and it is human nature, human fate to die along. The song “California Dreaming” is about the optimistic feeling that the summer brings, but the speaker is not thinking about the future. The song symbolizes how the speaker did not achieve his American dream. He is thinking there’s no future for him and nothing to look forward to. He is 45 years old and he wants to know when he will die. He feels so depressed that he thinks that he is worthy of dying. There are a lot of different ideas going on in this paragraph, and none were developed enough--A liitle more focus in this paragraph on developing ideas...(maybe return to thesis and remind oneself of what the point (thesis) of the paper here to help focus.)

The speaker has a dreadfully pessimistic attitude towards life and wants to die. He is 43 years old and not even close to dying. He wants to die and he will probably die alone. He is ashamed of how his life turned out to be. He does not take any incentive to change the negative out come of his life. He just nags about it and does nothing to help himself.

The speaker has an exceedingly low self-esteem and has lost all hope and faith. He thinks incredibly negative and low about himself and feels as if he is not worthy of his name and as a result of his unenthusiastic thinking he does not see himself as a person anymore. “I’m only pronouns, & I am all of them” (35). He does not think of himself highly and think he is only pronouns, all of them. He thinks he is a she, him, her, I, you, etc; and not a real person. He is frustrated, hopeless, lost, and a lonely human being.

The title “Red Shift” symbolizes the unusual changes the speaker went through in his life. He is alone but crowed at the same time. He just gives up in life and flows with the crowed. “Alone & crowed, unhappy fate, nevertheless I slip softly into the air the world’s furious song flows through my costume” (40-42). He has given up on life because he is 43 years old and his successes in life are limited because of his age. He is unbelievably depressed and he just flows in the crowed and let the air go through his body.

Thanks to Judith for sharing her paper--it was one of the best from the classes and she should be commended for sharing her work and being open to constructive criticism.

Feel free to post any constructive comments here, or questions, or observations. Trenchant insights are always welcome but please (always) avoid pithy observations.

Bruegel Blog Post Period 2

Bruegel, Pieter Landscape with the Fall of Icarus c. 1558 Oil on canvas
Right click image (or any other hyper link) to open in another window.

OPTIC. I find Walter Pauk’s theory quite useful when writing about an image.[1] The AP Art History Course also uses this Acronym as a successful approach to writing about visual art. I have adapted it here with further commentary and explanation in light of your specific goals.

Post your writing in the comment box with the following five categories. You will receive full credit (20 points) for one thousand words. (15 points) for 750 words. (10 points) for 500 words. (5 points) for 250 words. You are eventually going to have to write a longer paper and you will thank your future self for the writing you did here because you will be able to pull from it later.

1. Overview: Conduct an Overview of the visual or graphic. I recommend an extensive brainstorming process here.
2. Parts: Key in on the Parts of the visual by noting any elements or details that seem important. The old cliché goes “a picture is worth a thousand words”, which translates to about three pages. I think this is a good rule of thumb, but by no means a fixed rule. Describe what you see. Where do your eyes go to first? Then what? Follow the natural progress of where your eyes go. Give as much detail as possible.
3. Title: Explain the Title (if one is present) and its relation to the piece of art. Even an “untitled piece” may tell you about the artist’s aesthetic.
4. Interrelationships: Use the title, or your theory, and the parts of the visual as your clues to detect and specify the Interrelationships in the graphic. In other words, this is where you develop your thesis about the image and connect ideas.
5. Conclusion: Draw a Conclusion about the piece as a whole.

[1] Pauk, Walter. How to Study in College. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1997, 271.

Period 2 post here. Period 2 post here. Period 2 post here.
Due on Tuesday October 9th.

Bruegel Blog Post Period 1

Bruegel, Pieter Landscape with the Fall of Icarus c. 1558 Oil on canvas
Right click image (or any other hyper link) to open in another window.

OPTIC. I find Walter Pauk’s theory quite useful when writing about an image.[1] The AP Art History Course also uses this Acronym as a successful approach to writing about visual art. I have adapted it here with further commentary and explanation in light of your specific goals.

Post your writing in the comment box with the following five categories. You will receive full credit (20 points) for one thousand words. (15 points) for 750 words. (10 points) for 500 words. (5 points) for 250 words. You are eventually going to have to write a longer paper and you will thank your future self for the writing you did here because you will be able to pull from it later.

1. Overview: Conduct an Overview of the visual or graphic. I recommend an extensive brainstorming process here.
2. Parts: Key in on the Parts of the visual by noting any elements or details that seem important. The old cliché goes “a picture is worth a thousand words”, which translates to about three pages. I think this is a good rule of thumb, but by no means a fixed rule. Describe what you see. Where do your eyes go to first? Then what? Follow the natural progress of where your eyes go. Give as much detail as possible.
3. Title: Explain the Title (if one is present) and its relation to the piece of art. Even an “untitled piece” may tell you about the artist’s aesthetic.
4. Interrelationships: Use the title, or your theory, and the parts of the visual as your clues to detect and specify the Interrelationships in the graphic. In other words, this is where you develop your thesis about the image and connect ideas.
5. Conclusion: Draw a Conclusion about the piece as a whole.

[1] Pauk, Walter. How to Study in College. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1997, 271.

Period 1 post here. Period 1 post here. Period 1 post here. Due on Tuesday October 9th.

Bruegel Blog Post Period 7

Bruegel, Pieter Landscape with the Fall of Icarus c. 1558 Oil on canvas
Right click image (or any other hyper link) to open in another window.

OPTIC. I find Walter Pauk’s theory quite useful when writing about an image.[1] The AP Art History Course also uses this Acronym as a successful approach to writing about visual art. I have adapted it here with further commentary and explanation in light of your specific goals.

Post your writing in the comment box with the following five categories. You will receive full credit (20 points) for one thousand words. (15 points) for 750 words. (10 points) for 500 words. (5 points) for 250 words. You are eventually going to have to write a longer paper and you will thank your future self for the writing you did here because you will be able to pull from it later.

1. Overview: Conduct an Overview of the visual or graphic. I recommend an extensive brainstorming process here.
2. Parts: Key in on the Parts of the visual by noting any elements or details that seem important. The old cliché goes “a picture is worth a thousand words”, which translates to about three pages. I think this is a good rule of thumb, but by no means a fixed rule. Describe what you see. Where do your eyes go to first? Then what? Follow the natural progress of where your eyes go. Give as much detail as possible.
3. Title: Explain the Title (if one is present) and its relation to the piece of art. Even an “untitled piece” may tell you about the artist’s aesthetic.
4. Interrelationships: Use the title, or your theory, and the parts of the visual as your clues to detect and specify the Interrelationships in the graphic. In other words, this is where you develop your thesis about the image and connect ideas.
5. Conclusion: Draw a Conclusion about the piece as a whole.

[1] Pauk, Walter. How to Study in College. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1997, 271.

Period 7 post here. Period 7 post here. Period 7 post here. Due on Tuesday October 9th.

Open Response on Ted Berrigan's "Red Shift"

All periods:

due in class on Thursday, September 20th.

Please follow guidelines and check Rubric before turning in.

Don't forget to bring your independent reading books to class on Thursday and Friday. Yoo will need them to complete the in-class graded assignment.

Period 2 Red Shift Class Discussion

Here is the link to the text of "Red Shift"

Here is the audio link to the text of "Red Shift"

The Assignment:

1. Post a paragraph in the comment field on a theory you have about the poem. You will not be graded on whether you are “right” or “wrong” but rather on the depth and your effort to achieve intellectual conversation. This is worth ten points.

2. Respond to someone else’s post specifically in this class (about a paragraph). It helps to start with something like: “Dear (blank), I was interested in your comments on (blank).” Then you may want to quote something he or she said and continue the idea or move on to a related topic. Intellectual dialogue is the key here. This is worth ten points.

Some questions to get you started:

What is “Red Shift” and why is it the title of the poem?

What is an arabesque and why did Berrigan choose that word?

Who are Frank and Allen and why are they in the poem?

Your paragraphs must be posted by Thursday at noon.

Period 2 post here. Period 2 post here. Period 2 post here. Period 2 post here.

Period 1 Red Shift Class Discussion

Here is the link to the text of "Red Shift"

Here is the audio link to the text of "Red Shift"

The Assignment:
1. Post a paragraph in the comment field on a theory you have about the poem. You will not be graded on whether you are “right” or “wrong” but rather on the depth and your effort to achieve intellectual conversation. This is worth ten points.

2. Respond to someone else’s post specifically in this class (about a paragraph). It helps to start with something like: “Dear (blank), I was interested in your comments on (blank).” Then you may want to quote something he or she said and continue the idea or move on to a related topic. Intellectual dialogue is the key here. This is worth ten points.

Some questions to get you started:

What is “Red Shift” and why is it the title of the poem?

What is an arabesque and why did Berrigan choose that word?

Who are Frank and Allen and why are they in the poem?

Your paragraphs must be posted by Thursday at noon.

Period 1 post here. Period 1 post here. Period 1 post here. Period 1 post here.

Period 7 Red Shift Class Discussion

Here is the link to the text of "Red Shift"


Here is the audio link to the text of "Red Shift"


The Assignment:

1. Post a paragraph in the comment field on a theory you have about the poem. You will not be graded on whether you are “right” or “wrong” but rather on the depth and your effort to achieve intellectual conversation. This is worth ten points.

2. Respond to someone else’s post specifically in this class (about a paragraph). It helps to start with something like: “Dear (blank), I was interested in your comments on (blank).” Then you may want to quote something he or she said and continue the idea or move on to a related topic. Intellectual dialogue is the key here. This is worth ten points.

Some questions to get you started:
What is “Red Shift” and why is it the title of the poem?
What is an arabesque and why did Berrigan choose that word?
Who are Frank and Allen and why are they in the poem?

Your paragraphs must be posted by Thursday at noon.
Period 7 post here. Period 7 post here. Period 7 post here. Period 7 post here.

Beginning your blog experience

Hello Bloggers.

Today we have created a professional email (which you should check for homework assignments) as well as created a google account and password so that you may submit comments to this blog. You are responsible for this information now. Losing your password is not an acceptable excuse for not submitting homework. I will also give you sufficient time between assignments to get yourself to the computer lab (if you do not have internet access).

First, go ahead and vote on the poll question in the right hand column.

Next: You should spend the rest of class time seeing how the comment forum can work.

1. Post a comment about the summer reading (start with a solid paragraph long)—your thoughts, observations, likes or dislikes and why, favorite characters, etc.

2. After you post your paragraph, scroll through the comment section until you read a post that you like. Respond to that post (another paragraph). It helps to start with something like: “Dear (blank), I was interested in your comments on (blank).” Then you may want to quote something he or she said and continue the idea, or ask a specific question, or move on to a related topic. Intellectual dialogue is the key here.

Three Blue and Gold Rules:

1. Compose your comments in Word and paste in when you are complete. If the internet crashes while you are composing, you will lose all your work.

2. Sarcasm is basically impossible to pull off in this forum. Keep all dialogue professional, courteous, and appropriate. This is a virtual classroom and once you post your comments, there is a record of them. This is the reality of the world you live in and you may as well learn how to perform in it.

3. Never post your last name. (You do not want a literary stalker.) This site is publicly viewable. Simply write your first name, last initial and period number.

Photo of Salvador Dali with rhino mustache tied with flowers. He claimed that he wore his mustache this way because it pointed toward God.

Testing

This is just a test.

And this is just a picture of d.a. levy