Keats, the Birthday Boy!

In honor of that mighty man of purplue, we began AP Lit today with an analysis of "This Living Hand," a poem considered to be representative of Halloween flair although it is more about the connective need of the speaker to his addressee.

2: Sadly putting Keats aside until second semester, we began with the Shakespearian translations handout, which was for participation points. Then, we analyzed Sonnet 18, "Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer's Day" and how its rhyme structure reflects the standard scheme of Shakespearian sonnets. Did I mention we listened to Tom Hiddleston read this poem? How could I forgot that voice? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6Q_Ioj6AhQ Following all that, we learned how to gallop to help us understand the rhythm of iambic pentameter. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Qv-sjQHgZ8.

For homework, analyze, identify rhyme structure, and check out the iambic pentameter to see if Shakespeare is staying on trend or trying something new.

4: We finished the poetry packet by looking at three types of sonnets: Petrarchan (remember ABBA?), Shakespearian (ABAB), and Spenserian (ABABBCBC - sneaky). We also looked at the villanelle by analyzing Dylan Thomas's "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night."

Shakespeare time! We shared translations from your handout, which was for a participation grade. Then, we listened to Tom Hiddleston read Sonnet 18 to us (the link is above you would like to hear it again and again). Using sonnet 18, we looked at content for analysis and the traditional rhyme scheme of Shakespeare's sonnets. For homework, identify the iambic pentameter of each line. We gallop tomorrow.

"While I debated what to do"

I still have the image of Alex and Noah in a chair reenacting "Porphyria's Lover," so figuring out a title for this post has become challenging.

2:
We completed vocab quiz 5. If absent, you will need to make up the quiz before or after school next week.

We finished up the questions for "Porphyria's Lover," looked at 3 sonnet forms (Petrarchan, Shakespearian, and Spenserian). That pesky Spenser starts off with the Shakespearian abab, but then he throws us a change with the next quatrain of bcbc followed by quatrain cdcd and couplet ee. Last, we looked at the villanelle via Dylan Thomas's "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night." If you have been absent and not able to participate in our poetry packet analysis (which covers Tuesday-Thursday), you will need to show my your packet with all the questions answered. Make sure you real all the information -- caesura and all.

For homework, you are to complete the Shakespeare Crossword puzzle, the three pages dealing with Shakespeare's language (the translations, reordering of sentences, analyzing sentences, and writing famous movie quotes into Shakespearian syntax), and break down Sonnet 18 for iambic pentameter and rhyme scheme.

Shakespeare sonnets, multiple choice, and, just maybe, psychoanalytical criticism next week. We are closer to King Lear!

4:
We also completed vocab quiz 5. If absent, you will need to make up the quiz before or after school next week. We then read "O Captain My Captain" and analyzed the elegy for its content and caesura! Unfortunately for absentees, you missed the Alex and Noah reenactment of "Porphyria's Lover." I don't think any of us will forget the theatrical stylings of our actors today! Meanwhile, we spent the rest of the time discussing the poem and its features.

For homework, you are to complete the Shakespeare Crossword puzzle and the three pages dealing with Shakespeare's language (translations, reordering of sentences, analyzing sentences, and writing famous movie quotes into Shakespearian syntax).

We will delve into the three sonnet structures next week, villanelles, Shakespeare, and multiple choice next week!

Ah, My Adonais

After reviewing vocabulary for our next quiz (and we will take a moratorium on vocabulary next week to focus on Shakespeare and multiple choice passages), we resumed the poetry packet by focusing on the ode and the elegy. Since the ode, usually an apostrophe to an object or animal in accordance with the Romantic realm, elevates the given subject and is evident in Grecian Urns, Nightingales, and other poems of note, the blog will and should move onto the elegy. Ah, the elegy, a poem of mourning emphasizing the loss of superior soul exemplified by Shelley's "Adonais" and Whitman's "O Captain My Captain." On the 200th anniversary of my Keatsy's "On First Looking into Chapman's Homer," we spent time breaking apart the meter, imagery, and significance of his loss in poetry. (Hey, it doesn't hurt that he is compared to Adonis. See previously posted link for evidence.)

Second hour made it through the majority of Porphyria's hair-tingling death scene. Sorry, I had to phrase it that way. We will finish up talking the poem and breaking down all its components tomorrow.

Fourth hour, we have another elegy example tomorrow before dramatic monologues and sonnets.

COMPLETE THE PACKET QUESTIONS! The awkward silence occurring after I ask for responses to a question in the packet should not be happening.

Shakespeare A Co-Author?

Whenever I teach Shakespeare, the controversy of authorship always plays a part in our background information. Was Shakespeare, the man born in Stratford-upon-Avon, the author of his magnificent plays, or was this a pen name for an author or a group of authors wanting anonymity? Well, no matter what side of the debate you would like to believe, Oxford University Press has officially credited Christopher Marlowe as co-author of three plays! Holy Elizabethan England!

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/10/24/499144368/christopher-marlowe-officially-credited-as-co-author-of-3-shakespeare-plays?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=2050

Lyrical Roses & Beaches

After vocab today, we spent our hour on lyrical poetry, commencing with the packet's sample and related questions and transitioning into team close reads on "Dover Beach." (Fourth hour, you still have the last stanza to do!). In both circumstances, we are merging structure (rhyme scheme, meter, stanza) with content. For instance, looking at why Burns changes his rhyme pattern between quatrains 2 and 3 and what this suggests about poem's content and theme.

For tonight, read and answer questions relating to elegy and dramatic monologue.

And, if you want to look at free journals (at least through Sunday), here is a link for you: http://liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk/collections/journals.

The Ballad, better known as Lord Durango's Saga

Friday was about feet, and our growing identification of stressed and unstressed syllables in writing. Poetry, at least those featuring a recognizable meter, uses emphasis of sounds to further the meaning and the expression of ideas. Even if you meter is not a strong suit, you can still look for patterns of sounds and whether lines follow a pattern. I always count syllables first -- if three lines have the same syllable number, you probably have a metrical pattern in there. If the last syllable/word is emphasized, or stressed, you might have an iamb, a spondee, or an anapest. If you notice the heartbeat pattern, the up and down of unstressed and stressed, you have an iamb.

To add to our structural emphasis, we looked at meter and its form: monometer, dimeter, trimeter, tetrameter, pentameter, hexameter, heptameter, ooctameter, nonometer (nanometer).

We moved from beyond the steady, simple end rhyme to masculine, feminine, and internal rhyme.

We studied the ballad by reading, and sometimes falling into Scottish accents, "Bonny Barbara Allan," "Lord Randall," and " Get Up and Bar the Door." Bonny Barbara referencing the "universal theme" of dying for love, which seems quite cliched and ridiculous according to some readers. Lord Durango, the best name of the possible options given, dealing with a parent who will not let him go to bed without third degree interrogation. Goodman and Goodwife modeling poor relationship communication from their stubborn determination to win the silent game. As mentioned in the packet, the ballad exhibits characters, a narrative structure, dialogue, repetitive phrasing, and often a refrain to tie together the text.

For tonight's homework, read and complete the lyric and the ode sections of the poetry packet. We will chat about the given poems, and we will read more examples to help you see these poetry types in action.

Tomorrow should also be some Keats loving time with Shelley's elegy to the late, stunningly beautiful man. (Don't believe me -- here is an article dedicated to Keats: https://wordsworth.org.uk/blog/2016/08/18/picturing-john-keats/)

Feet

After vocab today, we began our focus on meter, the beats of syllables in poetry. The types of meter today were the iamb, trochee, anapest, dactyl, and spondee. In class, we practiced identifying meter by completing a handout (The Foot & Meter), which required us to identify words for their foot type and creating phrases/sentences that mixed and matched various forms of meter.

Next week, make sure you bring your textbook back to class and your new poetry packet. We will be talking stanzas, lines, and types of poetry.

Rangefinding

After starting vocab for unit 15, we spent the rest of the hour working with the poetry diagnostic prompt and its rangefinders. First, we completed a semi-close read analysis on the sonnet, noting that it contained alliteration, repetition (anaphora too), personification, and paradox. While that may satisfy some analysts, we were only halfway through - the prompt wanted us to consider the complexity of desire and its antagonistic role in the text and the vituperative tone throughout the speaker's exemplification of desire. And, I almost forgot, we also talked structure - the volta, the rhyme scheme. Just think if we went more in-depth with analysis!

After hearing the expectations for scoring a poetry prompt (and realizing that if you draw a picture in place of writing that you will score a 0), you found out the rangefinder scores, worked with a partner to analyze why it achieved this score, and shared your thoughts with the class. We learned many a tip through these rangefinders that will hopefully aid your future writing prompts.

At the end of class, you received your New Historicist essay and added it to your portfolio for safekeeping.

Tomorrow, be ready to talk about feet.

Poetry, Poetry, Poetry

We have been easing our way into poetry, its structure, its devices, its motifs, its conceits, its forced rhyme scheme.

Now, the time has come for serious, thorough, over-analysis of poetry, which will begin on Thursday and progress into Shakespeare next week.

In order to prep for Thursday, you will need your new vocab expert word ready to go, the Donne Songs & Sonnets box prompt completed, and the Rangefinders for the poetry diagnostic prompt scored. After we attend the items listed above, we will move onto feet. Yes, feet. And if you are not sure what feet have to do with poetry, you will very shortly.

And, I suppose I should highlight what we did in class today -- other than use our vocabulary words to critique essay writing. We discussed Donne's sonnets, shared Petrarch/Donne box prompts, and copied down unit 5 vocabulary. And, I wore my Abbey Road Dress by Leifsdottir, which has the same black, red, and white color symbolism as a Donne sonnet. As per my life, this was a completely random occurrence.

12:30 a.m.

I think Mickey says it all. New Historicist essay range 4-9. Second hour average 7.6; fourth hour average 6.59; overall average 7.06. Will return on Thursday -- with stickers but not of the Mouse variety.

The Songs

We were all singing Donne today -- and every persona that he introduces through "The Flea" to "The Paradox." As noted, Donne loves the conceit, the motif, the repetition of phrasing, the obvious forced rhyming. The partner/group analysis today was for participation.

Meanwhile, your third book card was due today, and for homework you have a box prompt on Petrarch and Donne's literary devices. As this requires only 1 literary device, you may have only 2 body boxes completed for this assignment.

Tomorrow is the sonnet side of the equation, and I need to find the poetry packet so we can study all the stanzas, meters, and types.

Donne Time

All classes commenced with the vocab 4 quiz, which any absentees will need to make up next week. 

The remainder of our time concentrated on getting to know John Donne, the Metaphysical poet of conceits, songs, and sonnets. After identifying the persona of "The Indifferent," we spent quality time with the biographical pages in your packet. Donne, a man of passion and many children, vacillated from songs of relationship to sonnets of faith and death. 

For homework, you have been assigned one song and one sonnet to close read and prep for next class.

Absentees, I did not forget you...

Pam = A Lecture Upon the Shadow; III

Shai = The Paradox;  IV

Emma = The Good-Morrow; V

Sarah = Woman's Constancy, VI

Hanna = Woman's Constancy: VI

Noah = The Anniversary, X

Courtney = A Valediction Forbidding Mourning; XVII

And, it's been on the board all week...Book Card # 3 is due Monday.

Indifference

After spending time staring at the MLA 8th edition alterations, I know that my feelings towards it are from from "indifferent," the adjective Donne uses as the title of his poem.

To begin class, we looked at a sample Works Cited page and its format. I then met with each of you to answer questions regarding citations, Works Cited entries, introductions, unity, and anything else that would aid your final draft.

Your final draft deadline is 3:30 p.m. on Friday. This will be turned in as a hard copy. If you are at school for any part of the day, you still have this deadline. If you are absent for the entire day, then you will e-mail/share your final draft with me and bring in a hard copy on Monday.

Next, we reviewed vocabulary for your quiz tomorrow. As a preview for those of you checking out the blog, it will be a class & individual verbal quiz.

Then, we returned to the Petrarch packet, looking at two translations of the first poem and how the change of diction creates adjustments in tone, meaning, and mood.

As we transition into Donne, we will be adding persona to our literary terms emphasis. Persona is the character adopted by the speaker in a poem. For instance, our "Fama" poem by Petrarch features a "conservative reverend" persona, or at least that is how the second hour girls feel.

In the last moments, we started "The Indifferent," making it only through one stanza. We will resume there tomorrow, learn more about Donne, and interpret his Songs.

Works Cited Sample

We will be talking about the Works Cited page tomorrow, but I thought you would like a sample now to start the process.

https://style.mla.org/files/2016/03/mla-sample-paper-fourth-year.pdf

The Petrarch Sonnet Analysis

After vocab, we spent the rest of the hour listening to classmates analyze the octave, sestet, theme, tone. literary elements, and sonnet connections. As both classes finished at the bell, you will not have additional homework beyond...

The New Historicist essay is due by 3: 30 p.m. on Friday, October 14. During class on Thursday, you will have the opportunity to ask any last minute questions, and we will talk about the Works Cited Page.

Book Card #3 is due on Monday, October 17.

Time, Eyes, and Cupid

After vocabulary, we returned to the world of Petrarch by reviewing Italian sonnet structure and how iambic pentameter creates a rhythm - the heartbeat Johnny shows Baby to feel during their Mambo - to add to the structure and flow.  An iamb is a combination of 2 syllables, the first unstressed and the second unstressed. Pentameter reflects the number of feet in a line, in this case five. Hence, a standard line of iambic pentameter features 10 syllables, starting unstressed and ending stressed. (I emphasize standard as Shakespeare likes to throw in an extra syllable or make a trochee here and there to emphasize various points in a text.)

Back to Petrarch, we looked at two more of his poems and the building motifs that occur. As a small group, you were then assigned one of the Petrarch's poems to analyze in the following manner:

1. Identify the theme/problem/question/argument proposed in the octave and analyze its significance.
2. Identify the conclusion/solution/answer/response given in the sestet and analyze its significance.
3. Identify and analyze the theme of the poem.
4. Identify the tone changes and analyze the purpose(s).
5. Select 3 literary elements and analyze each for its purpose/significance/etc.
6. Compare and contrast this poem with the other Petrarchan poems.

In class tomorrow, you will teach the above information to your classmates.

It's on the board -- Book Card 3 is due on October 17, first grade of second quarter. 

Organizing the Cards

Quite enjoyable - at least from my perspective - to throw flashcards on the floor and watch  my AP Lit community organize together to match poetry terms with definitions. While there may have been a few false answers, the overall picture reflected an understanding of literary terms, prefixes, and deductive reasoning.

After all the cards were presented in rows, we read one of Petrarch's poems -- or the affectionately regarded "Love is a Battlefield" poem. In the reading, we concentrated on motifs, personification, diction choices, and theme. Then, utilizing the original Italian, we focused on the structure of the poem, a representation of the Italian, or Petrarchan, sonnet structure. Hence, rhyme scheme (look it's ABBA), octave, sestet, and volta played a part.

For homework, close read the remaining 2 poems on pgs. 1-2 of your packet. We will talk about iambic pentameter next week and look closely at Petrarch's poetry and motifs. 

Auditory Peer Evaluations

After starting our unit 4 vocab experts, we spent the rest of the hour peer-evaluating the New Historicist essays. One by one, you read your essay out loud to help you and your peer group recognize strengths and weaknesses in your writing, whether this be in content, structure, evidence, or mechanics. My second hour group rocked -- we delineated specific means to help each group member excel and improve her writing.

If you were absent, you should share your essay with fellow classmates and receive peer feedback over the course of the next week. On Thursday next, we will have brief meetings regarding any further questions you have and to proof your Works Cited Page.

Speaking of MLA, how awesome is that handout with all the updates on the WC page and how to complete citations. Make sure to utilize this resource as you work on your citations.

Poetry starts tomorrow! Finally!

Diagnostic Poetry Prompt

The whole hour composed of your diagnostic poetry prompt. We will resume vocabulary on Thursday, have our peer evaluations of your first draft, and start poetry with Petrarch!

Absence Reminder

Those of AP Lit, the majority of you are checking the blog when you are absent. Be aware that if we have a discussion in class and you miss it due to absence, you are required to show your notes for the text the day you return. Many of you are following through with this expectation, so make sure to stay on top of your reading assignments and notes.

*If you don't want to wait for the next class, you can also take a picture of your notes and send it to me for your participation points.

A Little Inspiration from the Pen of Anne Rice

Tomorrow, October 4, is author Anne Rice's 75th birthday. Rice has been part of my library for over 20 years now with her Vampire Chronicles and Mayfair Witches. While I was reading some of her quotes tonight, I came upon the following, which details how much authors do consider purpose in using words and sentences and the impact of their writing choices. Hence, I posted this for AP Lang and for you.

"The right word, the right rhythm, the right length of the sentences, the right paragraph, all that is important. It’s very important. You’re inviting someone to come into a drama. You’re asking them to let themselves be spellbound. All those ingredients matter as you create that spell. The white space on the page matters. The exclamation point, the question mark, all of it matters. I’ve had to mute exclamation points. I hear them, I see them, I feel them when I write. And then I have to take them out because they are too loud for the reader. They leap off the page. I wish there was some little sign we had that was half an exclamation point."

While Rice may not have created her own language like Dahl's gobblefunk, she did create a world of supernatural angst, fervency, and catharsis that has produced incredible imagery, motifs, and characterization (the child vampire, Claudia, who would never grow up).

Here are a few quotes from Rice and her novels to give you a sense of the author. I found the majority of these on goodreads.com

• “None of us really changes over time. We only become more fully what we are.” - The Vampire Lestat
• “You do have a story inside you; it lies articulate and waiting to be written — behind your silence and your suffering.” 
• “Give me a man or woman who has read a thousand books and you give me an interesting companion. Give me a man or woman who has read perhaps three and you give me a very dangerous enemy indeed.” - The Witching Hour
• “To write something you have to risk making a fool of yourself.”
• “There is one purpose to life and one only: to bear witness to and understand as much as possible of the complexity of the world- its beauty, its mysteries, its riddles.” - Servant of the Bones

Prepping the New Historicist Essay

After writing down unit 4 vocabulary and finding out your assigned expert word, we spent the rest of the hour in conferences discussing your organizational chart for the New Historicist essay and reviewing your Grendel box prompt.

Tomorrow will be the first step of our poetry unit - a diagnostic box prompt, which will be evaluated on half completion and half content. Then, we will be spending some quality time, not the 365 days of poems that he composed, with Petrarch, the man who epitomizes sonnet structure, motifs of time and battles, and adores the ever untouchable Laura.

For Thursday's peer edit, make sure to have a Google document ready to go. We will be working on auditory and visual peer editing during class.