Your Role in King Lear

In all hours, we are through with Act I and will have Act II on Monday. Additionally, you were assigned the King Lear Diary/Journal, which will involve you becoming one of the Lear characters and crafting the background, activities, and randomness that reflects a round character. If absent, you will need to pick up this assignment and find out what character you will be. Beyond having Act II ready to go, complete the third MC passage, timing yourself 12 minutes.

Father-Daughter Bonding

As we looked at the remainder of Act I, we saw the new empowered role that Goneril has assumed and how her specialty of gaslighting her father has completely flopped their relationship. Tomorrow we will finish anything remaining in Act I, talk about the journal/diary project, and try out another MC passage. And, don't forget to have Act II ready to go for Monday.

Other Daddies

If you haven't noticed, we spent a great deal of time overanalyzing the opening speeches of our King Lear characters today and seeking out the characters that rhyme, the enjambment, the caesura, the fluctuating iambic pentameter, the birth order behaviors, the id and its ugly effusiveness, the displacement, the opening sight/blindness motif (probably important later), and Edmund's soliloquy. With that in mind, you know exactly what you need to look for to finish Act I for next class.

2: We finished up our "Daddy" psychoanalysis with the last conceit and the psychological impact of realizing that your paramour happens to have the same "black heart" as your father. Oops. We then moved into our opening scene, the set up of status, parent and children relationships, and the background of the plot all via Gloucester, Kent, and that guy hanging out in the corner, Edmund. Ever think he was practicing his later soliloquy during this time? Then, we broke down all our major character's speeches for structure, psychology, and literary elements. Our last moments looked at Edmund's actual soliloquy and all the techniques inherently involved in creating the doubts of the bastard, the ills of society's judgment, and the eventual switch to a displaced vengeance.

4: We have done all of the above for second hour and finished 1.2 as well - looking at poor Edgar's role in his brother Edmund's plot. How fun that Edmund actually joined the rhyming club for one couplet - although, I think we agree he is trying to be the "good guy" in his verbal gymnastics. That's probably why he can't stick to iambic pentameter for very long.

7: We started off with MC Passage 2 to practice previewing the questions prior to the close reading. Ultimately, it is up to your personal preference whether your question or close read first. Afterwards, we worked our way through 1.1 (as noted in previous hours) and will be overanalyzing Edmund's soliloquy to start off next class.

Daddy

To return to our two-sided focus of poetry and psychoanalysis, all hours looked at a close reading of "Daddy," which highlighted that regressive tendency and the Electra complex of the speaker, the "oo" sound impact and how its sporadic usage impact the childlike persona of the speaker's memories, the big 3 conceits with those feet (synecdoche), those Nazis, and those supernatural vampires, the meandering enjambment, and the trauma of the real occurring from all of this! s hour still needs to finish up this one, but I think you may have noticed all the content pulled from this poem that you may not have been able to do three months ago. We will be working with King Lear 1.1 in detail (fourth hour started the process with everyone's "father of the year" Gloucester and his retelling of his "*****son's" conception). After looking at this opening, it will be about Lear, his daughters, Kent (anyone else see him as the son that Lear never had?), the very sparse rhyming and who has that honor, caesura, enjambment, broken iambic pentameter, forced rhyme, and all those other literary elements hiding within the prose and poetic lines. Make sure you have read 1.2 as well - did you figure out Edmund's favorite letter/sound yet?

Siblings

As I have exactly zero ethos on siblings, it was refreshing to hear the common characteristics of birth order and how that influences behavior, relationships, and careers. Why were we talking about birth order? To prep for the psychoanalysis of 3 sisters and 2 brothers in King Lear, of course! In all classes, we looked at the terminology of psychoanalysis - primarily defense mechanisms, anxieties, id, ego, superego, and a few Lacan theories on objet petit a and the trauma of the real.

To have something to do over break, you have the close read of "Daddy" by Sylvia Plath (I recommend looking at poetry elements and the psychoanalysis of the speaker, who is so related to Plath herself that you may want to check out a biography of her to help with your understanding.) It's online - just Google to find and have your notes ready.

In addition, you are to read and take notes analyzing literary elements and psychoanalysis of characters in King Lear 1.1. If you don't have a copy, I recommend googling the text - you will find it many a place.

When we return, we have Daddy, Lear (hold on - another Daddy - wait, was this purposeful?), more MC, your journal/diary/blog assignment, and everything else to wrap up the semester of poetry, Shakespeare, and psychoanalysis!

The Prose & The Psychoanalysis

2 & 4: Taking a slight break from poetry, we completed another MC passage, the second one, that was in prose style with several questions ranging from tone to paradox. Afterwards, we started our look at psychoanalysis and its ideas regarding the unconscious and repression. We will be back to familial issues tomorrow and then it is time for Lear!

7: We analyzed and galloped to sonnets 116 and 130. Both sonnets gave several opportunities to participate in poetry and rhythmic knowledge. Kudos to Danny for reading your latest box prompt for Sonnet 138 in fluent iambic pentameter: In regards to Sonnet 138, how does Shakespeare use poetic elements to reflect the overall theme of the poem?And, if you don't have the handout, you can create boxes of your own on notebook paper because this is due tomorrow! Also for tomorrow, do research on birth order and dream symbolism for our foray into psychoanalysis. As noted in class, we will be focusing solely on psychoanalysis tomorrow, which means we will return back to MC passages after break. 

Contemporary Galloping

2 & 4: After over-analyzing sonnets 116 &130, we spent the rest of the time galloping, and in creative fashions, forward and backward, horse stance and forward kicks, famous dance moves, just about anything imaginable! For Monday's class, you have a new box prompt for Sonnet 138 (the last poem in your packet and can be found online in multiple places):  In regards to Sonnet 138, how does Shakespeare use poetic elements to reflect the overall theme of the poem?And, if you don't have the handout, you can create boxes of your own on notebook paper! Also for Monday, do research on birth order and dream symbolism for our foray into psychoanalysis.

7: We are a tad behind the other classes, but we are galloping, so we've have nothing to complain about! After finishing our Sonnet 18 gallop, we tried our hand at our first MC passage, starting with close reading and moving into identifying question types and answering the questions. For next class - whatever day that might be - you will need sonnets 116 & 130 close read and over-analyzed. And yes, more galloping will occur! And, congrats for your perfect score on the first MC passage - the only AP Lit class to do so!

The Choices Begin

We are all in the midst of multiple choice and Shakespeare in class while I am still fired up over the absolutely ridiculous Dancing with the Stars results last evening. I usually save my ire for verbal criticism directed at the television, but since I am supposed to be more "calm," I can at least write down how the great, the marvelous Cheryl Burke and her partner, the smoldering Juan Pablo di Pace, deserve a lot better. Seriously, how can you have a better tango with all the leg wraps: Argentine Tango! Or, to have an actual celebrity partner do Samba rolls - in 2 directions: Samba! I think I shall rant about this for several days or future seasons of the show, which I also did when Gilles Marini did not win! Focusing back on AP Lit, our hours continued forward with our plans of merging multiple choice and Shakespeare.

2 & 4: We completed a MC passage as a class - with this version beginning with the close read, then categorizing the questions, then answering the questions. Both classes scored 9/10 - missing that "except" question. For homework, you have the close reading, the over-analysis of Sonnets 116 & 130. You will be in charge of class tomorrow, so make sure you have the structure, iambic pentameter, and poetic elements ready to go. Plus, we'll have some galloping (stretch before class if needed)!

7: In the Shakespeare world, we Shakespearized versions of famous movie quotes, we looked at Sonnet 18 for its structure and its meaning, its iambic pentameter, and its galloping potential!

To Gallop Or Not To Gallop

Today began our galloping cardio work or the physical representation of iambic pentameter. While you can't literally jump and gallop during the AP exam, you can at least use the skills to identify rhythm in the future. We will gallop more later in the week or, in the case of seventh hour, tomorrow!

2 & 4: Sonnet 18 was on center stage today as we identified iambic pentameter and then galloped across the room for each of its 14 lines (3 times each = a minimum of 420 steps). If you would like to see the video is non-purple specific color, here is the link: Teaching Shakespeare Iambic Pentameter. At the end of class, we overviewed the MC portion and will have our first passage tomorrow.

7: While I can't wait to see the galloping antics of this hour, it will have to wait until we make it through our opening Shakespearean diction and translation portion. First, we reviewed all of our poetry terms, then we looked at common phrasing and verb tricks, then we insulted one another, then we worked on a crossword to practice all of the phrasing. I'm typing this during 6th hour, so you may have some translating work to do in the packet for tomorrow.

A Start to Shakespeare

Due to shortened classes, our intro to Shakespeare was quite low-key!

2 & 4: We looked at our crossword, translated expressions, and listened to Tom Hiddleston read Sonnet 18 to us. Alas, he could not be here in person! Sonnets, MC, Psychoanalysis, and King Lear are all on the horizon!

7: We finished up the poetry packet with all those sonnets! Next class will review all those poetry terms!

Monologues, Sonnets, Villanelles, & Insults

The poetry packet is coming to its conclusion, which means its time to put all of these poetical feet, stanzas, sound devices, and terms into action with Shakespeare. I probably have mentioned another poetry style, the aubade, in passing, as it is not the most noted poem for the AP test. Here is a little sample and background of aubades: https://literarydevices.net/aubade/.

2: We began the hour looking at 4 types of poems - each of which we can identify by looking at its structure and not its content - Italian/Petrarchan Sonnet, Shakespearian Sonnet, Spenserian Sonnet, and the Villanelle. I mentioned in fourth hour that whenever I take a poetry test and have to identify the types of poems, I always look for the aforementioned four as the rhyme scheme or the stanza length will lead you in the proper direction. With the packet out of the way. we moved into Shakespeare by insulting one another! Hopefully, you will use your new knowledge of insults in the appropriate times! For homework, you need to finish the crossword puzzle in the Shakespeare packet.

4: We started with dramatic monologue and its performance and then moved into all of the the same stuff as second hour. For homework, you are crafting the perfect insult and then finishing the crossword puzzle.

7: We most likely will not be fully finished with the poetry packet, so that shall occur tomorrow. Today's class revolved on the less-controversial interpretations of elegies, dramatic monologues, and sonnets. We are setting up for Shakespeare work, so I hope you will be ready to find that iambic pentameter and gallop!

Odes, Elegies, & Monologues

We continue our way through the poetry packet - with not too many types of poetry left to cover! That means you need to have ethos on every type of poem and all of the poetic terms - new or old - for our future analysis.

2: We spent our time finishing up "Adonais" and looking at "O Captain" to finish up our look at elegies and all those caesuras! To make class even more "interesting," Carsyn and Ashlyn volunteered to perform the ever-dramatic "Porphyria's Lover." We will finish up the packet tomorrow by looking at all of those sonnets and the villanelle! Then, our life will be Shakespeare and MC and psychoanalysis!

4: Our class finished up the "Ode," looking at the varying interpretations of the French Revolution and the dirge of Romantic thought in poetry. Then, we spent quality time with the elegy and all the examples of caesura filtering through the poems. Tomorrow, we will be with Porphyria, or at least with her for a little time.

7: I have never seen such passion on the debate whether "Ode to the West Wind" represents the French Revolution or the philosophical Romantic Revolution! I hope we won't have anyone going to the guillotine! We spent quality time on this ode, which was well worth it to break down all of the various poetic elements. Tomorrow will be elegies and the rest of the packet (or at least an attempt at it)!

Eleventh

If you are not aware, the centennial of the end of WWI will be this Sunday with many memorials and commemorations of the event that occurred at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. Originally, we were going to have an AP Lit celebration to mark this historical event and close read poetry of the war. Alas, we are a bit behind in schedule and have much to do to finish the semester with all of our skills and readings, so we will have to shelve the actual party. (It looks like our big party will have to be for our Canterbury Tales next semester.) Instead, here are links to the poets of WWI, which you may find occasion to read this November 11 in memorial of those who lost their lives, fought for their country, and became part of history. (Or, you can use it as an excuse to practice finding all of the poetic elements.)

"The Soldier" by Rupert Brooke, who died on his way to Gallipoli, age 27, once considered the "handsomest young man in England" by Yeats. He is probably the most famed WWI poet, or at least the one that pops up in Scholar Quiz competitions from time to time.

"For the Fallen" by Laurence Binyon, which was composed to honor the British Expeditionary Force casualties at the Western Front and read annually for ANZAC Day and other remembrance days.

"The Man He Killed" by Thomas Hardy, which was written prior to WWI, but I often include this into the poems of WWI as its sentiment was a precursor to what occurred to many soldiers.

"The German Ward" by Emma Brittain, who was a VAD nurse during the war and would eventually write a memoir in the 1930s detailing how her experience led her to a pacifist philosophy.

And even if I'm not a fan, Hemingway's works detailing soldiers and their experiences still do create a realistic view of the war and its after effects (A Farewell to Arms is the best novel, in my eyes, by him). A short story of his to ponder: "Soldier's Home".

And lastly, I was not aware of this poet until about a month ago, but she has quite the biography surrounding her writing. Introducing Mary Borden "Forgotten" Female Poet; the article has many links and samples of her writing, but here is a link to one of her poems: "At the Somme: The Song of the Mud".

If we ever do end up with extra time later on, we may brings these poems in. In the meanwhile, you have an excellent opportunity to revere the past and its poets.

Shelley & Keats

As we continue through our poetry work, you may have noted that class began with a review of all the feet, meter, stanzas, and rhymes. For those of you "passing" at this point, this is non-negotiable material that you have to know. As we continued through the poetry packet, more poetry terms popped up: apostrophe (hello, old friend from our previous Donne poems), enjambment, and caesura. All three of these elements are of consequence to poetry and necessary to know the definition, be able to pick out in a poem, and analyze the significance of this addressee. The poetry packet sets up all of this knowledge in a helpful manner by giving definitions and pointing out passages (quite obviously at times) where to find these elements. With such an aid in your hands, you have the companion to teach you the poetic terms and styles and keep utilizing these devices throughout all of our poetry work - including Shakespare and MC, both to begin this week at some point! Jeez, I have a lot of copies to make!

2: We made it through the Odes and are partially through our Elegies, which will continue with "Adonais" next time. I know you are all just biding your time until the dramatic monologue, but we have to do the lugubrious poems first! Make sure you are completing your poetry packet and actively engaging with the poems and the given questions and suggestions for interpretations.

4: We are currently finished with the Lyrics and are almost so with our Ode, which we will finish up next time before going into the Elegies and the Dramatic Monologue. We had a great class today, so keep up with the packet and be prepared to answer all questions relating to the poems. I was actually on fairly good behavior regarding Shelley in your class, so we shall see if that continues into "Adonais."

7: Hmm...I'm going to try for a little clairvoyancy prior to class starting or ending, so I will use my earlier experiences today to predict our class agenda and our plans for next time around. I have a strong feeling that we will work with Lyrics today - from the poetry packet and the textbook samples - and will start working with Odes (even if it is Shelley and not Keats in this circumstance). For next class, continue with the Elegy and Dramatic Monologue in the packet.

It's Benjamin Banneker Week!

In exciting news, it is Benjamin Banneker week, which celebrates the revered writer, scientist, and all-around savant. I must say that one of the highlights of teaching AP Lang for all of these years is my introduction to Banneker, his historical significance, his brilliance as a savant, and his letter-writing abilities to our old buddy Tommy J.

 Here is a little more information from a fun website of daily, weekly, and monthly celebrations: https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/benjamin-banneker-week/. 

And, to make this a little more relevant and applicable, you will notice that there are 2 activities for celebrating Banneker's role in our lives. 

The first is to make a clock face (non-working) using mathematics to represent the numbers 1-12 (so don't literally write 1, 2, and so forth but construct formulas or mathematical expressions to represent each number). Here is a picture I found online (which may be blocked since it originally came from facebook) of such a clock, which looks to be made out of cardboard: https://www.facebook.com/events/1601106116857922. 

The second is to compose a poem that actually features mathematical puzzles for the reader to solve. Here are some examples: https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/courses/resources/mathematical-puzzles-benjamin-banneker. As you can see the word problems are divided up into verse form, which means you can play with rhyme and diction and poetic elements to express math. 

So to make this interesting and decorate my room, you have the challenge of constructing a 3 dimensional clock (so not on typing paper but with a more solid material - creative materials add to the presentation) and/or a mathematical poem on decorated construction paper/cardboard/posterboard for extra credit. The poem can have combined mathematical puzzles to boost the level of difficulty and content. All the math must be accurate - and, yes, I am a polymath (at least that is what Joe Cassidy calls me) and have right and left brain talents. The clock will be worth a maximum of 35 points, and the mathematical poem will be worth a maximum of 20 points. Points will be awarded for originality, mathematical connection, presentation, and effort, which means those utilizing the most clever materials, math, and presentation will amass the most points. 

You can do one of each by the way. The due date for this extra credit, which must be in person, is Monday, November 12, so you have one week on this extra credit opportunity. This must be turned in via hard copy (obviously) by 2:40 p.m. on that day. If you have any questions, e-mail me for clarifications. Otherwise, I am looking forward to the final products! Especially since I had about 8 clocks last year and no poems! Photo below - you can tell which had a little more effort than others. 

The Ballad & A Bit of Lyric

2: We started off with the ballad and ended with the lyric, looking at all the characteristics of each poem type, practicing the identification of meter, stanza, sound devices, repetition, rhyme scheme, and other dynamics of poetry. For Monday, you will need to work on the ode, elegy, and dramatic monologue sections for participation and clarification of poetic elements.

4: We looked at different types of rhyme and then spent quality time with the ballads and an introduction to lyric poetry. We will have one more sample of lyrical poetry before moving forward into ode and elegy, which you  need to have completed in your poetry packet.

7: It looks like the update did not save, but seventh hour's agenda involved all those frisky ballads with elegies and odes to come next week.

The Foot Becomes a Line

In all AP Lit hours, we are in the midst of improving our poetic vernacular, breaking words into syllables, and determining unstressed and stressed sound combinations. At this point, all of you have broken down the "g" words on the foot & meter handouts, finding all the iamb, trochee, spondee, dactyl, and anapest feet. For second hour and fourth hour, you also shared your creative lines from the second half of the handout; seventh hour will share their phrases tomorrow. In addition, second hour made it through the next few pages of the poetry packet with line, stanza, and rhyme terminology and the introduction of our first poetic genre, the ballad. Second hour's homework is to read the ballad example and respond/close read for the attached questions/statements afterwards.

P.S. We will be using your lit books in class for sample poems. Make sure to have yours with you!