Monday's Slideshow

Please remember to have your homework complete for Tuesday/Wednesday. Information is available in the previous post.

We finished the Battle activity today and learned some important lessons:

1. Sometimes the "how" effects of different devices are similar. For example, both the "helmet and rifle" metonymy and the "sank like moles" simile have a dehumanizing effect. When this happens, it's fun to make these connections in our essays. Sometimes however, a "how" idea may not connect to any others. That's okay too. The main thing is to have as many how ideas as possible.

2. We also learned that because the evidence we use to form our "why" interpretation statements is the same for everyone, our interp statements are similar to others'. For example, both your classes and last year's classes developed similar interp "chains" for the Battle. The poem focuses on:

- dehumanization of soldiers
- depersonalization of soldiers
- physical and mental horrors of war
- lack of control for the soldiers
- failing hope and optimism

This helps us realize that poetry is actually a lot less subjective than we might think if we approach it as poetry scientists gathering data and constructing hypotheses based on our findings.

3. To encourage us to be brave and try to share all of our ideas, we also watched this motivational slide show on "speculative language." You may want to try some of these out on your interpretation practice homework.

Homework due Tuesday 9/18 or Wednesday 9/19

Please complete a minimum of two of the three interpretation practice poems to hand in on Tuesday/Wednesday. Everyone must complete the poem "Collection Day" but you have your choice between "Storm Warnings" and "As I Sit and Sew". Make sure to practice writing complex (multi chain) interpretation statements.

Then please read the section on Imagery (444-450) and Diction 436-444) in your books, learning any terms and practicing with the poems in those sections.

Due Thursday/Friday

Here is the slideshow from class today which reflects on the difference between rhetoric and literature as well as more suggestions on how to develop an interpretation statement.

For Thursday/Friday, you will need to complete two tasks in this order.

1. Read the handout "The Happy Synergy of Interpretation and Analysis"
2. Read the section on Figurative Language in your book, pages 451-457.

Doc and due Monday

Associative Thinking

Reading due Monday

Interpretation Generation

Also, please have a parent acknowledge our polices by having them sign a note stating so. Syllabus powerpoint is available here.

Assignment due Tuesday/Wednesday (in case you want to get a head start over the weekend)

Poetry "Mad-Lib" Assignment

Due Thursday (A-Day) and Friday (B-Day)

Homework:

Write an analysis of the following poem. I know this probably seems impossible to you, which is okay because this is a pretest and worth completion points!

In your analysis, you may wish to consider such things as structure, diction, figurative language, and imagery. DO NOT CONSULT ONLINE RESOURCES!

This assignment is graded on completion, so please don't worry and just show me what you can do. This entire assignment (thinking and writing) should take 40 minutes. Set a timer, and stop where you are when that time has elapsed, even if it is in the middle of a sentence. I really just want to see what you can do in 40 minutes.

Design

I found a dimpled spider, fat and white,
On a white heal-all*, holding up a moth
Like a white piece of rigid satin cloth --
Assorted characters of death and blight
Mixed ready to begin the morning right,
Like the ingredients of a witches' broth --
A snow-drop spider, a flower like a froth,
And dead wings carried like a paper kite.

What had that flower to do with being white,
The wayside blue and innocent heal-all?
What brought the kindred spider to that height,
Then steered the white moth thither in the night?
What but design of darkness to appall?--
If design govern in a thing so small.

* heal-all: a flower that is normally blue

Also, please do your best to have your parent/guardian acknowledge the course policies as presented in syllabus slide show. If your parent/guardian is not available tonight, please try to have it to turn in on Monday. Syllabus slideshow is available here.

End of the year work!

We are almost done you guys! Below you will find info on the main things that stand in between you and being done with AP Lit!

Citizen Kane Essays: Due by Friday, 5/25 on Turnitin.


Device Analysis

Please write a 2 page minimum (typed, double-spaced) reflection paper on the use of a minimum of 3 film techniques in Citizen Kane. Please describe the specific technique and analyze its effect and how its use contributes to the meaning of the film. There are no structural requirements for the paper, but the paper should be written in formal voice.

Character Analysis

Write a character analysis paper focusing on Charles Foster Kane. Again, it will be in formal voice, 2 pages, double-spaced, but no structure requirements. Consider discussing Kane's influences, motivations, desires, fears, relationships with others, etc. Do your best to use some quotations or near quotations from the movie.

Final Reflection Essays: Due by Monday, June 4th at 10:00pm.


Things Fall Apart: We will discuss this book starting with Chapters 1-8 on Monday, the 21st. Please note that you will need to pick up a copy from the library. Check back later for a confirmation of when we will be able to get the book from the library.

Review Sheets

Below are the links for review sheets. Please spend some time this weekend reviewing the plays and your class notes on poetry, prose, and Wuthering Heights. You may want to review some poetry terms that you haven't thought about in a while by using your placemat or the glossary in the back of red book. You will also want to read the prompts you didn't write on, so that you have some essays to think about as well. Most importantly, begin to work on your sleep habits so that you are well rested on Wednesday. There is no studying more important than getting a good night's sleep.

Period 3 Review Sheets
Period 7 Review Sheets