Over this past semester of AP English Literature, I grew my skills as an analyst of literature as well as an essay writer. In the beginning of the year, I felt in over my head attempting to write high quality essays. I initially realized I needed a lot of work to improve my ability to critically analyze both poetry and prose passages. I also needed practice developing my thoughts into an essay in a very brief amount of time.
The major portion of this class that has helped my development has been our group presentations. With these projects, I have been able to work with my peers to develop conclusions of literature that I would have never seen by my lonesome. The complexities between binary opposites and other motifs would have been muddled without these group projects. From fairy tales to myths, my group variety of different passages that shed light on the complex attitudes that can be found in literature.
In general, what I really appreciated about 6th Bell AP Lit was the community that was formed within the class. Analyzing difficult passages did not have to be an individual thing. Not only with the small groups, but also with the entire class, many different minds and perspectives came together to look at literature from all angles. This immersion gave me a better understanding of literature, and I will carry with me a better understanding of how to look at devices such as symbolism, purposeful diction, and extended metaphors and the results of using these many devices. I have certainly improved quite a bit in my semester in AP Lit, and I hope to continue this journey as the AP Test approaches.
Monday, December 14, 2015
Thursday, December 3, 2015
Blog #14: Paired Poems Group Presentation
First Draft Essay:
2008B
In both poems "Golden Retrievals" and "Hawk Roosting" the authors, Mark Doty and Ted Hughes, view life from the perspective of an animal to contrast the differences between action and inaction. Each poem discusses the allures of either being content with the present or hurrying forward into the future. By using the unique animalistic perspectives and
juxtaposition of life and death, each poem argues why people should either live for consistency or strive for change.
In "Golden Retrievals", Mark Doty takes the perspective of a dog to contend that people need to move forward in life. The speaker– the dog–describes his owner as struggling to move forward in her life. It is likely that the owner has experienced a tragic event that has her "off in some fog concerning– tomorrow" (10). The dog, on the other hand, lives life carefree, not being dragged down by any negativity. The speaker even proclaims, "My work: to unsnare time's warp" (11). Although time tends to drag us all down, Doty argues we should not be disheartened by today's struggles. On the other hand, in "Hawk Roosting", Ted Hughes contends the opposite. In this poem, the speaker embodies a hawk, pleased with his life, content with living in the present. In the beginning of the poem, the speaker remarks of his life, "Inaction, no falsifying dream" (2). He views his simple life as perfection. The speaker sees no point in trying to move froward when he is satisfied with what he has. Put directly, "I am going to keep things like this" (24).
Both poems juxtapose the essence of life and death. In "Golden Retrievals", the speaker says, "muck, pond, ditch, residue of any thrillingly dead thing" (5,6). Specifically, Doty's imagery of "thrillingly" indicated that the speaker does not fear death, but rather sees it as a new adventure to undertake. This reinforces the general message of the poem to not fear the future but to anticipate it. In "Hawk Roosting" the speaker once again takes a different perspective, declaring, "I kill where I please because it is all mine" (14). In this poem, the hawk illustrates death as weak, a characteristic of prey. Ted Hughes contends that life should be sacred and lived out as fully as possible. These two poems use illustrations of life and death to make two different arguments about the correct approach to life.
Through these animal perspectives and the contrast between life and death, each of these poems makes an argument on how to live life to the fullest.
Friday, November 20, 2015
Blog #13: Paired Poems Revision (Chimney Sweeper)
In his two poems, both titled "The Chimney Sweeper", William Blake laments on the abhorrent conditions that young chimney sweepers faced. Although incredibly similar in structure-- both poems employ comparable rhyme schemes--, Blake's differing descriptions of the relationship between life and death suggest a reason why working conditions were so dreadful. Through his use of rhyming quatrains and contrasting imagery, Blake chastises society's ignorance for a minority group's suffering.
Constant in both poems is the use of quatrains with a simple rhyme scheme. The 1789 poem adopts an AABB rhyme scheme, while the 1794 poem employs an ABAB rhyme scheme. Blake's use of simple quatrains in both poems demonstrates the innocence of the child chimney sweep. This structure gives the poems a youthful, naive ambiance. By using this ironic sing-songy rhyme scheme in these poems, Blake highlights the atrocious conditions a young child should not have to face. The contrast of the rhyming with the subject matter leave a heart-wrenching impact on the reader. Furthermore, this contrast shows the despicable viewpoint of society to allow these children to suffer.
The two poems differ in their craft of imagery. In the 1789 poem, Blake contrasts the hope that the afterlife will be worth going through the hardships of being a chimney sweep. The opposition between "coffins of black" (1789, 12) and "green plain, leaping, laughing"(1789, 15) demonstrate how people could possibly accept the terrible working conditions of chimney sweeps. This indicates that the job of chimney sweeps represents death (the coffin) while the afterlife is where true life is. The seemingly illogical conclusion that death will be far better for the chimney sweeps is what keeps them working and keeps outsiders from trying to induce change. The 1794 poem also uses contrast, although in a different way than the first poem. In this poem, Blake contrasts the inevitability of death with the blessing of life, no matter how soul-sucking that life may be. Blake describes the chimney sweep wearing "the clothes of death"(1794,7) and singing"the notes of woe" (1794,8). However, even with the harsh conditions, his parents are still thankful he is alive. In this poem, Blake paints members of society as ignorant of the chimney sweeps' issues because they view death as much worse, that it is the punishment for reaching the end of life. Society believes after life is "a heaven of our misery"(1794, 12). Because of this, the chimney sweeps should feel grateful they're still living, despite the massive hardships they face. Both poems demonstrate unique viewpoints society may have on the relationship between life and death. In the 1789 poem, society treats death as the reward for hardwork in life. In the other, death as seen as a punishment for discontinuing life. In both poems, William Blake uses contrasting imagery to display society's apathy towards helping the young, suffering chimney sweeps.
In both these poems, William Blake, through simple rhyme scheme and contrasting imagery, criticizes society's disregard for helping the working conditions of those such as chimney sweeps.
Constant in both poems is the use of quatrains with a simple rhyme scheme. The 1789 poem adopts an AABB rhyme scheme, while the 1794 poem employs an ABAB rhyme scheme. Blake's use of simple quatrains in both poems demonstrates the innocence of the child chimney sweep. This structure gives the poems a youthful, naive ambiance. By using this ironic sing-songy rhyme scheme in these poems, Blake highlights the atrocious conditions a young child should not have to face. The contrast of the rhyming with the subject matter leave a heart-wrenching impact on the reader. Furthermore, this contrast shows the despicable viewpoint of society to allow these children to suffer.
The two poems differ in their craft of imagery. In the 1789 poem, Blake contrasts the hope that the afterlife will be worth going through the hardships of being a chimney sweep. The opposition between "coffins of black" (1789, 12) and "green plain, leaping, laughing"(1789, 15) demonstrate how people could possibly accept the terrible working conditions of chimney sweeps. This indicates that the job of chimney sweeps represents death (the coffin) while the afterlife is where true life is. The seemingly illogical conclusion that death will be far better for the chimney sweeps is what keeps them working and keeps outsiders from trying to induce change. The 1794 poem also uses contrast, although in a different way than the first poem. In this poem, Blake contrasts the inevitability of death with the blessing of life, no matter how soul-sucking that life may be. Blake describes the chimney sweep wearing "the clothes of death"(1794,7) and singing"the notes of woe" (1794,8). However, even with the harsh conditions, his parents are still thankful he is alive. In this poem, Blake paints members of society as ignorant of the chimney sweeps' issues because they view death as much worse, that it is the punishment for reaching the end of life. Society believes after life is "a heaven of our misery"(1794, 12). Because of this, the chimney sweeps should feel grateful they're still living, despite the massive hardships they face. Both poems demonstrate unique viewpoints society may have on the relationship between life and death. In the 1789 poem, society treats death as the reward for hardwork in life. In the other, death as seen as a punishment for discontinuing life. In both poems, William Blake uses contrasting imagery to display society's apathy towards helping the young, suffering chimney sweeps.
In both these poems, William Blake, through simple rhyme scheme and contrasting imagery, criticizes society's disregard for helping the working conditions of those such as chimney sweeps.
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Blog #12: Paired Poems Benchmark Essay & Reflection (Chimney Sweeper)
In his two poems, both titled "The Chimney Sweeper", William Blake describes the abhorrent conditions that young chimney sweepers faced. Although incredibly similar in structure-- both poems employ comparable rhyme schemes--, Blake's differing descriptions of the relationship between life and death suggest a reason why working conditions were so dreadful. Through his use of rhyming quatrains and contrasting imagery, Blake chastises society's ignorance for a minority group's suffering.
Constant in both poems is the use of quatrains with a simple rhyme scheme. The 1789 poem adopts an AABB rhyme scheme, while the 1794 poem employs an ABAB rhyme scheme. Blake's use of quatrains in both poems demonstrates the innocence of the child chimney sweep. By using this ironic sing-songy rhyme scheme in these poems, Blake highlights the atrocious conditions a young child should not have to face. The contrast of the rhyming with the subject matter leave a heart-wrenching impact on the reader. Furthermore, this contrast shows the despicable viewpoint of society to allow these children to suffer.
The two poems differ in their craft of imagery. In the 1789 poem, Blake contrasts the hope that the afterlife will be worth going through the hardships of being a chimney sweep. The contrast between "coffins of black" (1789, 12) and "green plain, leaping, laughing"(1789, 15) demonstrate how people could possibly accept the terrible working conditions of chimney sweeps. The seemingly illogical conclusion that death will be far better for the chimney sweeps is what keeps them working and keeps outsiders from trying to induce change. The 1794 poem also uses contrast, although in a different way than the first poem. In this poem, Blake contrasts the inevitability of death with the blessing of life, no matter how soul-sucking that life may be. Blake describes the chimney sweep wearing "the clothes of death"(1794,7) and singing"the notes of woe" (1794,8). However, even with the harsh conditions, his parents are still thankful he is alive. In this poem, Blake paints members of society as ignorant of the chimney sweeps' issues because they view death as much worse, that it is the punishment for reaching the end of life. Society believes after life is "a heaven of our misery"(1794, 12). Because of this, the chimney sweeps should feel grateful they're still living, despite the massive hardships they face. Both poems demonstrate unique viewpoints society may have on the relationship between life and death. In the 1789 poem, society treats death as the reward for hardwork in life. In the other, death as seen as a punishment for discontinuing life. In both poems, William Blake uses contrasting imagery to display society's apathy towards helping the young, suffering chimney sweeps.
In both these poems, William Blake, through simple rhyme scheme and contrasting imagery, laments on society's disregard for helping the working conditions of those such as chimney sweeps.
Reflection:
I think that with my education in AP Lit so far, I know have a better grasp in analyzing poetry. I think my essay, particularly the third paragraph, did an effective job in analyzing the similarities and differences between the two poems. My analysis was decent comparing the similarities and differences between each of the poems. My main issue was timing. I ran out of time to discuss my third point, which was religious allusions. I need to budget my time more and plan out what I will write. I think if I do more pre-writing for the next essay, then I will be able to write the essay more efficiently without having to stop and think about what to say. As it is, I give my essay a 5.
Constant in both poems is the use of quatrains with a simple rhyme scheme. The 1789 poem adopts an AABB rhyme scheme, while the 1794 poem employs an ABAB rhyme scheme. Blake's use of quatrains in both poems demonstrates the innocence of the child chimney sweep. By using this ironic sing-songy rhyme scheme in these poems, Blake highlights the atrocious conditions a young child should not have to face. The contrast of the rhyming with the subject matter leave a heart-wrenching impact on the reader. Furthermore, this contrast shows the despicable viewpoint of society to allow these children to suffer.
The two poems differ in their craft of imagery. In the 1789 poem, Blake contrasts the hope that the afterlife will be worth going through the hardships of being a chimney sweep. The contrast between "coffins of black" (1789, 12) and "green plain, leaping, laughing"(1789, 15) demonstrate how people could possibly accept the terrible working conditions of chimney sweeps. The seemingly illogical conclusion that death will be far better for the chimney sweeps is what keeps them working and keeps outsiders from trying to induce change. The 1794 poem also uses contrast, although in a different way than the first poem. In this poem, Blake contrasts the inevitability of death with the blessing of life, no matter how soul-sucking that life may be. Blake describes the chimney sweep wearing "the clothes of death"(1794,7) and singing"the notes of woe" (1794,8). However, even with the harsh conditions, his parents are still thankful he is alive. In this poem, Blake paints members of society as ignorant of the chimney sweeps' issues because they view death as much worse, that it is the punishment for reaching the end of life. Society believes after life is "a heaven of our misery"(1794, 12). Because of this, the chimney sweeps should feel grateful they're still living, despite the massive hardships they face. Both poems demonstrate unique viewpoints society may have on the relationship between life and death. In the 1789 poem, society treats death as the reward for hardwork in life. In the other, death as seen as a punishment for discontinuing life. In both poems, William Blake uses contrasting imagery to display society's apathy towards helping the young, suffering chimney sweeps.
In both these poems, William Blake, through simple rhyme scheme and contrasting imagery, laments on society's disregard for helping the working conditions of those such as chimney sweeps.
Reflection:
I think that with my education in AP Lit so far, I know have a better grasp in analyzing poetry. I think my essay, particularly the third paragraph, did an effective job in analyzing the similarities and differences between the two poems. My analysis was decent comparing the similarities and differences between each of the poems. My main issue was timing. I ran out of time to discuss my third point, which was religious allusions. I need to budget my time more and plan out what I will write. I think if I do more pre-writing for the next essay, then I will be able to write the essay more efficiently without having to stop and think about what to say. As it is, I give my essay a 5.
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Monday, October 12, 2015
Monday, September 28, 2015
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Blog #4: AP English Literature Benchmark Open Question Essay & Reflection/ 3x3, Revisions & Reflection
Essay:
In Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird, lawyer Atticus Finch is put in the difficult situation of trying to defend a black man who has been accused of raping a white woman. What makes Finch's challenge even harder is the predominantly white society of the Deep South taking any means necessary to convict the defendant.
Atticus and his family are faced with cruelty in its meanest form. Rocks are thrown at them, insults are hurled, and threats are made. Atticus has to not only look out for himself, but also for his family as well as the man whose name he is trying to clear. All of these factors serve as influences on Atticus' character.
When the Finch's house is targeted and a rock is hurled through the window, Atticus refuses to give up his battle in the courtroom. When faced with cruelty and hatred, Atticus still is wiling to stand up for justice. He continues his work to free an innocent man. He fights back against society itself to protect the liberties of one man. The cruelty that Atticus Finch experiences shapes him not by breaking him down, but by pushing him forward.
From his young daughter's perspective, Atticus Finch is the epitome of justice and righteousness. He fights back against the evil ignorance of the world and saves innocent lives from being scape-goated. Scout's perception of Atticus builds on the contrast between him and the cruel society. Because of the book's point of view, Atticus' heroism in spite of cruelty is even more readily apparent.
As what may be shown in Harper Lee's long-awaited sequel to To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus Finch is not a perfect being, a scepter of truth and loving. However, because of the environment that he faces, Atticus is forced to take a stand on his beliefs. As a result, the cruelty Atticus Finch faces morphs him into the hero of Harper Lee's story and the leader that is needed in his society.
Reflection:
Clearly, there is much that could be improved. First off, I think one of the main things I could work on when it comes to the free response essay is preparation. I was not completely sure what the plot of To Kill A Mockingbird was, much less the deep analysis that would stem from it. With some time to prepare and become more familiar with several pieces of literature, my essay would have been much more effective. As a result of my lack of preparation, my analysis with regards to the prompt was brief and extremely superficial. I did not really go into very much depth in analyzing cruelty in the plot of the book. I think my essay did contain decent elements relating to the prompt, but not nearly enough to warrant a high level score. Thus, I think my essay deserves the score of a 4. I think more familiarity with the actual text could significantly increase my score.
Comments:
http://zhanandrewapenglish2015.blogspot.com/
This essay contains many very effective pieces of evidence that convey the author's demonstration of cruelty in Arthur Miller's "The Crucible". The essay does, however, rely on mainly plot summary for its analysis and as a result is not as convincing as it could have been. Generally rather superficial in its analysis, this essay comes within several sentences of being a mid to higher level essay. As it is, the score of a 4 is quite fair. As expressed, a deeper understanding of the nuances of the literature would be beneficial in raising this essay to the next level.
Essay Revision
Scout plays with Dill - ordinary world
Scout offers friendship - approach to innermost cave
Boo saves Scout - resurrection
In Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird, lawyer Atticus Finch is put in the difficult situation of trying to defend a black man, Tom Robinson, who has been accused of raping a white woman, Myella Ewell. What makes Finch's challenge even harder is the predominantly white society of the Deep South taking any means necessary to convict the defendant. Finch's experience has an immense impact on his daughter Scout and how she lives her own life. Originally, she was a cheeky, rebellious tomboy. She loved playing with her brother and her friend Dill. She was carefree and had very little responsibilities. Cruelty transformed her into a new person who understood what it's like to be rejected by the world.
Atticus and his family are faced with cruelty in its meanest form. Rocks are thrown at them, insults are hurled, and threats are made. Atticus has to not only look out for himself, but also for his family as well as the man whose name he is trying to clear. Scout also has a unique response to cruelty. Instead of letting it make her bitter or vengeful, she instead looks towards others who have been outcast from society and attempts to befriend them. In articular, she tries to meet the mysterious Boo Radley.
When the Finch's house is targeted and a rock is hurled through the window, Atticus refuses to give up his battle in the courtroom. When faced with cruelty and hatred, Atticus still is wiling to stand up for justice. He continues his work to free an innocent man. He fights back against society itself to protect the liberties of one man. The cruelty that Atticus Finch experiences shapes him not by breaking him down, but by pushing him forward. Because of her father's beliefs, Scout is rediculed and eventually attacked by Bob Ewell. When the situation becomes desperate and Scout's life is at stake, it is no other than Boo Radley, the man Scout attempted to befriend, who saves Scout. Scout endures cruelty by learning to offer friendship to someone she was previously afraid of. Her heroic actions repaid her in the end and spared her life.
From Scout's perspective, Atticus Finch is the epitome of justice and righteousness. He fights back against the evil ignorance of the world and saves innocent lives from being scape-goated. Scout's perception of Atticus builds on the contrast between him and the cruel society. Because of the book's point of view, Atticus' heroism in spite of cruelty is even more readily apparent.
Atticus Finch is not a perfect human. However, because of the environment that he faces, Atticus is forced to take a stand on his beliefs. As a result, the cruelty Atticus Finch faces morphs him into the hero of Harper Lee's story and the leader that is needed in his society. Likewise, Scout's experiences transformed her into a more empathetic, caring person who understands how to overcome the cruelty of the world.
In Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird, lawyer Atticus Finch is put in the difficult situation of trying to defend a black man who has been accused of raping a white woman. What makes Finch's challenge even harder is the predominantly white society of the Deep South taking any means necessary to convict the defendant.
Atticus and his family are faced with cruelty in its meanest form. Rocks are thrown at them, insults are hurled, and threats are made. Atticus has to not only look out for himself, but also for his family as well as the man whose name he is trying to clear. All of these factors serve as influences on Atticus' character.
When the Finch's house is targeted and a rock is hurled through the window, Atticus refuses to give up his battle in the courtroom. When faced with cruelty and hatred, Atticus still is wiling to stand up for justice. He continues his work to free an innocent man. He fights back against society itself to protect the liberties of one man. The cruelty that Atticus Finch experiences shapes him not by breaking him down, but by pushing him forward.
From his young daughter's perspective, Atticus Finch is the epitome of justice and righteousness. He fights back against the evil ignorance of the world and saves innocent lives from being scape-goated. Scout's perception of Atticus builds on the contrast between him and the cruel society. Because of the book's point of view, Atticus' heroism in spite of cruelty is even more readily apparent.
As what may be shown in Harper Lee's long-awaited sequel to To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus Finch is not a perfect being, a scepter of truth and loving. However, because of the environment that he faces, Atticus is forced to take a stand on his beliefs. As a result, the cruelty Atticus Finch faces morphs him into the hero of Harper Lee's story and the leader that is needed in his society.
Reflection:
Clearly, there is much that could be improved. First off, I think one of the main things I could work on when it comes to the free response essay is preparation. I was not completely sure what the plot of To Kill A Mockingbird was, much less the deep analysis that would stem from it. With some time to prepare and become more familiar with several pieces of literature, my essay would have been much more effective. As a result of my lack of preparation, my analysis with regards to the prompt was brief and extremely superficial. I did not really go into very much depth in analyzing cruelty in the plot of the book. I think my essay did contain decent elements relating to the prompt, but not nearly enough to warrant a high level score. Thus, I think my essay deserves the score of a 4. I think more familiarity with the actual text could significantly increase my score.
Comments:
http://zhanandrewapenglish2015.blogspot.com/
This essay contains many very effective pieces of evidence that convey the author's demonstration of cruelty in Arthur Miller's "The Crucible". The essay does, however, rely on mainly plot summary for its analysis and as a result is not as convincing as it could have been. Generally rather superficial in its analysis, this essay comes within several sentences of being a mid to higher level essay. As it is, the score of a 4 is quite fair. As expressed, a deeper understanding of the nuances of the literature would be beneficial in raising this essay to the next level.
Essay Revision
Scout plays with Dill - ordinary world
Scout offers friendship - approach to innermost cave
Boo saves Scout - resurrection
In Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird, lawyer Atticus Finch is put in the difficult situation of trying to defend a black man, Tom Robinson, who has been accused of raping a white woman, Myella Ewell. What makes Finch's challenge even harder is the predominantly white society of the Deep South taking any means necessary to convict the defendant. Finch's experience has an immense impact on his daughter Scout and how she lives her own life. Originally, she was a cheeky, rebellious tomboy. She loved playing with her brother and her friend Dill. She was carefree and had very little responsibilities. Cruelty transformed her into a new person who understood what it's like to be rejected by the world.
Atticus and his family are faced with cruelty in its meanest form. Rocks are thrown at them, insults are hurled, and threats are made. Atticus has to not only look out for himself, but also for his family as well as the man whose name he is trying to clear. Scout also has a unique response to cruelty. Instead of letting it make her bitter or vengeful, she instead looks towards others who have been outcast from society and attempts to befriend them. In articular, she tries to meet the mysterious Boo Radley.
When the Finch's house is targeted and a rock is hurled through the window, Atticus refuses to give up his battle in the courtroom. When faced with cruelty and hatred, Atticus still is wiling to stand up for justice. He continues his work to free an innocent man. He fights back against society itself to protect the liberties of one man. The cruelty that Atticus Finch experiences shapes him not by breaking him down, but by pushing him forward. Because of her father's beliefs, Scout is rediculed and eventually attacked by Bob Ewell. When the situation becomes desperate and Scout's life is at stake, it is no other than Boo Radley, the man Scout attempted to befriend, who saves Scout. Scout endures cruelty by learning to offer friendship to someone she was previously afraid of. Her heroic actions repaid her in the end and spared her life.
From Scout's perspective, Atticus Finch is the epitome of justice and righteousness. He fights back against the evil ignorance of the world and saves innocent lives from being scape-goated. Scout's perception of Atticus builds on the contrast between him and the cruel society. Because of the book's point of view, Atticus' heroism in spite of cruelty is even more readily apparent.
Atticus Finch is not a perfect human. However, because of the environment that he faces, Atticus is forced to take a stand on his beliefs. As a result, the cruelty Atticus Finch faces morphs him into the hero of Harper Lee's story and the leader that is needed in his society. Likewise, Scout's experiences transformed her into a more empathetic, caring person who understands how to overcome the cruelty of the world.
I think my 3x3 analysis of the Hero's Journey helped me greatly in my revisions in analyzing how cruelty shaped Scout as a character. In my original essay, I was not comfortable in looking at how Scout evolved as the book progressed. The plot points I analyzed were vague at best and didn't explain the character's reactions to cruelty. After the Hero's Journey activity, I think I was more able to demonstrate the transformation that Scout went through after her experience with cruelty. My essay used purposeful plot points to highlight an experience the character went through.
Thursday, August 27, 2015
Blog #3: AP English Literature Benchmark Prose Essay & Reflection/Revisions & Reflection
Prose Essay:
In The Beet Queen by Louise Erdrich, Mary and Karl arrive in the cold, foreboding town of Argus, Minnesota. The environment of Argus is unlike anything the siblings have previously experienced. Erdrich illustrates the impact of the cold on Mart and Karl. She also uses specific details to demonstrate how the tree effects Karl.
When Mary and Karl get off the freight train at Argus, the severe cold is the first thing to greet them. It was so cold, "they stumbled and scraped their palms and knees through the cinders." The imagery of the cold symbolizes the unwelcoming harshness of Argus and implies something unpleasant may happen to the kids. In particular, Karl us shown to be not welcome in Argus. Initially, it is the cold that rejects him. Later, it will be the guard dog that chases him out of Argus.
The on e redeeming quality of Argus, in Karl's perspective was the blossom tree. This tree was, "a scratch of light against the gray of everything else." Karl immediately gravitates towards this tree and ignores anything else. Erdrich points out the fine features of this tree that Karl is attracted to. She describes the "delicate perfume" and "tossed in a film of blossoms." Everything about this tree is elegant and graceful. A harsh contrast to the surrounding environment. By describing the tree the way she does, Louise Erdrich associates its characteristics to Karl and separates it from Mary and the rest of Argus.
Mary and Karl have stumbled upon a new world in Argus, Minnesota. A world completely foreign to them and in some ways, a world that rejects them. The harsh cold and isolated blossom tree represent their relationship with the environment. Through imagery and specific detail, Louise Erdrich forges this connection and contextualizes Mary and Karl's place in the environment.
Reflection:
This was my second attempt at an AP Lit essay and my first with a prose essay. To be frank, this essay was considerably worse than my previous attempt. For whatever reason – maybe I was tired or hangry – I stumbled around the prompt, struggling to uncover a deep meaning of the text. As a result, my essay is very basic in its analysis. Although I brought up imagery and specific details, I never really connected that back to the prompt or explained how the evidence connected to the environment's impact on Karl and Mary. As a result, my essay was unfocused and shallow. I believe this essay was worth the score of a 3. One way I think I could improve my score is to spend more time thoroughly sifting through the prompt, focusing on finding the smaller nuances of the text.
Comments:
http://tongnoahapliterature2015.blogspot.com/
This prose essay on "The Beet Queen" by Louise Erdrich does have potential, but in the end fails to effectively explain the points it makes. It touches on insightful points such as the lack of dialogue and symbolism. The essay just does not deliver a thorough analysis that would befit a higher scoring analysis. A score of a 3 is fair. Like the writer expressed, better planning of the essay and a deeper analysis of the prompt would improve this essay.
Reflection:
This was my second attempt at an AP Lit essay and my first with a prose essay. To be frank, this essay was considerably worse than my previous attempt. For whatever reason – maybe I was tired or hangry – I stumbled around the prompt, struggling to uncover a deep meaning of the text. As a result, my essay is very basic in its analysis. Although I brought up imagery and specific details, I never really connected that back to the prompt or explained how the evidence connected to the environment's impact on Karl and Mary. As a result, my essay was unfocused and shallow. I believe this essay was worth the score of a 3. One way I think I could improve my score is to spend more time thoroughly sifting through the prompt, focusing on finding the smaller nuances of the text.
Comments:
http://tongnoahapliterature2015.blogspot.com/
This prose essay on "The Beet Queen" by Louise Erdrich does have potential, but in the end fails to effectively explain the points it makes. It touches on insightful points such as the lack of dialogue and symbolism. The essay just does not deliver a thorough analysis that would befit a higher scoring analysis. A score of a 3 is fair. Like the writer expressed, better planning of the essay and a deeper analysis of the prompt would improve this essay.
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
Blog #2: AP English Literature Benchmark Poetry Essay & Reflection/Revision & Reflection
In the poem, For That He Looked Not upon Her by George Gascoigne, the narrator expresses his conflicted emotions when approached by a new potential lover. Gascoinge employs a metaphor in his poem to illustrate the thoughts that are racing through the narrator's mind as he struggles to get over his past experiences. The poet also uses rhyming schemes to portray the narrator's emotions.
From lines 5-8, George Gascoinge compares the speaker's experience with a woman to a mouse wary of bait on mousetraps. He describes the mouse, having previously escaped a trap before, to be "still in doubt of deep deceit." The metaphor parallels what the narrator has probably experienced with his past lovers. The narrator likely had his heart broken in the past because of what a woman did to him. Thus, like the mouse, the speaker is now wary of any new love in his life, fearing that the past may repeat itself. By using this metaphor, Gascoinge shows how the narrator's conflict is completely natural, as even mice can experience the same emotions. By giving this subtle information about the speaker, Gascoinge allows the reader to understand the narrator's perspective and have some empathy toward him.
Gacoinge also demonstrates the speaker's complex attitude through his rhyming scheme. In general, the poem is organized into groups of 4 lines where every other line rhymes. For example, lines 1 and 3 rhyme with strange and range, and lines 2 and 4 rhyme with low and grow. There are, however, two exceptions to this pattern. Lines 6 and 8 form an imperfect rhyme, with bait and deceit. The difference in these lines demonstrates how the narrator feels as these lines occur. Lines 6 and 8 both make up part of the mouse metaphor. By having a dissonance in his rhyming pattern, Gacoinge indicates that the speaker is conflicted himself. He recognizes the harmony that this new woman brings to his life, but his past experiences force a conflict inside. This is a subtle detail that Gacoinge uses to hint at what the speaker's attitude is.
The exception to the rhyming pattern of the poem are the last 2 lines. These lines rhyme perfectly with each other, instead of continuing the every other line pattern from before. This may indicate that the narrator has set aside his qualms about the past and is willing to accept his new love interest, as she brings harmony to his life. These lines are also indented, which may further show that they are disconnected from the rest of the poem, disconnected from what has happened in the past. The narrator, it seems, is ready to move on to the next step in his life.
In just a 14 line poem, George Gascoigne is able to tell an intriguing love story. Through the use of purposeful rhyming and a descriptive metaphor, the reader is able to get a perspective on the narrator's emotions.
Reflection:
The poem For That He Looked Not upon Her by George Gascoingne was my first experience with analysing a poem. In this poem, Gascoingne describes a man who is skeptical of a woman’s love after his past experiences. Personally, I felt that I was able to understand most of what Gascoingne was trying to convey. For me the most learning resulted from deconstructing the metaphors between animals and the speakers struggles with love. Initially, I was a bit concerned about how I could handle the abstract language that many poems contain. Afterwards however, I was more confident in my ability to perform on the poetry essay. I believe, in general my essay contained a solid argument for my interpretation of the poem. It may not have contained the technical terms such as “ABAB rhyming scheme”, but I feel like I did understand the passage and did a decent job analysing it. I gave specific examples from the poem such as “still in doubt of deep deceit” that helped strengthen my essay. It wasn’t perfect by any means, but I think my first attempt at a poetry essay was quite good and deserves the score of a 6.
Comments:
This essay contains effective points on diction and imagery, and uses direct quotes from the poem to support its argument. The essay also attempts to make a connection between the quotes and the speakers attitude that "regret is the only feeling when your love, your significant other is no longer with you." This connection, although apparent, is not fully brought to life as the essay does not delve deeper into how the poem's diction or imagery demonstrates the attitude of the speaker. Overall, this essay contains the right content to reach an upper level score, but ultimately fails to consider the nuances of Gascoigne's poem. A few small edits would increase this essay's score, but a mostly superficial analysis earns this essay the score of a 5.
http://patelyashapenglish2016.blogspot.com/
This essay does well to discuss the imagery and figurative language of George Gascoigne's essay. The three points that the essay makes are each valid and are supported by evidence from the poem. However, none of the three points are explained sufficiently to reach the point of a high level essay. The analysis is rather barren and superficial. With some more explanation of the points, this essay would have been pretty solid. That said, the lack of adequate analysis brings down the score to a 4. Potentially shortening it to 2 body paragraphs may have helped the writer better explain his ideas. In general, this essay is not a bad start.
http://tongnoahapliterature2015.blogspot.com/
REVISED DRAFT:
In For That He Looked Not upon Her, George Gascoigne admits his weariness to commit to a new love. Gascoigne illustrates the speaker's conflicted emotions to reveal the forces that are pushing him both towards and away from a new lover. By utilizing specific metaphors of a mouse and a fly, as well as an imperfect Shakespearean sonnet rhyming scheme, Gascoigne crafts his poem to demonstrate the speaker's hesitance to commit to love after his brutal experiences in the past.
In lines 5-8, Gascoinge compares the speaker's experience with a new woman to a mouse wary of bait on mousetraps. He describes the mouse, having previously escaped a trap before, to be "still in doubt of deep deceit." The metaphor parallels what the speaker has experienced with past lovers. He likely had his heart broken by the pain that a woman inflicted upon him. A similar metaphor is employed in lines 9-10, describing a fly that "once hath 'scaped the flame." Again, much like the mouse, this fly will tend to avoid the thing that had come close to taking its life. Thus, like the mouse and the fly, the speaker is now wary of any new love in his life, fearing that the past may repeat itself. By using this metaphor, Gascoinge shows how the speaker's conflict is completely natural, as even simple animals such as mice and flies can experience the same misgivings. By giving this subtle information about the speaker, Gascoinge allows the reader to understand the speaker's perspective and have some empathy toward him.
Gascoigne also demonstrates the speaker's complex attitude through the sonnet form of his poem. However, Gascoigne alters the traditional Shakespearean sonnet form by crafting an imperfect rhyme between lines 6 and 8. These lines, ending with "bait" and "deceit", depicts the speaker's feelings during this part of the poem. The imperfect rhyme in the mouse metaphor hints to the reader the discord the speaker is feeling. He recognizes the harmony that this new woman brings to his life, but like the mouse, his past experiences force a conflict inside. The imperfect rhyme is subtle sign of the speaker's complex emotions.
The rhyming couplet at the end of the sonnet reveal the speaker's intentions for the future after his emotions have battled between themselves. In contrast to the imperfect rhyme in lines 6 and 8, these lines rhyme perfectly with each other,indicating that the speaker has set aside his qualms about the past and is willing to accept his new love interest, as she brings harmony to his life. Furthermore, these lines are indented, which show that they are disconnected from the rest of the poem, disconnected from what has happened in the past. The speaker has convinced himself that he is ready to move on with his love life and forget the tragedies of the past. This new woman completes him and he is ready to accept her.
Reflection:
After the 3 sentence thesis and shift activities, I feel like I was more prepared to analyze the nuances of George Gascoigne's poem. Like I told my group, I was able to analyze the meanings of Gascogne's words and not just regurgitate what he said. I think these activities helped set a framework for my essays to potentially reach the upper level scores. If I am able to continue my education of closely analyzing poetry, I think I will be able to write poetry essays at a high level.
Reflection:
The poem For That He Looked Not upon Her by George Gascoingne was my first experience with analysing a poem. In this poem, Gascoingne describes a man who is skeptical of a woman’s love after his past experiences. Personally, I felt that I was able to understand most of what Gascoingne was trying to convey. For me the most learning resulted from deconstructing the metaphors between animals and the speakers struggles with love. Initially, I was a bit concerned about how I could handle the abstract language that many poems contain. Afterwards however, I was more confident in my ability to perform on the poetry essay. I believe, in general my essay contained a solid argument for my interpretation of the poem. It may not have contained the technical terms such as “ABAB rhyming scheme”, but I feel like I did understand the passage and did a decent job analysing it. I gave specific examples from the poem such as “still in doubt of deep deceit” that helped strengthen my essay. It wasn’t perfect by any means, but I think my first attempt at a poetry essay was quite good and deserves the score of a 6.
Comments:
This essay contains effective points on diction and imagery, and uses direct quotes from the poem to support its argument. The essay also attempts to make a connection between the quotes and the speakers attitude that "regret is the only feeling when your love, your significant other is no longer with you." This connection, although apparent, is not fully brought to life as the essay does not delve deeper into how the poem's diction or imagery demonstrates the attitude of the speaker. Overall, this essay contains the right content to reach an upper level score, but ultimately fails to consider the nuances of Gascoigne's poem. A few small edits would increase this essay's score, but a mostly superficial analysis earns this essay the score of a 5.
http://patelyashapenglish2016.blogspot.com/
This essay does well to discuss the imagery and figurative language of George Gascoigne's essay. The three points that the essay makes are each valid and are supported by evidence from the poem. However, none of the three points are explained sufficiently to reach the point of a high level essay. The analysis is rather barren and superficial. With some more explanation of the points, this essay would have been pretty solid. That said, the lack of adequate analysis brings down the score to a 4. Potentially shortening it to 2 body paragraphs may have helped the writer better explain his ideas. In general, this essay is not a bad start.
http://tongnoahapliterature2015.blogspot.com/
REVISED DRAFT:
In For That He Looked Not upon Her, George Gascoigne admits his weariness to commit to a new love. Gascoigne illustrates the speaker's conflicted emotions to reveal the forces that are pushing him both towards and away from a new lover. By utilizing specific metaphors of a mouse and a fly, as well as an imperfect Shakespearean sonnet rhyming scheme, Gascoigne crafts his poem to demonstrate the speaker's hesitance to commit to love after his brutal experiences in the past.
In lines 5-8, Gascoinge compares the speaker's experience with a new woman to a mouse wary of bait on mousetraps. He describes the mouse, having previously escaped a trap before, to be "still in doubt of deep deceit." The metaphor parallels what the speaker has experienced with past lovers. He likely had his heart broken by the pain that a woman inflicted upon him. A similar metaphor is employed in lines 9-10, describing a fly that "once hath 'scaped the flame." Again, much like the mouse, this fly will tend to avoid the thing that had come close to taking its life. Thus, like the mouse and the fly, the speaker is now wary of any new love in his life, fearing that the past may repeat itself. By using this metaphor, Gascoinge shows how the speaker's conflict is completely natural, as even simple animals such as mice and flies can experience the same misgivings. By giving this subtle information about the speaker, Gascoinge allows the reader to understand the speaker's perspective and have some empathy toward him.
Gascoigne also demonstrates the speaker's complex attitude through the sonnet form of his poem. However, Gascoigne alters the traditional Shakespearean sonnet form by crafting an imperfect rhyme between lines 6 and 8. These lines, ending with "bait" and "deceit", depicts the speaker's feelings during this part of the poem. The imperfect rhyme in the mouse metaphor hints to the reader the discord the speaker is feeling. He recognizes the harmony that this new woman brings to his life, but like the mouse, his past experiences force a conflict inside. The imperfect rhyme is subtle sign of the speaker's complex emotions.
The rhyming couplet at the end of the sonnet reveal the speaker's intentions for the future after his emotions have battled between themselves. In contrast to the imperfect rhyme in lines 6 and 8, these lines rhyme perfectly with each other,indicating that the speaker has set aside his qualms about the past and is willing to accept his new love interest, as she brings harmony to his life. Furthermore, these lines are indented, which show that they are disconnected from the rest of the poem, disconnected from what has happened in the past. The speaker has convinced himself that he is ready to move on with his love life and forget the tragedies of the past. This new woman completes him and he is ready to accept her.
In just a 14 line sonnet, George Gascoigne is able to tell an fascinating love story. The speaker goes through a conflict of emotions before convincing himself to move forward in life. Through the use of purposeful rhyming patterns and descriptive metaphors, Gascoigne little by little reveals the speaker's intense, complex feelings.
Reflection:
After the 3 sentence thesis and shift activities, I feel like I was more prepared to analyze the nuances of George Gascoigne's poem. Like I told my group, I was able to analyze the meanings of Gascogne's words and not just regurgitate what he said. I think these activities helped set a framework for my essays to potentially reach the upper level scores. If I am able to continue my education of closely analyzing poetry, I think I will be able to write poetry essays at a high level.
Blog #1: AP Literature Multiple Choice Test Reflection
The practice AP Literature
multiple choice test challenged me with abstract pieces of writing that forced
me to deeply consider the author’s meaning behind his choice of words. With Love
Poem by John Frederick Nims and Excerpt from As I Lay Dying, “Addie”, by
William Faulkner, the practice test assessed my knowledge of the entire
spectrum of literature. For me,the most useful element was the realization I
needed to improve my ability to wield technical terms such as invective,
parable, and enjambment. Previously, I felt that literature was
mostly analytically and inferentially based, but there is still a significant
portion where knowing the technical aspects is necessary. This is perhaps
to previous tests I have taken such as the SAT or AP Comp where the technical
aspect of literature was not as accentuated. This is similar to becoming
familiarized with new vocabulary words, as a wider breadth of knowledge
certainly helps with making the right connections in studying English. Having
experienced my first dose of AP Literature, I now realize there is more to
literature than reading a passage and understanding what it it saying. This
understanding will be essential to me as a learner because I would like to
appreciate works of writing not just for their surface level meanings, but the
symbols and hidden messages they convey. As a next step, I need to expose
myself to the technical information of literature to journey further into true
understanding of writing.
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