Sunday, March 29, 2009
Reflection on Blogging
Although it has a ridiculous name if you think about it, blogging has proven to be a unique and rewarding experience. I greatly enjoy the freedom of knowing my work is safe, always organized, and i can do it in a window of time (although I procrastinate occasionally... but I am making strides to correct this.) I also feel that it is helping prepare me for the next level of education as laptops are becoming more essential to surviving college. Also I am an environmentalist when it comes to schoolwork. Paper and pen are a huge turnoff for me and often the thought of writing for hours makes me cringe. As for the third marking period I feel I can improve. I feel if I am not late on another assignment that an A is not out of my reach. And for once, I'm REALLY praying my intuition does not fail me.
Free Write (Late my apologies)
So far the Great Gatsby (although a bit confusing) has been a great book. All the characters are well thought out, and Fitzgerald provides enough background and realism to allow for investment in those characters. The vocabulary is superb and I even plan on harvesting some of it for my own works later. Another trait I admire is the superb philosophy. The "pretty little fool" line is still stuck in my head. I'm proud to admit that The Great Gatsby had probably the biggest impact ending I've ever read. It was unexpected and rocked many people to their core, and I must admit for a book that was mandatory reading, it actually recieved conversation time...outside of english class. And that alone is a huge feat
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Gatsby Journal Of Gatsby-ness. Subsection 1 Part 1 (Beta)
After reading three chapters of Fitzgerald's work, The Great Gatsby, I discovered that not all literature that is analyzed far and wide by high school students can be bad. In fact I found one of my favorite quotes in the very first chapter. “I hope she'll be a fool—that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.” Most of the first three chapters are satirical looks at the rich. Lavish parties, limitless booze, money abound... but turns it on it's head when it shows you these people have just as many (if not more) problems than "everyone" else. Tom's affair being a great example of that. The East and West Egg ect. have been explained and all the groundwork for the book has been laid... I will enjoy reading further. Also I wonder how Nick's relationship with Jordan has any chance of progressing as she is a dishonest person... a quality Nick scorns claiming he is one of the most honest people around.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
American Poetry Supermarket
http://gawow.com/roethke/poems/98.html
The link above contains a variety of my poet, Roethke's, works.
1. Roethke wrote during the time of the Great Depression, which, obviously, hindered his quality of life. However the Depression did in fact give him the ability to explore a different mindset for his writing , which he found very useful for his trade
2. Rhetorical aspects... for that i will be analyzing Elegy For Jane.
Great use of figurative language, with similes and metaphors abound, this poem is about unrequited love. Keeping a steady meter, Roethke kept his usual depressing tone as he told of a beautiful maiden who had the best of times and the worst of times. Unfortunately he must reminisce at her tomb stone.
3. As I stated above Elegy for Jane is now my favorite poem. Beautifully written and not too long, it is a poem that definitely will stay in your mind long after you read it.
4. Other than the fact that Roethke is truly American, I feel his themes are American. He speaks about topics such as child abuse that I feel other poets of the time would feel would be too tender to pick at. ALso, being a professor from Harvard, Theodore Roethke uses an extensive and enjoyable English vocabulary
The link above contains a variety of my poet, Roethke's, works.
1. Roethke wrote during the time of the Great Depression, which, obviously, hindered his quality of life. However the Depression did in fact give him the ability to explore a different mindset for his writing , which he found very useful for his trade
2. Rhetorical aspects... for that i will be analyzing Elegy For Jane.
Great use of figurative language, with similes and metaphors abound, this poem is about unrequited love. Keeping a steady meter, Roethke kept his usual depressing tone as he told of a beautiful maiden who had the best of times and the worst of times. Unfortunately he must reminisce at her tomb stone.
3. As I stated above Elegy for Jane is now my favorite poem. Beautifully written and not too long, it is a poem that definitely will stay in your mind long after you read it.
4. Other than the fact that Roethke is truly American, I feel his themes are American. He speaks about topics such as child abuse that I feel other poets of the time would feel would be too tender to pick at. ALso, being a professor from Harvard, Theodore Roethke uses an extensive and enjoyable English vocabulary
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Reading Blog
1. How do these writings compare to those of the American Romantics we have read? Can you note some comparison between romantics and realists?
Willa Cather's writings were not very much like the American Romantics we have read. She is down to earth, realistic (as the title would imply), and isn't afraid to show both the positive and negative sides of a story although the Romantics tended to focus on just either the positive or the negative aspect/
2. What topics, themes, social/political issues does this writer take up in his/her work? What might these tell us as readers about this author and his/her worldview?
In "A Wagner Matinee", Cather takes up the theme of love and depression at everyday life. "Consequences" revolves around suicide. Both stories I have noticed involve not only one person, but good or bad involve the main character interacting with someone else. This can be good or bad but judging from Cather's dark short stories often times the interaction is cancerous wheI understood. For her, just outside the door of the concert hall, lay the black pond with the cattle-tracked bluffs; the tall, unpainted house, with weather-curled boards; naked as a tower, the crook-backed ash seedlings where the dishcloths hung to dry; the gaunt, molting turkeys picking up refuse about the kitchen door.ther the character believes it to be or not.
3. With regard to author’s purpose consider the following: To whom is this writer writing? For whom are they writing?
This author isn't writing to a specific sub-class but rather anyone that is in the darker times of their lives. If your particularly happy you probably won't be able to get through her stories sometimes, but they all have one point in them where there is an optimistic outlook, if only for a moment.
4. What relevance does this author’s writing hold for you as a reader?
"Consequences" spoke most to me. I honestly can say that I believe that everyone past the age of 13 has suicide cross their mind. If anyone says it hasn't they are probably lieing. What sets people apart is the amount of time people contemplate it. It can be as quick as "I wish I were dead!" to sitting and envisoining the act and it's consequences. I, being an honest person and leaning more towards the latter than the former, sympathized with Eastman and therfore this story resonated with me.
5. What drew you to the work of this author?
"I understood. For her, just outside the door of the concert hall, lay the black pond with the cattle-tracked bluffs; the tall, unpainted house, with weather-curled boards; naked as a tower, the crook-backed ash seedlings where the dishcloths hung to dry; the gaunt, molting turkeys picking up refuse about the kitchen door."
ALthough this was the last line from a Wagner Matinee" it was easilly the most key quotation that swayed me to choode Willa Cather as my author. I understand exactly how Aunt Georgiana feels. It's not often you get to get away from the troubles of everyday life, in fact it's amazingly difificult to truly detach yourself from them for any amount of time, and to just steal an extra ten minutes in that state is a true gift.
Willa Cather's writings were not very much like the American Romantics we have read. She is down to earth, realistic (as the title would imply), and isn't afraid to show both the positive and negative sides of a story although the Romantics tended to focus on just either the positive or the negative aspect/
2. What topics, themes, social/political issues does this writer take up in his/her work? What might these tell us as readers about this author and his/her worldview?
In "A Wagner Matinee", Cather takes up the theme of love and depression at everyday life. "Consequences" revolves around suicide. Both stories I have noticed involve not only one person, but good or bad involve the main character interacting with someone else. This can be good or bad but judging from Cather's dark short stories often times the interaction is cancerous wheI understood. For her, just outside the door of the concert hall, lay the black pond with the cattle-tracked bluffs; the tall, unpainted house, with weather-curled boards; naked as a tower, the crook-backed ash seedlings where the dishcloths hung to dry; the gaunt, molting turkeys picking up refuse about the kitchen door.ther the character believes it to be or not.
3. With regard to author’s purpose consider the following: To whom is this writer writing? For whom are they writing?
This author isn't writing to a specific sub-class but rather anyone that is in the darker times of their lives. If your particularly happy you probably won't be able to get through her stories sometimes, but they all have one point in them where there is an optimistic outlook, if only for a moment.
4. What relevance does this author’s writing hold for you as a reader?
"Consequences" spoke most to me. I honestly can say that I believe that everyone past the age of 13 has suicide cross their mind. If anyone says it hasn't they are probably lieing. What sets people apart is the amount of time people contemplate it. It can be as quick as "I wish I were dead!" to sitting and envisoining the act and it's consequences. I, being an honest person and leaning more towards the latter than the former, sympathized with Eastman and therfore this story resonated with me.
5. What drew you to the work of this author?
"I understood. For her, just outside the door of the concert hall, lay the black pond with the cattle-tracked bluffs; the tall, unpainted house, with weather-curled boards; naked as a tower, the crook-backed ash seedlings where the dishcloths hung to dry; the gaunt, molting turkeys picking up refuse about the kitchen door."
ALthough this was the last line from a Wagner Matinee" it was easilly the most key quotation that swayed me to choode Willa Cather as my author. I understand exactly how Aunt Georgiana feels. It's not often you get to get away from the troubles of everyday life, in fact it's amazingly difificult to truly detach yourself from them for any amount of time, and to just steal an extra ten minutes in that state is a true gift.
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