Assessment of learning and professional development over this semester:
Over the course of this semester, I've learned a lot about the purpose of education. I am currently finishing my second education block of nine hours (3 classes). In these classes, I've learned that a teacher is not merely a person who knows and loves a certain content or field of study. A teacher needs to love his or her content area, but furthermore, a teacher needs to care about his or her students. So a teacher needs to love his content area and his students is the first thing I've learned about education. The second thing I've learned comes from Senior Seminar. Education exists to preserve culture. This is the reason education began and is why it still exists today. With these two implications in mind, the thought of meeting a student who needs that extra help learning how to write concisely seems appropriate. With these in mind, taking the extra time to add encouraging comments on assignments seems the Most important. My job as an educator will be to preserve culture while loving my students and my field of English.
Also over the course of this semester, I've learned a lot about formality of resumes and cover letters. These are skills everyone needs to learn, things that would be embarrassing to ask for or learn outside of the college environment. So I am also thankful to learn these trades and information as well.
As for this class, it seems as though my time is done.
Thanks for reading this far.
good night and good luck.
Out.
Monday, December 13, 2010
#26 Assigned 12/7
Plan for lifelong learning:
I look up to my girlfriend's grandmother so much. She (Honey) is 77 years old; however, her heart is still beating strong with a passion for life. Last year, Honey decided she need something new to keep her mind active, so she went out and bought an acoustic guitar. She and Melissa's sister took guitar lessons together for at least a few months. And this is just one clear example of this growing zeal for life. Honey is a model reader. She reads more books this month than I've read in the past year! With all of this knowledge, one would think Honey is very smart...and she is. My girlfriend and I believe we can go to Honey for information or insight concerning every avenue of life. But this would not be possible without Honey's lifelong learning habits.
This is something I desire to-lifelong learning. I desire to never cease to learn new tricks, read new books, etc. And Honey will be my inspiration. Many claim "You can't teach a dog new tricks!" I used to agree with this phrase; I mean what's the point of teaching a dog a new trick when they would not be able to use it for very long? Then I met Honey, and I learned the truth: We continue to read hard texts and learn new tricks because stretching one's self causes growth. This applies to knowledge and to relationships.
My plan for lifelong learning:
-Continue to read up on Christian apologetics written by dead men (their writings are the hardest to understand and yet so rewarding)
-Read Newsweek and books by those with opposing world-views
-Stay in the close friendships (Even though they're messy, they can grow me the most and will mean the most)
Out.
I look up to my girlfriend's grandmother so much. She (Honey) is 77 years old; however, her heart is still beating strong with a passion for life. Last year, Honey decided she need something new to keep her mind active, so she went out and bought an acoustic guitar. She and Melissa's sister took guitar lessons together for at least a few months. And this is just one clear example of this growing zeal for life. Honey is a model reader. She reads more books this month than I've read in the past year! With all of this knowledge, one would think Honey is very smart...and she is. My girlfriend and I believe we can go to Honey for information or insight concerning every avenue of life. But this would not be possible without Honey's lifelong learning habits.
This is something I desire to-lifelong learning. I desire to never cease to learn new tricks, read new books, etc. And Honey will be my inspiration. Many claim "You can't teach a dog new tricks!" I used to agree with this phrase; I mean what's the point of teaching a dog a new trick when they would not be able to use it for very long? Then I met Honey, and I learned the truth: We continue to read hard texts and learn new tricks because stretching one's self causes growth. This applies to knowledge and to relationships.
My plan for lifelong learning:
-Continue to read up on Christian apologetics written by dead men (their writings are the hardest to understand and yet so rewarding)
-Read Newsweek and books by those with opposing world-views
-Stay in the close friendships (Even though they're messy, they can grow me the most and will mean the most)
Out.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
#25
An assessment of the role of humanities and the liberal arts in a well-lived life and in society:
While traveling through Laos this summer, the group I was traveling with visited a friend of a friend of mine (actually the friend we were visiting is my friend sara's fiance). Well, the guy we were visiting (let's call him Mark) worked in a school, teaching English and Laotian languages. He showed us the school's library, and a shocking detail rubbed me in an interesting way: The library did not have many books, English or Laotian. I remember asking Mark why, and he answered, "Most of the students don't know how to read." I learned later that, in fact, only 1/4 of the people of Laos can read and write their native language. Therefore, Mark's job is to first teach the students to read and write their own language first, and only then could teach the people of Laos English.
What does this have to do with the role of humanities and liberal arts in a well-lived life and society? Well, let's compare the difference of my life compared to someone of a similar age in Laos. I am in school, I can read and write, produce thoughts for others to process, I can continue to learn whatever I want, whenever I want, by myself. A similar aged person of Laos most likely cannot read or write and therefore depends on others more heavily than I do. His forms of education must be taught and are even then only resonating on one level (the level of lecture from teacher to student). Furthermore, a huge form of entertainment for me rests in reading and writing. A good day for me constitutes having had the time to read and write. Then again, I guess I can afford to spend the time reading and writing. My equal in Laos, on the other hand, cannot spend that time reading, writing, or even learning to read and write because he/she is too busy working in the fields, making food, trying to survive. The fact that I live in America, where I do not have to work in the field and it does Not take me all day to prepare a meal had a definite effect on my ability and opportunities to read and write.
Out.
While traveling through Laos this summer, the group I was traveling with visited a friend of a friend of mine (actually the friend we were visiting is my friend sara's fiance). Well, the guy we were visiting (let's call him Mark) worked in a school, teaching English and Laotian languages. He showed us the school's library, and a shocking detail rubbed me in an interesting way: The library did not have many books, English or Laotian. I remember asking Mark why, and he answered, "Most of the students don't know how to read." I learned later that, in fact, only 1/4 of the people of Laos can read and write their native language. Therefore, Mark's job is to first teach the students to read and write their own language first, and only then could teach the people of Laos English.
What does this have to do with the role of humanities and liberal arts in a well-lived life and society? Well, let's compare the difference of my life compared to someone of a similar age in Laos. I am in school, I can read and write, produce thoughts for others to process, I can continue to learn whatever I want, whenever I want, by myself. A similar aged person of Laos most likely cannot read or write and therefore depends on others more heavily than I do. His forms of education must be taught and are even then only resonating on one level (the level of lecture from teacher to student). Furthermore, a huge form of entertainment for me rests in reading and writing. A good day for me constitutes having had the time to read and write. Then again, I guess I can afford to spend the time reading and writing. My equal in Laos, on the other hand, cannot spend that time reading, writing, or even learning to read and write because he/she is too busy working in the fields, making food, trying to survive. The fact that I live in America, where I do not have to work in the field and it does Not take me all day to prepare a meal had a definite effect on my ability and opportunities to read and write.
Out.
#18
Ancient Literature took place in what's known as the Bronze age. Writing systems date back to this time (3000 BC). Stories filled with strong tribal and familial loyalty, with polytheistic believers, and with pessimistic and powerless characters are all characteristics of Ancient Literature. An example of a work from this time includes The Epic of Gilgamesh. Other Homeric epics fall into this Ancient Literature category.
Classical Literature ushers in the development of drama, history as art, philosophy, and the increasingly sophisticated lyric poetry. Under this umbrella, we find the work of the Greeks: tragedies, comedies, philosophy.
English Literature begins with Beowulf in its Wessex dialect of Old English. Within English Literature division, we find Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.
Renaissance Literature includes many famous works: Cervantes' Don Quixote, Shakespeare's sonnets and plays, King James Bible, and Milton's Paradise Lost.
British Literature includes many important sub-sections: Restoration period, Romantic period, Victorian Era, British Realism, British Modernism. Enlightenment sensibility: balance and harmony; peace and prosperity; satiric wit all helped herald the growing literature in Britain at the time. Another factor that facilitated the growth of British Literature was the publishing of periodic essays for the middle class. Important works from these divisions of literary history include Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels, Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, and many more.
American Literature can be broken down into many subheadings also: colonial American literature, early American, transcendentalist writings, American renaissance, realism, naturalist writings, and modernist writings and its responses (Multicultural/Contemporary/ Postmodern/Postsecular writings). When most people think of American author's, they probably think first to these from the modern fiction writers:
• F. Scod Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
• William Faulkner (Nobel Prize), The Sound and the Fury, As I Lay Dying
• Ernest Hemingway, The Sun Also Rises
• John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath
• Flannery O’Connor, “A Good Man Is Hard to Find”
Out.
Classical Literature ushers in the development of drama, history as art, philosophy, and the increasingly sophisticated lyric poetry. Under this umbrella, we find the work of the Greeks: tragedies, comedies, philosophy.
English Literature begins with Beowulf in its Wessex dialect of Old English. Within English Literature division, we find Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.
Renaissance Literature includes many famous works: Cervantes' Don Quixote, Shakespeare's sonnets and plays, King James Bible, and Milton's Paradise Lost.
British Literature includes many important sub-sections: Restoration period, Romantic period, Victorian Era, British Realism, British Modernism. Enlightenment sensibility: balance and harmony; peace and prosperity; satiric wit all helped herald the growing literature in Britain at the time. Another factor that facilitated the growth of British Literature was the publishing of periodic essays for the middle class. Important works from these divisions of literary history include Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels, Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, and many more.
American Literature can be broken down into many subheadings also: colonial American literature, early American, transcendentalist writings, American renaissance, realism, naturalist writings, and modernist writings and its responses (Multicultural/Contemporary/ Postmodern/Postsecular writings). When most people think of American author's, they probably think first to these from the modern fiction writers:
• F. Scod Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
• William Faulkner (Nobel Prize), The Sound and the Fury, As I Lay Dying
• Ernest Hemingway, The Sun Also Rises
• John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath
• Flannery O’Connor, “A Good Man Is Hard to Find”
Out.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
#27
List of current issues facing higher education:
1) Role of Liberal Arts, English, History in society
2) Surplus of PhD graduates
3) Role of technology in higher education
4) Credibility of distance learning (Devry, Phoenix)
1) Role of Liberal Arts, English, History in society
2) Surplus of PhD graduates
3) Role of technology in higher education
4) Credibility of distance learning (Devry, Phoenix)
#20, Assigned 11/4
Anyone who has traveled across then United States will attest to the changing dialects of English. Scratch that, anyone who has travelled around their state will admit language changes depending on the region. I will; I spent 18 years of my life in Houston, Texas and then moved here, Lubbock. The physical distance between the two seemed to exaggerate when I talked to my first West-Texanite.
Even heading back to Houston for the holidays causes me to step back and re-evaluate my speaking. I always come back home saying more "yalls" than the rest of my family. This osmosis begins to scare me to a greater degree. Even though I'm an English major, has my application of English been so influenced by my surroundings that I would not be hired for a teaching job up north?
Another consideration in teaching involves bilingual issues. While completing a mentoring assignment at Atkins Middle School here in Lubbock, I got a chance to speak with a faculty member. He informed me that Atkins was a certified "bilingual school." I really did not understand what he meant. He explained: Atkins Middle School only hires teachers with backgrounds in bilingual education, for most of their students speak Spanish and yet need to learn English. I asked him how that works, and he responded that in Kindergarten, teachers do their 80% of their lessons in Spanish and 20% in English. He said that native English speakers merely get an introduction into Spanish, while Spanish speakers are taught from the beginning how to read and write in Spanish; basically, all students are starting on the same page. As the students progress through the grades, the percentages of English and Spanish instruction are leveled out to 50/50 and then finally to the point where English instruction is the primary. I remember feeling shocked when told the research showed this was The most effective way to teach. Now though, I think the idea and implications of bilingual education holds endless possibilities.
Out.
#2 A revised version of above paper, Assigned 10/28
J.F.K. Delivers *REVISED*
John Fitzgerald Kennedy uses many tactics to deliver an effective inaugural address to the nation. He uses a logical speech structure, which makes it easy for his audience to follow. Kennedy also uses powerful imagery and repetition in order to captivate his audience. Kennedy uses both of these techniques wisely, informing America and the whole world in a memorable way.
The overall structure of John F. Kennedy’s speech makes it easy for his audience to listen to and understand. Kennedy begins by telling his audience of our current state. He claims, “the world is very different now” (Kennedy, 1961). Kennedy is giving a thesis of what the state of the world currently looks like. Starting his speech out with this claim brings his audience up-to-date and puts them on the same page. After this, Kennedy moves into addressing specific categories of people. He addresses “those new states,” “those people in the huts and villages,” “our sister republics south of our border,” and “that world assembly of sovereign states, the United Nations” (Kennedy, 1961). In addressing these different groups specifically, Kennedy narrows his sights and is able to go deeper in content. This technique is very effective against the natural distance that forms due to the broad scope of many different groups of people.
Another part of Kennedy’s structure that is very effective is when he speaks about America’s adversaries. Through identifying the real enemy as “the dark powers of destruction” (Kennedy, 1961) and not as a specific person or country, Kennedy brings friends and enemies onto the same side. Kennedy boldly states “the trumpet summons us again . . . a call to bear the burden of a long twilight struggle . . . against the common enemies of man: tyranny, poverty, disease, and war itself” (Kennedy, 1961). Kennedy is once again stating the real enemy is war itself, one that all countries can fight collectively against.
The last and most effective structure of Kennedy’s speech is at the end. Throughout the whole speech, Kennedy has brought everyone onto the same page, addressed specific groups, and has brought friend and foe together in order to bring everyone under the central umbrella of “we.” Since Kennedy has brought all of his audience together, he is able to address everyone as a single we in a final push to the end of his speech. Just like Lincoln in his “Gettysburg Address,” John F. Kennedy uses “we,” “our,” and “us” throughout his speech. Kennedy states “we observe today not a victory of party, but a celebration of freedom” (Kennedy, 1961). He later states, “we dare not forget today that we are heirs,” “this much we pledge,” and “divided there is little we can do” (Kennedy 1961). These are just a few examples. In all, President Kennedy uses the word “we” a total of thirty times throughout his speech. He uses “our” seventeen times and “us” twelve times, which is a lot within a fourteen-minute speech consisting of only about 1370 words. Kennedy using “we,” “our,” and “us” is effective in two obvious ways. One, in using these three collective terms, Kennedy reveals his credibility to his audience; he is humbling himself, mentally acknowledging his no different or better than his audience. In other words, these three terms reveal Kennedy’s belief that he and his audience are “all in this together.” Two, using these three terms throughout the speech isolates the few times Kennedy does use the individual “you” and “I.” Kennedy only uses the word “I” four times in his inaugural address. Each one of these stands out more than the normal “we.” So, by using “we” more often than “I,” Kennedy accomplishes two things: one, stating “I” fewer times causes it to stand out more, two, using “we” most of the time reveals Kennedy’s humility. Kennedy reveals his ethos and capitalizes on using “I” through using the words “we,” “our,” and “us” in his speech.
President Kennedy uses powerful imagery to help his audience better relate to his message. Kennedy states early how “the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans” (Kennedy, 1961). From the Olympic torch of competition or pride in one’s country, to coming of age, to a never-ending flame of life of this country, a torch communicates many things. All of the latter instills a sense of courage and focuses the audience to the task-at-hand within the nation. Through this image, Kennedy is striving to ignite a zeal for country in the heart of the American people. Another example of imagery within Kennedy’s Inaugural is when he is speaking of the common enemy of humanity. Kennedy states that the world needs to seek peace “before the dark powers of destruction unleashed by science engulf all humanity in planned or accidental self-destruction” (Kennedy, 1961). These loaded words underline a horrible evil. Kennedy uses such descriptive words as “dark,” “destruction,” “unleashed,” and “accidental” in order to paint fear and disgust within his audience. Kennedy uses such strong imagery within in his speech in order to deliver his message clearly to his audience.
Another tactic Kennedy uses in his Inaugural Address is repetition. Kennedy repeats specific words throughout his speech in order to point to the central tone of his message. Words that are highlighted are “freedom,” “peace,” “pledge,” and “anew.” The words “freedom” and “pledge” are two words that come to mind in thinking about America in general. These two are what America has represented for a long time. “Anew” points to a new birth or rebirth. Kennedy even states that today is “an end, as well as a beginning” and later we should “join in creating a new endeavor . . . a new world of law” (Kennedy 1961). Peace is the main topic of Kennedy’s speech. He spends a while describing a new world where “peace is preserved” (Kennedy, 1961). These four words combined truly represent the aim of Kennedy’s speech, pledging for a rebirth of peace and freedom throughout America and the whole world.
Throughout his first address to the nation as president, John F. Kennedy takes his audience through a logical progression of where America and world currently are and where America and the world are headed using carefully chosen words, powerful imagery, and repetition. His overall structure is easy to follow by his common audience member and is therefore very effective. Kennedy’s power and clarity in speech makes it clear why this speech is one of the most remembered speeches of American history.
Works Cited:
Kennedy, John F. “Inaugural Address.” Washington, D.C. 20 Jan. 1961.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy uses many tactics to deliver an effective inaugural address to the nation. He uses a logical speech structure, which makes it easy for his audience to follow. Kennedy also uses powerful imagery and repetition in order to captivate his audience. Kennedy uses both of these techniques wisely, informing America and the whole world in a memorable way.
The overall structure of John F. Kennedy’s speech makes it easy for his audience to listen to and understand. Kennedy begins by telling his audience of our current state. He claims, “the world is very different now” (Kennedy, 1961). Kennedy is giving a thesis of what the state of the world currently looks like. Starting his speech out with this claim brings his audience up-to-date and puts them on the same page. After this, Kennedy moves into addressing specific categories of people. He addresses “those new states,” “those people in the huts and villages,” “our sister republics south of our border,” and “that world assembly of sovereign states, the United Nations” (Kennedy, 1961). In addressing these different groups specifically, Kennedy narrows his sights and is able to go deeper in content. This technique is very effective against the natural distance that forms due to the broad scope of many different groups of people.
Another part of Kennedy’s structure that is very effective is when he speaks about America’s adversaries. Through identifying the real enemy as “the dark powers of destruction” (Kennedy, 1961) and not as a specific person or country, Kennedy brings friends and enemies onto the same side. Kennedy boldly states “the trumpet summons us again . . . a call to bear the burden of a long twilight struggle . . . against the common enemies of man: tyranny, poverty, disease, and war itself” (Kennedy, 1961). Kennedy is once again stating the real enemy is war itself, one that all countries can fight collectively against.
The last and most effective structure of Kennedy’s speech is at the end. Throughout the whole speech, Kennedy has brought everyone onto the same page, addressed specific groups, and has brought friend and foe together in order to bring everyone under the central umbrella of “we.” Since Kennedy has brought all of his audience together, he is able to address everyone as a single we in a final push to the end of his speech. Just like Lincoln in his “Gettysburg Address,” John F. Kennedy uses “we,” “our,” and “us” throughout his speech. Kennedy states “we observe today not a victory of party, but a celebration of freedom” (Kennedy, 1961). He later states, “we dare not forget today that we are heirs,” “this much we pledge,” and “divided there is little we can do” (Kennedy 1961). These are just a few examples. In all, President Kennedy uses the word “we” a total of thirty times throughout his speech. He uses “our” seventeen times and “us” twelve times, which is a lot within a fourteen-minute speech consisting of only about 1370 words. Kennedy using “we,” “our,” and “us” is effective in two obvious ways. One, in using these three collective terms, Kennedy reveals his credibility to his audience; he is humbling himself, mentally acknowledging his no different or better than his audience. In other words, these three terms reveal Kennedy’s belief that he and his audience are “all in this together.” Two, using these three terms throughout the speech isolates the few times Kennedy does use the individual “you” and “I.” Kennedy only uses the word “I” four times in his inaugural address. Each one of these stands out more than the normal “we.” So, by using “we” more often than “I,” Kennedy accomplishes two things: one, stating “I” fewer times causes it to stand out more, two, using “we” most of the time reveals Kennedy’s humility. Kennedy reveals his ethos and capitalizes on using “I” through using the words “we,” “our,” and “us” in his speech.
President Kennedy uses powerful imagery to help his audience better relate to his message. Kennedy states early how “the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans” (Kennedy, 1961). From the Olympic torch of competition or pride in one’s country, to coming of age, to a never-ending flame of life of this country, a torch communicates many things. All of the latter instills a sense of courage and focuses the audience to the task-at-hand within the nation. Through this image, Kennedy is striving to ignite a zeal for country in the heart of the American people. Another example of imagery within Kennedy’s Inaugural is when he is speaking of the common enemy of humanity. Kennedy states that the world needs to seek peace “before the dark powers of destruction unleashed by science engulf all humanity in planned or accidental self-destruction” (Kennedy, 1961). These loaded words underline a horrible evil. Kennedy uses such descriptive words as “dark,” “destruction,” “unleashed,” and “accidental” in order to paint fear and disgust within his audience. Kennedy uses such strong imagery within in his speech in order to deliver his message clearly to his audience.
Another tactic Kennedy uses in his Inaugural Address is repetition. Kennedy repeats specific words throughout his speech in order to point to the central tone of his message. Words that are highlighted are “freedom,” “peace,” “pledge,” and “anew.” The words “freedom” and “pledge” are two words that come to mind in thinking about America in general. These two are what America has represented for a long time. “Anew” points to a new birth or rebirth. Kennedy even states that today is “an end, as well as a beginning” and later we should “join in creating a new endeavor . . . a new world of law” (Kennedy 1961). Peace is the main topic of Kennedy’s speech. He spends a while describing a new world where “peace is preserved” (Kennedy, 1961). These four words combined truly represent the aim of Kennedy’s speech, pledging for a rebirth of peace and freedom throughout America and the whole world.
Throughout his first address to the nation as president, John F. Kennedy takes his audience through a logical progression of where America and world currently are and where America and the world are headed using carefully chosen words, powerful imagery, and repetition. His overall structure is easy to follow by his common audience member and is therefore very effective. Kennedy’s power and clarity in speech makes it clear why this speech is one of the most remembered speeches of American history.
Works Cited:
Kennedy, John F. “Inaugural Address.” Washington, D.C. 20 Jan. 1961.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
#17, Assigned 11/2
Popular periodicals that someone who majored in English should know about include:
I love reading Newsweek Magazine. While in Laos this summer, reading Newsweek allowed me to reorient myself to American issues in the midst of culture shock. And even though I do not agree with the biases filtering the Newsweek staff's writings, I enjoy comparing their world-views to mine. I love defending my point of view against such intelligent arguments.
I love reading Newsweek Magazine. While in Laos this summer, reading Newsweek allowed me to reorient myself to American issues in the midst of culture shock. And even though I do not agree with the biases filtering the Newsweek staff's writings, I enjoy comparing their world-views to mine. I love defending my point of view against such intelligent arguments.
#8
A list of 3-5 journals or other resources relevant for literature and language study with a brief assessment of one:
1) The Review of English Studies
"The Review of English Studies is the leading scholarly journal in the field of English literature and the English language from the earliest period up to today. Emphasis is on historical scholarship rather than interpretive criticism, though fresh evaluation of writers and their work are also offered in the light of newly discovered or existing material" (JSTOR website).
2) Studies in English Literature
"Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900 (SEL) focuses on four fields of British Literature which rotate quarterly as follows: Winter-English Renaissance, Spring - Tudor and Stuart Drama, Summer-Restoration and Eighteenth Century, and Autumn - Nineteenth Century. SEL was founded in 1961 by Carroll Camden at Rice University and is now edited by Robert L. Patten. It includes historical and critical essays that contribute to the understanding of English Literature" (JSTOR website).
3) Texas Studies in Literature and Language
"TSLL is an established journal of literary criticism publishing substantial essays reflecting a variety of critical approaches and covering all periods of literary history" (ProjectMUSE website). This assessment is sort of broad; however, after looking further into the website, a main reason it's titled with "Texas" is because it is a part of the University of Texas Press.
1) The Review of English Studies
"The Review of English Studies is the leading scholarly journal in the field of English literature and the English language from the earliest period up to today. Emphasis is on historical scholarship rather than interpretive criticism, though fresh evaluation of writers and their work are also offered in the light of newly discovered or existing material" (JSTOR website).
2) Studies in English Literature
"Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900 (SEL) focuses on four fields of British Literature which rotate quarterly as follows: Winter-English Renaissance, Spring - Tudor and Stuart Drama, Summer-Restoration and Eighteenth Century, and Autumn - Nineteenth Century. SEL was founded in 1961 by Carroll Camden at Rice University and is now edited by Robert L. Patten. It includes historical and critical essays that contribute to the understanding of English Literature" (JSTOR website).
3) Texas Studies in Literature and Language
"TSLL is an established journal of literary criticism publishing substantial essays reflecting a variety of critical approaches and covering all periods of literary history" (ProjectMUSE website). This assessment is sort of broad; however, after looking further into the website, a main reason it's titled with "Texas" is because it is a part of the University of Texas Press.
#7
List of three to five journals or materials about higher education with a brief assessment of one:
1) The Journal of Higher Education
"Founded in 1930, The Journal of Higher Education is the leading scholarly journal on the institution of higher education. Articles combine disciplinary methods with critical insight to investigate issues important to faculty, administrators, and program managers" (ProjectMUSE website).
2) The Chronicle of Higher Education
This newspaper is "subscribed to by more than 70,000 academics and has a total readership of 350,000" (Chronicle of Higher Education website).
3) The Review of Higher Education
"The Review of Higher Education provides a forum for discussion of varied issues affecting higher education. The journal advances the study of college- and university-related topics through peer-reviewed articles, essays, reviews and research findings, and by emphasizing systematic inquiry, both quantitative and qualitative, and practical implications. Considered one of the leading research journals in the field, The Review keeps scholars, academic leaders, and public policymakers abreast of critical issues facing higher education today" (The Johns Hopkins University Press website).
1) The Journal of Higher Education
"Founded in 1930, The Journal of Higher Education is the leading scholarly journal on the institution of higher education. Articles combine disciplinary methods with critical insight to investigate issues important to faculty, administrators, and program managers" (ProjectMUSE website).
2) The Chronicle of Higher Education
This newspaper is "subscribed to by more than 70,000 academics and has a total readership of 350,000" (Chronicle of Higher Education website).
3) The Review of Higher Education
"The Review of Higher Education provides a forum for discussion of varied issues affecting higher education. The journal advances the study of college- and university-related topics through peer-reviewed articles, essays, reviews and research findings, and by emphasizing systematic inquiry, both quantitative and qualitative, and practical implications. Considered one of the leading research journals in the field, The Review keeps scholars, academic leaders, and public policymakers abreast of critical issues facing higher education today" (The Johns Hopkins University Press website).
#15- Research/locating library materials
Below, I have posted the beginnings of an annotated bibliography I completed for Professional Report Writing. The report centered around a discussion of whether or not C.S. Lewis should be taught in public schools.
Usable:
Walter Hooper. "Narnia: The Author, The Critics, and The Tale." Children's Literature 3 (1974): 12-22. Project MUSE. TTU Library, Lubbock, TX. 9 Jul. 2009
Walter Hooper, the literary advisor for Lewis’ estate and once private secretary to Lewis speaks highly of C.S. Lewis’ writing ability while breaking down his affinity for The Narnia Books. Hooper states “Lewis is generally thought to have been the best-read man of his time” (13). Hooper attributes “the combination of his vast learning, his superior abilities as a prose-stylist, and his rich and vivid imagination” to the reasons for the success of Lewis’ Narnia books (13). Hooper goes on to describe the different attitudes readers can work-up from C.S. Lewis’ work, also uncovering some of the praiseworthy symbolism throughout Narnia. Hooper’s article is useful to this (my) report in giving an academic account of C.S. Lewis’ ability to write fiction, appeal to his audience, and use the literary element of symbolism in order to make his point.
Dennis B. Quinn. "The Narnia Books of C. S. Lewis: Fantastic or Wonderful?." Children's Literature 12 (1984): 105-121. Project MUSE. TTU Library, Lubbock, TX. 6 Apr. 2009
Dennis Quinn offers “a few cautionary words about the genre [fantasy] itself and about one of its most popular practitioners, C.S. Lewis”, while trying “to apply the distinction between the wonderful and the fantastic to Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia” (105, 108). To carryout his purpose, Quinn identifies and explains “the literary context in which Lewis wrote” to be in the neoplatonic tradition (108). He compares Lewis’ story with other classic poems and children’s books to reveal why the Chronicles are more a hybrid of wonder and fantasy by mere definition. Even though Quinn states his strong dislike for Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia, this article is useful to this report. This article provides solid insight into C.S. Lewis’ literary academicism within Narnia from the not-so-favoring point of view of Dennis Quinn, who ends up conceding, “the fantasy of Lewis is popular” (118).
Wain, John. "C.S. Lewis." American Scholar 50.1 (1980): 73. Humanities International Complete. EBSCO. Web. 3 Nov. 2009.
John Wain gives a brief and concise bibliography of C.S. Lewis within his essay. As a pupil of Lewis at Oxford, Wain is able to compile facts and personal experiences and observations of the literary genius. Lewis’ broad range of knowledge from everything philosophical and historical prevented what John Wain calls “parochiality, faddishness, and general loss of perspective” (78). John Wain proves Lewis to be a legitimate literary giant through his life-style and teaching from the perspective of a literary academic and student of C.S. Lewis, a man Wain claims “thought literature was something to rejoice in” (80).
Huttar, Charles A. “C. S. Lewis, T. S. Eliot, and the Milton Legacy: The Nativity Ode Revisited.” Texas Studies in Literature and Language 44.3 (2002): 324-348. Project MUSE. TTU Library, Lubbock, TX. 3 November 2009.
Charles Huttar speaks highly of C.S. Lewis’ literary ability through his adaptation of Milton’s Nativity Ode. While comparing Lewis and Milton, Huttar states that “Lewis’s eminence as scholar and critic has always been acknowledged, but in much of the academy his fiction and poetry have yet to receive the attention they deserve” (325). Huttar even makes the case that T.S. Eliot was also “acknowledging Lewis’s contributions to a degree that seems not yet to be fully appreciated” during Lewis’ reign (324). All in all, Huttar offers good support to C.S. Lewis’ academic credibility.
Still to be reviewed:
http://www.emeraldinsight.com/Insight/ViewContentServlet?contentType=Article&Filename=Published/EmeraldFullTextArticle/Articles/1710270403.html
Wheat, Andrew The Road Before Him: Allegory, Reason, and Romanticism in C.S. Lewis' The Polgrim's Regress.
Why We Always Need Socrates: Some Unfashionable, Unprogressive Thoughts on Teachers, Teaching, Curriculum, and the Theory of Knowledge, with Reference and Thanks to Socrates, Pascal, and C.S. Lewis. By: Aeschliman, M. D., Journal of Education, 00220574, 2007, Vol. 188, Issue 3
"IN LIVING COLOUR." Saturday Evening Post 278.2 (2006): 23. Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition. EBSCO. Web. 1 Nov. 2009.
Usable:
Walter Hooper. "Narnia: The Author, The Critics, and The Tale." Children's Literature 3 (1974): 12-22. Project MUSE. TTU Library, Lubbock, TX. 9 Jul. 2009
Walter Hooper, the literary advisor for Lewis’ estate and once private secretary to Lewis speaks highly of C.S. Lewis’ writing ability while breaking down his affinity for The Narnia Books. Hooper states “Lewis is generally thought to have been the best-read man of his time” (13). Hooper attributes “the combination of his vast learning, his superior abilities as a prose-stylist, and his rich and vivid imagination” to the reasons for the success of Lewis’ Narnia books (13). Hooper goes on to describe the different attitudes readers can work-up from C.S. Lewis’ work, also uncovering some of the praiseworthy symbolism throughout Narnia. Hooper’s article is useful to this (my) report in giving an academic account of C.S. Lewis’ ability to write fiction, appeal to his audience, and use the literary element of symbolism in order to make his point.
Dennis B. Quinn. "The Narnia Books of C. S. Lewis: Fantastic or Wonderful?." Children's Literature 12 (1984): 105-121. Project MUSE. TTU Library, Lubbock, TX. 6 Apr. 2009
Dennis Quinn offers “a few cautionary words about the genre [fantasy] itself and about one of its most popular practitioners, C.S. Lewis”, while trying “to apply the distinction between the wonderful and the fantastic to Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia” (105, 108). To carryout his purpose, Quinn identifies and explains “the literary context in which Lewis wrote” to be in the neoplatonic tradition (108). He compares Lewis’ story with other classic poems and children’s books to reveal why the Chronicles are more a hybrid of wonder and fantasy by mere definition. Even though Quinn states his strong dislike for Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia, this article is useful to this report. This article provides solid insight into C.S. Lewis’ literary academicism within Narnia from the not-so-favoring point of view of Dennis Quinn, who ends up conceding, “the fantasy of Lewis is popular” (118).
Wain, John. "C.S. Lewis." American Scholar 50.1 (1980): 73. Humanities International Complete. EBSCO. Web. 3 Nov. 2009.
John Wain gives a brief and concise bibliography of C.S. Lewis within his essay. As a pupil of Lewis at Oxford, Wain is able to compile facts and personal experiences and observations of the literary genius. Lewis’ broad range of knowledge from everything philosophical and historical prevented what John Wain calls “parochiality, faddishness, and general loss of perspective” (78). John Wain proves Lewis to be a legitimate literary giant through his life-style and teaching from the perspective of a literary academic and student of C.S. Lewis, a man Wain claims “thought literature was something to rejoice in” (80).
Huttar, Charles A. “C. S. Lewis, T. S. Eliot, and the Milton Legacy: The Nativity Ode Revisited.” Texas Studies in Literature and Language 44.3 (2002): 324-348. Project MUSE. TTU Library, Lubbock, TX. 3 November 2009.
Charles Huttar speaks highly of C.S. Lewis’ literary ability through his adaptation of Milton’s Nativity Ode. While comparing Lewis and Milton, Huttar states that “Lewis’s eminence as scholar and critic has always been acknowledged, but in much of the academy his fiction and poetry have yet to receive the attention they deserve” (325). Huttar even makes the case that T.S. Eliot was also “acknowledging Lewis’s contributions to a degree that seems not yet to be fully appreciated” during Lewis’ reign (324). All in all, Huttar offers good support to C.S. Lewis’ academic credibility.
Still to be reviewed:
http://www.emeraldinsight.com/Insight/ViewContentServlet?contentType=Article&Filename=Published/EmeraldFullTextArticle/Articles/1710270403.html
Wheat, Andrew The Road Before Him: Allegory, Reason, and Romanticism in C.S. Lewis' The Polgrim's Regress.
Why We Always Need Socrates: Some Unfashionable, Unprogressive Thoughts on Teachers, Teaching, Curriculum, and the Theory of Knowledge, with Reference and Thanks to Socrates, Pascal, and C.S. Lewis. By: Aeschliman, M. D., Journal of Education, 00220574, 2007, Vol. 188, Issue 3
"IN LIVING COLOUR." Saturday Evening Post 278.2 (2006): 23. Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition. EBSCO. Web. 1 Nov. 2009.
Friday, December 3, 2010
#12 Assigned 11/30
And now, the moment you have been waiting for: my acknowledging that I like the Harry Potter series. Harry Potter came out recently so I guess I will to (...haha, or was Dumbledore the one with a partner?): I have read one and a half of J.K Rowling's novels and have enjoyed them very much. I wish I had read the books earlier, especially before the movies became Blockbuster hits.
I can remember watching Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in theaters with my family. Just in time for the holidays, magic was in the air:
However, I am glad I was not as let down when viewing the movie for the first time like those devoted readers. This is normally the trend. Even in my own experience, reading a book and then watching an interpretation of the book in film form Always causes discomfort.
In fact, we held discussions class today ove the reasons for being upset. It was interesting how most of the answers revolved around imagination. Those who have read the books prior to seeing the films have more invested in the stories. They have not been given faces for characters; every time I read the word harry potter, I see Daniel Radcliffe's face because I have first seen the movies, just now reading the books. What conclusion can we draw, if any? Every time a movie comes out, don't see it first but watch the movie? That seems a little dumb.
How about a better conclusion--a challenge. If you might dare seek a more challenging, imagination facilitating, and rewarding activity, don't simply flip on the tube to watch dumb people doing life. Live your own life and read.
I can remember watching Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in theaters with my family. Just in time for the holidays, magic was in the air:
However, I am glad I was not as let down when viewing the movie for the first time like those devoted readers. This is normally the trend. Even in my own experience, reading a book and then watching an interpretation of the book in film form Always causes discomfort.
In fact, we held discussions class today ove the reasons for being upset. It was interesting how most of the answers revolved around imagination. Those who have read the books prior to seeing the films have more invested in the stories. They have not been given faces for characters; every time I read the word harry potter, I see Daniel Radcliffe's face because I have first seen the movies, just now reading the books. What conclusion can we draw, if any? Every time a movie comes out, don't see it first but watch the movie? That seems a little dumb.
How about a better conclusion--a challenge. If you might dare seek a more challenging, imagination facilitating, and rewarding activity, don't simply flip on the tube to watch dumb people doing life. Live your own life and read.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
#23 Assigned 11/11
Pay Ranges for Target Professions:
English Teacher, FBISD (my home district): Base pay $44,500 (usually increases about $900 every school year one stays at the same school) + BENEFITS
English Professor/Post-secondary: $50-96,000 in Texas
Magazine Publisher: Base Pay $61,455
Human Resources: $53,000
Personal Financial Assessment: Teaching at the high school level seems to be the most steady job with the most steady pay increase and best benefits. Texas seems like the best place to live with the biggest difference between income and cost-of-living. I can't believe my home district (the one I grew up in) starts off paying their teachers that much. WOW!
I must thank my parents for paying for all of my college so far. It has truly been a blessing. What are my plans for staying out of debt? I believe entitlement is a definite struggle that I must master throughout my life; the desire for material possessions (worse: the thought that I deserve whatever I desire) must be monitored. Do I deal with entitlement? I mean, I just told you my parents paid for my college-Exhibit A.
How do I plan to monitor my money-spending?
-Keep "buying on a whim" to a minimum
-Never purchase something I cannot pay for with a check/cash, being careful with the Credit Card
-ask advice from a close friend on big-purchase items
-read Dave Ramsey
English Teacher, FBISD (my home district): Base pay $44,500 (usually increases about $900 every school year one stays at the same school) + BENEFITS
English Professor/Post-secondary: $50-96,000 in Texas
Magazine Publisher: Base Pay $61,455
Human Resources: $53,000
Personal Financial Assessment: Teaching at the high school level seems to be the most steady job with the most steady pay increase and best benefits. Texas seems like the best place to live with the biggest difference between income and cost-of-living. I can't believe my home district (the one I grew up in) starts off paying their teachers that much. WOW!
I must thank my parents for paying for all of my college so far. It has truly been a blessing. What are my plans for staying out of debt? I believe entitlement is a definite struggle that I must master throughout my life; the desire for material possessions (worse: the thought that I deserve whatever I desire) must be monitored. Do I deal with entitlement? I mean, I just told you my parents paid for my college-Exhibit A.
How do I plan to monitor my money-spending?
-Keep "buying on a whim" to a minimum
-Never purchase something I cannot pay for with a check/cash, being careful with the Credit Card
-ask advice from a close friend on big-purchase items
-read Dave Ramsey
#22 Assigned 11/9, Grad School plan
I would love to attend graduate school in many fields, but that's the problem. I don't know exactly what I field I want to go into. English is my first love, however I'm afraid I will be tied down to teach if I further my education in this field. Education is the same. Within the education college, a plethora of specifications catch my eye: Counseling, Curriculum Development, Higher Education. These would keep me confined within the education realm, like English. To clarify, the possibility of teaching is not what bothers me; not having options bothers me.
Recently, striving for that Universal MBA seems more and more appealing. The thought of doing all kinds of business, having lunch meetings to close the deal, getting rewarded for being friendly to sell things people want or need, this all sounds exciting.
So obviously, I want to further my education, but I don't know which direction I want to step in (Yes, I ended this sentence with a preposition. I just don't really know a better way to word it. And the juxtaposition of my grammar within my unrest should stir the same discomfort within you that roars inside me and my lack of choosing a Master's path).
So, my plan for Graduate School? I need to seek the opinions of those older than me who have seen me grow up and progress. I need to take a few personality tests to see where I fall and what careers might be best.
Bottom line, I need to figure out what direction I want to go. I don't want to wake up in two years with an MA wondering why the Hell I got this degree.
Seriously though, I have taken the GRE and am in the process of asking for letters of reference and filling out forms. Texas Tech seems the most logical place, however I am not opposed to leaving Lubbock to further my education and life experiences.
Recently, striving for that Universal MBA seems more and more appealing. The thought of doing all kinds of business, having lunch meetings to close the deal, getting rewarded for being friendly to sell things people want or need, this all sounds exciting.
So obviously, I want to further my education, but I don't know which direction I want to step in (Yes, I ended this sentence with a preposition. I just don't really know a better way to word it. And the juxtaposition of my grammar within my unrest should stir the same discomfort within you that roars inside me and my lack of choosing a Master's path).
So, my plan for Graduate School? I need to seek the opinions of those older than me who have seen me grow up and progress. I need to take a few personality tests to see where I fall and what careers might be best.
Bottom line, I need to figure out what direction I want to go. I don't want to wake up in two years with an MA wondering why the Hell I got this degree.
Seriously though, I have taken the GRE and am in the process of asking for letters of reference and filling out forms. Texas Tech seems the most logical place, however I am not opposed to leaving Lubbock to further my education and life experiences.
#3 & #24-Assigned 12/2; Resume, Cover-letter, Career Center Assessment
Career Center: My plans for using the career center are very basic seeing as I am planning on teaching high school English. The career center holds a Student Teacher Fair every spring semester. I plan to utilize this teaching fair to hopefully advertise my desire to teach. The career center offers this fair plus resume and cover-letter examples for future teachers. I wish I could ask more from the Career Center; however, school districts most likely try to avoid interviewing at college campuses, truly not preferring recent graduates (those untested and barely out of training) to teach their students.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Assigned 11/16
I don't know what is more intimidating: MLA citation style or being corrected by Dr. Hurst during a presentation. That is really what I am worried about. Some throw fits over being forced to present in public, but I am sweating bullets over misrepresenting the revered APOSTROPHE ().
KC presented quotation marks. Bottom line, put quotation marks on the outside (most of the time).
Denice presented semi-colons, colons, dashes, and hypens. And I'm glad because I have always wondered about those...
Kit presented subject verb agreement. (But I really does not need help with that).
Lindsey very effortlessly displayed MLA citation style. (I gotta remember to double space, FO SHOW!!!)
And finally Holly entertained us through sentences, clauses, and phrases. According to my senior seminar professor, I definitely needed to take notes on this presentation.
Last thursday, gypsies came to our class, or at least this seemed the case. Senior Seminar was very entertaining, and we even learned valuable GRAMMAR lessons as well.
colton spoke on CAPITALIZATION (HAHA, I did not capitalize his name on purpose!!! Oh English Grammar Jokes!).
Jessica did not often confuse the often confused pronoun cases in her presntation.
Shannon's presentation followed closely behind the content of Kit's subject-verb agreement topic. She unpacked pronoun-anticedent agreement for us.
Andrea's presentation captivated the audience with her four-hour-prepared posters, and it's easy to see her future teaching skills surfacing already. She presented comparatives and superlatives.
Jospehine seemed comfortable after confessing the mistakes within her project. She described the differences and uses of who, whom, which, and that.
Chris uncovered parallelism and tense consistency...who knew grammar could be so much fun?
The presentations enlightened us not only to these topics, but our class's need to understand apostrophes and possesive forms. So I feel obligated to thank the class for setting up the importance of the subject of my language presentation: Apostrophes.
KC presented quotation marks. Bottom line, put quotation marks on the outside (most of the time).
Denice presented semi-colons, colons, dashes, and hypens. And I'm glad because I have always wondered about those...
Kit presented subject verb agreement. (But I really does not need help with that).
Lindsey very effortlessly displayed MLA citation style. (I gotta remember to double space, FO SHOW!!!)
And finally Holly entertained us through sentences, clauses, and phrases. According to my senior seminar professor, I definitely needed to take notes on this presentation.
Last thursday, gypsies came to our class, or at least this seemed the case. Senior Seminar was very entertaining, and we even learned valuable GRAMMAR lessons as well.
colton spoke on CAPITALIZATION (HAHA, I did not capitalize his name on purpose!!! Oh English Grammar Jokes!).
Jessica did not often confuse the often confused pronoun cases in her presntation.
Shannon's presentation followed closely behind the content of Kit's subject-verb agreement topic. She unpacked pronoun-anticedent agreement for us.
Andrea's presentation captivated the audience with her four-hour-prepared posters, and it's easy to see her future teaching skills surfacing already. She presented comparatives and superlatives.
Jospehine seemed comfortable after confessing the mistakes within her project. She described the differences and uses of who, whom, which, and that.
Chris uncovered parallelism and tense consistency...who knew grammar could be so much fun?
The presentations enlightened us not only to these topics, but our class's need to understand apostrophes and possesive forms. So I feel obligated to thank the class for setting up the importance of the subject of my language presentation: Apostrophes.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
#21 combined with Assigned 11/23
Today, Hurst made clear the pyramid of language, from the definitions of idiolect to dialect and language.
I found one thing exceptionally interesting from today's lesson. First, the thought of social media creating its own language resonates. I remember the learning curve in 6th grade, when my SN (Screen Name) was actually cool, johndebomb. An example conversation (with translation) follows:
johndebomb: wassup? (What are you doing?)
cheerchik123: nmhjc. u? (Not much here, just chilling. you?)
johndebomb: same. brb. (Same. I'll be right back)
cheerchik123: pob. (Parent over back)
Hours and hours of my middle and high school years were spent slaving over the computer communicating to friends (I guess not much has really changed: Facebook, email, Blogger). Well this language manifested itself through school notes; the age of passing gel-penned and folded notes ruled my middle school halls. I am sure these text notes were a national craze at the time, currently taking its form through cell-phones. Well these Instant Messaging conversations were only the beginning to my digital life. I remember exploring with Myspace and Facebook up and into college, Facebook turning out to be very helpful even in the job arena.
In High School, I remember taking a few computer courses: Business Applications, Multi-Media Animations, and AutoCAD. I didn't sign up for them thinking I was gaining valuable skills for life; I joined them because I was curious. Looking back, Business Applications taught me great skills for using Microsoft Office and basic Flash and Photoshop (all of which are very valuable in the college arena).
I believe I will continue to use digital media (Facebook and LinkedIN when I graduate) upon entering the real world. Using digital media can seem overwhelming even for me (who cannot remember a time before the internet). Encouragement to those who think using digital media is impossible for them: The hardest thing about using Facebook, LinkedIN, and other forms exists in learning to use them. Once you learn to use them, the activity can be as enjoyable as reading. Even with reading, we must learn to dive so deep we are no longer conscious we are reading.
Out.
I found one thing exceptionally interesting from today's lesson. First, the thought of social media creating its own language resonates. I remember the learning curve in 6th grade, when my SN (Screen Name) was actually cool, johndebomb. An example conversation (with translation) follows:
johndebomb: wassup? (What are you doing?)
cheerchik123: nmhjc. u? (Not much here, just chilling. you?)
johndebomb: same. brb. (Same. I'll be right back)
cheerchik123: pob. (Parent over back)
Hours and hours of my middle and high school years were spent slaving over the computer communicating to friends (I guess not much has really changed: Facebook, email, Blogger). Well this language manifested itself through school notes; the age of passing gel-penned and folded notes ruled my middle school halls. I am sure these text notes were a national craze at the time, currently taking its form through cell-phones. Well these Instant Messaging conversations were only the beginning to my digital life. I remember exploring with Myspace and Facebook up and into college, Facebook turning out to be very helpful even in the job arena.
In High School, I remember taking a few computer courses: Business Applications, Multi-Media Animations, and AutoCAD. I didn't sign up for them thinking I was gaining valuable skills for life; I joined them because I was curious. Looking back, Business Applications taught me great skills for using Microsoft Office and basic Flash and Photoshop (all of which are very valuable in the college arena).
I believe I will continue to use digital media (Facebook and LinkedIN when I graduate) upon entering the real world. Using digital media can seem overwhelming even for me (who cannot remember a time before the internet). Encouragement to those who think using digital media is impossible for them: The hardest thing about using Facebook, LinkedIN, and other forms exists in learning to use them. Once you learn to use them, the activity can be as enjoyable as reading. Even with reading, we must learn to dive so deep we are no longer conscious we are reading.
Out.
#19 Assigned 11-2
Today we learned about the English Language. OR should I call it the Anglish language? Dr. Hurst traced the line of written communication back to cave paintings she dated back 30-50,000 years. Of course this language was not English.
Apparently the English language stems from Indo-European Languages. Modern Turkey bridged Southeast Asia and the Middle East and therefore Europe, becoming the birthplace for many common languages. Under the umbrella of Indo-European Languages rests subgroups: Greek, Italic, Celtic, Germanic, and so on. And English traces its origins back to the Germanic tongue.
After the Celts and Romans left modern day Britain, the Germanic Tribes moved in. Naturally the Germanic tongue evolved:
from Old English (450-1066 AD),
through Middle English (1066-1450 AD),
and into Modern English (1450-present).
Modern English will always evolve, changing with the times (Internet language is even creeping into the Oxford Dictionary). Crazy.
Out.
Apparently the English language stems from Indo-European Languages. Modern Turkey bridged Southeast Asia and the Middle East and therefore Europe, becoming the birthplace for many common languages. Under the umbrella of Indo-European Languages rests subgroups: Greek, Italic, Celtic, Germanic, and so on. And English traces its origins back to the Germanic tongue.
After the Celts and Romans left modern day Britain, the Germanic Tribes moved in. Naturally the Germanic tongue evolved:
from Old English (450-1066 AD),
through Middle English (1066-1450 AD),
and into Modern English (1450-present).
Modern English will always evolve, changing with the times (Internet language is even creeping into the Oxford Dictionary). Crazy.
Out.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Assigned 10/26
Literature presentations came to a close this class period. And the first of these presentations was by Josephine Webb. Josephine presented Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko. The presentation seemed very informational; Josephine clearly spent much time preparing it. The excerpt seem pretty extensive for a ten minute presentation, therefore the time allotted for discussion seemed short.
Afterwards, Colton rose up to represent Mark Twain. Hearing again about the same author (once before from Kit) highlighted what is of importance to different readers, concerning the author's life. There were similarities though. Both Kit and Colton revealed Twain's real name, his home of the Mississippi River and the pair of novels making him famous: Huck and Tom Sawyer. Colton gave a well-prepared and concise presentation.
Emily Bronte presented next...Wait, I mean Lindset Willis. I never knew Wuthering Heights was a gothic novel...It doesn't help that I have not read it. However, I have always assumed (due to the following and name) the novel is a romantic or classic novel, similar to one by Jane Austen. Using Gothic font for her Power Point added a unique touch.
Once she got the nerves out of the way, Lauren presented a very well organized presentation of The Grapes of Wrath. She really pushed the themes Steinbeck relied on throughout his story. Two of these that have stuck in my mind are the bank/money as something evil and the idea of fear of death.
KC's presentation of As I Lay Dying carried on the dark resonance Weathering Heights started. Miss Roberson made the similar connection I made between Faulkner, Hemingway, and Cormac McCarthy. I have never read this novel, however after hearing its plot, I might have to buy a copy.
Afterwards, Colton rose up to represent Mark Twain. Hearing again about the same author (once before from Kit) highlighted what is of importance to different readers, concerning the author's life. There were similarities though. Both Kit and Colton revealed Twain's real name, his home of the Mississippi River and the pair of novels making him famous: Huck and Tom Sawyer. Colton gave a well-prepared and concise presentation.
Emily Bronte presented next...Wait, I mean Lindset Willis. I never knew Wuthering Heights was a gothic novel...It doesn't help that I have not read it. However, I have always assumed (due to the following and name) the novel is a romantic or classic novel, similar to one by Jane Austen. Using Gothic font for her Power Point added a unique touch.
Once she got the nerves out of the way, Lauren presented a very well organized presentation of The Grapes of Wrath. She really pushed the themes Steinbeck relied on throughout his story. Two of these that have stuck in my mind are the bank/money as something evil and the idea of fear of death.
KC's presentation of As I Lay Dying carried on the dark resonance Weathering Heights started. Miss Roberson made the similar connection I made between Faulkner, Hemingway, and Cormac McCarthy. I have never read this novel, however after hearing its plot, I might have to buy a copy.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Assigned 10/21
Denice talked about Their Eyes Were Watching God with enthusiasm. She gave an incredible synopsis, and like Alexandra, revealed how an author's life can really enhance their literature. It must be correlated with the author's ability to relate to the specifics of a given memory.
Dev'n then took the floor, sparking discussion of translated literature. And in light of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Chronicle of a Death Foretold, most of us concluded that translated works cannot carry a reader as far as literature in its original language. Reading in English a piece intended for a spanish speaking audience forces the new English audience to enter into a very different worldview. Dr. Hurst added the thought that all of literature is an activity similar to understanding translation. She explained; every author holds a very independent worldview. Learning this new worldview as one moves through a text is part of the game and not just practiced in reading translations.
Kit gave a good explanation of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. And once again, I concluded that the author's life directly influenced the writings. Mark Twain grew up on the banks of the Mississippi. Naturally, his stories take us there. It seems fair to conclude that when an author writes about things common to them, the shocking uphill battle of finishing a successful piece of literature is lessened.
Natalia spoke on Mayo Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. After this brief introduction into Angelou's life of being the victim of racism, I better understand why the caged bird sings.
Jessica floored the audience as well. She presented an ancient interpretation of Harry Potter. Or should I call her presentation a modern interpretation of The Libation Bearers? The many connections between Harry and the protagonist of The Libation Bearers causes me to wonder if J.K Rowling is an Ancient Greek fan club member.
And then all of a sudden, a guy gets up and presents an amazing project! John enlightened the audience of The Road by Cormac McCarthy. I'm so glad I showed up to class this past thursday. I am a visual learner and even thinker, and John seemed to be utilizing this avenue to display his information. I hope everyone understood the point of his presentation. He revealed McCarthy's use of words to reveal the setting of a passage. Every word can matter so much in literature; authors and communicators can never be too careful when choosing and placing words.
Out.
Dev'n then took the floor, sparking discussion of translated literature. And in light of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Chronicle of a Death Foretold, most of us concluded that translated works cannot carry a reader as far as literature in its original language. Reading in English a piece intended for a spanish speaking audience forces the new English audience to enter into a very different worldview. Dr. Hurst added the thought that all of literature is an activity similar to understanding translation. She explained; every author holds a very independent worldview. Learning this new worldview as one moves through a text is part of the game and not just practiced in reading translations.
Kit gave a good explanation of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. And once again, I concluded that the author's life directly influenced the writings. Mark Twain grew up on the banks of the Mississippi. Naturally, his stories take us there. It seems fair to conclude that when an author writes about things common to them, the shocking uphill battle of finishing a successful piece of literature is lessened.
Natalia spoke on Mayo Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. After this brief introduction into Angelou's life of being the victim of racism, I better understand why the caged bird sings.
Jessica floored the audience as well. She presented an ancient interpretation of Harry Potter. Or should I call her presentation a modern interpretation of The Libation Bearers? The many connections between Harry and the protagonist of The Libation Bearers causes me to wonder if J.K Rowling is an Ancient Greek fan club member.
And then all of a sudden, a guy gets up and presents an amazing project! John enlightened the audience of The Road by Cormac McCarthy. I'm so glad I showed up to class this past thursday. I am a visual learner and even thinker, and John seemed to be utilizing this avenue to display his information. I hope everyone understood the point of his presentation. He revealed McCarthy's use of words to reveal the setting of a passage. Every word can matter so much in literature; authors and communicators can never be too careful when choosing and placing words.
Out.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
#16 Assigned 10/19
Dr. Seuss caused a lot of discussion in class. Specifically, the book pushed us to reminisce our childhood dealings with familiar books. We can all remember our parents reading Dr. Seuss to us before bed, everything from The Grinch Who Stole Christmas to Green Eggs and Ham. On Tuesday, Andrea revealed the main allegory behind The Butter Battle Book. Published in 1984, this book displays in a childish way the primitive nature (slippery slope) of The Cold War.
After this, Holly revealed her interpretation of the pink ribbons with Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown." Critics have long debated these pink ribbons. In the story, the ribbons belong to our protagonist's wife, Faith, who appears to be loosing her innocence. This is symbolized by her pink ribbons. The color pink itself is a combination of the colors red and white; pink is a tainted white. And white normally standing for good and innocent adds to this interpretation. Holly's presentation concluded that fiction is really left up for interpretation; we all have our opinions about literature, as long as we can support our claims.
Chris wow-ed us with his Freud and Frankenstein presentation. He seemed to be unpacking the psychoanalysis of literature, and then he disproved its usability and credibility. He concluded that in looking at a text without considering the author's life and external/internal inclinations, we are not really uncovering the author's intended message.
Shannon also did an amazing job unpacking Donne's "Death Be Not Proud." The possibility of religion replacing death throughout the poem adds for intriguing conclusions. To finish off the day, Alexandra did a great job of providing a synopsis of The Kite Runner. From this project, the class walked away with a better understanding of how an author's life can really affect their literature.
The one thing that really sticks out to me from this day in class was the responses to substituting religion in Donne's sonnet. In the middle of class a forum for religious debate opened up. All of a sudden someone exclaimed what they believed about the afterlife; specifically this person believed that obeying the ten commandments (from the Old Testament Bible and the Books of the Law within Judaism), these would save their soul. I might argue that most people, religious or not, believe this. If a person believes in the afterlife, they have to wrestle with the thought that there might be a ranking or classification segregating those who have committed good and bad actions. Well, whether or not you and I believe in this, we can both acknowledge how provoking another discussion like this could be.
Well, I could spend a whole other page discussing the extent of belief and my personal reasons for faith. But this must be all for now.
out.
After this, Holly revealed her interpretation of the pink ribbons with Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown." Critics have long debated these pink ribbons. In the story, the ribbons belong to our protagonist's wife, Faith, who appears to be loosing her innocence. This is symbolized by her pink ribbons. The color pink itself is a combination of the colors red and white; pink is a tainted white. And white normally standing for good and innocent adds to this interpretation. Holly's presentation concluded that fiction is really left up for interpretation; we all have our opinions about literature, as long as we can support our claims.
Chris wow-ed us with his Freud and Frankenstein presentation. He seemed to be unpacking the psychoanalysis of literature, and then he disproved its usability and credibility. He concluded that in looking at a text without considering the author's life and external/internal inclinations, we are not really uncovering the author's intended message.
Shannon also did an amazing job unpacking Donne's "Death Be Not Proud." The possibility of religion replacing death throughout the poem adds for intriguing conclusions. To finish off the day, Alexandra did a great job of providing a synopsis of The Kite Runner. From this project, the class walked away with a better understanding of how an author's life can really affect their literature.
The one thing that really sticks out to me from this day in class was the responses to substituting religion in Donne's sonnet. In the middle of class a forum for religious debate opened up. All of a sudden someone exclaimed what they believed about the afterlife; specifically this person believed that obeying the ten commandments (from the Old Testament Bible and the Books of the Law within Judaism), these would save their soul. I might argue that most people, religious or not, believe this. If a person believes in the afterlife, they have to wrestle with the thought that there might be a ranking or classification segregating those who have committed good and bad actions. Well, whether or not you and I believe in this, we can both acknowledge how provoking another discussion like this could be.
Well, I could spend a whole other page discussing the extent of belief and my personal reasons for faith. But this must be all for now.
out.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Assigned 10/7
Today in the library, our researching skills were refreshed and refined. I learned a lot, and simultaneously applied my newly refined skills at researching for our literature presentation.
At first, I thought about simply revamping an old presentation on Faulkner's A Rose For Emily. Most of that criticism was centered on the author and the history going on at the time...this project I created a few semesters ago does not meet the same requirements as the current assignment. Also, my interests have changed. I read "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy this past summer and was blown away.
Just in case you've been in a closet for the past few years, let me enlighten you. "The Road" is set in post-apocolyptic times. The only two consistently present characters are the father and son...however, a few other characters arive, along with a mother figure who appears in flashbacks. Well, the only thing keeping this pair alive is their hope of reaching the coast. The father and son continue to depend on the only two life lines they have: eachother and THE ROAD.
Furthermore, I could not do the book better justice than this abstract prefacing an article by Thomas Schaub titled "SECULAR SCRIPTURE AND CORMAC MCCARTHY'S THE ROAD."
A Major Motion picture also hit theaters last year:
Out.
At first, I thought about simply revamping an old presentation on Faulkner's A Rose For Emily. Most of that criticism was centered on the author and the history going on at the time...this project I created a few semesters ago does not meet the same requirements as the current assignment. Also, my interests have changed. I read "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy this past summer and was blown away.
Just in case you've been in a closet for the past few years, let me enlighten you. "The Road" is set in post-apocolyptic times. The only two consistently present characters are the father and son...however, a few other characters arive, along with a mother figure who appears in flashbacks. Well, the only thing keeping this pair alive is their hope of reaching the coast. The father and son continue to depend on the only two life lines they have: eachother and THE ROAD.
Furthermore, I could not do the book better justice than this abstract prefacing an article by Thomas Schaub titled "SECULAR SCRIPTURE AND CORMAC MCCARTHY'S THE ROAD."
The article explores the allegorical representation of spiritual survival in Cormac McCarthy's novel "The Road." According to the author, the novel demonstrated the philosophical problem of belief from the inside and that it is unique in locating the basis for meaning in the love demonstrated by the father for his son. It notes the consideration of the novel as the core of all fiction for it brings the reader to any aspect of literature to the sense of fiction, as the epic of the creature, the man's interpretation of his own life as a quest.
A Major Motion picture also hit theaters last year:
Out.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
#14 Assigned 10/5
Since the expansion from traditional critical theory to "This New Critical Approach," Average Joes (like me) are given the ability to say what an artist's work means...and whether or not the author would agree with this is irrelevant. In the beginning of this New Approach, critical theory basically threw out the rulebook and clung to the subjective truths of an individual reader’s perception. The power here lies in the reader’s mind; there is no absolute truthful way to interpret a given piece...?
Post-structuralism and postmodernism are both running away from all forms of known analysis yet breeched. By the time Frye and Campbell come around, the previous theories are being thrown aside for a newer acknowledgement of the past; archetypal theories relate current and more recent pieces to their ancient, mythical, yet identifiable ancestors.
Psychoanalytic, feministic, and Marxist theories all focus on a single aspect of analysis. And by their names they can be easily understood.
Reader-Response seems the best place to start in criticizing a piece. Like in class the other day, we easily started talking when the floor was left open to our open-ended reflections of Oedipus.\
New Historicist Theory also seems like a natural place to move into when analyzing literature. It involves simply looking at the times a piece was written in to better understand the piece. At this point, it’s interesting to note how critical theory has made a full-circle back to author-focused theory. The “New Approach” was running away from an author’s Point-of-View, however, this cannot be avoided when magnifying the setting which an author worked.
Deconstruction Theory makes as much sense as “There is absolutely no such thing as absolute truth!”
Out.
Post-structuralism and postmodernism are both running away from all forms of known analysis yet breeched. By the time Frye and Campbell come around, the previous theories are being thrown aside for a newer acknowledgement of the past; archetypal theories relate current and more recent pieces to their ancient, mythical, yet identifiable ancestors.
Psychoanalytic, feministic, and Marxist theories all focus on a single aspect of analysis. And by their names they can be easily understood.
Reader-Response seems the best place to start in criticizing a piece. Like in class the other day, we easily started talking when the floor was left open to our open-ended reflections of Oedipus.\
New Historicist Theory also seems like a natural place to move into when analyzing literature. It involves simply looking at the times a piece was written in to better understand the piece. At this point, it’s interesting to note how critical theory has made a full-circle back to author-focused theory. The “New Approach” was running away from an author’s Point-of-View, however, this cannot be avoided when magnifying the setting which an author worked.
Deconstruction Theory makes as much sense as “There is absolutely no such thing as absolute truth!”
Out.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Assigned 9/30
Oedipus frustrated many of us. I just felt like starting this reflection out this way. Not that we didn't like it; the characters just didn't act the way we wanted them to. Proof of popularity of frustration? Well I counted. I took the opportunity in class today to survey the 'Reader Responses' of my fifteen/sixteen mates (classmates).
Different Reader Responses and number of those who hold this primary response.
Thought of the downfalls of Pride/Anger: 1
Parental Responsibilities: 1
Thought the drama was hard to relate to (Superstitions, etc): 1
Sad: 1
Thought it was aggrevating/frustrating: 7
Yuck: 2
Creon pulling strings: 1
Focus of who's to blame: 2
Again I want to clarify. We seven agree that the story is frustrating, but I doubt we 7 hated the story, just didn't have control over the Oedipus or Jacasta, not understanding their motivations for action.
out.
#11 Assigned 9/28
Oh Drama,
Protagonist goes from being in a good status to entanglement in a conflict that results in a reversal of fortune. Often, there is a paradox of the fortunate fall: the protagonist gains a higher level of personal awareness. Sometimes the sufferings of the hero are like a sacrifice to cleanse society.
All of this surrounds our buddy Oedipus.
Oedipus and his Chorus.
Today's class was a little different than most English classes...How? Well, we all stood up and marched back and forth across the room, speaking out chorus lines. Very interesting and weird. It did give us a better understanding of the role of the chorus. Apparently, the role of the ancient dramatic chorus was to establish the drama's tone, mood, and even offer advice foir characters. When I hear the word 'Chorus' I think of the refrain in a song or of my role as a background singer in "Grease" back in highschool.
We were asked to reflect for Thursday on the critical themes presented in the drama. A few come to mind right off the top of my head: fate as an inevitable force, parental obligations, the pitfalls of absolute power.
In discussing the different elements and themes expressed in Oedipus, it's apparent many other renowned story-tellers might have taken from this drama. Better put, issues within this drama sparked the genius of many great monumental story-tellers' works:
Incest leads to destruction also for Edgar Allen Poe.
Protagonist is left blind at the end of Shakespeare's tragedy, yet somehow sees truth for the first time, just like Oedipus.
Lucas also runs with the thought that son must kill father.
out.
Protagonist goes from being in a good status to entanglement in a conflict that results in a reversal of fortune. Often, there is a paradox of the fortunate fall: the protagonist gains a higher level of personal awareness. Sometimes the sufferings of the hero are like a sacrifice to cleanse society.
All of this surrounds our buddy Oedipus.
Oedipus and his Chorus.
Today's class was a little different than most English classes...How? Well, we all stood up and marched back and forth across the room, speaking out chorus lines. Very interesting and weird. It did give us a better understanding of the role of the chorus. Apparently, the role of the ancient dramatic chorus was to establish the drama's tone, mood, and even offer advice foir characters. When I hear the word 'Chorus' I think of the refrain in a song or of my role as a background singer in "Grease" back in highschool.
We were asked to reflect for Thursday on the critical themes presented in the drama. A few come to mind right off the top of my head: fate as an inevitable force, parental obligations, the pitfalls of absolute power.
In discussing the different elements and themes expressed in Oedipus, it's apparent many other renowned story-tellers might have taken from this drama. Better put, issues within this drama sparked the genius of many great monumental story-tellers' works:
Incest leads to destruction also for Edgar Allen Poe.
Protagonist is left blind at the end of Shakespeare's tragedy, yet somehow sees truth for the first time, just like Oedipus.
Lucas also runs with the thought that son must kill father.
out.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Assigned 9/23
Today we capped off our English Literature focus. A main conclusion we came to, which I agree with, is the importance of studying the progressive English Literature movement as a big picture. This opposed to individual authors and stories. In doing this, we might better understand an author's context for writing such a dark, violent fictional piece. In looking at the big picture, we could save ourselves from concluding the author was simply depressed and to a more enlightened conclusion...that the author wrote in such a realistic stream of thought in order to exaggerate his rebellion from the romantic notions within victorian works.
On my previous reflection blog over future and favorite books, I mention two by Francis Schaeffer. Francis Schaeffer, theologian, philosopher, and philanthropist, died in the late 1980's after living in Switzerland. He and his wife started a halfway house for the less fortunate. I love reading his books, for he defends the Christian Worldview in the midst of taking cultural trends and philosophies, looking at them as one big picture, one unified stream of knowledge. It's incredible.
Here is Francis and his wife Edith:
The next topic I found very interesting in class today is how iPads and Kindles are to affect literature. Although paper books are becoming less popular and logical (size and money), I believe the popularity of literature will grow. With these new inventions, all kinds of literature are available to people everywhere. I do mean all kinds of people from all over the world. And yes, I have been to third world countries. There are Internet Cafes meet peoples' desires to read. Here in America, these portable readers make reading all types of literature accessible. I acknowledge the parts within me yearning for hands on reading experiences. However, if I could choose to travel throughout the day with five good reading options versus one, I must embrace the decision with options (five options, or six, or twenty).
Of course, many other variables weigh in on this debate: Readability of these "portable readers," interaction with the book (no more margin note-taking), cost of books, the smell of turning crisp paper versus the hum of a hard, metal box. I'm torn, and I digress.
On my previous reflection blog over future and favorite books, I mention two by Francis Schaeffer. Francis Schaeffer, theologian, philosopher, and philanthropist, died in the late 1980's after living in Switzerland. He and his wife started a halfway house for the less fortunate. I love reading his books, for he defends the Christian Worldview in the midst of taking cultural trends and philosophies, looking at them as one big picture, one unified stream of knowledge. It's incredible.
Here is Francis and his wife Edith:
The next topic I found very interesting in class today is how iPads and Kindles are to affect literature. Although paper books are becoming less popular and logical (size and money), I believe the popularity of literature will grow. With these new inventions, all kinds of literature are available to people everywhere. I do mean all kinds of people from all over the world. And yes, I have been to third world countries. There are Internet Cafes meet peoples' desires to read. Here in America, these portable readers make reading all types of literature accessible. I acknowledge the parts within me yearning for hands on reading experiences. However, if I could choose to travel throughout the day with five good reading options versus one, I must embrace the decision with options (five options, or six, or twenty).
Of course, many other variables weigh in on this debate: Readability of these "portable readers," interaction with the book (no more margin note-taking), cost of books, the smell of turning crisp paper versus the hum of a hard, metal box. I'm torn, and I digress.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Assigned 9/16
Poetry.
Our group disected Ode on a Grecian Urn in class today. It's a very simple poem.
sike (kidding). The only thing quite simple about it is the iambic pentameter, but even that is not stable. This rhythm only lasts a few lines and then takes on a mind of its own. Actually, the poem takes on the mind of the author, changing with purpose. Here's an interesting video I found that pairs with Ode to a Grecian Urn:
What I found rather interesting in class today was discussed towards the beginning of the period, the similarites between Dover Beach and The World is Too Much With Us.
The narrators seem to be absent, distant from the view they present. Nature is fully content without the narrator, as clear in both poems. This is clear throughout the first stanza of Dover Beach: "the tide is full, the moon lies fair...the cliffs of England stand...[the waves] begin, and cease, and then again begin." Here, nature is fine by itself; life has its rhythm, not depending on the author. The same occurs in The World is Too Much With Us. Wordsworth starts, "Little we see in Nature that is ours...this Sea that bares her bosom to the moon, The winds that will be howling at all hours." The narrator is again viewing nature, yet can only conclude that nature is nature, independent of man. This realization pushes both narrators to realize their own mortality.
Here's another crazy video, this time for Dover Beach. The introduction is a little long; the good stuff starts at 1:49. The poem here is actually sung and accompanied by a stringed quartet.
I must agree with our inclass conclusion behind both pieces. Both narrators yearn to believe in something so hard and passionately, even to the extreme of pagan beliefs.
Out.
Our group disected Ode on a Grecian Urn in class today. It's a very simple poem.
sike (kidding). The only thing quite simple about it is the iambic pentameter, but even that is not stable. This rhythm only lasts a few lines and then takes on a mind of its own. Actually, the poem takes on the mind of the author, changing with purpose. Here's an interesting video I found that pairs with Ode to a Grecian Urn:
What I found rather interesting in class today was discussed towards the beginning of the period, the similarites between Dover Beach and The World is Too Much With Us.
The narrators seem to be absent, distant from the view they present. Nature is fully content without the narrator, as clear in both poems. This is clear throughout the first stanza of Dover Beach: "the tide is full, the moon lies fair...the cliffs of England stand...[the waves] begin, and cease, and then again begin." Here, nature is fine by itself; life has its rhythm, not depending on the author. The same occurs in The World is Too Much With Us. Wordsworth starts, "Little we see in Nature that is ours...this Sea that bares her bosom to the moon, The winds that will be howling at all hours." The narrator is again viewing nature, yet can only conclude that nature is nature, independent of man. This realization pushes both narrators to realize their own mortality.
Here's another crazy video, this time for Dover Beach. The introduction is a little long; the good stuff starts at 1:49. The poem here is actually sung and accompanied by a stringed quartet.
I must agree with our inclass conclusion behind both pieces. Both narrators yearn to believe in something so hard and passionately, even to the extreme of pagan beliefs.
Out.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
#10 Assigned 9/14
“A poem should not mean
But be.”
“Ars Poetica,” Archibald MacLeish
Defining poetry is very hard for me to accomplish alone. However it's made easier with the help of Hurst's identification notes:
We can say what it is not.
We can examine its elements.
We can contrast it with fiction and drama.
But poetry is hard to define in isolation.
Billy Collins' poetry is very entertaining. I especially enjoy "Sonnet."
Sonnet - Billy Collins
All we need is fourteen lines, well, thirteen now,
and after this one just a dozen
to launch a little ship on love's storm-tossed seas,
then only ten more left like rows of beans.
How easily it goes unless you get Elizabethan
and insist the iambic bongos must be played
and rhymes positioned at the ends of lines,
one for every station of the cross.
But hang on here wile we make the turn
into the final six where all will be resolved,
where longing and heartache will find an end,
where Laura will tell Petrarch to put down his pen,
take off those crazy medieval tights,
blow out the lights, and come at last to bed.
I agree with the conclusion we came to in class; what makes this poem enjoyable is the playful language, the insightful puns. Collin's is describing what a sonnet is within his sonnet. This would be similar to me to poke fun at the haiku with a haiku:
"Haiku" By John Evans
Five syllables for
the outside of three lines to
make one sweet haiku.
"On Turning Ten" is a poem by Billy Collins that resonates deep within. The first stanza makes a reader think the author is much older. "Reading in bad light" and words like measles and psyche reveal an older narrator. However, as the poem moves along, one realizes the narrator is really only ten years old and is depressed about reaching another mark of life. The third stanza breaks into me the most:
But now I am mostly at the window
watching the late afternoon light.
Back then it never fell so solemnly
against the side of my tree house,
and my bicycle never leaned against the garage
as it does today,
all the dark blue speed drained out of it.
All in all, I relate to the feelings paired with this stunning view of the past. Our narrator has come to realize life changes at a fast pace, and looking back he feels the weight of mortality for the first time. So deep is the mind of our ten year-old.
This makes me wonder if I ever thought about this change so early on. At some point, we all deal with the sting of death, and probably when we're all forced to read Donne's "For Whom the Bell Tolls."
Carpe the Diem.
But be.”
“Ars Poetica,” Archibald MacLeish
Defining poetry is very hard for me to accomplish alone. However it's made easier with the help of Hurst's identification notes:
We can say what it is not.
We can examine its elements.
We can contrast it with fiction and drama.
But poetry is hard to define in isolation.
Billy Collins' poetry is very entertaining. I especially enjoy "Sonnet."
Sonnet - Billy Collins
All we need is fourteen lines, well, thirteen now,
and after this one just a dozen
to launch a little ship on love's storm-tossed seas,
then only ten more left like rows of beans.
How easily it goes unless you get Elizabethan
and insist the iambic bongos must be played
and rhymes positioned at the ends of lines,
one for every station of the cross.
But hang on here wile we make the turn
into the final six where all will be resolved,
where longing and heartache will find an end,
where Laura will tell Petrarch to put down his pen,
take off those crazy medieval tights,
blow out the lights, and come at last to bed.
I agree with the conclusion we came to in class; what makes this poem enjoyable is the playful language, the insightful puns. Collin's is describing what a sonnet is within his sonnet. This would be similar to me to poke fun at the haiku with a haiku:
"Haiku" By John Evans
Five syllables for
the outside of three lines to
make one sweet haiku.
"On Turning Ten" is a poem by Billy Collins that resonates deep within. The first stanza makes a reader think the author is much older. "Reading in bad light" and words like measles and psyche reveal an older narrator. However, as the poem moves along, one realizes the narrator is really only ten years old and is depressed about reaching another mark of life. The third stanza breaks into me the most:
But now I am mostly at the window
watching the late afternoon light.
Back then it never fell so solemnly
against the side of my tree house,
and my bicycle never leaned against the garage
as it does today,
all the dark blue speed drained out of it.
All in all, I relate to the feelings paired with this stunning view of the past. Our narrator has come to realize life changes at a fast pace, and looking back he feels the weight of mortality for the first time. So deep is the mind of our ten year-old.
This makes me wonder if I ever thought about this change so early on. At some point, we all deal with the sting of death, and probably when we're all forced to read Donne's "For Whom the Bell Tolls."
Carpe the Diem.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Assigned 9/9
Oh Bartleby...
I'm not ashamed to say I did not enjoy reading this not-so-short story.
I might have more sympathy for Melville if I'd never experienced the splash of Moby Dick. However, a few semesters ago I read his Bible in an American Lit class, surrounded by others who also were trying to stay afloat.
Today, we talked about the horror and hopelessness within Bartleby's tale. I don't buy it. You want to explore the darkness and depression within the human soul? Read Crime and Punishment. A better way to explain why this story is hard to read lies within the plot. It's a simple plot. In terms of action, little happens. The only conflict that occurs is within my mind (as a reader) after the chorus of the story: "I would prefer not to."
When talking out stories, meanings, author's intentions, background information, my mind checks out from group discussion. I can't help it; ideas of characters, plots, settings of my own take up all the space up there. I guess I'm confessing; in class today, my mind kept racing back to that Dead Letter Office. I couldn't get over what might happen within that kind of work space. And the mention of Melville and Hawthorne getting rained in together? What subjects were covered within their spontaneous conversation? Not the weather!
As to any more discussion on Melville's Bartleby, I would honestly prefer not to continue.
out.
I'm not ashamed to say I did not enjoy reading this not-so-short story.
I might have more sympathy for Melville if I'd never experienced the splash of Moby Dick. However, a few semesters ago I read his Bible in an American Lit class, surrounded by others who also were trying to stay afloat.
Today, we talked about the horror and hopelessness within Bartleby's tale. I don't buy it. You want to explore the darkness and depression within the human soul? Read Crime and Punishment. A better way to explain why this story is hard to read lies within the plot. It's a simple plot. In terms of action, little happens. The only conflict that occurs is within my mind (as a reader) after the chorus of the story: "I would prefer not to."
When talking out stories, meanings, author's intentions, background information, my mind checks out from group discussion. I can't help it; ideas of characters, plots, settings of my own take up all the space up there. I guess I'm confessing; in class today, my mind kept racing back to that Dead Letter Office. I couldn't get over what might happen within that kind of work space. And the mention of Melville and Hawthorne getting rained in together? What subjects were covered within their spontaneous conversation? Not the weather!
As to any more discussion on Melville's Bartleby, I would honestly prefer not to continue.
out.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
#9 Assigned 9/7
Intro and A&P:
Key elements of fiction
• Plot
• Character
• Setting
• Point of View
• Theme
• Symbolism
• Style and Tone
All of these exist very nicely within John Updike's story. However, what consumes me the most is how a&P reminds me of my own first job. Sammy worked at the A&P; I worked at Johnny Rockets. That's right! Johnny Rockets, the 50's-style burger joint. And yes, I had to dance every fifteen minutes to songs that pre-existed my parents. Songs to forever cause my foot to tap. Legal prostitution at 2.15/hour, we lived off tips. And these tips depended on how happy our families were with our dancing...I know!
What I really treasure about A&P is Updike's description while his eyes follow the girls around the store. He states, "I look straight up this aisle to the meat counter, and watch them all the way. The fat one...fumbled with the cookies" (453). His imagery is pointed in endless ways, leaving a taste within readers of what exactly Sammy is experiencing here. Sammy continues on how the girls "shuffled out of sight behind a pyramid of Diet Delight peaches" (454).
What I find most ammusing is how Sammy romanticizes these girls into Virgin Mary status. Sammy seems to be in a daze describing these girls, however, they do not seem that beautiful, stunning. I guess within the A&P and following a dull day of swiping food, girls (any girls) half-dressed might appear so attractive.
This definitely happended to me at Johnny Rockets. I worked up to 10-hours during the week, receiving maybe 3 tables during these night-shifts. Girls I would not find so attractive in my right mind made my head spin as they ordered their greasy cow meat, dipped in cheese. Everything appears beautiful after standing unending hours over pools of grease, watching potato-wedges sizzle.
I can sympathize with Sammy.
Peace.
Key elements of fiction
• Plot
• Character
• Setting
• Point of View
• Theme
• Symbolism
• Style and Tone
All of these exist very nicely within John Updike's story. However, what consumes me the most is how a&P reminds me of my own first job. Sammy worked at the A&P; I worked at Johnny Rockets. That's right! Johnny Rockets, the 50's-style burger joint. And yes, I had to dance every fifteen minutes to songs that pre-existed my parents. Songs to forever cause my foot to tap. Legal prostitution at 2.15/hour, we lived off tips. And these tips depended on how happy our families were with our dancing...I know!
What I really treasure about A&P is Updike's description while his eyes follow the girls around the store. He states, "I look straight up this aisle to the meat counter, and watch them all the way. The fat one...fumbled with the cookies" (453). His imagery is pointed in endless ways, leaving a taste within readers of what exactly Sammy is experiencing here. Sammy continues on how the girls "shuffled out of sight behind a pyramid of Diet Delight peaches" (454).
What I find most ammusing is how Sammy romanticizes these girls into Virgin Mary status. Sammy seems to be in a daze describing these girls, however, they do not seem that beautiful, stunning. I guess within the A&P and following a dull day of swiping food, girls (any girls) half-dressed might appear so attractive.
This definitely happended to me at Johnny Rockets. I worked up to 10-hours during the week, receiving maybe 3 tables during these night-shifts. Girls I would not find so attractive in my right mind made my head spin as they ordered their greasy cow meat, dipped in cheese. Everything appears beautiful after standing unending hours over pools of grease, watching potato-wedges sizzle.
I can sympathize with Sammy.
Peace.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
#6 Assigned 9/2
Issues In Higher Education:
The discipline of Literature and Language faces many uphill battles. Over the years, negative emotion has aimed towards the humanities, mostly from the scientific and mathematical side of the academic field, and questions of exactly how useful studying these subjects is to the individual, the United States, and humanity in general. All of this in light of camparing this discipline to the sciences or engineering.
After public scrutiny, funding for K-12 liberal arts education is another road block. "Students playing Catch-Up" brought up a shocking point; Texas Education asked for $30 Million yet received 5, right? Crazy.
And this lack of funding (and therefore research, teachers, improved lessons and texts) only starts a negative cycle within specifically the liberal arts education. The average student already dislikes the English and fine arts subjects, and the lack of funds to improve them is available yet hoarded for other areas of "governmental needs." This only causes further students to be unprepared in these subject areas. And these lack of skills causes further problems: no more students embracing their need to speak a foreign language, students without the ability to read, analyze and argue a position, students without a grasp of historical trends. These problems will inevitably spill into every area of life for most individuals, the United States, and eventually all of humanity.
Some questions we should ask to further this discussion/debate?
Why are Liberal Arts important? (Most might say "yes they are", yet live like they do not)
What life-values should we be pursuing? (money and riches only?)
TO become more informed on these issues, I suggest reading from all different points of view to understand the true nature of the discussion, all angles, and obviously keep discussion going.
Another ethical issue within higher education is plagiarism. I see plagiarism all the time while editing freshmen papers at the Student Learning Center. I can never call the student out on it, for I have no proof except that I've seen their previous papers; I edited their last draft, and it was nothing like this paper. I sit there wondering, "There's NO WAY they wrote this!" Many ethical issues continue to crowd into the higher education arena.
out.
The discipline of Literature and Language faces many uphill battles. Over the years, negative emotion has aimed towards the humanities, mostly from the scientific and mathematical side of the academic field, and questions of exactly how useful studying these subjects is to the individual, the United States, and humanity in general. All of this in light of camparing this discipline to the sciences or engineering.
After public scrutiny, funding for K-12 liberal arts education is another road block. "Students playing Catch-Up" brought up a shocking point; Texas Education asked for $30 Million yet received 5, right? Crazy.
And this lack of funding (and therefore research, teachers, improved lessons and texts) only starts a negative cycle within specifically the liberal arts education. The average student already dislikes the English and fine arts subjects, and the lack of funds to improve them is available yet hoarded for other areas of "governmental needs." This only causes further students to be unprepared in these subject areas. And these lack of skills causes further problems: no more students embracing their need to speak a foreign language, students without the ability to read, analyze and argue a position, students without a grasp of historical trends. These problems will inevitably spill into every area of life for most individuals, the United States, and eventually all of humanity.
Some questions we should ask to further this discussion/debate?
Why are Liberal Arts important? (Most might say "yes they are", yet live like they do not)
What life-values should we be pursuing? (money and riches only?)
TO become more informed on these issues, I suggest reading from all different points of view to understand the true nature of the discussion, all angles, and obviously keep discussion going.
Another ethical issue within higher education is plagiarism. I see plagiarism all the time while editing freshmen papers at the Student Learning Center. I can never call the student out on it, for I have no proof except that I've seen their previous papers; I edited their last draft, and it was nothing like this paper. I sit there wondering, "There's NO WAY they wrote this!" Many ethical issues continue to crowd into the higher education arena.
out.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
#5 Assigned 8/31
Things I think should be said at:
i) a convocation:
Thanks
Jokes (break the ice)
Hopes of the future
Future Challenges
Stories, not neccessarily 'inspiring' ones (somehow relating speaker to audience)
ii) a commencement:
Opening and Closing thanks
Inspiring Stories (of success and risk-taking failure)
essentially "How I Got Here" from the speaker's P.O.V.
Something appealing to emotion
iii) my retirement:
Tales of adventure and risk
Fond Memories
Hopeful exaltation
Strong and Bold adjectives; Something to the extent of "John was and always will be ____________ (plug-in all the following: wise, important, intentional, courageous).
i) a convocation:
Thanks
Jokes (break the ice)
Hopes of the future
Future Challenges
Stories, not neccessarily 'inspiring' ones (somehow relating speaker to audience)
ii) a commencement:
Opening and Closing thanks
Inspiring Stories (of success and risk-taking failure)
essentially "How I Got Here" from the speaker's P.O.V.
Something appealing to emotion
iii) my retirement:
Tales of adventure and risk
Fond Memories
Hopeful exaltation
Strong and Bold adjectives; Something to the extent of "John was and always will be ____________ (plug-in all the following: wise, important, intentional, courageous).
#4 Assigned 8/26
I) Academic Strengths and Weaknessess
A. STRENGTHS
1. Eager to learn
2. Have had much practice in disecting texts, comes rather naturally now
3. I'm currently an on-campus writing tutor. I interact with common trends of flaws in students' reading, writing, and thinking processes.
4. Huge perfectionist
B. WEAKNESSES
1. Not a risk-taker (Writing, Thinking, etc.)
2. Dislike group work (I'm too controlling)
3. Don't know much about Resumes or Microsoft Excel
4. Cannot always write/talk clearly or concisely (I agree with the Abraham Lincoln quote you dropped in class)
5. I suck at taking notes (written (spontaneous) organization)
In response to my weakness of working in groups, I suggest taking personality tests; Everyone in the class should take a Myers-Briggs' personality test. Therefore, when group-project time comes around (which it inevitably will), we can all look at the results of those within our groups and better understand giftings and personalities.
Sitting down and taking the time to edit a paper (idealy with another person at my side) will always help my clarity problem. And I recognize that...so maybe the problem is more procrastination. HA. Hearing the faults of my argument normally comes too late to change. Hearing them through another person's ears can highlight the problems easy.
A. STRENGTHS
1. Eager to learn
2. Have had much practice in disecting texts, comes rather naturally now
3. I'm currently an on-campus writing tutor. I interact with common trends of flaws in students' reading, writing, and thinking processes.
4. Huge perfectionist
B. WEAKNESSES
1. Not a risk-taker (Writing, Thinking, etc.)
2. Dislike group work (I'm too controlling)
3. Don't know much about Resumes or Microsoft Excel
4. Cannot always write/talk clearly or concisely (I agree with the Abraham Lincoln quote you dropped in class)
5. I suck at taking notes (written (spontaneous) organization)
In response to my weakness of working in groups, I suggest taking personality tests; Everyone in the class should take a Myers-Briggs' personality test. Therefore, when group-project time comes around (which it inevitably will), we can all look at the results of those within our groups and better understand giftings and personalities.
Sitting down and taking the time to edit a paper (idealy with another person at my side) will always help my clarity problem. And I recognize that...so maybe the problem is more procrastination. HA. Hearing the faults of my argument normally comes too late to change. Hearing them through another person's ears can highlight the problems easy.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)