Wednesday, March 31
Following up on yesterday's prompt and response, we examined once again the curious fusion of personal and public in the poems of Walt Whitman. We then contrasted Whitman's public stance with the intensely private, introspective nature of Emily Dickinson's work.
HW due Friday:
Thesis statement and formal outline for the essay comparing Whitman's and Dickinson's treatment of the theme of death. To be typed.
Tuesday, March 30
Mr. P was out of class. Students watched the conclusion of the PBS Walt Whitman documentary, then briefly responded in writing to the following prompt:
"Speaking of Leaves of Grass, Karen Karbiener has said, Whitman 'really wanted this book to be written by the nation, for the nation.' In what ways does Whitman believe himself to embody or speak for of the nation as a whole?"
HW due Friday:
Thesis statement and formal outline for the essay comparing Whitman's and Dickinson's treatment of the theme of death. To be typed.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Friday, March 26, 2010
Friday, March 26
In some periods we completed small group presentations not given on Thursday; in most periods we watched a bit more of the Whitman documentary and discussed questions of Whitman's sexual orientation, if he was homosexual, and why he denied it if he was.
Mr. P announced a slowing down of the essay assignment. Students still need to be reading Emily Dickinson and beginning work on the paper, but the original due date of next Friday will be the due date for the thesis statement and outline, not the final draft. The final draft will now be due Thursday, April 15. Beware the Ides of April!
In some periods we completed small group presentations not given on Thursday; in most periods we watched a bit more of the Whitman documentary and discussed questions of Whitman's sexual orientation, if he was homosexual, and why he denied it if he was.
Mr. P announced a slowing down of the essay assignment. Students still need to be reading Emily Dickinson and beginning work on the paper, but the original due date of next Friday will be the due date for the thesis statement and outline, not the final draft. The final draft will now be due Thursday, April 15. Beware the Ides of April!
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Thursday, March 25
Mr. Potratz read aloud a poem by Walt Whitman entitled "Live Oak, With Moss," after which students worked in small groups to discuss the question "What sort of love do you think is depicted in the poem?" and to prepare a short presentation of their views -- with CM and CD's -- to the class as a whole.
HW due Friday, April 2:
Essay on death in Whitman and Dickinson. Students need to be reading the Dickinson poems in the textbook.
Mr. Potratz read aloud a poem by Walt Whitman entitled "Live Oak, With Moss," after which students worked in small groups to discuss the question "What sort of love do you think is depicted in the poem?" and to prepare a short presentation of their views -- with CM and CD's -- to the class as a whole.
HW due Friday, April 2:
Essay on death in Whitman and Dickinson. Students need to be reading the Dickinson poems in the textbook.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Tuesday, March 23
Students received an assignment sheet for a six-chunk essay due Friday, April 2 (the last day before spring break) and a handout with selected sections of "Song of Myself" which are especially relevant to the essay. That essay is to discuss the theme of death in Whitman and Dickinson's poems. (See Documents page for a pdf with the assignment sheet and the Whitman poetry.)
We then continued reading parts of "Song of Myself."
Students received an assignment sheet for a six-chunk essay due Friday, April 2 (the last day before spring break) and a handout with selected sections of "Song of Myself" which are especially relevant to the essay. That essay is to discuss the theme of death in Whitman and Dickinson's poems. (See Documents page for a pdf with the assignment sheet and the Whitman poetry.)
We then continued reading parts of "Song of Myself."
Monday, March 22, 2010
Friday, March 19, 2010
Friday, March 19
We looked at a brief passage from Emerson's essay "The Poet," which inspired Whitman to become a poet, and read the very beginning of the first edition of "Song of Myself," with Whitman's distinctively sensual version of the love of Nature.
Students were advised that if they feel that reading poems which are sometimes somewhat sexual, and not always entirely heterosexual, will offend them or make them uncomfortable they should talk with Mr. Potratz to receive alternate assignments for next week.
HW due Monday:
One typed, well-written paragraph describing what of importance you have learned so far about your outside reading book's main character. What is he or she like? What motivates him/her? What questions has the book raised about the character?
We looked at a brief passage from Emerson's essay "The Poet," which inspired Whitman to become a poet, and read the very beginning of the first edition of "Song of Myself," with Whitman's distinctively sensual version of the love of Nature.
Students were advised that if they feel that reading poems which are sometimes somewhat sexual, and not always entirely heterosexual, will offend them or make them uncomfortable they should talk with Mr. Potratz to receive alternate assignments for next week.
HW due Monday:
One typed, well-written paragraph describing what of importance you have learned so far about your outside reading book's main character. What is he or she like? What motivates him/her? What questions has the book raised about the character?
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Wednesday, March 16
In the first half of the class we observed St. Patrick's Day by saluting our Irish-American President O'Bama and by examining the racism which Irish people encountered in this country in the 19th century.
In the second half of our extended class period we finished our examination of "O Captain" by observing how disruptions in the poem's meter are used to evoke the poet's uncontainable grief, and we considered more generally how sound echoes sense in poetry, referring to the important passage on that topic in Alexander Pope's Essay on Criticism. Then we began to share our homework papers (Mr. P did one too) with their definitions of poetry from ourselves and other leading authorities.
In the first half of the class we observed St. Patrick's Day by saluting our Irish-American President O'Bama and by examining the racism which Irish people encountered in this country in the 19th century.
In the second half of our extended class period we finished our examination of "O Captain" by observing how disruptions in the poem's meter are used to evoke the poet's uncontainable grief, and we considered more generally how sound echoes sense in poetry, referring to the important passage on that topic in Alexander Pope's Essay on Criticism. Then we began to share our homework papers (Mr. P did one too) with their definitions of poetry from ourselves and other leading authorities.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Tuesday, March 16
In the first half of our extended class period we finished our examination of "O Captain" by observing how disruptions in the poem's meter are used to evoke the poet's uncontainable grief, and we considered more generally how sound echoes sense in poetry, referring to the important passage on that topic in Alexander Pope's Essay on Criticism.
In the second half of the class we observed tomorrow's holiday -- St. Patrick's Day -- by saluting our Irish-American President O'Bama and by examining the racism which Irish people encountered in this country in the 19th century.
In the first half of our extended class period we finished our examination of "O Captain" by observing how disruptions in the poem's meter are used to evoke the poet's uncontainable grief, and we considered more generally how sound echoes sense in poetry, referring to the important passage on that topic in Alexander Pope's Essay on Criticism.
In the second half of the class we observed tomorrow's holiday -- St. Patrick's Day -- by saluting our Irish-American President O'Bama and by examining the racism which Irish people encountered in this country in the 19th century.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Monday, March 15
We went over (and in some sections graded) the "quiz" over Walt Whitman's biography.
Next we analyzed the metrical pattern of "O Captain!" and after extensive and detailed investigation revealed the poem to be written in: ballad meter (more on that subjectr to follow).
HW due Wednesday (periods 4, 5, and 6) or Thursday (period 1):
What is poetry?
(1) Answer the question yourself in one or two sentences;
(2) Find and reproduce at least six other definitions of poetry from respected sources (poets, scholars, reference works);
(3) Cite the sources for all your quotations in correct MLA format (see pp. 17-19 of your planner).
YES! It needs to be typed.
We went over (and in some sections graded) the "quiz" over Walt Whitman's biography.
Next we analyzed the metrical pattern of "O Captain!" and after extensive and detailed investigation revealed the poem to be written in: ballad meter (more on that subjectr to follow).
HW due Wednesday (periods 4, 5, and 6) or Thursday (period 1):
What is poetry?
(1) Answer the question yourself in one or two sentences;
(2) Find and reproduce at least six other definitions of poetry from respected sources (poets, scholars, reference works);
(3) Cite the sources for all your quotations in correct MLA format (see pp. 17-19 of your planner).
YES! It needs to be typed.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Friday, March 12
We reviewed the rhyme scheme of "O Captain!" and then moved on to begin analyzing its metrical scheme.
HW due Monday:
(1) The Whitman biography "quiz" as homework, and
(2) "O Captain" with a finished metrical analysis. What is the rhythm of every line (blips, slashes and feet)? What is the regular underlying pattern?
Do your best. It will be graded for completion only.
We reviewed the rhyme scheme of "O Captain!" and then moved on to begin analyzing its metrical scheme.
HW due Monday:
(1) The Whitman biography "quiz" as homework, and
(2) "O Captain" with a finished metrical analysis. What is the rhythm of every line (blips, slashes and feet)? What is the regular underlying pattern?
Do your best. It will be graded for completion only.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Wednesday, March 10
Students worked in pairs to select passages of "Young Goodman Brown" which they thought central to its theme or meaning. We used these passages to investigate what that meaning is.
HW due Friday:
Read the biography of Walt Whitman on pages 348-50 in Elements of Literature and prepare for a quizlet thereover.
Students worked in pairs to select passages of "Young Goodman Brown" which they thought central to its theme or meaning. We used these passages to investigate what that meaning is.
HW due Friday:
Read the biography of Walt Whitman on pages 348-50 in Elements of Literature and prepare for a quizlet thereover.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Monday, March 8, 2010
Monday, March 8
Students turned in their homework (the twelve sentences to be corrected) and we went over them carefully, grading them in the process.
Extra Credit Opportunity:
Up to 15 pts. extra credit for answering the following questions about Tolo.
(1) What does the word mean?
(2) What language is it from?
Questions 1 & 2 together = 5 pts.
(3) When and where was the first Tolo dance?
Question 3 = 10 pts.
You must cite your sources.
Students turned in their homework (the twelve sentences to be corrected) and we went over them carefully, grading them in the process.
Extra Credit Opportunity:
Up to 15 pts. extra credit for answering the following questions about Tolo.
(1) What does the word mean?
(2) What language is it from?
Questions 1 & 2 together = 5 pts.
(3) When and where was the first Tolo dance?
Question 3 = 10 pts.
You must cite your sources.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Friday, March 5
Students received a homework handout -- a second attempt at the twelve sentence corrections from the first semester final, this time with hints.
We went over the questions which students answered on Thursday. and discussed our answers.
HW due Monday:
Sentence correction worksheets. See Documents page.
Students received a homework handout -- a second attempt at the twelve sentence corrections from the first semester final, this time with hints.
We went over the questions which students answered on Thursday. and discussed our answers.
HW due Monday:
Sentence correction worksheets. See Documents page.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Wednesday, March 3
We looked at images of Prometheus (stealing fire from the gods and giving it to humankind, then suffering his horrid fate) and discussed Captain Ahab as a Promethean figure shaking his fist at the malevolent gods. Afterwards we read further in "The Quarter Deck," up to the climactic confrontation between Ahab and Starbuck.
We looked at images of Prometheus (stealing fire from the gods and giving it to humankind, then suffering his horrid fate) and discussed Captain Ahab as a Promethean figure shaking his fist at the malevolent gods. Afterwards we read further in "The Quarter Deck," up to the climactic confrontation between Ahab and Starbuck.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Monday, March 1, 2010
Monday, March 1
We revisited a small part of the National Parks documentary, examined the Ralph Waldo Emerson quotation it contained, and connected the film with the Transcendentalist religion of nature.
At the end of the period students took a brief quizlet over the biographies of Nathaniel Hawthorne and Herman Melville.
We revisited a small part of the National Parks documentary, examined the Ralph Waldo Emerson quotation it contained, and connected the film with the Transcendentalist religion of nature.
At the end of the period students took a brief quizlet over the biographies of Nathaniel Hawthorne and Herman Melville.
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