These first few weeks of AP Lit have been invigorating. Maybe you wouldn't think talking about diction, imagery, details, language, and syntax (DIDLS) in literature would be your slice of pie, but I thought it was great! As we dissected and discussed these gears that make the clock of literature tick, I was able to connect what we were learning to things I remembered and experiences I would have. Everything sort of turned into an assignment to annotate. One thing that I noticed was that whether it's in the literature we read, the movies/music we watch/listen to, or the conversations and interactions we have on a daily basis, we use the same patterns of DIDLS. It seems pretty obvious when you focus on it. We use books and plays and poetry because the DIDLS in these is super condensed, but the concepts carry through with the real world.
The American Dream is the first piece of literature that we've applied our new found knowledge to in class. We had some solid discussions about the superficial reality of the "American Dream," the roles Mommy, Daddy, and Mrs. Barker played, and what Grandma and "pioneer stock" had to do with the whole thing. However what I believe I will retain the most is the discussion we had on Thursday about dolls. Ms. Holmes was really pumped about 2nd hour's discussion earlier that day and how they had come up with a perfectly original and valid idea about the characters being like dolls being played with and how they could be representations of the ideas of another cast of characters altogether. (That's just a rough overview, I didn't want to try and explain and totally botch it; if you know about the doll thing, then you get what I'm talking about). Anyway, Holmes was excited yet hesitant to share the idea with our 6th hour class because she wanted us to "come to our own conclusions" or some cliche phrase like that, but we begged her to let us in on the mind blowing idea, so she finally did. Now, our class usually has awesome discussions, and I myself thought that with this crazy idea to kickstart Thursday's discussion, we'd come to some enlightenment about the meaning behind Albee's play. The complete opposite happened. We became so hung up on the doll/barbie/puppet idea that we came up with virtually every possible scenario revolving around that one idea. In short: we rode the proverbial horse into the ground, shot it dead, kicked the dead horse, burned it to ashes, kicked the ashed until they were thoroughly scattered, gathered them back up, and stomped on them. I'm exaggerating, but the point is, that discussion ended with very little enthusiasm and it didn't seem like we really learned anything that day. Ms. Holmes had been right when she had hesitated to tell us about the other class' idea because we clung to that idea like it was the one and only answer, which of course, was not the case. The outcome for us was a wasted opportunity to progress. Though I guess that's not completely true; I will look back on this experience as a reason to 1) trust that the teacher knows best, and 2) be unique and original in my work and ideas.
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Close Reading September 15th
Space Invader Safari.
by Daniel Falk
Space Invader Safari.
by Daniel Falk
This story is of a circus performer travelling throughout French-speaking Europe with his troupe (which includes his wife). He tells of a time on this adventure when he and his missus opted to take a tour of part of the more native scene of Paris. They took two days to discover the works of a prolific Parisian street artist known as the "Space Invader."
Falk uses articulate wording to settle the audience into the story and let them know how it's gonna go; wording such as hemorrhaging and sumptuous are used in a way that says, "Hey! I speak smart English!" Although he keeps big, meaty words to add flavor, Falk writes with colloquial diction to give off a relaxed tone. The whole piece makes you feel like you're chilling on your couch with the narrator, who's over for a visit, and you're chatting about his time in Europe.
The sentences' lengths vary greatly. If we're going with the imaginary scenario I mentioned above, this style fits rather well. It's almost as if the narrator is remembering parts bit by bit. There are places where the sentences are short, without conjunctions, and sound choppy; there are places where the sentences flow and are pleasant and gentle to read. Conjugations are sometimes utilized as sentence openers, this enhances the informal feel of the passage. For example, "I once heard one of my cast mates complain that he was sick of all the old buildings in Paris. And this chap was from Winnipeg of all places. Winnipeg. The home of frostbite and sadness and stabbings." Falk could have structured these sentences differently to sound disdainful or frustrated, but this setup sounds more scoffing, which (when the sentences are put in context) makes perfect sense.
There is one point in this passage where Falk presents an odd use of imagery.
"But hey, we were still in Paris, right? It’s not like we were in Fort Macmurray in February, or (shudder) Fresno, at any time of the year."
(shudder)
This single word appeals directly to the tactile sense, indicating that you should shudder when you think of Fresno. It isn't a completely original tactic, I've read a couple pieces that use imagery the same way, but it's still... well odd. In a good way though.
Overall, I deem Daniel Falk a pretty competent writer, and enjoy his style. I'd gladly "join his descent into madness" any day. (It's a quote from the intro).
Monday, September 2, 2013
AP Summer Work Entry Two
While reading through the poetry multiple choice section in Peterson's AP English and doing the practice problems, I seemed to get caught up in the details and would generally miss the "big picture." Sometimes I would skip over important details, but that wasn't as prominent. I didn't seem to have a problem with the older poetry, in fact, I enjoyed reading "La Belle Dame Sans Merci" and "Sonnet 55" because of the imagery, symbolism, and style. My favorite poem was "The Chambered Nautilus," for the same reasons as mentioned above. I was unfamiliar with some of the allusions presented in the various poems, but I was able to at least discern where they were and make educated guesses. These exercises had welcome insights toward tackling poems as well as the helpful test-taking skills.
AP Summer Work Entry One
Peterson's AP English Diagnostics Test was a good eye opener for me. The first thing that surprised me was that I had to really focus on the text to find the answers, and that sounds kind of obvious, but I've always felt like it was easy finding information and answering questions in this format. I just had a little more trouble this time around, maybe because my expectation was for it to be really simple material. Now I'm going to break down the test to look at it more statistically:
A Valediction: Forbidden Mourning - 70% correct
I had trouble finding the tone and major conceit of the poem: tone because I didn't know the meaning of sanguine when I started the test, conceit because I guess I didn't understand how to find the conceit, (I thought that the stanza about "moving of th' earth" and "trepidation of the spheres" was the conceit). Also, I have, or rather had, no clue what true love and trepidation meant. My biggest concern from this poem is that I didn't quite understand all of the figurative language: just a few lines, here and there, but enough to be concerning.
From Pride and Prejudice - 80% correct
I'm still not fluent in reading classical literature, so I can read it, but I miss the meaning of phrases occasionally. I didn't catch the sense of irony when Mr. Bennet was talking about his wife's nerves. In hindsight, it makes sense though. I thought the excerpt was a satire of the Bennets' relationship, but I understand how the bantering was truly a discussion about the impact on the family of a new neighbor moving in. I also found that I didn't look at the big picture for some things, an example being question twenty four. The question was in regards to Mr. Bennet's comment on Lizzy's "quickness" in contrast to her sisters. The correct answer was "(C) He is defending his position." and I put "(D) He admires his daughter's intelligence." and while both are true, his admiration is part of his defense as to why Lizzy is better suited to marry Mr. Bingley.
Night Clouds - 100% correct
While I answered all the questions for this poem correctly, I have a funny story to tell. I read the poem without reading the title and proceeded to answer the questions, but I quickly realized that none of the answers made any sense! I thought the mares were beams of moonlight and the green porcelain heavens might be referring to the aurora borealis, so talk of clouds really screwed with my head. I read the poem again thinking, "WHAT IS THIS POEM ABOUT?!" Then I looked at the title and had to laugh at my ignorance. I might have come to that conclusion earlier if I had a more open mind on the meaning, but I came up with a conclusion and was dead set in my thinking. In the end, it was a good learning experience for me.
From the Preface of Modern American Poetry, a Critical Anthology - 80% correct
I picked a supporting detail rather that the overarching theme for the thesis. I didn't pay attention to the focus on the Civil War throughout the excerpt, so with question forty, I failed to choose the correct reason for the Brahmins' change in roles. Question forty four was a hold up for me. "Suddenly the break came. America developed a national conscience; the West discovered itself, and the East discovered the West." I tried to argue that this meant the Western poetry became the dominant verse, but it was a weak argument when I reread the first sentence. A "sudden break" sounds like "something clicked" so that supports the correct answer "American modern poetry found itself."
The reoccurring weakness I found in myself throughout this test was my illiteracy. I like to think that I have a pretty comprehensive vocabulary, yet I keep hitting unfamiliar words. I guess that's okay though, it gives me more opportunity to grow. While I've been focusing mostly on my shortcomings on this test, I feel that I did a decent job connecting most of the ideas presented in the text and questions. This diagnostics test was good crash course: I appreciate the opportunity to get a specific bearing on my strengths and weaknesses going into this AP course.
A Valediction: Forbidden Mourning - 70% correct
I had trouble finding the tone and major conceit of the poem: tone because I didn't know the meaning of sanguine when I started the test, conceit because I guess I didn't understand how to find the conceit, (I thought that the stanza about "moving of th' earth" and "trepidation of the spheres" was the conceit). Also, I have, or rather had, no clue what true love and trepidation meant. My biggest concern from this poem is that I didn't quite understand all of the figurative language: just a few lines, here and there, but enough to be concerning.
From Pride and Prejudice - 80% correct
I'm still not fluent in reading classical literature, so I can read it, but I miss the meaning of phrases occasionally. I didn't catch the sense of irony when Mr. Bennet was talking about his wife's nerves. In hindsight, it makes sense though. I thought the excerpt was a satire of the Bennets' relationship, but I understand how the bantering was truly a discussion about the impact on the family of a new neighbor moving in. I also found that I didn't look at the big picture for some things, an example being question twenty four. The question was in regards to Mr. Bennet's comment on Lizzy's "quickness" in contrast to her sisters. The correct answer was "(C) He is defending his position." and I put "(D) He admires his daughter's intelligence." and while both are true, his admiration is part of his defense as to why Lizzy is better suited to marry Mr. Bingley.
Night Clouds - 100% correct
While I answered all the questions for this poem correctly, I have a funny story to tell. I read the poem without reading the title and proceeded to answer the questions, but I quickly realized that none of the answers made any sense! I thought the mares were beams of moonlight and the green porcelain heavens might be referring to the aurora borealis, so talk of clouds really screwed with my head. I read the poem again thinking, "WHAT IS THIS POEM ABOUT?!" Then I looked at the title and had to laugh at my ignorance. I might have come to that conclusion earlier if I had a more open mind on the meaning, but I came up with a conclusion and was dead set in my thinking. In the end, it was a good learning experience for me.
From the Preface of Modern American Poetry, a Critical Anthology - 80% correct
I picked a supporting detail rather that the overarching theme for the thesis. I didn't pay attention to the focus on the Civil War throughout the excerpt, so with question forty, I failed to choose the correct reason for the Brahmins' change in roles. Question forty four was a hold up for me. "Suddenly the break came. America developed a national conscience; the West discovered itself, and the East discovered the West." I tried to argue that this meant the Western poetry became the dominant verse, but it was a weak argument when I reread the first sentence. A "sudden break" sounds like "something clicked" so that supports the correct answer "American modern poetry found itself."
The reoccurring weakness I found in myself throughout this test was my illiteracy. I like to think that I have a pretty comprehensive vocabulary, yet I keep hitting unfamiliar words. I guess that's okay though, it gives me more opportunity to grow. While I've been focusing mostly on my shortcomings on this test, I feel that I did a decent job connecting most of the ideas presented in the text and questions. This diagnostics test was good crash course: I appreciate the opportunity to get a specific bearing on my strengths and weaknesses going into this AP course.
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