Homework This Weekend (Due Nov. 2nd)

Study your VOCAB! (see link on the right) -- no definitions or sentences, but understand how to apply these terms to real poems

Read and annotate 3 of the modern/contemporary poems in your packet.


Some reminders about sonnets:

Italian:

14 lines

Octave/Sestet (volta)

Rhyme: abbaabba/cdecde or cdccdc

NO RHYMING COUPLET

Early English Sonnet

14 lines

Octave/Sestet (volta)

Rhyme: abbaabba/cddc ee

RHYMING COUPLET

Shakespearean Sonnet

14 lines

Octave/Sestet (volta)

Rhyme: abab cdcd efef gg

RHYMING COUPLET & NEW RHYME SCHEME

Shakespeare's Sonnet 130

You guys were amazing today! We have now studied 3 different kinds of sonnets: Italian, Early English, and Shakespearean (English). Today we read Shakespeare's Sonnet 130 and you worked in groups to re-write the poem. This was so fun to watch. Your re-writes were hilarious!

See, you CAN understand Shakespeare and make it your own!

Here is the music video to Sonnet Man's rap:

Early English Sonnets

Today we discussed Sir Thomas Wyatt's sonnet, "I Find No Peace" (in your sonnet packet).

Wyatt took the Italian sonnet form and adapted it, adding the rhyming couplet at the end. Like Italian sonnets, these early English sonnets are 14 lines, contain an octave (abbaabba) and sestet with a couplet (cddc gg).  

Like Petrarch, Wyatt burns with passion for a woman he cannot have (most likely Anne Bolyn).

Italian Sonnets

Today we began our study of sonnets. HERE is the packet you picked up. We will use this packet for the next two weeks.


This afternoon we discussed Petrarch and looked at his Sonnet 13. HERE is the poetry lecture (we covered slides 16-21).

Petrarch looking lonely :(

Study Poetry Vocab (Quiz Monday)

Here are the key terms for this week:

Scansion

Meter

Qualitative Meter

Metric foot

dimeter

trimeter

tetrameter

pentameter

caesura

end-stopped

enjambed

iamb

trochee

spondee


You DO NOT need definitions and sentences this week. Just study these terms and know how to apply them to a poem.

Poetic Scansion

Yesterday we began our glorious (or maybe dreaded?) poetry unit. We had a great discussion about scansion. HERE is the note-sheet from yesterday. HERE is the PowerPoint. So far we have covered through slide 15.

Today we will continue our exploration of poetic meter with some activities around syllable stresses (iambic, trochaic, etc.) HERE is the note-sheet for today.

Tragedy Essay Editing

The news is true! Your essays are now due Wednesday. We will spend the next few days editing our essays and ensuring they are perfect for turn-in.

HERE is our calendar and the list of editing activities.

Tragedy Essay DUE MONDAY

Just a reminder that your tragedy essay is due Monday. This shouldn't be a surprise. We've been working on this all week! You a need a typed and printed copy at the start of class.

HERE is a copy of the presentation I've given the last few days (information about crafting introductions and body paragraphs).

Tragedy Essay Packet

This week we embark on our first major literary analysis essay. HERE is the packet of information and rubrics.

Tonight you are reading a sample essay response and annotating it (what did this students do well, what needs work).

You should also begin compiling notes, quotations, and ideas for your essay. Tomorrow we will creat our outlines and work on thesis statements. You will write your first draft under time on Thursday.

"This Be the Verse" by Philip Larkin

We had a great conversation today about Larkin's poem and the connections with our tragedy unit. Here are the group annotations we created:

5th Hour:

6th Hour:

Reading Homework Tonight

Tonight's homework is to read:

"How to Write About Africa" by Binyavanga Wainaina

and "Problems of Gender and History in the Teaching of Things Fall Apart. See me for a copy!

Things Fall Apart & Anti-Colonialism

Today we talked about colonialism and our own stereotypes and assumptions about Africa. We began the hour by watching Taylor Swift's music video for "Wildest Dreams" and the 2014 Louis Vuitton campaign (both below). We considered these problematic depictions of Africa that completely leave out Africans!






I gave THIS lecture about Chinua Achebe and his inspiration for the novel Things Fall Apart.

HERE is the handout, "How to Write About Africa" by Wainaina

HERE is the full clip of John Stewart's interview with Trevor Noah called "Spot the Africa."

HERE is the full text of Achebe's article, "An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad's 'Heart of Darkness'"