This week allowed each one us to take advantage of a fresh start. This means that there is no stress, no due dates and no problems. Hence we are able to relax and prepare ourselves for the next 11 weeks to come. This week, we took an example multiple choice A.P. Test. This was extremely beneficial to see what the authors of the exam are asking of us. Although my score was nowhere where I would like it to be, I got a baseline of what they expect from me, and I find that very useful. My patience and stamina as a reader and writer needs to get better for me to do well on that test and beyond. I find the many passages can be redundant, so I have taken to looking to strategies to help me through the test. This week we were able to talk about some of these strategies, including reading the questions through before the passage, and looking for keywords in the questions that narrow the answers down. I am pleased with the results from the last trimester. I felt I worked extremely hard, did all the things I wanted to accomplish and then some and I hope to continue making the right moves and taking the right risks for the next weeks to come.
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In week 10, we continued our quest to understand tragedy through viewing a Ted Talk over a philosophy of success, and reading Oedipus Rex. This was the week that tragedy was put in perspective for me, there is so much more to tragedy than meets the eye, as we have learned when talking about elements of literature in the last unit. Oedipus Rex was a story that the reader knew was waiting turn loose after first understanding that Oedipus was Jocasta's son... and husband. The reader was able to predict the tragic moments that were ahead, but not the results. The results were the death of Jocasta, and the eyeballs of Oedipus being ripped out of his head, two dramatic and tragic results. Reflecting on this story, we find insight from the citizens in the story. At the beginning, the townspeople adore Oedipus for solving the Sphinx's riddles, he is their hero. And as you might be able to predict, his glory gradually suffers.
Many people think success means being wealthy and having an above-average rank in society. From the Ted Talk we viewed on Monday, we learned that the term 'success' is unique to each person and is simply the way you perceive it. To give an example of this, Mr. Schoenborn gave an example of a student of his that barely passed his class, yet his mother was in tears that he actually passed. In my family, if I earned anything lower than a B in a class I would be in deep trouble. There are different levels of success and number of ways to view success. This week, we began thinking about tragedy, beginning our second unit, What is a Tragedy? To do this, we researched about characteristics of tragedies and different types of tragedies, in literature. I found this very helpful, as this helped me gain an understanding of why tragedy is so unique, and why it's important for us to learn. There is a lot behind tragedies that I did not previously understand, such as the many different forms that influence the outcome of a tragedy.
One big question that we were told to think about throughout the week was, "Can we overcome tragedies?" At first sight, I was stuck on how to answer the question, I struggled relating the question to my own life, thinking about tragedies in literature what effect tragedies have on characters. Well, like in life, we are those characters, and adversity strikes on all of us. Talking about tragedy makes me think about a quote that Rocky Balboa says to his son in one of the later Rocky movies. That is, "But it ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!” Playing football nearly every year in my life, hearing similar lines was common through my many coaches. I interpret this quote as when hard times hit, what is our response to that adversity? The response is what defines us and builds the character inside of us. In week 8 of A.P. Literature, we concluded our Unit One: What is Literature? projects. Reflecting back before the project began, my understanding of just what elements of fantasy and humor add to a story was not what I expected. I learned more about each unique effect specific to the element of fiction, which helped me understand just why we use these elements, in general. The presentation portion was challenging, but with so much experience under our belts giving presentations, the nervousness and unsteadiness was not prominent. I have learned that maintaining composure is one of the most important aspects of giving a presentation, talking cool and relaxed, and really hit on what you want to say. All of those things have to happen after lots of research and an understanding of your argument, of course. Moving forward, this project introduced the 'so, what?' idea, that I can apply to all things in the future. Using that idea helps the audience understand just what the heck you're talking about. The next unit, dealing with tragedy, might get difficult because tragedy is not a topic we have thoroughly talked about in previous english classes. This year so far, I have opened up to group work more so than in previous years, I think when you have a challenging class like A.P. Literature, it is beneficial to take in and ponder other group members' opinions. That is another area that might be tough in the next unit, working individually, but then again, taking a look at other people's ideas is never a bad thing to do.
In week 7, all of us had the chance to pick out another S.S.R. novel for the upcoming 6 weeks. I chose to read, A Prayer For Owen Meany, by John Irving, as an author study. My family and friends around me, for years, have suggested that I read this book. I am looking forward to diving into it as time moves on. This week, a lot of work was done on our What is Lit. project. My favorite moment from class, in relation to this project, was seeing Andy perform tour guide A and tour guide B. The biggest difference between the two was that, tour guide B was able to make jaws drop. Tour guide B made a lasting impact on the audience, one that attracted the audience, attracted me to learn a little bit more of the mysteries of the Statue of Liberty There was a major difference between the two, and I gained the most understanding of how to guide the audience through that presentation. For our presentations, next week, it will be key to dive in and use the tools we discussed. Some of those tools included extending beyond or the "so, what?" In other words, how can the audience use what you're talking about in the future, or apply it to their own life. Not many will be able to take away elements of literature and apply it to their own situations, unfortunately, yet should enhance them of something they did not previously know.
Halfway through the trimester, there is much to reflect upon. These first six weeks have been very informative, and I have learned more than I would have expected. Literary devices, a grasp of poetry, a handle on timed writings for the A.P. test, are all areas we have gained understanding in. I am thankful to be in this class, as I have said before. This class feels so different than any other, each and every day makes us think about our own, personal, lives and question the decisions that we've made. At least it has for me, anyway. The workload is not ridiculous, like it has been in some classes, it is fairly light yet each day we have to bring our best to keep up. As a junior, I want to work to stay on top and offer virtues to the class that a senior could. I feel like I have done that thus far, and I hope I can continue to provide some sort of insight for the class. This last week, we finished our S.S.R. book and completed an essay discussing the book. The topic that I chose to write about was dominance. Dominance is a fairly easy topic to write about, especially in my shoes talking about, The Quiet American, by Graham Greene. The next time we write an S.S.R. timed - writing, I have to prepare myself better by reading lots before the last minute. That always seems to be my problem; waiting until it's too late.
For week five in A.P. Literature, much of our focus was about exploring what makes literary devices effective in writing. For our unit one project, the task was to explore short stories covering two literary devices, and create a presentation. I think this is tough with limited guidance, but there is so much to say, especially behind humor and fantasy: the two topics our group chose. Both of which are so much more than just a joke in a story, or an adventure in a story for the sake of being told, a deeper meaning, as we often find, is evident.
In addition, we talked about John Keats' poem, Bright Star, which is a beautiful love story about a man and a woman, and the analytical perspective of a star and a man's love. Thus far in the year, this has been my favorite poem, one that has touched me the most. Keats' ability to compare the characteristics of a literal, bright star, and a man's love for a woman is something that takes time to analyze, and is thick in context. The other poems, like, I Felt a Funeral, in my Brain, were also touching and enhancing to read, but this poem really made me think about what matters most in a relationship. One idea that I took away from the poem was that while he was lying there, among his lover, he was completely vulnerable, 100 percent. To be completely vulnerable is a big risk , but can be one worth taking. For week four in A.P. Literature, a lot of discussion occurred over the types of imagery used in literature, and in all works of art. This is extremely beneficial to me because it allows me to write about more than just visual imagery, and think more about other types of imagery, like auditory, that has an even deeper effect on the reader. This week, I realized that imagery is everywhere in literature, just varying in types.
In addition, this week, we took an in depth look at why literature parallels art. Through the Ted Talk that we viewed as a class, we learned to be selective about what we choose to write about in literature. It is smarter to take an in - depth view of a work of art in a museum, from a portrait that captures your attention, rather than scan through every piece. Being selective helps the author get down to business directly on to a couple key topics, which is more efficient and timely than touching on a wide variety of topics. Lastly, our poem of the week, I felt a Funeral, in my Brain, by Emily Dickinson, was a difficult poem to analyze, mainly due to the saddening mood of the poem, making it difficult to connect to our own lives. The poem was effective, although, leaving something behind for the reader to explore in their own mind. A really depressing poem, but I am thankful to have spent the time learning all the pieces and parts Dickinson created. For week three in A.P. Literature, the bulk of our discussions were wrapped around the idea that it does not take an inordinate amount of thinking and/or time to come up with a piece of writing that 'works' or is complete. During or time writings, in fact, we really cannot afford to dig deep and analyze completely, so it is important to understand and get in the habit to veer from that type of writing, and move into something that is more efficient and timely. Growing up, writing papers in school always took a huge amount of time, mostly because I felt the need to edit every word/phrase as I typed along, rather than creating a bulky rough draft and making edits from there.
In addition, this week the class spent lots of time touching up our summer reading essays. It was a difficult task, creating an essay touching on both assigned books and connecting both back to Thomas Foster's How To Read Literature Like a Professor. The resulting piece of writing is satisfying, as a finished product usually is. A finished product such as a difficult paper is a lot like taking a new pair of shoes out of the box for the first time. Sometimes handing the paper in can be a lot like getting the shoes dirty, or perhaps receiving a compliment, all depending on the quality of the writing. This week in A.P. Literature, the focus was about what the author in writing is able to do, able to create, to influence the reader. One important piece of information that I retained was that the "hidden meaning" in works of writing and literature, is overrated. The reader needs to be discovering how the author uses literary devices and such to convey meaning. In other words, how does the writer go about convincing the reader there even is a deeper meaning? Reading just to dig up the "meaning" of the story is the wrong idea, one can still be somewhat satisfied at the end, but understanding the author's tricks and tools to influence the reader is so much more important, and so much more gratifying. One other big idea from the week was simply: take the risk. Take the risk in reading and writing and really in life. For so long "being safe" in writing seemed like the normal thing to do, how words are supposed to be written. I enjoy this blog for the fact that we do not write as such anymore. My thoughts do not feel constrained when writing like they have for so many years. Also, this week we wrapped up the poem, The Eagle, which is a very meaningful and moving poem. I was grateful to digest it with my peers, taking on a broad spectrum of perspectives and points of view from the poem.
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March 2017
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