Oedipus / "Wreck of the Hesperus" - Benchmark Prep

College Prep 12

• Yesterday Oedipus was brielfy discussed. Students took most of the period to reread and annotate. Annotations will be collected as part of the essay grade for this unit. (For link to oedipus, see link in 2/19 post.)
• Today we began watching Pasolini's Oedipus Rex, with particular attention to the filmaker's symbolism.
• Yesterday, the essay question: In a discussion including at least two of the five stories, analyze similarities and differences in event sequence, characterization, symbolism and theme. Be sure to tie these elements together in such a manner that supports each story’s purpose or message. (Think in terms of the hero journey and ‘atonement with the father’ in particular.)
• Also told period 7 that anyone who wishes can write on their own topic within the context of the five stories (and movie) in this unit. Due date will be extended to next Wednesday.

Grade 10

• Checked homework: annotation of Lonfellow's "Wreck of the Hesperus." Annotations should include literary elements such as foreshadowing, irony, personification, metaphor, simile, characterization and identification of words and phrases that indicate mood and tone.
• Today began work prepping for next week's benchmark. Passage and graph need to be annotated and multiple choice questions answered.

"The Three Ravens" / "Danny Deever" - Critical Analysis Model, continued

College Prep 12

• Review "The Three Ravens" (viewed yesterday, based on "The Six Swans")
• Notes: sequence of events, symbolism, theme
• HW: Read "Oedipus" handout.

Grade 10

• Check HW.
• Review method for constructing a critical analysis of poetry.
• Begin conclusion.

Story Analyses / "Danny Deever" - Critical Analysis Model II

College Prep 12

• Reminder about mindful sentence construction. Reading work out loud will make mistakes stand out and show where your writing weaknesses are.
• Continued working in groups listing main events, symbols and their meanings.
• Group rep reports to class. Question and comment.
• Reminder #2: Eden essays dus on Friday.
• Reflection journals will be checked tomorrow.

Grade 10

• Check homework. Students to annotate poem by quatrain. Annotations should answer two questions: What is going on? What is the author doing?
• Share homework.
• Write second paragraph, add to model:

   The first stanza introduces foreshadowing and suspense (lines 3,4) through the conversation between CS and FP. CS is “white” with “dread” about “what (he’s) got to watch.” The cause of the dread is introduced: Danny Deever is getting hanged. Kipling emphasizes the tone by repeating “hangin’” three times (lines 5-8).

• HW: write the next two paragraphs on seperate paper to hand in. Students were told to vary how they start the succeeding paragraphs. The following example was given for them to use: "The reaction of the regiment is illustrated in the second stanza."

The Garden Revisited-Story Analysis / "Danny Deever" - Critical Analysis Model

College Prep 12

• The Garden of Eden assignment was "rebooted." Most students did not personalize the story as directed: The story is your dream. Work the imagery and symbolism and write a critical analysis the conclusion of which will be something that is personally meaningful.
• Shared a web link that contains a good explanation of Campbell's "Monomyth" and hero cycle. The section "Atonement with the Father" was distributed in class and discussed. This is a major theme for the stories in the current unit. (Garden of Eden, Parable of the Prodigal Son, The Language of the Birds).
• Students were seperated into three groups. Each assigned one of the three stories. Groups are to compile a list of important events and possible symbolic imagery.

Grade 10

• Continue constructing intro pragraph of a critical analysis of Danny Deever by Rudyard Kipling together:

   Rudyard Kipling’s “Danny Deever” is a narrative poem about the hanging of a soldier and the emotions of his comrades. The structure of the poem is a conversation between two soldiers. Files-on-Parade is an inexperienced soldier who asks a lot of questions. The Color-Sergeant is an experienced soldier who answers the questions. Each stanza is composed of two quatrains. The first quatrain contains the questions and answers. Each line is either 14 or 15 syllables. The rhyme scheme is AAAA if read in the proper dialect, ABAB if not read in dialect. The second quatrain has 14 or 15 syllables in the first three lines and 12 in the last. The rhyme scheme is AAAB.The last four lines seem to be spoken by a narrator, and the first and last of them mention the hanging of Danny Deever.

• HW: Write an analysis of the first stanza on a seperate sheet of paper.

Genesis III / Poetry III

College Prep 12

Just quickly: We reveiwed working metaphoric imagery today. Going over the poetry projects i've noted that the imagery is not being worked as surgically as I wish, so rewrites may be in order when they are returned.

We reviewed yesterday's lesson in terms of archetypes. Students are to take the archetypal imagery from the Eden story and treat it as their own dream. Brainstorm personal interpretations and associations with the stories imagery and construct meaning in a personal essay. Primary archtypes: God, Adam, Eve, Tree, Serpent, Paradise, Forbidden Fruit. Due Monday.

Grade 10

Discussed the first three stanzas of "La Belle Dame sans Merci" by John Keats. (See yesterday's entry for link.) Reread the rest of the, the knight's response, and add to annotation already done.

Genesis II / Poetry II

College Prep 12

• Continued discussing Genesis 1, 2 and 3. Compared and contrasted language in 1 and 2.
• Garden of Eden: Viewed images of the Tree of Knowledge from other cultures with accompnaying serpent imagery: the Golden Fleece, Garden of the Hesperides, Buddha under the Bo Tree. Also discussed the parallel with the Cadeucis and the varying impulses from each story/image.
• Why was Eve made from Adam's rib?
• Associated the imagery with the concept of duality.
• Discussed historical context: desert culture, Fertile Crescent, etc.
• Excellent discussions in each class. Some very good ideas.

Grade 10

• Checked homework. Students were reminded that all writing for this class is to be in complete sentences unless otherwise directed.
• Discussed the importance of reading poetry out loud. Reviewed the definition of prosody.
• Examined the poem "Metaphor" by Eve Mirriam
• HW: Read "La Belle Dame sans Merci" by John Keats. Annotate.

Genesis / Poetry I

College Prep 12

• Yesterday, Genesis 1 and 2 was read in class (as literature/poetry/myth). Genesis 3 and the following worksheets had to done for HW.
• Today the first few paragraphs of Genesis 1 were considered. The concepts of 'duality' and 'empiricism' were introduced. I.e.: We live in a dualistic unverse of opposites, the empirical nature of which is applicable up to the point of ideas... where things get problematic. What is evil? Was the Haitian earthquake 'evil'?
• HW: In journals: What does, "Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness" mean?

Grade 10

• Yesterday we went over the Julius Caesar and benchmark exams.
• Begin poetry unit:
• Poetry needs to be read with the correct attitude to be understood.
• Understanding poetry is a process:

How to Interpret Poetry
1. Read it through. (out loud?)
a. Get initial impression/image/literal meaning/context
2. Second read
a. Examine vocabulary
b. Look for symbols and metaphors
i. free associate meanings/brainstorm
ii. group discussion if possible
iii. select meanings to match context
3. Third read
a. Make connections
b. Determine poem’s intent; what is being said at a figurative/abstract level.
c. Personal reaction

• Example of b (i):
• Example of free association: “O Rose, thou art sick.”
• Rose: is capitalized=importance or person, love, beauty, feminine/woman
• Sick: illness, flaw, imperfection
• O: exclamation of surprise or fear, communicates speaker's tone
• Thou art vs. you are: Thou art would be used to show respect and/or affection
• Meaning: There is a serious/tragic flaw in something or someone important to the speaker connected with love or beauty. A flawed romance?