Lit 12 Proposal

Instead of doing boring Nova-Net, I would much rather read Brave New World, and do a nifty corresponding project. The only issue is that I must identify all of the Ga Standards.

They are:


ELABLRL1 The student demonstrates comprehension by identifying evidence (i.e., examples of diction, imagery, point of view, figurative language, symbolism, plot events, main ideas, and characteristics) in a variety of texts representative of different genres (i.e., poetry, prose [short story, novel, essay, editorial, biography], and drama) and using this evidence as the basis for interpretation.


ELABLRL2 The student identifies, analyzes, and applies knowledge of theme in a work of British and/or Commonwealth literature and provides evidence from the work to support understanding.


ELABLRL3 The student deepens understanding of literary works by relating them to their contemporary context or historical background, as well as to works from other time periods.


ELABLRL4 The student employs a variety of writing genres to demonstrate a comprehensive grasp of significant ideas in selected literary works. The student composes essays, narratives, poems, or technical documents.


ELABLRL5 The student understands and acquires new vocabulary and uses it correctly in reading and writing.

Okay, so my proposal is to write a total of 4 blog responses. This is one post per 50 pages. To cover standards 1-3 & 5, I will write lengthy blog responses, showing the standards and my reactions to them. To cover my fourth standard, "the composed" part, I will create a set of photos in photoshop and will post them on a powerpoint. Everything will be "okayed" by you, Mr. siegmund, before I complete and post them to this blog.

You know what? Nevermind! I have decided that this project might just be a waste of my valuable time. Jim finished and I now have decided that I should just go ahead and do the stinking novanet and just be done with it. =)

Poetry =/

1. Richard Corey

WHENEVER Richard Cory went down town,

We people on the pavement looked at him:

He was a gentleman from sole to crown,

Clean favored, and imperially slim.


And he was always quietly arrayed,

And he was always human when he talked;

But still he fluttered pulses when he said,

"Good-morning," and he glittered when he walked.


And he was rich—yes, richer than a king,

And admirably schooled in every grace:

In fine, we thought that he was everything

To make us wish that we were in his place.


So on we worked, and waited for the light,

And went without the meat, and cursed the bread;

And Richard Cory, one calm summer night,

Went home and put a bullet through his head.



I take in this story as Disillusionment at its best. Richard Cory was a rich man; the American Dream. To many people money equals happiness, but to Richard Cory it was not enough to outweigh his sorrows.




2. Mending Wall


SOMETHING there is that doesn't love a wall,

That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it,

And spills the upper boulders in the sun;

And makes gaps even two can pass abreast.

The work of hunters is another thing:

I have come after them and made repair

Where they have left not one stone on a stone,

But they would have the rabbit out of hiding,

To please the yelping dogs. The gaps I mean,

No one has seen them made or heard them made,

But at spring mending-time we find them there.

I let my neighbour know beyond the hill;

And on a day we meet to walk the line

And set the wall between us once again.

We keep the wall between us as we go.

To each the boulders that have fallen to each.

And some are loaves and some so nearly balls

We have to use a spell to make them balance:

“Stay where you are until our backs are turned!”

We wear our fingers rough with handling them.

Oh, just another kind of out-door game,

One on a side. It comes to little more:

There where it is we do not need the wall:

He is all pine and I am apple orchard.

My apple trees will never get across

And eat the cones under his pines, I tell him.

He only says, “Good fences make good neighbours.”

Spring is the mischief in me, and I wonder

If I could put a notion in his head:

“Why do they make good neighbours? Isn’t it

Where there are cows? But here there are no cows.

Before I built a wall I’d ask to know

What I was walling in or walling out,

And to whom I was like to give offence.

Something there is that doesn’t love a wall,

That wants it down.” I could say “Elves” to him,

But it’s not elves exactly, and I’d rather

He said it for himself. I see him there

Bringing a stone grasped firmly by the top

In each hand, like an old-stone savage armed.

He moves in darkness as it seems to me,

Not of woods only and the shade of trees.

He will not go behind his father’s saying,

And he likes having thought of it so well

He says again, “Good fences make good neighbours.”



This poem screams Disillusionment in so many forms. The saying should be "Bad fences make good neighbors" because the neighbors only meet to fix the rock fence once a year. The author thinks that he is more intelligent than his neighbor because of this nonsense saying. He thinks of his neighbour as being medieval; Not daring to look outside the box that his father had built for him.

3. A Dream Deferred
by Langston Hughes

What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore-- And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over-- like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?

I actually had to look this poem up to understand its heritage. The full name is "Harlem- A Dream Deferred." I'm sure that you edited it to make it a tad bit harder for us. Yet, Langston Hughes was a Harlem Renaissance poet. As I said, I had to look this up to find the true meaning. The theme is "Having to postpone one’s deepest desires can lead to destruction." Langston used astounding imagery in this poem, and I feel that is what made it so famous.


The Negro Speaks of Rivers
Langston Hughes

I've known rivers:
I've known rivers ancient as the world and older than the
flow of human blood in human veins.
My soul has grown deep like the rivers.
I bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were young.
I built my hut near the Congo and it lulled me to sleep.
I looked upon the Nile and raised the pyramids above it.
I heard the singing of the Mississippi when Abe Lincoln
went down to New Orleans, and I've seen its muddy
bosom turn all golden in the sunset.
I've known rivers:
Ancient, dusky rivers.
My soul has grown deep like the rivers.

Langston Hughes was not a racist, his heart survived through the racism he endured. Being a black man in the 1920's he was not treated as an equal, most would become bitter and racist themselves, but not Langston. He knew that all people are, were, and will always be equal. He uses geographical waters to show the love he felt. Rivers have always been a breadbasket for life. The Euphrates is widely known as the cradle of life, and Langston speaks of living at these ancient rivers. He symbolises being many different peoples and all are dependent on these holy rivers. When he speaks of the Nile, the equality shows the most. For all races were slaves to build the Egyptian's pyramids.


Incident
Countee Cullen

Once riding in old Baltimore,
Heart-filled, head-filled with glee,
I saw a Baltimorean
Keep looking straight at me.
Now I was eight and very small,
And he was no whit bigger,
And so I smiled, but he poked out
His tongue, and called me, "Nigger."
I saw the whole of Baltimore
From May until December;Of all the things that happened there
That's all that I remember.

This is the most straight forward poem in this series. There is no "beating around the bush" present here. This is A Harlem Renaissance poem showing the pure hate that the white race felt towards "lesser" humans. The poor little boy had done nothing to deserve such hatred. Countee Cullen was raised in a middle class home and was very well educated. He even graduated from Harvard (a prodominatly white school.) He did not want to be classified as a "Black poet" but his poems concerning race were the most popular.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty/ Psychoanalysis

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty was very confusing the first time I read it. The plot skips from Mitty doing everyday errands to being a submarine pilot with no leading context. I thought that I had skipped a paragraph or something. Then, I thought he was having flashbacks from WWII; I really had it wrong. After that, I thought that maybe Mitty was crazy; I was wrong again.
Aparently, Walter Mitty is daydreaming. I can see the psychoanalysis portion of this, the idea of showing someone's thoughts was very new at the time this story was written. Although this story was harder to keep up with than a Tarantino movie I rectuantly read it over and over so that I could atempt to grasp the full meaning.
"They're so damn cocky, thought Walter Mitty, walking along Main Street; they think they know everything." I don't think that Mitty likes America too much.

Phychoanalysis

I choose phychoanalysis because the inner workings of the human brain has been the culprit all along. From the idea of orignal sin to the more realistic views of realism. The entire american liturature project is based on the evolution of the human mind and the god and gods that it creates. The god fearing people evolved slowly, to them, there was only god- What a terrible way to live. To live only thinking of an afterlife that does not exist. To me this is the biggest waste of life, worse than abortion. For your meek little brain to be constantly wrapped around your death is a very sad existance. I would probably have been burned at the stake for my views back in the day. Yet, I am still seperated from most of the people around me for my beliefs.
I feel that I have a better understanding of psychology than most people my age do. My views are not as skewed as most. Well, maybe my views are skewed in a bitter, realistic way. But, I take life as I see it. It took me a long time to not believe in the god that so many do. I really debated it. When I came to my conclusion, I felt that it was true. Although believers feel true as well. Overtime I have realised that it is a constant debate, and not many people feel the way that I do about the world around me. I have accepted this as the mold and cobwebs that grow on an unused brain.

Unit Four

ELAALRL1 The student demonstrates comprehension by identifying evidence (i.e., examples of diction, imagery, point of view, figurative language, symbolism, plot events and main ideas) in a variety of texts representative of different genres (i.e., poetry, prose [short story, novel, essay, editorial, biography], and drama) and using this evidence as the basis for interpretation.
ELAALRL2 The student identifies, analyzes, and applies knowledge of theme in a work of American literature and provides evidence from the work to support understanding.
ELAALRL3 The student deepens understanding of literary works by relating them to their contemporary context or historical background, as well as to works from other time periods.
ELAALRL5 The student understands and acquires new vocabulary and uses it correctly in reading and writing.
ELAALRC2 The student participates in discussions related to curricular learning in all subject areas.
ELAALRC3 The student acquires new vocabulary in each content area and uses it correctly.

I honestly don't have a problem understanding or using any of the standards. I feel that I use them as the curriculum asks.

I didn't understand the Pallis symbolism in Poe's Raven. Then I was told it was Athena, the goddess of wisdom.

Realism Closing

ELAALRL1 The student demonstrates comprehension by identifying evidence (i.e., examples of diction, imagery, point of view, figurative language, symbolism, plot events and main ideas) in a variety of texts representative of different genres (i.e., poetry, prose [short story, novel, essay, editorial, biography], and drama) and using this evidence as the basis for interpretation.
ELAALRL2 The student identifies, analyzes, and applies knowledge of theme in a work of American literature and provides evidence from the work to support understanding.
ELAALRL3 The student deepens understanding of literary works by relating them to their contemporary context or historical background, as well as to works from other time periods.
ELAALRL4 The student employs a variety of writing genres to demonstrate a comprehensive grasp of significant ideas in selected literary works. The student composes essays, narratives, poems, or technical documents.

"Although space travel is not a large social issue, this was the best story I could think of. As I said before, I lack imagination. So I used the detailed description aspect of realism. The fact that the young girl accepted death without fear is one of the most "realistic" things I could imagine."

"One of my first thoughts of modern realism was a very dark movie and novel by the name of Angela's Ashes, This is an amazing story of a poor boy in Ireland. This is not a fictional novel, so the realism is adament."

"I have not read the novel, but I love the movie. It is so harsh yet, so real. The movie is constantly showing the nastiness of the time period. Scenes showing people throwing poop out of their window, and the young boy, Frank McCourt, dodging the turds. Scenes like these really depict the sorrows of a poor catholic Irish boy."

"The realism shows with the great descriptions of the harsh woods that the poor slave had to trek, it also shows with the gruesome descriptions of the injures that the slave had received from the first beating.The realism does not match up with the magical root. Maybe this was symbolizing how the slaves were uneducated(?)"

Writing Two

Does Parole Work?
Everyone knows that prisons in America are heavily overpopulated. How do you fix this problem? It seems that the apparent solution is to release the criminals who have been cooperative while in jail. This is called parole; parole officers are supposed to constantly check in with the freed criminals. As we have seen in the news lately; this system does not always work. Philip Garrido was sent to prison in 1976 for the violent rape of a minor, but of his 50 year sentence, he only served 11. He was released on good behavior.
The problem is that not all criminals have disrespect for authority. Most criminals are highly religious a fact, which in itself is placing authority over their minds. In turn, some sociopaths could be quite pleasant in jail, so pleasant that the parole board could forgive and forget the reason why they were dubbed a criminal. As many people believe, some criminals can never recover. Many psychotherapists will tell you that sexual offenders are incapable of recovery to lead normal lives with normal sexual fantasies.
Judges classify sex offenders into levels from one to three; three being the highest risk to the public. Because of our overpopulated prisons, we allow some of the cooperative inmates to be paroled. And so, Philip Garrido was free to roam and rape as he pleased. Of course he reoffended, but this went undetected until early September 2009. In 1991 he and his wife kidnapped a young girl named Jaycee Dugard. This poor child was kept in Garrido’s back yard for a total of 18 years. During this time Garrido was still on parole and was still being monitored on a regular basis.
Garrido’s neighbors knew he was a registered child molester because of the public registry online. In 2006 a worried neighbor called the police after she had seen children and tents all over Garrido’s back yard. The officer went to the residence and talked to Garrido about zoning ordinances. Supposedly all law personnel are connected to a main data base informing them of a persons “rap sheet.” The responding officer didn’t have this technology, so the officer left the premises thinking that he had resolved the problem.
How they caught Garrido was a complete fluke. Garrido actually brought Jaycee and her two children (fathered by him) to his parole meeting. Maybe he had a guilty conscience? We may never know. Either way, I see the fact that she was held hostage in his backyard for 18 years as a huge fault on our legal system. There are many ways that this could have been stopped. Our country is not the only with these horrendous problems. Yet other countries handle these problems differently.
Sweden’s government has pioneered rehabilitation rather than punishment. Their goal is to fix criminals. This all involves a long-term program dedicated to fixing the original mental problem of the patient AKA the criminal. I feel that putting non-violent criminals in a hard, ugly, environment forces them to react in a criminal fashion; making them even worse. If our prisons weren’t filled with non-violent criminals, maybe this problem would not exist. I feel the way we deal with our non-violent criminals makes them want to retaliate against the system. This goes from hurting officers to hurting other inmates.
For someone who did not commit a violent crime, prison life would completely ruin them. Putting these addicts and thieves in jail makes many people despise law enforcement. I know of many people who are literally terrified of police. If the judicial system really wants to fix their image, they need to start at the core of the problem. This indicates keeping non-violent criminals out of jail and in rehabilitation programs. Then our correctional facilities would have time and space to deal with the criminals like Garrido who really, truly, need to be there. If our legal system was the way that it should be, Garrido would have never been released (being a level 2 sex offender) to the public. He would have remained in serious therapy and hopefully have been chemically castrated. =D

Dark Romanticism Vs. Realism

Being the realist that I am, I would naturally prefer realism. I have a serious lacking of imagination so I am easily identified as a realist. I see the world around me, I see the evil and corruption. I see no god present though out the sadness that people deal with on a daily basis. I see prayer as a useless, weak minded thing. No one is listening; get over it.



Short Story-

Being the first teen to travel in a spaceship has always been Gazelle's dream. She entered the contest many, many times in hopes that NASA would pick her. Her antisipation rising as she heard the announcer give the results on the radio. She jumped and screamed when she heard her name. She was going to outerspace! She felt as if her life was complete. She couldn't wait to be propelled into orbit by the blast of a rocketship. As weeks went by, the danger started to arise. "What if something went wrong?" She thought. These meek thoughts were bypassed by her dream of orbiting around the planet.

The day of blastoff came so quickly. As she was buckled in to the launch seat, Gazelle started to sweat with a mild fear of leaving the Earth. "It's to late now." she thought to herself. And then she heard the ear shattering blast of the engine. As the layers of the atmosphere passed through the windows, she noticed the blue sky that she loved so much was thinning. A moment of shock and awe rattled her brain. She suddenly realized that she was very much out of place in this new, matter less environment. The fear spread throughout her frail human body with immense speed. A tiny thought went through her mind, "I wanted this" this thought was repeated like a broken record for some time. After the blast off engine was ejected from the ship, everything stopped. An eiry silence came over the cabin. Gazelle started to breath again, the sharp inhales felt like the first air that her lungs had ever received. She was calm. All of the sudden, many lights and high pitched beeping rung throughout her ears. "Whats happening?" she asked the pilot. He didn't answer, he was busy cursing and pressing buttons at lightning speed. The fear took over. Gazelle knew that something had gone terribly wrong. As she looked out the window, she was overcome by the vast beauty of the Earth, her home. The empty vacuum of space that surrounded her gave her a new unknown feeling; She was enlightened. The end was near, and she now felt that it was justified. She had achieved her ultimate goal. She died with no fear, remorse, or regret.

Discussion
Although space travel is not a large social issue, this was the best story I could think of. As I said before, I lack imagination. So I used the detailed description aspect of realism. The fact that the young girl accepted death without fear is one of the most "realistic" things I could imagine.

Modern Realism

One of my first thoughts of modern realism was a very dark movie and novel by the name of Angela's Ashes, This is an amazing story of a poor boy in Ireland. This is not a fictional novel, so the realism is adament.
When I look back on my childhood I wonder how I survived at all. It was, of course, a miserable childhood: the happy childhood is hardly worth your while. Worse than the ordinary miserable childhood is the miserable Irish childhood, and worse yet is the miserable Irish Catholic childhood.. . . nothing can compare with the Irish version: the poverty; the shiftless loquacious alcoholic father; the pious defeated mother moaning by the fire; pompous priests; bullying schoolmasters; the English and the terrible things they did to us for eight hundred long years.

I have not read the novel, but I love the movie. It is so harsh yet, so real. The movie is constantly showing the nastiness of the time period. Scenes showing people throwing poop out of their window, and the young boy, Frank McCourt, dodging the turds. Scenes like these really depict the sorrows of a poor catholic Irish boy.

I’m on deck the dawn we sail into New York. I’m sure I’m in a film, that it will end and lights will come up in the Lyric Cinema. . . . Rich Americans in top hats white ties and tails must be going home to bed with the gorgeous women with white teeth. The rest are going to work in warm comfortable offices and no one has a care in the world.

In the end, Frank manages to save up money to move to America. He leaves his family behind. A happy ending to a forlorn story. Everyone loves that.

Realism- The Battle of Mr. Covey

The battle of Mr. Covey is a short realism story about a slave that fought back. He was beaten by his master for no reason and for this the slave ran away. He was forced to go back by his seller(?) Then another slave gave him a magical root that made it impossible for Mr. Covey to beat him. When Mr. Covey tried to hurt the slave, he resisted and overpowered him. And this made Mr. Covey almost respect the slave, he never laid a hand on him again.

The realism shows with the great descriptions of the harsh woods that the poor slave had to trek, it also shows with the gruesome descriptions of the injures that the slave had received from the first beating.
The realism does not match up with the magical root. Maybe this was symbolizing how the slaves were uneducated(?)
Yet, the realism is the strongest with the social issue of slavery. Of course slavery is wrong, and the passage tries to let the reader fully understand how terrible it is. People of my generation are very uneducated of the atrocities in which their ancestors lived through. The only learning of slavery that we receive is in school, and the facts that are taught to us are sometimes biased and incorrect. We were never told that Africans sold each other out until ninth grade. This was a huge shock to me. Sadly, slavery exists today, I feel that it will never be fully eradicated.

Realism-The Story of an Hour

In the Story of an Hour, A young woman learns that her husband has died in a terrible accident. At first she is distrought, as she should be, and then she really gathers her thoughts and realized that she was no longer his property. That she was free. This was a great feeling for her. After she gathered her emotions she went back downstairs to find that her husband is alive and well. Then the now un-widowed woman suddenly fell to the floor, dead with sorrow.

When the storm of grief had spent itself she went away to her room alone. She would have no one follow her.
There stood, facing the open window, a comfortable, roomy armchair. Into this she sank, pressed down by a physical exhaustion that haunted her body and seemed to reach into her soul.
She could see in the open square before her house the tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life. The delicious breath of rain was in the air. In the street below a peddler was crying his wares. The notes of a distant song which some one was singing reached her faintly, and countless sparrows were twittering in the eaves.
There were patches of blue sky showing here and there through the clouds that had met and piled one above the other in the west facing her window.

This is one of the main "proofs" of the realism in this story, the author, Kate Choplin, wanted the reader to truely feel where the woman was; in spirit and in setting.

Now her bosom rose and fell tumultuously. She was beginning to recognize this thing that was approaching to possess her, and she was striving to beat it back with her will--as powerless as her two white slender hands would have been.
When she abandoned herself a little whispered word escaped her slightly parted lips. She said it over and over under her breath: "free, free, free!" The vacant stare and the look of terror that had followed it went from her eyes. They stayed keen and bright. Her pulses beat fast, and the coursing blood warmed and relaxed every inch of her body.
She did not stop to ask if it were or were not a monstrous joy that held her. A clear and exalted perception enabled her to dismiss the suggestion as trivial.
She knew that she would weep again when she saw the kind, tender hands folded in death; the face that had never looked save with love upon her, fixed and gray and dead. But she saw beyond that bitter moment a long procession of years to come that would belong to her absolutely. And she opened and spread her arms out to them in welcome.
There would be no one to live for during those coming years; she would live for herself. There would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow-creature. A kind intention or a cruel intention made the act seem no less a crime as she looked upon it in that brief moment of illumination.

This paragraph addresses the social issue of realism, The new found widow was raised as a woman in that time period usually was, her main goal in life was to become a man's property. She was to bear his children and never look for happiness anywhere else. The woman thought that the life of a widow, though depressing, was going to belong to her. Now she was the king of her own damn court. She could make her own decisions and furfill them to her content. I can identify with her hope for freedom.

Dark Standards

ELAALRL1 The student demonstrates comprehension by identifying evidence (i.e., examples of diction, imagery, point of view, figurative language, symbolism, plot events and main ideas) in a variety of texts representative of different genres (i.e., poetry, prose [short story, novel, essay, editorial, biography], and drama) and using this evidence as the basis for interpretation.
ELAALRL2 The student identifies, analyzes, and applies knowledge of theme in a work of American literature and provides evidence from the work to support understanding.
ELAALRL3 The student deepens understanding of literary works by relating them to their contemporary context or historical background, as well as to works from other time periods.

"The fact that the raven has perched on top of Athena's bust symbolises that his sense is wavered."

"This is very unlike the Transcendentalism idea of all thoughts are from god. Meaning that all thoughts are good. I feel that Poe knows that he is going crazy."

"I thought that this was a very good representation of good and evil. Hop Frog felt justified to incinerate the king in his court because the crippled dwarf had been ridiculed many a time."

"Even though I do not agree with original sin, I would consider myself to be more of a dark romantic. What is considered "evil" is embedded into all humans. It is called the will to survive."

The Raven

The Raven was a terribly sad poem, apparently written when Poe's second wife was dying or died of TB in the very next room. "Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December, And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor. Eagerly I wished the morrow;--vainly I had sought to borrow From my books surcease of sorrow--sorrow for the lost Lenore--For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore--Nameless here for evermore." In this poem he depicts arguing with death; (the raven) pleading to make him feel better about his loss. This is a very good example of Dark Romanticism, the entire setting in this poem is a figment of his imagination. The raven itself is his own dark and depressing thoughts. And the Pallid bust is the head of Athena, the goddess of wisdom and thought. He asks the raven questions like "Will I ever feel okay again?" and "Will I see her in heaven?" The raven always replies with a stern "No." The fact that the raven has perched on top of Athena's bust symbolises that his sense is wavered. This is very unlike the Transcendentalism idea of all thoughts are from god. Meaning that all thoughts are good. I feel that Poe knows that he is going crazy.
And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door; And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadows on the floor; And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor Shall be lifted--nevermore!

The Revenge of Hop-Frog

I thought that this was a very good representation of good and evil. Hop Frog felt justified to incinerate the king in his court because the crippled dwarf had been ridiculed many a time.
"His fool, or professional jester, was not only a fool, however. His value was trebled in the eyes of the king, by the fact of his being also a dwarf and a cripple. Dwarfs were as common at court, in those days, as fools; and many monarchs would have found it difficult to get through their days (days are rather longer at court than elsewhere) without both a jester to laugh with, and a dwarf to laugh at." This represents how the dark romantics differed from the transcendentalists. The transcendentalists believed that any strong feeling came from god himself; so no true feeling could be evil. In the end, I felt happy for the dwarf. Even though he had just committed a horrible deed. The end result was good for the dwarf and bad for the king. Most things happen that way though, If I was to get a very high paying job, someone who needed it more would not receive it. Good for me, bad for them. When the lion captures the gazelle, the lion's pride eats that day, but it is the gazelle's last. Good for the lion, bad for the gazelle. "It came from the fang-like teeth of the dwarf, who ground them and gnashed them as he foamed at the mouth, and glared, with an expression of maniacal rage, into the upturned countenances of the king and his seven companions."Ah, ha!" said at length the infuriated jester. "Ah, ha! I begin to see who these people are now!" Here, pretending to scrutinize the king more closely, he held the flambeau to the flaxen coat which enveloped him, and which instantly burst into a sheet of vivid flame."

Transcendentalists Vs. Dark Romantics

Which side of the divide do you fall? Are you closer to being a Transcendentalist or a Dark Romantic? Explain your answer with a short paragraph.

Even though I do not agree with original sin, I would consider myself to be more of a dark romantic. What is considered "evil" is embedded into all humans. It is called the will to survive. This is how our meek species has survived so long. If I was stranded on an island with no food; I would eat you. Whether I would kill you to eat you is a matter of circumstance. So if we are ever stranded together, do not get on my nerves.

Yet people do many "evil" things that is not dependent on their survival. Either way, I do see the "evil" in people, no one is truly good. Why did the priest touch the little boy? Because the priest felt that it was right. This does not mean that I feel that this is okay, that is just how the priest felt.

Unit Three

ELAALRL4 The student employs a variety of writing genres to demonstrate a comprehensive grasp of significant ideas in selected literary works. The student composes essays, narratives, poems, or technical documents.

Once again, this standard addresses me (the student) to understand the different types of writing, and to be able to point out the differences between them. This also wants me to write different types of lit.

Original Sin is the idea that all humans are born damned. We will all die and go to hell.
The Transcendentalists believed that this was incorrect.

Mini Lesson

First, let's review the Transcendentalist philosophy:
a. They believed that everyone was absolutely pure and that each individual is a part of God.
b. They believed that people's thoughts and intuition were the voice of God.
c. They did not believe in institutions like government because they thought the individual human mind was the strongest power in the universe.
What would your argument to this philosophy be? Are all people good? Is the voice inside people's heads the pure voice of God?

I do not believe that all people are "good." But what defines good? Going to church? Remaining faithful to your lover? All aspects of goodness relates to the religion it was inspired from. Muslims believe it is good to kill your enemy. Mormons believe it is good to have more than one wife. The Romans believed that the greatest love was between an old man and a young boy. I don't believe that theses things are good, but I was raised in a predominately christian country; and this means that my moral foundations spawn from Christianity.

And there are new scientific terms for hearing voices from god, it is called schizophrenia. =D

Thanantopsis/ William Cullen Bryant

This poem was a very different kind of romanticism. There was no plane Joe who succeeded in any unlikely event. This work was addressing the fact that no one can escape death. The writer seems to highly respect death since it is equally distributed to every human being. I could not find many examples of romantic imagination in this text. The writer gave nature an actual sense of being, feelings, and a voice. "To him who in the love of Nature holds Communion with her visible forms, she speaks A various language; for his gayer hours She has a voice of gladness, and a smile And eloquence of beauty, and she glides Into his darker musings, with a mild And healing sympathy, that steals away Their sharpness, ere he is aware." This poem really depicts accepting death with many aspects. It refers to returning in the earth in a positive way; "Earth, that nourish'd thee, shall claim Thy growth, to be resolved to earth again, And, lost each human trace, surrendering up Thine individual being, shalt thou go To mix for ever with the elements," I truly love this line. It speaks the truth in such a magical way. I see the decomposers as the true act of reincarnation. This poem also speaks the truth of how everyone decomposes the same way. "Thou shalt lie down With patriarchs of the infant world--with kings, The powerful of the earth--the wise, the good, Fair forms, and hoary seers of ages past," In other words, you will rot just as a king would in a great carcoughagus. William also addresses one of the most common fears of death. "So shalt thou rest: and what if thou withdraw In silence from the living, and no friend Take note of thy departure? All that breathe Will share thy destiny. The gay will laugh When thou art gone, the solemn brood of care Plod on, and each one as before will chase His favourite phantom;" No one wants to be forgotten. Let alone their death day be a joyous occasion. Either way, I really enjoyed this poem, It is one of my new favorites.

Unit Two Standards

ELAALRL1 The student demonstrates comprehension by identifying evidence (i.e., examples of diction, imagery, point of view, figurative language, symbolism, plot events and main ideas) in a variety of texts representative of different genres (i.e., poetry, prose [short story, novel, essay, editorial, biography], and drama) and using this evidence as the basis for interpretation.
ELAALRL2 The student identifies, analyzes, and applies knowledge of theme in a work of American literature and provides evidence from the work to support understanding.
ELAALRL3 The student deepens understanding of literary works by relating them to their contemporary context or historical background, as well as to works from other time periods.

All of these standards are easily summarized into the student really, truly, thinking about what they are reading. To relate the work of literature to current literature and life experiences the student has dealt with. The student should also define one work from another. And last but not least; the student needs to know WHY the works are different.

Writing One

Blood/Conflict Diamonds
“Diamonds are a girls’ best friend.” This saying has reflected the aesthetic side of diamonds for many years. Few people know that there is a much darker side to the diamond business. Even less are aware that these glittery rocks have killed over a million people within the last ten years; Leaving even more disabled or maimed. Being so that this evil mineral is my birth stone; I feel that the people of the United States should know the consequences of their “Bling.”
Diamonds are extremely small pieces of carbon with no great intrinsic value, yet these minerals have become the cause of widespread death, destruction, and misery for almost a decade in the country of Sierra Leone. These “conflict” diamonds are diamonds that originate from areas controlled by militia groups that are opposed to legitimate government, this illegal diamond money is used to fund military action in opposition to said “respectable” governments.
Blood Diamonds are a huge issue in places like Sierra Leone, Angola, Liberia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo; many people have been murdered in process of mining these precious stones. Most of these miners have been forcibly taken from their families by rebel groups who need the diamond money to continue their uprisings. They force innocent people to dig or sift through rivers in search of diamonds, and if workers tire or try to rebel, the rebel soldiers would hurt or kill them. It is suspected that more than 4 million people have died mining these diamonds.
In the 1990s, savage fighting took place between the Sierra Leone government and the Revolutionary United Front (RUF). The RUF was one of the rebel militia who tried to take over the country of Sierra Leone. It was started and led by Foday Sankoh.. The rebel group stood for a new type a government, they promised to give the diamond profits to the people of Sierra Leone. After taking over some major diamond mines, the RUF did not keep their promise. Instead, the RUF supported their revolution by selling Blood Diamonds.
The RUF became notorious for their child soldiers. Almost 23,000 children served in the RUF army. The children were in the age range of 7 to 12 years old. To make the kids killers they would force them to kill their parents along with many other horrific acts. They made kiddy soldiers take horrific names like “The Killer” ”Wicked to Women” or “Bloodmaster.” There are accounts of officers rubbing cocaine in the kids’ open cuts in order to make them pumped up and ready to kill. The RUF was notorious for the savage severing off limbs of the victims they did not kill. They cut off the limbs of tens of thousands of Sierra Leoneans; many of the victims were children
Finally, in 1999 the United Nations stepped in. They sent out peace keeping militia and cut off RUF of their ammunition supply. It all ended with a gruesome two week battle that killed an estimated 6000 people. Today, the blood diamond industry seems to have almost fallen apart. The UN set up acts such as the Kimberly Act. When diamonds cross international borders they are put into a tamper proof box, and with a Kimberly Process certificate. The Kimberly Process has been very successful. Over 70 countries are part of the Kimberly Process. It has made it much more difficult for rebel groups to sell diamonds mined under horrendous conditions to be sold internationally. So next time you decide to purchase some bling; make sure it is conflict free.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_diamond
http://www.un.org/peace/africa/Diamond.html
http://www.amnestyusa.org/amnestynow/diamonds.html

The Transcendentalists/ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Nature

The words in this short story flowed like no other literature I have laid eyes on. It gave off a very spiritual feeling. After reading this, I feel that the Transcendentalists were the first hippies. Like the romantics; they had a huge respect for nature. These people accepted the fact that they were not very important. But in the woods they felt connected to this "oversoul" or supposedly god himself. "I became a transparent eyeball; I am nothing; I see all; the currents of the Universal being circulate through me; I am part or parcel of god." They felt that the greatest thing us humans were given was the brain; to understood the power of the brain. The transcendentalists felt a unity with nature. My favorite line was "I am the lover of uncontained and immortal beauty." I feel this translates into "I love the magnificence of nature."

Self-Reliance

This short story was very different from the previous. This story refers to one's ego and one's accepted place in society and ones place with god."...It may be safely trusted as proportionate and of good issues, so it be faithfully imparted, but god will not have his work made manifest by cowards." Ralph seems to despise societyand how it changes what he feels is most important in life. "Society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members." He sees society holding people back. Making them fear to think outside the box: "Imitation is suicide." Ralph feels that people should accept thier place in life, "accept the place the divine previdence has found for you; the society of your contemporaries, the connection of events. Great men have always done so.." He knows of the many misunderstood philosophers, and highly respects them for their bravery. As he wisely said, "To be great is to be misunderstood."

Romanticism/ The Devil & Tom Walker

Romanticism focused on imagination, the power of nature, and less than genius people. An improbable adventure was usually the plot of these stories. All of these romanticism stories had dark overtones. Stories like Sleepy Hollow and Tom Walker and the Devil depicted unreal events and crazy adventures all overpowered by nature, and unfortunate events. As wiki wisely stated,"Romanticism emphasized intuition, imagination, and feeling, to a point that has led to some Romantic thinkers being accused of irrationalism."
In the devil and Tom Walker, Washington Irving was painstakingly descriptive of the nature setting around the characters. "The swamp was thickly grown with great gloomy pines and hemlocks, some of them ninety feet high, which made it dark at noonday, and a retreat for all the owls." descriptions like this radiate an incredible dark presence. The act of speaking with the devil himself is highly unlikely, this shows the imagination aspect of romanticism. There is also a bit of a moral to this story. After the devil does Tom the favor of "removing" his termagant wife, the devil instructs Tom on how to become a wealthy broker. Of course Tom becomes a greedy man (although he always was.) But now Tom has the bankroll to do horrifically. After some time, The devil decided that Tom had had enough money and fame, so the devil scooped him off and rode into the night.
Although I found these stories incredibly boring, I respect the idea of fantasy fiction. In the time period that romanticism came about, Life was dirty and sickly. It's nice to get away from the everyday horrid life. And it is easy to do so with fiction.

Unit one Ben/Me

"SILENCE. Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation."
This quote is a very rationalist thing to say. In Ben's day, everyone was going around damning one another. I'm sure the puritans would gossip about one an other's misfortunes. Somehow referring to how the unlucky one deserved it.

My List

• Refrain from letting your body become a common oasis.
• Keep disdainful thoughts to yourself.
• Respect others beliefs, even if you feel they are incorrect.
• Everything in moderation.
• Always stay busy; Often complete a gratifying task.
• Never let your mind go to waste; learn something new every day.
• Listen to challenging music, don't let the booty bumpin' eat at your soul.
• Take everyday as your last, it just might be so.
• Respect Dr. Mausdley, for he is the almighty.
• If you believe in god, then don't be a hypocrite to your so called morals.
• Don't make me poop in your butt. (Don't ask me how.)

My short list would probably be a more suitable religion than most follow. But achieving moral perfection? Such a thing in an unruly universe does not exist. It is all but a matter of opinion. I'm sure that Charles Manson felt that he had achieved moral perfection. Your conscience is nothing but your upbringing.

Rationalists Vs. Puritans

6. Briefly (one good paragraph) describe the differences between the Puritans and the Rationalists. Please be careful not to repeat the same words you have read in this entry. Where in today's society do you see some of the ideas you have read about here represented?

The Rationalists are (to me) the first scientists. They studied the world around them trying to unlock the code of life. "How did this great earth come to be?" That question seemed to fund their inquisitive acts. Bill Franklin took his kite and began the search for what lightning was. I believe that this period of Rationalism is highly important to what we know as science today. What if we the human race had stuck to fearing god all of the time? I highly doubt that I would be typing on this electronic machine. I for one, am glad that at one point in time people actually started thinking "rationally."

Native Vs. Puritan

The puritans were a god fearing people. They used god to damn one another. They were weak minded and weak spirited. They felt that they were in Satan's arms at all times, and there was nothing you could do to change it. If you were a saint, you somehow had the power to interpret the word of god. (Which is contradicting in itself.)
Of course the natives and the puritans were a clash of the titans. The natives were simple, land loving people for the most part. Their god was much more loving than the evil puritans were. If I was a native American I would scalp those cake eaters too. Ha ha.

Unit One; Early American Lit.

ELAALRL3 The student deepens understanding of literary works by relating them to their contemporary context or historical background, as well as to works from other time periods.

This passage is expressing the need to relate written work to history. Not only the obvious history, but to all histories and the feeling that imply.

An Indian Without Reservation

Everyone I tell so - accepts me as Indian
But nobody wants me to be one.
Everyone really rejects me as Indian
The minute I try to be one.
Keep my hair short, dress just like them
Is all I've done throughout life.
The whites all want me to be just like them,
But they forget - this is my life.
Everyone knows that I'm Indian,
But this really seems to upset them
Forgive and forget that I'm Indian
Is the only way that I can live with them.
But I can't, can't you see, for I am what I am,
And what I am, dammit is Indian!
Though I was raised white American,
I've always been, and will always be...Indian.
They adopted me out just so they could change
My original certificate of birth
But try as they might, they can't rearrange
My Heritage, established at birth.
In this country I can be what I want
As long as what I want isn't Indian,
This is something I cannot flaunt
Still to some, "The only good one's a dead one."
Everyone knows that I am Indian,
And this really seems to upset them
Forgive and forget that I am Indian
Is the only way they'll let me live with them.
But I can't, can't you see, for I am what I am,
And what I am, dammit is Indian.
Though I was raised white American,
I've always been, and will always be...Indian
I can be Indian behind closed doors
And can be one amongst my kind
But if I try it amongst whites outdoors,
I'm told I'm not the right kind.
The American society existing today
Can't have me there to remind them
Of atrocities performed in such a way
They would rather just shove behind them.
Yet everyone knows that I am Indian,
And this really seems to upset them
Forgive and forget that I'm Indian?
If I can't be one, I won't live with them.
For I can't, can't you see? For I am what I am,
And what I am, dammit, is Indian.
Though I was raised white American,
I've always been, and will always be...Indian.
I know what I am but by law can't prove it
They claim my record can't be opened now -
That's because at adoption they sealed it
I'm supposed to accept being white now
Some of My People won't accept what I am
Because I'm not from the reservation
But accept that I am because what I am
Is an Indian without reservation!
And everyone knows that I'm Indian,
I don't care that this really upsets them
To forgive and forget that I'm Indian?
I'd much rather live without them.
For I can't, can't you see, for I am what I am,
And what I am, bless it, is Indian.
Though raised by the white American,
I've always been, and will always be:...Indian.
-- Unknown

This poem really reached out to me. I can relate to the "secret" Indian boy. He recognizes that he is not fully excepted by the white American, Yet he doesn't attempt to fit in. He knows who he is; for better or for worse.

GA Preformance Standards

ELAALRL1 The student demonstrates comprehension by identifying evidence (i.e., examples of diction, imagery, point of view, figurative language, symbolism, plot events and main ideas) in a variety of texts representative of different genres (i.e., poetry, prose [short story, novel, essay, editorial, biography], and drama) and using this evidence as the basis for interpretation.

All of these literary terms are extremely important to the simple task of reading comprehension. By understanding what you are looking for, it is easier to find it. Things like figurative language assist the author in creating a metaphor that the reader might relate to; to better understand what is being expressed.