Exam Review

I can't believe it's already time for exams! This year has flown by. To help you prepare for my exam, here are some websites that are interactive grammar reviews.

OWL exercises

Grammar Bytes

Interactive Quizzes

Grammar Interactive Exercises

ACT Practice

And, hey, if you get bored or tired of practicing all that grammar and need a break, why not read some really cool short stories by a local writer. (FYI-some stories have mature content!)

Billy Collins "Introduction To Poetry"

Introduction To Poetry


I ask them to take a poem
and hold it up to the light like a color slide

or press an ear against its hive.

I say drop a mouse into a poem
and watch him probe his way out,

or walk inside the poem's room
and feel the walls for a light switch.

I want them to waterski
across the surface of a poem
waving at the author's name on the shore.

But all they want to do
is tie the poem to a chair with rope
and torture a confession out of it.

They begin beating it with a hose
to find out what it really means.

"Scholars" by Walter de la Mare

Logic does well at school;
And Reason answers every question right;
Poll-parrot Memory unwinds her spool;
And Copy-cat keeps Teacher well in sight;

The Heart's a truant; nothing does by rule;
Safe in its wisdom, is taken for a fool;
Nods through the morning on the dunce's stool;
And wakes to dream all night.

"God's Wheel" by Shel Silverstein

God's Wheel by Shel Silverstein
GOD says to me with a kind of smile,
"Hey how would you like to be God awhile
And steer the world?"

"Okay," says I,
"I'll give it a try.

Where do I set?
How much do I get?
What time is lunch?
When can I quit?"

"Gimme back that wheel," says GOD.
"I don't think you're quite ready YET."

"Fear No More" by William Shakespeare

Fear no more the heat o' the sun;
Nor the furious winter's rages,
Thou thy worldly task hast done,
Home art gone, and ta'en thy wages;
Golden lads and girls all must,
As chimney sweepers come to dust.

Fear no more the frown of the great,
Thou art past the tyrant's stroke:
Care no more to clothe and eat;
To thee the reed is as the oak:
The sceptre, learning, physic, must
All follow this, and come to dust.

Fear no more the lightning-flash,
Nor the all-dread thunder-stone;
Fear not slander, censure rash;
Thou hast finished joy and moan;
All lovers young, all lovers must
Consign to thee, and come to dust.

"Siren Song" by Margaret Atwood

"Siren Song"

This is the one song everyone
would like to learn: the song
that is irresistible:

the song that forces me
to leap overboard in squadrons
even though they see the beached skulls

the song nobody knows
because anyone who has heard it
is dead, and the others can't remember.

Shall I tell you the secret
and if I do, will you get me
out of this bird suit?

I don't enjoy it here
squatting on this island
looking picturesque and mythical

with these two feathery maniacs,
I don't enjoy singing
this trio, fatal and valuable.

I will tell the secret to you,
to you, only to you.
Come closer. This song

is a cry for help: Help me!
Only you, only you can,
you are unique

at last. Alas
it is a boring song
but it works every time.

Suum Cuique

*"Suum Cuique" by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Wilt thou seal up the avenues of ill?
Pay every debt, as if God wrote the bill.


* Latin - "to each his own"

Whitman's "Full of Life Now"

Good job yesterday, guys. You all are cracking me up! Remember, with poetry it's all about tone. Think about the tone that the poem is trying to convey. Poems aren't always literal or straightforward in tone.

Full of Life Now
by Walt Whitman


FULL of life, now, compact, visible,

I, forty years old the Eighty-third Year of The States,

To one a century hence, or any number of centuries hence,

To you, yet unborn, these, seeking you.


When you read these, I, that was visible, am become invisible;

Now it is you, compact, visible, realizing my poems, seeking me;

Fancying how happy you were, if I could be with you, and become your comrade;

Be it as if I were with you. (Be not too certain but I am now with you.)

National Poetry Month!

In honor of National Poetry Month, I'm going to try to post a new poem each day in April. You can respond and/or react to these poems for extra credit. (You must say something more than "I like/don't like this poem" to get extra credit!) Without further ado, here's our first selection. This is one of my favorite poems by Dorothy Parker. Happy reading!

"One Perfect Rose"
A single flow'r he sent me, since we met.
All tenderly his messenger he chose;
Deep-hearted, pure, with scented dew still wet--
One perfect rose.

I knew the language of the floweret;
"My fragile leaves," it said, "his heart enclose."
Love long has taken for his amulet
One perfect rose.

Why is it no one ever sent me yet
One perfect limousine, do you suppose?
Ah no, it's always just my luck to get
One perfect rose.

Research Paper Help

I'm going to turn this blog into a research paper forum for a little while. If you have questions about the research paper process, you can post your questions here. If you happen to know the answer to a question and get to it before I do, go ahead and post the answer! We can also discuss potential thesis statements and problems with content as well. Happy researching/writing!!

Remember, it's always better to ask a question than get it wrong!

Caesar, Question 2

We obviously know which of the funeral speeches had the biggest impact on the plebeians of Rome. Think about public speakers you have heard. What made them particularly effective to you? Which of the funeral speeches would have been most effective on you personally? Would you have been swayed by the Spartan or florid style? Why do you think that is?

Hail Caesar!

We've been introduced to many characters in Julius Caesar. So far, who seems to be the character you sympathize with the most? Why do you think you feel this way? What's Shakespeare doing to make you feel this way?

Walden, Conclusion

Now that we've officially finished Walden, tell me something (or things) that you'll take away from this book. Officially get ready for Julius Caesar! :)

A Separate Peace

Here are photos of the real Devon School, the Phillips Exeter School.

Walden, Question 4

Now that we have waded through a good portion of Walden, think in particular about the chapters relevant to seasons. What thematically does Thoreau talk about in those chapters besides the season? Why does he name these chapters after seasons? Is the chapter entirely about the season or something more?

Walden, Question 3

Since we've been talking so much about classics, I thought I'd open this question up for discussion. What books would you guys consider classics? You can include your own favorite books or books that made an impression on you, or you can include books you think everyone should read. Explain why you think these books deserve to be on the classics list. Also, what makes a book a "classic?"

My classics (or must-read list) would be Heart of Darkness, Hamlet, Wuthering Heights, Walden, Leaves of Grass, and The Dark Tower Series (at least the first three, anyway!).

Essay Website

The website you need to go to in order to complete the ADAW essay prompts follows:

http://my.hrw.com

A Separate Peace, English 10 Regular

Here's a copy of the study guide if you lose the copy I gave you. Also, this will give you more information about the author and the time period of the book that is quite interesting.

Walden, Interesting Sites

This is an interesting site I came across while looking for photographs of Walden Pond. Everyone should at least take a look at the first couple of paragraphs. Interesting reading!

Thoreau's First Year at Walden

Walden, Question 2

So, we've decided that Thoreau is organizing his information somehow, albeit it's a bit confusing at times. With that being said, what do you think of Thoreau's narrative so far (that is, the part where he builds his house!)? Do you think he's following a strict timeline or making some things fit in the grand scheme of things?

Here are some links to pictures of Thoreau's cabin (a replica) and Walden Pond, if you're interested.

There are many more pictures and a virtual tour here.

Let it snow! Some things to think about

Hello, guys. I'm unsure of whether we'll actually be in school tomorrow, so I'm posting some things to consider here. You may comment on any of these things or just use them to jump start discussion whenever we return. Please make sure you've read the article "Has Our Living Standard Stalled" before we return. If you need a copy, you can find it here.

• What does Thoreau have to say about time management, clothing, and shelter?
• Does life experience make you more capable of giving advice?
• How does your culture influence what you consider necessary?
• How are things true in the past but false today?
• According to Thoreau, is it better to own your own house or rent?

Walden, Question 1

You've probably noticed by now that Thoreau sways from idea to idea and talks in circles while telling his story. Why do you think he does this?

Welcome!

Welcome, English students to our new class blog! This blog will be a great place to ask questions about what we're currently reading and gain some extra credit in the process. If you post at least five questions or comments to this blog during the nine weeks, I'll give you some extra credit. This will be the only extra credit offered from here on out, so come back and post often. Our first posts will be concerning the novel Walden.