Assignments over Vacation

1. Please read through Chapter 33 of Huck Finn and continue to pay attention to the themes that we have been tracking so far. This will be due on Monday after break.

2.1 Here is a link to the vocabulary assignment if you'd like to get started on it: Huck Finn Vocab assignment. I'll probably collect this on Tuesday or Wednesday, be beware that I'll also be assigning additional chapters to read during that time.

Have a GREAT vacation.

Due THURSDAY, 12/17

You'll need to be prepared to discuss through Chapter 18 for Thursday. Tomorrow in class we'll finish up the discussion of our "quiz" questions from today, and give you a chance to get through some history before your test.

Due 12/15

Read through Chapter 13 of Huck Finn.

Due Monday, 12/14

Read Chapter's 6-9 for Monday. Make sure you are also prepared to discuss chapters 1-5 since we didn't have time to today.

Due Friday, 12/11

Read Chapters 1-5 for Friday.

For our reading of Huckleberry Finn, pay careful attention to the following topics. I suggest that you mark these topics in your text (or on a post-it). If you want to be extra fancy, you can also color-code these different ideas in your notes.

Supersition
The role of the river
Women (and their influence on Huck)
Religion
Education
Class Consciousness
Racial Identity
Clothing
Money/Wealth/Acquisitiveness (wanting to acquire stuff)
Deception
Search for Approval
Protectiveness

Here is a link to an electronic copy, if you do not have your own yet.

Due Wednesday, 12/9

Read the excerpt from Twain's "Life on the Mississippi" in your textbook. (496-499) Pay careful attention to his use of humor and satire in this section.

Due Tuesday, December 8th

Read "The Notorius Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" by Mark Twain. (509-512)

If you forgot to bring your book home, here is a link to the story. This version has some minor differences, but it's close enough.

Additional Exam Information

Literature Schools notes

Sample Essay Information

Prompt:

To what extent did the work of the Dark Romantics differ from that of other early American Romantic authors?

Prerequisite knowledge
(aka stuff you need to know to write a decent response)

Definitions:

 Dark Romanticism
 Light “other” Romanticism

Authors:

 Dark Romanticism: Poe, Irving
 Light Romanticism: Cooper, Bryant

Works:

 Dark Romanticism: “The Devil and Tom Walker,” “Fall of …Usher.”
 Light Romanticism: “Thanatopsis,” “The Prairie”

Similarities:

 Content: Man’s relationship with nature
 Style: Elevated language, descriptive imagery

Differences:

 Content: Optimism of man vs. pessimism, benign nature/fearful nature
 Style: More positive diction, imagery

Romanticism Test Monday, December 7th

Your notecards will be turned in today. Here is some information about the objective part of the test. I'll post information about the essay portion tomorrow.

Romanticism Test Study Guide

Remember, this is fill in the blank with NO word bank.

Part I: 60 Questions (approximately)

Passage Identification:

 Title of Work
 Author
 Character/Speaker

Author Identification

 Characteristics of authors

Literary Classifications/Terms associated with:

 Light Romanticism
 Dark Romanticism
 Transcendentalism
 Anti-Transcendentalism

Literary Schools/Groups

Historical Context

Themes and analysis of short stories.


Part II: Mini Essay

Due 12/3

Read the excerpts from Whitman's "Song of Myself" found in your literature book.

Due 12/2 Dickinson Reading

"There's a Certain slant..." 369
"I never saw..." 374
"Tell all the Truth" 375
"Because I could not stop"380
"The Bustle in a House" 383
"As imperceptibly" 386
"There is a solitude" 389
"This is my letter" 390

Due Tuesday, 12/1

Read the poem, "Thanatopsis" on page 202
Read the poem, "I felt a Funeral" on page 378

Then, create a brief Venn diagram-ish chart, that looks at similarities and differences between these two poems. Consider comparing things like, subject matter, verse form, diction, imagery, figurative language.

This will be similar to your Bradford/Smith chart

Bryant Bryant/Dickinson Dickinson

Due Sometime after Thanksgiving break...

...but a good assignment to get started on.

You will be completing a review cards for the Romantic authors we have read. A review card must contain the following information:

Name of Author
Literary School/Movement associated with them (if applicable)
Region associated with that author
Names of works that we read by that author
Approximate date when these works were published
Characteristics of their writing
Important Quotation(s) from what we read

These cards must show some effort in their design and layout. They should be in ink or typed. (Part of the score for these cards will based on their presentation.)

You must create a review card for the following authors:

William Cullen Bryant
Washington Irving
James Fenimoore Cooper
Edgar Allen Poe
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Oliver Wendell Holmes
James Russell Lowell
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Henry David Thoreau
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Herman Melville
Emily Dickinson
Walt Whitman

(This assignment will most likely be due on the day of the Romanticism test, so stay tuned for a specific date)

I realize that you may not be able to fill in all information at this time (especially literary school), or complete cards for Dickinson or Whitman. However, you will still benefit from getting them started since you will have other assignments during the week you come back.

Due Friday, November 20th

Read the following poems:


334- “The Tide Rises”

336- “The Psalm of Life”

347- “The Chambered Nautilus”

352- “First Snowfall”


Write a response for each poem consisting of:


1. Literal Summary (1-2 sentences):


2. Interpretation/Theme: What deeper meaning does this poem convey (2-3

sentences)


3. Style analysis: What poetry devices (rhyme, figurative language, allusions, diction...) does this pome make use of? How do they help enhance the theme? (1-2 sentences)


Please include these three questions after the title of each poem on your paper. Then, complete question number for after you have read and responded to all 4 poems:

4. What similarities do these poems share? In what way do they differ from each other? Which one did you find the most enjoyable? Explain your thoughts... (4-5 sentences)

Due Monday, November 16th

For the “Minister’s Black Veil” reflection paper, you will write/type around two pages of your thoughts concerning the story. [Double-spaced if typed; single spaced if hand-written] You will write in well constructed complete sentences, but you will not follow any specific paper structure; I’m interested mostly in your ideas. However, please continue to use formal voice: no I, me, you, etc.


I want you write about your insights into the story. You may wish to consider the following questions: What different things does the black veil symbolize? What insight into humanity does the story present? What insight into the self does the story suggest? What ironies are inherent in the work? What motivated Rev. Hooper to wear the veil?

You should use at least 2-3 quotations over the course of your ponderings.

Also, you may want to get a head start on reading the excerpts from Melville's Moby Dick in your lit book which will be due on Tuesday.

Due 11/13

Read "The Minister's Black Veil" and be prepared to discuss.

Due 11/12

Read the excerpt from Civil Disobedience in your text. Also, read Dr. Heideggar's Experiment, which can be found here, if you forgot your book.

(I can't post a link for the Thoreau, since the actual text is more than your book includes.)

Due 11/10

We will continue our discussion of Walden today in class; be sure to have 4-5 quotations identified from the reading the seem to really capture Thoreau's intended message.

Due Monday, November 9th

Read the excerpt from "Walden" in your book. (282-288)

Due Friday, November 6th

Research Emerson quotations online and select 5 that you really enjoy. Copy and paste the quotations into a document and format it so that you have a pretty readable font-size (around 20). Cut out each quotation individually, and bring them with you to class.

Additionally, make sure to complete the Background Reading described in the previous post. Will there be a reading quiz?

Due 11/5

Read the excerpts by Emerson:

"Self-Reliance"
"Nature"

(268-271)

For Friday, we'll be discussing the background reading from (240-257), and I recommend getting a start on that reading as well, since the Emerson selections are short, and there is another (short) assignment that will be due on Friday.

Due 11/4

Read the excerpt from "The Praire" by Cooper. (190-199) Then, write thoughtful answers for the following questions.

1. In what ways does the enviroment symbolize the action that is taking place?

2. In what ways do the Native Americans in the story demonstrate compassion for Natty Bumpo?

3. What commentary does this story offer about religious beliefs? (Consider by evaluating the religious beliefs presented)

4. What are Natty Bumppo's requests for when he dies, and what do these reveal about his character?

5. What is the symbolism behind the two figures at Natty Bumppo's side during his death?

6. What are some things about this excerpt that strike you as being difficult to believe or unrealistic? (dare I say, even "cheesy")

Due November, 3rd

Read the Romanticism background section (162-173) and be prepared to take a reading quiz based on this material.

Due Monday, Nov. 2

Okay, so I decided on a more structured paragraph after all:


You will write a paragraph that analyzes the struggle between Reason and Romanticism (in this case understand Romanticism to emphasize the imagination and unexplained) in "The Fall of the House of Usher." Imagine that your paragraph belongs to a paper with the following topic:

Prompt: To what extent does "The Fall of the House of Usher" represent the triumph of Romanticism over Reason?"

The paragraph you're writing is the the first thesis paragraph (not the introduction or the antithesis paragraph) so you will write about the side you belief in. In other words, you will either say that the story shows Reason triumphing of Romanticism(the imagination) or Romanticism triumphing over Reason.

Topic statement(s): Transition + acknowledgement of antithesis + thesis statement. (You do not have to use a specific POA point for this assignment.)

You will need three piees of evidence. Your evidence should be a quotation from the text. If there is a long passage, provide a short quotation that is at least an excerpt from the story.

Instead of following a strict What/How/Why format after each quotation, explore what is interesting about your quotation focusing on some insights that your quotation reveals about the characters, symbolism, imagery, parallels, etc. Make sure, however, that you do ultimately explain that your quotation shows your side of the prompt.


Note: This is still a formal voice essay (so you can't say "I think this is interesting..."). Please avoid saying "This is interesting because" because that will drive me crazy.

Also, this assignment will allow you to practice transitions for thesis/antithesis writing, which is a good thing.

Due Wednesday, 10/28

Read "The Oval Portrait" by Poe.If you forgot your book, there is an online copy available here.

We will be discussing "The Fall of the House of Usher" on Friday, and this is a pretty long story. I advise getting a head start on this reading as soon as possible. For Usher, you should be gathering evidence of places in the story where REASON seems to be emphasized and well as moments where ROMANTICISM (the unexplained) is emphasized.

Due 10/27

After a lengthy history discussion today, we only had time to discuss in small groups some aspects of the story of The Devil and Tom Walker. For tomorrow, we'll use this group preparation to direct our discussion on:

The characterization of Tom, his wife, and the Devil
Themes of the story
Setting/Role of Nature
Role of the Narrator
Similarities to previous literary movements
Differences to previous literary movements

If you were absent, use these topics to help your thinking about the story.

Due Monday, October 26th

Read the short story "The Devil and Tom Walker". Please bring your books to class.

Due 10/22

Final copy of your Colonial Authors Paper!

Bring with you the chart, and your rough draft versions to turn in. If you'd like access to our editing sheet from in class,it can be found here.

Due 10/21

You should bring the next two body paragraphs of your paper and be ready to edit them in class.

Due Monday, October 19th

You will need to bring a rough draft (typed) of the INTRODUCTION and FIRST BODY PARAGRAPH of your Colonial Author's paper. You may have your body paragraph be on any of the three authors that we will eventually write on.

Make sure to:

- Establish context in the introduction
- Have a clear and effective topic sentence
- Focus on the analysis: How is that specific device example persuasive
- Remember to connect back to the thesis as the final step of the Analytical unit.
- Have 3 Examples (3 complete analytical units) per paragraph.

More information about the paper is available in the previous post.

Due Monday, October 12

You are writing a paper with the following thesis:


Colonial authors used a variety of literary devices to persuade their audience to separate from the English. (The POA for this paper will be the authors’ names OR the names of the document.)

The authors you are writing on will be: Henry, Jefferson, and Paine.

You must create a chart that lists three examples of literary devices that each author uses to persuade his audience. The first column will be the author's name. The second will be the 3 quotations for each author that shows them using a literary device. The third column will explain the effect that device is having on the reader, and how it persuades them.

A sample of the chart is available here.


(Notice that the previous post contains information about your Unit 1 Test)

Unit 1 Test on Tuesday, October 13th

Puritans through Age of Reason

Link to in-class review activity.

73 Multiple Choice Questions

Make sure you know:

Linking, Progressive, Passive (15 questions)

Literary Devices:
Aphorism,
Personification
Periodic Structure
Allusion, Metaphor
Parallel Structure
Metaphysical Conceit
Epanorthosis
Rhetorical Questions
Rhetorical Appeals

Title of Passages we’ve read

General History or Virginia
Of Plymouth Plantation
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God
Wonders of the Invisible World
Huswifery
On a Wasp
Dialogue…Gout
Autobiography
Poor Richard’s Almanac
Speech in the Virginia Convention
Declaration of Independence
The Crisis
To his Excellency, General Washington

 Authors of Passages we’ve read

 General time period and purpose of passages we’ve read

 You will need to be able to identify excerpts from the passages we’ve read.

Due 10/8

Read Thomas Paines "The Crisis".

Due 10/2

Antithesis rewrite (if applicable)

Reading: Autobiography (Franklin)

Due Monday: Creative Writing Dialog between you(fill in name) and the (fill in personified object. 2-3 pages

Due 10/1

We'll do the background reading quiz today, so I don't have to deal with 35 people coming in to do a make up quiz.

For Thursday, also read Franklin's "Dialogue between Franklin and the Gout." As our first work associated with Neoclassicism (also known as the age of Reason) focus on how this world view differs from the extremism of Puritan literature. Pay special attention to the ideas of:

Reason
Moderation (not too much or too little)
Personal improvement
Science

This is a fun work, so make sure you're prepared to discuss it in class.

Due 9/30 (10/1)

Neoclassicism background reading:

Pages 84-97

Expect a quiz on this material either on the ASVAB day or Thursday.

Due 9/29

Please read:

"Upon a Wasp..." page 62
"To my dear and loving..." page 57

Consider what makes these strong examples of Puritan poetry.

Due Monday, 9/28

Edwards Introduction and Body Paragraph


Using the format provided in Part I of your “Musings” packument, write an introduction and body paragraph on “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” Make sure to pay careful attention to the question word guidance for the different steps of analysis.


Thesis: Edwards creates fear in the audience in order to ________________________.


POA: Edwards uses imagery, structure, and rhetoric.


Your body paragraph will focus on the discussion of his use of imagery. (Even if something is a simile, for example, we'll still discuss it under the category of imagery since it's the image that really counts here.)

Reminders:

 Limit your use of forms of “to be” especially passive and progressive.
 Maintain formal voice.
 Practice establishing context in your introduction along with relevant background information.

Be sure to provide a quotation from the text that will serve as your evidence (your "where" part of analysis.)

Due Monday, 9/21

Be prepared for a Passive, Progressive, and Linking quiz.

Create a chart based on the Bradford/Smith readings that has the following:

One column focusing on details more unique to Bradford's work.
One column focusing on details more unique to Smith's work.
One column identifying what similiarites the two pieces had.

Under each column, you may with to consider such things as:

-Characterization of speaker, community members
-Values of community
-Lifestyle/living conditions
-Voyage
-Relationship with Native Americans
-Style of writing
-Purpose of writing
-Selection of details

This is just a start, so you can feel free to include other observations that I haven't mentioned. Try to aim for about 4-5 observations under each column.

Have a great weekend!

Due 9/17

1. Thesis/Antithesis Practice is due Thursday.

2. Passive Progressive Linking Practice is also due Thursday.

3. Your first reading assignment is due on Friday:

Smith: "General History of Virginia" (42-47)
Bradford: "On Plymouth Plantation (50-54)

Compare and contrast the writing styles and content of these two authors. Also, be sure to think about your lecture on geographic determinism and what you know about the differences between the Northern and Southern colonies as you do your reading.

Continue...

...working on Antithesis/Thesis. There will be a short assignment assigned tomorrow that is also due Thursday, so make sure you manage your time well.

Due Thursday, 9/17

Step 1: Select a topic of your choice that you would like to write practice antithesis/thesis paragraphs with. You might consider something from:
 Music
 Movies
 Politics/Policy
 Food
 Hobbies, Sports, activities
 (Anything else that interests you—if you’re unsure about your topic, check with me first)

Step 2: Following the guidelines in the “Musings” packet, write an Antithesis/Thesis statement with 2 POA points. Remember to focus on the concept of opposing, not just opposite. (Note that you’re not writing an entire introduction, just the antithesis/thesis).

Step 3: Write a corresponding antithesis paragraph. Make sure to remember your qualifying transition. You should have 3 pieces of evidence to support your antithesis paragraph and use standard paragraph format.

Step 4: Write a corresponding thesis paragraph. Make sure to use an appropriate contrasting transition word that acknowledges your antithesis, and clearly state your thesis and POA point. You should have 3 pieces of evidence and use standard paragraph format.

Step 5: Proof read your paragraphs, checking for conventions errors, and making sure that you match the structure given to you in the packet.

A more printable version is available here.

Due Monday, September 14th

Read Part 2 of the Musings Packet.

Then, take this list of transitional words, and sort them into like categories of your own choosing. For example, you may create a category of "sequence" and put all words in that category that seem to suggest a sequence.

Randomized Transitional Phrases

Due Friday, Sep 11

Bring your syllabus, if you haven't already done so.

Read Part 1 of the "Musings" packet. (Pages 1-5)

First Assignments Due Thursday, 9/10

You have two assignments: Your signed syllabus form and the writing pretest.

Imagine you are writing an essay on one of the following topics:

1. Why is the study of past events (history) important in a world that is focused so much on the present and future developments?

2. Why is the study of past writing (literature) important in a world that seemingly places little emphasis on this medium of expression?

Now, the assignment:

Write an introduction and a body paragraph that address ONE of these topics. Set up your introduction as if you were writing the entire essay, but you, of course, will just be writing one body paragraph.

Please use this as an opportunity to show off your best writing in terms of vocabulary, structure, organization, and ideas. I understand that this is essentially a ‘first draft’ and has not undergone a lengthy revision process, but you should proof read for conventions.

Please type in 12-point font.


Due Thursday, 9/4!

Due Tuesday, June 9th

Poetry Reading:

Sandberg: "Chicago"(898); "The People, yes"(896)
Pound "Canto 13" (859)

In Class Assignment--Due Date TBD

Over the next few days, we will be completing poetry reaction in class based on reading from the Harlem Renassaince. If you need any of the poems we have read as part of this activity, they can be found here.

Remember a reaction for each collection of poems includes:

Author(s):
Titles of Poems:

Structure and Style Observations:


Content Observations:


Which poem did you find most interesting/ meaningful/ compelling?

Due June 8th

Author Imitation Assignment

Your task is to write a short story in the style of one of the major 4 Modern American authors we have studied this semester. You have randomly been assigned your author, and you must turn in an author card with your assignment. You may switch author cards with someone, but you can only write in the style of that author if you have their card since you must turn it in with your story.

Your short story should be between 3-4 pages in length (hopefully closer to 3.) You must imitate your author in regards to:

- Subject matter
- Setting
- Characters
- Themes
- Style (diction, syntax, figurative language, etc.)

Other students will be reading your story and attempting to guess which author you are imitating. Therefore, give your story a real (and hopefully significant title) as opposed to calling it “Hemingway imitation story.”

This assignment is due Monday, June 8th.

Due Tuesday, May26

Read "Wash".

We'll discuss "The Bear" from your book on Wednesday.

Due Thursday, May 21st

Read "Flight" by Steinbeck.

Old Man and the Sea Vocabulary and Analytical Sentences

Due Tuesday:

evoke
colloquial
self-effacing
concision
amalgamation
brusque
propensity
nebulous

For each word, you must provide

1. a brief definition
2. a sentence using the word to help you make an interesting, analytical observation about the Old Man and the Sea.

(This is just like what we did for Huck Finn.)

Old Man and the Sea Reading

Please refer to the calendar on the left taking note that the page numbers reflect the reading that should be done for that day.

Due Tuesday, May 12

Read "Hills like White Elephants" and "A Clean well-lighted Place."

Suggested thinking topics:

Hills: What can be inferred about the relationship between the man and the woman? How does the extensive use of dialog convey some of these dynamics?

Place: Alienation and isolation? Importance of paragraph beginning "'Good night', the other said" in terms of style and content?

They're Mine...They're all Mine! Muahahahah!

WELCOME BACK!

For Monday, please read the story "In Another Country" by Ernest Hemingway. (722-727).

Pay special attention to:

- The role of technology
- Existential elements (alienation, creation of essence, anxiety)
- Symbolism of characters

(In other words, if I ask a question about these topics in class, you should be able to point to specific quotations and add your own thoughts.)

Here is the complete text (I think) just in case you've forgotten your book.)

JSTOR Information and Advice

Here is a link to the citations for JSTOR.

Make sure you are also going to have all of your copies for your verification stack ready for Monday. This will include copies of ALL of your Huck Finn Quotations. If you have not already made copies, you will need to make sure you still have your book so you can do them over the weekend.

Also make sure you have made copies of any citations from essays in my room. I will not be here over the weekend. Obviously.

Remember you will arrange these copies in the order that they appear in your essay. Highlight direct quotations and page number; box highlight paraphrases and page numbers.

Research Paper Help

On the Reasearch paper page, I have placed the MLA online guides at the top of the left hand side. The Abel Scribe site has good information about ellipses, which we will be discussing tomorrow in class. It's listed under "delete parts of quotes".

Important Updates!

Please see the research paper website for important updates about your paper and the final due date (April 20th).

If you are caught up, at this point you have completed: Observation 1, Observation 2 and Importance 2. Please begin working on assembling your works cited and works consulted pages.

If you are not caught up, please do so!

Due 3/31

Discuss Gatsby 5-6

Importance thinking activity. (See research paper site for explanation.)

Gatsby Reading Schedule

Due Thursday, 3/19: Discuss Chapters 1-3
Due Friday, 3/20: Discuss Chapter 4
Due Monday 3/30: Discuss Chapters 5-6 (Turn in Importance Thinking Activity)
Due Tuesday 3/31: Discuss Chapter 7
Due Wednesday 4/1: Discuss Chapters 8-9

Tuesday, March 10

Today we finished our discussion of "The Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock." We also discussed the upcoming Realism/Early Modernism Test. Your test will be on Friday.

For Thursday, you need to have read, "The Jilting of Granny Weatherall" and "A Worn Path."

Your first Observation paragraph for the research paper will be due on 3/17. More information is availalbe on the Research Paper site.

Wednesday, March 4th

Today we looked at two poems by Stephen Crane in your book, and 3 other Crane poems listed below. These poems can be found online (Type in the poem title + Crane). We also began discussing the concept of a Citation Outline for your paper which is due on Monday. Some of the formatting did not survive the move to Google docs, so do the best you can with it.

"The Wayfarer"
"A Man said..."
"To the Maiden"

Importance Virtual Notecards Due 3/4

Due: 10 virtual importance quotations arranged in order. (Strongest quotation first, weakest last).

4 (or more) source cards for your quotations.

Due Friday 2/27

Write a 1 to 1 1/2 page reflection on the play Trifles, by Susan Glaspell. Consider such things as symbolism, gender identity, character motivations, parallel themes, or whatever else strikes your fancy. There is no structure requirement, but maintain a formal academic voice, so no "I" or "you."

A link to the play is available here:

Mr. Wright (dead)
Mrs. Wright (in jail)
Mr. Henderson (attorney-Zach)
Mr. Hale (Farmer-Ashten)
Mr. Peters (Sheriff-Ethan)
Mrs. Peters (Kaitlin)
Mrs. Hale (Parisah)

Friday, February 20

Today in class we read and discussed the poems "Richard Cory" and "Miniver Cheevy". Your assignment is to write a paragraph that discusses how the author uses poetry devices in "Miniver Cheevy" to help convey a specific Realist theme. Follow the information provided in the previous post. This follows the same pattern as the Whitman paragraph, so see the previous post if you have questions. Here's the poem in case you don't have your book.

Miniver Cheevy



Miniver Cheevy, child of scorn,

Grew lean while he assailed the seasons;

He wept that he was ever born,

And he had reasons.



Miniver loved the days of old

When swords were bright and steeds were prancing;

The vision of a warrior bold

Would set him dancing.



Miniver sighed for what was not,

And dreamed, and rested from his labors;

He dreamed of Thebes and Camelot,

And Priam's neighbors.



Minever mourned the ripe renown

That made so many a name so fragrant;

He mourned Romance, now on the town,

And Art, a vagrant.



Minever loved the Medici,

Albeit he had never seen one;

He would have sinned incessantly

Could he have been one.



Miniver cursed the commonplace

And eyed a khaki suit with loathing;

He missed the mediæval grace

Of iron clothing.



Miniver scorned the gold he sought,

But sore annoyed was he without it;

Miniver thought, and thought, and thought,

And thought about it.



Miniver Cheevy, born too late,

Scratched his head and kept on thinking;

Miniver coughed, and called it fate,

And kept on drinking.



E.A. Robinson

Wednesday, February 18th

Today in class we took notes on how to make some stylistic improvements in our writing. Unfortunately, those notes are not currently availalbe to post online, so if you were absent, you may need to check with a friend.

Then we discussed the poem "When I Heard the Learned Astronomer" by Walt Whitman. Your assignment is to write a paragraph on the poem as explained below.

When I Heard the Learned Astronomer
by Walt Whitman



When I heard the learn'd astronomer,
When the proofs, the figures, were ranged in columns before me,
When I was shown the charts and diagrams, to add, divide, and
measure them,
When I sitting heard the astronomer where he lectured with much
applause in the lecture-room,
How soon unaccountable I became tired and sick,
Till rising and gliding out I wander'd off by myself,
In the mystical moist night-air, and from time to time,
Look'd up in perfect silence at the stars.

Directions:

Write a paragraph that analyzes how Walt Whitman uses different literary devices in order to advance Romantic themes in his poem. Consider such things as diction, syntax, imagery, sound devices, etc. You may also address how Whitman advances Romantic themes by creating contrast to those ideas. The topic sentence of each paragraph should include:

 Name of Poet
 Title of poem
 Poetry devices
 A specific Romantic theme


You must provide a quotation for each support, and follow all style guidelines. There should be three pieces of evidence per paragraph.

Due on Thursday.

Tuesday, February 17th

Today in class we discussed your course options in English for your senior year. If you were absent, you need to submit to me your course preference for next year. Based on this, I will make my recommendation for you next year.

Your core options:

AP English*
College Writing*
Honors British Literature
Senior Expos/Contemporary Literature

* The first two options can earn college credit.

Also, you should begin thinking about what you will want your importance component of your thesis to be.

Due Tuesday 2/17

1 Source Card (for Huck Finn)
10 Observation Cards (from Huck Finn)

Make sure to include your observation at the top of the page.

Please see the Research Paper Site for an Explanation of Virtual Note Cards.

Due Friday, Feb 13th...

Grammar Test!!!

For more practice exercises, go to the sentence structure pages of the Online Writing Center.

Simple and Compound Practice
Complex and Compound-Complex Practice

Also, make sure you have your 10 observation notecards done on Tuesday. For more information, see the Research Paper page.

Due Monday 2/9

Sentence Structure Practice. Please print and bring completed to class.

Due Friday, February 6

Practicing Phrases and Clauses worksheet.

Additional explanations and exercises are available on Lesson 3 at the Sprague Online Writing Center

Also due Wednesday

Don't forget to bring in your observation preference.

Also, please print the following worksheet and follow the directions at the top. Bring the completed worksheet to class on Wednesday.

If you are having a difficult time with parts of speech, you can find additional information and practice exercises on the parts of speech page of the Online Sprague Writing Center.

Due Wednesday

Submit "observation" topic for the Research Paper. Also, check out the research paper page. (link available on the left).

Semester Final Review Information

Click here for an explanation of the semester final.

Click here for a complete list (I hope) of what we've read this semester.

NEW! Review activity from class.

Due Tuesday, January 20th

Satire Paper due today

Also, if you'd like to get a start on the reading assignment for Wednesday, we are reading Jack London's "To Build a Fire" in your text book.

Due Monday, January 13th

Huck Finn Reading through Chapter 38.

Assigned today but due January 20th:

Huck Finn Inspired Satire Paper

Some Possible Targets of Satire

 Politics
 Human characteristics (foibles, personality traits)
 Human behaviors (social attitudes, habits)
 Institutions/Organizations
 Individuals

Some Approaches:
 The proposal
 The narrative story or personal account
 The dialogue
 The ‘factual’ (more expository) report

Some Tools:
 EXAGGERATION (taken to the extreme)
 Humor
 Irony
 VOICE (Diction, syntax, allusions, etc.)
 Point of view (outside observer or target of satire?)

Your paper must:

 Select a target of satire (NO personal satire allowed for this exercise.)
 Select an approach
 Incorporate several tools of satire and develop an appropriate voice.
 Be between 2-3 typed pages (double-spaced)

Starting Point: Remember satire is essentially criticism, so think of something you’d like to criticize (or find irritating) and develop it as satire.

Due Tuesday, 1/6

Huck Finn Reading Quiz Chapters 10-18.

Welcome back assignments...

I vaguely have this recollection of a thing called school...

Here's what I'd like you to have done when we return:

Due Monday: Huck Finn Vocabulary Assignment. I'm assuming that Mr. Nickel is still planning on you taking your history test on Monday, so I don't know how much time we'll have for English.

Huck Finn Reading: I would like you to try to be through Chapter 33, however, I realize that since we haven't discussed much of the book, it will probably be a while before we discuss that far into the text. I'll ask around in class and see how far people have read and how well we are understanding the text, and then set up a more specific discussion calendar after we return. So, to answer what you probably really want to know, there won't be a reading quiz on Monday asking you questions that come from Chapter 33 only...or any other English reading quiz on Monday.