Wednesday, February 22, 2012

9 Elements of Chosen Poem

My Goldfish Took Up Tennis

My goldfish took up tennis.
They installed a little net
at the bottom of their fishtank
for their first official set.

They got tennis balls and racquets.
They got tennis shoes and shorts,
for my fish are fond of tennis
more than any other sports.

It's a funny thing to watch them.
When they practice every day,
as the tennis balls they serve each other
always float away.

Kenn Nesbitt

1.       Dramatic Situation – The perspective is through the eyes of a goldfish and his desire to pick up the game of tennis.  It set in a fish bowl where life for a goldfish is oh so mundane.
2.       Structure – the structure of the poem consisted of a rhyming scheme.  The first stanza was nontraditional with only a couplet rhyme, while the rest of the poem consisted of a traditional scheme of ABAB.
3.       Theme – There really is no theme to this poem, but if there had to be, it was that some things just aren’t meant to be.
4.       Grammar/Punctuation – The author used correct grammar through the entire poem and used commas to end a though and periods to end a stanza.
5.       Imagery/Figurative Language – The other used descriptive imagery to get us in the mindset of the goldfish’s life.  She described what it looked like in great detail.
6.       Diction – She used playful words throughout the poem; keeping it light-hearted and funny. 
7.       Tone – The tone she used was humorous and somewhat ironic.  You laugh at the fact that a goldfish of all creatures, is trying to learn tennis.  Especially since you know that a goldfish will never have the capacity and skill to actually play tennis unless in a fantasy world.
8.       Rhetorical Devices/Literary Terms – She uses symbolism throughout the poem.  The goldfish represents anybody with a goal, but unfortunately not being able to complete the task due to your situation (i.e. the goldfish’s tank)
9.       Prosidy – The flow of the poem was fluid and smooth.  The rhyming scheme helped transition it from one stanza to another. 

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

The Purpose of Writing Great Expections

Keith Richard stated that “it becomes almost an obsession to touch other people.  To write a son that is remember and taken to heart is a connection, a touch of bases.  A thread that runs through all of us.”  In Great Expectations, I believe that Dickens’ wanted the reader to experience a sense of reality.  He wrote a fictional book and yet when you finish reading the novel, you walk away with a sense of such realism. He wanted it to reflect the everyday life of a Briton in the nineteen hundreds.  He also managed to put himself into the book, relating many things in the novel back to his life. 

One of the literary techniques that Dickens’ included in Great Expectations was his usage of characterization.  He portrays all his characters in a skillful way to reveal their strengths and their flaws as well.  Pip’s characterization grows more and more complex as he ages.  Dickens’ documents such growth in a manner where the reader can relate.  He also made use of allusions.  He made reference to Hercules when describing Joe.  

Thursday, February 2, 2012

In Class Notes - Great Expectations


1.       Characters
- Miss Havisham: wealthy woman, was going to educate Pip, encourages Pip to seek greater objectives in his future than a blacksmith, pays for Pip to become a blacksmith apprentice
- Estella: Miss Havisham's daughter, is forced by mother to get close to guys, then break their heart.  Tries to harden Estella's heart towards men so that she won't be hurt by a man the way she was
- Mrs. Joe- cranky, discouraging toward Pip, negative figure in Pip's life
- Joe: Pip's father figure, blacksmith, has great relationship with Pip, Pip shows him admiration
- Convict: threatening, has a good side (didn't get Pip in trouble when he could've)

2.       Family
- lives with his sister Mrs. Joe
- Joe is his father figure, married to his sister

3.       Time Period
- early 1800's

4.       Literary Techniques
- Foreshadowing: Graveyard is dark, and eery
- Allusion: Hercules- to describe Joe
- Syntax: low-class diction
- Irony: Mrs. Joe uses "tickler" to beat Pip

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Q&A: Great Expectations

Questions:
1.  Who does Pip meet in the village churchyard on Christmas Eve?
2.  Being an orphan, who does Pip live with? How do they treat him?
3. What does Pip feel guilty about? What does this reveal about him?
4. What thoughtful thing does the convict do when he is caught by a search party?
5. Why does Pip want to confess to Joe about his interactions with the convict?
6. How does Pip react from discouragement from others?
7. What causes Pip to want to get serious about his education?
8. What does "the file" represent?
9. Why is Miss Havisham obsessed with weddings?
10. What are Pip's thoughts about being a blacksmith?

Answers:
1. Pip meets an escaped convict, whom threatens him into bringing him food and cutting him free from his chains the following morning.
2. Pip lives with his older sister and Joe.  His sister treats him horribly; constantly putting him down or getting angry at him.  Joe and Pip have a great relationship, he often finds comfort in Joe when his sister is treating him bad.
3. Pip feels guilty about stealing from his pantry and a file for the convict. This reveals Pip has great morals and is innocent.
4. The convict does not reveal how Pip helped him out previously. This shows he may have a good side.
5. Pip wishes to tell Joe about how he helped the convict and stole things.  He can't stand lieing to Joe.
6. Pip does not take criticism from others well.
7. When Estella tells Pip he is going to lead a common life, Pip wants to become serious about his education and make something out of himself.
8. "The file" represents Pip's guiltiness.
9. She is obsessed with weddings because is appears she has been wronged by a man, and is still bitter about it.
10. Pip does not want to be a blacksmith. It is too common of a life.