I'm Out!

I have to take a sick day, as my son has a cough and high fever. Frankenstein take home quiz will be given tomorrow, and I'll also collect the comic at that time. In the meantime, answer the Usher discussion questions that I left for you. We'll discuss them tomorrow.

Wednesday's Creative Writing Prompt

Open your notebook to the next available page. Label this entry "Creative Prompt #1." Then, copy the following prompt:

The candle sputtered and went out. My hand groped the cold stone wall, frantically searching for something familiar. The passage was pitch black.

Now, take that and run with it. Tell the story from here.

The Fall of the House of Usher Discussion Questions

Today in class we discussed the following questions in groups. Here's a copy of the questions.

Diction Lesson #5

Diction Lesson #5

Consider the following quote:

A rowan* like a lipsticked girl.
- Seamus Heaney, "Song," Field Work

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* a small deciduous tree native to Europe, having white flowers clusters and orange berries

Then, answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper in the Voice Lessons section of your binder:

1. Other than color, what comes to mind when you think of lipsticked girl?
2. How would it change the meaning and feeling of the line if, instead of lipsticked girl, the author wrote girl with the lipstick on?
3. Write a simile comparing a tree with a domesticated animal. In your simile, use a word that is normally used as a noun (like lipstick) as an adjective (like lipsticked).


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from Dean, Nancy. Voice Lessons: Classroom Activities to Teach Diction, Detail, Imagery, Syntax, and Tone. Maupin House. Gainesville FL, 2000.

The Fall of the House of Usher Assignment

Here are the materials for the Fall of the House of Usher comic assignment.





If you're interested, there is an audio version of the book. Click on this link and it will take you directly to the .mp3 file. It is 44 minutes long.

On your own time, you can find the rest of the Heroes graphic novels here.

Finally, this assignment will be due Tuesday. Remember to annotate and finish Frankenstein by Monday.

Grades as of 10/23

Here are your current grades. These do not reflect the latest quiz.

Diction Lesson #4

And now, a return to Voice Lessons.

Consider the following quote:

The man sighed hugely.
- E. Annie Proulx, The Shipping News

1. What does it mean to sigh hugely?

2. How would the meaning of the sentence change is we rewrote it as

The man sighed loudly.

3. Fill in the blank below with an adverb:

The man coughed _____________________.

Your adverb should make the cough express an attitude. For example, the cough could express contempt, desperation, or propriety*. Do not state the attitude. Instead, let the adverb imply it.

propriety - the state of conforming to acceptable rules of behavior.


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from Dean, Nancy. Voice Lessons: Classroom Activities to Teach Diction, Detail, Imagery, Syntax, and Tone. Maupin House. Gainesville FL, 2000.

Rime of the Ancient Mariner

Today in class we'll be taking a look at another poem. This is quite the long poem, and it was written by another Romantic and literary critic, Samuel Taylor Coleridge. The poem is very gothic, as are the drawings that accompany this film. Unfortunately, you can't watch this on your own at school, but if you want to watch it again at home, here it goes.



Also, you can find a full text of this book here. This book is part of the public domain. "Mariner" starts on page 1 (I'm pretty sure).

Ozymandias, Percy Bysshe Shelley

Today we took a look at a poem written by Mary Shelley's brother husband Percy Bysshe Shelley. Here is the worksheet we used in class.








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Image taken from http://www.eng.fju.edu.tw/English_Literature/19th_c/Romantic_poetry/Romantic_poetry.htm

Gothic and Romantic Literature

Today we will be discussing characteristics of gothic and romantic literature.

For further reading:

• Norton Anthology Guide to Gothic Literature
• WSU Discussion of Romanticism
• CUNY discussion of Gothic literature

Prometheus

Great discussion today. I'll be embedding the short Prometheus videos we watched in class later on today. I think that it's interesting to note the connection between Victor and Prometheus, the monster and Prometheus, and Robert Walton and Prometheus. It's also important to note that this allusion and the use of foils serve to help emphasize Shelley's thematic discussion of the danger of unfettered search for knowledge.

Here are those two videos:

Frankenstein Discussion

Hello folks. Here's the discussion questions for today:

1. Yesterday we talked about foil. What characters could be considered foils for Victor? What could they be emphasizing about Victor's character? Provide evidence/explanation.

2. Victor changes while creating the monster. Describe those changes, and provide a quote or evidence to back it up.

3. Pose your own question about something confusing or something you feel merits more discussion.

Remember, don't feel you have to write a book as a response. Pose your thoughts, back it up, go back and reread what everyone else has to say, and comment from there.

Why Annotate?

You guys did a great job on our educational video "Why Annotate?". Now your job is to...ahem...annotate your novel. This is something we'll be doing all year, and something you should be doing throughout college, so let's get going.

Hint: Figure out your own personal style. This is not a science. If you like using highlighters, then highlight. If you like brackets, then bracket. Just make sure to jot down shorthand, easily understood margin notes.

Here's that video.

Foil

Today we'll be talking about the author's use of characters as foils for the protagonist. Here's the notes we'll be using to guide our discussion.

A&P Discussion Area

As you know, I'm not in school today. I'll be back tomorrow, and we are going to start discussing elements related to Frankenstein. I'd really like to give "A&P" some more discussion time. So, while you're at school, and I'm at home, we're going to do a little discussing.

Let's start with three big questions, and we'll see where it goes from there.

• What kind of person is Sammy? How do you know?
• Is the setting of this story important? What is worth commenting on?
• Why did Updike write "A&P"? What was he trying to say about society, the 1960's, or human nature? Post your thoughts, and I'll be responding from 9:20-10.
• Feel free to pose questions to your classmates and myself.
  

- Mr. Malley


P.S. Oh yeah, click on the comments link right below this post and if you do not have a Google/Blogger account, then post under the anonymous option and put your 1st name last initial after your thoughts.

Paragraph Organization

Today we'll briefly discuss the organization of this paragraph from the textbook's sample explication essay.

Remember...Say It, Show It, Explain It!

Like many other sonnets, "Design" is divided into two parts. The first eight lines draw a picture centering on the spider, who at first seems almost jolly. It is "dimpled" and "fat" like a baby, or Santa Claus. The spider stands on a wildflower, whose name, "heal-all," seems ironic: a heal-al;l is supposed to cure any disease, but this flower has no power to restore life to the dead moth. (Later, in line ten, we learn that the heal-all used to be blue. Presumably, it has died and become bleached-looking.) IN the second line we discover, tolo, that the spider has hold of another creature, a dead moth. We then see the moth descrived with an odd simile in line three: "Like a white piece of rigid satin cloth." Suddenly, the moth seems not a creature but a piece of fabric--lifeless and dead--and yet "satin" has connotations of beauty. Satin is a luxurious material used in rich formal clothing, such as coronation gowns and brides' dresses. Additionally, there is great accuracy in the word: the smooth and slightly plush surface of satin is like the powder-smooth surface of moths' wings. But this "cloth," rigid and white, could be the lining to Dracula's coffin.

Important Due Date Change!

The due date for the explication paper has been changed to Tuesday due to the college fair!

Integrating Quotations

Today we took notes on quotation use. Here's the link to the slideshow. Here's the handout:


Here's the notes for the middle.

Binder Breakdown

Today we will be setting up our binder. Here are the sections you need:

1. Writing Reference
2. Reading Reference
3. Voice Lessons
4. Finished Writing Pieces
5. Quizzes and Tests

Writing Workshop Rules

Here are a few quick and easy rules to help provide an efficient and effective work environment during writing workshop.

1. Process is Important Above All Else - Carefully brainstorm. Organize your thoughts. Draft. Revise. Edit. We are here to develop academic habits. I do abide by the logic "don't worry, Mr. Malley. It'll get done." I want the best you are capable of. Always.
2. Talking is to be very, very limited - Writing is thinking. Don't put your thoughts into the heads of others while they are trying to write.
3. Do Not Shout My Name for Attention - Raise your hand and wait patiently, or if you see I am distracted, walk over to me.
4. When we conference, talk in your four inch voice. Maybe six - If you talk in your regular voice, it may disturb someone the thoughts of someone else.
5. Computers Are for My Classwork Only - Don't let me catch you viewing sneakers or working on work for another class.