House on Mango Street Post #1

Post one level two question, and one level three question for your classmates about the text. Then, answer at least one question as well. Use textual evidence and close reading skills in your post.

ARITS Blog Post #2 Due Friday

1. Imagine you are the teacher teaching this novel. What's worth talking about? What's not? What would you hope your students are getting out of the play?


2. In at least 10 lines, write the beginning lines of the sequel. Emulate the author's tone, voice, diction, and syntax.

A Raisin in the Sun Blog #1

Post one level two question, and one level three question for your classmates about the text. Then, answer at least one question as well. Use textual evidence and close reading skills in your post.

The Pearl Post #2

Short Essay Prompt: Write  2 paragraphs in which you explain, in detail, one of the themes (overall message or life lesson) that John Steinbeck presents in The Pearl. What specific details from the story help convey this message?

1. Choose a TOPIC:  Choose one of the topics that we’ve discussed throughout the book. Make sure it is a topic about which you think you can write a lot, and make sure you have a good idea of how to answer the question listed beside the topic that you choose.

*Make sure to have at least 2 pieces of textual evidence. 

GREED	What does the novel show us about greed, the way it changes people, and the way it can negatively impact individuals and communities?
SOCIAL OPPRESSION	How does the novel show us the social hierarchy of the town AND what does the author think about this social hierarchy?
TRUE HAPPINESS	What lesson does the novel teach about true happiness?  Where does it come from and where does it NOT come from?
THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION	According to the novel, how can education change a person’s life?

Remember to respond to at least one classmate!

The Pearl pages 1-56

Post one level two question, and one level three question for your classmates about the text. Then, answer at least one question as well. Use textual evidence and close reading skills in your post.

Last Romeo & Juliet Blog

1. ACT 5, Scene i: As R & J draws near its resolution, Shakespeare implies more strongly than ever that things are not what they seem or should be. In scene i, he conveys this impression not only though plot events, but also connotatively and subtly in character's speech, through tow distinct literary devices: personification, the attribution of human characteristics to inhuman things, and the use of metaphor. What particularly relevant or symbolic examples of these devices can you find, and how do they contribute to the overall atmosphere of the play at this point?

2. ACT 5, Scene ii: Throughout the play, Shakespeare has implied, if not outright stated, that Romeo and Juliet's inevitably tragic end will be a result of fate, fortune, destiny, supernatural improvidence, and so on. How does scene ii, although only 30 lines long, apparently confirm that opinion, providing proof that the stars really may be "crossed" against these lovers?

3. Act 5 Scene iii: Performances of plays on Elizabethan stages, like Shakespeare's own Globe Theatre, were almost universal devoid of set decorations. Thus, stage directions and props were important during dramatic productions for ways for actors, directors, and stage managers to imply the settings of particular scenes without actually having to pay for and construct them. The final scene of R & J is an excellent example of Shakespeare's incorporation of props and stage directions to this effect. What examples of such utilization can you find, and what aspects of the scene hypothetical set to they imply?

R & J Blog Act IV Due Monday

1. Even if removed entirely from its contextualized placement at this moment of Romeo and Juliet, the dialogue of scene iv would still convey clearly an atmosphere of anxious anticipation and feverish work. How, exactly, does Shakespeare create that effect here? Consider in your answer not only the characters' diction, but also their syntax.
2. Numerous times in this individual scene (5) both characters and their audience are subjected to an emotional process of buildup and subsequent release, build up and release, build up and release. How many instances of this flux can you identify in scene V, and what is their overall effect on an audience watching or reading, especially considering its context near the end of the play/s dramatic arc?

Romeo & Juliet Act IV Scenes 1-3

1. Scene i: The first scene of Act IV demonstrates well the statement that words re not necessarily a reflection of a speaker's true feelings. Much verbal irony, a difference between what one says and what one actually means, is exhibited in scene i, but there also is much legitimate dialogue spoken, words that truly denote- often powerfully- what their speaker is feeling. Find examples of both kinds of language in this scene: that which does not convey a speakers's honest feelings, and that which does. How does the actual diction, the words that Shakespeare chose for his characters to speak, differ in both cases?
2. Scene ii: Lord Capulet's anger is seemingly pacified in scene ii, but how, exactly? Members of his household seem to know, probably from experience, how to assuage the man's fiery temper. Judging from this scene, what such tactics do they enact to do so, and why do they apparently work?
3. Scene iii: Three fourths of this scene is composed of Juliet's fearful soliloquy, most of which is itself made up strongly connotative imagery, language that engages or recreates the five sense. What examples of imagistic language in her soliloquy are the most powerful or evocative, in your estimation, and considering the context of scene iii, why do they strike the emotional or intellectual chords that they do?

R & J Act III Scenes 4 & 5

1. Scene 4: Although only 38 lines longs, this scene is among the most important in the play thus far. Why? Make sure that in answering this question you predict possible outcomes or effects of this scene's events and decisions.
2. Scene 5: Among the literary devices that Shakespeare utilized most commonly in R & J was juxtaposition, the placement of contrary objects or images side by side in order to evoke a particular reaction of symbolic effect. In scene v, he creates many such juxtapositions: of light and dark, of day and night, of air and earth, just to name a few. What are some of the reactions or symbolic effects that he thereby engenders (i.e., what do such juxtapositions actually do here, and why are they important?)

Romeo and Juliet Act III Scenes i, ii, iii Due Thursday 4/7 7pm and 10pm

1. Act III scene i: Suffice it so say that things go downhill in the first scene of Act III. In your estimation, who or what is to blame for the sudden devolution of both the public peace and the potentially happy future envisioned at the end of Act II? Support your response by citing particular events in scene i.
2. Act III scene ii: Like the previous one, scene ii is a passionate roller coaster, carrying its characters between emotional extremes at a very rapid pace. How did Shakespeare pull off such oscillation convincingly? What particular moments or aspects of this scene make the characters emotional fluctuations and responsive dialogue believable?
3. Act III scene iii: The majority of scene iii is comprised of Friar Lawrence's response to Romeo's heartbroken hysteria. In any staged drama, the delivery of dialogue, considered distinctly from actual spoken words, us a mechanism by which actors can sway an audience's emotions and thoughts; in this scene, particularly, it is very clear just how Lawrence should deliver the lines that he is given to speak. As such, consider both his words and his implicit or assumed delivery: Does Friar Lawrence speak for you as the reader in this scene, echoing your own thoughts and expressions, or does he speak in contrast to them? Cite particular dialogic examples to support your answer.

R & J Blog Post #3 due Thursday 3/24 (7 &10pm)

1. Act II, scene i: The definition of dramatic irony is a difference between what characters on stage believe or perceive and what their audience, observing or reading a scene, recognizes as fact. Pick out a particular example of dramatic irony here. Why and how do the details or quotations that you choose fit this definition?

2. Act II, scene ii:Figurative language, such a metaphors, similes, and analogies, often is used to express emotions or relationships that are difficult, if not impossible, to communicate fully using, denotative language. In scene ii, the famed balcony scene, Romeo and Juliet commonly and clearly demonstrate this usage of figurative language to convey the otherwise inexpressible aspects of love. How and when do they do so? Pick out and analyze at least 2 examples of figurative language in this scene.

Have a great Spring Break!

R & J Blog Post 2 (Due Monday 3/21)

1. Act I, scene iii: Juliet in this scene speaks with two matronly figures: her Nurse and Lady Capulet, who actually is her birth mother. These two older women apparently have very different personalities and relationships with Juliet, not to mention priorities and observable senses of social grace. Compare and contrast these two mother-figures: How are they seemingly the same, and how are they different?

2. Act I, scene iv: In scene iv, we encounter Mercutio, one of the most successful scene-stealers in all of Shakespeare's plays. Despite his apparent vulgarity and hysterical unpredictability- or perhaps because of them-many readers adore this character. Well, as the saying goes, one never gets a second chance to make a first impression. Based upon this first encounter with Mercutio, what is your first impression of the man and his personality? How do you respond to him, either emotionally or intellectually?

3. Act I, scene v: As demonstrated in scene v, not all members of the Capulet household are alike, especially regarding their varied responses to Romeo Montague's uninvited appearance at their feast. Consider all of the members of the Capulet household who actually recognize or interact with Romeo in this scene: What do their distinct responses to or interactions with him imply about their personalities or proprieties?

(Answer each question thoroughly with textual evidence and respond to at least one classmate.)

R & J: Post 1 (Due by 3/17 7pm & 10pm)

1. Act I, scene i: When the play opens, Sampson and Gregory, two servants of the house of Capulet, are walking along the public streets armed with with swords and bucklers; later, the Lords of the Houses of Montague and Capulet enter their servants' melee, although they never actually come to blows. What kind of an atmosphere do these and other such details convey to an attentive audience?

2. What are some other popular rivals that remind you of the Montagues and Capulets?

(Answer each question, and respond to at least one classmate.)

Bellwork 3/10

MSND ACT IV Due 2/24 9pm

Shakespeare uses many new words that you've had to figure out based on context. We haven't spent a lot of time directly learning these words, so hence the purpose of today's post.

Assignment: Choose 5 words that  are new to you in the play, MSND. Then, write one sentence with each word. The sentences, can be modernized, but they need to relate to the play in some way.

*You may not use a word that a classmate as used. Sooo.. post swiftly and strategically.
*Extra credit: Write your sentences in iambic pentameter.

MSND Post 2 Due: 2/10 by 9pm

Shakespeare frequently juxtaposes comedic and serious elements throughout MSND. Using examples, discuss why he does this and the impact it creates.

A Midsummer Night's Dream Post 1

Task: Respond to the following prompt:

"The course of true love never did run smooth" (I,i,136), spoken by Lysander, is one of the most famous quotes from MSND. Write a reflection about this quote and how it relates to other literature or movies you've read or seen.