We did class practice on the poems "Maybe dats your problem" "Give this poem a seven," "Favorite Color," and "If I had a daughter."
With these poems, we practiced author's skills and theme.
Seniors took their last on-demand test over a poem.
Everyone took a take-home test over grammar. Take home tests over grammar are due Monday or Tuesday.
Seniors turned in their choice reading projects and discussed with the teacher. They were due Thursday, but they were also taken on Friday without penalty.
Sunday, May 31, 2015
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Friday & Tuesday; May 22 & 26
We practiced in groups writing about the poem "The Unknown Citizen" by W.H. Auden. Our paragraphs were summary, theme, author's skill, and connection. The connection paragraph is where you connect this poem thematically to your own life, to another piece of writing, or to a movie or song. You will have to give enough background on how there is an important connection or what inspired your connection.
Please make sure that you have turned in the Ralph Waldo Emerson full page on a quote from "Self-Reliance," your sample of a minimum of four lines of a blues song including title and creative author's name, and your parody of "This is just to say."
Bring your choice reading to class each day.
Please make sure that you have turned in the Ralph Waldo Emerson full page on a quote from "Self-Reliance," your sample of a minimum of four lines of a blues song including title and creative author's name, and your parody of "This is just to say."
Bring your choice reading to class each day.
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Wednesday & Thursday; May 20 & 21
Anyone want to read their classroom appropriate blues song?
Listen to Carl Sandburg recite his short and famous poem "Fog." (1914)
Read about Sandburg on page 848 of the textbook. Then read his poem "Chicago." (1916).
Watch the youtube of the poem:
Write a short paraphrase about the poem. This should not be longer than three lines or two sentences.Do you remember how your paper should be headed, and how your first sentence should start?
Add a paragraph about the author's skill. Make the first one about the use of the literary term "apostrophe" (Poets use apostrophe to address enormous cities, inanimate objects, abstract qualities, ideas, and dead or absent people.)
Add a paragraph about what the author is saying about his topic. Use at least one citation from the text. Use parenthetic citation to note the line of the poem.
Listen to Carl Sandburg recite his short and famous poem "Fog." (1914)
Read about Sandburg on page 848 of the textbook. Then read his poem "Chicago." (1916).
Watch the youtube of the poem:
Write a short paraphrase about the poem. This should not be longer than three lines or two sentences.Do you remember how your paper should be headed, and how your first sentence should start?
Add a paragraph about the author's skill. Make the first one about the use of the literary term "apostrophe" (Poets use apostrophe to address enormous cities, inanimate objects, abstract qualities, ideas, and dead or absent people.)
Add a paragraph about what the author is saying about his topic. Use at least one citation from the text. Use parenthetic citation to note the line of the poem.
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Monday and Tuesday; May 18 & 19
We read the quick write on page 824 of the textbook. It asks you to jot down your associations with the word blues and the music it describes. Or, what feelings or words are associated with blues music? Or, is there any blues influence on the music you like?
We listened to BB King, God rest his soul, as we read the notes on the author (page 823)to ourselves.
On page 825, we read the poem by Hughes, "The Weary Blues." Then we listened to Langston Hughes recite it:
After discussion on the poems, we read handout "How to sing the blues". See bottom of this post.
Then we watched an example of blues written by our own Bat-Blind Jerry "Peach Pie" Dunlap Johnson, and performed by another of our own, Dan Sacks.
For next class, write a title, an author's name, and a minimum of four lines of your own blues.
How to sing the blues:
If you're new to Blues music, or like it but never really understood the
whys and wherefores, here are some very fundamental rules:
1. Most Blues begin with: "Woke up this morning ... "
2. "I got a good woman" is a bad way to begin the Blues, unless you stick
something nasty in the next line like, "I got a good woman, with the
meanest face in town."
3. The Blues is simple. After you get the first line right, repeat it.
Then find something that rhymes ' sort of: "Got a good woman with the
meanest face in town. Yes, I got a good woman with the meanest face in
town. Got teeth like Margaret Thatcher and she weigh 500 pound."
4. The Blues is not about choice. You stuck in a ditch, you stuck in a
ditch ... ain't no way out.
5. Blues cars: Chevys, Fords, Cadillacs and broken-down trucks. Blues
don't travel in Volvos, BMWs, or sport utility vehicles. Most Blues
transportation is a Greyhound bus or a southbound train. Jet aircraft and
state-sponsored motor pools ain't even in the running. Walkin' plays a
major part in the Blues lifestyle. So does fixin' to die.
6. Teenagers can't sing the Blues; they ain't fixin' to die yet. Adults
sing the Blues. In Blues, "adulthood" means being old enough to get the
electric chair if you shoot a man in Memphis.
7. Blues can take place in New York City but not in Hawaii or anywhere in
Canada. Hard times in Minneapolis or Seattle is probably just clinical
depression. Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City, Memphis, and N'awlins are
still the best places to have the Blues. You cannot have the Blues in any
place that don't get rain.
8. A man with male pattern baldness ain't the Blues. A woman with male
pattern baldness is. Breaking your leg 'cause you were skiing is not the
Blues. Breaking your leg 'cause a alligator be chompin' on it is.
9. You can't have no Blues in an office or a shopping mall. The lighting
is wrong. Go outside to the parking lot or sit by the dumpster.
10. Good places for the Blues:
a. highway
b. jailhouse
c. empty bed
d. bottom of a whiskey glass
11. Bad places for the Blues:
a. Nordstrom's
b. gallery openings
c. Ivy League institutions
d. golf courses
12. No one will believe it's the Blues if you wear a suit, 'unless you
happen to be an old person, and you slept in it.
13. Do you have the right to sing the Blues? Yes, if:
a. you're older than dirt
b. you're blind
c. you shot a man in Memphis
d. you can't be satisfied
No, if:
a. you have all your teeth
b. you were once blind but now can see
c. the man in Memphis lived
d. you have a 401K or trust fund
14. Blues is not a matter of color, it's a matter of bad luck. Tiger
Woods cannot sing the Blues. Sonny Liston could have. Ugly white people
also got a leg up on the Blues.
15. If you ask for water and your darlin' gives you gasoline, it's the
Blues. Other acceptable Blues beverages are:
a. cheap wine
b. whiskey or bourbon
c. muddy water
d. black coffee
The following are NOT Blues beverages:
a. Perrier
b. Chardonnay
c. Snapple
d. Slim Fast
16. If death occurs in a cheap motel or a shotgun shack, it's a Blues
death. Stabbed in the back by a jealous lover is another Blues way to
die. So are the electric chair, substance abuse and dying lonely on a
broken-down cot. You can't have a Blues death if you die during a tennis
match or while getting liposuction.
17. Some Blues names for women:
a. Sadie
b. Big Mama
c. Bessie
d. Hot Dumpling
18. Some Blues names for men:
a. Joe
b. Willie
c. Little Willie
d. Big Willie
19. Persons with names like Michelle, Amber, Jennifer, Debbie, and
Heather can't sing the Blues no matter how many men they shoot in
Memphis.
20. Blues Name Starter Kit
a. name of physical infirmity (Blind, Cripple, Lame, etc.)
b. first name (see above) plus name of fruit (Lemon, Lime, Peach, etc.)
> c. last name of President (Jefferson, Johnson, Fillmore, etc.); for
example: Blind Lemon Jefferson, Pegleg Lime Johnson or Cripple Peach
Fillmore, etc.
21. I don't care how tragic your life is: if you own a computer, you
cannot sing the blues, period. Sorry.
We listened to BB King, God rest his soul, as we read the notes on the author (page 823)to ourselves.
On page 825, we read the poem by Hughes, "The Weary Blues." Then we listened to Langston Hughes recite it:
After discussion on the poems, we read handout "How to sing the blues". See bottom of this post.
Then we watched an example of blues written by our own Bat-Blind Jerry "Peach Pie" Dunlap Johnson, and performed by another of our own, Dan Sacks.
For next class, write a title, an author's name, and a minimum of four lines of your own blues.
How to sing the blues:
If you're new to Blues music, or like it but never really understood the
whys and wherefores, here are some very fundamental rules:
1. Most Blues begin with: "Woke up this morning ... "
2. "I got a good woman" is a bad way to begin the Blues, unless you stick
something nasty in the next line like, "I got a good woman, with the
meanest face in town."
3. The Blues is simple. After you get the first line right, repeat it.
Then find something that rhymes ' sort of: "Got a good woman with the
meanest face in town. Yes, I got a good woman with the meanest face in
town. Got teeth like Margaret Thatcher and she weigh 500 pound."
4. The Blues is not about choice. You stuck in a ditch, you stuck in a
ditch ... ain't no way out.
5. Blues cars: Chevys, Fords, Cadillacs and broken-down trucks. Blues
don't travel in Volvos, BMWs, or sport utility vehicles. Most Blues
transportation is a Greyhound bus or a southbound train. Jet aircraft and
state-sponsored motor pools ain't even in the running. Walkin' plays a
major part in the Blues lifestyle. So does fixin' to die.
6. Teenagers can't sing the Blues; they ain't fixin' to die yet. Adults
sing the Blues. In Blues, "adulthood" means being old enough to get the
electric chair if you shoot a man in Memphis.
7. Blues can take place in New York City but not in Hawaii or anywhere in
Canada. Hard times in Minneapolis or Seattle is probably just clinical
depression. Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City, Memphis, and N'awlins are
still the best places to have the Blues. You cannot have the Blues in any
place that don't get rain.
8. A man with male pattern baldness ain't the Blues. A woman with male
pattern baldness is. Breaking your leg 'cause you were skiing is not the
Blues. Breaking your leg 'cause a alligator be chompin' on it is.
9. You can't have no Blues in an office or a shopping mall. The lighting
is wrong. Go outside to the parking lot or sit by the dumpster.
10. Good places for the Blues:
a. highway
b. jailhouse
c. empty bed
d. bottom of a whiskey glass
11. Bad places for the Blues:
a. Nordstrom's
b. gallery openings
c. Ivy League institutions
d. golf courses
12. No one will believe it's the Blues if you wear a suit, 'unless you
happen to be an old person, and you slept in it.
13. Do you have the right to sing the Blues? Yes, if:
a. you're older than dirt
b. you're blind
c. you shot a man in Memphis
d. you can't be satisfied
No, if:
a. you have all your teeth
b. you were once blind but now can see
c. the man in Memphis lived
d. you have a 401K or trust fund
14. Blues is not a matter of color, it's a matter of bad luck. Tiger
Woods cannot sing the Blues. Sonny Liston could have. Ugly white people
also got a leg up on the Blues.
15. If you ask for water and your darlin' gives you gasoline, it's the
Blues. Other acceptable Blues beverages are:
a. cheap wine
b. whiskey or bourbon
c. muddy water
d. black coffee
The following are NOT Blues beverages:
a. Perrier
b. Chardonnay
c. Snapple
d. Slim Fast
16. If death occurs in a cheap motel or a shotgun shack, it's a Blues
death. Stabbed in the back by a jealous lover is another Blues way to
die. So are the electric chair, substance abuse and dying lonely on a
broken-down cot. You can't have a Blues death if you die during a tennis
match or while getting liposuction.
17. Some Blues names for women:
a. Sadie
b. Big Mama
c. Bessie
d. Hot Dumpling
18. Some Blues names for men:
a. Joe
b. Willie
c. Little Willie
d. Big Willie
19. Persons with names like Michelle, Amber, Jennifer, Debbie, and
Heather can't sing the Blues no matter how many men they shoot in
Memphis.
20. Blues Name Starter Kit
a. name of physical infirmity (Blind, Cripple, Lame, etc.)
b. first name (see above) plus name of fruit (Lemon, Lime, Peach, etc.)
> c. last name of President (Jefferson, Johnson, Fillmore, etc.); for
example: Blind Lemon Jefferson, Pegleg Lime Johnson or Cripple Peach
Fillmore, etc.
21. I don't care how tragic your life is: if you own a computer, you
cannot sing the blues, period. Sorry.
Thursday & Friday; May 14 & 15
On page 669 of the textbook, we read three poems by William Carlos Williams. The last one is "This is just to say," by William Carlos Williams. Our job for Wednesday and Thursday is to write a parody of this poem. The first stanza should be a statement of the sin, or transgression. The second stanza should be a confession of how that will affect the other person. The third stanza is a statement of sorry, but we can tell that the person is not really sorry. The title can be the same as the author's, but you have to make some reference to the original. An example is to say, Apologies to William Carlos Williams.
This is Just to Say- by William Carlos Williams
I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox
and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast
Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold
Samples of a parody of this:
Example #1
I have stolen
Your confidence
From the pit
Of your Mind
That you were
Likely planning to
Use
For your speech
So sorry
Now you’ll fail.
So sad
So funny.
Frank G.
Example # 2
I have copied
the painting
that was on
the wall
and which
was probably
against
the law
Forgive me
It was Mona Lisa
so haunting
I had to draw
Cambria B.
Example #3
I have stolen
your dozen roses
that were in
your boyfriend’s hands
and which
were probably
for your
anniversary
Forgive me
they were so beautiful,
the same reason
you stole
him from me
-elisha g.
Example #4
I have broken
the china
the new
shiny one
which you
were probably
saving
for New Year’s
Forgive me
they made
great
paperweights
Roberto-H
Example #5
I have broken
the china
the new
shiny one
which you
were probably
saving
for New Year’s
Forgive me
they made
great
paperweights
Roberto-H
Example # 6
Sorry, girl
I ran him over
in the middle of the road
with my car
him to whom
you were engaged to
be married
I am sorry
I didn’t see him
.... but, hey,
I’m single
Will B
Example #7
Luke, I have told you
I am your
Father.
I lied
I know
This probably
Meant a lot
To you
I am sorry
I have abandonment issues
And the dark side
Is. . . Well. . . evil
Kristian A
This is Just to Say- by William Carlos Williams
I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox
and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast
Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold
Samples of a parody of this:
Example #1
I have stolen
Your confidence
From the pit
Of your Mind
That you were
Likely planning to
Use
For your speech
So sorry
Now you’ll fail.
So sad
So funny.
Frank G.
Example # 2
I have copied
the painting
that was on
the wall
and which
was probably
against
the law
Forgive me
It was Mona Lisa
so haunting
I had to draw
Cambria B.
Example #3
I have stolen
your dozen roses
that were in
your boyfriend’s hands
and which
were probably
for your
anniversary
Forgive me
they were so beautiful,
the same reason
you stole
him from me
-elisha g.
Example #4
I have broken
the china
the new
shiny one
which you
were probably
saving
for New Year’s
Forgive me
they made
great
paperweights
Roberto-H
Example #5
I have broken
the china
the new
shiny one
which you
were probably
saving
for New Year’s
Forgive me
they made
great
paperweights
Roberto-H
Example # 6
Sorry, girl
I ran him over
in the middle of the road
with my car
him to whom
you were engaged to
be married
I am sorry
I didn’t see him
.... but, hey,
I’m single
Will B
Example #7
Luke, I have told you
I am your
Father.
I lied
I know
This probably
Meant a lot
To you
I am sorry
I have abandonment issues
And the dark side
Is. . . Well. . . evil
Kristian A
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Tuesday & Wednesday; May 12 & 13
We finished up watching the videos on Mother's Day.
We took a poem quiz from page 436 of the text.
Those who had missed "Raisin in the Sun" test, or wanted to retake, did so.
Those who missed the last poem quiz took it.
Those who wanted to recite one or more stanza from "O Captain" had time to practice or perform.
We took a poem quiz from page 436 of the text.
Those who had missed "Raisin in the Sun" test, or wanted to retake, did so.
Those who missed the last poem quiz took it.
Those who wanted to recite one or more stanza from "O Captain" had time to practice or perform.
Thursday, May 7, 2015
Thursday & Friday; May 7 & May 8
How to make a nice card for your mother on Mother's Day: click here
Prefer "The Mom Song"?
We did the last two pages of the grammar packet.
In the literature book on page 203, we read about Ralph Waldo Emerson.
We discussed the excerpt from "Self Reliance" on page 209.
As an assignment for next class, write a full page. You may start with the MLA heading on the first four lines. Do not skip extra spaces. Write about something you read from Emerson. It might be a quote such as the ones below in this posting. You can take a sentence or two to explain the quote, but what I am really looking for is your thinking about the quote. Showing through a story how this quote relates to your life, or how it might relate to your life, would be a good way to go about it. In class, I illustrated this by sharing stories about my life where these quotes can be better understood.
Th hope is that you fill one page, single spaced. Feel free to double-space if you are willing to write two pages.
Feel free to search youtube for samples form Emerson.
TEST TEST TEST next class. Click here for the review.
Emerson quotes:
"Trust yourself; every heart vibrates to that iron string".
" A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds".
"Imitation is suicide".
Prefer "The Mom Song"?
We did the last two pages of the grammar packet.
In the literature book on page 203, we read about Ralph Waldo Emerson.
We discussed the excerpt from "Self Reliance" on page 209.
As an assignment for next class, write a full page. You may start with the MLA heading on the first four lines. Do not skip extra spaces. Write about something you read from Emerson. It might be a quote such as the ones below in this posting. You can take a sentence or two to explain the quote, but what I am really looking for is your thinking about the quote. Showing through a story how this quote relates to your life, or how it might relate to your life, would be a good way to go about it. In class, I illustrated this by sharing stories about my life where these quotes can be better understood.
Th hope is that you fill one page, single spaced. Feel free to double-space if you are willing to write two pages.
Feel free to search youtube for samples form Emerson.
TEST TEST TEST next class. Click here for the review.
Emerson quotes:
"Trust yourself; every heart vibrates to that iron string".
" A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds".
"Imitation is suicide".
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Choice Reading Assignment Description- Addendum May 5
Choice reading for American Lit- Mr. Dessert
It is expected that you will be able to pass a test on any book you read. These would just be general comprehension questions. All writing will be typed in MLA format, unless the choice made for your genre precludes typing or MLA.
The grades for choice reading will be based on the number of pages and the effort put into your project. I am willing to negotiate the project with you, if you find something that is interesting and worthy of your effort.
Sample ideas:
Letter to the author- Teacher would like to see this before it is sent.
Acting out a scene- This could incorporate more than one person’s project.
Artwork- Include some writing to explain or explore the artwork.
Movie trailer- design and act out in class, or film. Maybe upload to youtube.
Poster- This should not be just a bunch of pictures. Arrange and explain the reason for the arrangement in a paragraph or two.
True color essay- Pick three colors and three shapes to explain the character. Write a paper explaining each choice.
Contrast the movie with the book essay.
Choose something and get it okayed with the teacher.
Due date seniors: Thursday, May 28, 2015 even if you don’t have class that day.
Due date juniors: Friday, June 5, 2015 even if you don’t have class that day.
+450 pages = possible A
+350 pages = possible B
+250 pages = possible C
+150 pages = possible D
It is expected that you will be able to pass a test on any book you read. These would just be general comprehension questions. All writing will be typed in MLA format, unless the choice made for your genre precludes typing or MLA.
The grades for choice reading will be based on the number of pages and the effort put into your project. I am willing to negotiate the project with you, if you find something that is interesting and worthy of your effort.
Sample ideas:
Letter to the author- Teacher would like to see this before it is sent.
Acting out a scene- This could incorporate more than one person’s project.
Artwork- Include some writing to explain or explore the artwork.
Movie trailer- design and act out in class, or film. Maybe upload to youtube.
Poster- This should not be just a bunch of pictures. Arrange and explain the reason for the arrangement in a paragraph or two.
True color essay- Pick three colors and three shapes to explain the character. Write a paper explaining each choice.
Contrast the movie with the book essay.
Choose something and get it okayed with the teacher.
Due date seniors: Thursday, May 28, 2015 even if you don’t have class that day.
Due date juniors: Friday, June 5, 2015 even if you don’t have class that day.
+450 pages = possible A
+350 pages = possible B
+250 pages = possible C
+150 pages = possible D
Monday & Tuesday; May 4 & 5
Important note:
We are having our test over "Raisin in the Sun" on Thursday for B days, and Friday for A days.
We did the next page of the grammar packet in class. It dealt with misplaced modifiers.
On page 577 of the textbook, we read "Now and Then, America" by Pat Mora. We did practice on MLA heading, writing a first paragraph summary of the literal events of the poem. This summary for this poem should be probably one sentence long. We do this to give the reader context for the paper and to give groundwork so both reader and writer of the paper have a common starting point for discussion. As a teacher, it also gives me a quick grasp of what the writer does and does not understand. Literal comprehension is the starting point for inferential comprehension.The first sentence of this summary should include the title and author.
The next paragraph about the poem would be about theme.A theme is a statement. It is different than a topic. For example, "snakes" is a topic. "Snakes are beneficial to human existence" is a statement of theme. The topic sentence for this paragraph is the statement of theme. Then we need to add evidence by quoting words or phrases from the actual text. The two sentences that follow this evidence should be explanation and exploration. Explain how the evidence proves the topic sentence. Then explore what this claim adds to the poem as a whole.
The third paragraph talks about author's skill. For example, "The poet Pat Mora uses strong metaphor to enhance the concept of individuality." Use evidence, explain, and explore. What effect does this skill have on the entire poem. Types of author's skills include use of the following: rhyme, rhythm, allusion, description, simile, metaphor, imagery, alliteration, symbols and word choice.
The one paragraph we are not using today is one on connections. This would be how the theme of this poem connects to you. That connection can be with your life, your family, another poem or song, or a movie. This connection is your choice. Just make it meaningful.
Now and Then, America
Pat Mora
Who wants to rot
beneath dry, winter grass
in a numbered grave
in a numbered row
in a section labeled Eternal Peace
with neighbors plagued
by limp, plastic roses
springing from their toes?
Grant me a little life now and then, America.
Who wants to rot
as she marches through life
in a pinstriped suit
neck chained in a soft, silk bow
in step, in style, insane.
Let me in
to boardrooms wearing hot
colors, my hair long and free,
maybe speaking Spanish.
Risk my difference, my surprises.
Grant me a little life, America.
And when I die, plant zempasúchitl,
flowers of the dead, and at my head
plant organ cactus, green fleshy
fingers sprouting, like in Oaxaca.
Let desert creatures hide
in the orange blooms.
Let birds nest in the cactus stems.
Let me go knowing life
flower and song
will continue right above my bones.
Then we did the same task jigsaw style with "Richard Cory" by Edwin Arlington Robinson.
Richard Cory
Whenever Richard Cory went down town,
We people on the pavement looked at him:
He was a gentleman from sole to crown,
Clean favored, and imperially slim.
And he was always quietly arrayed,
And he was always human when he talked;
But still he fluttered pulses when he said,
'Good-morning,' and he glittered when he walked.
And he was rich - yes, richer than a king -
And admirably schooled in every grace:
In fine, we thought that he was everything
To make us wish that we were in his place.
So on we worked, and waited for the light,
And went without the meat, and cursed the bread;
And Richard Cory, one calm summer night,
Went home and put a bullet through his head.
After reading the poem, listen to a song written by Paul Simon, based on this poem. See if you notice any differences in the meaning or mood of the song as compared to the poem.
We are having our test over "Raisin in the Sun" on Thursday for B days, and Friday for A days.
We did the next page of the grammar packet in class. It dealt with misplaced modifiers.
On page 577 of the textbook, we read "Now and Then, America" by Pat Mora. We did practice on MLA heading, writing a first paragraph summary of the literal events of the poem. This summary for this poem should be probably one sentence long. We do this to give the reader context for the paper and to give groundwork so both reader and writer of the paper have a common starting point for discussion. As a teacher, it also gives me a quick grasp of what the writer does and does not understand. Literal comprehension is the starting point for inferential comprehension.The first sentence of this summary should include the title and author.
The next paragraph about the poem would be about theme.A theme is a statement. It is different than a topic. For example, "snakes" is a topic. "Snakes are beneficial to human existence" is a statement of theme. The topic sentence for this paragraph is the statement of theme. Then we need to add evidence by quoting words or phrases from the actual text. The two sentences that follow this evidence should be explanation and exploration. Explain how the evidence proves the topic sentence. Then explore what this claim adds to the poem as a whole.
The third paragraph talks about author's skill. For example, "The poet Pat Mora uses strong metaphor to enhance the concept of individuality." Use evidence, explain, and explore. What effect does this skill have on the entire poem. Types of author's skills include use of the following: rhyme, rhythm, allusion, description, simile, metaphor, imagery, alliteration, symbols and word choice.
The one paragraph we are not using today is one on connections. This would be how the theme of this poem connects to you. That connection can be with your life, your family, another poem or song, or a movie. This connection is your choice. Just make it meaningful.
Now and Then, America
Pat Mora
Who wants to rot
beneath dry, winter grass
in a numbered grave
in a numbered row
in a section labeled Eternal Peace
with neighbors plagued
by limp, plastic roses
springing from their toes?
Grant me a little life now and then, America.
Who wants to rot
as she marches through life
in a pinstriped suit
neck chained in a soft, silk bow
in step, in style, insane.
Let me in
to boardrooms wearing hot
colors, my hair long and free,
maybe speaking Spanish.
Risk my difference, my surprises.
Grant me a little life, America.
And when I die, plant zempasúchitl,
flowers of the dead, and at my head
plant organ cactus, green fleshy
fingers sprouting, like in Oaxaca.
Let desert creatures hide
in the orange blooms.
Let birds nest in the cactus stems.
Let me go knowing life
flower and song
will continue right above my bones.
Then we did the same task jigsaw style with "Richard Cory" by Edwin Arlington Robinson.
Richard Cory
Whenever Richard Cory went down town,
We people on the pavement looked at him:
He was a gentleman from sole to crown,
Clean favored, and imperially slim.
And he was always quietly arrayed,
And he was always human when he talked;
But still he fluttered pulses when he said,
'Good-morning,' and he glittered when he walked.
And he was rich - yes, richer than a king -
And admirably schooled in every grace:
In fine, we thought that he was everything
To make us wish that we were in his place.
So on we worked, and waited for the light,
And went without the meat, and cursed the bread;
And Richard Cory, one calm summer night,
Went home and put a bullet through his head.
After reading the poem, listen to a song written by Paul Simon, based on this poem. See if you notice any differences in the meaning or mood of the song as compared to the poem.
Monday, May 4, 2015
April 27 through May 1
Want to review Jeopardy Style? Check out Raisin in the Sun Review.
We took an in-class quiz comparing a couple of poems. Students were graded, and then they had an opportunity to correct the misses for half credit. If you missed this, see teacher outside class time.
We also watched the video on Lorraine Hansberry that is on this blog, three videos back. Students will see some information from this video on the final test. One period did not have an opportunity to watch in class, and they need to watch at home.
We read and discussed these poems:
"A Tribute to Mother"
"Mother to Son"
"When I heard the learn'd astronomer".
A Tribute to My Mother
David L. Weatherford
http://www.davidlweatherford.com/tribute.html
\
Your gentle guidance has immeasurably influenced
all that I have done,
all that I do,
and all that I will ever do.
Your sweet spirit is indelibly imprinted on
all that I have been,
all that I am,
and all that I will ever be.
Thus, you are a part of all that
I accomplish and all that I become.
And so it is that when I help my neighbor,
your helping hand is there also.
When I ease the pain of a friend,
they owe a debt to you.
When I show a child a better way,
either by word or by example,
you are the teacher once removed.
Because everything I do reflects values learned from you,
any wrong that I right,
any heart I may brighten,
any gift that I share,
or burden I may lighten,
is in its own small way a tribute to you.
Because you gave me life, and more importantly,
lessons in how to live, you are the wellspring from which flows
all good I may achieve in my time on earth.
For all that you are and for all that I am,
THANK YOU , MOM.
Author response to my sister Tonya:
Hi Tonya:
Thanks for signing my guestbook. I was particularly touched by your note because my own mother, for whom I wrote the poem, also has dementia. Ironically, I have since written another poem for her, and I have struggled with whether I should read it to her or not, as she has a limited attention span, and I have no idea how much of the message she would fully grasp. I got your note right before I went home for Mother's Day weekend; it made me decide to read the poem to her over that weekend, and I did. I honestly don't know what it meant to her to hear it, as she cannot speak, and does not demonstrate a lot of emotion.
But at least now, i will never ask myself if I should have read it to her when I had the chance.
Thanks!
sincerely,
David L. Weatherford
Mother to Son (Langston Hughes )
Well, son, I'll tell you:
Life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
It's had tacks in it,
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor-
Bare.
But all the time
I'se been a-climbin' on,
And reachin' landin's,
And turnin' corners,
And sometimes goin' in the dark
Where there ain't been no light.
So, boy, don't you turn back.
Don't you set down on the steps.
'Cause you finds it's kinder hard.
Don't you fall now-
For I'se still goin', honey,
I'se still climbin',
And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
Walt Whitman (1819–1892). Leaves of Grass. 1900.
180. When I heard the Learn’d Astronomer
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 the 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; 5
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.
We took an in-class quiz comparing a couple of poems. Students were graded, and then they had an opportunity to correct the misses for half credit. If you missed this, see teacher outside class time.
We also watched the video on Lorraine Hansberry that is on this blog, three videos back. Students will see some information from this video on the final test. One period did not have an opportunity to watch in class, and they need to watch at home.
We read and discussed these poems:
"A Tribute to Mother"
"Mother to Son"
"When I heard the learn'd astronomer".
A Tribute to My Mother
David L. Weatherford
http://www.davidlweatherford.com/tribute.html
\
Your gentle guidance has immeasurably influenced
all that I have done,
all that I do,
and all that I will ever do.
Your sweet spirit is indelibly imprinted on
all that I have been,
all that I am,
and all that I will ever be.
Thus, you are a part of all that
I accomplish and all that I become.
And so it is that when I help my neighbor,
your helping hand is there also.
When I ease the pain of a friend,
they owe a debt to you.
When I show a child a better way,
either by word or by example,
you are the teacher once removed.
Because everything I do reflects values learned from you,
any wrong that I right,
any heart I may brighten,
any gift that I share,
or burden I may lighten,
is in its own small way a tribute to you.
Because you gave me life, and more importantly,
lessons in how to live, you are the wellspring from which flows
all good I may achieve in my time on earth.
For all that you are and for all that I am,
THANK YOU , MOM.
Author response to my sister Tonya:
Hi Tonya:
Thanks for signing my guestbook. I was particularly touched by your note because my own mother, for whom I wrote the poem, also has dementia. Ironically, I have since written another poem for her, and I have struggled with whether I should read it to her or not, as she has a limited attention span, and I have no idea how much of the message she would fully grasp. I got your note right before I went home for Mother's Day weekend; it made me decide to read the poem to her over that weekend, and I did. I honestly don't know what it meant to her to hear it, as she cannot speak, and does not demonstrate a lot of emotion.
But at least now, i will never ask myself if I should have read it to her when I had the chance.
Thanks!
sincerely,
David L. Weatherford
Mother to Son (Langston Hughes )
Well, son, I'll tell you:
Life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
It's had tacks in it,
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor-
Bare.
But all the time
I'se been a-climbin' on,
And reachin' landin's,
And turnin' corners,
And sometimes goin' in the dark
Where there ain't been no light.
So, boy, don't you turn back.
Don't you set down on the steps.
'Cause you finds it's kinder hard.
Don't you fall now-
For I'se still goin', honey,
I'se still climbin',
And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
Walt Whitman (1819–1892). Leaves of Grass. 1900.
180. When I heard the Learn’d Astronomer
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 the 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; 5
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.
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