Monday, January 28, 2008
Sergei Esenin Blog
While both poems are about the "golden grove" I think the second translation is better. I think this because it uses simpler phrases that clearly describe what is going on versus the first translation where the reader has to try more to interpret what the speaker is trying to say. For exmaple in the first translation the speaker says, " There is no point lamenting squandering years" versus the second translation the speaker says simply, "I don't regret the years that I have wasted". By reading the second phrase the reader clearly, already knows what the speaker is trying to say, where as in the first phrase the reader might have to look up some words or try to interpret what the speaker is trying to say. In these two translations they both have color imagery in common such as the first one, "bunched rowanberries" and the second one " red rowan berry clusters", they both mean the same thing as well as using the same colors. Each poem also gets the same theme and point across to the reader but the the second translation is just a simpler version that requires less thought interpretation from the reader.
Carolina Reader Blogs 1/28 ( for tuesday 1/29)
"The Lone Ranger..."
Notes:
7-11 "graveyard" shift associated with: "loneliness", seeking "familiarity"
Racial Comments: "swallowed hard like a white man does in those situations"
--> police man profiled him: "you don't fit the profile of the neighborhood"
--> dreams of attacking whites
Color Imagery:
*White socks: "SHOWED OFF his WHITE socks"
*Black shoes: "CHEAP BLACK shoes"
--> "showing off" white vs. "cheap" black
speaker: indian --> "dark skin/black hair"= "had potential" of being a criminal. (dark/black)= danger!
ex girlfriend: white
- red circled ads: warning
Theme: POWER ( speaker wants control/ power)
--> tries to scare/ make white 7-11 clerk nervous in order to gain control over him/ situation = free creamsicle and feeling of power to be able to scare him.
--> his hurtful/powerful words when arguing with his ex girlfriend caused him to feel in control of her and being able to hurt her with his words when they argued.
poem ends with : "lying in the dark" = dark = not being able to see clearly--> speaker can't see his life in the future, doesn't know what to do with his life.
"Hills..."
In the beginng of the poem it uses light color imagery to represent the hills/ the girl and the man's relationship situation. Then at the end of the poem the author uses "shadow of a cloud moved across" where shadow symbolizes confusion which represents the couples situation. they are confused and can't seem to make their relationship work. so they look over to the "dry side" now which represents their love being dried up and nothing left to them as a couple.
"Jamaica Kincaid"
In this poem i found it interesting that the *white* clothes were to be washed before the *colored* clothes.
Also in this poem I believe it's about a woman who is paranoid with how society views and will label her. So she is constantly kicking her thoughts out of her own head and replacing them with what she thinks society expects of her in order to be thought of as a lady. I think she thinks of herself as a slut which she thinks is a negative quality and is paranoid that others will figure her out and think the same so she does all she can to try to avoid that label by trying to live according to societies standards/ expectations.
Notes:
7-11 "graveyard" shift associated with: "loneliness", seeking "familiarity"
Racial Comments: "swallowed hard like a white man does in those situations"
--> police man profiled him: "you don't fit the profile of the neighborhood"
--> dreams of attacking whites
Color Imagery:
*White socks: "SHOWED OFF his WHITE socks"
*Black shoes: "CHEAP BLACK shoes"
--> "showing off" white vs. "cheap" black
speaker: indian --> "dark skin/black hair"= "had potential" of being a criminal. (dark/black)= danger!
ex girlfriend: white
- red circled ads: warning
Theme: POWER ( speaker wants control/ power)
--> tries to scare/ make white 7-11 clerk nervous in order to gain control over him/ situation = free creamsicle and feeling of power to be able to scare him.
--> his hurtful/powerful words when arguing with his ex girlfriend caused him to feel in control of her and being able to hurt her with his words when they argued.
poem ends with : "lying in the dark" = dark = not being able to see clearly--> speaker can't see his life in the future, doesn't know what to do with his life.
"Hills..."
In the beginng of the poem it uses light color imagery to represent the hills/ the girl and the man's relationship situation. Then at the end of the poem the author uses "shadow of a cloud moved across" where shadow symbolizes confusion which represents the couples situation. they are confused and can't seem to make their relationship work. so they look over to the "dry side" now which represents their love being dried up and nothing left to them as a couple.
"Jamaica Kincaid"
In this poem i found it interesting that the *white* clothes were to be washed before the *colored* clothes.
Also in this poem I believe it's about a woman who is paranoid with how society views and will label her. So she is constantly kicking her thoughts out of her own head and replacing them with what she thinks society expects of her in order to be thought of as a lady. I think she thinks of herself as a slut which she thinks is a negative quality and is paranoid that others will figure her out and think the same so she does all she can to try to avoid that label by trying to live according to societies standards/ expectations.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
In class: free write
Free write:
word associations...
HEART: love, relationships, humans, breathing/ life
DESERT: dry, hot, sand, cactus
UNIVERSE: large, everyone in the world, stars, space, planets, quiet
SHEPHERD: farms, sheep, an old man
word associations...
HEART: love, relationships, humans, breathing/ life
DESERT: dry, hot, sand, cactus
UNIVERSE: large, everyone in the world, stars, space, planets, quiet
SHEPHERD: farms, sheep, an old man
Warm Up
1.) A close reading is where one reads the text a couple times while taking notes on characters, themes, symbols, and anything they feel may be important in developing a story line and interpreting the meaning of the text. Once one has read the text and taken notes, they can again go back through the reading and try to find connections between words in order to interpret deeper meanings.
2.) In my own words Pastoral means pleasant scenery or setting where the author may write about. The dictionary defines pastoral as a person or thing associated with spiritual care. In my own words mistress is another form of wife in earlier times. The dictionary defines it as a woman having control or authority. The dictionary defines nymph as any of a class of semi-divine spirits, imagined as taking the form of a maiden inhabiting the sea, rivers, mountains, woods, trees, etc., and often portrayed in poetry as attendants on a particular god.
2.) In my own words Pastoral means pleasant scenery or setting where the author may write about. The dictionary defines pastoral as a person or thing associated with spiritual care. In my own words mistress is another form of wife in earlier times. The dictionary defines it as a woman having control or authority. The dictionary defines nymph as any of a class of semi-divine spirits, imagined as taking the form of a maiden inhabiting the sea, rivers, mountains, woods, trees, etc., and often portrayed in poetry as attendants on a particular god.
Carolina Reader Poem blogs 1/23
When reading a poem for instance, one's experiences in life can alter the way one may percieves the meaning of the poem.
"In the desert"
For someone who has had a failed relationship or had their heart broken might read this poem and relate it to man who had his heart broken. The author uses imagery and symbolism when using the word "naked" to demonstrate how the character has nothing left to loose. Perhaps the girl who broke his heart took everything from him, stripped him of his clothes and all he is left with is his broken heart which he refers to as "bitter". Which he wants to eat because it is bitter so he doesn't want to give someone else the chance of taking it so he decides to eat it so no one else can take it away from him. The denotation of the word "ate" is the act of consuming something versus the connotatoin, disappearing, gone, or nothing left. From this I concluded that there is nothing left of his pride, dignity, which is why he is naked.
"The Flea"
In this poem I interpreted the story being about a man who was in a relatonship where he felt he gave it his all and then came to find that his girlfriend cheated on him so he ended the relationship, and now she's with another man and he's warning the new boyfriend about her devious and sinful actions she is probably doing to him as well.
The believe the author uses the metaphor "flea" to symbolize his ex girlfriend. I developed this interpretation with the connotation as a flea being painful, annoying, and you don't realize an animal for instance has fleas until you really look. In terms of the poem, the boyfriend in the story is hurt by this "flea" (ex girlfriend) with her cheating that he didn't catch until he really looked and realized the lies she was doing.
"The Passionate Shephard"
In this poem I believe that it is about a man who is trying to convinve a woman he's in love with, to be with him.
To inlfuence the girl's decision the speaker says "birds sing" to symbolize a happy, cheerful place. The speaker continues to use the words "roses" and "flowers" to show he can be romantic and he uses the word "gold" in his poem to symbolize his wealth and to show the woman that she will live a comfortable life. The speaker also uses the words "dance" and "sing" to symbolize joy and happiness, as well as the phrase "May morning", where May represents spring which symbolizes youth and life.
"To his Coy Mistress"
In this poem I believe it is about the speaker ( a man) who is in love with a woman, and is willing to do anything for her as a way to show how much he loves her.
"In the desert"
For someone who has had a failed relationship or had their heart broken might read this poem and relate it to man who had his heart broken. The author uses imagery and symbolism when using the word "naked" to demonstrate how the character has nothing left to loose. Perhaps the girl who broke his heart took everything from him, stripped him of his clothes and all he is left with is his broken heart which he refers to as "bitter". Which he wants to eat because it is bitter so he doesn't want to give someone else the chance of taking it so he decides to eat it so no one else can take it away from him. The denotation of the word "ate" is the act of consuming something versus the connotatoin, disappearing, gone, or nothing left. From this I concluded that there is nothing left of his pride, dignity, which is why he is naked.
"The Flea"
In this poem I interpreted the story being about a man who was in a relatonship where he felt he gave it his all and then came to find that his girlfriend cheated on him so he ended the relationship, and now she's with another man and he's warning the new boyfriend about her devious and sinful actions she is probably doing to him as well.
The believe the author uses the metaphor "flea" to symbolize his ex girlfriend. I developed this interpretation with the connotation as a flea being painful, annoying, and you don't realize an animal for instance has fleas until you really look. In terms of the poem, the boyfriend in the story is hurt by this "flea" (ex girlfriend) with her cheating that he didn't catch until he really looked and realized the lies she was doing.
"The Passionate Shephard"
In this poem I believe that it is about a man who is trying to convinve a woman he's in love with, to be with him.
To inlfuence the girl's decision the speaker says "birds sing" to symbolize a happy, cheerful place. The speaker continues to use the words "roses" and "flowers" to show he can be romantic and he uses the word "gold" in his poem to symbolize his wealth and to show the woman that she will live a comfortable life. The speaker also uses the words "dance" and "sing" to symbolize joy and happiness, as well as the phrase "May morning", where May represents spring which symbolizes youth and life.
"To his Coy Mistress"
In this poem I believe it is about the speaker ( a man) who is in love with a woman, and is willing to do anything for her as a way to show how much he loves her.
"New Criticism" (Strategies)
New Criticism: views meaning as a product of the text itself. The meaning (of the story, poem) is soley the words on the page.
*we always view a text through the "lens" of our own experiences*
Critism Lenses:
1.) Imager and Symbolism: makes claims about a piece of literature that look at descriptions or descriptive details = "Mental pictures"
-authors use imagery/ symbols to create an impression.
(ex: spring = life, autumn = age, darkness= danger, setting of sun = death)
2.) Similies and Metaphors: literay comparisons to understand even subtle meaning in a text.
Similies: compare 2 distinctly different things using LIKE or AS
(ex: My love is LIKE a rose)
Metaphors: Merge 2 distincly different things with out asserting a comparison so that one essentially becomes the other.
(ex: My love is a rose)
3.) Connotation and Denotation: study of single words can bring understanding to our reading of the text. Provides us with evidence to support different types of claims.
Connotation: associated meaning (ex: fire = heat, light, flames)
Denotation: dictionary meaning ( ex: chemical change by heat and light)
"Ethics"
This poem is a good one to practice using the tools of "new criticism".
In this poem they mention the theme or art vs. life
The author uses imagery and symbolism to give the reader ideas and mental pictures. For example the author uses color imagery such as "darker" twice and "browns", dark color imagery can represent danger. The author also uses the word "burn" which is ironic considering the poem has to do with a fire taking place. The word "autumn" can also be considered as a symbol for age, meaning that the old woman's younth has passes and now she will face death regardless of the fire.
Practice 6D:
In the poem, "The Flea", the author uses metaphors as characters names, for example, the author uses "the flea" to represent the speakers ex girlfriend, which the poem is about. I believe the author used the metaphor as a flea because everyone hates fleas because they're irritating, they're bugs in which we want them to disappear so they won't hurt us or bother us anymore. Which is what the speaker thought of his girlfriend. The speaker hated his ex girlfriend and wanted her to disappear so the speaker used a "flea" to represent her character in his poem. In this poem there's a theme or the word "blood", the speaker constantly used "blood" as a symbol for hurt, pain, and humans because blood is what makes up a human but is only seen when someone is hurt (for which they bleed).
Practice 6E:
To me, I associate my grandmother with mostly holidays. Within those holidays I think about cooking with my grandma for thanksgiving, shopping for christmas presents, going to the New York city ballet and going to the circus near christmas, and to birthday visits and birthday shopping sprees. When I think about my grandmother it reminds me of the summertime at our beach house with all my aunts, uncles, and cousins, and thinking about when I was younger how I would play dress up with her clothes, have tea parties with her antique tea sets, to singing and putting on shows for her.
*we always view a text through the "lens" of our own experiences*
Critism Lenses:
1.) Imager and Symbolism: makes claims about a piece of literature that look at descriptions or descriptive details = "Mental pictures"
-authors use imagery/ symbols to create an impression.
(ex: spring = life, autumn = age, darkness= danger, setting of sun = death)
2.) Similies and Metaphors: literay comparisons to understand even subtle meaning in a text.
Similies: compare 2 distinctly different things using LIKE or AS
(ex: My love is LIKE a rose)
Metaphors: Merge 2 distincly different things with out asserting a comparison so that one essentially becomes the other.
(ex: My love is a rose)
3.) Connotation and Denotation: study of single words can bring understanding to our reading of the text. Provides us with evidence to support different types of claims.
Connotation: associated meaning (ex: fire = heat, light, flames)
Denotation: dictionary meaning ( ex: chemical change by heat and light)
"Ethics"
This poem is a good one to practice using the tools of "new criticism".
In this poem they mention the theme or art vs. life
The author uses imagery and symbolism to give the reader ideas and mental pictures. For example the author uses color imagery such as "darker" twice and "browns", dark color imagery can represent danger. The author also uses the word "burn" which is ironic considering the poem has to do with a fire taking place. The word "autumn" can also be considered as a symbol for age, meaning that the old woman's younth has passes and now she will face death regardless of the fire.
Practice 6D:
In the poem, "The Flea", the author uses metaphors as characters names, for example, the author uses "the flea" to represent the speakers ex girlfriend, which the poem is about. I believe the author used the metaphor as a flea because everyone hates fleas because they're irritating, they're bugs in which we want them to disappear so they won't hurt us or bother us anymore. Which is what the speaker thought of his girlfriend. The speaker hated his ex girlfriend and wanted her to disappear so the speaker used a "flea" to represent her character in his poem. In this poem there's a theme or the word "blood", the speaker constantly used "blood" as a symbol for hurt, pain, and humans because blood is what makes up a human but is only seen when someone is hurt (for which they bleed).
Practice 6E:
To me, I associate my grandmother with mostly holidays. Within those holidays I think about cooking with my grandma for thanksgiving, shopping for christmas presents, going to the New York city ballet and going to the circus near christmas, and to birthday visits and birthday shopping sprees. When I think about my grandmother it reminds me of the summertime at our beach house with all my aunts, uncles, and cousins, and thinking about when I was younger how I would play dress up with her clothes, have tea parties with her antique tea sets, to singing and putting on shows for her.
Monday, January 21, 2008
"Beyond Words" (18-42) 5 question blog
1.) Some examples of "texts" are books, pieces of music, and political documents.
2.) When encountering a new text one should think about what they see, what it's about, what it relates to, how it's composed, and what details matter.
3.) A focal point of a text is a sentence or two that clearly express what the text is going to be about.
4.) The word "Genre" is defined as a category that is used to name and identify a text with consistent and familiar features. They also seem stable, yet their boundaries are rarely fixed.
5.) The word "Context" is defined as the "who, what, where, when, and why" in a text, image, or artifact.
2.) When encountering a new text one should think about what they see, what it's about, what it relates to, how it's composed, and what details matter.
3.) A focal point of a text is a sentence or two that clearly express what the text is going to be about.
4.) The word "Genre" is defined as a category that is used to name and identify a text with consistent and familiar features. They also seem stable, yet their boundaries are rarely fixed.
5.) The word "Context" is defined as the "who, what, where, when, and why" in a text, image, or artifact.
Notes from "Strategies" (59-75, 81-90)
Chap. 2: I agree that literature allows one to use their imagination when reading a story for pleasure. One may be able to relate their experiences or themself to the story or a character, in which they will become more engaged in the story, therefor unconsiously recieving insight and sometimes advice from what the character they're reading about is doing.
Difference in what we gain from each type of reading:
"Leisure Reading" (poetry, short stories-doesn't require strategy except own use of imagination) vs. "Academic Reading" (require to read for understanding/meaing="acive engagement", must engage in critical thinking/ reflect as we read)
Passive Reading (frusterating experience when one cant comprehend text because mind wanders) reader confuses pleasure w/ academic reading.
academic reading= process in which one must become involved in reading: explore reaction: discovery, analysis, reflection.
1.) primary text: original text 2.) seconday text: literay criticism/other cultural info
*Reading: basci understanding, respond, explore outside text, discuss reading = framework for interpretation.
Chap 3: surface level of text: who, what, where, when..(plot: what happend beginning,climax,end) (Character: relationships to one another) (setting: where story takes place) (Poem: decode/restate in own words)--> leads us to *Construction of Meaning*
Strategies while reading... 1. Annotation (easy/ common): as read take notes in margin (what happening, response, questions) * be selective!*
2. skeleton outline: breif, sketchy overview start in margins to outline form (summarize what happens/ basic ideas of each paragraph)
3. summary: (short stories/fiction) objective restatement of main ideas in text.
Chap 4: individual thoughts/feelings=influence understanding/develop interpretation of text.
explore response to reading strategies: 1.) Photo Collage: verbal representation of your response to verbal text. list impressions (images, events, feeling/overall mood), cut out photos that remind of impressions, reread text, form collage represent impressions.
2.)Dialogue/ double entry journal: records quotations from text, pairs w/ readers response in 2 column list.(ex: quotations from text & My response) *helpful: gathering info for support for an essay, reading secondary text for research*
3.) Identifying patterns of Response: aspect of text respond w/ feeling,characters/plot drawn to, similar words/phrases connect w/--> locate themes look for patterns: a.) Patterns of repetition: similar aspects of text respond to
b.) Patterns of opposition: oppositions in text that might create tension--> explore patterns and respond to them!
Difference in what we gain from each type of reading:
"Leisure Reading" (poetry, short stories-doesn't require strategy except own use of imagination) vs. "Academic Reading" (require to read for understanding/meaing="acive engagement", must engage in critical thinking/ reflect as we read)
Passive Reading (frusterating experience when one cant comprehend text because mind wanders) reader confuses pleasure w/ academic reading.
academic reading= process in which one must become involved in reading: explore reaction: discovery, analysis, reflection.
1.) primary text: original text 2.) seconday text: literay criticism/other cultural info
*Reading: basci understanding, respond, explore outside text, discuss reading = framework for interpretation.
Chap 3: surface level of text: who, what, where, when..(plot: what happend beginning,climax,end) (Character: relationships to one another) (setting: where story takes place) (Poem: decode/restate in own words)--> leads us to *Construction of Meaning*
Strategies while reading... 1. Annotation (easy/ common): as read take notes in margin (what happening, response, questions) * be selective!*
2. skeleton outline: breif, sketchy overview start in margins to outline form (summarize what happens/ basic ideas of each paragraph)
3. summary: (short stories/fiction) objective restatement of main ideas in text.
Chap 4: individual thoughts/feelings=influence understanding/develop interpretation of text.
explore response to reading strategies: 1.) Photo Collage: verbal representation of your response to verbal text. list impressions (images, events, feeling/overall mood), cut out photos that remind of impressions, reread text, form collage represent impressions.
2.)Dialogue/ double entry journal: records quotations from text, pairs w/ readers response in 2 column list.(ex: quotations from text & My response) *helpful: gathering info for support for an essay, reading secondary text for research*
3.) Identifying patterns of Response: aspect of text respond w/ feeling,characters/plot drawn to, similar words/phrases connect w/--> locate themes look for patterns: a.) Patterns of repetition: similar aspects of text respond to
b.) Patterns of opposition: oppositions in text that might create tension--> explore patterns and respond to them!
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