10 IB News

Letter to His Two Small Children by Li Po

2009-04-15T12:52:00.003-05:00

In the land of Wu the mulberry leaves are green,

Silkworms in Wu have now had three sleeps:

My family, left in eastern Lu,

Oh, to sow now Turtle-shaded fields,

Do the Spring things I can never join.

Sailing Yangtze always on my own—

Let the South Wind blow you back my heart,

Fly and land it in the Tavern Court

Where, to the East, there are sprays and leaves

Of one peach tree, sweeping the blue mist;

This is the tree I myself put in

When I left you, nearly three years past;

A peach tree now, level with the eaves,

And I sailing cannot yet turn home!

Pretty daughter, P’ing-yang is your name,

Breaking blossom, you cannot see me

And your tears flow like the running stream;

And little son, Po-ch’in you are called,

Your big sister’s shoulder you must reach

When you come there underneath my peach,

Oh to pat and pet you too, my child!

I dreamt like this till my wits went wild,

By such yewarning dialy burned within;

So tore some silk, wrote this distant pang

From me to you living at Wen Yang…

Quiet Night Thoughts by Li Po

2009-04-15T12:52:00.002-05:00

Before my bed

there is bright moonlight

So that it seems

like frost on the ground:

Lifting my head

I watch the bight moon,

Lowering my head

I dream that I'm home.

For Wei Pa, In Retirement by Tu Fu

2009-04-15T12:04:00.000-05:00

Our livelong days we never meeting

Move as do stars in other clusters,

Yet this evening (“And what an evening!”)

We’re sharing this lamp and candlelight;

But youth and strength, how briefly it lasts

For both our heads have become grizzled

And half of those we ask about, ghosts,

Till cries of shock pierce our very breasts:

How could we know twenty years would pass

Before I came again to your house?

Though in those days you were unmarried

Suddenly sons and daughters troop in,

“Greet merrily Papa’s Companion,”

Ask from what parts it is that I come?

But such exchange remains unfinished:

You chase them off to get out the wine

“And in night rain pull up spring onions”

To be steamed fresh with yellow millet…

Now (with your “Come, we can meet seldom”)

You’ve charged my glass ten times in sequence:

Ten times and still I’m not quite tipsy

But filled with sense of old acquaintance;

For tomorrow the hills divide us,

Both out of sight in the world’s affairs!

Jade Flower Palace by Tu Fu

2009-04-15T11:53:00.002-05:00

The stream swirls. The wind moans in  

The pines. Gray rats scurry over  

Broken tiles. What prince, long ago,  

Built this palace, standing in  

Ruins beside the cliffs? There are  

Green ghost fires in the black rooms.  

The shattered pavements are all  

Washed away. Ten thousand organ  

Pipes whistle and roar. The storm  

Scatters the red autumn leaves.  

His dancing girls are yellow dust.  

Their painted cheeks have crumbled  

Away. His gold chariots  

And courtiers are gone. Only  

A stone horse is left of his  

Glory. I sit on the grass and  

Start a poem, but the pathos of  

It overcomes me. The future  

Slips imperceptibly away.

Who can say what the years will bring?

Night Thoughts Afloat by Tu Fu

2009-04-15T11:53:00.001-05:00

By bent grasses 

in a gentle wind 

Under straight mast 

I’m alone tonight,

And the stars hang

 above the broad plain

 But moon’s afloat 

in this Great River:

Oh, where’s my name 

among the poets? 

Official rank? 

“Retired for ill-health.”

Drifting, drifting, 

what am I more than 

A single gull 

between sky and earth?

Tuesday, March 10

2009-03-10T12:37:00.003-05:00

Read Act 2. Work on LRJ 1 and 2.

UPCOMING ACTIVITIES:

We will finish reading As You Like It this week. If you want to recite a memorized soliloquy or monologue, make sure you sign up with Ms. Peifer by Friday, March 13th. We will be presenting them either next Tuesday or Wednesday.
Also, continue thinking about your comparative paper. This is due Friday, March 20th.
If you are turning in the extra credit assignment, that is also due Friday, March 20th. (This is watching a movie version of Macbeth and writing a review of it).

How far did we read today?

2009-03-06T14:37:00.002-06:00

In hour four, we stopped at the end of Act One.

In hour five, we continued reading and ended on page 71 (Act 2 Scene 6).

As You Like It Journal

2009-03-06T14:29:00.003-06:00

Option One: Pick an image pattern that appears in the first act. For each act, find at least two examples of the image and explain their meaning and the way they are used. The image could be used to heighten the tension, produce humor, add to characterization, emphasize a theme--there are many possibilities.

Option Two: Pick one character from the play to follow. You should make one entry for each act. If your character does not appear in an act, tell where he or she is and the implications for the play. For each entry, try to answer the following questions about your character:

Who am I?
Where am I?
What do I want? What is my goal in this act? How does it apply to my overall goal?
What do I do to get what I want?
What are my relationships with other characters?

You may write in first person (become your character) or in third person.

Each entry should be at least a page long--written in prose and not in note style.

Macbeth Final LRJ

2009-03-03T13:16:00.002-06:00

What important questions does Shakespeare ask us to consider in this play?
Which, if any, does he answer?

Cite textual evidence when appropriate.

All LRJs are due on Thursday!

Macbeth Act 5 LRJ

2009-03-03T13:15:00.001-06:00

What themes are presented in Act 5?
Trace an image pattern through Act 5. What is important about this image pattern?

Due Dates

2009-02-26T13:08:00.003-06:00

Remember--your Macbeth quote identification quiz is on Monday.
The presentation of a soliloquy is due Tuesday. (This is extra credit).
Your Macbeth LRJs (all 6 of them) are due on Thursday, March 5.

Macbeth Act 4 LRJ

2009-02-26T13:06:00.000-06:00

Explain the purpose of the scene with Lady Macduff and its effect on the play.
What do we learn about Macduff's character in this Act?
How has Macbeth changed?

Don't forget to cite textual evidence to support your statements.

Macbeth Act 3 LRJ

2009-02-26T13:05:00.001-06:00

Explain how Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are changing.
Trace one of the image patterns through Act 3.
Explain how the themes are presented in Act 3.

Don't forget to cite textual evidence to support your claims.

Macbeth Act 2 LRJ

2009-02-23T16:34:00.002-06:00

Explain Macbeth's positive and negative qualities. Cite textual evidence.
Explain Lady Macbeth's positive and negative qualities. Cite textual evidence.
Choose one image pattern from the notes and trace it through Act 2. Explain the importance of this image pattern.

Macbeth Act One LRJ

2009-02-20T13:01:00.002-06:00

What are your initial impressions of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, and Banquo? Cite textual evidence to support your answer. Cite the shortest quote possible.
What themes are suggested from Act One. Cite textual evidence to support your answer.
Striking Image you remember: cite an image that struck you and then explain why that quote is important.

Remember--your sonnet commentaries are due Monday, February 23rd!

3 Feb 2009: Doctor Faustus

2009-02-03T13:33:00.002-06:00

Today we read Doctor Faustus from page 24, Act 2.2 to page 50--through the end of Act 4. 1.

Things to notice:

Side plots and how they add to play
What Faustus decides to do with his power...
Schism between Roman Catholic Church (Pope) and the Holy Roman Empire (HRE Bruno)

Everyman Assignment

2009-01-28T18:56:00.003-06:00

In an LRJ, write about the theme of Everyman. Support your statements with textual evidence.
Choose 4 of the characters from the play and design a costume for each one. If you were the costume designer for the play, how would you present them to the audience. Support your costume design with a rationale for each one--don't forget to support your rationales with textual evidence.

Commentaries

2009-01-19T17:54:00.002-06:00

It has been requested that I post the commentary information for The Canterbury Tales on the blog, but since I do not have the document on my home computer, I cannot do this presently--but will post specifics tomorrow.

Here is something to note for ALL commentaries:

The focus should be the author's purpose and how this is achieved through literary devices.
The introduction should include all main points, but they should just be introduced--save quotes to support your claim throughout the body of your commentary.
The literary devices should be incorporated in each paragraph to explain HOW the author achieves purpose stated in your introduction.
The conclusion should leave the reader with a final thought about work as a whole.

Final reminders:

Write in academic language--this means leaving out words that are too informal.
You need to introduce each paragraph with a topic sentence.
Each quote needs to be introduced.
Citations go at the end of sentences.
Transitions statements should be used to link paragraphs and move paper from point to point.
Edit your papers! Typos detract from the quality of your paper.

Hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any questions!

Symbolic Retribution

2008-12-14T17:33:00.002-06:00

Since we are reading Dante's The Inferno, I have had symbolic retribution on the mind. When I ran across this article in CNN, I wondered what you would think about this story: http://tinyurl.com/5cbl9l

This story tells the story of an Iranian woman who was blinded by a stalker with acid. She has requested that he also be blinded--under Islamic law of "an eye for an eye." As the article states, "Attacking women and girls by throwing acid in their faces is sufficiently common in countries such as Bangladesh and Cambodia that groups have been formed to fight it. Human rights organizations have condemned the practice in Afghanistan and Pakistan. It is not clear how often such attacks take place in Iran. Iran and Saudi Arabia are the only countries that consider eye-gouging to be a legitimate judicial punishment, Human Rights Watch has said" (http://tinyurl.com/5cbl9l).

What do you think about this idea of "an eye for an eye"?

Wednesday Assignments

2008-11-24T13:10:00.000-06:00

Before Thanksgiving break, you have two assignments due:

LRJ #2 on Antigone
Antigone paper

Both assignments are due on Wednesday. You can decide if you post them on your blog or if you hand them in as a hard copy, but for either case--formal Standard Academic English applies, as does MLA format (to the best of your ability on the blog).

For a Sample Works Cited, refer to the class wiki.

Antigone LRJ #2

2008-11-20T13:04:00.000-06:00

Trace the important images from the text. What images are repeated? Find textual evidence and explain the importance of the image.
What is the character's fatal flaw? Find textual evidence where the reader sees this fatal flaw in the play.
Anagnorisis--when does the character discover or recognize the truth?
Peripeteia--when does this character have a reversal of circumstances, a sudden reversal of fortune?
Catharsis--is a Greek word meaning "purification", "cleansing" or "clarification" derived from the infinitive verb of Ancient Greek: καθαίρειν transliterated as kathairein "to purify, purge," and adjective Ancient Greek: καθαρός katharos "pure or clean" (http://tinyurl.com/63aon6). When does the audience have a catharsis-- a purging of emotions of fear and pity?
How are women characterized in the play? Find textual evidence to support your statements.

Due: Tuesday, November 25th

Antigone Symbol Project

2008-11-20T12:03:00.000-06:00

Create a symbol of one of the characters of Antigone. For that character, find textual evidence that supports that symbol. You should have at least 5 quotes for this project. Then, you will present your symbol to the class, read the textual evidence that you found, and explain how those quotes define your character.

Antigone Writing Assignment

2008-11-17T12:56:00.001-06:00

Choose ONE of the following writing assignments (taken from your textbook):

1. Write a newspaper article with a headline that would have appeared in a Thebes newspaper (if newspapers existed then) the day after Polyneices was buried. Make sure you answer the who? what? where? when? and why? in your article.

2. Write a letter to Antigone as Ismene before her arrest. What would you tell her about her plans to bury Polyneices? When do you think she has a change of heart? What motivates her to want to stand next to Antigone in her punishment?

Tips on Blogging

2008-11-14T22:47:00.001-06:00

I thought this online article entitled "10 Mistakes That Could be Killing Your Blog" was interesting. Here are my favorites on the list:
1. Less than useful blogs
2. Infrequent posting
3. Writing about infrequent posting
10. Boring or uninformative headings

Read the full article for more information!
Photo from: http://tinyurl.com/5exocs

Review of class 11.13

2008-11-13T20:09:00.000-06:00

Just a quick review from class:
1. Your voice is very important. In the new posts that I have read tonight, it is evident that you are on the right track! The story telling, sensory details, and thoughtfulness helps the reader hear your voice.

2. Audience--the class, the instructor, yourself...and of course, now, the audience is also the abstract notion of "the Internet" or as the British say, "T'internet." As I said in class, I don't usually worry about this last audience when I am writing. I like to think of that as the thing that keeps the writing accurate--an imbedded fact checker if you will, one who may or may not give me feedback. On the other hand, your peers and your instructor will give you feedback guaranteed. Lastly, and most importantly, you should be your audience. You should be writing for yourself, to satisfy yourself and your sense of who you are as a writer. You should be proud of your writing...and I am sure we'll all be impressed too! :)

3. In class today, Natalie asked what the red and green dots meant on the site meter map. I just figured that out: red means your last visitor, green means your last 10 visitors, white means your last 10+ visitors. If you want to attach a site meter to your site, just go to this link for site meter.

4. Lastly, I am very excited to read all of your blogs and have your peers read them too. I am very impressed already with your first blog posts and look forward to reading them in the future!

P.S. One last note for the day...my first blog post was 149 words; this blog post is 313 words, so you can use these two posts as general guidelines for your posts--post lengths should be anywhere between these two blog post lengths.

First Blog Assignment

2008-11-12T20:51:00.000-06:00

The first blog post assignment is to tell us about your previous technology experience, your first impressions of setting up this blog, and how you think technology could work in school. Please remember that this is a school assignment so you will graded on content, thoughtfulness, and--of course--correct grammar and use of standard academic English.

Blogger does underline words that are misspelled so keep your eye out for that red line when you are typing. It could be as simple as capitalizing! If you need to edit your entires, go into customize, posting, and then edit posts. Then you can choose the entry you want to either view, edit, or look at the comments--or delete an entry.

If you have any questions about this process, please let me know!

Also, don't forget to cite anything that you are using from a different source--including pictures you get from the web.

Picture: http://tinyurl.com/553doy