Poetry Out Loud Poem

     The poem I chose is "Ozymandias" by Percy Bysshe Shelley. This poem is a 14 line sonnet written in iambic pentameter, which means that each line has a total of ten syllables. Sonnets are broken down into what is called quatrains. The first is four lines, and it establishes the subject. The second quatrain is also four lines which develops the sonnet's theme. The third quatrain is four lines, and rounds off the theme of the sonnet. The fourth quatrain is two lines, and concludes the sonnet. Each quatrain is also know to have a certain rhyme scheme, but Shelley did not follow this.

This poem shows irony, in that Ozymandias tells his people that he is the king of kings, to look on his works, yet all of it is ruined. The theme shows that even the most powerful are destroyed over time, yet some on their legacies will live on, as shown in the words stamped in the pedestal. I will try to convey a tone of power as I recite what Ozymandias puts on the pedestal. When I am in voice of the traveller, I will attempt at trying to sound like a stoyteller, a bit mystical.

I really enjoy this poem, for many reasons. I like the use of irony, it's tied in very well. Also, I like the theme portrayed, showing how even the strongest will fade. The character Ozymandias is an allusion to the Egyptian king Ramses the second, who was also very powerful. My fear is that during my recitation I either forget the poem, or I stumble over words. I feel I will need to really focus on my voice and articulation, and my physical presence. This seems hard to relate to my life, but I could compare it to something that I have to do that is nerve-racking, then with time it passes and fades, just like any prominent rulers.

Urgent Extra Credit Blog

     In my five part paragraph, one thing I had a problem with was the use of too many commas, making many run-on, seemingly never-ending sentences. I read my sentences outloud to myself to after writing them, to make sure they sounded fine and didn't drag on. Another thing I worked on was the repetition of words. I felt that in the first five-part paragraph, some words tended to sound a bit repetitive. To fix this problem, when I would start typing a word I had used already, I looked the word up on Thesaurus.com to find a suitable synonym. I really hope that working on these two things really developed my five-part paragraph into an interesting, unique piece of writing. I will be able to use the critique from this one on further paragraphs I write as well.

Poetry Out Loud

Part One:
1. Zoom! by Simon Armitage
2. Mezzo Cammin by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
3. Author’s Prayer by Ilya Kaminsky
4. Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley
    Keeping Things Whole by Mark Strand
Part Two:
My favorite poems above are Ozymandias, Keeping Things Whole, and Author's Prayer. I like these poems because the poems seem simplistic, but the meanings are more profound.
The poem I truly did not like was Zoom! I didn't like the 'flow' of it, and it seems like the different subjects in it don't go well together.
I think that I would choose the poem Keeping Things Whole, it is the one that I think most intrigued by.
I would choose this poem because it inderectly is sending a theme of wholeness rather than fragmentation. Strand indirectly is asking humans to make whole what we separate in nature, which I think is important.

Part Three:
I think that the two easiest criteria for me will be my level of understanding, and voice/articulation. I seem to have a grasp on the theme of the poem, so I think that's why I will score high on my level of understanding. I can pronounce all of the words in the poem well, and I can keep good pace, so that shouldn't be a problem.
I think that the two criteria I will have a tougher time with are the level of difficulty and dramatic appropriatness. The poem isn't too complex, and I think I use my hands too much when I talk.

Part Four:
I first watched Writ on the Steps of Puerto Rican Harlem by Gregory Corso, performed by Andrew Jackson. What made his performance good was his flow, his use of dramatic pauses, and slight gestures.
I then proceeded to watch Forgetfulness by Billy Collins, performed by Jackson Hille. What made this performance good was how he conveyed the message of the poem through the almost sarcastic tone in his voice, it really helped to give the satirical tone.

Part Five:

I think Poetry Out Loud will be fun for many people. I don't like speaking in front of people very much, so that will be a challenge for me to overcome. I think that I will memorize either Ozymandias, or Keeping Things Simple. Both of these seem profound and I like what the themes of them.

Most Important Skill (Extra Credit)

     Throughout this quarter, my mind has taken in vast amounts of new knowledge, I guaruntee equal to the amount I learned within the course of my eighth grade year. A lot of this new knowledge gained has stemmed from English; with this knowledge comes important skills and concepts. Among the many important skills, I feel that the one most important and beneficial to me would be analyzing writings through the method of TWIST.

     Through the use of TWIST, we submerge ourselves deeper into the writing, giving us an even greater knowledge and meaning of it. Tone for any writing is very important, for if the reader does not know the tone, they are reading it in vain. Word choice is also important, and much easier to decide on than the tone is. Imagery will give the reader an enhanced imagination of any of the senses being portrayed in the writing. Imagery is used a lot in describing any aspect of things in the writing. Authors always will have a certain style they use in their writing, such as metaphors, similes, personification, alliteration, etc. When the writing has been analyzed for all of the previous, the theme can be deduced.  The theme gives the true meaning to the writing, and is one of the most important aspects of any book, poem, short story, etc.

     Looking at different pieces of writing using this method was very helpful to me. It has enabled me to find more meaning in the words, and I think it will make me a better writer.

"Lobsters"

     To delve into the true meaning of the poem "Lobsters" one must read, reread, think, and discuss it; without this approach many would take this poem as merely decribing literal events, with no symbolic connections. In the discussion of the poem "Lobsters" I felt the most intriguing topic brought up was that of how the poem could be against consumerism. This change in subject greatly enhanced the flow of discussion, opening everybody's mind to new, fascinating, ideas. This idea was about how lobsters are a delicacy, yet they are mass marketed and people take advantage of this.
     This topic brought yet another meaning to this poem, one of great satire. It truly made humans out to be no dumber and no smater than lobsters, infact, rather similar creatures. It showed us to be ignorant as to the consequences of our actions, and that in the end both beings will have a 100% mortality, some going before others. We are all fearful to face this inevitable fate awaiting us. The comparison brought a better sense of the inner meaning of this poem to my mind.

Five Part Paragraph

     In these five part paragraphs, one issue in many has to do with embedding the quotations, or concrete detail. If not properly embedded, the concrete detail ruins the flow of the paper because it isn't tied in, or it just starts without any words to flow into it. Another significant problem in these paragraphs is the use of plot summary within the selected commentary. Commentary is supposed to reflect your own ideas and beliefs, and not a rehashment of what occurred in a certain part of the novel. In the commentary, it was important to tie in the book's theme to our own thoughts, yet many papers just stated what happened in that part of the novel, perhaps attempting at putting in their own ideas; but not quite making it. In my opinion, things that make a great paper are: great word choice, intriguing ideas, unique topics, and obviously correct formatting.
     In my paragraph, a major thing for me was using too many very long sentences that would have been better off with periods. To help fix this problem I feel that I need ro reread my paper out loud to get a feel for how it sounds, and fix the sentences accordingly. Another minor mistake I made in my paragraph was putting a "P" when I cited the page number. This is obviously an easy fix, I just need to memorize it for future papers. I enjoy the five part paragraph; it is easy to edit because it has a certain format, and for that reason they are also very easy to critique. For my next paragraph I will mainly focus on getting my sentences to flow better, and not sound monotonous or never ending.

Formal Diction

     On Friday last week, I awoke to the delightful sound of the whirling wind and rustling leaves trapped within it, realizing I had not been awoken by the monotonous cacophony of the scarlet alarm clock. Visualizing it as being an extravagantly exciting day, I quickly got ready, only stopping to sit at the table to endulge myself in  homemade Belgian waffles, piled with only the grandest strawberries, topped with powdered sugar. I seized my orange camera bag, containing my Canon film single lens reflex lens camera, along with my three gleaming lenses. Mounting my road bicycle, I left out into the seemingly pleasant outdoors, with seemingly pleasant weather.
     This pleasant weather took a drastic turn for the worse. Nearing on my fifth minute of cycling, foreboding clouds rolled in, foreshadowing the certain rain that was fast coming. To my advantage, I was wearing a raincoat, and to my great discomfort I was wearing jeans; jeans aren't very pleasant when wet through and through. To my later relief, I kept riding to meet my friend. The rain ceased for the latter part of the afternoon. As we rode around I couldn't help but sense a certain melancholy tone in the center of Olympia, as we captured photos of builings, allies, and the ominous train tunnels on the outskirts of the downtown. We later met other friends, and endulged ourselves in some fine pizza, so hot that it scalded my tongue. This day may seem averagely pleasing to some, but it was a splendid day for me.

Outside Reading

     Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut is a great novel in my opinion, I very much like the his writing style. Within the novel are many examples of irony (which I love) as well as satire and humor, two more things I love. Structurally, the novel is very different from the normal-the character (in my opinion) is metaphorically traveling in time through his life. The major theme of the novel is antiwar-which I think is very important and I enjoy reading about it. Throughout the novel, you get the sense of how awful war is, yet how inevitable it is because of our nature-while humans inhabit Earth, wars will occur.
     The literary element I will use in my creative project is the themes in the novel. One prevalent theme is antiwar, this theme is portrayed through Billy's journey through time, as well as the author's input in the story. Another theme is our insignificance. This theme is portrayed through the Tralfamadorians, they do not view time in a linear way, therefore everyone is alive all of the time, in different places, so nobody really dies. It is also portrayed through the words "So it goes." after anybody dies. This shows that, while it may be sad they are dead, life doesn't stop to mourn, everything continues in the same way.
     This novel is similar to Battle Royal by Koushun Takami because they share a similar theme. Both major themes have to do with how awful killing is. Each theme shows that we are all humans, and war is an inhumane way of dealing with differences. In both novels, our insignificance is displayed through dreadful things that happen, yet people just go on doing what they must-live.
     For my creative project I believe I am making a movie with Chase, and I think the majority of the movie will be of Billy Pilgrim's time-travelling through his life.

How the Novel Spoke to me

     When I heard that we got to read To Kill a Mockingbird I was thoroughly excited, for I had heard from many people what a wonderful novel it was. The novel definitely lived up to its reputation. For me, I definitely was touched on a personal level, in a few ways, by this book. Contained in this book were a various number of themes, any one of which could be related to something that someone has experienced within their life. I feel that if someone were to just read this book, without any latter dicussion, it could seem, perhaps, simplistic, yet with everything we've done I've realized just how complex this novel really is. There are many different sublots, many themes, and other plot devices worked into the novel so well, that the reader doesn't quite realize until further examination.
  
     In many instances, I was able to compare myself to Jem. For the most part he stays calm and passive, but certain things will push him to his limit. An example is when Mrs. Dubose calls Atticus a "nigger-lover," Jem looses his calm demeanor, and destroys her flowers. With this scenario in the book came fresh memories from a scene in my childhood very similar to this, except that what was directed towards me was about me. It happened in the summer after third grade if I remember correctly. I was with friends when they started talking about their religion, it didn't bother me, I just wasn't engaged in the conversation because they all went to church together, and I didn't. They asked me if I prayed every night, and I said no. The reply to my no were wispers of "He's not going to heaven." At the time I had very little knowledge of religion, but I knew what they were saying. I didn't get mad often, but this time threw me over the edge. Contrary to what Jem did, I remained passive, but yelled, then walked home, very shaken. To me, the theme that Atticus talked about, how it's better to keep your cool in situations, and really just try to work through it stuck out to me, because that's the advice my parents gave me at that point.
     I also felt that I was able to relate to Scout's coming of age. When I was younger I was very judgmental, and wouldn't think before saying certain things in the presence of others. I didn't realize yet that there were numerous types of people, and not just a couple. Throughout growing up, I learned just how different everyone was, and that different didn't make it wrong, because different for one person is normal for another, so that there actually is no defined "normal." Scout and I both changed our views towards others, going along with the theme acceptance of diversity, and not creating preconceptions of others.  
  

My Boo Radley

     Growing up, around the age of five or six I believe, I never realized what was so special about the moon, and more importantly, going to it. Truth be told, I was scared of it. Whenever my grandparents took me on a drive at night when there was a full moon, not knowing any better, I thought it was following us, and only us. I thought it was very close, and not special at all, just very ominous, a bright yellow eye staring down upon me. I thought maybe it followed me because I had something special (remember, I'm five).
  
     When I was six or seven, I read a story about the moon landing, and was able to slightly comprehend just how far away it was. After reading this, I asked my parents why the moon followed me. It was then explained to me that the moon just looks like it's following me, but really it isn't, and that that's just what all little kids think. I had this new found fascination with the moon, and the moon landing. I wanted to be an astronaut like Buzz Aldrin, or Neil Armstrong, and fly to the moon when I was all grown up.
    
     This can metaphorically compare to Scout's Boo Radley because it was something I had all of these certain ideas about, yet it was all really unknown to me. I didn't realize that the moon wasn't spooky until I looked at it in a different light, and saw that it looked very nice against the black backdrop of the cold black sky. The moon became my fascination, and at that point in my life it made me want to be an astronaut instead of the construction worker I had originally wanted to be.

English Blog Assignment 1

     Clearly, I like reading and writing, for I chose to be in Honors English. I enjoy creative writing more than essay-type writings because I really like to be creative with things I do. Writing essays actually really bore me, but I do get them done and I think I put a good amount of effort into them. Reading is easier to me, I do not put in the effort because I have to, but because I actually do like reading. I always get my assignments in on time, (I forgot about this one until now though, good thing we have until midnight).
     I will enlighten this online blog world by posting hopefully interesting comments, ones that people will maybe want to take more than a glance at. I can also recall the events from a book very well, and will be able to type about them online with other classmates. I do think that the meaning of an English class is to help students better understand what the text they are reading truly means, and to then be able to relate your thoughts about it to others through writing or speaking.
     English is a four-year requirment because, to me, we need to understand certain things better and better as we mature. Proper grammar is important to learn, communication with others in small and/or large groups, and better understanding the literary work you are reading. Excelling in English will definitely give me better speaking skills, which is an aspect of mine that could use some improvement. I think it will also allow me to read a vast number of advanced novels and get more out of them than just the basic story.