My Poem

For the Poetry Out Loud competition, I selected the poem "A Dream Within A Dream", by Edgar Allen Poe. I have enjoyed and felt connection to a great amount of Poe's poetry, and this poem is no exception. Stylistically, I find that there is wonderful grace and flow to the writing. Every two lines rhyme, and yet the rhyming does not seem forced. Each line seems to fit perfectly, and feels just right, whether read on paper or out loud. In addition, on a different level, the poem brings back many emotions and memories from my past, and I feel somehow both nostalgic and peaceful when I read it. It reminds me of saying goodbye to past friends that I won't see much of again, and of myself, wistful, in deep thought about life. This is most likely because the poem itself deals with these concepts. The very first two lines, "Take this kiss upon the brow!", and "And in parting from you now" introduce the sadness of goodbyes. Also, throughout the poem, there is evidence of thoughtfulness and pondering, about the nature of life.

When I recite "A Dream Within A Dream" aloud, I hope to convey, through my performance, what it makes me think of and feel inside. Firstly, I will try to communicate the wistful nature of the poem through voice and articulation. I aim to speak in a slow, thoughtful manner, especially in the first stanza. I could also use a questioning facial expression to enhance this feeling. In progression into the second stanza, I will use a small amount of gesturing with one hand, in lines such as "And I hold within my hand." Through both facial expression and voicing, I could also try to convey a part of the anguish that is present later in the poem. While reading the very end, I will finally return to the expression of the contemplative feel that I experience when I read it to myself. Hopefully, after reciting the poem, I will gain greater understanding of and a new perspective on both the poem and life itself.

The poem can be found here:  http://poetryoutloud.org/poems/poem.html?id=237388

5 Part Paragraph Developments (Extra Credit)

In my previous post on 5 Part Paragraphs, the skills that I aimed to improve upon in my next paragraph were mainly the removal of plot summary from commentary and the brainstorming of ideas prior to the actual writing process. For the first paragraph that I wrote, I felt somewhat restricted for ideas during the writing, and one of the sentences was borderline plot summary. On reflection of my second paragraph, I recall scanning my commentary thoroughly with a eye for plot summary, in the pre-write and both drafts, a technique that I had not thought to use previously. As a result, my commentary sentences contained much more thoughtful ideas with deeper meaning; this was a result of my careful consideration. In regards to the brainstorming, at first, it seemed as though I would have the same problem as before, for I could not think of any ideas to use for my main points and commentary. However, I then had the idea to map out my most basic thoughts on paper without modification and refinement, and from there add and incorporate them into the paragraph gradually. This worked much more effectively than the methods for brainstorming that I had used in my first paragraph and the former part of the my second paragraph, and enabled to write and think more freely.

Poetry Out Loud

Part 1: Website Cruising

Poems
1) Confessions by Robert Browning
2) Alone by Edgar Allen Poe
3) Break of Day in the Trenches by Isaac Rosenberg
4) A Locked House by W. D. Snodgrass;
Famous by Naomi Shihab Nye

Part 2: What I Thought

Of the five poems that I chose to list, my favourites were Alone and A Locked House. These two rhymed, but not in a forced way, and so had a pleasant flow. In addition, both gave me something to think about, and had meaning beyond what was literally stated. I had no reason to dislike any of the poems, as all five were of good quality and direction. However I felt less connection with Confessions, and did not find as much significance in meaning for it as the others. I would probably be most interested in studying and working further with Edgar Allen Poe's Alone, as it flowed well and left much to be interpreted and contemplated. It was also of an appropriate length to be memorized and recited. In terms of personal connection, this poem reminded me of how I sometimes feel. It well captured the essence of my imagination and emotions of myself in wistful thought.

Part 3: Scoring Criteria

In regards to the scoring criteria, I think that I will find the sections of "Level of Difficulty", and "Dramatic Appropriateness" to be the most easy to follow and score well in. To begin with, the former of these categories applies quite well to the poem that I have chosen. Throughout, it has a moderation of complexity of diction and syntax, as well as shifts in tone and mood. In regards to the second category, I find enjoyment in oral interpretation, and trying to change inflection and enunciation to fit what I am reading. Though sometimes in public speech I rush what I am saying, I shall practice adequately to utilize dramatics to a level that satisfies me.

Part 4: Videos

The first video that I chose was that by Stanley Andrew Jackson, who recited the poem "Write on the Steps of Puerto Rican Harlem" by Gregory Corso. I found it a successful performance mainly in how Jackson accompanied the poem with both gestures, of the entire body, and pausing and inflection. In addition, he spoke in a voice that conveyed knowledge of the theme of the poem, in its contemplating nature and its articulation. Above all, his recitation was as if he were the author of the poem, which greatly enhanced the performance. The second was of Jackson Hille's performance of "Forgetfullness" by Billy Collins. The greatest strength of his performance is his voicing and articulation. He spoke, for the entirety of the poem, with  an almost sarcastic tone, which helped to embolden the meaning of the poem. His pausing, articulation, and voicing all add great depth to the poem. The one point that I would criticize him on is his ending. It did not hold the conclusive finality that I would have liked to hear.

Part 5: Summary

For my memorization, I most likely will recite "A Dream Within A Dream" by Edgar Allan Poe. I connect well with many of Poe's poems, as I appreciate both their flow and style and their more deeper and subtle meanings, and this is no exception. I think that with proper preparation, my performance of this poem will be one that I can enjoy.

"Lobsters" Discussion

On Tuesday of this week, our class held two consecutive discussions regarding the poem "Lobsters", by Howard Nemerov. The first of these, which I participated in, mainly contained conversation concerning the relationship between lobsters and humans, as well as the final lines of the poem: "Thinking: There's something underneath the world. The flame beneath the pot that boils the water." (Nemerov). One interesting comparison brought up in the discussion was that of the poem being similar to To Kill A Mockingbird in terms of misunderstanding. Humans not understanding the lobsters were stated to be analogous to the white population of Maycomb not understanding the black population. Consequently, the formers of both situations would mistreat the latter in each.

This comment and its resulting conversation made me think more deeply about lobster-human relationship in the poem. My thoughts on the theme and message had mainly revolved around what only the lobsters represented, not including the corresponding human symbolism. I had also formerly given comparison of the lobsters in their tank to being similar to humans in our society. However, with the introduction of the human aspect, I became aware of a great amount more of existing symbolism. It enlightened me to the fact that the connection between humans and lobsters in the poem could be compared to many other existing situations in addition to the example of whites misunderstanding and mistreating blacks. After the discussion, I had gained a much deeper and layered view of the symbolic material in "Lobsters". As a result, I came to better understand the meaning that the author had most likely intended to convey.

5 Part Paragraphs

In the past, I have written several types of paragraphs that followed specific formats, most of which were mostly 8-12 sentences long. The Olympia High School 5 Part Paragraph is slightly longer and more specific to each sentence than most of these were, requiring a greater abundance of commentary and more defined concrete details. From the last few weeks of paragraph presentations, I have found that some of the most important skills in regards to this format include the proper embedding of concrete details, commentary free from plot summary, and a writing style that flows well and uses good word choice. In my class period, a common difficulty in formating was the correct embedding and citation of quotes in the paragraphs. Multiple people lacked these elements in their concrete detail sentences. Many papers were also criticized for some level of summarization of plot in the commentary sentences. Thus, the class as a whole needs to work on these proficiencies. However, I feel that the most essential element is the writing style. The paragraphs presented in the class that flowed well and contained fitting and appropriate word choice sounded great, and were entertaining to listen to.

For my next 5 part paragraph, I intend to improve upon a couple of aspects. Firstly, I will need to be absolutely sure that none of my commentary contains traces of plot summary, as one of my sentences could be seen as partly recounting an event from the book. As more of a personal goal, I plan to spend more time brainstorming and further developing new ideas and concepts to use as points and commentary in my sentence. In my last paragraph, though I was able to produce a final product that I was proud of, I felt somewhat restricted in ideas while I was writing it. In the future, I hopefully will have a greater abundance of thoughts from which I can choose to include in my writing.

Formal Diction

On Wednesday of this week, I attended my martial arts class, conforming to my conventional hebdomadal schedule. My friend, who ordinarily would accompany me, had succumbed to a seasonal indisposition, and so I comprised the entirety of adolescence in the building for the duration of the session. At the time of my arrival, namely 6 hours in following to the apex of the day, I noted that the usual instructor was lacking in physical presence, as a deputy was acting in substitution. The antecedent class also finished in an unpunctual fashion, allowing me a plethora of time in which to prepare.

As commencement to the practice session, the instructor briefly reviewed several of the techniques that had been covered previously. This served to help ameliorate my understanding of the necessary forms and motions. At the culmination of this activity, we practiced various defenses against shorter bladed weapons, such as the knife. Antecedently, I had not acquired an abundance of experience in this area, and so was grateful for this opportunity. A multitude of the techniques were additionally absent to my personal repertoire.

However, the technical aspect of my learning was of inferior preponderance to the admonition delivered by the instructor. He spoke of how to utilize practicality in our defenses, and how we should refrain from the usage of strength in our practice. There was an extravagance of inspiration in his disquisition, which conveyed to me a newer and more sophisticated view on the martial art. Consequently, the happenings of the session had definite, beneficial, and lasting impact to my interpretation.

Outside Reading Novel

For my outside novel, I am currently reading Slaughterhouse 5, by Kurt Vonnegut. It is a greatly different literary experience to most of the books that I have read in the past, especially in terms of plot and style. The main character, Billy Pilgrim, frequently becomes "unstuck in time", and as a result, the events of the book do not correspond in chronological order to the events of his life. In this way, the story visits many situations from Billy's past and future out of order, including his infancy, death, and abduction to the planet Tralfamadore. Due to this, I sometimes find the storyline difficult to follow closely. In addition, I find the author's style and voice to be atypical to most of literature; his writing is much more casual and matter of fact than most novels. Ordinary phrases such as "so it goes" are also used to a great extent.

The incorporation of time travel greatly affects the progression of the plot, as well as its elements. Because the reader is informed of multiple future events in Billy's life at different times during the book, circumstances that would be ordinarily suspenseful seem more factual and background material. Furthermore, the story does not conform to a typical plot line, as I do not notice any real presence of rising action, a climax, or falling action. Many of the later events in the book are mentioned earlier on, and elaborated on as the story progresses.

The only other novel that I can compare it to is The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. Though both deal with elements of space and alien species, they are most similar in the casual style that they written. I do not feel much sense of suspense or anticipation in the reading of either book, as a result of this style. Also, both contain a great deal of additional information and detail that is not directly related to the story, which sometimes distracts from the plot.

For a creative project, I will most likely create a poster that represents time as seen by the extraterrestrial Tralfamadorians. It is described by Kurt Vonnegut as that "the Universe does not look like a lot of bright dots to the creatures from Tralfamadore. The creatures can see where each star has been and where it is going, so the heavens are filled with rarefied, luminous spaghetti. And Tralfamadorians don't see human beings as two-legged creatures, either. They seem them as great millipedes—'with babies' legs at one end and old people's legs at the other.." (Vonnegut, 62). Possibly, I could pair this concept with the storyline of the book in my artwork. I could also allude to other symbolic elements that I might encounter later in my reading.

My Experience with To Kill A Mockingbird

In the past, I have read a number books that have provided me with a meaningful, thought-inducing literary experience, including A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens, and Watership Down, by Richard Adams. Though most of them felt slow and dull at the beginning, there came a point when I became deeply absorbed in the story and began to connect personally to the characters. To Kill A Mockingbird did all these things for me as a reader. It caused me to contemplate and think more deeply about the themes and lessons that it was conveying, both during and after my reading, as well as to admire the characters for their actions and personalities.

Though I have read books that discuss serious topics like racism and discrimination, they have not been from the perspective of a character as young as Scout. This offered me a new view on how strange and confusing they would be to a child. I had not given much about these issues beyond their definition and history before. The point of view also enhanced and gave depth to other subjects and subplots, like Boo Radley, which seemed more mysterious and curious when told by Scout. Additionally, I found that Harper Lee constructed the world of Maycomb in a very effective way. The society seemed very complete and realistic, mostly due to the great number of minor characters and subplots woven into the main story. This helped me to better appreciate the town's events and conflicts.

By the end of the book, I had accumulated considerable admiration and respect for both Atticus and Boo Radley. I had read about and gotten to know these characters, and found their actions to define them as extremely kind and honorable people. In the case of Atticus, I appreciated not only his sense of true justice, but how he was able to act righteously and sensibly in difficult situations. I recognized him as a hero, in both a literary and moral sense. With Boo Radley, I was surprised and yet grateful when he came to the defense of Jem and Scout, as I realized his background and protective presence to the children throughout the book; I understood him too to be a hero of a different kind.

My Boo Radley

A possible past Boo Radley in my life would be my perspective of people older than me. At around 6, I first felt mystery and uncertainty of other children at school who were 2-3 grades above. Though I did not interact with them much, when I did, their actions and behavior seemed greatly different. Due to this, I found myself with a prejudice that they, as a group, were irresponsible and badly behaved. I told myself that I would try to be more righteous than they when I came to that age. As I grew older, it became the people in middle school that seemed slightly immoral, and then later those in high school. I did not think much of why this was, but merely accepted it.

A couple years ago, I came to realize, perhaps more gradually than Scout in To Kill A Mockingbird, that my perception of these people was only on account of the fact that they were older and more mature than me. I had not realized my passing through the grades and roles that I had once regarded with apprehension. I began to reflect how other, younger students now regarded me, and if my behavior seemed different and mysterious.

I find this experience to have a strong correlation with Scout's experiences with Boo Radley. The only reason for Scout's unnecessary fear and mistrust of Boo Radley was her lack of knowledge of and interaction with him. Because he was different than her, she did not fully understand him, and so had a incorrect prejudice against him, along with the rest of the town. When Scout stood on the Radley porch after meeting Boo, she finally could appreciate him, and that is just how I feel now. In the past, I never imagined or gave much thought to a me at this age. I have learned the importance of standing in others people's shoes and thinking from their perspective, as most are likely less different than a first impression would suggest.

An Introduction to My Blog

Hello, everyone. This is Conor, and welcome to my English blog. As both a student and a person, I find much enjoyment in the various topics and partitions of English, including reading, writing, and grammar. With the reading of novels, I usually take some time to become completely absorbed in the story and the characters. However, if a book is right for me, eventually a time will come when I cannot put it down, and I will read it to the finish. Books such as these often incite great emotion and thought in me, sometimes leaving a lasting impression on my view of the world. In terms of writing, I always strive to form flowing, correctly structured sentences that express my thoughts and ideas in the best way possible. I also, on occasion, find pleasure in writing poetry and short stories. As an English student, I work hard to accomplish these elements in my assignments. In graded essays and reports, I sometimes struggle and feel pressure to find a perfect word, phrase, or sentence that fully represents my ideas in a way that satisfies me.

Those who read my blog posts will see polished examples of my writing that reflect the literature and discussions that we cover and hold in the class. Hopefully, the reflections that I post will encourage readers to look into these topics in greater detail, and will give them new and fresh ideas about them. I will do my best to  write in a fashion that allows readers to fully comprehend and appreciate my opinion and reaction to the literature that the class is studying.

To me, an English class is an environment where students can grow and learn in subjects such as reading, writing, and discussion. It should cover topics such as comprehension of literature, sentence structure, and vocabulary. Importantly, it must give opportunities for students to share and relate their thoughts from literature and reading with their peers and teacher. The skills and experiences that are gathered through many years of English are huge, and can greatly assist people in their futures. Subjects like vocabulary and grammar provide much help in academic areas such as essays and written applications, while discussion skills can aid people in every day situations and conversations. The knowledge and inspiration accumulated from a broad experience of literature can even, as I mentioned previously, affect both your view of the world and your morals and values.

I look forward to a year of excellent adventures, learning, and opportunities in this class. Good luck to us all!