Thursday, May 1

Juniors:

1. For extra credit, revise and make a video of your spoken word poem to display on the blog. Alternatively, adapt it as a poem to be read, rather than spoken, and print it out to be displayed.

2. 11A - Your 1.5 page paper on "Sticks" is due tomorrow. In your paper, discuss how the poet conveys an idea about family and/or creativity. Your assignment will be graded on completion, structure and demonstration of close reading.

You may want to use this format:

Ultimately, Thomas Sayers Ellis conveys _____________________ about family and/or creativity. This is most persuasively communicated through ______________ and _______________.

To help you with analysis, try using these prompts: Sentence Stems for Analyzing Poetry

Seniors: Draft of your six songs due at the end of class tomorrow. Graded for completion and effort. If you are finished, we will start revising and posting them on the blog.

Reading: here are some reviews and ideas to use as mentor texts.
Lou Reed Talks Yeezus
The Last Song Before You Die


2. For extra credit, revise and make a video of your spoken word poem to display on the blog. Alternatively, adapt it as a poem to be read, rather than spoken, and print it out to be displayed.

3. Bring in books! Class 12CD, 50 books to get a reward. Class B, 30 books. 

Junior Homework and Senior Song Book Criiteria

Seniors:
1. Please go to the following link for the first round of criteria for the Senior songbook:
Story of my life in song.

2. BRING ME COPIES OF THE BOOKS YOU'VE BORROWED FROM ME OR ANY BOOKS YOU DON'T NEED, ESPECIALLY THE GREAT GATSBY, CARRIE, and SHARP OBJECTS. IF YOUR CLASS BRINGS IN 30 BOOKS, YOU WILL GET A PRIVILEGE.

Juniors
11D: 1. Write a 1.5 pg. typed response on "After Apple Picking" that responds to the following prompt:

Prompt: How does the this poem illustrate Frost's view that "poetry provides the one permissible way of saying one thing and meaning another"? When do you first sense that the detailed description of apple picking is being used that way and how is this symbolism developed throughout the poem?

11A: Read Sticks by Thomas Sayers Ellis : The Poetry Foundation and annotate the poem, using TYPCASTT. I will check annotations tomorrow and have you do some writing on the poem tomorrow night.

Homework, Monday, April 28

Seniors  - Using today's reviews to help you, develop a list of songs that you may use as the soundtrack of your lives. 

11A - Bring in a quotation that captures something essential about you or life in general.

11D - 

1. Read "After Apple-Picking" and "At Twilight on the Road to Sogamoso." 

2. For each poem, write a statement as follows: 

Ultimately, the poet conveys _________________ about work. This is most evident in __________ and _______________. 

3. Write a comparative claim: "Poem #1 by ________ and Poem #2 by __________both explore/examine/consider ___________________. However, through his tone, Kilwein Guevera suggests _________________ while Frost's tone critiques/reveals/__________________________. 

Weekend Homework -- Everyone

Read these Poems and annotate them, paying particular attention to the tone and how it shifts throughout the poem.

Write a page that discusses how the poet uses literary technique and poetic devices to convey a central theme.

Ballet on May 14

If anyone wants to go to the ballet, Don Quixote,  for free on May 14, let me know. You would leave school at 1:00 and the ballet is over at 4:30. It is at Lincoln Center. Email me at jcandlin@sof.edu if interested.

Poets on Poetry

Poets for Presentation:

James Franco
Frank Bidart
Sylvia Plath
Robert Hayden
Sharon Olds
Natasha Trethawey

HOMEWORK AND Lesson today, April 23

Homework: 

1. Complete the following sentence stem for the poem "I Go Back to May, 1937."

Ultimately, Olds wants readers to understand… about herself. She conveys this insight primarily through...

2. Read and annotate “Ego Tripping” by Nikki Giovanni

Whole class activity: Listen to two songs

“Star Spangled Banner”  by Whitney Houston

“Star Spangled Banner”  by Jimi Hendrix

What specific words would you use to describe the tone? Think of at least two that are not “happy/sad.”

Which sounds/emphasis and details create that tone? List at least three details that contribute to the song’s tone.

Do NOW: Using precise vocabulary to describe tone.            Choose two categories and organize the words  into a progression from weakest to strongest or most positive to most negative.
Positive tone words	Negative tone words	Humorous/Ironic	Neutral	Worry/Fear Sorrow
reverent sympathetic sincere humorous optimistic dreamy complimentary authoritative	accusing defiant haughty sarcastic worried critical frustrated furious	ironic amused comical facetious patronizing mocking	conventional factual serious dramatic forthright reflective	pessimistic grave hopeless melancholy disturbed embarrassed.

      

       Small Group Activity

Confessional poems are poems or songs with a clear persona speaking of the self. We are going to analyze several confessional poems together and then you are going to choose a poem or a song to present to the class. Seniors will write about the song for senior songbook.

a.. Quick-write: Imagine it is five years before you were born. What do you think your parent or parents were like then? If you could transport yourself into the past and speak to them before you are born, what would you say to them? Knowing what you do about yourself -- your personality, your interests, your dreams and fears -- what advice would you give your parent about how to raise you?

2. Read “I Go Back to May 1937” by Sharon Olds,

      Silent conversation: w/focus on imagery, simile, repetition, and tone (celebrate? mourn? critique? observe?) what is the speaker’s attitude toward herself? her parents? her situation? --

Chart paper w/students adding annotations

Homework: Ultimately, Olds wants readers to understand… about herself. She conveys this insight primarily through...

HW: “Ego Tripping” by Nikki Giovanni