WELCOME STUDENTS!

This is a place for us to discuss openly and honestly the literature we are reading. Here we are all just communicating our thoughts on what we are reading. There are no right and wrong answers. However, you are expected to be polite, mature, and on topic.

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Down the river

Here is another opportunity for those of you who have AP English IV second semester to get some extra credit prior to the beginning of class.  As Huck and Jim travel the Mississippi River, they learn many lessons about mankind.  Select one episode and explain what lesson is learned during this event and how he changes/matures Huck.  (The deadline
to post is midnight, Dec. 26, 2013.)

Thursday, December 19, 2013

The newest members of KPU

You have been a blessing in my life.  I have thoroughly enjoyed our two years together.  You are all amazing people--intelligent, caring, and diligent.  The world is a better place because you are in it.  Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your lives. 

Friday, December 13, 2013

Stone walls do not a prison make...

Today, as we read poetry by John Donne, William Shakespeare, and Richard Lovelace, we also mentioned Nelson Mandela and the fact that the world is both better for his having lived and less for his having dead.  We talked about the poem "Invictus" by William Ernest Henley.  Here is the poem. (Mandela wrote the last two lines on the wall of prison cell.) Select a work of literature that you have read that conveys the same theme as this poem.  Explain how it does so.  (The deadline to post a response is midnight, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2013.)

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul
.      

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

And in the end...

Now, that we have read the entire play, read the  following propositions. If you are the first person to respond, you must write on the first proposition. If you are the second, the second proposition is yours and so on.   Write a response that supports or refutes this proposition.  YES, you must take one side and one side only.  This isn't Switzerland. No credit will be given if you do not stay on one side of the issue(The deadline to post a response is midnight, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013,)
1) Lady Macbeth's problem is that while she understands herself, she does not understand Macbeth.
2) Lady Macbeth is totally evil; she is, in fact, the fiend-like Queen described by Malcolm at the end of the play.
3) The witches so manipulate Macbeth that he has no control over his fate.
4) Shakespeare didn't write the silly Hecate bits, so out they come.  If you were producing a performance of Macbeth, explain why you would or would not include the Hecate scenes.
5) The story of a bad man who commits a crime is not a tragedy but a straightforward tale of evil. Macbeth, however, is about a good man who becomes evil and that is his tragedy.
6) Far from being the strong character he is often portrayed as being, Macbeth is essentially a weak man; he allows the witches and Lady Macbeth to manipulate him into an act which, if left alone, he would never contemplate, never mind commit.

Monday, December 9, 2013

Things are unwinding...

Several events happened in Act Four.  Select one of these events and explain its importance in the play. Do not just explain what the scene is about; include what the play reveals about Macbeth and Scotland.  You may chose from  the scene with Lady McDuff and her son, the scene in which Macduff tries to persuade Malcolm to come to Scotland and claim the throne, or the scene in which the doctor talks about Edward the Confessor.  (The deadline to post a response is midnight, Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2013.)


Friday, December 6, 2013

Thrice to thine, thrice to mine...the charm's wound-up!

Notice that the Weird Sisters are referred to as "witches" only in the stage directions. No one sitting in the audience seeing the play will hear the word witch even once. Rather, in the text Banquo and Macbeth call them "Weird Sisters." They, in fact, even refer to themselves by such a title. The word "weird" is derived from the Old English "wyrd," meaning fate or destiny. Thus far in the play, how have the predictions of the Weird Sisters influenced or controlled Macbeth's fate/destiny? Do you believe that their influence is the greatest influence upon him? If so, why? If not, what or who influences Macbeth most? (This post closes at midnight, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2013.)

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

What a girl wants...

Near the end of Act One of Macbeth, Macbeth declares that he will proceed no further in the business of killing Duncan.  Analyze Lady Macbeth's response to this declaration.  What tactics does she use to persuade him?  What is that finally persuades him?  What do you think of Lady Macbeth as a person and as persuasive person? (The deadline to post a response to this blog is midnight, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2013.)

Monday, December 2, 2013

And the curtain rises...

Today, we discussed many things about Shakespeare, the Globe,  and the Renaissance.  Comment on something you found interesting in the lecture.  Explain why you found this intriguing.  (The deadline to post a response to the blog question is midnight, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2013.)

Monday, November 25, 2013

Happy Thanksgiving

I just wanted to take a moment and tell you that I count you among my many Thanksgiving blessings.  I hope you have a wonderful, restful Thanksgiving with those you love the most.  Please share a book or play that you feel has blessed/enriched your life and tell us why. (The deadline to post a response is Friday, November 29, 2013.)

Thursday, November 21, 2013

I have always had to rely on the kindness of strangers...

Is Blanche a victim of her own self-delusions and Old South attitudes? Or, is she the victim of males who take advantage of her, deceive her, or abuse her? Explain. (The deadline to post a response to this question is midnight, Saturday, November 23, 2013.)

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Capricorn and the Virgin

It is clear that Stanley and Blanche are polar opposites. What do you believe Tennessee Williams is conveying about people, the South, and motivations through these two characters?  (The deadline to post a response to this blog is midnight, Nov. 20, 2013.)

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Arrival in New Orleans

In Scene One of A Streetcar Named Desire, Blanch DuBois arrives at her sister's home in New Orleans.  What can you infer about Blanche's standards and her social status from her descriptions and reactions to Stella's flat and her conversations with Stella, Eunice and Stanley?  Give one line that you feel most conveys this revelation?  (The deadline to post a response to this blog is midnight, Nov. 15, 2013.
     
     

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

In the end...

William Golding said in his lecture at the end of the novel, "...that the only that matters is what you (the reader) get from a novel..."There are many themes in LORD OF THE FLIES. Among them are good versus evil, the importance of unity, the importance of law and order, survival of the fittest, the evil of mankind, the belief in hope, the loss of innocence, and the process of maturity. Which theme in the novel did you find most interesting? What did you learn through LORD OF THE FLIES about this theme? Explain which scene(s) in the book helped you to fully see this theme and how. (The deadline to post a response to this blog is midnight, Thursday, November 7, 2013.)

Monday, November 4, 2013

Oh, Piggy!

Few people can read Lord of the Flies without getting attached or feeling kinship in some way to Piggy.  What does Piggy represent other than intelligence in the novel?  Why do you think so many readers select him as their favorite character or connect with him?  With that being said, why do you think Golding spends only two paragraphs filled with pig imagery to convey his death?  (The deadline to post a response to this blog question is midnight, Nov. 5th.  Please note there is another blog directly below this one that also expires on this date, so give them both a shot; you are already here.)

Sunday, November 3, 2013

The beauty of the written word...

We have read Chapter 9, in which Simon is murdered.  At the end of the chapter, Golding writes four beautifully descriptive paragraphs.  I have included them below.  Comment on the Golding's use of diction(word choice) to create mood in these paragraphs. What mood does he create and how does he do it?  (The deadline to post a response to this blog is midnight, Nov. 5, 2013.  No credit will be given to plagiarized comments.)

"Towards midnight the rain ceased and the clouds drifted away, so that the sky was scattered once more with the incredible lamps of stars. Then the breeze died too and there was no noise save the drip and tickle of water that ran out of clefts and spilled down, leaf by leaf, to the brown earth of the island. The air was cool, moist, and clear; and presently even the sound of the water was still. The beast lay huddled on the pale beach and the stains spread, inch by inch.

The edge of the lagoon became a streak of phosphorescence which advanced minutely, as the great wave of the tide flowed. The clear water mirrored the clear sky and the angular bright constellations. The line of phosphorescence bulged about the sand grains and little pebbles; it held them each in a dimple of tension, then suddenly accepted them with an inaudible syllable and moved on.

Along the shoreward edge of the shallows the advancing clearness was full of strange, moonbeam-bodied creatures with fiery eyes. Here and there a larger pebble clung to its own air and was covered with a coat of pearls. The tide swelled in over the rain-pitted sand and smoothed everything with a layer of silver. Now it touched the first of the stains that seeped from the broken body and the creatures made a moving patch of light as they gathered at the edge. The water rose further and dressed Simon's coarse hair with brightness. The line of his cheek silvered and the turn of his shoulder became sculptured marble. The strange, attendant creatures, with their fiery eyes and trailing vapours busied themselves round his head. The body lifted a fraction of an inch from the sand and a bubble of air escaped from the mouth with a wet plop. Then it turned gently in the water.

Somewhere over the darkened curve of the world the sun and moon were pulling; and the film of water on the earth planet was held, bulging slightly on one side while the solid core turned. The great wave of the tide moved further along the island and the water lifted. Softly, surrounded by a fringe of inquisitive bright creatures, itself a silver shape beneath the steadfast constellations, Simon's dead body moved out towards the open sea.” 

Friday, November 1, 2013

Just for fun...

Take the quiz and post your character.  I did, and I am sure you had no doubt about it...I am PIGGY! 
http://www.qfeast.com/personality/quiz/7090/Lord-of-the-Flies-Personality-Quiz

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Let's be honest...

As we read Lord of the Flies, we discuss the actions of the boys--some we check as productive and true; others we label ridiculous and harmful.  However, let's be honest here, what went wrong in today's island challenge.  Not judgement...what did you do wrong?  Did you analyze each item and think about its value? Did you listen to someone else or think for yourself?  Did you try to voice your opinion and get over-ruled?  Did you get too focus on one thing and get off track?   (The deadline to post a response is midnight, Nov. 1, 2013).

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Challenge!!!!!

Be the first to come to me tomorrow and explain this...
 
and get a life preserver!


Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Challenge!

Be the first student to get to me in the morning with the answer to this question and get a life preserver:   What word does Golding use repeatedly throughout the novel to describe the voice and actions of the boys?  It is used over 30 times in the novel. 

Fall of Society

In chapter 8 of Lord of the Flies, Ralph asks Piggy, "What causes things to break up like they do?" What are two principle reasons the society on the island has started to break up? How does this reflect real society? What do you think is the main cause of problems in our society? How could this be corrected? (The deadline to post a response to this question is midnight Thursday, October 31, 2013.)

Monday, October 28, 2013

A Sign from the Adult World

At the end of Chapter 5, Ralph wishes for a sign from the outside world and it comes at the beginning of Chapter 6--the dead paratrooper. We briefly talked about the irony of this situation.  However, there is certainly more that could be discussed in this situation.  If you are the first person to answer this question, explain the irony of this situation and how it affects Ralph.  If you are the second person to answer focus on these questions: Confused in the dark, Samneric believe it to be the "beastie" they have all been fearing. What does this reveal about the archetype that Samneric represent?  If you are the third person to blog, here is your topic: Only Simon remains convinced that the beast is mankind. Is Simon right? In what ways are we humans the beasts of society? Give a specific example from history or literature to support your answer.  If you are the fourth person to blog an answer, discuss how the events in Chapter 6 are the results (cause and effect) of the landing of the paratrooper.    Continue to respond in this order and do not duplicate another person's answer.  (The deadline to post a response is midnight, October 29, 2013.)

Friday, October 25, 2013

Rules to the left, rules to the right...

In chapter 5, when Jack and Ralph argue, Ralph says, "The rules are all we've got!" How important are rules in society? What rules are needed in this microcosm if the boys are to survive? Why? (The deadline to post a response to this question is midnight, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2013.)

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Amidst the scar...

We have just begun reading 
 Lord of the Flies and already we have learned many things about the characters of the novel. Authors use various methods of characterization: direct and indirect to develop their characters. Select either Ralph, Piggy, or Jack and  discuss three methods Golding has used to create this character.
What do you find most appealing about Golding characterization of this island survivor? Why?
(The deadline to post a response to this question is midnight Wednesday, October 24, 2013.)

Monday, October 21, 2013

The task of storytelling

Here are the amazing Canterbury Pilgrims who told tales today.  You guys did an a great job.  I am proud of each of you.

Friday, October 18, 2013

Life as the leader...

As Ralph looks down from the top of the bastion of the island in Chapter One,  he exclaims, "This belongs to us!" Much like an explorer discovering a new land, Ralph has found himself in charge of a new world--an island of boys. Select a situation that you feel Ralph has handled well as a leader and a situation that he has not done well.  Explain them and why you feel each is either a job well done or a job that needs improvement. What advice would you give Ralph to keep in mind as he is chief? What is the main thing he must do? Why? (The deadline to post a response is midnight, Sunday, October 20, 2013.)

Thursday, October 17, 2013

And then man emerged...

With its benign climate, fresh water and abundant fruit, the island setting of Lord of the Flies could be seen as a modern Garden of Eden until... a little boy comes forward in Chapter 2 and asks the assembly questions. What element does he introduce to the island? How does he describe it? How does the descriptive phrase, "the small boy twisted further into himself" hint at a theme? Which theme? How does this theme connect to societies of today and of all times? Give specific examples. (This post closes at midnight, Oct. 17, 2013.. No credit will be given to plagiarized responses.)

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

At which end of the spectrum do we fall?

In his essay"The Damned Human Race," Mark Twain's comments force us to ask ourselves "at which end of the animal spectrum do we fall."  Twain's essay utilizes many examples that prove his points.  Whether you concur with Twain or not, which of his pieces of data provides the most convincing argument in your eyes?  What events from history or society today do you connect to this argument?  Explain.  (The deadline to post a response to this post is midnight, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2013.)

Sunday, October 13, 2013

I hope you didn't forget

This is a reminder that you have to email your paper to klpalombo@yahoo.com so that your word count can be verified.  If you don't, you will get no grade, so getter done!

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Let the tales begin...

We have read both "The Pardoner's Tale" and "The Wife of Bath's Tale."  Which of the stories do you feel met the requirements of Harry Bailey (the Host) storytelling contest: providing entertainment and moral.  Give specific reasons for your decision (The deadline to post a response is midnight, Wednesday, October 9, 2013.) 

Sunday, October 6, 2013

Thinking about college...

Take a look at this.  I have a former student and KPU alumnus who will be happy to refer you.  Just let me know.  http://www.millsaps.edu/admissions/admissions_faq_alumni_referral_legacy_scholarships.php

Just wanted to say...

I have just finished reading your "Life Purpose/ Driftwood " essays and this quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson that I have posted next to these words echoes through my head.  You are amazing people and I know you will change this world.  Teaching each of you is a pleasure in my life.  Thank you for being so awesome! 

Saturday, October 5, 2013

Chaucer's Tome: The Canterbury Tales

Now that we have completed the Prologue, select a pilgrim and briefly tell what you find interesting or intriguing about him or her? Why?  You may not comment on the same character as the two posters prior to your post. (The deadline to post a response to this question is midnight, October 6, 2013.)

Monday, September 30, 2013

Among the shattered pieces of glass...

In the Prologue of the novel, David tells of "a series" of images that remain from the summer of 1948: a young Sioux woman, feverish on the bed in his house; his father kneeling on the kitchen floor, begging his mother to help him; his mother holding a 12 gauge shotgun, intending to use it;  and the sound of breaking glass and the odor of rotting vegetables.  By the end of Part Three, all of these images have been fully revealed and because of the "broken jars," David believes everything will go back to the way it was before.  His twelve-year-old innocence fails to realize that those jars are broken forever. Select any image from the novel (you don't have to select one from the Prologue), and discuss what was revealed in the moment and what consequence comes to the Haydens via that event. CATCH:  You may not write on any image already discussed by a classmate.   (The deadline to post a response is midnight, October 1, 2013. No credit will be given to plagiarized responses.)

Thursday, September 26, 2013

More than what is ...

One of the indicators of an outstanding work of literature is the author's use of symbols.  In Part Two of Montana 1948, Watson presents several symbols.  Among them are Julian Hayden's log house, the magpie that David kills, the wedding trip, the wind,  the coyote mentioned in Marie's final words to David, and the reverie that David has of the Native Americans walking up Circle Hill.  Select one of these images and discuss what you feel it symbolizes and how it adds to the story's plot, characterization, and theme.  CATCH:  You must comment on what the person prior to you has said, but you may not focus on that symbol.  You must move the discussion to another symbol.  I will begin the discussion.  (The deadline to post a response to this blog is midnight, Friday, September 27, 2013)

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Which one of me are you telling?

Part One of Montana 1948 has established several internal and external conflicts.  Internally, what conflicts are Wes and David facing?  Give a line that reveals those conflicts. Catch:  When you post a response you must comment on what others before you have said and you may not give the same quote/line that someone previously has posted.  (Deadline to post a response to this blog is midnight, Wednesday, Sept 25, 2013. No credit will be given to plagiarized responses.)

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Let me tell you something interesting...

Now that you have finished your research on your future career, tell us something you found very interesting about the field or something that you didn't know before the research.  (The deadline to post a response to this blog is midnight, Monday, Sept. 23, 2013.)

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

In the words of Fitzgerald...

There are so many lines and passages in The Great Gatsby that are amazingly written.  Select one and quote it here.  Explain what you liked about Fitzgerald's diction and/or syntax in the passage.  (The deadline to post a response to this blog is midnight, Sept. 12, 2013.)

Monday, September 9, 2013

Aren't you coming?

In chapter 6, Tom, Mr.Sloane, and a young lady visit Gatsby and the lady invites Gatsby to come to dinner with them. Read back over the passage in Chapter 6 that begins, "It was a halt, too... ,"and ends with "front door."

What does Gatsby's response tell us about his social sensitivity? What connection, if any, do you think this scene might have with Gatsby's love for Daisy? (The deadline to post a response to this blog is midnight, Sept. 9, 2013.)

Friday, September 6, 2013

In other time and place...

Discuss Fitzgerald's use of setting and/or color in the chapter 5.  What is he revealing through this chapter?  Select a line or short passage and explore its meaning.  (The deadline to post a response to this blog is midnight, Saturday, September 7, 2013.)

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

WAY TO GO, OLD SPORTS!

You all did an amazing job today discussing and teaching me.  I was truly impressed.  Please comment on which fact(s) brought out from the other group impressed you or helped to understand more fully.  (The deadline to post a response is midnight, Sept. 4, 2013.)

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Who lives in that mansion?

I'm Gatsby, Old Sport!
Having read chapter 3 of The Great Gatsby, comment on what Nick hears and perceives about Gatsby prior to meeting him and on how Nick reacts once he meets him.  What element of Gatsby's "rumors" did you find most compelling?  Why?  (The deadline to post a response to this blog is midnight, September 4, 2013.)

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Write On Project

Hopefully, this information with provide you with some clarity on the "Write On" Project essay.  In the essay, have an opening paragraph in which you introduce the literary work and author from which you selected the quote.  The body should explain the following:  how the quote affected the book; how the quote helped you to understand the meaning of the work, and how the quote made you feel and still touches your life in some way. The conclusion should echo the opening.
 Yes, you may use first person.
Double-space the essay and give it a manuscript heading.  Remember a manuscript is flush with the left margin and is double-spaced and looks like this:

Your Name
AP English IV--Mrs. Palombo
Third Block
3 September 2013
Composition Two:  Literary Quote Essay

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

In the beginning...

The epic Beowulf, created in Anglo-Saxon England, begins a long tradition of English writers approaching the theme of good versus evil. Which scene from the epic did you find especially focused upon this theme and what in particular exemplifies this quest? (This post closes at midnight on August 29, 2013).

Monday, August 19, 2013

The Journey to Manhood

We have discussed how HUCK FINN is a Bildungsroman (a work of fiction in which the main character encounters a series of events that help him to change his views and grow as a person).  A LESSON BEFORE DYING can be considered as such as well.  Select two quotes that show the progress of Grant developing into a man.  Explain how the conflict within him is changed in/through these events.  You may not post the same quotes/events as the posters prior to you.  (The deadline to post a response to this blog is midnight, Tuesday, August 20, 2013.)

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

What's for dinner, Poppa Swift?

Jonathan Swift surely knows how to point out our foibles as a society.  Finish reading the selection, which is on page 502 of your at home literature books, and comment on one of the justifications that Swift utilizes to defend his "Modest Proposal".  Explain how this statement hits readers hard and makes us see that we must act.  (Deadline to post a response is midnight, Friday, August 16, 2013.) PS:  Don't think for a moment that I won't take this picture of my grandbaby when he/she finally arrives.