ESSENTIAL QUESTION: What do carpe diem poets contribute to the literary tradition?
Learners used the entire period to write an extended paragraph response for Marvell's "To His Coy Mistress." The prompt: Marvell's witty carpe diem poem "To His Coy Mistress" is darkened and complicated by an awareness of time, age, and death. Discuss with reference to the poem.
READ: Herrick's "To the Virgins," Suckling and Lovelace poems
NEXT CLASS: mini-reading break as some are away because of Encounter
ESSENTIAL QUESTION: Why should we rant?
FREE WRITE: "I'm so angry, I could..."
We revisited how Francis Bacon's essay is a series of theme statements - "big" comments about revenge. Learners read the McClean's article "Why I Rant and Why You Should Too" and shared their reactions.
I spoke about rhetoric as important to the art of writing, and reviewed a few key devices of rhetoric:
ESSENTIAL QUESTION: Why do we still study Shakespeare's plays?
Learners shared the results of their inquiry work. Amazing!
READ:
NEXT CLASS: Timed writing!
ESSENTIAL QUESTION: Can restraint be more powerful than action?
FREE WRITE: "losing sight of self"
Learners worked in pairs from last day to refined and share theme statements for "The Guest" and "The Shining Houses." We worked together on writing extending level statements. I suggested that learners consider all the elements of the short story (plot, setting, character, point of view), as well as the devices of the short story (conflict, irony, symbol, etc.), and also the title!
We looked at Francis Bacon's essay "Of Revenge" (see the link to the left). We discussed form and tried to paragraph the essay.
PRACTISE: Make suggestions for paragraph division for "Of Revenge"
READ: from McClean's "Why I Rant and Why You Should Too"
REMINDER: $5 for Hamlet
ESSENTIAL QUESTION: How do metaphysical conceits incite reflection?
I read and prompted a discussion of Ben Jonson's "To My First Born Son," after Azza's very clear summary of the biography on Ben Jonson. Learners worked in pairs to discuss and present their discussion of "To My First Born Daughter," and "To the Memory of My Beloved Master William Shakespeare."
I suggested that for Ben Jonson the answer is "yes" to our inquiry question, "Does Shakespeare Still Matter?"
READ: Herrick's "To the Ladies," Suckling and Lovelace poems
PRACTISE: Finish your inquiry and be ready to present next class
ESSENTIAL QUESTION: What is the value in being able to express the theme of a piece of literature?
FREE WRITE: "in pursuit of excellence"
Learners read together and discussed Joyce Carey's short story, "A Special Occassion." We reviewed the notes on theme and learners practiced writing a theme statement for Carey's short story. We looked at the theme statements carefully and I gave some notes about clarity and encouraged learners to consider all the elements of the short story when writing theme. Learners continued to practice and offered themes statements for Valgardson's "Identities," and then Camus's "The Guest." I gave feedback for the theme statements for "Identities."
PRACTISE: Write theme statements for Camus's "The Guest," Greene's "The Destructors," and " Munro's "The Shining Houses."
NEXT CLASS: synthesis, narrative writing
REMINDER: Bring $5 for you copy of Hamlet
ESSENTIAL QUESTION: How does the carpe diem tradition in poetry speak to attitudes towards love in the Jacobean Age?
We read together and discussed Marvell's "To His Coy Mistress." Learners worked in pairs to consider how time, age, and death complicate and darken the tone and mood of the poem.
We discussed the carpe diem tradition in poetry, then read together and appreciated the conceits in Ben Jonson's "Song: To Celia."
READ: Ben Jonson's biography, "To My First Born Son," "To My First Born Daughter," and "To the Memory of my Beloved Master William Shakespeare"
NEXT CLASS: carpe diem and The Cavalier Poets
