Hey Boys and Girls...

...sorry for the late notice. I went home sick yesterday so no formal blog work. Just read and work:

"Spring"
"The Widow's Lament in Springtime"
"Meeting at Night"
"To Autumn" and
"Those Winter Sundays"

A heavy reading load, but no blog requirement. Again, sorry for the late notice...

-RMH

"Pathedy of Manners" prompt - Due by 2/4

Per Mrs. Minor:

How does the diction reveal the meaning in Ellen Kay's "Pathedy of Manners"? To intelligently respond to this prompt (and why would you want to respond any other way?), you need to work the poem thoroughly first and ascertain what that "meaning" actually is.

Also, be sure to read chapter three on denotation and connotation. Two of the poems, "Naming of Parts" and "The world is too much with us", are ones we will be returning to at some point this quarter.

Blog Prompt - by 2/2

Suicide's Note

The calm,
Cool face of the river
Asked me for a kiss.

--Langston Hughes

Discuss the diction, sound, personification, and tone of this poem. Explore the frame of mind that would create this comparison.

Also, have “Dulcet Decorum Est” WORKED and “Terence, This is Stupid Stuff” read by Monday.

ALERT!

Make sure (period 4) that you hold on to your essays, as they are not yet in the gradebook. I tried to enter them before class today, but Esis did not register the entry. So bring them in on Thursday so I can enter them; I'll give them back to you that class period so you can get back to work on your revisions.

Great to see everybody today. I'm looking forward to a second semester filled with awesomeness.

-RMH

No required blog post - but....

...write down your prescription for finals/school stress relief. Y'all looked as drag-ass tired as I did on Thursday.

Something to keep in mind as we wrap up Semester 1 and transition into poetry: read, re-read, then annotate. While this tactic may not be as manageable during novel study, there is no excuse not to with short story and poetry. After reading the blog posts for "Rothchild" and "Mr. Green" it was clear that many, many of you read it once. It's exceptionally difficult to mine the depths of any story your first time around.

My stress prescription: 6 strips of bacon, eggs, coffee; laying around on my couch watching college basketball for, uhh, 2 hours or so; long walk to Powells and wander around for an hour or two; nap; finally, get together with friends in the evening to do whatever, as long as it is social.

Also, I like to get any weekend work I have out of the way early on Saturday, as I don't want the homework cloud to follow me around all weekend.

Inspiration:

Relax by Robert William Service

Do you recall that happy bike
With bundles on our backs?
How near to heaven it was like
To blissfully relax!

Relax.

Learn to relax: to clean the mind
Of fear and doubt and care,
And in vacuity to find
The perfect peace that's there.
With lassitude of heart and hand,
When every sinew slacks,
How good to rest the old bean and
Relax, relax.

Just sink back in an easy chair
For forty winks or so,
And fold your hands as if in prayer,
--That helps a lot, you know.
Forget that you are you awhile,
And pliable as wax,
Just beatifically smile . . .
Relax, relax, relax.

"Rothschild's Fiddle" Prompt

One characteristic of Chekhov's fiction is the Chekhovian Moment, the "Aha" moment when, metaphorically speaking, a light bulb comes on above a character's head and he/she recognizes an essential truth. After reading and re-reading "Rothschild's Fiddle", make a decision about what you think the Chekhovian Moment is and discuss it with your colleagues.

"Mr. Green" Post

Read, then re-read, and annotate "Mr. Green" by Robert Olen Butler. Discuss the thematic implications of the two repeated phrases "not possible" and "what then".

Snow Day Religion

I'm guessing the collective prayer of students and teachers throughout Oregon was the difference maker in extending Arctic Blast 2008. Incidentally, am I the only one amused by the round-the-clock coverage, replete with on-the-minute traffic updates, breathless, windblown visitors to Pioneer Square, and children sledding down neighborhood streets? Portland in snow is like watching a dog walk on it's hind legs - it's not supposed to be possible, so when you see it, you can't stop watching.

A bit o' business: With your abundant time off, get to work on submitting and commenting on thesis ideas in the post below. I mean it - remember the hate-tinged consternation with many of the GE essay results? This almost wholly due to that nasty, nasty procrastination bug that frequently ravages essay writers everywhere.

If you get a chance, check out Mrs. Minor's blog and the poem Snow Day by the 2001-2002 poet laureate of the United States, Billy Collins: wviewaplitminor.blogspot.com

Best,

RMH

Thesis work goes here!

So, a couple of changes for Wednesday.  We will discuss Act V a bit, plus I will offer a 10% bump on the 30 point soliloquy for anybody that chooses to go on Wednesday (next class).  Also, we're are going to workshop thesis statements, so I can take a quick look and your fellow students can have a chance to assist you in your efforts to produce a strong, arguable thesis.

That means the Hamlet test on Friday, instead.

If you'd like to start brainstorming early, go ahead and respond below.  See you tomorrow.

Blog Prompt 11/25

Per Mr. Duncan:

For this posting, I'm seeking a genuine & personal response to Robert MacNeil's genuine & personal account of his early experience with Shakespeare. It's better you write something in advance and post it rather than use someone else's response as a springboard--though you're always encouraged to comment on what you read here.

Blog Prompt 11/19

In Act I, Scene 2, Lines 76-86, Shakespeare introduces a primary motif in Hamlet, the idea of "seeming". Consider how many of the characters -- Hamlet, Gertrude, Claudius, Polonius, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern -- are all engaged in pretense, acting out parts. Confine your discussion to Acts I & II, especially Act II. When possible refer to specific lines so others can follow your train of thought.

Nice work on the readings in class today - be prepared to read dramatically when you come in...not only does it help us to understand the action, it's way more fun.

Best,

RMH

If I owned a breakfast restaurant I would have...

...an entre dubbed the Danish Hamlette - it would be something along the lines of a ham omelet with meatballs (you know, 'meatball' was a widely used term for a crazy person in the 80's; also, they are quite Danish).

Well now that we have the need-to-know stuff out of the way, I just wanted to tell you that, while I neglected to tell period 8 that they should have Act I read, you all should've had the books with you today. As stated during the first week of school, you should have the books ready to go by the time we get to the next unit, which you knew started today.

So get those babies read, through Act I at the very least - read closely, annotate, and come to class with something to say on Wednesday.

Best,

RMH

Info from the Counseling Dept.

From the counselors:

Senior Teachers,

Could you please remind your seniors of the following deadlines for college letters of recommendation. If they have any questions, feel free to have them stop by our offices. This is just to remind students to stay on top of the deadlines for both their colleges/universities and letters of recommendation from teachers/counselors.

Thanks,


Letter of Recommendation Timeline

College App. Deadline
Dec.1 - College Supplement forms only (too late for full length letters)

Dec. 15- All letter of rec packets due to counselors by Nov. 24th

Jan. 1- All letter of rec packets due to counselors by Dec. 1 (reminder, counselor/teachers do not write letters over the break)

Jan. 15- All letter of rec packets due to counselor by Dec. 8

Reminder: Oregon University System Schools do not need Teacher/Counselor Letters of Rec.


Thanks,
Beth and Kacey 12th Counselors

College is so close you can probably smell it...but until you can taste it, keep your Wildcat nose to the grindstone.

Best,

RMH

Hey, you artsy-fartsy creative types...

...I call you that because I wish that I were creative. *tear*

I received this email and a contest form. Let me know if you want the application/contest form.

Some kids love to write!

Young Writers Journal is a new magazine for teens that are serious about writing. Many talented young writers want to be taken seriously, but with no real opportunity for publication. We hope to provide one.

Our call for submissions is in "contest" form. All selected submissions will be paid. We hope to give teens their first taste of being a paid author, and spark their determintaion to continue to strive to become successful writers.

Attached you will find the contest information for the January 09 issue.

The web address is yourngwritersjournal.com

Best,

RMH

Violent not flabby

Guerard writes:

"The Kurtz who had made himself literally one of the devils of the land, and who in solitude had kicked himself loose of the earth, burns while the others rot. Through violent not flabby evil he exists in the moral universe even before pronouncing judgement on himself with his dying breath."

With whom is Guerard making the contrast? Consider what the contrast between flabby and violent really means and why Guerard places the 'violent' in the moral universe. Why does 'flabby' exist outside of it and if not in the moral universe then where? Does this redeem Kurtz? Any disagreement with Guerard's position?


Remember, essay test on Thursday!

Trials and tribulations of....

...technology - for those of you that had missing blog posts on your progress report but had written them, the scores have been added to the gradebook.

Props to the WHS girls' soccer - nice win today!

-RMH

2nd Heart of Darkness Prompt

Per Mr. Duncan...

Lying & dying

Part 1 ¶ 62:
I would not have gone so far as to fight for Kurtz, but I went for him near enough to a lie. You know I hate, detest, and can’t bear a lie, not because I am straighter than the rest of us, but simply because it appalls me. There is a taint of death, a flavour of mortality in lies—which is exactly what I hate and detest in the world—what I want to forget. It makes me miserable and sick, like biting something rotten would do.

What lie does Marlow tell for Kurtz, and why does he tell it? How does Marlow become entangled in a lie--bite into something rotten--when he signs on as a steamboat captain in the Congo?

Intro to Heart of Darkness blog prompts

Prompt to respond to before Tuesday, Oct. 28
Respond to the following passages from paragraph 9 and paragraph 15 (Part I).
"The yarns of seamen have a direct simplicity, the whole meaning of which lies within the shell of a cracked nut. but Marlow was not typical (if his propensity to spin yarns be excepted) and to him the meaning of an episode was not inside like a kernel but outside, enveloping the tale which brought it out only as a glow brings out a haze, in the likeness of one of these misty halos that sometimes, are made visible by the spectral illumination of moonshine." (9)
"It seemed somehow to throw a kind of light on everything about me--and into my thoughts. It was sombre enough too -- and pitiful -- not extraordinary in any way -- not very clear either. No. Not very clear. And yet it seemed to throw a kind of light." (15)

Wandering minds beware!

Make darn sure you bring your Heart of Darkness books tomorrow! You cannot study and discuss this work without the annotated novel in your hand!

Best,

RMH

Brainstorming targets for the in-class essay

Issues you might wish to discuss/think about before the essay on Monday: (a) Sophocles' use of irony to develop his themes (b) free will/fate (c) Oedipus as a tragic hero (d) the motif of blindness, especially as it applies to Oedipus

You will be allowed to use the plays during the essay and I strongly recommend reading through the play again and marking important passages.

Oopsy-daisy!

Okay, so being on an alternate day from the other AP classes has put me in a serious state of confusion, as to dates for assignments (as we are trying to stay on track as a subject area - meaning we're all trying to remain in conjunction). I know these are fairly radical changes, but I was just looking at the wrong page of my calendar; plus, we are done with the play. So, these are the changes:

Monday, October 20th will be the Oedipus in-class essay - don't worry, there is really no prep for this, except for checking out the brainstorming targets above

Wednesday October 22nd - Peer-scoring the in-class essays

Friday, October 24th - First reading of Heart of Darkness complete and Oedipus in-class test

That's the scoop - make sure you complete the blog post for the Oedipus criticism by the next class period (this will help prep you for the in-class essay).

Have a great weekend!

-RMH

Blog Prompt - for Oedipus criticism

Read and annotate the two literary criticisms I passed out in class today, then choose a topic of discussion from one of these articles and post a response to it. Also, log on and join in the discussion of points your colleagues bring up.

Per Mr. Duncan, some info on the opera...

Additionally - The date for the Opera is 11/5/08 at 6:30 p.m.

Get down with Ludwig Van and get some culture!
Hey, Kids!--
I meant to tell you on Wednesday about the AP Lit opera tradition. Every year you have a chance--for a mere $12--to soak up some big-time Western culture by attending a Portland Opera dress rehearsal. It's fun to dress up and do the performing arts patron thing with your classmates & teachers. This fall's offering is "Fidelio," the only opera Beethoven wrote, and it's a great one that reflects the man's passion for liberty and the human spirit. Remember, this is the guy who wrote the Eroica Symphony with Napoleon in mind; then when he realized the Corsican was just another rapacious world conqueror, scratched out Napoleon's name so furiously that he left a hole in the first page of the symphony.
I'll tell you more on Monday after the Lit terms 2 quiz. And Matt, take heart. I would have anyone else pass out those smokin' exams. The darkest hour, as they say, is always just before the dawn. For us, dawn will be 7:45 on the nose.
See you then!
--JD

Thesis Statement work goes.....

here! Keep up the good work!

-RMH

Essay prompt work goes.......

HERE! Make sure you're commenting on each other's ideas. See you tomorrow!

-RMH

Newsflash!

Make sure you bring your book on Monday! Not that you needed this reminder, of course. Have a fun weekend and stay out of trouble!

-RMH

New Blog Prompt 9/26/08

Per Mr. Duncan, who worded this prompt much better than I could have:

Look over chapter 39 once more, with special attention to the atmospheric way Dickens sets the scene for the dramatic re-entry of the convict and the revelation of the source of Pip's expectations. Like a theatrical director he orchestrates sights, sounds and lighting to create the utmost tension and foreboding in the reader as well as his protagonist.
For this blog, consider Dickens the writer as much as you do his story. This is the last chapter of part one, and most certainly comprised an installment of the serialized novel. The stakes were high, therefore, and he rose to the occasion. Don't indulge in an orgy of flattery, but comment on what most strikes you about the opening 30 paragraphs or so of the chapter leading up to Pip's realization: diction, tone, pacing, etc.

Scoundrels!

My hands are cut and bleeding from crumpling up misused post-it notes. I hope you're happy.

Post-it notes

Mr Hardin's desk:

Compliments of Juan Caicedo, Jared Homsley and Katherine Bryant.

Blog Prompt 9/19

Go back and re-read the passage about Magwitch eating his dinner (III, 2nd page, the paragraph beginning with “I was soon at the battery…” through the paragraph that begins “I had often watched a large dog of ours eating his food”) and compare it to the description of the family having a Christmas dinner with Pumblechook, Wopsle, and the Hubbles (IV, 1st page, paragraph that begins, “we were to have a superb dinner..”).