Friday

Students wrote a timed commentary modeled after the IB exam paper 1. All students -- present in class today or not -- should have a sound draft of their comparison/contrast papers on March 2 and 3.

This link leads to notes on an approach to commentary.

Wednesday

Today we did some housekeeping for the written assignments, which are due to be mailed. Second, B-day students finally chose poets and discussed the remaining assignments for the course. See previous posts for third quarter assignments and the link on the right for fourth quarter assignments. Note that the third quarter timed commentary will be an exam extract rather than a poem from Marvell, Keats, Yeats, or Plath.

Tuesday: A and B day

The timed commentary on Thursday/Friday will be based on old IB exams, not on your present poets. You will get a pair of unseen works and will write on them. Study how to approach commentaries, just as many of you did before the orals.

Monday, B-day

Today we worked further on getting to know our poets -- and here are some key dates for third nine weeks. You already have a presentation grade and will have a few more entries as daily grades, so...

You should recruit a partner to help you prepare for the comparison/contrast paper and for your fourth quarter work. B-day is behind A-day by quite a lot with regards to research and preparation for the upcoming work.

• February 27: Timed commentary on a poem from your partner's collection. You and your partner may select it in advance but you may only have the poem (no notes) during the writing session.
• March 3: Comparison/contrast draft 1 -- Write a comparison/contrast essay based on at least two poems from each poet -- yours and your partner's poets. Compare the work of your poet with the work of your partner's poet. This paper should be a good effort formatted according to MLA style. Late work or work not in MLA style will suffer up to a 20-point deduction. Your essay should respond to one of the following questions:
1. The metaphor, based on analogies between things, is a common and expected element of poetry. Show how at least two poets in our study have heightened meaning or interest in their poems by the use of metaphor.
2. Focusing on the works of at least two poets you have studied, explore how imagery is used to create an impact on the reader.
3. Light and dark, country and city: Contrasts of many kinds are used by poets to sharpen their expression of ideas or feelings. In the works of at least two poets you haves studied, explore the way contrasts have been used to achieve particular effects.
• Be sure to discuss both similarities and differences; the essay is an exercise in comparison and contrast.
• Take a position: the paper is not to paraphrase or summarize but to argue a point about similarities and differences. You know -- So what?
• March 11 Comparison/contrast final

Then you will have mock exams the week of March 16. All third quarter grades will be complete at that point, and all work after the March 10 deadline will go on the fourth quarter.

See this link to know what is coming for the final quarter.

You may choose your partner and enter your choices in 1-3 order as a reply to this post.

Marvell/Keats
Marvell/Yeats
Marvell/Plath
Keats/Yeats
Keats/Plath
Yeats/Plath

Friday: A-day

You guys are probably thinking you're seeing way too much of me. On the other hand, when is the last time we had a regular meeting of the B-day class?

Today we worked further on getting to know our poets -- and here are some key dates for third nine weeks. You already have a presentation grade and will have a few more entries as daily grades, so...

• February 26: Timed commentary on a poem from your partner's collection. You and your partner may select it in advance but you may only have the poem (no notes) during the writing session.
• March 2: Comparison/contrast draft 1 -- Write a comparison/contrast essay based on at least two poems from each poet -- yours and your partner's poets. Compare the work of your poet with the work of your partner's poet. This paper should be a good effort formatted according to MLA style. Late work or work not in MLA style will suffer up to a 20-point deduction. Your essay should respond to one of the following questions:
• The metaphor, based on analogies between things, is a common and expected element of poetry. Show how at least two poets in our study have heightened meaning or interest in their poems by the use of metaphor.
• Focusing on the works of at least two poets you have studied, explore how imagery is used to create an impact on the reader.
• Light and dark, country and city: Contrasts of many kinds are used by poets to sharpen their expression of ideas or feelings. In the works of at least two poets you haves studied, explore the way contrasts have been used to achieve particular effects.
• Be sure to discuss both similarities and differences; the essay is an exercise in comparison and contrast.
• Take a position: the paper is not to paraphrase or summarize but to argue a point about similarities and differences. You know -- So what?
• March 10 Comparison/contrast final

Then you will have mock exams the week of March 16. All third quarter grades will be complete at that point, and all work after the March 10 deadline will go on the fourth quarter.

Thursday: B-day

No class because it was cold, I guess.

Wednesday: A-day again

Add to your annotated bibliography and get formatted correctly by Thursday midnight. Focus on biography and large-scale criticism -- that is, criticism of the poet's entire body of work, his style, and his themes.

• Have one entry from DISCUS online source.
• Have one entry from book source in library.
• Choose one representative 20-50 line poem that you will do an extended written commentary on. Choose one that you find well represented in the criticism on DISCUS and in the library, especially in the Bloom's series of critical writings. You will need a couple of critics, so do not choose a poem that does not have some of these critics available. Create a bibliographic entry for this poem as well. Check with me before finalizing.
• You should have a total of AT LEAST three entries with annotations that represent DISCUS and books. Again, due by Thursday at midnight.

Friday

Students selected partners and poets, went to the lab, and started annotated bibliographies based on their chosen poets.

Thursday

Read this poem together as a class. Discuss -- how well does this poem describe and predict the historical and cultural changes of World Wars I and II?

Next, go to the library, accompanied by your teacher, and do preliminary research with Dr. Weaks' help on William Butler Yeats, Andrew Marvell, John Keats, and Sylvia Plath. Familiarize yourself with each of these poets and learn a little about their lives and times. Rank them 1-4 in order of preference if your choice were to commit you to a massive project on the one you ranked highest.

Because it will.

If you have yet to do your commentary, focus on preparations for that.

Wednesday

Students chose some poets and did some preliminary research on their lives and times.

Tuesday

As yesterday, prepare for your orals. Be on time for your appointments! Double check the sign-up list.

Monday

Please remind each other to be on time for your oral commentary. Report to the science lab just down the hall, A223.

Students in this class have no new assignment and should prepare themselves for the oral.

Friday

BE ON TIME for your commentary appointments! You can keep nothing with you when you enter the prep room. You will be given a copy of your poem and plenty of pens and paper. You may bring all you scratched on into the recording room, but you need to leave it behind when you go.

Good luck! You will be fine -- you are prepared.

Thursday

Students practiced an oral commentary based on John Donne's poetry. They assessed peers and then themselves. Good luck Monday on the actual, live commentaries!

Wednesday

Students prepped and presented an oral on Donne. Next class, bring in your Donne poems for one last practice. This time, you will record yourself and then score and comment on your own recording.

Tuesday

Students completed practicing orals with Orwell and returned to the metaphysical. Bring all Donne poems with you for next class.

Monday

Students did another practice round on Orwell. For Wednesday, bring all Donne poems for a little refresher right before the commentaries are recorded.