Agenda for week of September 14, 2009

Hello all,

Here is the agenda for this week:

• Monday: In Class Notes for Romanticism and the Gothic, Transcendentalism, Nationalism. Hw: Thomas Jefferson's "The Declaration of Independence" annotated and 2page lit response.


• Tuesday-Thursday: A focus on reading for understanding and fluency using Henry David Thoreau's "A Resistance to Civil Government" ( see the hyperlink or Norton Anthology of American Literature 829-844)and Dialectic Journals. Remember you must show that you understand the main ideas by summarizing the main points and then show that you understand the principles of the rhetorical triangle AND the philosophies of Romanticism, Transcendentalism, or Nationalism in your explanations of the quotes that you chose.


• Homework for Tuesday-Thursday: Tues= Phyllis Wheatley bio and poems, annotations and 2page lit response. Wed=Walt Whitman bio, selections from "Song of Myself", annotations, and 2pg lit response. Thurs=Kate Chopin's "Desiree's Baby", annotations, and 2page lit response. Also make sure you've continued to study for the vocab quiz because...


• Friday: YOU HAVE A VOCAB QUIZ ON THE 1st 30 WORDS. Also, be ready for a Thoreau, Chopin, Whitman discussion.

No homework over the weekend. You've earned it!

Agenda for Week of September 7, 2009

Hi all,

In case you missed it in class today, here is the agenda for the upcoming week:

• Monday: Labor Day
• Tuesday: "Sinners," Bradstreet, Puritan Discussion. Homework is Edward Taylor's "Huswifery" annotated and the two page lit response.
• Wednesday: Puritan background, "Sinners", Bradstreet and Taylor quiz (essay format). Homework is Henry David Thoreau's "A Resistance to Civil Government" ("Civil Disobedience") annotated and the two page lit response. Please note that the above link is a hyper-text. It will definitely help you annotate and understand Thoreau's premises.
• Thursday: Intro to Nationalism/Romanticism/Transcendentalism. This will be a heavy note-taking day. Homework: Thomas Jefferson's "The Declaration of Independence", annotated with the two page lit response.
• Friday: Thomas Jefferson/Declaration of Independence timed ICE: Vocab part three is also due today!

How to Dissect a Poem

How to Dissect a Poem

Read the title & the author.
What clues does it give you & why?
Does it say more than the words on the page
Could the author’s gender, age, background, or life experiences influence the poem?

Study the form of the poem on the page.
Shape of the poem (concrete)?

Spacing – intentional?
Punctuation, or lack of…
Sometimes ABSENCES speak louder than words.

Read the poem.
Content – can you identify the “plot” or main idea?
Take a guess… what’s the purpose of the poem?
Analyze the language. Cite specific examples.
What poetic devices are used? What do they contribute to the meaning? (be sure to identify patterns and rhythms)
What word choices are used? How do they contribute to the poem?
What questions does the poem raise?

Identify the persona.
Is the persona (speaker) different than the author? If so, how? How do you know? If not, how do you know?
Are there any characters within the poem? If so, who?

Assess the poem.
Did you like it? Why or why not?
What does the poem say to YOU?
Avoid using “I didn’t understand it” as a reason!

Here is the homework assignment for Wednesday 9/2/09 and Thursday 9/3/09:

Wednesday: 9/2/09

• Jonathan Edwards: "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" annotated and 2page lit response.
• Locate a biography of Jonathan Edwards. Summarize what you found and create a link to that page. Please use proper MLA citations!!! Be ready to discuss your ideas in class and activate all the knowledge that you have from the Puritan Background handout you received in class.

Thursday: 9/3/09

• Read and annotate Anne Bradstreet's poems (you'll receive the handout in class. Otherwise, visit the links below).
• Write your 2 page literature response. Yes, the poems are short; however, the are full of rhetorical wonders that are dying to be uncovered!
• Locate a biography of Anne Bradstreet. Summarize what you found and create a link to that page. Please use proper MLA citations!!! Be ready to discuss your ideas in class and activate all the knowledge that you have from "Sinners" and those AP History classes! :-)
  All work must be posted to your blog by FRIDAY, 9/4/08 AT 8:20am. NO EXCEPTIONS
  http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/webtexts/Bradstreet/bradhyp.htm
  http://rpo.library.utoronto.ca/poem/208.html