Crime and Punishment, the Pevear and Volokhonsky translation needs to be purchased and reading needs to begin immediately.

This is heavy reading and I will test your pace. We have 4-5 more poetry class meetings - that's two full weeks to get started reading. Fairly, you should have read through the end of Part 3 by 4/22.

Continue to work "Stopping by the Woods.." paying special attention to Sound. Apply what we learned about sound to your working of "Snowstorm". The following will be due on Friday 4/9: Write an essay discussing how sound/musical devices enhance meaning in Emerson's "Snowstorm"? 2-3 Pages, 75 points. Print out the poem and attach the marked up poem to your essay.

Snowstorm

ANNOUNCED by all the trumpets of the sky,
Arrives the snow, and, driving o’er the fields,
Seems nowhere to alight: the whited air
Hides hills and woods, the river, and the heaven,
And veils the farm-house at the garden’s end. 5
The sled and traveller stopped, the courier’s feet
Delayed, all friends shut out, the housemates sit
Around the radiant fireplace, enclosed
In a tumultuous privacy of storm.

Come see the north wind’s masonry. 10
Out of an unseen quarry evermore
Furnished with tile, the fierce artificer
Curves his white bastions with projected roof
Round every windward stake, or tree, or door.
Speeding, the myriad-handed, his wild work 15
So fanciful, so savage, naught cares he
For number or proportion. Mockingly,
On coop or kennel he hangs Parian wreaths;
A swan-like form invests the hidden thorn;
Fills up the farmer’s lane from wall to wall, 20
Maugre the farmer’s sighs; and at the gate
A tapering turret overtops the work.
And when his hours are numbered, and the world
Is all his own, retiring, as he were not,
Leaves, when the sun appears, astonished Art 25
To mimic in slow structures, stone by stone,
Built in an age, the mad wind’s night-work,
The frolic architecture of the snow.

Read "God's Grandeur" to further ruminate on the theme of today's fabulous discussion (in both sections).

Work the poem "Snowstorm" (below) and take notes on sound devices; we will write an essay based on this poem after next class.

Blog Prompt: Read "Nothing Gold Can Stay"; answer #3 on the blog. You do not have to write about every musical device, just something supportable and arguable about one or two of them and how they relate to tone/purpose ("effectiveness").

Have a great weekend!

The Snow-Storm

Announced by all the trumpets of the sky, 
Arrives the snow, and,
driving o'er the fields, 
Seems nowhere to alight: the whited air 
Hides
hill and woods, the river, and the heaven, 
And veils the farmhouse at
the garden's end. 
The sled and traveller stopped, the courier's feet

Delayed, all friends shut out, the housemates sit 
Around the radiant
fireplace, enclosed 
In a tumultuous privacy of storm. 
Come see the
north wind's masonry. 
Out of an unseen quarry evermore 
Furnished
with tile, the fierce artificer 
Curves his white bastions with projected
roof 
Round every windward stake, or tree, or door. 
Speeding, the
myriad-handed, his wild work 
So fanciful, so savage, nought cares he

For number or proportion. Mockingly, 
On coop or kennel he hangs
Parian wreaths; 
A swan-like form invests the hiddden thorn; 
Fills up
the famer's lane from wall to wall, 
Maugre the farmer's sighs; and at
the gate 
A tapering turret overtops the work. 
And when his hours are
numbered, and the world 
Is all his own, retiring, as he were not,

Leaves, when the sun appears, astonished Art 
To mimic in slow
structures, stone by stone, 
Built in an age, the mad wind's night-
work, 
The frolic architecture of the snow.

1835 [1841]

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)


-RMH

PS - Speaking of "God's Grandeur" check out the grandeur of square-jawed, wistful Gerard, himself:

Read “Dover Beach” 166/157/173/176 and “Church Going” 167/158/174/177. Work the poems and answer the questions that follow. This is the homework; there is no blog post, just these questions answered in the journal.

-RMH

You're welcome.

Best,

RMH

For Ulysses - this will be done in the journal:

1. Paraphrase meaning in each section of the poem
2. Answer the question that follow

These three things will drive our initial discussion tomorrow morning.

TO BE POSTED:

Take notes on the "allegory" section from Chapter 6. Read/Work "Peace". Blog about how allegory might work in the poem and how this primary device works to reveal and develop purpose.

WORK/Read "A Valediction Forbidding Mourning" and complete the questions that follow the poem in your journal. Be ready to discuss in class - all of our devices will be part of the discussion (conn/deno, imagery, and figurative language), so consider this when annotating. Be prepared to discuss the poem using this terminology, as well. Enjoy your day off, punks ;)

-RMH

YYYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!

Some people are questioning whether or not they're prepared for the AP Lit test. We have been growing and growing in our writing skills, and by the time the test rolls around, we'll be even better prepared (a major novel and a poetry unit still to go). Don't hesitate, do it, sign up.

-RMH

Students that made up the timed write (there are 5 of you) need to meet with me either tomorrow during 8th period or Wednesday during 7th to score each other's essays.

-RMH

Journal Assignment: Read "To Autumn" and answer the questions following the poem IN YOUR JOURNAL.

The Hamlet timed write revision will need to be taken by Thursday 3/18.

Blog Prompt: Read "Those Winter Sundays". What kind of imagery is central to the poem? How does the imagery work to reveal the tone and purpose (theme) of the poem?

If you disagree with the theme direction taken by your peers, don't just shoot off in another direction; explain how/why you think it is unsupportable.

Here is a little treat from the movie Amelie; it is a great example of using imagery to form character, in a poetic way. Start at 2:32 - end just bit after.