Poems “A Barred Owl” (Richard Wilbur) and “The History Teacher” (Billy Collins)
Prompt: In the following two poems, adults provide explanations for children. Read the poems carefully. Then write an essay in which you compare and contrast the two poems, analyzing how each poet uses literary devices to make his point.
teacher
Irony Rhyme Juxtaposition
owl
Aphorism Rhyme assonance
Words, which can make our terrors bravely clear,
Can also thus domesticate a fear,
When I was six years old the one thing in the world that scared me the most was pirates, but when my mom told me they were really just silly scalawags who roamed the seas in search of adventure and gold, my perspective changed. She softened the truth so that my childhood fears wouldn’t keep me from enjoying Disneyland and soon all I could think about was becoming a pirate myself. Looking back, my mother’s explanation was a tool used to influence my behavior.
In comparing “The Barred Owl” by Wilbur and “The History Teacher” by Collins each poet incorporates their own literary devices to show just how easily young children can be influenced.
Ignorance plays a large part in Billy Collins’ poem as he tells the story of this naive history teacher and his students. Unlike Wilbur’s poem, Collins’ use of irony clearly reveals that the bullies on the playground are doomed to repeat history because they know nothing about the past. For example, “the children would leave his classroom for the playground to torment the weak and the smart...” this quote shows the ironic comparison between the bullies and the knowledge of past events. (lines13-15) Another ironic situation is the history teacher’s idea that his students are still innocent and in need of protection. Collins also uses juxtaposition within his poem to highlight the theme of ignorance between his students and people in the past. This comparison reinforces his ideas about the importance of not being ignorant to history’s lessons, right up to the end as the teacher walks home amidst “flower beds and white picket fences,” completely unaware of his influence on the children. (line 18)
In contrast to Collins’ poem, Richard Wilbur wrote “A Barred Owl” to show how lying to children can sometimes yield its own benefits. His use of assonance gives off a more calm tone than that of “The History Teacher.” The repetition of certain consonants and sounds such as, “the warping night air having brought the boom of an owl’s voice into her darkened room,” emphasizes Wilbur’s idea that calming words will sooth a child’s fears. (lines1-2) Aphorisms are another literary device that is found within the poem. “Words, which can make our terrors bravely clear,
can also thus domesticate a fear,” this clear statement shows how well words can calm a child’s fears. (lines7-8) So instead of lying to children and teaching them to be ignorant, as we saw in the first poem, Richard Wilbur has shown how a simple lie can sometimes “send a small child back to sleep at night.” (line 9)
While the two poems are different in many ways, similarities can be found between their makers. For example, both used rhyme to keep the reader interested and to help their stories flow. “A Barred Owl” had a more effortless rhyming scheme, whereas “The History Teacher” incorporated a more rigid one to make the reader feel uneasy, but both poems used rhyme to accentuate their points.
Both Richard Wilbur and Billy Collins wrote about how children are always learning and they learn the most from the adults around them. Through the uses of different literary devices they are able to show just how easily a child can be manipulated.
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Response to Lit Cirlces
Slaughterhouse 5
1) b 2) d 3) a 4) a 5) d 6) c 7) c 8) d 9) b 10) a
Kafka on the Shore
1) c 2) d 3) d 4) a 5) b 6) a 7) c 8) b 9) a 10) c
Life of Pi
1) c 2) c 3) b 4) b 5) c 6) b 7) b 8) b 9) c 10) c
Slaughterhouse 5:
Time travel is a propionate part of the novel. Putting the science of time travel aside, how does this mix-up of chronology affect the story. Why is the proper order so important? Why must things be in order?
Prewrite
people assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, when it's actually this big ball of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey... stuff.
Kafka on the Shore:
Explain how the author develops a character through the use of relationships and encounters with others.
Thoughts (cuz that last one was just a thought)
Indirect + direct characterization. The reader can understand relations and main characters this way. This helps make a character more 3 dimensional, not just a cardboard cutout from a book.
Life of Pi:
Write an essay about a novel (Life of Pi) that reveals a sense of self identity through a momentous plot of hardships and obstacles. Identify the self awareness, and explain its significance to the work as a whole.
Thoughts
Pi's family is wiped out and he is alone on a boat with a tiger. He is alert, bold, cunning and smart about how he will try and survive. Also, his experiences in his father's zoo means he is already accustomed to the animals' ways which makes it easier for him to adjust.
1) b 2) d 3) a 4) a 5) d 6) c 7) c 8) d 9) b 10) a
Kafka on the Shore
1) c 2) d 3) d 4) a 5) b 6) a 7) c 8) b 9) a 10) c
Life of Pi
1) c 2) c 3) b 4) b 5) c 6) b 7) b 8) b 9) c 10) c
Slaughterhouse 5:
Time travel is a propionate part of the novel. Putting the science of time travel aside, how does this mix-up of chronology affect the story. Why is the proper order so important? Why must things be in order?
Prewrite
people assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, when it's actually this big ball of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey... stuff.
Kafka on the Shore:
Explain how the author develops a character through the use of relationships and encounters with others.
Thoughts (cuz that last one was just a thought)
Indirect + direct characterization. The reader can understand relations and main characters this way. This helps make a character more 3 dimensional, not just a cardboard cutout from a book.
Life of Pi:
Write an essay about a novel (Life of Pi) that reveals a sense of self identity through a momentous plot of hardships and obstacles. Identify the self awareness, and explain its significance to the work as a whole.
Thoughts
Pi's family is wiped out and he is alone on a boat with a tiger. He is alert, bold, cunning and smart about how he will try and survive. Also, his experiences in his father's zoo means he is already accustomed to the animals' ways which makes it easier for him to adjust.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Macbeth Active Reading Notes
The battle is won and the king rides to Macbeth's castle for a victory dinner. Beth rides ahead and warns his wife, she tells him what he has been thinking all along. They must kill Duncan and obtain the crown to get the power they seek. It must be done that night for the king departs in the morning...
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Open Essay Prompts Life of Pi
Josh Montero has the other half of the assignment:
http://jmonterorhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/
1) How do the humans in your life reflect the animal behavior observed by Pi? What did Pi's strategies for dealing with Richard Parker teach you about confronting the fearsome creatures in your life?
2) Is there a relationship between religion and storytelling? Is religion a form of storytelling? Is there a theological dimension to storytelling?
3) Besides the loss of his family and possessions, what did Pi loose when the Tsimtsum sank? What did he gain?
10 Multiple Choice Questions
1. The main character grew up in what country?
a) Canada
b) Mexico
c) India
d) United States
2. What was the main character named after?
a) A famous landmark
b) His grandfather
c) His father
d) A swimming pool
3. What did the main character think about the animals in the zoo?
a) They were happy living in the zoo
b) They were fearful of the other animals in the zoo
c) They would like to return to the wild
d) They were not happy living in the zoo
4. Who is Mamji?
a) A person who studied in England for two years
b) A person who worked for Pi's father at the zoo
c) A person who used to be a competitive swimmer
d) A respectful, affectionate term for an older person
5. In Chapter 1, the main character tells about his experience in which location?
a) A Canadian hospital
b) A Mexican hospital
c) A Mexican restaurant
d) An English restaurant
6. The main character's father loved to talk about what subject?
a) Swimming
b) History
c) Zoology
d) Animals
7. What animal do zookeepers think of as the most dangerous animal in the zoo?
a) Lions
b) Hippos
c) Man
d) Tigers
8. When Pi's father takes his sons on a tour of the zoo, which of the following statements is not true?
a) They watch a tiger eat a goat
b) His father shows them how quickly animals could kill them
c) His father tells them not to try and pet a tiger
d) His father tells them none of the animals could be touched
9. Who was Mr. Satish Kumar?
a) Mr. Kumar was the reason Pi studied theology
b) Mr. Kumar was a good looking man who believed in God
c) Mr. Kumar was an agnostic
d) Mr. Kumar was a Communist and atheist
10. When have successful zookeepers created a healthy environment for the animals?
a) When the animals reproduce
b) When the animals get along with humans
c) When the animals don't try to get out
d) When the animals eat well
http://jmonterorhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/
1) How do the humans in your life reflect the animal behavior observed by Pi? What did Pi's strategies for dealing with Richard Parker teach you about confronting the fearsome creatures in your life?
2) Is there a relationship between religion and storytelling? Is religion a form of storytelling? Is there a theological dimension to storytelling?
3) Besides the loss of his family and possessions, what did Pi loose when the Tsimtsum sank? What did he gain?
10 Multiple Choice Questions
1. The main character grew up in what country?
a) Canada
b) Mexico
c) India
d) United States
2. What was the main character named after?
a) A famous landmark
b) His grandfather
c) His father
d) A swimming pool
3. What did the main character think about the animals in the zoo?
a) They were happy living in the zoo
b) They were fearful of the other animals in the zoo
c) They would like to return to the wild
d) They were not happy living in the zoo
4. Who is Mamji?
a) A person who studied in England for two years
b) A person who worked for Pi's father at the zoo
c) A person who used to be a competitive swimmer
d) A respectful, affectionate term for an older person
5. In Chapter 1, the main character tells about his experience in which location?
a) A Canadian hospital
b) A Mexican hospital
c) A Mexican restaurant
d) An English restaurant
6. The main character's father loved to talk about what subject?
a) Swimming
b) History
c) Zoology
d) Animals
7. What animal do zookeepers think of as the most dangerous animal in the zoo?
a) Lions
b) Hippos
c) Man
d) Tigers
8. When Pi's father takes his sons on a tour of the zoo, which of the following statements is not true?
a) They watch a tiger eat a goat
b) His father shows them how quickly animals could kill them
c) His father tells them not to try and pet a tiger
d) His father tells them none of the animals could be touched
9. Who was Mr. Satish Kumar?
a) Mr. Kumar was the reason Pi studied theology
b) Mr. Kumar was a good looking man who believed in God
c) Mr. Kumar was an agnostic
d) Mr. Kumar was a Communist and atheist
10. When have successful zookeepers created a healthy environment for the animals?
a) When the animals reproduce
b) When the animals get along with humans
c) When the animals don't try to get out
d) When the animals eat well
Literary Techniques Life of Pi
flashback:
The whole story is a flashback told by Francis Adirubasamy who is trying to get another man to believe in God.
genre:
Pi's story is fictional one, but it never the less speaks truths about our "real world." Storytelling is not meant to entertain it is meant to bring us out of our mundane lives and teach about the world around us.
irony:
The dominant factor in the story reveals itself as ironic because Pi manages to prove to Richard Parker that he is the more alpha of the two, when obviously the normal situation would be Pi is not able to assert dominance and is therefore eaten.
synesthesia:
"I wish I could convey the perfection of a seal slipping into water... or a lion merely turning its head. But language founders on such seas. Better to picture it in your head if you want to feel it." pg 15
motif:
A re-occurring concept is the fact that Pi keeps telling us in the first 100 pages that all animals are creatures of habit, humans too. Like Bilbo we are comfortable in our hobbit holes. Routines never change and when they do we get horribly perturbed.
symbol:
The color orange is a re-occurring color. The tiger, the orange whistle on Pi's life jacket, and on page 92, Pi's daughter is holding an orange cat.
narrative:
Francis Adirubasamy and the author, Yann Martel are putting together a collection of events which tell a story.
narrator:
Parts 1 and 2 of the book is narrated by Piscine and the last section is told by Pi, the author and two other people.
personification:
Animals are given human traits in this story or are humans given animal traits?
protagonist:
Piscine Molitor Patel also known as Pi. He was on the boat for 227 days.
dialogue:
When Pi speaks to other characters he uses dialogue.
didactic:
This book incorporates Hinduism, Christianity, and Muslim practices. It informs you about all of these religions and how Pi came to want to be all three.
allusion:
there were many in Life of Pi some of which included Robinson Crusoe and Sir Conan Doyle books.
conflict:
The conflict of the story begins when the ship Pi and his family are on, the Tsimtsum, sinks. Then Pi spends 227 days on a small boat with a 3 year old tiger.
stream of consciousnesses:
The author Yann Martel jumps into the story sometimes, as it is, he is retelling it to the reader.
foil:
Pi's older brother Ravi is his foil. Ravi likes sports and never paid attention to religion, whereas Pi was the opposite.
foreshadowing:
In the scene where we see Pi and his daughter we know that Pi will live through his ordeal with no fatal damage.
resolution:
Pi lives, but the author leaves us wondering about what really happened. Were the animals animals or humans?
round character:
Pi changes throughout the book experimenting with religions and then moving, loosing his family, and the mental strain of being on a boat with a tiger makes Pi a changed character by story's end.
pathos:
Many chapters are of Pi reminiscing about life, death, religion, and human nature. I found myself becoming engrossed in somethings Pi would comment on.
The whole story is a flashback told by Francis Adirubasamy who is trying to get another man to believe in God.
genre:
Pi's story is fictional one, but it never the less speaks truths about our "real world." Storytelling is not meant to entertain it is meant to bring us out of our mundane lives and teach about the world around us.
irony:
The dominant factor in the story reveals itself as ironic because Pi manages to prove to Richard Parker that he is the more alpha of the two, when obviously the normal situation would be Pi is not able to assert dominance and is therefore eaten.
synesthesia:
"I wish I could convey the perfection of a seal slipping into water... or a lion merely turning its head. But language founders on such seas. Better to picture it in your head if you want to feel it." pg 15
motif:
A re-occurring concept is the fact that Pi keeps telling us in the first 100 pages that all animals are creatures of habit, humans too. Like Bilbo we are comfortable in our hobbit holes. Routines never change and when they do we get horribly perturbed.
symbol:
The color orange is a re-occurring color. The tiger, the orange whistle on Pi's life jacket, and on page 92, Pi's daughter is holding an orange cat.
narrative:
Francis Adirubasamy and the author, Yann Martel are putting together a collection of events which tell a story.
narrator:
Parts 1 and 2 of the book is narrated by Piscine and the last section is told by Pi, the author and two other people.
personification:
Animals are given human traits in this story or are humans given animal traits?
protagonist:
Piscine Molitor Patel also known as Pi. He was on the boat for 227 days.
dialogue:
When Pi speaks to other characters he uses dialogue.
didactic:
This book incorporates Hinduism, Christianity, and Muslim practices. It informs you about all of these religions and how Pi came to want to be all three.
allusion:
there were many in Life of Pi some of which included Robinson Crusoe and Sir Conan Doyle books.
conflict:
The conflict of the story begins when the ship Pi and his family are on, the Tsimtsum, sinks. Then Pi spends 227 days on a small boat with a 3 year old tiger.
stream of consciousnesses:
The author Yann Martel jumps into the story sometimes, as it is, he is retelling it to the reader.
foil:
Pi's older brother Ravi is his foil. Ravi likes sports and never paid attention to religion, whereas Pi was the opposite.
foreshadowing:
In the scene where we see Pi and his daughter we know that Pi will live through his ordeal with no fatal damage.
resolution:
Pi lives, but the author leaves us wondering about what really happened. Were the animals animals or humans?
round character:
Pi changes throughout the book experimenting with religions and then moving, loosing his family, and the mental strain of being on a boat with a tiger makes Pi a changed character by story's end.
pathos:
Many chapters are of Pi reminiscing about life, death, religion, and human nature. I found myself becoming engrossed in somethings Pi would comment on.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Brainstorming Brave New World Essay
I couldn't write much tonight, there is many a thing to do scholarship wise and I have another essay due tomorrow. I know the book well, so I'm prioritizing.
Writers often highlight the values of a culture or a society by using
characters who are alienated from that culture or society because of gender,
race, class, or creed. Choose a play or novel (BRAVE NEW WORLD)
in which such a character plays a significant role, and show how that
character’s alienation reveals the surrounding society’s assumptions and
moral values.
John is the outcast of the World State and was not raised within the consumer conveyor belt. Brought up by the Savages he holds the relationship between a man and a woman in the highest regards.
"There is a holiness to the heart's affections." ---Keats
When he begins to have feelings for Lenina he tries to subdue them, but when she seduces him in chapter 13 all of these idea he has had about her being a pure creature worthy of his affections cease and he calls her an impudent strumpet.
Lenina doesn't see anything wrong with what she did. That's how she was taught to act. Instant gratification. Herein lies the contrast. Lenina is open about her desires, where as John reflects the normality of Huxley's society.
Soma is the drug of the people but John would rather learn from his mistakes and BE A HUMAN BEING. He sticks out so much and we see this when he goes to the world state, when his mother is dying and near the end when he is trying to "cleanse" himself of the society he deems as horrible.
Writers often highlight the values of a culture or a society by using
characters who are alienated from that culture or society because of gender,
race, class, or creed. Choose a play or novel (BRAVE NEW WORLD)
in which such a character plays a significant role, and show how that
character’s alienation reveals the surrounding society’s assumptions and
moral values.
John is the outcast of the World State and was not raised within the consumer conveyor belt. Brought up by the Savages he holds the relationship between a man and a woman in the highest regards.
"There is a holiness to the heart's affections." ---Keats
When he begins to have feelings for Lenina he tries to subdue them, but when she seduces him in chapter 13 all of these idea he has had about her being a pure creature worthy of his affections cease and he calls her an impudent strumpet.
Lenina doesn't see anything wrong with what she did. That's how she was taught to act. Instant gratification. Herein lies the contrast. Lenina is open about her desires, where as John reflects the normality of Huxley's society.
Soma is the drug of the people but John would rather learn from his mistakes and BE A HUMAN BEING. He sticks out so much and we see this when he goes to the world state, when his mother is dying and near the end when he is trying to "cleanse" himself of the society he deems as horrible.
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