Ms. Smith @ JDHS

Class Book List

2006-04-30T19:36:00.014-08:00

* In this post I'd like to create a
reference list of books that you
are reading, or have read in the
past, and your recommendation
of it to others. All you need is the
title, author, and what you liked
or didn't like about it.

Example:
1984 by George Orwell
Very depressing and sad, but interesting. A lot like Anthem with a view of the future that is controlled by "big brother" and all things governmental. When you finish reading it you'll catch yourself looking over your shoulder a lot, and you'll always be fearful of room 101.

Anthem Unit

2006-03-26T21:20:00.012-09:00

Anthem by Ayn Rand

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Online Text of Anthem:
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/anthem/

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Anthem Ch. 1-2 Study Guide Questions
1. In what format is Equality writing? (pg. 17)
2. Describe what Equality looks like? (pg. 18)
3. What is Equality’s curse? (pg. 18)
4. Why are friends forbidden? (pg. 30)
5. Why does Equality feel no shame in committing his crime? (pg. 37)
6. Who is Liberty and what does she do? (pg. 38)
7. How are children raised in Equality’s society? (pg. 41)
8. Why is Equality afraid of the Uncharted Forest? (pg. 48)
9. What are the Unmentionable Times? (pg. 48)
10. What is the punishment for speaking the Unspeakable Word? (pg. 49)

Anthem Ch. 3-6 Study Guide Questions
1. What does Equality discover in the tunnel? How does he discover it? (pg. 53)
2. What name does Equality give to Liberty? What name does Liberty give to Equality? What do the names mean? (pg. 55)
3. What is the box of glass and what does it do? (pg. 59)
4. What does Equality decide to do with his discovery? Why? (pg. 61)
5. What happens to Equality at the Palace of Corrective Detention? (pg. 64)
6. How does Equality escape and where does he go? (pg. 67)

Anthem Ch. 7-9 Study Guide Questions
1. What happened when Equality presented his discovery to the World Council of Scholars? (pg. 71)
2. Why is the World Council of Scholars concerned about Equality’s discovery? (pg. 73)
3. What does Equality discover in the Forest? (pg. 78)
4. Why is Equality not concerned about being one of the Damned? (pg. 80)
5. Who follows Equality into the Forest and what discoveries do they make? (pg. 81)

Anthem Ch. 10-13 Study Guide Questions
1. What is the significance of Equality saying “I am. I think. I will”? (pg. 94)
2. List three of the precepts that Equality adopts as his guide to life? (pg. 95)
3. Why does Equality believe that people require names? (pg. 98)
4. What name does he choose for himself and why? (pg. 99)
5. What name does he suggest for Liberty and why? (pg. 99)
6. What is the sacred word and why is it so important? (pg. 105)

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Anthem Word List
- Anthem: a song of devotion or loyalty (as to a nation or school).
- Equality: the quality or state of being equal; sameness or equivalence in number, quantity, or measure; likeness or sameness in quality, power, status, or degree.
- We: used by the speaker or writer to indicate the speaker or writer along with another or others as the subject.
- I: used to refer to oneself as speaker or writer; the self; the ego.
- Transgression: the act of transgressing; the violation of a law or a duty or moral principle; the action of going beyond or overstepping some boundary or limit.
- Curse: an appeal or prayer for evil or misfortune to befall someone or something.
- Grace: divine love and protection bestowed freely on people, the state of being protected or sanctified by the favor of God, an excellence or power granted by God.
- Sin: a transgression of a religious or moral law, especially when deliberate; something regarded as being shameful, deplorable, or utterly wrong.
- Mandate: an authoritative command or instruction.
- Vocation: a regular occupation, especially one for which a person is particularly suited or qualified.
- Scholar: a learned person; specialist in a given branch of knowledge.
- Hymn: a song of praise or thanksgiving to God or a deity.
- Toil: to labor continuously; work strenuously.
- Evil: the quality of being morally bad or wrong; wickedness.
- Preference: the selecting of someone or something over another or others; the right or chance to so choose.
- Manuscript: a book, document, or other composition written by hand; typewritten or handwritten version of a book, an article, a document, or other work, especially the author's own copy, prepared and submitted for publication in print.
- Eugenics: the study of hereditary improvement of the human race by controlled selective breeding.
- Solidarity: a union of interests or purposes or sympathies among members of a group.
- Saint: an extremely virtuous person.
- Pyre: wood heaped for burning a dead body as a funeral rite.
- Fraternity: the quality or condition of being brothers; brotherliness.
- Abyss: an immeasurably deep chasm, depth, or void.
- Fathom: to penetrate to the meaning or nature of; comprehend.
- Collective: of, relating to, characteristic of, or made by a number of people acting as a group.
- Infamy: an evil or criminal act that is publicly known.
- Unanimity: everyone being of one mind.
- Harmony: agreement in feeling or opinion; accord.
- Solitude: the state or quality of being alone or remote from others.
- Redemption: the act of redeeming or the condition of having been redeemed.
- Damned: to condemn to everlasting punishment or a similar fate; doom.
- Ego: the self, especially as distinct from the world and other selves.

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Biography of Ayn Rand and her Philosophy of Objectivism
Ayn Rand was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, on February 2, 1905. At the age of nine, she decided to make fiction-writing her career. In late 1925 she obtained permission to leave the USSR for a visit to relatives in the United States. Arriving in New York she first spent six months with her relatives in Chicago before moving to Los Angeles.
On her second day in Hollywood, the famous director Cecile B. De Mille noticed her standing at the gate of his studio and offered her a ride to the set of his silent movie “The King of Kings.” He gave her a job, first as an extra in the movie and later as a script reader. At the studio she met the actor Frank O’Connor, who she married in 1929.
She wrote several plays in the following years and her first novel We the Living was published in 1936. Her other novels were Anthem (1938), The Fountainhead (1935), and Atlas Shrugged (1957), which became her greatest achievement and last work of fiction. She also developed and based her writing on the philosophy she created called Objectivism. She died on March 6, 1982.

“My philosophy, in essence, is the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute.”

Ayn Rand created the philosophy of Objectivism and used it as a framework for the books that she wrote. She described Objectivism as a philosophy for living on earth. It rejects all forms of supernaturalism and religion and states that reality (the world of nature) exists as absolute facts regardless of man’s feelings, wishes, hopes, or fears. Reason (what we deduce from our senses) is man’s only source of knowledge, both of facts and of values. Reason is man’s only guide to action and his basic means of survival.

Objectivism includes a scientific code of morality, the morality of rational self-interest, which makes man’s life the standard of moral value. The “good” is that which sustains man’s life; the “evil” is that which destroys it. Each man should live by his own mind and for his own sake, neither sacrificing himself to others or others to himself. Man is the end in himself; his own happiness is the highest moral purpose. Objectivism holds that there is no greater moral goal than achieving happiness. The heroes of Objectivism are achievers who build businesses, invent technologies, and create art and ideas that fulfill their own individual interests and goals.

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Anthem Create Your Own Society Project
“Here, on this mountain, I and my sons and my chosen friends shall build our new land and our fort. And it will become as the heart of the earth, lost and hidden at first, but beating, beating louder each day. And word of it will reach every corner of the earth. And the road of the world will become as veins which will carry the best of the world’s blood to my threshold.”
- Prometheus and Gaea have begun the new age of reasoning. As their children, you have the task of designing the new world order. It is up to you to create the society that they would want.
- You will work with your group of brothers and sisters to create the society that Prometheus and Gaea might have envisioned at the end of Anthem. You will create a name for your society, an anthem, a map of what it might look like, and a brief summary of:

- How will people communicate?
- What laws, if any, will you have?
- Will there be leaders and how will they be decided?
- What will people do for recreation?
- What jobs will people have?
- How will families be set up?
- What kind of education will there be?
- As a group you must answer each of these points in the outline given, draw a map of your society, and report back to the class on what you have created.

Creation Literature Unit

2006-03-26T21:19:00.010-09:00

A Tlingit Creation Story

No one knows just how the story of Raven really begins, so each starts from the point where he does know it. Here it was always begun in this way. Raven was first called Kit-ka’ositiyi-qa-yit (“Son of Kit-ka’ositiyi-qa”). When his son was born, Kit-ka’ositiyi-qa tried to instruct him and train him in every way and, after he grew up, told him he would give him strength to make a world. After trying in all sorts of ways, Raven finally succeeded. Then there was no light in this world, but it was told him that far up the Nass was a large house in which some one kept light just for himself.

Raven thought over all kinds of plans for getting this light into the world and finally he hit on a good one. The rich man living there had a daughter and he thought, “I will make myself very small and drop into the water in the form of a small piece of dirt.” The girl swallowed this dirt and became pregnant. When her time was completed, they made a hole for her, as was customary, in which she was to bring forth, and lined it with rich furs of all sorts. But the child did not wish to be born on those fine things. Then its grandfather felt sad and said, “What do you think it would be best to put into that hole? Shall we put in moss?” So they put moss inside and the baby was born on it. Its eyes were very bright and moved around rapidly.

Round bundles of varying shapes and sizes hung about on the walls of the house. When the child became a little larger it crawled around back of the people weeping continually, and as it cried it pointed to the bundles. This lasted many days. Then its grandfather said, “Give my grandchild what he is crying for. Give him that one hanging on the end. That is the bag of stars.” So the child played with this, rolling it about on the floor back of the people, until suddenly he let it go up through the smoke hole. It went straight up into the sky and the stars scattered out of it, arranging themselves as you now see them. That was what he went there for.

Some time after this he began crying again, and he cried so much that it was thought he would die. Then his grandfather said, “Untie the next one and give it to him.” He played and played with it around behind his mother. After a while he let that go up through the smoke hole also, and there was the big moon.

Now just one thing more remained, the box that held the daylight, and he cried for that. His eyes turned around and showed different colors, and the people began thinking that he must be something other than an ordinary baby. But it always happens that a grandfather loves his grandchild just as he does his own daughter, so the grandfather said, “Untie the last thing and give it to him.” His grandfather felt very sad when he gave this to him. When the child had this in his hands, he uttered the raven cry, “Ga,” and flew out with it through the smokehole. Then the person from whom he had stolen it said, “That old manuring raven has gotten all of my things.”

Journeying on, Raven was told of another place, where a man had everlasting spring of water. This man was named Petrel (Ganu’k). Raven wanted this water because there was none to drink in this world, but Petrel always slept by his spring, and he had a cover over it so as to keep it all to himself. Then Raven came in and said to him, “My brother-in-law, I have just come to see you. How are you?” He told Petrel of all kinds of things that were happening outside, trying to induce him to go out to look at them, but Petrel was too smart for him and refused.

When night came, Raven said, “I am going to sleep with you, brother-in-law.” So they went to bed, and toward morning Raven heard Petrel sleeping very soundly. Then he went outside, took some dog manure and put it around Petrel’s buttocks. When it was beginning to grow light, he said, “Wake up, wake up, wake up, brother-in-law, you have defecated all over your clothes!” Petrel got up, looked at himself, and thought it was true, so he took his blankets and went outside. Then Raven went over to Petrel’s spring, took off the cover and began drinking. After he had drunk up almost all of the water, Petrel came in and saw him. Then Raven flew straight up, crying “Ga.”

Before he got through the smoke-hole, however, Petrel said, “My spirits up the smoke hole, catch him.” So Raven stuck there, and Petrel put pitchwood on the fire under him so as to make a quantity of smoke. Raven was white before that time, but the smoke made him of the color you find him today. Still he did not drop the water. When the smoke-hole spirits let him go, he flew around the nearest point and rubbed himself all over so as to clear off as much of the soot as possible. This happened somewhere about the Nass, and afterwards he started up this way. First he let some water fall from his mouth and made the Nass. By and by he spit more out and made the Stikine. Next he spit out Taku river, Chilkat, then Alsek, and all the other large rivers. The small drops that came out of his mouth made the small salmon creeks.

After this Raven went on again and came to a large town where were people who had never seen daylight. They were out catching eulachon in the darkness when he came to the bank opposite, and he asked them to take him across but they would not. Then he asked to them, “If you don’t come over I will have daylight break on you.” But they answered, “Where are you from? Do you come from far up the Nass where lives the man who has daylight?” At this Raven opened his box just a little and shed so great a light on them that they were nearly thrown down. He shut it quickly, but they quarreled with him so much across the creek that he became angry and opened the box completely, when the sun flew up into the sky. Then those people who had sea-otter or fur-seal skins, or the skins of any other sea animals, went into the ocean, while those who had land-otter, bear, or marten skins, or the skins of any other land animals, went into the woods becoming the animals whose skins they wore.

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The Popul Vuh – A Central American Creation Story

Over a universe wrapped in the gloom of a dense and primeval night passed the god Hurakan, the mighty wind. He called out “earth,” and the solid land appeared. The chief gods took counsel; they were Hurakan, Gucumatz, the serpent covered with green feathers, and Xpiyacoc and Xmucane, the mother and father gods. As the result of their deliberations animals were created. But as yet man was not. To supply the deficiency the divine beings resolved to create mannikins carved out of wood. But these soon incurred the displeasure of the gods, who, irritated by their lack of reverence, resolved to destroy them. Then by the will of Hurakan, the Heart of Heaven, the waters were swollen, and a great flood came upon the manikins of wood. They were drowned and thick resin fell from heaven. The bird Xecotcovach tore out their eyes; the bird Camulatz cut off their heads; the bird Cotzbalam devoured their flesh; the bird Tecumbalam broke their bones and sinews and ground them into powder. Because they had not thought on Hurakan, therefore the face of the earth grew dark, and a pouring rain commenced, raining by day and by night.

Then all sorts of beings, great and small, gathered together to abuse the men to their faces. The very household utensils and animals jeered at them, their mill-stones, their plates, their cups, their dogs, their hens. Said the dogs and hens, “Very badly have you treated us, and you have bitten us. Now we bite you in turn.” Said the mill-stones, “Very much were we tormented by you, and daily, daily, night and day, it was squeak, screech, screech, for your sake. Now you shall feel our strength, and we will grind your flesh and make meal of your bodies.”

And the dogs upbraided the manikins because they had not been fed, and tore the unhappy images with their teeth. And the cups and dishes said, “Pain and misery you gave us, smoking our tops and sides, cooking us over the fire burning and hurting us as if we had no feeling. Now it is your turn, and you shall burn.” Then ran the mannikins hither and thither in despair. They climbed to the roofs of the houses, but the houses crumbled under their feet; they tried to mount to the tops of the trees, but the trees hurled them from them; they sought refuge in the caverns, but the caverns closed before them. Thus was accomplished the ruin of this race, destined to be overthrown. And it is said that their posterity are the little monkeys who live in the woods.

Now we find the gods once more in council. In the darkness they commune concerning the creation of man. The Creator and Former made four perfect men. These beings were wholly created from yellow and white maize. Their names were Balam-Quitze (Tiger with the Sweet Smile), Balam-Agab (Tiger of the Night), Mahucutah (The Distinguished Name), and Iqi-Balam (Tiger of the Moon). They had neither father nor mother, neither were they made by the ordinary agents in the work of creation. Their creation was a miracle of the Former.

But Hurakan was not altogether satisfied with his handiwork. These men were too perfect. They knew overmuch. Therefore the gods took counsel as to how to proceed with man. They must not become as gods. Let us now contract their sight so that they may only be able to see a portion of the earth and be content, said the gods. Then Hurakan breathed a cloud over their eyes, which became partially veiled. Then the four men slept, and four women were made, Caha-Paluma (Falling Water), Choimha (Beautiful Water), Tzununiha (House of the Water), and Cakixa (Water of Aras or Parrots), who became the wives of the men in their respective order as mentioned above. These were the ancestors of the Kiches only. Then were created the ancestors of other peoples.

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Genesis – A Hebrew Creation Story
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and the darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that is was good. And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind; and God saw that it was good. And in the evening and the morning were the third day.

And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night; he made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth. And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

And God said, let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat; and it was so. And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens.

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Essay on The Bible/Creation Stories

- Write a 1 ½-2 page essay on one of the thesis statements provided, or your own.
- Essay should include:
- Introduction and Conclusion paragraphs with a thesis statement and supporting points.
- One paragraph for each of the supporting points with at least one quotation from the text you are writing about.
- MLA (Modern Language Association) formatting for the paper with citations and a work cited page. (Example and instruction will be provided)
- Due: Friday, September 23
- Possible Thesis Statements:
- The Bible is considered literature because it tells the history and stories of the Hebrew people.
- The Bible explains the history of our existence by telling the story of the creation and fall of humans.
- The God in Genesis is omnipotent and creates everything in our existence from nothing.
- Adam and Eve were foolish to disobey God and eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because they suffered a harsh consequence for it.
- Genesis and Popul Vuh are similar stories because they both tell of gods who create human beings, and they both involve human beings disobeying their creators.
- Genesis and the Tlingit Raven story are similar because they both include the creation of the sun, moon, stars, and waters, and the trickster characters of the serpent and the raven.
- Psalm 23 is a lyric poem that uses the metaphor of a shepherd and his flock to represent God as the protector and caretaker of his people.
- Out of the three creation stories we have read, I like ? the most because ?,?, and ?.
- The Koran describes a monotheistic god who is both loving and wrathful to those who do not worship and praise him and follow his commands.
- The Parable of the Prodigal Son tells the moral story of a father who gives unconditional love and forgiveness to his son, and likens this to God and his relationship to humankind.

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Online Text of the Old Testament:
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/oldtestament/

War Literature Unit

2006-03-26T15:47:00.011-09:00

All Quiet on the Western Front
by Erich Maria Remarque

Online Text of All Quiet:
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/allquiet/

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*Post your fastwrite responses to All Quiet on the Western Front in the comments section of this page.

Questions to ponder:

Has your opinion of war changed after reading this book?
Is Paul Baumer a good soldier?
Is war purely evil, or is it necessary, or both?
Is there ever a valid reason to go to war?
How has our idea of war changed from WWI and WWII to now?

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Magical Realism Unit

2006-03-26T15:46:00.015-09:00

Magical Realism:
"The Metamorphosis" by
Franz Kafka

Short Stories by
Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Online Text of "The Metamorphosis":
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/metamorph/

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Magic realism (or magical realism) is a kind of writing in which magical elements appear in an otherwise realistic setting. The term was first used to describe the work of certain Latin American writers.

The following elements are found in many magical realist novels and films, but not all are found in all of them and many are found in novels or films that could fall under other genres:

- Contains fantastical elements.
- The fantastic elements may be intuitively "logical" but are never explained.
- Characters accept rather than question the logic of the magical element.
- Exhibits a richness of sensory details.
- Distorts time so that it is cyclical or so that it appears absent. Another technique is to collapse time in order to create a setting in which the present repeats or resembles the past.
- Inverts cause and effect, for instance a character may suffer before a tragedy occurs.
- Incorporates legend or folklore.
- Presents events from multiple perspectives, such as those of belief and disbelief or the colonizers and the colonized.
- Uses a mirroring of either past and present, astral and physical planes, or of characters.
- Ends leaving the reader uncertain, whether to believe in the magical interpretation or the realist interpretation of the events in the story.

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Choose one of the following assignments for "The Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka:
Answer the following 10 short answer questions about the story in 1-2 sentences each:

1.) What time of day does Gregor Samsa wake up and what is the first thing he notices?
2.) What kind of animal is Gregor described as in the story?
3.) What is Gregor's job and what does he think of it?
4.) Who is the first member of the family to see Gregor and how do they react to him?
5.) How does the rest of the family react to Gregor and treat him once they see him?
6.) How does Gregor become injured and who injures him?
7.) Who takes care of Gregor and what do they feed him?
8.) What is the attitude of Gregor's parents towards him and why?
9.) What changes happen to the father once Gregor cannot work anymore and what does this make Gregor realize?
10.) How does Gregor die at the end of the story and how does his family react?
Create a collage representation of the story with an explanation describing it (at least 1 paragraph).

Write an essay (at least 2 pages) answering one of these questions (or your own) about the story:

1.) What is the definition of a metamorphosis and what metamorphosis takes place in the story (physically and symbolically)?
2.) What is Gregor's relationship with his family and how does it change throughout the story?
3.) What elements of the story are magical or surreal and why might Kafka have written them that way?
4.) What kills Gregor at the end of the story and why?

Write a poem or song (at least 20 lines) about the story and its meaning and present it to the class.
Create detailed drawings of important scenes (at least 4) from the story with a quote from the text for each one.
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* Post your Magical Realist short stories in the comments section so we can all read them ( :
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Poetry Unit

2006-03-26T15:42:00.003-09:00

The Iliad by Homer:
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/iliad/

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The Iliad Characters/Questions WorksheetDefine these characters and terms from the story and answer the questions about them.
- Hero:
Who are the main heroes in the story and why are they heroes?
- Homer:
How did Homer learn Greek myths and legends like The Iliad and why did he write them down?
- Trojan War:
How was the Trojan War started and how long did it last?
- Greece:
How many city-states made up the Greek army and who was their leader in the war?
- Troy:
Where was Troy located from Greece and how did the Greek army get there?
- Apollo:
Why is Apollo important in the first book of the story and what does he do to the Greek army?
- Athena:
What role does Athena play in the story and what does she stop Achilles from doing?
- Achilles:
Why does Achilles not want to fight at the beginning of the story and why does he change his mind later?
- Agamemnon:
Who does Agamemnon take as a slave at the beginning of the story and why does he decide to let her go?
- Calchas:
- Helen:
- Menelaus:
Who does Menelaus go to for help after Helen is taken by Paris?
- Nestor:
- Odysseus:
- Patroclus:
- Andromache:
- Astyanax:
- Chryses:
Who does Chryses pray to at the beginning of the story and why?
- Hector:
- Hecuba:
- Paris:
Who tells Paris that he can have Helen and why does he want her?
- Priam:
- Muse:

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Iliad Essay Topics- Achilles and Agamemnon do not get along in the story because Achilles will not bow down to Agamemnon as his leader, Agamemnon will not admit that he needs Achilles to win the war, and because Agamemnon tries to take Achilles slave, Briseis, away from him.
- The main epic hero in the Iliad is Achilles because he comes from divine ancestry, he is endowed with great courage and strength, and he is favored by the gods.
- The gods play an important role in the Iliad by favoring one side over the other, affecting both armies in positive and negative ways, and by determining the winner in the great battle between Achilles and Hector.
- In the Iliad slave women are portrayed as having no value but that of mistress and servant, royal women are respected only in their ability to produce royal heirs, and goddess women are the most powerful of all with equal abilities to those of the gods in independence and even warlike strengths.
- The Iliad tells the story of the Trojan War which began when Paris stole Helen from Menelaus and angered the Greeks enough to go to war over getting her back.
- The hero Achilles in the Iliad is different from our modern idea of a hero because he has divine origins, he is stronger and deadlier than mortals, and he does not have a selfless attitude in risking his life for others.
- Fate plays an important role in the Iliad because it determines what people will accomplish in their lives, when they will die, and whether or not the gods can intervene in a mortal’s life.
- Achilles from the Iliad and Prometheus from Anthem are similar characters because they both know what their purpose in life is and they go for it completely, and different because Achilles uses his strength only while Prometheus uses his intellect only.

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The Inferno by Dante Alligheri:
http://www.sparknotes.com/poetry/inferno/

Canto 1:- Write down at least four things that happen in this Canto that you can explain to the class.
1.) How does Dante feel about himself at the beginning of the story?
2.) What is Dante’s attitude towards Virgil?
3.) What is the she-wolf and what does she do to Dante?
4.) What do you predict might happen to Dante on his journey through Hell?

Canto 3:- Write down at least four things that happen in this Canto that you can explain to the class.
1.) Read lines 1-7 (that inscription on the gates of hell). What is it telling those who enter hell?
2.) What are your impressions of Charon, the demon boatman?
3.) Why does Charon complain about Dante’s presence at the river?
4.) In lines 93-96, the souls at the river are compared to leaves falling from a tree. Why are they like this?

Canto 5:- Write down at least four things that happen in this Canto that you can explain to the class.
1.) Who is Minos and what does he do in hell?
2.) Read lines 25-35 and explain what Dante is talking about here?
3.) What happens to Francesca and Paolo in their story?
4.) What do you think Dante is saying about love in this canto?

Canto 34:
- Write down at least four things that happen in this Canto that you can explain to the class.
1.) Who is Dis and what does he look like?
2.) Describe what this lowest level of hell looks like?
3.) Look at the painting on pg. 754 and describe your emotional reaction to it?
4.) Who does Dis hold in his mouth and what sin have they committed?

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Inferno Geography of Hell Project* In the Inferno Dante describes the 9 levels that he believes hell is made up of:
- Limbo – for those who are waiting to see if they will enter heaven or descend to hell.
- The Lustful – for those who have committed the sin of lustful passion (Cleopatra, Helen, Paris, Achilles, Lancelot).
- The Gluttonous – for those who have committed gluttony of food and drink in their lives.
- The Greedy – for those who hoarded money during their lives and did not share with those less fortunate than them.
- The Wrathful – for those who let anger overcome them and sought revenge on those who did them wrong.
- Heretics – for those who go against church beliefs and put themselves above their religion.
- The Violent – for those who committed murder and other violent acts against themselves and others.
- Frauds – for those who lie to and trick others into getting what they want.
- Betrayers – for the worst sinners of all who have betrayed another’s trust (Judas, Brutus, Cassius).
* With your group create your own geography of hell, naming the levels you think should be there and the sins that correspond to them.
- Decide your own hell’s 9 levels and the order they should be in.
- Pick a guide for your journey through hell as Dante picked Virgil for his.
- Determine what constitutes moral redemption in your geography of hell. Can those who have committed sins in your geography of hell be redeemed or are they doomed for eternity?
*Moral Redemption: The capacity to transcend ones own limitations and reach a new level of self-knowledge. According to Dante, the road to moral redemption can be reached only after confronting evil in the world and in one’s self.
- On your group poster draw your geography of hell, describe its levels and your guide through it, and decide whether moral redemption is possible.

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Emily Dickinson's Poetry:
http://www.sparknotes.com/poetry/dickinson/

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Memorizing and Analyzing Poetry

“If I read a book and it makes my whole body so cold no fire can ever warm me I know that is poetry. If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know that is poetry.”
--Emily Dickinson

Poetry Out Loud Recitation Contest Memorization Tips:

- Rewrite you poem by hand several times. Each time, try to write more and more of it from memory.
- Read your poem aloud before going to sleep at night, and repeat it when you wake up.
- Carry around a copy of your poem in your pocket or bag. You'll find several moments throughout the day to reread or recite it.
- Practice your poem by saying it to family and friends.

Analyzing Your Poem:One way to better understand poetry is by analyzing the elements that make up a good poem. Poems are written in either closed or open form. Closed form poems are written in specific patterns, using meter, line length, and line groupings called stanzas. Open form poems or “free verse” poems do not use regular rhythmic patterns. They are usually unrhymed, have varying line lengths, and have no set line groupings. Remember that you are looking for relationships between the formal devices of poetry, like word choice, metric pattern, and metaphor and the poem's subject. A thorough investigation of the elements of a poem helps the reader to better understand the poem. The following list is a guide providing characteristics to look for when analyzing poetry.

- Determine the subject of the poem:
- Paraphrase/summarize the poem: what is it about?
- Does the poem address a social, psychological, historical, or mythical phenomenon?
- Identify the poem's narrator: Who is speaking? To whom?
- Under what circumstances? Identify the setting.
- Note the diction (word choice) of the poet:
- Be sure to look up all unfamiliar words in a dictionary.
- What are the words' denotations and connotations?
- Are the words concrete or abstract?
- Is the poem free of cliches?
- How does the diction contribute to or detract from the poem?
- Determine the tone of the poem:
- Is the poem serious? Ironic? Satiric? Contemplative? Ambiguous?
- Point out words that set the tone.
-Determine whether the tone changes within the poem.
- Determine the rhythmical devices used by the poet:
- What is the basic metrical pattern? Line length?
- What is the length of the stanza?
- What is the rhyme scheme? End rhyme? Internal rhyme?
- Does the poet employ any other metrical devices?
- What form does the poem take? Open or closed?
- Note the use of other literary devices:
- What allusions does the poem contain?
- Listen to the sounds in the poem. Make note of assonance, alliteration, and onomatopoeia.
-Does the poet use figurative language, such as metaphor, simile, symbolism, imagery, irony, personification, antithesis, hyperbole, metonymy, synecdoche, allegory, paradox, understatement, or overstatement?
- Are there any examples of synecdoche or metonymy?
- Note the use, or absence, of punctuation.
- Titles are important. Is the title the best the writer could have chosen? What would be a better title for the work? Why?
- Determine the values of the poem:
- Does the poet succeed in recreating his experiences within the reader? How?
- Is the experience intensely felt by the reader?
- Does the poem succeed in sharpening the reader's awareness of something significant?

Lines in poetry are generally made up of metrical feet. Metrical feet (the combination of accented and unaccented syllables) are usually one of the following:
- Two-Syllable Feet:
- Iamb: consists of a light stress followed by a heavy stress. Example: the winds
- Trochee: a heavy stress followed by a light stress. Example: flower
- Spondee: Two successive, equally heavy stresses. Example: men’s eyes
- Pyrrhic: two successive unstressed syllables. Example: the soft
- Three-Syllable Feet:
- Anapest: Two light stresses followed by a heavy stress. Example: early light
- Dactyl: A heavy stress followed by two lights. Example: this is the

The combination of metrical feet determines a poem’s meter. The types of meter are:
- Dimeter: a line of two two-syllable feet.
- Trimeter: a line of three feet.
- Tetrameter: a four-foot line.
- Pentameter: a line of five feet.
- Hexameter: a six-foot line.
- Heptameter: a seven-foot line.
- Octameter: eight feet.

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An example of a closed form poem is this sonnet by William Shakespeare, which, like all sonnets, is written in iambic pentameter with varying rhyme schemes.

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My Mistress’ Eyes Are Nothing Like The SunMy mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun; (A)
Coral is far more red than her lips’ red; (B)
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; (A)
If hairs be wire, black wires grow from her head. (B)
I have seen roses demasked, red and white, (C)
But not such roses see I in her cheeks; (D)
And in some perfumes is there more delight (C)
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks. (D)
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know (E)
that music hath a far more pleasing sound; (F)
I grant I never saw a goddess go; (E)
My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground. (F)
And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare (G)
As any she belied with false compare. (G)

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The following is an example of an open form poem by Langston Hughes:

HarlemWhat happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up?
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore—
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over—
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?

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Lunar Baedeker
By Mina LoyA silver Lucifer Onyx-eyed Odalisques
serve and ornithologists
cocaine in cornucopia observe
the flight
To some somnambulists of Eros obsolete
of adolescent thighs
draped And “Immortality”
in satirical draperies mildews...
in the museums of the moon
Peris in livery
prepare “Nocturnal cyclops”
Lethe “Crystal concubine”
for posthumous parvenues
Pocked with personification
Delirious Avenues the fossil virgin of the skies
lit waxes and wanes
with the chandelier souls
of infusoria
from Pharoah's tombstones
lead to mercurial doomsdays
Odious oasis
in furrowed phosphorous
the eye-white sky-light
white-light district
of lunar lusts
Stellectric signs
“Wing shows on Starway”
“Zodiac carrousel”
Cyclones
of ecstatic dust
and ashes whirl
crusaders
from hallucinatory citadels
of shattered glass
into evacuate craters
A flock of dreams
browse on Necropolis
From the shores
of oval oceans
in the oxidated Orient

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Form Poems:

Letter Poem
Think of someone you know intimately. Write a letter to that person following the structure below. Don't worry if it feels disjointed. Just write honestly.
Dear X,
The weather as it is
The weather as you wish it were or the situation as it is and how you wish it were
I wish it were... so we'd... Instead it is...
Today it is... I wish it were...
If the world... then...
What you imagine that person is doing
A metaphor about this person
You are a warm bowl of soup
You are a telemarketer always calling at dinner time
One small question
Do you still like Fruit Loops?
One large question
Will you always love me?
Remember: a piece of advice or something you'd like to say to this person
A simile about how this person makes you feel or about this person
Our relationship is like a worn out blanket that is a bit too small to cover
Both of our feet
I have to go... what you have to do
I will finish this when I...

I Am Poem
I am (two special characteristics you have)
I wonder (something you are actually curious about)
I hear (an imaginary sound)
I see (an imaginary sight)
I want (an actual desire)
I am (the first line of the poem repeated
I pretend (something you pretend to do)
I feel (a feeling about something imaginary)
I touch (an imaginary touch)
I worry (something that really bothers you)
I cry (something that makes you sad)
I am (the first line of the poem repeated)
I understand (something you know is true)
I say (something you believe in)
I dream (something you actually hope for)
I try (something you make an effort about)
I hope (something you actually hope for)
I am (the first line of the poem repeated)

Spiral PoemThink of two opposites (day/night, school/vacation, summer/winter). Now fold your piece of paper in half lengthwise and write the words at the top of each side.
Look up your words in a thesaurus and list at list at least 5 synonyms for each.
Do a 5 minute fastwrite for each word below the list.
Read through your fastwrites and underline key words and phrases you like.
On a separate sheet of paper begin in the center and draw a spiral line to the outside edge – leave a large gap between the lines of the spiral. Begin writing in the center on one side of the line the first opposite word and spiral out using the synonyms and your fastwrite. Think of it as writing a poem in a different way.
Start from the end of the spiral on the other side of the line and begin writing with the second opposite word. Write inward using the synonyms and your fastwrite. Finish at the center of the page where the spiral began.
Try to use different colors for each word.
Read the spiral from the inside out or outside in.

The Tempest Unit

2006-03-26T15:41:00.009-09:00

The Tempest by William Shakespeare

Online Text of The Tempest:
http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/tempest/

Plot OverviewA storm strikes a ship carrying Alonso, Ferdinand, Sebastian, Antonio, Gonzalo, Stefano, and Trinculo, who are on their way to Italy after coming from the wedding of Alonso’s daughter, Claribel, to the prince of Tunis in Africa. The royal party and the other mariners, with the exception of the unflappable Boatswain, begin to fear for their lives. Lightning cracks, and the mariners cry that the ship has been hit. Everyone prepares to sink.

The next scene begins much more quietly. Miranda and Prospero stand on the shore of their island, looking out to sea at the recent shipwreck. Miranda asks her father to do anything he can to help the poor souls in the ship. Prospero assures her that everything is all right and then informs her that it is time she learned more about herself and her past. He reveals to her that he orchestrated the shipwreck and tells her the lengthy story of her past, a story he has often started to tell her before but never finished. The story goes that Prospero was the Duke of Milan until his brother Antonio, conspiring with Alonso, the King of Naples, usurped his position. With the help of Gonzalo, Prospero was able to escape with his daughter and with the books that are the source of his magic and power. Prospero and his daughter arrived on the island where they remain now and have been for twelve years. Only now, Prospero says, has Fortune at last sent his enemies his way, and he has raised the tempest in order to make things right with them once and for all.

After telling this story, Prospero charms Miranda to sleep and then calls forth his familiar spirit Ariel, his chief magical agent. Prospero and Ariel’s discussion reveals that Ariel brought the tempest upon the ship and set fire to the mast. He then made sure that everyone got safely to the island, though they are now separated from each other into small groups. Ariel, who is a captive servant to Prospero, reminds his master that he has promised Ariel freedom a year early if he performs tasks such as these without complaint. Prospero chastises Ariel for protesting and reminds him of the horrible fate from which he was rescued. Before Prospero came to the island, a witch named Sycorax imprisoned Ariel in a tree. Sycorax died, leaving Ariel trapped until Prospero arrived and freed him. After Ariel assures Prospero that he knows his place, Prospero orders Ariel to take the shape of a sea nymph and make himself invisible to all but Prospero.

Miranda awakens from her sleep, and she and Prospero go to visit Caliban, Prospero’s servant and the son of the dead Sycorax. Caliban curses Prospero, and Prospero and Miranda berate him for being ungrateful for what they have given and taught him. Prospero sends Caliban to fetch firewood. Ariel, invisible, enters playing music and leading in the awed Ferdinand. Miranda and Ferdinand are immediately smitten with each other. He is the only man Miranda has ever seen, besides Caliban and her father. Prospero is happy to see that his plan for his daughter’s future marriage is working, but decides that he must upset things temporarily in order to prevent their relationship from developing too quickly. He accuses Ferdinand of merely pretending to be the Prince of Naples and threatens him with imprisonment. When Ferdinand draws his sword, Prospero charms him and leads him off to prison, ignoring Miranda’s cries for mercy. He then sends Ariel on another mysterious mission.

On another part of the island, Alonso, Sebastian, Antonio, Gonzalo, and other miscellaneous lords give thanks for their safety but worry about the fate of Ferdinand. Alonso says that he wishes he never had married his daughter to the prince of Tunis because if he had not made this journey, his son would still be alive. Gonzalo tries to maintain high spirits by discussing the beauty of the island, but his remarks are undercut by the sarcastic sourness of Antonio and Sebastian. Ariel appears, invisible, and plays music that puts all but Sebastian and Antonio to sleep. These two then begin to discuss the possible advantages of killing their sleeping companions. Antonio persuades Sebastian that the latter will become ruler of Naples if they kill Alonso. Claribel, who would be the next heir if Ferdinand were indeed dead, is too far away to be able to claim her right. Sebastian is convinced, and the two are about to stab the sleeping men when Ariel causes Gonzalo to wake with a shout. Everyone wakes up, and Antonio and Sebastian concoct a ridiculous story about having drawn their swords to protect the king from lions. Ariel goes back to Prospero while Alonso and his party continue to search for Ferdinand.

Caliban, meanwhile, is hauling wood for Prospero when he sees Trinculo and thinks he is a spirit sent by Prospero to torment him. He lies down and hides under his cloak. A storm is brewing, and Trinculo, curious about but undeterred by Caliban’s strange appearance and smell, crawls under the cloak with him. Stefano, drunk and singing, comes along and stumbles upon the bizarre spectacle of Caliban and Trinculo huddled under the cloak. Caliban, hearing the singing, cries out that he will work faster so long as the “spirits” leave him alone. Stefano decides that this monster requires liquor and attempts to get Caliban to drink. Trinculo recognizes his friend Stefano and calls out to him. Soon the three are sitting up together and drinking. Caliban quickly becomes an enthusiastic drinker, and begins to sing.

Prospero puts Ferdinand to work hauling wood. Ferdinand finds his labor pleasant because it is for Miranda’s sake. Miranda, thinking that her father is asleep, tells Ferdinand to take a break. The two flirt with one another. Miranda proposes marriage, and Ferdinand accepts. Prospero has been on stage most of the time, unseen, and he is pleased with this development.

Stefano, Trinculo, and Caliban are now drunk and raucous and are made all the more so by Ariel, who comes to them invisibly and provokes them to fight with one another by impersonating their voices and taunting them. Caliban grows more and more fervent in his boasts that he knows how to kill Prospero. He even tells Stefano that he can bring him to where Prospero is sleeping. He proposes that they kill Prospero, take his daughter, and set Stefano up as king of the island. Stefano thinks this a good plan, and the three prepare to set off to find Prospero. They are distracted, however, by the sound of music that Ariel plays on his flute and tabor-drum, and they decide to follow this music before executing their plot.

Alonso, Gonzalo, Sebastian, and Antonio grow weary from traveling and pause to rest. Antonio and Sebastian secretly plot to take advantage of Alonso and Gonzalo’s exhaustion, deciding to kill them in the evening. Prospero, probably on the balcony of the stage and invisible to the men, causes a banquet to be set out by strangely shaped spirits. As the men prepare to eat, Ariel appears like a harpy and causes the banquet to vanish. He then accuses the men of supplanting Prospero and says that it was for this sin that Alonso’s son, Ferdinand, has been taken. He vanishes, leaving Alonso feeling vexed and guilty.

Prospero now softens toward Ferdinand and welcomes him into his family as the soon-to-be-husband of Miranda. He sternly reminds Ferdinand, however, that Miranda’s “virgin-knot” (IV.i.15) is not to be broken until the wedding has been officially solemnized. Prospero then asks Ariel to call forth some spirits to perform a masque for Ferdinand and Miranda. The spirits assume the shapes of Ceres, Juno, and Iris and perform a short masque celebrating the rites of marriage and the bounty of the earth. A dance of reapers and nymphs follows but is interrupted when Prospero suddenly remembers that he still must stop the plot against his life.

He sends the spirits away and asks Ariel about Trinculo, Stefano, and Caliban. Ariel tells his master of the three men’s drunken plans. He also tells how he led the men with his music through prickly grass and briars and finally into a filthy pond near Prospero’s cell. Ariel and Prospero then set a trap by hanging beautiful clothing in Prospero’s cell. Stefano, Trinculo, and Caliban enter looking for Prospero and, finding the beautiful clothing, decide to steal it. They are immediately set upon by a pack of spirits in the shape of dogs and hounds, driven on by Prospero and Ariel.

Prospero uses Ariel to bring Alonso and the others before him. He then sends Ariel to bring the Boatswain and the mariners from where they sleep on the wrecked ship. Prospero confronts Alonso, Antonio, and Sebastian with their treachery, but tells them that he forgives them. Alonso tells him of having lost Ferdinand in the tempest and Prospero says that he recently lost his own daughter. Clarifying his meaning, he draws aside a curtain to reveal Ferdinand and Miranda playing chess. Alonso and his companions are amazed by the miracle of Ferdinand’s survival, and Miranda is stunned by the sight of people unlike any she has seen before. Ferdinand tells his father about his marriage.

Ariel returns with the Boatswain and mariners. The Boatswain tells a story of having been awakened from a sleep that had apparently lasted since the tempest. At Prospero’s bidding, Ariel releases Caliban, Trinculo and Stefano, who then enter wearing their stolen clothing. Prospero and Alonso command them to return it and to clean up Prospero’s cell. Prospero invites Alonso and the others to stay for the night so that he can tell them the tale of his life in the past twelve years. After this, the group plans to return to Italy. Prospero, restored to his dukedom, will retire to Milan. Prospero gives Ariel one final task—to make sure the seas are calm for the return voyage-before setting him free. Finally, Prospero delivers an epilogue to the audience, asking them to forgive him for his wrongdoing and set him free by applauding.

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Character List
Prospero - The play’s protagonist, and father of Miranda. Twelve years before the events of the play, Prospero was the duke of Milan. His brother, Antonio, in concert with Alonso, king of Naples, usurped him, forcing him to flee in a boat with his daughter. The honest lord Gonzalo aided Prospero in his escape. Prospero has spent his twelve years on the island refining the magic that gives him the power he needs to punish and forgive his enemies.

Miranda - The daughter of Prospero, Miranda was brought to the island at an early age and has never seen any men other than her father and Caliban, though she dimly remembers being cared for by female servants as an infant. Because she has been sealed off from the world for so long, Miranda’s perceptions of other people tend to be naïve and non-judgmental. She is compassionate, generous, and loyal to her father.

Ariel - Prospero’s spirit helper. Ariel is referred to throughout this SparkNote and in most criticism as “he,” but his gender and physical form are ambiguous. Rescued by Prospero from a long imprisonment at the hands of the witch Sycorax, Ariel is Prospero’s servant until Prospero decides to release him. He is mischievous and ubiquitous, able to traverse the length of the island in an instant and to change shapes at will. He carries out virtually every task that Prospero needs accomplished in the play.

Caliban - Another of Prospero’s servants. Caliban, the son of the now-deceased witch Sycorax, acquainted Prospero with the island when Prospero arrived. Caliban believes that the island rightfully belongs to him and has been stolen by Prospero. His speech and behavior is sometimes coarse and brutal, as in his drunken scenes with Stefano and Trinculo (III.ii, IV.i), and sometimes eloquent and sensitive, as in his rebukes of Prospero in Act I, scene ii, and in his description of the eerie beauty of the island in Act III, scene ii (III.ii.130-138).

Ferdinand - Son and heir of Alonso. Ferdinand seems in some ways to be as pure and naïve as Miranda. He falls in love with her upon first sight and happily submits to servitude in order to win her father’s approval.

Alonso - King of Naples and father of Ferdinand. Alonso aided Antonio in unseating Prospero as Duke of Milan twelve years before. As he appears in the play, however, he is acutely aware of the consequences of all his actions. He blames his decision to marry his daughter to the Prince of Tunis on the apparent death of his son. In addition, after the magical banquet, he regrets his role in the usurping of Prospero.

Antonio - Prospero’s brother. Antonio quickly demonstrates that he is power-hungry and foolish. In Act II, scene i, he persuades Sebastian to kill the sleeping Alonso. He then goes along with Sebastian’s absurd story about fending off lions when Gonzalo wakes up and catches Antonio and Sebastian with their swords drawn.

Sebastian - Alonso’s brother. Like Antonio, he is both aggressive and cowardly. He is easily persuaded to kill his brother in Act II, scene i, and he initiates the ridiculous story about lions when Gonzalo catches him with his sword drawn.

Gonzalo - An old, honest lord, Gonzalo helped Prospero and Miranda to escape after Antonio usurped Prospero’s title. Gonzalo’s speeches provide an important commentary on the events of the play, as he remarks on the beauty of the island when the stranded party first lands, then on the desperation of Alonso after the magic banquet, and on the miracle of the reconciliation in Act V, scene i.

Trinculo & Stefano - Trinculo, a jester, and Stefano, a drunken butler, are two minor members of the shipwrecked party. They provide a comic foil to the other, more powerful pairs of Prospero and Alonso and Antonio and Sebastian. Their drunken boasting and petty greed reflect and deflate the quarrels and power struggles of Prospero and the other noblemen.

Boatswain - Appearing only in the first and last scenes, the Boatswain is vigorously good-natured. He seems competent and almost cheerful in the shipwreck scene, demanding practical help rather than weeping and prayer. And he seems surprised but not stunned when he awakens from a long sleep at the end of the play.

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Character Analysis Worksheet* Your Character:
- Describe your characters personality:
- Describe what your character might look like:
- Draw a picture of what your character might look like:
* Write a description of what happens to your character in each act of the play:
- Act 1:
- Act 2:
- Act 3:
- Act 4:
- Act 5:

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Character Collage Project- You will create a collage that represents your character from The Tempest and write a one page paper to go along with it. You will also give a short presentation of your collage and paper to the class.
- Your collage should include:
- Pictures from magazines/the internet/your own drawings that represent your character.
- Words or phrases that describe your character.
- Significant quotations from the play that help to describe your character.
- Your paper should include:
- A description of your characters personality and their role in the main plot of the play.
- A description of how your character relates to the other characters in the play.
- Your presentation should include:
- An explanation of your collage and how it represents your character to the class.

Collage Paper Outline- Who is your character?
- What is your characters personality?
- How is your character important to the plot of the play?
- How does your character relate to other characters in the play?

Writer's Workshop Unit

2006-03-26T15:41:00.008-09:00

Writer's Workshop Introduction

“A writer lives in awe of words for they can be cruel or kind, and they can change their meanings right in front of you. They pick up flavors and odors like butter in a refrigerator.” --Anonymous

Writer's Workshop will include writing lessons everyday and time for you to write about what interests you and to create a polished piece of writing each week.

Setup of class:

- Free reading of a book of your choice (bring a book to class with you everyday) for 20-30 minutes.
- Writing mini-lesson where you will practice writing something new.
- Free writing time where you will work on something that you have written to edit it and turn it into a final draft to turn in.
Requirements:
- Bring a reading book to class everyday.
- Finish at least two pages of final draft writing a week (due on Mondays) that has been edited by two other people and is typed.

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Good Writing Guidelines

IDEAS:You can tell the writer knows a lot about this topic.
The writing is jam-packed with details that matter that are interesting, details that are beyond the obvious.
The writer anticipates questions the reader might have and answers them.
The topic is small enough to handle.
The writing sounds original and creative.
The writing “shows” - not tells.
The Key: Does the writer go beyond the obvious to create an intriguing reading experience for the audience?

ORGANIZATION:There is a beginning, middle, and ending.
The beginning is exciting and not ordinary – it makes you want to read more.
The ending feels finished and makes you think.
You can tell the writer planned the story before writing it.
The details fit in the right places.
The title is original and creative.
There are clear transitions – with a surprise or two.
The Key: Did organizational flow keep you reading and help you understand key points?

VOICE:
The writer is excited and care about the topic.
The writer's feelings show.
The writing makes the reader laugh or feel scared, happy, sad, or something else.
The writer's voice is unique to them and shows through their writing.
It is easy to tell who the audience is.
You don't want it to end.
The Key: Do you want to share it? Do you wish you'd thought of it? Do you want to keep reading?

WORD CHOICE:The words seems carefully chosen and aren't ordinary or boring.
Every word seems exactly right.
The words paint a picture in the reader's mind.
The writing sounds natural, like talking.
There are strong “vivacious verbs.”
The writer successfully uses similes, metaphors, and personification to improve imagery.
You can remember some great words or phrases even after you're done reading.
The Key: Do key words or phrases linger in your mind?

SENTENCE FLUENCY:
Sentences begin in different ways.
Some sentences are short – some are long.
There are different kinds of sentences (. ! ?)
The writing sounds really good when you read it aloud; it flows and has rhythm..
The writer purposefully uses writing devices such as alliteration, rhyme, and onomatopoeia that make the writing sound better.
The writing is EASY to read aloud with expression!
The Key: Is it fun and easy to read aloud?

CONVENTIONS:
There are capital letters where needed.
There is correct and creative use of punctuation.
The writer checked for “dictionary correct” spelling.
The writer used good grammar.
Ideas that go together are organized into paragraphs.
The first word of each paragraph is indented.
The Key: There's very little work left for the copy editor.

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Book Circle Worksheet

* Fill this out for your free reading book and present the book to the class with a recommendation.

- Title:
- Author:
- Genre (fiction, non-fiction, romance, sci-fi, adventure):
- Why did you pick this book to read?
- What are the main things that happen in the story (list at least 2)?
- What do you like best about the book (plot, characters, setting, writing style)?
- Rate this book on how highly you would recommend it to others to read. 1 2 3 4 5

Sonnets Unit

2006-03-26T15:39:00.003-09:00

Sonnets

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- A verse form developed in Italy in the 14th century, and still much used today.
- Sonnets always have 14 lines. Though short, they frequently have a lot to say.
- Usually (not always) they have five feet or beats per line, with stressed/unstressed syllables. This is called iambic pentameter.
- Often (not always) they have a fairly strict rhyme scheme. They can have little or no rhyme.

- Rhyme Scheme:
- The poem is written in rhyming couplets - 7 pairs of lines whose endings rhyme with each other.

- The rhyme scheme therefore is: AA BB CC DD EE FF GG
- The rhyming couplets help to hold the poem together: the rhymes provide a sort of 'sound-structure'. We can hear the rhymes echo softly throughout the poem and this creates a gentle, soothing feeling, very suitable for poems about nature or love.

- Sonnets are often associated with love. Shakespeare wrote over 100 love sonnets!

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Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?

By William ShakespeareShall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate.
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date.
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimmed;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance, or nature’s changing course, untrimmed;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st,
Nor shall death brag thou wand’rest in his shade,
When in eternal lines to Time thou grow’st.
So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

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How Do I Love Thee?
By Elizabeth Barrett BrowningHow do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of being and ideal grace.
I love thee to the level of every day’s
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for right.
I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

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The Oven Bird
By Robert Frost
There is a singer everyone has heard,
Loud, a mid-summer and a mid-wood bird,
Who makes the solid tree trunks sound again.
He says that leaves are old and that for flowers
Mid-summer is to spring as one to ten.
He says the early petal-fall is past,
When pear and cherry bloom went down in showers
On sunny days a moment overcast;
And comes that other fall we name the fall.
He says the highway dust is over all.
The bird would cease and be as other birds
But that he knows in singing not to sing.
The question that he frames in all but words
Is what to make of a diminished thing.

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Sonnet 3
By Francesco Petrarch
It was the morning of the blessed day
Whereon the Sun in pity veiled his glare
For the Lord’s agony, the, unaware,
I fell a captive, Lady, to the sway
Of your swift eyes: that seemed no time to stay
The strokes of Love: I stepped into the snare
Secure, with no suspicion: then and there
I found my cue in man’s most tragic play.
Love caught me naked to his shaft, his sheaf,
The entrance for his ambush and surprise
Against the heart wide open through the eyes,
The constant gate and fountain of my grief:
How craven so to strike me stricken so,
Yet from you fully armed conceal his bow!

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To Helene
By Pierre de RonsardWhen you are old, at evening candle-lit
beside the fire bending to your wool,
read out my verse and murmur, “Ronsard writ
this praise for me when I was beautiful.”
And not a maid but, at the sound of it,
though nodding at the stitch on broidered stool,
will start awake, and bless love’s benefit
whose long fidelities bring Time to school.
I shall be thin and ghost beneath the earth
by myrtle shade in quiet after pain,
but you, a crone, will crouch beside the hearth
mourning my love and all your proud disdain.
And since what comes to-morrow who can say?
Live, pluck the roses of the world to-day.

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Sonnet 29
By William Shakespeare
When in disgrace with Fortune and men’s eyes
I all alone beweep my outcast state,
And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries,
And look upon myself and curse my fate,
Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,
Featur’d like him, like him with friends possess’d,
Desiring this man’s art, and that man’s scope,
With what I most enjoy contented least;
Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,
Haply I think on thee, and then my state
(Like to the lark at break of day arising
From sullen earth) sings hymns at heaven’s gate,
For they sweet love rememb’red such wealth brings,
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.

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Sonnet 23
By Louise Labe
What good is it to me if long ago
you eloquently praised my golden hair,
compared my eyes and beauty to the flare
of two suns where, you say, love bent the bow,
sending the darts that needled you with grief?
Where are your tears that faded in the ground?
Your death? By which your constant love is bound
in oaths and honor now beyond belief?
Your brutal goal was to make me a slave
beneath the ruse of being served by you.
Pardon me, friend, and for once hear me through:
I am outraged with anger and I rave.
Yet I am sure, wherever you have gone,
your martyrdom is hard as my black dawn.

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Sonnet 165
By Sor Juana Ines de la CruzStay, shadow of contentment too short-lived,
illusion of enchantment I most prize,
fair image for whom happily I die,
sweet fiction for whom painfully I live.
If to your charms attracted I submit,
obedient, like steel to magnet fly,
by what logic do you flatter and entice,
only to flee, a taunting fugitive?
‘Tis no triumph that you so smugly boast
that I feel victim to our tyranny;
though from encircling bonds that held you fast
your elusive form too readily slipped free,
and though to my arms you are forever lost,
you are a prisoner in my fantasy.

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Sonnets Online:http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/shakesonnets/