Erin Conley
Mrs. Jernigan
AP Enlglish Lit
29 March 2011
Sestina
Florence Cassen Mayers utilizes the complex form of a Sestina through repetition of numbers to show the reader the important and memorable aspects of American culture. The poem connects many sayings unique to the United States to reveal the hope in her nation.
Mayers begins the poem with “one nation, indivisible,” and I feel that this is symbolic to her feeling that our country is united and will fight through whatever turn history takes to stay true to the founding beliefs of America. She then proceeds with other numbers describing different traditions and ideas originated in the United States. She reminded the reader of the different aspects of typical America life using, “three strikes you're out,” “two-tone Chevy,” “five-star general,” and a “hole in one.” As I read, it was so interesting to see all the sayings that I know so well and never consider to be out of the ordinary, but people from other parts of the world could have no clue what they mean. I think that was part of Mayers motive. I think she wanted to show the reader how blessed they are in America and how much they take for granted. Most of her examples were symbolic of the prosperity and “American Dream” aspect that everyone is searching for.
Mayers does not leave out some hard parts of America's past, but she does not dwell on them, showing our ability to move on from the past. She is showing that despite hardships, our country will fight to keep the history it has created together and prospering for future generations. It is also symbolic that she ends back with “one-horse town,” which just reiterates the unity of our country, that we started as one and will stay that way throughout history.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
Villanelle
Erin Conley
Mrs. Jernigan
AP English Lit
22 March 2011
Villanelle
Dylan Thomas explores his feelings regarding death in his poem “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night.” He shows that everyone is fighting against the inevitability of death. He explores many types of people in each stanza to show the reader the despair and dissatisfaction of the people who are dying. He utilizes this tactic to show the human state of always craving more from their lives and never being content with what they have become, even on their last day.
Thomas shows how the people are going to “rage against the dying of the light” to get as much out of their lives as they can. He then starts with the “wise men” who are not appeased with the outcome of their lives because “their words had forked no lightning,” meaning they feel that their impact was not great enough on the world. Next, the “good men” cry about their “frail deeds” to show that despite their seemingly serene lives, they are still fighting the end out of despair. Then, the “wild men” come and they are not happy because they have come to realize “too late” that they have wasted their lives. Lastly, the “grave men” now that they are near death are now able to see all the joy they missed out on in the world.
The poem then becomes personal and the reader then realizes the whole reason this poem has been written. Thomas' father is dying. You can see the emotional torment as he says “curse, bless, me now,” a changing of mind caused most likely by the pain, because he does not want his father to leave him. He pleads with him to fight death and to not let death take him easily. Thomas seems to be taking an extremely pessimistic view on human nature, because he alludes to the fact that we are never satisfied, no matter what kind of life we lead. He seems to hint at his own personal fear of dying and offers no anecdote for the reader, which causes uneasiness, a feeling I believe he intended for the reader to grapple with after they read his poem.
Mrs. Jernigan
AP English Lit
22 March 2011
Villanelle
Dylan Thomas explores his feelings regarding death in his poem “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night.” He shows that everyone is fighting against the inevitability of death. He explores many types of people in each stanza to show the reader the despair and dissatisfaction of the people who are dying. He utilizes this tactic to show the human state of always craving more from their lives and never being content with what they have become, even on their last day.
Thomas shows how the people are going to “rage against the dying of the light” to get as much out of their lives as they can. He then starts with the “wise men” who are not appeased with the outcome of their lives because “their words had forked no lightning,” meaning they feel that their impact was not great enough on the world. Next, the “good men” cry about their “frail deeds” to show that despite their seemingly serene lives, they are still fighting the end out of despair. Then, the “wild men” come and they are not happy because they have come to realize “too late” that they have wasted their lives. Lastly, the “grave men” now that they are near death are now able to see all the joy they missed out on in the world.
The poem then becomes personal and the reader then realizes the whole reason this poem has been written. Thomas' father is dying. You can see the emotional torment as he says “curse, bless, me now,” a changing of mind caused most likely by the pain, because he does not want his father to leave him. He pleads with him to fight death and to not let death take him easily. Thomas seems to be taking an extremely pessimistic view on human nature, because he alludes to the fact that we are never satisfied, no matter what kind of life we lead. He seems to hint at his own personal fear of dying and offers no anecdote for the reader, which causes uneasiness, a feeling I believe he intended for the reader to grapple with after they read his poem.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Ode to a Nightingale
Erin Conley
Mrs. Jernigan
AP English Lit
8 March 2011
Ode to a Nightingale
In “Ode to a Nightingale,” author John Keats laments the futile desires of his life and how he envies the nightingale's freedom from this trap.
Keats is hopeless in the world, but the nightingale brings a new reality into his sight. He begins with his description of his heartache. The world is a harsh place and he is showing the reader his personal pain. The nightingale, though, begins to sing and he is delighted with the beauty of nature despite what he is going through. He tries to cope with it with drugs and alcohol, but these do not satisfy. The pleasures of the world seem only to intensify the pain. He then tries to fade away from the world, because nothing ever lasts, so he feels that life is pointless. He does not want to partake of the pain. He says that everyone worries about life, when, in reality they should not because everyone is going to die. He seems hopeless in his evaluation of his life, but the nightingale brings him some joy. The song of the bird is so beautiful and he wants it to be free. He feels that maybe poetry will set him free, but he is not sure because he is unable to fully experience the pleasures of the world around him. He then contemplates death as a peaceful and desirable alternative to his life. The nightingale then flies away and he awakens from this dream-state.
The author uses dramatic symbols to describe the follies of the earth and how they bring us no hope through the pain. He shows that the transcendent beauty of nature through the nightingale's song. His dramatic flow of thoughts shows the reader that he believes the truth and joy of life is found in a connection with nature and emotions.
Mrs. Jernigan
AP English Lit
8 March 2011
Ode to a Nightingale
In “Ode to a Nightingale,” author John Keats laments the futile desires of his life and how he envies the nightingale's freedom from this trap.
Keats is hopeless in the world, but the nightingale brings a new reality into his sight. He begins with his description of his heartache. The world is a harsh place and he is showing the reader his personal pain. The nightingale, though, begins to sing and he is delighted with the beauty of nature despite what he is going through. He tries to cope with it with drugs and alcohol, but these do not satisfy. The pleasures of the world seem only to intensify the pain. He then tries to fade away from the world, because nothing ever lasts, so he feels that life is pointless. He does not want to partake of the pain. He says that everyone worries about life, when, in reality they should not because everyone is going to die. He seems hopeless in his evaluation of his life, but the nightingale brings him some joy. The song of the bird is so beautiful and he wants it to be free. He feels that maybe poetry will set him free, but he is not sure because he is unable to fully experience the pleasures of the world around him. He then contemplates death as a peaceful and desirable alternative to his life. The nightingale then flies away and he awakens from this dream-state.
The author uses dramatic symbols to describe the follies of the earth and how they bring us no hope through the pain. He shows that the transcendent beauty of nature through the nightingale's song. His dramatic flow of thoughts shows the reader that he believes the truth and joy of life is found in a connection with nature and emotions.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sonnet #3
Erin Conley
Mrs. Jernigan
English AP Lit
28 February 2011
Sonnet #3
John Keats utilizes the Shakespearean sonnet format to emphasize the development of his poem “Bright star, would I were steadfast as thou art” from admiration to infatuation. The imagery of the poem traces the poet's affections and grows in intimacy in every stanza.
The first section uses religious diction, referring to her “steadfast” nature of being an “Eremite” with the “priestlike task.” These words show that he admires her consistency and dedication to her religion and he desires her to stay this way. Her beauty is accentuated through her religious views to him and he is praising her for it.
The second part moves into nature imagery where he once again describes her steadfast and admirable despite the changes in the “shores” and the “snow.” He is declaring that although the world around her is constantly changing, she is dependable and he is so thankful for that.
In the last quatrain, he reveals a more personal side to their relationship, which finally proves the images and diction he used in earlier stanzas to lead the reader to this point, that they will forever be lovers. He declares twice that they he will stay with her “for ever” and he shows that he is dedicated to her like she is to him.
Keats purposefully chose this set-up, I believe, to trace the progression of his thoughts of his lover to bring it to the climactic end and to prove his love for this woman.
Mrs. Jernigan
English AP Lit
28 February 2011
Sonnet #3
John Keats utilizes the Shakespearean sonnet format to emphasize the development of his poem “Bright star, would I were steadfast as thou art” from admiration to infatuation. The imagery of the poem traces the poet's affections and grows in intimacy in every stanza.
The first section uses religious diction, referring to her “steadfast” nature of being an “Eremite” with the “priestlike task.” These words show that he admires her consistency and dedication to her religion and he desires her to stay this way. Her beauty is accentuated through her religious views to him and he is praising her for it.
The second part moves into nature imagery where he once again describes her steadfast and admirable despite the changes in the “shores” and the “snow.” He is declaring that although the world around her is constantly changing, she is dependable and he is so thankful for that.
In the last quatrain, he reveals a more personal side to their relationship, which finally proves the images and diction he used in earlier stanzas to lead the reader to this point, that they will forever be lovers. He declares twice that they he will stay with her “for ever” and he shows that he is dedicated to her like she is to him.
Keats purposefully chose this set-up, I believe, to trace the progression of his thoughts of his lover to bring it to the climactic end and to prove his love for this woman.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Sonnet #1 Response #5
Erin Conley
Mrs. Jernigan
AP English Lit
23 February 2011
Sonnet #1
William Shakespeare’s “That Time of Year,” flows from description of the weather to the emotional death of a loved one to emphasize the metaphor that lives are like seasons because they are always changing. In this poem, Shakespeare is contemplating the loss of a loved one and showing how it is like the coming of winter.
The format of a Shakespearean sonnet is three quatrains followed by a couplet. This emphasizes the movement of the poem. The first quatrain describes the change in the weather. He shows the reader that it is winter by saying the “yellow leaves…hang” as they are “[shaken] against the cold.” Shakespeare is showing the sad, harsh effects of winter. The next two quatrains describe Shakespeare’s mood, which mirrors the weather. This connection is important to see how upset Shakespeare is about the death and how it affects him. He uses harsh diction such as “ashes,” “black night,” “deathbed,” and “consumed” to show the depressing tone of the poem. The last couplet not only wraps up the poem but also shows Shakespeare’s true purpose of the poem. The couplet states that since our loved ones are given to us for only a short amount of time, we need to love them well. This provides the hope and theme to the sonnet, which the reader is now desperate for towards the end because of all the depressing scenes in the earlier lines.
The form of a Shakespearean sonnet is crucial to understanding this poem, because the reader is able to trace the development of thought from impersonal to personal to show that seasons of life are fragile, so we must take advantage of them.
Mrs. Jernigan
AP English Lit
23 February 2011
Sonnet #1
William Shakespeare’s “That Time of Year,” flows from description of the weather to the emotional death of a loved one to emphasize the metaphor that lives are like seasons because they are always changing. In this poem, Shakespeare is contemplating the loss of a loved one and showing how it is like the coming of winter.
The format of a Shakespearean sonnet is three quatrains followed by a couplet. This emphasizes the movement of the poem. The first quatrain describes the change in the weather. He shows the reader that it is winter by saying the “yellow leaves…hang” as they are “[shaken] against the cold.” Shakespeare is showing the sad, harsh effects of winter. The next two quatrains describe Shakespeare’s mood, which mirrors the weather. This connection is important to see how upset Shakespeare is about the death and how it affects him. He uses harsh diction such as “ashes,” “black night,” “deathbed,” and “consumed” to show the depressing tone of the poem. The last couplet not only wraps up the poem but also shows Shakespeare’s true purpose of the poem. The couplet states that since our loved ones are given to us for only a short amount of time, we need to love them well. This provides the hope and theme to the sonnet, which the reader is now desperate for towards the end because of all the depressing scenes in the earlier lines.
The form of a Shakespearean sonnet is crucial to understanding this poem, because the reader is able to trace the development of thought from impersonal to personal to show that seasons of life are fragile, so we must take advantage of them.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Dramatic Monologue #2
Erin Conley
Mrs. Jernigan
AP English Literature
7 February 2011
Dramatic Monologue
“Hazel Tells Laverne” is a witty and ironic story of maid who encounters a frog in while cleaning the toilets. The maid, Hazel, seems to be catching her friend, Laverne, up on the latest gossip. Her colloquial tone provides humor and shows how she is just bubbly, funny, and fully of personality. I can just see her howling with laughter while telling her friend about her strange night. She describes how the frog just jumped up the toilet and scared her. Then “sohelpmegod” the frog started talking to her and asking her to kiss him and she could become a princess. Hazel laughs as she exclaims that there's no way she could be a princess, and so she told him to get away “ya little green pervert” and flushed him down the toilet three times. It seems to be a funny telling of a weird night in the life of a maid.
For everyone who knows the tale, though, the frog really meant what he said. It is ironic that Hazel missed out on her chance to get rid of her lifestyle and become a princess. I think the author, Katharyn Howd Machan, is trying to make a point. Women, like Hazel, can have such a low view of themselves that they do not even acknowledge the possibility that they could be something special. I feel that this humorous monologue has to have some sort of motive behind it, and I feel that the author was trying to show women how they need to recognize their worth.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Dramatic Monologue #1
Erin Conley
Mrs. Jernigan
AP English Literature
1 February 2011
In “My Last Duchess,” Robert Browning inversely unfolds the monologue of a duke who is contemplating on the memories of his wife. Robert Browning intentionally moves from present to past to unveil what really happened between the duke and the duchess.
The monologue begins with him describing the portrait of the duchess on the wall. He innocently describes the “piece of wonder” and her “earnest glance” to show his affections for her. He then takes the reader back to when the two first met and how his “favor [was] at her breast.” He was so enthralled by her presence he didn't notice that she was “easily impressed” by others, revealing that their initial attraction may have not been real, and he is foreshadowing her future cheating on him. He thought she loved him, but in fact, it was just a passing appeal.
Then, Robert Browning introduces the tension to lock the reader into the mystery. The duke says, “she smiled, no doubt, whene'ver I passed her; but who passed without much the same smile?”. He is clearly showing her unfaithfulness to him by indulging in whatever she wanted. She just craved the attention of whomever, and the reader can sense his growing anger and jealousy over the situation. He started out as an innocent lover trying to win her heart but now it has been broken and his true feelings are starting to pour out. The duke then says “all the smiles stopped together,” meaning he found out about the affair and so they stopped lying to each other and themselves by not pretending to love each other anymore. The ending also alludes to the fact that he probably killed her, by his harsh vengeful wording. This purposeful set up from starstruck lovers beginning to murderous end was purposefully designed by Robert Browning to enforce the sense of duality in mankind.
Mrs. Jernigan
AP English Literature
1 February 2011
In “My Last Duchess,” Robert Browning inversely unfolds the monologue of a duke who is contemplating on the memories of his wife. Robert Browning intentionally moves from present to past to unveil what really happened between the duke and the duchess.
The monologue begins with him describing the portrait of the duchess on the wall. He innocently describes the “piece of wonder” and her “earnest glance” to show his affections for her. He then takes the reader back to when the two first met and how his “favor [was] at her breast.” He was so enthralled by her presence he didn't notice that she was “easily impressed” by others, revealing that their initial attraction may have not been real, and he is foreshadowing her future cheating on him. He thought she loved him, but in fact, it was just a passing appeal.
Then, Robert Browning introduces the tension to lock the reader into the mystery. The duke says, “she smiled, no doubt, whene'ver I passed her; but who passed without much the same smile?”. He is clearly showing her unfaithfulness to him by indulging in whatever she wanted. She just craved the attention of whomever, and the reader can sense his growing anger and jealousy over the situation. He started out as an innocent lover trying to win her heart but now it has been broken and his true feelings are starting to pour out. The duke then says “all the smiles stopped together,” meaning he found out about the affair and so they stopped lying to each other and themselves by not pretending to love each other anymore. The ending also alludes to the fact that he probably killed her, by his harsh vengeful wording. This purposeful set up from starstruck lovers beginning to murderous end was purposefully designed by Robert Browning to enforce the sense of duality in mankind.
Friday, January 28, 2011
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