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.
Monday, February 28, 2011
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.
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