Monday, January 21, 2013

Poetry Analysis

The Road Not Taken - Robert Frost
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
---I really enjoyed this poem because it's all about the choices we have in life. There's one path you should take and one you want to take. So when you choose the latter, it makes the stuggle all worth it.

Trust - Alisha Ricks
Trust is earned
But once violated
It’s difficult to regain

When do you trust?
Who do you trust?

You trust with your mind
You trust with your heart
You trust with honor
You trust with pride
You trust with expectations
But is putting trust in someone worth it?

Tell me, is it?

I’ve tried to trust
But ended up with betrayal
And cannot allow it to occur again

I opened my mind
Opened my heart
But only received
A shattered heart
Now I know not to trust so easily
 ---This poem is clearly about having issues with letting yourself be open with someone. I find this poem to be very true and also relatable to many people in this world.

Touched by An Angel - Maya Angelou
We, unaccustomed to courage
exiles from delight
live coiled in shells of loneliness
until love leaves its high holy temple
and comes into our sight
to liberate us into life.

Love arrives
and in its train come ecstasies
old memories of pleasure
ancient histories of pain.
Yet if we are bold,
love strikes away the chains of fear
from our souls.

We are weaned from our timidity
In the flush of love's light
we dare be brave
And suddenly we see
that love costs all we are
and will ever be.
Yet it is only love
which sets us free.
---I enjoy this poem because it speaks of the immensity of love and how easily it can change us. It may scare us, but it's something we should strive for.

I Am Not Yours - Sara Teasdale
I am not yours, not lost in you,
Not lost, although I long to be
Lost as a candle lit at noon,
Lost as a snowflake in the sea.

You love me, and I find you still
A spirit beautiful and bright,
Yet I am I, who long to be
Lost as a light is lost in light.

Oh plunge me deep in love -- put out
My senses, leave me deaf and blind,
Swept by the tempest of your love,
A taper in a rushing wind.
---This poem speaks as though someone if so deeply in love, but doesn't want to admit it. This person doesn't want to lose their self nor belong to another.

Love, Laughter, And You - Harry J. Couchon Jr
Three things that make my life complete
Are love, laughter, and you, my sweet
The laughter has lasted since day one
Loving you darling, has been so much fun

Whether it's giggles at the kitchen table
Or all out laughter wherever we're able
Each and every laugh, a symbol of our love
You're my everything, all I ever dreamt of

Our love, now that's a bit more serious
Shining through when our laughter is delirious
Starting the day with love's tenderness
Saying goodnight with a sweet caress

Love, laughter, and of course you.
You bring into my life the other two
From the day we met, and for every single day
Love and laughter in our lives will stay
---This poem is very sweet, easygoing, and from what I can tell is genuine. The rhyming is somewhat strange here and there but all in all I liked it.

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Literary Terms 1-5

1) Alliteration: the repetition of similar initial sounds, usually consonants, in a group of words.
  • Ex: Sally sold seashells by the seashore.
2) Analogy: a similarity between two things, on which a comparison may be based
  • Ex: You are as annoying as nails on a chalkboard.
3) Cliché: anything that has become commonplace through overuse
  • Ex: All for one, and one for all.
4) Inversion: words out of order for emphasis
  • Ex: United there is little we cannot do.
5) Oxymoron: a figure of speech by which a locution produces a seemingly self-contradictory effect
  • Ex: True lies.

Monday, January 14, 2013

Spring Semester Plan 1

Now is the time when people want a serious answer when it comes to the goals we want to achieve, the people we want to be, and the lives we want to have and live in our future, but what if we have absolutely no idea?!....As of right now I'm focusing on my dancing and the education that I receive at my school. My peers and friends all seem to have a basic ideas of what they want to be doing in their future, so is it bad that I don't? Dr. Preston seems to always say that an open mind is a good thing so that's how I am going to stay for now. As I live, learn, and explore new things I will hopefully find something I truly love and then finally strive to achieve it.

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

What's In This For Me

Honestly, English has never really been 'my' subject. I have always been the person that is considered strange because math actually makes sense to me! Anyways, I find reading enjoyable, but writing as basically the bane of my existence. I never seem to be able to get my ideas onto paper in an interesting way or even make sense really. So this semester I could say that I want to improve my writing, but I know that this isn't a practical notion when applied to myself. Therefore I would rather use the technology around me and find that spark to hopefully keep me fully focused and excited about the assignments we do. I want to enjoy this class and learn new things to help me in the future....and maybe help me pass the AP test!