12/5

• This past week we read and discussed both Ode on a Grecian Urn by John Keats and The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.
• The week was used to discuss the main ideas of these two poems, and we analyzed them for deeper meaning.
• I personally recieved some insight on some of the deeper meanings of these two poems during our class discussions.
• I don't have any new questions or observations that need to be adressed relating to AP Lit.

10/28

• This past week have studied several peoms including My Last Duchess, and started a poem called The Love Story of J. Alfred Prufrock.
• We mainly analyzed the poems in the way of the mechanics of the poems versus the meaning, though the meanings of the poems were discussed.
• One thing I was able to take from these discussions was a better understanding of how to determine the true meaning of a poem.
• This past week I didn't really form any new ideas or questions that need to be adressed.

11-14

This past week we began reading some poetry more in depth and learned some points on analyzing poetry.

I learned some more about the mechanical side of poetry and read some poems that I enjoyed, and also a few that I did not. 

This week I received insight on how to analyze a poem properly, and also the different types of poems and how they are mechanically different.

I really have no new observations or questions that I have formed over the past week. 

Poetry Forms Data Assignment

I read the poem "We Wear the Mask" by Paul Laurence Dunbar. As far as technical analysis, I noticed that this particular poem followed the rhyme and rhythm pattern for a Rondeau. I also felt that the subject matter was correct for this poetic type, seeing as this poem seemed to refer to spirituality. Overall, I personally liked this poem, because of its particular subject matter and its flowing rhyme scheme.

10/31

-This past week we read several selections relating to the AP test.
-Using what we learned from the readings, we answered questions that are similar to what would be seen on the test. We also came up with our own questions for some of the short stories we have read.
-This week I obtained some new knowledge about the AP test that we will take.
-I have no new relavent observations or questions.

10/31

- This past week we worked on our ARITS project. We had no new reading selections for this week.
- We focused on our individual tasks within our wiki groups. For me, this included viewing and reviewing performances of the play and doing a deeper analysis of the characters.
- This week I didn't really recieve any insight because of the project.
- Again, because of the project I didn't really form any new ideas or questions.

10/17

• This past week we finished reading the play ARTIS. Beyond that, we watched parts of a preformance of the play.
• In class we mainly discussed the play , and, more specifically, the individual characters. We also discussed our project and began working on it at the end of the week.
• I recieved insight on some other interperetations of characters in the book.
• I personally have not formed any new observations or questions.

8/11/11

• This past week we continued reading ARTIS, and worked on our character journals for acts one and two.
• I learned a fair amount through other's presentations of their assigned characters in the book.
• I personally contributed to our activity when we were sharing our presentations of our assigned characters in class.
• Even in the beginning of the play, I have started to observe how much times have changed from the time that the play was set in to now.

Rasin in the Sun Journal Entry

Today I woke up, the day was fairly normal up until I had a run in with the police. They raided the local diner that was eating at. Things escalated and it became what seemed like an all out war. Though I was infuriated by the raid, I knew what I would face if I participated in the riot. Thinking quickly, I started running in the direction of my home. I was battered and bruised, but I successfully escaped from the riot. I did not stop running until I reached my home, which is a constant reminder that I may be able to escape the brawls and riots, but I can't escape the environment in which I am trapped.

9/26

• This past week we read and discussed in class the story "A Rose for Emily."
• While reading this story we continued our study of short stories.
• I gained further insight into the construction of a short story and how some stories are not neccessarily in chronological order, but can still work.
• I really don't have any questions that weren't adressed in class.

Jealous Husband Returns in Form of Parrot Response

     The narrator finds it difficult to communicate with his former wife as a parrot. I personally believe the form of a parrot was chosen by the author as a symbol that it was equally difficult for the narrator to communicate with his wife in his former life. Even with this limited vocabulary, he still finds ways to communicate his feelings, not neccessarily to his wife, but at least to the reader of the story. "Bad bird!" the narrator says expressing his frustration toward the other man with his wife. I believe that if he had a few more words such as: still, love, and you, he might be able to more adequately express his feelings for his former wife when he has her attention.

9/19

• This past week we read the story "young goodman brown". We were also assigned the story "jealous husband returns in form of parrot".
• We discussed more about how to identify some of the more subtle allusions and other elements of a story.
• I gained some insight this week on how to pick up on some subtle allusions within a story.
• This week I did'nt really observe anything that was worth noting.

Sept. 12

• Last week the reading selections that we discussed were "Araby" and "The Lottery".
• We discussed further the elements of a short story and also practiced our close reading skills.
• I gained some insight on how to better make connections by thinking more broadly about similarities between the story and other events/ literary works/ ect.
• I really have no observations or questions that I have formed in the past week.

Araby Passage Analyzations

The first passage was very well constructed and contained many good elements. The diction that it used contributed to the imagery, which, made the passage more interesting. It also gave the reader a better picture of what was happening in the story at that time. This passage was, in my opinion, better than the passage. I say this because the word choice was better, and it used more imagery, therefore making it easier to read and understand.

                Though the second passage was not as descriptive, it did still give some insight to the passage and give the reader a picture of the scene. It described a scene in upper part of the house where it was dark, gloomy, and cold.  It gives the  reader a more depressing, or sad mindset, rather than a cheery, happy one.

September 7th

• This past week was a short week, but we did read a short story called "Araby" and we also worked with Biblical allusions some more.
• We disscused in depth the main ideas of "Araby" and some possible Biblical allusions within the story.
• This past week in class, I learned how to analyze a story more in depth and see some things, such as allusions, that I normally would not notice.
• I didnt really observe anything or form any questions last week.

Biblical Allusions

1. found at this web adress- http://hdmunn.blogspot.com/2011/07/biblical-far-side-cartoonsfrom-paul.html
2. This is referring to the ten commandments being given
3. Exodus 20:1-17
4. This allusion to the bible was made to make this funny for us, because had God given the ten commandments in our current society this may have been how he would do it. The fact that he knows that we will one day have all of this technology is funny in this situation, because he talks as if it existed back then.

August 29th

• this past week we read and discussed the story "little things". we also started talking about allusions
• we specifically discussed how different elements of a story can affect other elements as well as the overall meaning of a story
• I received insight on how some subtle details in a story can effect the overall mood and possibly change the readers outlook on the story
• I am still wondering how the story "little things" ends

August 22

• This week we learned about the different elements of a short story.
• We got in small groups and created a presentation based on each of our group's assigned element. 
• I personally learned and took notes on each of the elements of a short story. 
• How do the elements tie together in a short story?

August 15th

• This week we studied how to properly construct an essay for the timed portion of the AP Lit test.
• We did our own timed essay, based upon our summer reading book, learned some pointers and how they would be scored. We then had a classmate score our essay and are now revising the essays to make improvements that would help us score higher.
• I personally learned some helpful hints on organizing my ideas and how to properly manage my time during the essay.
• Are there any other hints for the AP timed essay that would be useful?

August 8th

• This week we went in depth on how to read literature like a professor. We took notes on each of the chapters over the main ideas that we needed to get out of them.
• We talked about the main ideas of how to read literature like a professor and the important points that we needed to get out of each of the chapters.
• I recieved a more concise idea of the main ideas of a few of the chapters and what they meant in how to read literature like a professor.
• This week I havent really formed any noteworthy new ideas/ questions realting to english class