Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Act 1.5- Act 2 Prologue

Act 1.4-5

Monday, February 26, 2007

Romeo and Juliet act 1.2-3

Friday, February 23, 2007

R and J Prologue and act 1.1

What do you understand of the prologue and act 1.1? Ask questions, make notes, etc.

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Cut-up poem- destruction of a sonnet

Taking a poem and cutting it up to rearrange it into a new and different poem is often difficult because not all the words or phrases make sense. But, that is exactly what I am going to have you do. YEAH!

Exchange your cut-up poem with someone else. When you have received a new cut-up poem, rearrange the words in phrases to make a new poem (it definitely does not have to become another sonnet). You might have to add a few words to make it flow and make sense, but try to limit yourself to two to three words additional words. Also, you must use all the words/ phrases as they are given to you.

After you have completed your new poem create a creative collage of the ideas/themes/images expressed in your new poem and paste the "new" poem on top of this collage. Your collage should fill-up your entire piece of paper.

Good luck.

Monday, February 12, 2007

Oprah Winfrey Poem

I am going to collect all of your secrets and redistribute them. With another person's secret, write a poem telling the story of that secret as if it were your own and addressing what you think about it. You could even look back at the secret as if you were older and wiser.

Good luck and be creative!

Friday, February 09, 2007

Metaphor 3

We are almost done with metaphors!

"Write a poem which, though it is a description of the object or scene (from Metaphor 2) is really about your parent."- Use metaphors only.

I know we are pushing the limits here kids, but I know you can do this! Let's work on this together. Good luck, and remember, all I am asking you to do is TRY.

Wednesday, February 07, 2007

Metaphor 2

Okay kids, here we go...

"Take the same object or scene and use it to describe one of your parents. In other words, indulge yourself in comparisons."

So now you are wondering what this looks like. The answer from me is "I don't know." Let's figure it out together.

Group Three's Presentation

Dirge
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Knows he who tills this lonely fieldTo reap its scanty corn,What mystic fruit his acres yieldAt midnight and at morn?In the long sunny afternoon,The plain was full of ghosts,I wandered up, I wandered down,Beset by pensive hosts.The winding Concord gleamed below,Pouring as wide a floodAs when my brothers long ago,Came with me to the wood.But they are gone,— the holy ones,Who trod with me this lonely vale,The strong, star-bright companionsAre silent, low, and pale.My good, my noble, in their prime,Who made this world the feast it was,Who learned with me the lore of time,Who loved this dwelling-place.They took this valley for their toy,They played with it in every mood,A cell for prayer, a hall for joy,They treated nature as they would.They colored the horizon round,Stars flamed and faded as they bade,All echoes hearkened for their sound,They made the woodlands glad or mad.I touch this flower of silken leafWhich once our childhood knewIts soft leaves wound me with a griefWhose balsam never grew.Hearken to yon pine warblerSinging aloft in the tree;Hearest thou, O traveller!What he singeth to me?
Not unless God made sharp thine earWith sorrow such as mine,Out of that delicate lay couldst thouThe heavy dirge divine.Go, lonely man, it saith,They loved thee from their birth,Their hands were pure, and pure their faith,There are no such hearts on earth.Ye drew one mother's milk,One chamber held ye all;A very tender historyDid in your childhood fall.Ye cannot unlock your heart,The key is gone with them;The silent organ loudest chantsThe master's requiem.



The Battle Of Evermore
Led Zeppelin; Plant/Page

Queen of light took her bowAnd then she turned to go,The prince of peace embraced the gloomAnd walked the night alone.Oh, dance in the dark of night,Sing to the morn - ing light.The dark lord rides in force tonightAnd time will tell us all.Oh, throw down your plow and hoe,Rest not to lock your homes.Side by side we wait the mightOf the darkest of them all.I hear the horses thunderDown in the valley blow,Im waiting for the angels of avalon,Waiting for the eastern glow.The apples of the valley hold,The seas of happiness,The ground is rich from tender care,Repay, do not forget, no, no.Oh,-------dance in the dark of night,Sing to the morning light.The apples turn to brown and black, the tyrants face is red.Oh the war is common cry, pick up you swords and fly.The sky is filled with good and badThat mortals never know.Oh, well, the night is long, the beads of time pass slow,Tired eyes on the sunrise, waiting for the eastern glow.The pain of war cannot exceedThe woe of aftermath,The drums will shake the castle wall,The ring wraiths ride in black, ride on.Sing as you raise your bow,Shoot straighter than before.No comfort has the fire at nightThat lights the face so cold.Oh dance in the dark of night,Sing to the mornin light.The magic runes are writ in goldTo bring the balance back, bring it back.At last the sun is shining, the clouds of blue roll by,With flames from the dragon of darknessThe sunlight blinds his eyes.

Metaphor 1

These next few days are going to be some of the toughest. All I am asking you to do is try and help each other. By working collaboratively and constructively, we can do great things!

Metaphor poem 1: describe an object or scene that particularly interests you without making any comparisons of one thing to another. Rewrite it, if necessary, until it is as free of comparisons if possible- Just try, please.

Try accessing two poems (Donne's "I am a little world made cunningly" and Shakespeare's "My mistresses eyes are nothing like the sun") that might help you. These two poems are full of comparisons. Can you take out the comparisons and reduce the poems down to their essence?

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Darkness Poem and Lyrics

The Darkness
by Christinia
If only it were so simple,
to cruise through life smelling roses;
but the obstacles blacken the countryside,
and we unwittingly crush them beneath our boots.
Dreams sustain us through the madness;
goals give a finish line to our race.
Yet they change with every turn, around every wall,
and remain elusive throughout the quest.
Mistakes are made, and regrets are our luggage;
we will drag them with us to slow us down.
The victories are flashes of light, sudden and unlasting, which allow us
to glimpse the road ahead before darkness descends.
Love is bitter, yet it is the bread that keeps us.
Over and over it fills us up, only to starve us.
The people whom we love shape our destinies and our strengths,
yet leave us cold and alone in the darkness.
There are others trying to race to the end;
occasionally, we bump into one or two.
The bonds we form help us down the path less lonely
but eventually, we lose each other in the darkness.
Alone is not a bad way to be;
it clears your head and focuses you on the journey.
Cherish the short intervals during the quest you have with others,
but be prepared to walk alone in the darkness.
"I Will Follow You Into The Dark"
Love of mine some day you will die
But I'll be close behind
I'll follow you into the dark
No blinding light or tunnels to gates of white
Just our hands clasped so tight
Waiting for the hint of a spark
If Heaven and Hell decide
That they both are satisfied
Illuminate the NOs on their vacancy signs
If there's no one beside you
When your soul embarks
Then I'll follow you into the dark
In Catholic school as vicious as Roman rule
I got my knuckles bruised by a lady in black
And I held my tongue as she told me
"Son fear is the heart of love"
So I never went back
If Heaven and Hell decide
That they both are satisfied
Illuminate the NOs on their vacancy signs
If there's no one beside you
When your soul embarks
Then I'll follow you into the dark
You and me have seen everything to see
From Bangkok to Calgary
And the soles of your shoes are all worn down
The time for sleep is now
It's nothing to cry about
Cause we'll hold each other soon
The blackest of rooms
If Heaven and Hell decide
That they both are satisfied
Illuminate the NOs on their vacancy signs
If there's no one beside you
When your soul embarks
Then I'll follow you into the dark
Then I'll follow you into the dark

Persuasive poem

This is a poem where you are trying to convince somebody of something they don’t want to be convinced of. The poem is an argument, an attempt to persuade. Think about all the situations where you are trying to convince somebody of something: getting out of a ticket, getting mom or dad to not ground you for breaking curfew, getting a date with your dream girl/boy, getting mom or dad to give you more money, getting a teacher to let you turn in late work.

As far as form, try to use couplets throughout your poem. Good luck!

Monday, February 05, 2007

Poetry- Table of Contents Poem

I was searching through The Practice of Poetry looking for some fun new ways to approach kids writing their own works and came across an assignment called "Index/ Table of Contents Exercise" by Lee Upton. I liked the idea of their life being a listing of where they came from and where else they can go from here. When finalized, the assignment came out as, "List ten significant people events in your life. Think of your life as a book; these are the chapters. Group together what can be compiled. Make sure to create a creative title for each chapter using a poetic term. Also the numbers of pages in a chapter should be refelctive of their importance. "

Here are some samples of their works in progress. Please feel free to give some commentary as well as constructive criticism.