Archives for February 2015

HW12G due 3/3: Explication Prep Continued

February 27, 2015 By

1. Print out, read, and annotate the following two poems:

On Turning Ten by Billy Collins
Reflections on a Gift of Watermelon Pickle Received from a Friend Called Felicity by John Tobias

THEN, apply the list of explication questions (just as you did for Claude McKay’s poem). Which questions are relevant to each poem? Then, answer those questions. Once done, you should have three poems prepped for explication. These poems set the tone/theme for our next original piece…more to come!

2. Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Rilke–We will begin reading this text next week so be sure to have it by next week.

HW10 due 3/2: Essay and The Alchemist

February 27, 2015 By

1. The Alchemist–Read and annotate up to p. 116 (“The following night, the boy appeared at the Alchemist’s tent”).

2. 1984/SH5 Essay–3-4 p. first draft due (including intro, body, and conclusion). Be sure to print out and read the rubric closely. Note about the rubric: The presentation category on the rubric actually includes issues of grammar and style. Remember, for this essay, the first draft is followed by your SECOND DRAFT (due Thursday) which will be graded by me.

General Formatting: [Read more…]

HW12C due 3/2: Precis and Man’s Search for Meaning

February 27, 2015 By

1. Man’s Search for Meaning–We are now reading Part II. Read all sections up to page. 122 (Through Life’s Transitoriness). Please be prepared to contribute meaningfully to a discussion of these sections.
2. The Precis on That Individual–Details on the Precis! A precis (form both singular and plural, pronounced “pray—see”) is a brief summary of the essential thought of a longer composition.  It attempts to provide a miniature of the original selection, reproducing the same proportions on smaller scale, the same ideas, and the same mood and tone, so far as possible.  The writer of a precis cannot interpret or comment; his or her sole function is to give a reduced photograph of the original author’s exact and essential meaning.

This is an exercise in scholarship/academics.  Again, you are to capture the essence of the source article. Do not inject your opinion.  Beyond the first sentence, you should never again use phrases like: “Kierkegaard says” or “He believes” or any of that ilk. Summarize as if you were summarizing your own work instead. Reference the sample precis for a model (Be Careful! Avoid the temptation to plagiarize this model precis). One caveat regarding the model, do not follow the structure of the first sentence (rather, use the template we discussed in class: In That Individual, Soren Kierkegaard argues___________). Your precis should not be longer than 2 pages single-spaced. This will be weighed as a project/essay grade so put forth effort and thought (just as you always do).

HW12C due 2/27: Man’s Search for Meaning

February 26, 2015 By

1. Man’s Search for Meaning–complete Part One of the text (ends on page 93). Remember, to annotate… Focus your annotations on points that you would like to raise during class discussion.
2. That Individual Precis now due Monday, March 2nd. 

HW12G due 2/26: If We Must Die

February 25, 2015 By

1. Villanelle–Your typed copies are due tomorrow! Meet the base technical/structural requirements of the villanelle and you are golden!
2. Confessional Poem–Typed copy due on Friday!

Additionally, for both poems I would like to see you practice with some of the elements of poetry we have discussed in class: alliteration, assonance, consonance, caesura, end stop, enjambment. Further, poetry is a celebration of the “painterly” nature of writing using image and various tropes (i.e. metaphor, symbolism, etc). Let’s see that as well in your poetry…

Heading (upper left hand corner):
Sean Leon (of course you will use your name…)
Poetry Seminar (we do not have to use Leon 12G because I only have one poetry class)
2/26/15

3. Explication Practice–Using the set of explication questions, decide which ones are relevant to a discussion of McKay’s If We Must Die then answer them! You are not actually writing an explication yet!
4. Group Presentations–Tomorrow, each group is expected to list their top three schools! Tonight, ensure you are in a position tomorrow to make informed choices.

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