Blog for 10/26/15

Prompt: How do the settings affect the main character?

Book: Hope was Here

Author: Joan Bauer

Page #: 1-160


     Hope has a relatively hard life for a teenager.  Her mother and father were practically out of the picture, and all she had was Addie, her aunt.  She loved working as a waitress at a diner, while Addie would in the kitchen cooking away just a few feet away.  Life is perfect, or so Hope thought, until they have to move again.  At first Hope is not too excited, but she has a feeling that this little town is just what she needs.  One may refer to it as hope.

~~~~

     Ever since Hope was a kid, she would move a lot.  She never liked it of course, one time she even tried to run away from home to avoid it.  Hope always had the fear of having no friends, or not fitting in with her new surroundings.  However, when she moves into a little town in Wisconsin, her perspective starts to change.

    Before Hope had even moved, she felt like she belonged where she was.  She had the greatest friends, best job, and was happy.  Hearing they were going to move was no surprise to her though, she was used to it.  She was sad however, and hurt.  Nevertheless she packed up her bags and left.

     When she first moved Hope expressed that she had high expectations.  She was anxious when she first got to work at her new job.  The diner was a lot of bigger and busier than her last diner, where she had once worked.  This causes Hope to stress out sometimes, and sometimes get nervous.  Waitressing is her favorite thing to do, so getting everything right is key.

     With one of her co-workers, who has cancer, starts running for mayor everything goes crazy.  Hope and Braverman (the chef of the diner) do their best to get many votes, which proves to be quite a hassle.  They are never left alone at work without a news reporter nagging them.  Hope feels as if she needs to stay the right thing, which leads to her getting overwhelmed too much.

      However when she listens to GT's (her co-worker) ad campaigns for why he should be elected as mayor, she stops taking things for granted.  His speeches teach her a lot, especially on things like staying strong.  It gives her a different view point on things, it makes her a happier and better person.

     At times she really likes her new home, but on others she feels as if she could just curl up in a ball and disappear.  Everything kind of ties in with her family, friends, and her job.  She feels good with Addie around her, not with her mother.  With her friends she feels fun, and free.  She feels timid when she doesn't know when to do something new, or unfamiliar.  She feels delightful when she accomplished something big, or figured something out.

   
     Overall everything affects her in a way.  She opens her eyes more, which helps her make better life choices.  The diner affects her in a way where she can do what she loves, even if it involves some stress.  Her apartment affects her because when she's there she doesn't feel at home, and is usually where she thinks a lot.  When she's just in town it makes her happier. Even though everything gives her mixed feelings, her new town gives her hope.

   

Final Reflection

1)    

      The three most important things I have learned this year are, how to write a sentence using proper grammar, how to analyze and annotate a piece of writing, and how to do research on a topic correctly. Grammar is a very important lesson to know and doing the small units each day at the beginning of class has definitely helped a lot. Analyzing and annotating was also a very important lesson for me to learn because this year we had to use it a copious amount of times. Lastly, learning how to complete research authentically has been important because it's a life skill and it's something that's going to be used repeatedly during high school and college.
   
   
2)

      Something we did this year that I will remember for the rest of my life is reading the story Of Mice and Men.  It may have been just a novella, but it included some very hidden complex writing and had so many life lessons. It has taught me that certain actions can result into something bigger, there is more to a person that is seen from the outside, and that not all dreams and hopes come true.  These lessons are very important because it teaches me not to judge everyone right away, and it also teaches me that not everything is going to go my way but I still have to strive to pursue my goals.


3)

      The nicest thing someone did for us this year is give us special days when we would have parties and socialize. That someone is Mrs. Larson! Despite the massive amount of learning and working, those special events when we would celebrate the end of a unit by having a buffet and playing games were worth totally worth it.  They would be so much fun, and it would allow us to take a break and relax.  Not only did she teach us a lot of stuff but she also rewarded us too!

4)

      Something I have taught some of my friends in this class is to manage time productively; I'm not the best at doing this, but I do try.  Most of the time whenever I worked on an assignment right away, they would ask me why. I would always tell them that it's better to finish earlier than to finish later. Sometimes, when my friends came over after school or when I was working on my homework I would urge them too work on theirs too. I don't know if they used my advice or not, but I'd like to think they did and still do. It makes the process of completing assignments more expeditious. Waiting for the last minute to do something can be make you become very crestfallen, and cause your work to be monotonous.

5)

      An area that I feel like I've made the biggest improvements is in our poetry unit. When I first heard about this unit, I was very dejected to say the least. I hated poetry; I thought it was too confusing and boring. However, as time passed by I began liking it and I found myself writing a lot of poems. I became more interested and took the time to actually learn and work on it.  One of my poems that I have accomplished and that makes me complacent is my Dreams poem, inspired by Of Mice and Men.  My improvement in this unit has been opening my eyes to poetry and learning to love it.  Overall, the poetry unit had to be my favorite unit and I'm glad I gave it a try.

6)

      The most challenging part of this year for me was balancing my schedule and getting everything done in a timely manner. Despite working on assignments early, I still had to fit homework into my daily routine. Most of the time after school I had to, clean the house, do sports, go to speech and drama, finish homework, get hours for community service, help cook, do my laundry, and squeeze in a little time for myself to relax. Imagine spending 1-2 hours on homework and then trying to finish everything else at the same time. It was hard to say the least. However, I did manage it and it is possible, all it took was some effort and perseverance.

7)

      I don't think I have any best pieces of writing. All of my works have flaws to them and still have to be perfected.  However, if I were to choose a piece of writing that I'm most proud of it would be my argumentive essay because I spent so much time on it and it helped me learn a lot more about internet cesnporship and how to write an argumentive essay. I am proud of my other pieces of writings as well, I just happened to be most proud with my internet censorship essay because it took so long to write and I put a lot of effort into it.

 8)

      Out of all the books I have read this year, The Fifth Wave has to be my favorite. It it my favorite by far because not only is it written in my favor genre, science fiction, but it also contains action. I have a love for books that are sic-fi, contain romance, have action, and have a great plot. The Fifth Wave contains all of that. It's such a binge-worthy book that I finished it in 3 days...at 4 am. The plot was just really well thought out, and the text was very descriptive. I fell in love with the characters and couldn't help but feel attached to them. The book kept me on my tiptoes and urged me to read more. Overall, I truly loved this book and would reread it at any time.

 9)

      A piece of advice I'd like to give the future students who will be in Mrs. Larson's class next year is to be organized. Trust me, this helps a lot. A piece of paper given to you in the beginning of the year can possibly end up becoming your best friend at the end of the year, you never know. Losing important papers can be such a pain, so I would advise keeping neat. Another piece of advice I'd like to give would be to manage time in a productive manner, starting assignments the day before they are due won't help at all. This will only lessen the work quality, add more work, and provide more stress. Lastly, I would advise the new students to not stress themselves. This means don't start assignments late, don't procrastinate, don't fool around in class, don't overthink, etc. This will only come back to bite you. Trust me, it's no fun.

Of Mice and Men - The Movie

Section ||| -

     The flashback at the end of the movie shows Lennie and George helping each other carry and toss a sack into the back of a pick-up truck. Once they do that they both look at each other, turn around, and start walking off into the distance. George takes off his gloves, and Lennie puts his hand on George's back and they continue to walk away.

     The flashback leaves the audience feeling rather sad and sorrowful. Personally, a tear was welling in the corner of my eyes when George killed Lennie. I think it created this mood because it seemed a lot more real, and the characters expressions were passed on to the audience's. Making a work of writing into 'reality' also makes the emotions to start getting treated as if they were real.

     To me the feeling didn't really match with the end of the book, but it could've. The book's ending had more holes, in which I think the readers focused on mostly. It never really discussed how exactly George was feeling and how he was acting after he killed Lennie. In the movie his emotions and actions can be viewed, changing the mood entirely.  They could be similar if someone was really attached to Lennie and George's friendship.  The directer most likely chose this ending rather than the ending in the book because it gives more of a end to Lennie and George's friendship and it kind of shows that they really stuck together and truly did love each other. The book doesn't really display much emotion after Lennie's death other than the fact that it was uncommon for men to stick together back then. The movie's ending had more of an end, and is more sympathetic, which is what I think the director was aiming for.

     The last line of the book occurs after George had killed Lennie and Slim decides he and George need to go get a drink, while Carlson and Curley trail behind them. The official last line is, "And Carlson said, "Now what the hell ya suppose is eatin' them two guys?". This line tells us that Carlson and the rest of the guys don't understand what it's like to have a best friend and to have someone by their side. They don't understand the hurt and sadness that comes with losing someone very close to you, that may be not be family. They only care and worry for themselves because that's how life was back then, every man for themselves.

     The line leaves the readers left with anger/annoyance, based on my classmates reactions and responses. The reason it gives these feelings to the readers is because there is not a solid conclusion on what happened to George and Candy's dreams. There were also so many unanswered questions, such as how the rest of the ranch reacted and if George got to keep his job or not. Personally, to me, I believe the ending was pretty good. It allowed the reader to make their own solid ending, and fill in the holes. Although, I wanted a ending that actually happened, I think it was very well thought out because the book begins with Lennie and George's friendship and ends with their friendship dying. It was simple, yet complex at the same time.


Section IV -

     My general thoughts about Of Mice and Men is that it's very well written, but kind of rushed. The whole book took place in a matter of three days! I also feel a bit upset with the book and movie because they didn't really have much of a closure. Ultimately, whilst reading I had no major reactions. This might've been because my sister spoiled the whole entire book the moment I told her we were reading about it! I already knew what was going to happen, therefore my reaction wasn't very dramatic.

       Lennie's death had the most profound impact while reading the story because it was a moment that defined the whole book. It helped people understand how rare friendship was, how hard work was, and how the people acted back then. I would recommend this story to anyone who likes a short read, and someone who enjoys a lot of drama. I would recommend this story to these people because the book is very short and if a person doesn't want to read a long story but a short good book then this is the novella for them. Also, to fhe people who like drama, Of Mice and Men includes a lot of it which can intrigue those certain individuals who like it. This book would be suitable for readers who like the genres, fiction prose and tragedy.

Of Mice and Men - Conflicts

     The novella, Of Mice and Men, has many conflicts. Surprisingly, most of the conflicts that occurred so far have taken place in about a day! These conflicts seem to build up and continue to create the story and make it into a more 'binge-worthy', in my opinion. I found three different types of conflicts, out of the many, that help shape the novella into a interesting read.

       The first and most common conflict is the situation between Curley, George, and especially Lennie. From the beginning when they first met, Curley is bitter towards them.  In the novella Curley states, "By Christ, he's gotta talk when he's spoke to. What the hell are you gettin' into it for?" (Pg 25)  This effects George and Lennie because they learn to keep their distance from him. They do that, but a little later on in the story, Curley and Lennie actually get into a physical fight. The novella states, "Curley's fist was swinging when Lennie reached for it. The next minute Curley was flopping like a fish on the line, and his closed fist was lost in Lennie's big hand." (Pg 63) This effects Curley's hand, which is now broken, and effects Lennie because he now feels bad and ashamed. It also causes a lie to form, in which Slim makes sure Curley doesn't say anything to anyone. This conflict is Man vs Man.

       The second conflict I chose is how George feels almost obligated to care for Lennie and himself. He feels like Lennie is his responsibility ever since he promised Clara (Lennie's aunt) that he would take care of him. In the novella George states, "I got you! You can't keep a job and you lose me ever' job I get. Jus' keep me shovin' all over the country all the time. An' that ain't the worst. You get in trouble. You do bad things and I got to get you out." His voice rose nearly to a shout. "You crazy son-of-a-bitch . You keep me in hot water all the time." (Pg 11) Lennie effects George greatly because George has to think for him, and he lost his job because of him. If Lennie hadn't grabbed that girl's skirt they wouldn't be in the situation they're in right now. Not only that, but he has to keep an eye on him all the time. In other words, Lennie is a burden to George. Lennie also has to be told what to do all the time. In the novella, George tells Lennie, "Don't you even take a look at that bitch. I don't care what she says or what she does. I seen em' before, but I never seen no piece of jail bait worse than her. You leave her be." (Pg 32) This reveals how George always has to make sure Lennie doesn't do anything that costs them. This is why I would consider this a problem, especially to George. This conflict is Man vs Self since George feels like it's his responsibility to care for Lennie.

       The last conflict I chose deals with the timeline the novella takes place in and how that links to racial inequalities. In the short story, Crooks is known as the only 'negro' on the ranch and he is treated with less respect and importance than the other workers. In the novella Lennie and Crooks gave a conversation, "Why ain't you wanted?" Lennie asked. "'causes I'm black. They play cards in there, but I can't play because I'm black. They say I stick..." (Pg 68) This shows that back in their time black people were treated with less importance and were not considered to be friends with white people. In the novella Crooks also talked about how it felt being black to Lennie, he said, "Maybe you can see now. You got George. You know use's goin' to come back. S'pose you didn't have nobody. S'pose you couldn't go into the bunkhouse and play rummy 'cause you was black. How'd you like that? S'pose you had to sit out here an' read books. Sure you could play horseshoes till it got dark, but then you got to read books. Books ain't no good. A guy needs somebody-to be near him." (Pg 72) This shows that life back then for a colored person felt isolated and lonely. Crooks isn't allowed to do stuff with the normal workers, and he feels trapped by that. This conflict is Man vs Society.

     Overall, there are many conflicts in Of Mice and Men, most of them which help develop the story. They make the story so much more captivating and give it more life. Although they mostly all take place in one day it creates a unique novella.

Dreams Of Mice and Men - 5/5/16

She stared at the sky,

And watched as time passed by.

Everyday she would work hard,

So she could have her dream yard.

She wanted her walls white,

And her windows to show the sunlight.

She imagined and pictured,

‘You can do it’ she whisperd.

In a day, her dream demolished.

Her work was not acknowledged.

Her heart shattered,

And when it hit the floor it made a clatter.

She begged and prayed for it to come back,

But it was time that she lacked.

She did nothing wrong,

But everything was now gone.

She frowned upon her decisions,

For it ruined her great big vision.

One mistake is all it took,

Now she couldn’t even look.

She had no motivation,

And decided not to go to the workstation.

There was no point,

All she did was disappoint.

She was mad at the world,

And her mind whirled.

Her heart was vacant,

At the fact that her dream was taken.

She slept cold at nights,

Because she no longer seemed bright.

Dreams deferred,

Her eyes blurred.

Although it was difficult,

She faced the fact there would be no miracle.
She let it all go,

And her dream went to a new home.

Of Mice and Men - 5/3/16

     Describe the atmosphere of the ranch and bunkhouse. 

     The atmosphere of the ranch and the bunkhouse is almost restraining and, in a way, tough.  Since they are in a new environment, Lennie and George are forced to keep their guard up. George makes sure not to let Lennie talk, and George himself tries not to reveal a lot about their past lives. In the novella, it states, "You was gonna leave your big flapper shut and leave me do the talking'. Damn near lost us the job." ... "Now he's got his eye on us. Now we got to be careful and not make no slips." (Pg 23) This quote shows George lecturing Lennie, in which can be considered a rather harsh way. This shows a bit of toughness, but it also resembles restraint. George is cautious to make sure the ranch doesn't know about Lennie's condition so he makes sure Lennie is on a tight leash and doesn't utter a word.

     There are more signs of the atmosphere being restraining and tough. A character, Curly, has especially been giving off this vibe while in the ranch. In the novella it states, "He glanced coldly sat George and then at Lennie. His arm gradually bent the elbows and his hands closed into fists. He stiffened and went into a slight crouch. His glance was at ounce calculating and pugnacious." (Pg 15) This shows that Curly feels somewhat intimidated and this can lead to toughness.  He is raucous to Lennie especially. Later in the chapter, George also makes sure that Lennie and himself stay away from Curly, and his wife. He doesn't want anything to go wrong with his job, which is why the atmosphere might feel restrained.

      Overall, I don't think the atmosphere in the ranch and bunkhouse is positive. George has to watch over Lennie more, to make sure he doesn't slip up and cause them to lose their jobs. Not only that but Curly has become a new problem because he has some kind of hatred towards them already.  George also needs to watch what he does, in sake of Lennie and their future career. There's not much to do but be careful and make sure Lennie doesn't do anything wrong that can lead them into big trouble.

       Why doesn't Curley's wife have a name?   What message, if anything, is John Steinbeck  trying to send by not giving her a first name?

     The reason Curly's wife does not have a name, in my opinion, is because women aren't important in the story.  Women are hardly mentioned, except for Aunt Clara and Curly's wife. I believe the message John Steinbeck is trying to send is that women were not particularly important and instead they were just known as the men's possession during that time. Why else would they just state she was Curly's? It's almost as if he owns her. Then again, in the story they do make references about her relying on Curly.

       Curly's wife is dependent on her father in-law and her husband. In the novella it states, "Wife lives over in the boss's house." (Pg 27) This is a small quote but it shows that she is dependent on Curly and The Boss because she lives in their home.  She relies on them to provide a roof over her head. This also shows how women might've not been important, they weren't independent yet.

       Curly not only partially provides a place to stay to his wife, but he also provides money to her. In the novella it states, "Curly got his work ahead of him. Bet she'd clear out for twenty bucks." (Pg 28) Not only does this show that she might not have a job, but it also kind of resembles how women were thought of back then.

       In the book, she probably doesn't have a name because she is characterized in the stereotypical sense of a women who isn't all that smart, but is very flirtatious with many men. My interpretation is that she, and other women, weren't important during that time because they didn't do anything significant.

     






 

3rd Quarter Reflections

Prompts:

1.  Of the books you have read this quarter, which was your favorite? Why? 

2.  What is something you have accomplished this quarter that you are proud of? 

3.  How have your research skills improved? 


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This quarter has been filled with many lessons, books, essays, etc. It may have been hectic at times but it has taught me many things. These things can range from creating an argumentative essay, to writing poetry, and all the way to analyzing charter development. I also read a lot more books, putting my closer to achieving my 40 book challenge.

1.

       I haven't read many books this quarter, which is something I have to work on next quarter, however I did read A Bronx Masquerade in class.  That has to be my favorite out of the little books I've read. It's my favorite book of the quarter because it was such a simple book yet it had a lot of meaning behind it. As we read it I fell in love with the characters, and their personalities. My favorite character was Raul because he was confident with his art, and didn't care what anyone thought. I actually became emotionally attached to the characters, such as Lupe. I was genuinely concerned for her, I thought she was going to do something she would later regret.  Not only did the characters and their drama interest me but their poems did too.  I really enjoyed the poetry and a lot of it inspired me and helped me create my own poems. It was very interesting reading about how the characters felt and what they thought, especially about their surroundings. This has to be one of the only books that I've read that can actually fall into realistic fiction. Overall I loved it!


2.

       There are many things that I have accomplished this quarter, one of them being getting 4's on 6/7 of my vocabulary tests. I am also proud of the fact that I have improved with my MAP scores for both math and reading. However, an achievement that I am the most proud of is being able to create poetry. I remember getting mad when we had to write our own poems because I hated it, but when I was finished I'd be so happy with the result. I would be so proud and happy that I'd go and read it to my whole family, it got to the point where my sister would say "I don't care, can you leave me alone?" (She's always like that though). My favorite poem I created is my Picture Poem. I grew fond of the poems, and when they rhymed perfectly I would be so happy. At first I thought it was going to be super hard, and it was at times, but it was worth it. I feel like poetry is a way to put all of your emotions and thoughts down, and since they don't have to be explicit it just makes the experience even better. It's been quite an experience learning about poetry as well as making it.

3.

       My research skills have improved greatly since the beginning of the year. Out of all the assignments we have done, I think the biggest assignment that has helped me improve a lot would be writing our argumentative essay.  That project took a lot of researching and it was one where I learned a lot of things on what to do and what not to do. For example, I have improved with using the TIQA format as well as summarizing. Also, our interview project we had to do with some well known people from the Bronx also helped. I think something that is very important that I've learned is how to create a works cited page. Before this year, I didn't even know what it was. These projects have allowed me to improve my skills. Our aow's have also helped improve my research skills, especially because we do it so often it's just something you continuously do that, after a while, starts making a difference. If someone were to ask me right now if I think that I've improved with doing research and collecting data I'd have to answer with a definitely. How did I do this? The answer is simple, the amount of times Mrs. Larson has assigned us a research project has exposed our class to newer things regarding it. Not only that, but we've also learned how to properly do them. At the end of the day, I'm just happy I did something productive.

       In general, this quarter has been filled with many lessons and some new experiences. I'm really happy that we have 3/4 of the school year over already. This was just another step into getting closer to summer!

Literature Circle Blog - The Giver

       The essential question I chose from the book, The Giver, by Lois Lowry is, "What happens when someone is released?' My essential question tied in with the novel study because in the book Jonas talked about how old people and sometimes babies got released.  In the story Jonas also asked questions to his parents about what exactly happens when someone is released.  Jonas and I both thought that the people who were released were just set free to the outside part of the wall. Finally towards the end of the book Jonas is able to see a baby, who was the smaller baby in a set of twins, get released. The outcome or answer to the essential question is that when someone is released they are killed by a shot given to them. They then get released, literally, through some sort of garbage chute. I found this out when Jonas asked to see the baby get released and when the baby got injected he passed away. Jonas put two and two together, and determined that his father was a murderer and being released is not what people in the community thought.  Overall, the outcome was sad and reading about it made me anxious.


       The article that we chose that connects to our book is, "North Korea: Life in cultural isolation" by BBC News.  This article relates to The Giver because in the story the people are forced to live in a small civilization away from other communities with no outside knowledge. In the article it states, "Our minders had probably never seen any other kinds of news item or documentary about their country or the rest of the world.They were not allowed to, and they could not, because no-one has access to the internet in North Korea."(Paragraph 18 & 19) This paragraph from the article connects to the book because it shows how North Koreans don't have knowledge on what's going on in the outside world, just like the people in The Giver.  The authors use the same information but use it differently because the author for The Giver uses the idea of isolation to make the civilization seem more intact and the same. The leader of North Korea uses this information to make his civilization oblivious to the outside world so he is the center of attention and he wants to seem more in power. 

       In the book and the article they also focus a lot on controlling the community or people. In the book it states, "There was no way, really, to know in advance. It was a secret selection, made by the leaders of the community, The Committee of Elders, who took the responsibility so seriously that there were never never even any jokes made about the assignments."(Page 15) This paragraph is basically discussing how The Committee of Elders choose the year 12's jobs for them and they determine what they are going to be doing for the rest of their lives. This paragraph from the book connects to the article because in the article the leader of North Korea determines how his citizens are going to live just like the Committee of Elders. The authors use the same information but use it differently because in The Giver Lois Lowry uses the information to evenly distribute the community. The leader of North Korea uses this information by controlling the people to make sure they are all the same, and so they don't know the differences between other jobs around the world. 


       Overall, the article and the book follow the same guidelines in a way.  Although, they do have many differences. The article takes place in the real world, which makes it more serious, but the book doesn't, making it less serious. Both the book and article have the same rules, but use it differently. 










     








 

Poetry Reflection

     This year, in our language art's class, we did a unit on poetry.  At first I was expecting to be reading and writing long complex pieces of poetry with words I didn't even know how to pronounce. However, as time progressed on, I realized that poetry is actually an escape and quite easy to make.  As we read Bronx, and created poems as assignments, I found a love for the poems I created. Somehow I felt connected to them.

     This brings me back to one question, how did poetry affect my life?  The answer is not that simple, I have a love-hate relationship with poetry.  In a way, I have learned to accept it and make it the best it is as I can. Yet, I also couldn't wait for the unit to be over.  Poetry has also made me open my mind more. Poems like Sideyard, have had a huge impact with their vague sentences. Phrases from the that poem such as this one, "Just like they love this timber house and hardly care if anybody knows.", have made me catch on to the fact that not everything is going to be right there for you to see and understand. The character, Tyrone, from Bronx Masquerade has taught me to not judge anyone from what you see on the outside. He showed us that he judged people wrongly, but after listening to their poems appreciated much more about them.  One person he definitely learned to stop judging was Jenelle. The same thing that happened to Tyrone, has happened to me too.  Overall, poetry has effected me in many ways.  It has taught me more about what is not seen, more about emotions, more about rhythm, and more about purposes.

       Poetry can effect anyone, or at least I'd like to think it can.  However, I don't think poetry belongs to everyone. I believe everyone and anyone has a special talent in something having to do with writing, wether it be with writing essays, creating articles, etc. They don't necessarily have to be good at poetry.   I know some of my classmates had trouble creating some of their poems, especially with rhythm and putting meaning and emotions into them.  How do I know? I know because I have talked to people about creating poetry.  Every time I have talked to these people they would talk negatively about it. I assume they aren't really fond of it and don't like it. This leads me to the thought that some things just don't belong to everyone, in this case, it's poetry.

       Life experiences can effect poets in many ways.  Take Edgar Allen Poe as an example, growing up he had a rough life.  He even had to set a couch on fire to stay warm.  Look at his poetry, and you'll notice it has sadness, madness, and hatred incorporated in them.  Those are all negative thoughts, but what is there to expect from a man who grew up with a bad past.  In class, when we had open mike fridays and some of my classmates performed there would always be a couple of students who's poems were deep and dark.  They must've got their inspiration from their hidden past. In a way, I think poetry helps people express themselves. Their expressions could be having to deal with past experiences, thoughts, ideas, etc.  When they write it down, a poem is born. Someone with a happy life might not right something dismal. Same goes for a person who has a horrible life, they might not write something happy and cheerful.  Overall, life and experiences a poet goes through affects their poetry is many differs ways, especially word choice and plots.

       A poem's structure and form contributes to it immensely.  Take my letter poem for example.  My poem, in a way, was limited.  It's structure didn't allow the poem to be set up how an average poem would be, which is in stanzas.  It's rhyming was also different and instead of having just phrases, there was full sentences.  Not only that but the shape of the poem inspires and shows what it is going to be about. My poem was a letter E, for my name, meaning the poem was going to be about me. Another poem, Zorro, from Bronx Masquerade was shaped as a Z. Since it was shaped this way it symbolized what the poem was going to be about.  The poem Zorro also had sentences, and didn't follow the same procedures as a normal poem would.  A poem's structure and form, is what identifies it in a way.

       Poems are also impacted by the use of literary devices.  Certain words and phrases can affect a poem greatly based on the 'intensity of it'.  Phrases especially play a big part because they can help develop the poem more, but they can also confuse it more. Words are incorporated to make the poems stronger and to show more emotion.  In a poem, rhyme can affect it by adding humor to it, or making it easier to understand.  Alliterations can influence the poem on the topic, and the word choice it's going to use. Repetition also can add humor, and can affect the poem by giving something more value.  Lastly, figurative language can affect a poem by making it more complex and giving it more emotions, ideas, and thoughts.

     Overall, I have learned that poetry isn't all that bad.  I have to say, when I was told we were going to be doing this unit soon I would've never expected to actually like it. Poetry has taught and showed me things that books or articles won't show you. I appreciate that.



Poems Created in this Unit:

* Nonfiction Poem

* Bio-Poem of a Literary Character

* Where I'm From Poem

* Spine Poem

* Found Poem 

* Nonsense Poem

* Picture Poem

* Those Who Don't

* If Poem

* Letter Poem

* Dream Poem
     

Nonsense Poem

"Beyond the Night in Disolay"

By: Evelyn Mazariego

"Is the Hilly Billy Hick Really the One to Blame?"

"Is the Hilly Billy Hick Really the One to Blame?"
By: Evelyn M

It was an ordinary day going

home after a long day’s work
then sitting down on the couch
to watch Netflix on the flat screen
and noticing there was a new show
added that ended up
blowing our minds and

made us brim with anger.

From the 10 hours of film

we learned to loathe you
after having an innocent
man stay in jail for 18
years who didn’t even
commit the rape

We were all frustrated

at the fact that you people
had the nerve to arrest him
after 16 alibi witnesses and
evidence was there to
prove his innocence.

Suspicion seeped through
our bodies when we
heard he was put behind the
unwashed cold metal bars
again for a murder that
could’ve been framed by you

A rusty old vial contained

his blood that was tampered
with was found after the bright
yellow police tape on his
property was placed,

does not give the judge doubt?

SLAM! The sound of the

gavel hitting the wood
was a sign of injustice.
Those who don’t know,
like you just keeping going
and going and won’t stop.

We knew we had something

to do so we grabbed our signs
that yelled for the President
to free the man put behind
the bars unjustly.

Inspired by the Article:  "Making a Murderer: The story of raging injustice against hillbilly that's taking Netflix by storm"

Bio Poem

Tucker Pierce 

Vigilant, suspicious, brave, and cautious.

A character in D. J. MacHale's story.

Lover of his best friend, adventures, and football.

Who notices the Pemberwick virus was a lie, notices Feit is really sly, and notices there is something weird happening in the sky.

Who feels wary of leaving the island, skeptical of the Ruby, and nervous about getting caught.

Who learns many things from his friend Quinn, and that Tori is very thick skinned.

Who used to think his parents always told him everything, but now knows they have a lot to hide.


Major character in Sylo.

A book that amuses, excites, and thrills.

A book that made people die.

Character Development in Bronx

     In the book, Bronx Masquerade, students at a highschool school get a chance to share poems that they've written every Friday.  As time progresses the characters become more open with their poetry, and it allows not only the reader but the other characters to get to know him/her more.  By listening to other people's poems, and writing their own poems, they start to change more throughout the book.  One of the students that has changed throughout the book is Diondra Jordan.

     In the beginning of the story, Diondra starts out as a very shy person that is self-conscious about showing off her artwork.  In the story it said, "I'm an artist, like Raul. This difference is I don't tell anybody. I refuse to give them new reasons to laugh at me.". This shows that she is self conscious about what she loves doing.  In the book she also said, "I've been drawing since I can't remember when. Not that anyone where knows that..." This shows that Diondra is shy about taking pride in her artwork, unlike Raul is. It also shows that she hasn't broken out of her shell, and has walls surrounding herself.

       As the story progresses, Diondra slowly started to show off her art and breaks out of her shell.  In the story she says, "He's part of the reasons I don't mind people looking at my drawings anymore." This shows that Raul (who she was talking about) has inspired her to not keep her talent a secret.  In the book she also said, "The drawing was good. The eyes did look right through you. Maybe I should try working on the rest of the face." This shows that after a while she has started gaining confidence is her art.  In Diondra's poem, High Dive, she states, "I take a deep breath, dip the tip of mu my brush into sky,  take one long leap and ... to be continued". This shows that she is becoming more open with her classmates, and is giving them a look into how she feels about her artwork. In her last chapter she had art school brochures and wanted to get a scholarship to an art school.  This shows that she has become more open and confident, especially with the idea of sharing her art to other people.

       Overall, Diondra has changed because she became more confident with herself and was less shy by the end of the story.  In the beginning of the story, she didn't like to show her work, and kept it a secret because she thought she would get made fun of. At the end of the story, she realized that her art was good, and stepped out of her comfort zone and started sharing her art.  She has changed because she overcame her shyness, and self consciousness.

       The elements of a story effect each other in many ways.  The setting influences how the characters act, talk, and think, and what conflicts they are going to have regarding the setting.   The plot influences what the setting is going to be, and what conflicts are going to make up the story. The conflict effects how the characters are going to act, and what setting the story iso going to be taking place in. The characters effect what the setting is going to be, and what the conflicts are going to be like.  Each one ties into another one, it's basically the term 'vice versa' over and over again. In conclusion, they're all connected somehow.

     
   

Spine Poem

Evaluate Poem First!

Poem - Dreamland - Salvaged Pages- Small Steps - Things not Seen - Hope was Here - Reached 

This poem's theme is dreams, and goals.  It is about dreams and goals because the poem is based on what a person went through for their dream/goal to become an accomplishment.

 The message hidden behind the picture/poem is that there is a way to make your dreams come true, you just have to go out, have perseverance, and motivation. 

The main point of the poem is that there are many steps and difficulties you have to go through to make your dream become a reality.

The way I visualized it was that there was a person who had always dreamed of their life goals and achievements.(Dreamland)  They would save money, memories, and anything that would help them in succeeding. (Salvaged Pages) In order to make their dream come true they gradually took small steps from when they were a child to an adult. (Small Steps).  Despite how motivated they were, other people saw no value to his/her dream and didn't understand. (Things not Seen)  However, that didn't let the person stop believing and hoping in their dreams/goals. (Hope was Here) Finally, after all that hard work they did, they reached their goal. (Reached)

Found Poem

Evaluate Poem First!

Poem - It's beautiful, big, empty, and dry.  The aroma will be warm inside. The outdoor sounds are sensitive and calm.

This poem's theme is Nature. This is the theme because the poem is marking the significance and beauty of nature. (I pictured a desert.)

The message is more hidden, and it's to pay attention more to the environment.

The main point of each word is to describe just how spectacular the desert is, even if there's not much too it.

Overall, this poem marks the acknowledgment of the beauty in nature. 

"Where I'm From" Poem

Bronx Perspectives Take One - 2/15/16

       Bronx Masquerade is a book about teenagers in high school who express their true feelings and experiences through poetry at their open mike fridays, during class.  Each and every student has a back story to them that they keep to themselves.  They all seem seem to have issues, yet they don't like openly discussing about them and tend to drop hints of these issues in their poetry.  Tyrone, which is the main character, always reflects on the person and their poems after they perform. 

       Each student in the book all have an issue.  Some of these issues being bigger than others.  However, they all have things in common, they just don't know it yet.  For example, Raul Ramirez and Diondra Jordan.  Raul is more of a outspoken confident person, which is the opposite of Diondra.  Despite their difference in personality, they both have art in common.  Raul paints, and Diondra draws.  Nevertheless, Raul likes to show his work and isn't afraid of it being judged, and Diondra keeps her drawing secretive because she is afraid of getting judged.  So in a way, they are both different but they both have a talent in art.

       Two other characters that are different is Lupe and Gloria.  What makes them different is their perspectives.  Gloria is a single teen mom, she has many struggles being a mother and student and it's hard for her to balance being both.  She, in a way, regrets her actions.  She wishes she can do things over again because after she had her kid life has been rough for her.  Lupe on the other hand, really wants a child.  She believes that having a baby young will make her happy, and it won't be a hassle to care for him/her alone.  They both believe differently on having children at a very young age, which makes them different.

       Overall, all of the characters in Bronx Masquerade are different in their own unique ways.  Some of them being more different than others, and some of them being more similar than they think.

Poetry Response

Poem: Still I Rise 

By: Maya Angelou 

“You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I’ll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
‘Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I’ll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops,
Weakened by my soulful cries?

Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don’t you take it awful hard
‘Cause I laugh like I’ve got gold mines
Diggin’ in my own backyard.

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I’ll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I’ve got diamonds

At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history’s shame
I rise
Up from a past that’s rooted in pain
I rise
I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.

Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise."

~~~~~~~~~

  The poem I chose is, Still I Rise, by Maya Angelou. This poem is about a person who gets bullied. The people (bullies) who try to bring her down expect her to be sad and ashamed, when in reality she doesn't let them bring her down. Even after she gets bullied, she still manages to hold her head up high and never gives in to the taunting. She doesn't let them get to her head, and believes that bullies will not succeed because she will always rise.
   
I think the author wrote this story to encourage people who are teased or harassed to not let the bullies dampen your mood or have you endure pain. I am convinced that her message is to not let the bullies succeed into bringing you down, or feeling less of yourself. They may insult you, but at the end of the day it's you who keeps yourself together and doesn't let people ruin you.

This poem's connection reminds me of Text to Self. This poem reminds me of Text to Self because it encourages the reader to not let bullies get their way, and to make yourself stronger. The message is the main key to the whole poem, and it's there to inspire people to believe in themselves. It is text to self because the poem has encouraged me to not care what people think of, and has reminded me of when I used to get insulted, but didn't let the bullies get their way.

I created a picture with multiple silhouettes to show what I visualized while reading this poem. In my picture (below), there are two bullies. These bullies are teasing the girl, and are expecting their words to hurt her and make her sad. Instead of feeling down, the girl raises her head up and thinks of herself as someone better. In the poem, it states "I rise." multiple times. To display this I made the girl look like she was on the clouds because she was feels very highly of herself, and she 'rose' up and will continue to 'rise' up from the bullying.

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