Question One:
1. Discuss the ways in which at least two novels or short stories you have studied demonstrate that the search for identity can be a conscious or an unconscious process.
2. Show how two characters had to search for identity and decide whether it is conscious or unconscious.
3. Characterization
4. Metamorphasis and The Bluest Eye
Question Two:
1. Evaluate the effectivness of devices used to represent internal states of mind in two or three works of fiction you have studies.
2. How are the thoughts of characters represented and is it effective?
3. Internal conflicts and characterization effectiveness
4. As I Lay dying and The Bluest Eye
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Thursday, February 12, 2009
From the Frontier of Writing
Throughout Seamus Heaney's "From the Frontier of Writing," Heaney uses an extended metaphor and diction to create a militaristic setting and a tone of hard work and harsh procedures.
The whole poem has an extended metaphor of comparing the process of writing to the military/police. for example, in the second line "the troops inspect its make and number" this implies literally that a car is being stopped by a groups of soldiers to go through a car and make sure there is nothing wrong. But metaphorically speaking, this really symbolizes the process of writing in the sense that your writing first gets looked at by someone with a higher power. The second stanza metaphorically stands for the way critics are constantly watching your every move of your writing and are looking for ways to take action.
This process continues throughout the whole poem, comparing this violating search to critics o writing or an authoritative figure always on the lookout. finally towards the last two stanzas the poem begins to take a turn. The tone changes from an irritated to a more relieved. The second to last stanza means finally you are done with the writing process and your work was finally accepted.
I really like the way this poem is written because at first you would never think that this was an extended metaphor but once you read it more thoroughly you realize the impact it puts on the reader.
The whole poem has an extended metaphor of comparing the process of writing to the military/police. for example, in the second line "the troops inspect its make and number" this implies literally that a car is being stopped by a groups of soldiers to go through a car and make sure there is nothing wrong. But metaphorically speaking, this really symbolizes the process of writing in the sense that your writing first gets looked at by someone with a higher power. The second stanza metaphorically stands for the way critics are constantly watching your every move of your writing and are looking for ways to take action.
This process continues throughout the whole poem, comparing this violating search to critics o writing or an authoritative figure always on the lookout. finally towards the last two stanzas the poem begins to take a turn. The tone changes from an irritated to a more relieved. The second to last stanza means finally you are done with the writing process and your work was finally accepted.
I really like the way this poem is written because at first you would never think that this was an extended metaphor but once you read it more thoroughly you realize the impact it puts on the reader.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
"Mid-Term Break"- i cant wait till summer!!
Throughout "Mid-Term Break" Seamus Heaney uses imagery to create a tone that is very sad and sympathetic by using words such as "crying" and visual words like "candles soothed the bedside." The narrator of this poem is going through the process of mourning and the tone creates the effect of hurt and sympathy.
I noticed that throughout the poem there is a shift between diction with happy words and sad words. For example, the second stanza has an overall sad tone to it because of the words such as "crying" and "funerals". These words imply that the narrator has had something sad occur in his life. But then in the third stanza the narrator uses words such as "baby cooed" and "laughed" which shows a change in the tone at that given moment. Then moving on the the fourth stanza it switches back to sad and continues throughout the rest of the poem.
Heaney uses visual imagery to create a sad and mournful image in the readers head. For example, he uses details like "college sick bay counting bells knelling classes to a close" which creates an image of a person sitting by the bay picking at flowers. Another image that Heaney creates through this poem is when he describes the "corpse, stanched and bandaged." This plays a role in the mood because it shows how disturbed the narrator was with the situation at hand.
Side Note:
Me and Jenna were getting ready for volleyball practice and we were looking at this poem and i asked her a question. I came up with a theory that the poem was written backwards...i know that sounds stupid but it kinda makes sense. Just hear me out if you read the last four stanzas and find out the narrators four year old brother died-and then u read first four stanzas it makes sense. Its like before and after: his brother died, then he is sitting by the bay and going to the funeral.
Also if you notice the times also support the fact that the poem was written backwards. In the first line it says that it is 2 o'clock and in the fifth stanza it says that it is 10 o'clock.
Just that it was quite interesting
I noticed that throughout the poem there is a shift between diction with happy words and sad words. For example, the second stanza has an overall sad tone to it because of the words such as "crying" and "funerals". These words imply that the narrator has had something sad occur in his life. But then in the third stanza the narrator uses words such as "baby cooed" and "laughed" which shows a change in the tone at that given moment. Then moving on the the fourth stanza it switches back to sad and continues throughout the rest of the poem.
Heaney uses visual imagery to create a sad and mournful image in the readers head. For example, he uses details like "college sick bay counting bells knelling classes to a close" which creates an image of a person sitting by the bay picking at flowers. Another image that Heaney creates through this poem is when he describes the "corpse, stanched and bandaged." This plays a role in the mood because it shows how disturbed the narrator was with the situation at hand.
Side Note:
Me and Jenna were getting ready for volleyball practice and we were looking at this poem and i asked her a question. I came up with a theory that the poem was written backwards...i know that sounds stupid but it kinda makes sense. Just hear me out if you read the last four stanzas and find out the narrators four year old brother died-and then u read first four stanzas it makes sense. Its like before and after: his brother died, then he is sitting by the bay and going to the funeral.
Also if you notice the times also support the fact that the poem was written backwards. In the first line it says that it is 2 o'clock and in the fifth stanza it says that it is 10 o'clock.
Just that it was quite interesting
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Woman's Constancy-welcome to my sunny day
Throughout "Woman's Constancy" John Donne uses catalogue and diction to create the dominant effect of confusion and frustration towards a newly loved one. Donne main tone of this poem is anger and very scorn because he is constantly accusing his lover of false love.
The first the thing I noticed with this poem is the use of catalogue. Donne uses catalogue to answer the question he asks in the second line of the poem "Tomorrow when thou leav'st, what wilt thou say?" He then goes on to list all the answers he accuses his lover of saying to him. Her explaining all the reasons that he wouldn't love her any longer. I noticed the uses of catalogue with the repetitive use of the weird "or" every time Donne proposed a new excuse to not love anymore. The use of this catalogue creates the effect that the narrator has a lot on his mind and that he is confused.
The next thing that stood out to me throughout this people is the word choice Donne uses such as "reverential fear love." These two words don't really go together in the sense that reverential means deeply respectful but also the word fear is used next to it which didn't make much sense to me. Also the words "wrath" and "forswear" create a negative connotation to the poem.
Overall i really liked this poem because Donne does a really nice job tying together catalogue and diction to create a tone of confusion and frustration with his thoughts of losing the feelings of love for his new lover.
The first the thing I noticed with this poem is the use of catalogue. Donne uses catalogue to answer the question he asks in the second line of the poem "Tomorrow when thou leav'st, what wilt thou say?" He then goes on to list all the answers he accuses his lover of saying to him. Her explaining all the reasons that he wouldn't love her any longer. I noticed the uses of catalogue with the repetitive use of the weird "or" every time Donne proposed a new excuse to not love anymore. The use of this catalogue creates the effect that the narrator has a lot on his mind and that he is confused.
The next thing that stood out to me throughout this people is the word choice Donne uses such as "reverential fear love." These two words don't really go together in the sense that reverential means deeply respectful but also the word fear is used next to it which didn't make much sense to me. Also the words "wrath" and "forswear" create a negative connotation to the poem.
Overall i really liked this poem because Donne does a really nice job tying together catalogue and diction to create a tone of confusion and frustration with his thoughts of losing the feelings of love for his new lover.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
The Good Morrow
Throughout "The Good-Morrow" John Donne uses diction to create a tone of romance by using words such as "love" and "beauty." He also uses naturalistic words such as "hemispheres," "sea discoverers," "worlds," and "maps" to create a mood of adventurous.
The romantic part of this poem is mainly in the first stanza when the narrator tells his story of never loving as much as he loves "the woman." "If any ever beauty" implies that the narrator feels deep love towards this other person and that this beauty is the best of all beauties. Also in the third stanza when Donne uses the words "our two loves" supports the thesis that the tone is mainly about love.
Throughout the second stanza there are many references to nature and earthly things. For example, "sea discoverers to new worlds" implies that the tone of love is throughout the earth and the world. The love that this narrator feels can be seen everywhere from "worlds on worlds."
John Donne uses diction and references to nature and earth to emphasize the narrators love towards the :other person." This creates a romantic and rather spread out unconditional love.
The romantic part of this poem is mainly in the first stanza when the narrator tells his story of never loving as much as he loves "the woman." "If any ever beauty" implies that the narrator feels deep love towards this other person and that this beauty is the best of all beauties. Also in the third stanza when Donne uses the words "our two loves" supports the thesis that the tone is mainly about love.
Throughout the second stanza there are many references to nature and earthly things. For example, "sea discoverers to new worlds" implies that the tone of love is throughout the earth and the world. The love that this narrator feels can be seen everywhere from "worlds on worlds."
John Donne uses diction and references to nature and earth to emphasize the narrators love towards the :other person." This creates a romantic and rather spread out unconditional love.
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