Dear class,
Not to be a Grinch, but let's not clog up the airwaves with birthday greetings to all and sundry. The Smiths?--well, I can get behind a tribute to Morrissey and good old Johnny Marr (though I don't remember anyone called Hayden, and certainly not Addison or, god forbid, Lisa. That's strictly Simpsons territory).
Anyway, this ain't Facebook, so now that we've paid our birthday tributes, let's get back to literature.
Yours truly,
JD
p.s.: no comments required
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Antic, in love, or just plain crazy? (Or all three?)
Sonnet XXIII
As an unperfect actor on the stage
Who with his fear is put besides his part
Or some fierce thing replete with too much rage,
Whose strength’s abundance weakens his own heart;
So I, for fear of trust, forget to say
The perfect ceremony of love’s rite,
And in mine own love’s strength seem to decay,
O’ercharged with burthen of mine own love’s might:
O let my looks be then the eloquence,
And dumb presagers of my speaking breast,
Who plead for love, and look for recompense,
More than that tongue that more hath more expressed.
O learn to read what silent love hath writ:
To hear with eyes belongs to love’s fine wit.
What do you make of Hamlet's mysterious, wordless visit to Ophelia while she is sewing in her "closet"? Is he putting on his "antic disposition" for her? His behavior sounds just a tad nutty -- how do you think it reflects his state of mind, or his plans for revenge?
Perhaps Shakespeare's Sonnet 23 sheds some light on what is on the prince's mind, or in his heart. Don't pass it by because some of the language is a little obscure to you. Work it, and view Hamlet through this prism.
As an unperfect actor on the stage
Who with his fear is put besides his part
Or some fierce thing replete with too much rage,
Whose strength’s abundance weakens his own heart;
So I, for fear of trust, forget to say
The perfect ceremony of love’s rite,
And in mine own love’s strength seem to decay,
O’ercharged with burthen of mine own love’s might:
O let my looks be then the eloquence,
And dumb presagers of my speaking breast,
Who plead for love, and look for recompense,
More than that tongue that more hath more expressed.
O learn to read what silent love hath writ:
To hear with eyes belongs to love’s fine wit.
What do you make of Hamlet's mysterious, wordless visit to Ophelia while she is sewing in her "closet"? Is he putting on his "antic disposition" for her? His behavior sounds just a tad nutty -- how do you think it reflects his state of mind, or his plans for revenge?
Perhaps Shakespeare's Sonnet 23 sheds some light on what is on the prince's mind, or in his heart. Don't pass it by because some of the language is a little obscure to you. Work it, and view Hamlet through this prism.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO LISA
Today is Lisa's birthday!! A day to make you feel a bit older than usual. 18 is a fun number ain't it, where you get the stuff that you don't really want or need, and now you can't get the free things that you had before when you were still a minor. Being 18 is a swell time, now you can call yourself in when you're not sick and get away with it. Not only that, credit carditeers will start to come and ask "do you want to join Capital One? We have an account all ready for you." It makes you feel kind of special in a sense.
Lisa is a fun person to hang out with, because she can speak her mind and not really care what the other person is thinking. She has a keen sense of style and she's really good with words making her a hilarious person to talk to. Having a colloquial conversation, and Lisa can come in with some extravagant word that makes you stop and think. I don't really memorize her words that were out there, but they were three syllable words. Maybe four.. Can't really remember. But that's alright.
In health careers, we had to do this teeth brushing thingermabob where we are to brush each other's teeth. Lisa was my partner, and it was really great how when someone is laughing, they bite down on the toothbrush which makes it impossible to brush the individual's teeth. Or maybe it was embarrassment that made Lisa clamp down on the toothbrush.. but either way, it was pretty intense. And you might not notice this, but when we brush out teeth and we spit out the water, there is a lot of those spit stringy things. The same day, we had to feed each other too. Devin was in our group (I hope I spelled his name right) and he was feeding Lisa the applesauce. Once the spoon was in her mouth, he did this twist thing as if to pour the applesauce into her mouth. Think about it, spoon in mouth, mouth is closed, and spoon twists. That must've been a fun experience :]
Dear old Lisa has been a real great pal and I'm glad to call her my friend. I hope Mr. Duncan is not bothered by me posting up birthday congratulations on the Westview AP Literature Mr. Duncan blog, because these people are the ones that really know how to make a kid's day, and I want to recognize them. Happy birthday Lisa, and I hope your day goes better than you have planned.
Lisa is a fun person to hang out with, because she can speak her mind and not really care what the other person is thinking. She has a keen sense of style and she's really good with words making her a hilarious person to talk to. Having a colloquial conversation, and Lisa can come in with some extravagant word that makes you stop and think. I don't really memorize her words that were out there, but they were three syllable words. Maybe four.. Can't really remember. But that's alright.
In health careers, we had to do this teeth brushing thingermabob where we are to brush each other's teeth. Lisa was my partner, and it was really great how when someone is laughing, they bite down on the toothbrush which makes it impossible to brush the individual's teeth. Or maybe it was embarrassment that made Lisa clamp down on the toothbrush.. but either way, it was pretty intense. And you might not notice this, but when we brush out teeth and we spit out the water, there is a lot of those spit stringy things. The same day, we had to feed each other too. Devin was in our group (I hope I spelled his name right) and he was feeding Lisa the applesauce. Once the spoon was in her mouth, he did this twist thing as if to pour the applesauce into her mouth. Think about it, spoon in mouth, mouth is closed, and spoon twists. That must've been a fun experience :]
Dear old Lisa has been a real great pal and I'm glad to call her my friend. I hope Mr. Duncan is not bothered by me posting up birthday congratulations on the Westview AP Literature Mr. Duncan blog, because these people are the ones that really know how to make a kid's day, and I want to recognize them. Happy birthday Lisa, and I hope your day goes better than you have planned.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE SMITHS
Well, today is Thanksgiving and what more can we be thankful for than having Hayden and Addison here to entertain us and be the great palios that they are. Let's all go back to memory lane and see all the things that Hayden and Addison has done for us...
I didn't know either one personally until seventh grade jazz band. Bus ride to Mt Hood Community College to play at a competition, I'm laughing my brains out for reasons unknown and then Emily Harris is like "hey maybe there's a word that will always make Thanh laugh" and booger was born. Emily, Addison, Hayden, and Ryan would always say that to me whenever they felt like it, and I would always laugh. It's the greatest word in the world. Addison would be soo mean and say booger when I was trying to play a solo and make me mess up. Unbelievable. Basically, only those four can really say booger right and make me laugh. Something about remembering the day again. That was an awesome day...
And then lets see. O okay, so another band moment. What was this, sophomore year? yea, I sat next to Addison in band and he knew I was really ticklish. Like, "haha, let's see Thanh jump out of her seat by a minor poke" Weeell, Addison doesn't just to the poke, but he does the egg drop on the knee, and holy cow that takes the cake. One time he did that, I dropped my trumpet and broke it. I'm just giving him a hard time, but it was alright. He's still a swell kid.
Here's a calc moment with Hayden. Recently we had this field trip to watch this lecture about something. And then right in the middle, I guess Hayden was trying to hold in a sneeze? hahaha gee whiz, it was more of an explosion than anything else. Right in the middle of the lecture. O, but there were two times when hahaha omg, when Hayden was talking and then all of a sudden he would drool excessively. Like a huge glob of spit would just fall out of his mouth. hahaha aww good times good times...
Well, there are so many more memories I have with them two. I had pictures to put up but I can't really do it right now. Today is just a day to embarrass the Hayddisons. So if you have any embarrassing moments that you have of them, go ahead and post it up! Happy 18th you guys, and like Mr. Warner would say "now you guys are eligible to go to jail."
Hayden, I'll see you in forty years so stay fresh ;]
I didn't know either one personally until seventh grade jazz band. Bus ride to Mt Hood Community College to play at a competition, I'm laughing my brains out for reasons unknown and then Emily Harris is like "hey maybe there's a word that will always make Thanh laugh" and booger was born. Emily, Addison, Hayden, and Ryan would always say that to me whenever they felt like it, and I would always laugh. It's the greatest word in the world. Addison would be soo mean and say booger when I was trying to play a solo and make me mess up. Unbelievable. Basically, only those four can really say booger right and make me laugh. Something about remembering the day again. That was an awesome day...
And then lets see. O okay, so another band moment. What was this, sophomore year? yea, I sat next to Addison in band and he knew I was really ticklish. Like, "haha, let's see Thanh jump out of her seat by a minor poke" Weeell, Addison doesn't just to the poke, but he does the egg drop on the knee, and holy cow that takes the cake. One time he did that, I dropped my trumpet and broke it. I'm just giving him a hard time, but it was alright. He's still a swell kid.
Here's a calc moment with Hayden. Recently we had this field trip to watch this lecture about something. And then right in the middle, I guess Hayden was trying to hold in a sneeze? hahaha gee whiz, it was more of an explosion than anything else. Right in the middle of the lecture. O, but there were two times when hahaha omg, when Hayden was talking and then all of a sudden he would drool excessively. Like a huge glob of spit would just fall out of his mouth. hahaha aww good times good times...
Well, there are so many more memories I have with them two. I had pictures to put up but I can't really do it right now. Today is just a day to embarrass the Hayddisons. So if you have any embarrassing moments that you have of them, go ahead and post it up! Happy 18th you guys, and like Mr. Warner would say "now you guys are eligible to go to jail."
Hayden, I'll see you in forty years so stay fresh ;]
Friday, November 21, 2008
Claudius, the consummate politician
"Scan" Claudius’s first speech (Act I, Scene 2, lines 1-39)—in other words: break it down into its component parts. What aspects of his character, intellect and governance does it reveal?
Note also his gentle-seeming (great word: "seeming") reprimand to Hamlet, which also moves from message to message. It should add to your picture--how?
Note also his gentle-seeming (great word: "seeming") reprimand to Hamlet, which also moves from message to message. It should add to your picture--how?
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
For this posting, I'm seeking a genuine & personal response to Robert MacNeil's genuine & personal account of his early experience with Shakespeare. It's better you write something in advance and post it rather than use someone else's response as a springboard--though you're always welcome to comment on what you read here.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
The Double & the Precipice
This posting is in two parts, and will require a similar response.
First: re-read paragraphs 24-29 in Part III, beginning with “I think I would have raised an outcry…” to “And yet I had only supported him, his bony arm clasped round my neck—and he was not much heavier than a child.”
Remember what Marlow tells his listeners earlier in his tale?—”It seems to me I am trying to tell you a dream—making a vain attempt, because no relation of a dream can convey the dream-sensation, that commingling of absurdity, surprise, and bewilderment in a tremor of struggling revolt, that notion of being captured by the incredible which is of the very essence of dreams…” If this episode, in which Marlow pursues Kurtz and confronts him in the brush at night, were a dream sequence, what sort of dream would it be and where would it be set? Would it be too much to say this dream is a nightmare and the setting is an earthly representation of hell?
Second: re-read paragraph 48, beginning “However, as you see, I did not go to join Kurtz there and then.” In this passage, which is in part an impressionistic account of Marlow's near-fatal illness on his return trip, he speaks of Kurtz in terms of “loyalty” and “destiny,” and comments that the best “you can from from it is some knowledge of yourself…”
He “affirm[s] that Kurtz was a remarkable man” and says that although he, Marlow, “peeped over the edge” of what we might call a spiritual abyss and seems to have lived through Kurtz's “extremity” rather than his own, “he [Kurtz] had stepped over the edge while I had been permitted to draw back my hesitating foot.”
This is some heavy stuff. Why does Marlow say he has “remained loyal to Kurtz to the last, and even beyond…” and why is he so impressed by Kurtz's final cry—”The horror!”—that he calls the cry “an affirmation, a moral victory paid for by innumerable defeats…”?
First: re-read paragraphs 24-29 in Part III, beginning with “I think I would have raised an outcry…” to “And yet I had only supported him, his bony arm clasped round my neck—and he was not much heavier than a child.”
Remember what Marlow tells his listeners earlier in his tale?—”It seems to me I am trying to tell you a dream—making a vain attempt, because no relation of a dream can convey the dream-sensation, that commingling of absurdity, surprise, and bewilderment in a tremor of struggling revolt, that notion of being captured by the incredible which is of the very essence of dreams…” If this episode, in which Marlow pursues Kurtz and confronts him in the brush at night, were a dream sequence, what sort of dream would it be and where would it be set? Would it be too much to say this dream is a nightmare and the setting is an earthly representation of hell?
Second: re-read paragraph 48, beginning “However, as you see, I did not go to join Kurtz there and then.” In this passage, which is in part an impressionistic account of Marlow's near-fatal illness on his return trip, he speaks of Kurtz in terms of “loyalty” and “destiny,” and comments that the best “you can from from it is some knowledge of yourself…”
He “affirm[s] that Kurtz was a remarkable man” and says that although he, Marlow, “peeped over the edge” of what we might call a spiritual abyss and seems to have lived through Kurtz's “extremity” rather than his own, “he [Kurtz] had stepped over the edge while I had been permitted to draw back my hesitating foot.”
This is some heavy stuff. Why does Marlow say he has “remained loyal to Kurtz to the last, and even beyond…” and why is he so impressed by Kurtz's final cry—”The horror!”—that he calls the cry “an affirmation, a moral victory paid for by innumerable defeats…”?
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