Blog #15: Semester 1 Final Reflection

I have made great progress this semester in AP Literature class. We engaged in an enormous amount of group work to collaborate on presentations regarding different topics and styles of literature, such as fairy tales, mythology, single poems, and comparison/contrast poems. In addition to this, we maintained a relaxed attitude when working by incorporating presentation techniques such as music videos, physical representations of a symbol, and tweets highlighting the humor in each work. While the presentations were enjoyable and enhanced cooperation within our group members, occasional benchmark essays and prompts retained a sense of individuality to represent the progress we were making independently.

Initially starting the year with only limited experience in forming effective thesis statements and identifying complexity in literature, I have improved upon my ability to possess an open-minded attitude when considering the perspective and potential of a literary work. Indeed, the most significant learning experience for me arose from the true understanding I gathered on forming thesis statements. The group collaboration especially helped with this as I was able to gain an insight on others' thought process and analysis for the statements in what they felt best showed the complexity of the work. Prior to this semester, I had never realized the mosaic nature of a thesis sentence and most certainly had not thought of splitting the description into two or three parts. This is perhaps due to the method I have been taught in previous english and writing classes in which a single sentence thesis is supposed to be simple, straightforward, and argumentative all together.

Having experienced this specified training for an entire semester, I now feel relatively confident in my skills for the AP prompts primarily because of the multitudes of practice we had with both thesis construction and literary analysis in general. Specifically, the tone shifts chart was a technique that significantly developed my skills in identifying the author's purpose and effect of inserting varying tones and focuses throughout the work. However, because I am not yet confident about formulating all these aspects into an essay format (since we primarily focused on a presentation format in class), I will now need to dedicate my time to efficiently incorporating all my learned techniques from this semester into a well-developed, formal essay.

Blog #14: Paired Poems Presentation

Blog #13: Compare/Contrast Poetry Presentation Essay (Eros)

The two poems by Anne Stevenson and Robert Bridges are depictions of the Greek god of love, Eros. Known for his ability to enchant others with true love, Eros has the uncanny misfortune of not being able to find love himself. The two poems demonstrate this adversity in his life through the differences in collaboration of tone shifts and rhyme scheme in relation to the common theme of love and loss defined in the poems. Stevenson and Bridges incorporate these techniques to emphasize the selflessness of Eros in providing his services to a mercenary society.

Although used differently in each poem, the tone shifts are significant indicators in portraying the common theme of the longing of love Eros feels. Stevenson’s poem immediately sets an initial tone of disappointment and disgust. The descriptive imagery of Eros invokes a contrast between the expectation and reality of the appearance of love upon the speaker’s view of him as a “thug with a broken nose and squinty eyes” (Stevenson). Bridges, however, sets a positive impression on the reader with an initially dreamy and complementary tone. The speaker thinks highly of Eros, describing him as an “idol” and “flower of lovely youth” with “flesh so fair” (Bridges). The two poems continue to evolve inversely, with Stevenson utilizing a change in perspective from the disgusted woman to Eros himself. Utilizing this technique, Eros “cries” and defends his “long overuse”, blaming it on the “blows [her] lust delivered” (Stevenson) and evoking a hurt and distressed tone. In contrast, Bridges maintains a mellow and contemplative tone in which the personification of time is used to show the complicated nature of Eros through his enigmatic face showing an “unchristen’d smile” and “neither love nor guile” (Bridges), thus concealing the Eros’ emotions rather than explicitly expressing them. Stevenson ends her poem with zeugma portraying a pointed tone, in which Eros bluntly blames the woman for his unappealing nature through candid phrases such as “we slaves”, “your fate”, and “you create” (Stevenson). Meanwhile, following another shift, Bridges ends the poem with a pitiful and depressed tone in which the speaker makes a complete shift from praising to pity and wholly understands why there is “nothing in [Eros’] face” and “why is [Eros’] though” (Bridges). In contrast to Stevenson’s poem, Bridges portrays Eros as the “victim” who is left in the “darkness” because “none… hath cared to look upon [his] face” (Bridges).

The rhyme scheme of the poems is a mutual indicator of the emotions each evokes. Although they are dissimilar from each other, the rhyme scheme in both poem express the common theme of the love that Eros wishes to indulge in and the loss that involuntarily swallows him. Stevenson’s poem presents a XAXA XBXB rhyme scheme consistently to convey her message while Bridges deviates from a traditional AABB rhyme scheme towards the last stanza’s unconventional CCXXDDD rhyme scheme to convey the same attitude towards Eros.

Blog #12: Benchmark Compare/Contrast Poem Revision

In order to depict the complexity of their works, authors often publish revised versions of their previous works as the situations regarding the subject evolve. In this manner, William Blake's two poems, both titled The Chimney Sweeper and published in 1789 and 1794, attempt to establish the treacherous conditions faced by young chimney sweepers during the time period. Although written by the same author, the poems are representative of the differences in the industrious time periods in which they were published. Throughout both poems, Blake contrasts the innocence and resentment of the children towards their occupations through the careful placement of rhyme scheme and ironic diction, all the while highlighting the disparities in the tone of the speaker in each poem. Blake's response provides a emotional yet firm insight into the hardships faced during the industrious lifestyle of the time period.

The 1789 poem presents Blake's initial response to the chimney sweepers and highlights the innate innocence of the working children. The poem's rhyme scheme is obtrusively present and maintains a consistent pattern throughout the work. Following the 'AABBCCDD...' scheme, the instantaneous repetition of the sound in the previous line emphasizes the children's need to continuously adhere to a routine set by their authorities and instantly follow all directions given to them. This strict rhyme of the poem is therefore representative of the strict and meaningless lifestyle led by the children. Additionally, Blake utilizes ironic diction symbolically numerous times throughout the poem to depict the concrete differences in two contrasting ideas. "As Tom was a-sleeping he had such a sight" (Blake l. 10) is a depiction of the restricted freedom presented to the children and to those of the industrial period as only through dreams in their sleep are they able to see clearly without obstruction of outside influences. The irony present simply asserts this contrast with more emphasis, thus presenting a hopeless society in which dreams are unattainable in reality. When an Angel "open[s] the coffins & set[s] them all free" (Blake l. 14), the ironic contrast between the presence of an Angel, a symbol of purity, and some coffins, a symbol of death, is a representation of the ability of solely angels to appease the struggles the children remain immersed in. The workers themselves are unable to gain the freedom they seek and must be assisted by a purer, external force in receiving the guidance towards happiness. In general, the rhyme scheme and ironic diction present throughout underscore the darker aspects of the poem, leading to a misconception of the initially perceived optimistic and innocent tone of the poem.

In the 1794 poem, Blake presents an altered response to the chimney sweepers by depicting the misery faced by the children to a greater extent. The AABB CDCD EFEF rhyme scheme, a more complex form than that of the previous poem, shows the wavering thought process of the children and their tendency to grow resentful and envious of others of higher authority.The first stanza's rhyme pattern is consistent with that of the 1789 poem, a representation of the innocence carried forward to the speaker as he quietly accepts the fact that his parents "are both gone up to the church to pray" (Blake l. 4). However, as the poem progresses, the speaker's tone changes as the rhyme scheme does. The pattern begins to waver as the tone and emotions turn darker. Instead of his naive and obliged self, the speaker is grows resentful towards his parents and towards God, blaming them for "a heaven of our misery" (Blake l. 12). While the 1789 poem did not define any significant tone shifts, this poem's rhyme scheme sets a significant precedent for the emotions portrayed by the speaker. Ironic diction is also used more explicitly in this poem, as the second stanza serves to contrast the "happy" (Blake l. 5) child with the "clothes of death" (Blake l. 7) and "notes of woe" (Blake l. 8). The symbols in the stanza provide yet another shift in tone that can be recognized through its irony; indeed, it is in this stanza that the speaker first begins to show signs of resentment towards his parents, who appear to ignore their child's happiness and well-being by burdening him with a miserable workload. They are indifferent towards their child's "smil[es] among the winter's snow" (Blake l. 6) and present to him the "clothes of death" (Blake l. 7), diminishing the child's happiness to a life of struggle. This poem's tone shifts, depicted through its ironic symbolism and rhyme scheme, strengthens the intent of the author in depicting the industrious lifestyle that was forced upon the children.

Blog #11: Benchmark Compare/Contrast Poem

In order to depict the complexity of their works, authors often publish revised versions of their previous works as the situations regarding the subject evolve. In this manner, William Blake's two poems, both titled The Chimney Sweeper and published in 1789 and 1794, attempt to establish the treacherous conditions faced by young chimney sweepers during the time period. Although written by the same author, the poems are representative of the differences in the industrious time periods in which they were published. Throughout both poems, Blake contrasts the innocence and resentment of the children towards their occupations through the careful placement of rhyme scheme and ironic diction, all the while highlighting the disparities in the tone of the speaker in each poem. Blake's response provides a emotional yet firm insight into the hardships faced in industrious lifestyle of the time period.

The 1789 poem presents Blake's initial response to the chimney sweepers and highlights the innate innocence of the working children. The poem's rhyme scheme is obtrusively present and maintains a consistent pattern throughout the work. Following the 'AABBCCDD...' scheme, the instantaneous repetition of the sound in the previous line emphasizes the children's need to continuously adhere to a routine set by their authorities. The strict rhyme of the poem is therefore representative of the strict and meaningless lifestyle led by the children. Additionally, Blake utilizes ironic diction numerous times throughout the poem to depict the concrete differences in two contrasting ideas. "As Tom was a-sleeping he had such a sight" (Blake l. 10) is a depiction of the restricted freedom presented to the children and to those of the industrial period. Merely through dreams are they able to see clearly without obstruction of outside influences. When an Angel "open[s] the coffins & set[s] them all free" (Blake l. 14), the irony between the presence of an Angel and coffins, a symbol of death, is a representation of the ability of solely angels to appease the struggles the children remain immersed in. The rhyme scheme and ironic diction underscore the darker aspects of the poem and thus emphasize the overall optimistic and innocent tone of the poem.

In the 1794 poem, Blake presents a altered response to the chimney sweepers by depicting the misery faced by the children to a greater extent. As used in the previous poem, the AABB CDCD EFEF rhyme scheme shows the wavering thought process of the children and their tendency to grow resentful and envious of others of higher authority. Ironic diction is used more explicitly in this poem, as the second stanza serves to contrast the "happy" (Blake l. 5) child with the "clothes of death" (Blake l. 7) he is made to wear.

Reflection

For this assignment, we were to analyze a question from the 2005 AP prompt that dealt with a compare/contrast format of two poems by the same author. I found it interesting that the poems were written by the same author and were given the same title, though published in different years, and attempted to incorporate this into my response. The meaningful experiences of this task were the ease I found in analyzing two poems compared to one and the extent to which I was able to apply what I have learned from in-class presentations over the past few weeks. In previous benchmark essays, I have been unable to develop a firm thesis statement that presents a substantial argument. Although my current thesis is still in need of improvements, I felt more confident in my ability to make a argument and justify its implications. Alternatively, I was unable to analyze the poems as thoroughly as I would have liked because of time restrictions, especially in the case of the second poem. This is a significant aspect I have to improve on to help develop my essays not only in this class, but in other subjects as well. The Literature and Composition book helped me in analyzing these poems and recognizing the similarities and differences between the two. As recommended, I created a chart of literary devices that I had identified in both poems which helped me explicitly see the similar and different ways in which the author incorporated them. The book also described some techniques to organize the format of my essay. I chose to use the 'text-by-text organization' method because of time constraints, although the 'element-by-element' method may have better suited to my needs. Before the revision, I will once again read the sample essay provided in the book to better guide me. Overall, I currently perceive my essay at a 3-4 level, simply because of my lack of elaboration on my main points and complete inability to analyze the second poem within the time limit.

Blog #10: Mythology Presentation

Blog #9: Fairytale Presentation

Blog #8: Poetry Presentations

Blog #7: Group Identity/Coat of Arms

Blog #6: Summer Reading Creative Paper/Presentation

Blog #5: Summer Reading Compare/Contrast Paper

Blog #4: Benchmark Open Question Essay and Reflection

In William Shakespeare's Othello, cruelty is depicted in numerous ways throughout the play. Each representation of cruelty highlights a different aspect of the characters' motivations and intentions while remaining consistent with the realities of the time period the play is set in. Iago's plans and treatment towards his wife, Emilia, show specific examples of his cruel personality while general concepts such as racism and mistreatment of women outline the continuous cruelty present throughout the play.

Describing Iago's personality as cruel is perhaps too merciful. Blinded with anger and a desire for revenge, he willingly plays with the emotions of Othello and his wife, Desdemona, while appearing to be naive on the surface. This dramatic irony enables the readers to immediately form a bias against his acts of cruelty. Indeed, his plans play a vital role in setting the purpose and message of the plot, as there would be no conflict in the play without Iago's motivations.

It is not only Iago who can be seen as the villain of the play; society as a whole participates knowingly or unknowingly in forms of racial cruelty. There is a copious amount of instances where Othello is referred to by racial slurs, such as "moor" and other animalistic features. In fact, Desdemona's own father, Barbantio, who is supposed to by of a distinguished class, is dissapointed to learn that his daughter chose to marry a man of dark-skinned descent. The cruel racism is a reflection of the time period, where those of African and Middle Eastern heritage were seen as unequals in the European society

Additional cruelty is displayed against women by Iago and others in the play. Women, such as Desdemona and Emilia, were shown injustice towards by their own husbands as well as other men. Desdemona's own husband, shown to love her dearly, has such little faith in her that he commits the most atrocious form of cruelty possible: murder. This is true with Iago as well, who suspects that Emilia was infidel towards him with Othello. Both of these characters show the mistrust of women that was present in society at the time. Additionally, objectification of women, although a milder form of cruelty, was common as well. Iago showed no love for his wife throughout the play and merely used here to complete his tasks.

In conclusion, Shakespeare's different forms of cruelty correctly outline the motives of the characters and society as a whole.


Reflection

I would grade my essay at a 6 level. I offered a fairly reasonable analysis of my chosen text and applied the theme of cruelty in the play to different characters and even to society as a whole. I therefore also showed my understanding of the text and its themes. However, I did not support my analysis with specific examples and quotes, which would have made my arguments stronger. An effective place to insert some textual references would be in the point about racial slurs, where I only gave one example but could have inserted more if I had recalled the exact wording. Additionally, I would have liked to elaborate further on the topic of objectification of women as a form of cruelty, which was not possible because of time restraints. All in all, I believe I performed acceptably, considering that this was a benchmark essay and that my knowledge of Othello had faded over time.

Revised Essay

In William Shakespeare's Othello, cruelty is depicted in numerous ways throughout the play. Each representation of cruelty highlights a different aspect of the characters' motivations and intentions while remaining consistent with the realities of the time period the play is set in. Iago's plans and treatment towards his wife, Emilia, show specific examples of his cruel personality while general concepts such as racism and mistreatment of women outline the continuous cruelty present throughout the play.

Describing Iago's personality as cruel is perhaps too merciful. Blinded with anger and a desire for revenge, he willingly plays with the emotions of Othello and his wife, Desdemona, while appearing to be naive on the surface. This dramatic irony enables the readers to immediately form a bias against his acts of cruelty. Indeed, the development of his plans, or his "call to adventure", plays a vital role in setting the purpose and message of the plot, as there would be no conflict in the play without Iago's motivations.

It is not only Iago who can be seen as the villain of the play; society as a whole participates knowingly or unknowingly in forms of racial cruelty. There is a copious amount of instances where Othello is referred to by racial slurs, such as "moor" and other animalistic features. In fact, Desdemona's own father, Barbantio, who is supposed to by of a distinguished class, is dissapointed to learn that his daughter chose to marry a man of dark-skinned descent. The cruel racism is a reflection of the time period, where those of African and Middle Eastern heritage were seen as unequals in the European society

Additional cruelty is displayed against women by Iago and others in the play. Women, such as Desdemona and Emilia, were shown injustice towards by their own husbands as well as other men. Desdemona's own husband, shown to love her dearly, has such little faith in her that he commits the most atrocious form of cruelty possible: murder. This is true with Iago as well, who suspects that Emilia was unfaithful towards him with Othello. Both of these characters show the mistrust of women that was present in society at the time. Additionally, objectification of women, although a milder form of cruelty, was common as well. Iago showed no love for his wife throughout the play and merely used her to complete his tasks, which eventually destroyed him.

In conclusion, Shakespeare's different forms of cruelty correctly outline the motives of the characters and society as a whole.

Feedback for Kara Lennon http://lennonkaraapenglish2015.blogspot.com

This essay would probably score in the 3-4 range. Kara does not address the topic of cruelty enough to adequately answer the prompt. Although her attempt at analyzing cruelty in "The Crucible" was decent, she did not support her arguments with textual evidence and merely adhered to the generic method of plot summary followed by some analysis. In addition, Kara often deviated from her thesis statement and therefore was not consistent in her arguments. She would greatly benefit from forming and adopting one central focus throughout her essay, as this would eliminate any confusion from the minds of the readers whilst clearly highlighting the purpose of her essay.

Blog #3: Benchmark Prose Essay and Reflection

This excerpt from Louise Erdrich's The Beat Queen describes the journey of two children into a new town and unfamiliar surroundings. Erdrich articulates the affect of the environment on the children through the use of literary devices such as tone, point of view, and imagery.

The tone throughout this excerpt is indicative of the narrator and characters' feelings and thoughts in response to their surroundings. The descriptive methods and elements used highlight this in examples such as "Mary trudged solidly forward" and "hunched with his sudden growth." In addition, the tone tends to be unusually sympathetic towards Mary, focusing on her distraught emotions towards the second half of the excerpt.

The point of view of this excerpt plays a vital role in setting the scene and introducing a new environment to the readers. The perspective used is third-person limited as the primary focus of this passage is the adaptation of Karl and Mary to the new location. However, the narrator tends to concentrate on Mary as an individual. This is seen when Karl is facing the dog and only Mary's fright is described.

Erdrich uses many instances of various imagery in this excerpt, such as the environmental and agricultural references she makes when writing the description of the setting. The first sentence begins the journey of setting the image in the readers' minds when the description starts with "before they planted beets." Prior to any information given about the setting, the readers already have an introduction to the upcoming natural imagery. Indeed this agricultural image is seen again in the middle of the second paragraph: "Wheat was the big crop then, and the topsoil was so newly tilled that it hadn't all blown off yet...". This intersection not only serves to set the location but also vaguely gives the readers an idea bout the time period the passage is set in through words such as "then", "newly tilled", and "yet". Additionally, the imagery in the third paragraph serves to describe the new location the children have arrived at. Phrases such as "dirt and planking", "false-front", "gilt letters", and "weathered gray or peeling paint" sets a dull and morose image in the minds of the readers. This also shows the impact that the environment has on the children.

Reflection

I would give my essay a 5 because of my fairly vague and faint analysis of the literary devices mentioned in the prompt. I only briefly discussed the role of the tone and point of view and did not connect my points about imagery with the impact of the environment on the two children. When I wrote the essay, I had to read the passage multiple times in order to understand some of its confusing parts, such as the second half where Karl begins to act bizarre. This took away time from my writing and hindered my ability to correctly analyze the passage because I still struggled to fully comprehend each part of the passage. I would like to improve upon my comprehension of prose by reading more literature outside of class. Additionally, I struggled to finish my essay off systematically by not including a conclusion. Therefore, when I read over my essay again two days after writing it, the ending seemed abrupt and the flow of the essay was disrupted. I will improve upon this aspect by managing my time more efficiently on the next assignment so I can keep the format of my essay consistent.

Feedback for Kara Lennon http://lennonkaraapenglish2015.blogspot.com

I agree with Kara's scoring of her essay. It possesses the quality of a strong 7, while being very close to an 8. I very much liked her analysis of the literary devices of tone, imagery, detail, and point of view, which she incorporated effectively throughout her essay, even providing multitudes of quotes and in-text references to support her arguments. She consistently maintained her high caliber of writing, thus adding to the nuance of the quality of her analysis. However, while each individual element was evaluated accurately, Kara would need to bring these separate interpretations together to form one primary focus in order to score in the 8-9 range. This fragmented analysis, along with the occasional deviation from the thesis, is fundamentally what kept her essay from receiving a higher score.

Blog #2: Benchmark Poetry Essay and Reflection

Essay

George Gascoigne's poem, For That He Looked Not upon Her, is a perfect example of a traditional sixteenth-century poem on the theme of love. The poem is addressed towards the narrator's lover from the past, one that seems to have broken his heart and left him in a miserable state of grieving. The narrator seems pessimistic about his future as he uses numerous metaphors to articulate that he will not make a similar mistake again. Gascoigne incorporates the precise usage of the devices of form, diction, and imagery in order to portray the message of the poem and his attitude towards it.

The poem is written in the form of a Shakespearean sonnet, with three quatrains and a couplet, ten syllables in each line, and iambic pentameter. Gascoigne's choice of a sonnet results in a smooth flow of his ideas and message. In contrast, if he had written in free verse, the flow of the poem may have appeared more haphazard and thus altered the message of the poem and the mood it sets. In addition, Gascoigne uses the sonnet form to categorize each idea into a quatrain or into the final couplet. The first quatrain introduces the subject of the poem, the woman who has hurt the narrator, and the affect she has on him. The second introduces a metaphor for the situation that he is and compares his actions to those of a mouse. Another metaphor is included in the third quatrain, comparing the narrator to a fly. Finally, the couplet sets a conclusion for the poem and connects with the introducing lines.

Gascoigne incorporates diction and imagery primarily to emphasize the descriptive elements he uses to enhance his message. Words such as "louring" (line 2) and "scorched" (line 9) add a sense of realism to the meaning of the sentences and contribute to the imagery in a positive manner. The method in which Gascoigne describes his metaphors are also composed of elements of imagery. The mouse "lies aloof for fear" in line 7 and creates a visual image in the readers' mind, possibly setting a mood of emotion and sympathy. The "scorched fly which once hath 'scaped the flame" (line 9) creates a painful image and once again, a mood of sympathy in the readers' minds. The usage of alliteration in lines 8 and 14 also contribute to the elements of imagery and enhance the reader's feeling of sympathy for the narrator.

For That He Looked Not upon Her by George Gascoigne tells a heartbreaking story in a descriptive manner through the author's refined incorporation of imagery and diction as well as the form of a sonnet, thus emphasizing his attitude and articulating the message in a manner exquisite enough to impact the emotions of any reader.

Reflection

I would grade my essay at 6-7 range because of my effective organization and focus on the prompt. My analysis, although not completely absent, was not as convincing and extensive as I need to be to reach the 8-9 range. I believe that I would secure a score of 6 or 7 because I was able to articulate my ideas clearly and concisely while offering a fairly rational analysis of the poem and its use of devices. I could have improved, however, by identifying further instances of imagery and diction to elaborate on those points with more examples. In future essays, I will work towards being able to look beneath the surface to recognize more profound uses of devices that the author has used to convey his message.

Revised Essay

George Gascoigne's poem, For That He Looked Not upon Her, is a perfect example of a traditional sixteenth-century poem on the theme of love. The poem is addressed towards the narrator's lover from the past, one that seems to have broken his heart and left him in a miserable state of grieving. The narrator seems pessimistic about his future as he uses numerous metaphors to articulate that he will not make a similar mistake again. Gascoigne incorporates the precise usage of the devices of form, diction, and imagery in order to portray the message of the poem and his attitude towards it, all the while using these and other devices to develop his message of grievance and betrayal through shifts throughout the poem.

The poem is written in the form of a Shakespearean sonnet, with three quatrains and a couplet, ten syllables in each line, and iambic pentameter. Gascoigne's choice of a sonnet results in a smooth flow of his ideas and message. In contrast, if he had written in free verse, the flow of the poem may have appeared more haphazard and thus altered the message of the poem and the mood it sets. In addition, Gascoigne uses the sonnet form to categorize each idea into a quatrain or into the final couplet. The first quatrain introduces the subject of the poem, the woman who has hurt the narrator, and the affect she has on him. The second introduces a metaphor for the situation that he is and compares his actions to those of a mouse. Another metaphor is included in the third quatrain, comparing the narrator to a fly. Finally, the couplet sets a conclusion for the poem and connects with the introducing lines.

The major shifts in tone and focus taking place throughout the the poem are vital to the development of the speaker's attitude. The opening shot reflects the speaker talking to a woman directly, his tone appearing sorrowful as seen by his "louring head" and "no delight" in his eyes. The speaker therefore leaps straight into setting his initial tone and attitude. The next shift in focus is achieved through the incorporation of diction. The speaker explicitly states his indifference towards the current happiness of the woman through the line "gleams which on your face do grow." Furthermore, a shift in both tone and focus is then seen through the first metaphor used by the speaker, describing the mouse and its trap. The figurative language and cynical tone show the speaker's empathy with the mouse in that he too will no longer trust another after being hurt by his previous lover in lines such as "seldom 'ticed with trustless bait." The second metaphor relates the author's situation to a mouse through a shift in focus while continuing the tone from the previous example. In "play again with fire," he is thus portraying the same message and attitude of betrayal as he informs the reader that he will not put his heart in danger ever again. Finally, both tone and focus experience a shift back to the woman's eyes ("your blazing eyes my bale have bread"), also mentioned in the beginning of the poem. The use of this device of full-circle ends the poem in a conclusive manner, thus referring back to the speaker's initial attitude and comparing it with shifts seen throughout the poem.

For That He Looked Not upon Her by George Gascoigne tells a heartbreaking story in a descriptive manner through the author's refined incorporation of imagery and diction as well as the form of a sonnet, thus emphasizing the shifts in his tone, focus, and attitude and articulating the message in a manner exquisite enough to impact the emotions of any reader.

Feedback for Kelly Wu http://wukellyapenglish2015.blogspot.com/

I would grade this essay at a 5-6 level primarily because of the somewhat vague analysis of Gascoigne's use of the devices of diction and imagery. Although the analysis is constructed well and does not include any misinterpretations, Kelly could have gone more in depth when developing her points. She did a good job of using references to the text in her second paragraph, when explaining Gascoigne's use of diction. However, she did not continue doing so through the rest of her essay. Additionally, Kelly superficially touched upon the topic of the form of the poem, which was a sonnet, the author's choice of which could have had a significant purpose. It seems that Kelly ran out of time towards the end of the essay, as she rushed through the last paragraph, quickly introducing a new point without getting a chance to elaborate on it further. Because of the time constraint, she also lacked a conclusion, which could have been beneficial in bringing the essay back to a focus. I would recommend that in future essays, she manage her time more efficiently in order to have consistency throughout the piece. Finally, I would advise that Kelly stay away from using first person pronouns in the essay ("Although I have never seen a mouse trap") since this contradicts the professionalism she had used effectively before.

Feedback for Kara Lennon http://lennonkaraapenglish2015.blogspot.com

Kara does a good job of grasping certain aspects of the poem, such as the fire motif and the animal imagery. However, she briefly touches upon them and does not elaborate further, thus being somewhat superficial in her analysis. In addition, she does not answer all parts of the question, missing out on the topics of diction and form relating to the author's attitude. She uses references directly from the text when appropriate but relies merely on paraphrase when expanding upon her points. Therefore, I believe that this essay would be at level 5 since Kara needs to improve on her analysis, organization, and development to reach the 6-7 range.

Blog #1: Multiple Choice Reflection

Recently, our class took our first practice multiple choice AP test. Although this wasn't a true representation of the actual exam, as we only attempted 25 questions in a short period of time, I was able to distinguish my weaker areas from my stronger ones and envision the amount of work I would need to put in to master this part of the exam. I have realized that the area in need of most practice is my comprehension of poetry, possibly due to my lack of ability to grasp the meaning of a passage when presented in a more inventive and unconventional manner than regular prose passages. For me, this was the most important realization that arose from this assignment, as most of the questions that I had answered incorrectly were from Shakespeare's Richard II.

A resulting effect of not being able to comprehend some passages efficiently is not being able to use context when a question asks about specific lines. This is especially significant as often times, the answer choices include an option that pertains to only the lines mentioned, but does not correspond well with the overall context of the passage. This was another hinderance that prevented me from answering both specific questions and those based on the passage as a whole. Having learned through this experience, I now know that I must act upon this weakness of mine to significantly improve my skills and analytical abilities, which can be done by increasing my exposure to poetry in order to gain training in comprehension over time.