Reading Literature
Fiction enables us to explore the recesses of man’s head and heart with a torch; history allows us only the natural light of day, which does not usually shine into such places. Literature is man’s exploration of man by artificial light, which is better than natural light because we can direct it where we want.[i]
It is through literature that a student learns to examine thought and action compassionately. When a reader is able to identify with a character and his conflict or problem in a story and see life through the eyes of this character, that reader has begun to share an author’s insight and has thus begun to read with appreciation. Reading in this way is to respond both emotionally and intellectually. As you read this powerfully-written novel by Paule Marshall, we hope that it delights, enlightens, humanizes, and sensitizes you as members of our uniquely diverse community here in Prince George’s County.
The way you approach reading a novel is very important. While reading you must be able to see relationships, perceive the development of character, theme, symbols, and be able to detect multiple meanings. You can reject or accept, like or dislike the literary work, depending on the effect it has on you. It is okay to do so. You shouldn’t jump to a final judgment too soon, whether it is about the character, the theme, or other elements. Remember: People and situations are not always as they appear at first. Be objective because your emotional reaction can sometimes cause unsound perception and interpretation. Keep this question in mind — “Can I justify my judgments based on evidence from the work itself?”
To get the most out of literature, you must be aware of several elements in fiction and know how to make inferences. Below are a few guidelines to help you understand..
Characters — people and animals in a story. Examine each character for his or her own unique qualities, behavior, needs, and values.
Setting — the time and place of a story. What impact does it have on the plot of the story?
Plot — the series of events that happen in the story. Make sure you understand the most important events.
Theme — the idea or point of view expressed throughout. It unifies the work.
Conflict — the main struggle between opposing forces. The conflict can be (1) internal, i.e. within a character; (2) between two or more characters, or (3) between one or more characters and some force in the environment.
Climax — the final turning point in the story when the action changes course and begins to resolve itself. Sometimes the character may solve the problem in his or her mind.
Narrator — the person telling the story. Be alert to the tone of the narrator and how it influences your perception of the story.
Figures of Speech — expressions in which words are used to mean something other than what they usually do. For example, “Life is like a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.” This is a line from the Langston Hughes poem entitled “Dreams.” What is he trying to say about life?
Inferences — to read “between the lines.” An inference is a message that comes across but is not directly stated by the author. You must draw conclusions based on the information given. Writers of fiction often show what they mean while writers of non-fiction directly state what they mean.
As you read the novel and ultimately complete it, go back and review the elements listed. See if you can identify each element by citing specifics from the novel. Write down that information.
Sit back and relax in a comfortable reading chair and have adequate lighting nearby. Make sure you are in a room without distractions for at least 30 minutes. Then allow yourself to fly to Bourne Island and enter the complex and intriguing world of the men and women in The Chosen Place, The Timeless People.
[1]David Daisches, A Study of Literature for Reading and Critics (Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press, 1948)24.
Prepared by: Beverly Reed
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Friday, December 10, 2010
Why And How To Revise
Why And How To Revise
Most of us who compose on a computer understand revision as an ongoing, even constant process. Every time you hit the delete button, every time you cut and paste, every time you take out a comma or exchange one word for another, you're revising.
But real revision is more than making a few changes here and there. Real revision requires that you open yourself up to the possibility that parts of your paper - and even your entire paper - might need to be re-thought, and re-written.
Achieving this state of mind is difficult. First, you might be very attached to what you've written. You may be unwilling to change a word, let alone three or four paragraphs. Second, there is the matter of time: you sense that the paper needs major work, but it's due tomorrow, or you have an exam in physics, or you're coming down with a cold and know that you need to sleep. Third, you may have difficulty understanding what, exactly, is wrong with your paper. Finally, you might simply be sick and tired of your paper. How can you give it another go-through when exhaustion has you in its grip? Why should you be bothered with (or overwhelmed by) the process of revising?
Of course, we might convince you that revision is worth the extra effort simply by saying that revising a paper will help you to achieve a better grade. A reader can sense when a piece of writing has been thoroughly considered and re-considered. This "consideration" (and here we mean the word in both of its meanings) is not lost on your professor and will be rewarded.
But more important than grades is that revising your papers teaches you to be a better writer. Studies have shown again and again that the best way to learn to write is to rewrite. In the revision process, you improve your reading skills and your analytical skills. You learn to challenge your own ideas, thus deepening and strengthening your argument. You learn to find the weaknesses in your writing. You may even discover patterns of error or habits of organization that are undermining your papers.
Though revising takes time and energy, it also helps you to become a more efficient writer down the road. If, for example, you have discovered through the revision process that you tend to bury your topic sentences in the middle of your paragraphs, you can take this discovery with you as you draft your next paper. You are less likely to make that particular mistake again.
Perhaps we've answered the question "Why should I revise?" The next question, of course, is "How?" There are many different kinds of revising:
•Large-Scale Revision.This kind of revision involves looking at the entire paper for places where your thinking seems to go awry. You might need to provide evidence, define terms, or add an entirely new step to your reasoning. You might even decide to restructure or rewrite your paper completely if you discover a new idea that intrigues you, or a structure that seems to be more effective than the one you've been using.
•Small-Scale Revision.Small-scale revision needs to happen when you know that a certain part of your paper isn't working. Maybe the introduction needs work. Maybe one part of the argument seems weak. Once you've located the problem, you'll focus on revising that one section of your paper. When you are finished you will want to reconsider your paper as a whole to make sure that your revisions work in the context of the entire paper.
•Editing.Too often students confuse editing with revision. They are not the same processes. Editing is the process of finding minor problems with a text - problems that might easily be fixed by deleting a word or sentence, cutting and pasting a paragraph, and so on. When you edit, you are considering your reader. Youmight be happy with how you've written your paper, but will your reader find your paper clear, readable, interesting? How can you rewrite the paper so that it is clearer, more concise, and, most important of all, a pleasure to read?
•Proofreading
.When you proofread you are looking for mistakes in your paper. Common mistakes caught in proofreading are punctuation errors, spelling errors, subject-verb agreement, its/it's confusion, their/there confusion, and so on. When you proofread, you need to slow down your reading, allowing your eye to focus on every word, every phrase of your paper. Reading aloud can help you slow down, pointing your attention to errors that have gone unseen. Also, USE YOUR SPELL CHECK. Professors are less forgiving of spelling errors and typos than they were before the invention of this very helpful tool.
The very best writers will revise in all the ways listed here. To manage these various levels of revision, it's very important that you get an early start on your papers so that you have time to make any substantive, large-scale revisions that your paper might need. Good writers also understand that revision is an ongoing process, not necessarily something that you do only after your first draft is complete. You might find, for example, that you are stuck halfway through the first draft of your paper. You decide to take a look at what you have so far. As you read, you find that you've neglected to make a point that is essential to the success of your argument. You revise what you've written, making that point clear. In the end, you find that your block is gone. Why? Maybe it's gone because what was blocking you in the first place was a hole in your argument. Or maybe it's gone because you gave your brain a break. In any case, stopping to revise in the middle of the drafting process often proves wise.
Developing Objectivity
We've yet to address the matter of how a writer knows what she should revise. Developing a critical eye is perhaps the most difficult part of the revision process. But having a critical eye makes you a better writer, reader, and thinker. So it's worth considering carefully how you might learn to see your own work with the objectivity essential to successful self-criticism.
The first step in gaining objectivity is to get some distance from your work. If you've planned your writing process well, you'll have left yourself a day or two to take a break from your work. If you don't have this luxury, even an hour of air hockey or a walk over to pick up a hard copy of your draft might be enough to clear your head. Many writers find that their mind keeps working on their papers even while their attention is turned elsewhere. When they return to their work, they bring with them a fresh perspective. They also bring a more open, more detached mind.
When you return to your paper, the first thing that you'll want to do is to consider whether or not the paper as a whole meets your (and your professor's) expectations. Read the paper through without stopping (don't get hung up on that troublesome second paragraph). Then ask yourself these questions:
•Did I fulfill the assignment?If the professor gave you instructions for this assignment, reread them and then ask yourself whether or not you addressed all of the matters you were expected to address. Does your paper stray from the assignment? If it does, have you worked to make your argument relevant, or are you coming out of left field? If the professor hasn't given you explicit instructions for this paper, you'll still want to take a moment to consider what the professor expects. What are the main ideas of the course? What books has the professor asked you to read? What position do they take as regards your topic? Has the professor emphasized a certain method of scholarship (feminism, Marxism, etc.)? Has he said anything to you about research methods in his discipline? Does your paper seem to fit into the conversation that the professor has been carrying on in class? Have you written something that other students would find relevant and interesting?
•Did I say what I intended to say? This is perhaps the most difficult question you will ask yourself in the revision process. Many of us think that we have indeed said what we intended to say. When we read our papers, we are able to fill in any holes that might exist in our arguments with the information that we have in our minds. The problem is that our readers sometimes don't have this information in mind. They fall into the holes of our arguments, and they can't get out. It's very important, therefore, to think carefully about what you have said - and to think just as carefully about what you haven't said. Ask yourself: Was I clear? Do I need to define my terms? Has every stage of the argument been articulated clearly? Have I made adequate transitions between my ideas? Is my logic solid? Is it there, for all to see? If the answer to any of these questions is no, you will want to revise your draft.
•What are the strengths of my paper?In order to develop a critical eye, it's just as important to know when you've written well as it is to know when you've written poorly. It helps, therefore, to make a list of what you think you've done well in your draft. It's also helpful to pick out your favorite or strongest paragraph. When you've found a good paragraph, or sentence, or idea, think about why it's good. You'll not only be gaining an understanding of what it means to write well, you'll also be giving yourself a pat on the back - something that's very important to do in the revision process.
•What are the weaknesses of my paper?Looking for weaknesses isn't as fun as looking for strengths, but it's necessary to the revision process. Again, try to make a list of what you haven't done well in this paper. Your list should be as specific as you can make it. Instead of writing, "Problems with paragraphs" you might say "Problems with unity in my paragraphs," or even more specific, "Problems with the transitions between paragraphs 3 & 4 and 12 & 13." Also force yourself to determine which paragraph (or sentence) you like least in the paper. Figure out why you don't like it, and work to make it better. Then go back through your paper and look for others like it.
Analyzing Your Work
If you've been considering the strengths and weaknesses of your paper, you've already begun to analyze your work. The process of analysis involves breaking down an idea or an argument into its parts and evaluating those parts on their merits. When you analyze your own paper, then, you are breaking that paper down into its parts and asking yourself whether or not these parts support the paper as you envision it.
We've been encouraging you to analyze your work throughout this Web site. Every time we've prodded you to reconsider your thesis, every time we've provided you with a checklist for writing good paragraphs, we have been encouraging you to break your writing down into parts and to review those parts with a critical eye. Here is a checklist reiterating our earlier advice. Use it to analyze your whole paper, or use it to help you to figure out what went wrong with a particular part of your work.
Consider Your Introduction
•If you are writing a researched paper, does your introduction place your argument in an ongoing conversation?
•If you're not writing a researched paper, does your introduction set context?
•Does your introduction define all of your key terms?
•Does your introduction draw your reader in?
•Does your introduction lead your reader clearly to your thesis?
Consider Your Thesis
•Does your thesis say what you want it to say?
•Does your thesis make a point worth considering? Does it answer the question, "So what?"
•Does your thesis provide your reader with some sense of the paper's structure?
•Does the paper deliver what your thesis promises to deliver?
Consider Your Structure
•Make an outline of the paper you've just written. Does this outline reflect your intentions?
•Does this outline make sense? Or are there gaps in the logic? Places where you've asked the reader to make leaps you haven't prepared her for?
•Is each point in your outline adequately developed?
•Is each point equally developed? (That is, does your paper seem balanced, overall?)
•Is each point relevant? Interesting?
•Underline your thesis sentence and all of your topic sentences. Then cut and paste them together to form a paragraph. Does this paragraph make sense?
Consider Your Paragraphs
•Does each paragraph have a topic sentence that clearly controls the paragraph?
•Are the paragraphs internally coherent?
•Are the paragraphs externally coherent? (That is, have you made adequate transitions from paragraph to paragraph? Is each paragraph clearly related to the thesis?)
Consider Your Argument and Its Logic
•Have you really presented an argument, or is your paper merely a series of observations, a summary?
•Do you see any holes in your argument? Or do you find the argument convincing?
•Have you dealt fairly with the opposition? Or have you neglected to mention other possible arguments concerning your topic for fear that they might undermine your work?
•Have you supplied ample evidence for your arguments?
•Do you see any logical fallacies? (for more information on logic and logical fallacies, see Logic and Argument.)
Consider your Conclusion
•Is your conclusion appropriate, or does it introduce some completely new idea?
•Does your conclusion sum up your main point?
•Does your conclusion leave your reader with something to think about?
•Does the language resonate, or does it fall flat? On the other hand, have you inflated the language ridiculously to try to pad a conclusion that is empty and ineffective?
Tips for Revision
In addition to the advice given above, we'd like to offer the following tips for revising your paper.
•We've said it before, but it's worth repeating: give yourself adequate time to revise.If you don't start your paper until the night before it's due, you won't be able to revise. If you have a short paper due on Friday, finish your draft no later than Wednesday so that you have Thursday night to revise. If you are working on a long paper, of course you'll want to set aside more time for revising.
•Print a hard copy of your paper.Studies have found that many people miss problems in their papers when they are reading from the computer screen. Because you can't see the whole paper on the screen, it is sometimes hard to diagnose big structural problems. Having a hard copy of your paper will not only help you to see these problems, but it will give you space in the margins where you might write notes to yourself as you read.
•Read your paper out loud.Sometimes you can hear mistakes that you don't see. Reading aloud will signal to you when something doesn't make sense, when sentences go on for too long, when punctuation has gone awry, and so on.
•Get a second reader.It's often difficult to figure out what's gone wrong in your own paper. This is why getting a second reader is the smartest thing you can do as a writer. A second reader can do a lot for you: she can tell you where she got bored, or confused, or offended, and she can give you advice for improving your work. Remember, though: when you ask someone to read your work, you should be prepared for any criticism they might make. Don't be defensive; instead, try to figure out why your reader feels as she does about your paper. Of course, you don't have to follow every suggestion that your reader makes, but you will certainly profit from her comments and questions, even if you do decide to ignore her advice in the end.
•Be a second reader.There's no better way to learn how to revise your paper than to help someone else revise his. You'll find that your critical eye works much better when it's focused on your friend's paper than it does when it's focused on your own. You can be more objective when looking at someone else's work. You can see more easily what's gone wrong in a paper and how to fix it. When you practice these skills on someone else's paper, you become more adept at practicing them on your own.
•Visit RWIT.Technically, this falls in the category of "getting a second reader." But at RWIT, you get a reader with a difference: that reader has been trained to diagnose and respond to the problems in your work. Our tutors not only help you to write a better paper, they also ask questions aimed at helping you to develop your own critical eye. (For more information, visit the RWIT Web site).
Most of us who compose on a computer understand revision as an ongoing, even constant process. Every time you hit the delete button, every time you cut and paste, every time you take out a comma or exchange one word for another, you're revising.
But real revision is more than making a few changes here and there. Real revision requires that you open yourself up to the possibility that parts of your paper - and even your entire paper - might need to be re-thought, and re-written.
Achieving this state of mind is difficult. First, you might be very attached to what you've written. You may be unwilling to change a word, let alone three or four paragraphs. Second, there is the matter of time: you sense that the paper needs major work, but it's due tomorrow, or you have an exam in physics, or you're coming down with a cold and know that you need to sleep. Third, you may have difficulty understanding what, exactly, is wrong with your paper. Finally, you might simply be sick and tired of your paper. How can you give it another go-through when exhaustion has you in its grip? Why should you be bothered with (or overwhelmed by) the process of revising?
Of course, we might convince you that revision is worth the extra effort simply by saying that revising a paper will help you to achieve a better grade. A reader can sense when a piece of writing has been thoroughly considered and re-considered. This "consideration" (and here we mean the word in both of its meanings) is not lost on your professor and will be rewarded.
But more important than grades is that revising your papers teaches you to be a better writer. Studies have shown again and again that the best way to learn to write is to rewrite. In the revision process, you improve your reading skills and your analytical skills. You learn to challenge your own ideas, thus deepening and strengthening your argument. You learn to find the weaknesses in your writing. You may even discover patterns of error or habits of organization that are undermining your papers.
Though revising takes time and energy, it also helps you to become a more efficient writer down the road. If, for example, you have discovered through the revision process that you tend to bury your topic sentences in the middle of your paragraphs, you can take this discovery with you as you draft your next paper. You are less likely to make that particular mistake again.
Perhaps we've answered the question "Why should I revise?" The next question, of course, is "How?" There are many different kinds of revising:
•Large-Scale Revision.This kind of revision involves looking at the entire paper for places where your thinking seems to go awry. You might need to provide evidence, define terms, or add an entirely new step to your reasoning. You might even decide to restructure or rewrite your paper completely if you discover a new idea that intrigues you, or a structure that seems to be more effective than the one you've been using.
•Small-Scale Revision.Small-scale revision needs to happen when you know that a certain part of your paper isn't working. Maybe the introduction needs work. Maybe one part of the argument seems weak. Once you've located the problem, you'll focus on revising that one section of your paper. When you are finished you will want to reconsider your paper as a whole to make sure that your revisions work in the context of the entire paper.
•Editing.Too often students confuse editing with revision. They are not the same processes. Editing is the process of finding minor problems with a text - problems that might easily be fixed by deleting a word or sentence, cutting and pasting a paragraph, and so on. When you edit, you are considering your reader. Youmight be happy with how you've written your paper, but will your reader find your paper clear, readable, interesting? How can you rewrite the paper so that it is clearer, more concise, and, most important of all, a pleasure to read?
•Proofreading
.When you proofread you are looking for mistakes in your paper. Common mistakes caught in proofreading are punctuation errors, spelling errors, subject-verb agreement, its/it's confusion, their/there confusion, and so on. When you proofread, you need to slow down your reading, allowing your eye to focus on every word, every phrase of your paper. Reading aloud can help you slow down, pointing your attention to errors that have gone unseen. Also, USE YOUR SPELL CHECK. Professors are less forgiving of spelling errors and typos than they were before the invention of this very helpful tool.
The very best writers will revise in all the ways listed here. To manage these various levels of revision, it's very important that you get an early start on your papers so that you have time to make any substantive, large-scale revisions that your paper might need. Good writers also understand that revision is an ongoing process, not necessarily something that you do only after your first draft is complete. You might find, for example, that you are stuck halfway through the first draft of your paper. You decide to take a look at what you have so far. As you read, you find that you've neglected to make a point that is essential to the success of your argument. You revise what you've written, making that point clear. In the end, you find that your block is gone. Why? Maybe it's gone because what was blocking you in the first place was a hole in your argument. Or maybe it's gone because you gave your brain a break. In any case, stopping to revise in the middle of the drafting process often proves wise.
Developing Objectivity
We've yet to address the matter of how a writer knows what she should revise. Developing a critical eye is perhaps the most difficult part of the revision process. But having a critical eye makes you a better writer, reader, and thinker. So it's worth considering carefully how you might learn to see your own work with the objectivity essential to successful self-criticism.
The first step in gaining objectivity is to get some distance from your work. If you've planned your writing process well, you'll have left yourself a day or two to take a break from your work. If you don't have this luxury, even an hour of air hockey or a walk over to pick up a hard copy of your draft might be enough to clear your head. Many writers find that their mind keeps working on their papers even while their attention is turned elsewhere. When they return to their work, they bring with them a fresh perspective. They also bring a more open, more detached mind.
When you return to your paper, the first thing that you'll want to do is to consider whether or not the paper as a whole meets your (and your professor's) expectations. Read the paper through without stopping (don't get hung up on that troublesome second paragraph). Then ask yourself these questions:
•Did I fulfill the assignment?If the professor gave you instructions for this assignment, reread them and then ask yourself whether or not you addressed all of the matters you were expected to address. Does your paper stray from the assignment? If it does, have you worked to make your argument relevant, or are you coming out of left field? If the professor hasn't given you explicit instructions for this paper, you'll still want to take a moment to consider what the professor expects. What are the main ideas of the course? What books has the professor asked you to read? What position do they take as regards your topic? Has the professor emphasized a certain method of scholarship (feminism, Marxism, etc.)? Has he said anything to you about research methods in his discipline? Does your paper seem to fit into the conversation that the professor has been carrying on in class? Have you written something that other students would find relevant and interesting?
•Did I say what I intended to say? This is perhaps the most difficult question you will ask yourself in the revision process. Many of us think that we have indeed said what we intended to say. When we read our papers, we are able to fill in any holes that might exist in our arguments with the information that we have in our minds. The problem is that our readers sometimes don't have this information in mind. They fall into the holes of our arguments, and they can't get out. It's very important, therefore, to think carefully about what you have said - and to think just as carefully about what you haven't said. Ask yourself: Was I clear? Do I need to define my terms? Has every stage of the argument been articulated clearly? Have I made adequate transitions between my ideas? Is my logic solid? Is it there, for all to see? If the answer to any of these questions is no, you will want to revise your draft.
•What are the strengths of my paper?In order to develop a critical eye, it's just as important to know when you've written well as it is to know when you've written poorly. It helps, therefore, to make a list of what you think you've done well in your draft. It's also helpful to pick out your favorite or strongest paragraph. When you've found a good paragraph, or sentence, or idea, think about why it's good. You'll not only be gaining an understanding of what it means to write well, you'll also be giving yourself a pat on the back - something that's very important to do in the revision process.
•What are the weaknesses of my paper?Looking for weaknesses isn't as fun as looking for strengths, but it's necessary to the revision process. Again, try to make a list of what you haven't done well in this paper. Your list should be as specific as you can make it. Instead of writing, "Problems with paragraphs" you might say "Problems with unity in my paragraphs," or even more specific, "Problems with the transitions between paragraphs 3 & 4 and 12 & 13." Also force yourself to determine which paragraph (or sentence) you like least in the paper. Figure out why you don't like it, and work to make it better. Then go back through your paper and look for others like it.
Analyzing Your Work
If you've been considering the strengths and weaknesses of your paper, you've already begun to analyze your work. The process of analysis involves breaking down an idea or an argument into its parts and evaluating those parts on their merits. When you analyze your own paper, then, you are breaking that paper down into its parts and asking yourself whether or not these parts support the paper as you envision it.
We've been encouraging you to analyze your work throughout this Web site. Every time we've prodded you to reconsider your thesis, every time we've provided you with a checklist for writing good paragraphs, we have been encouraging you to break your writing down into parts and to review those parts with a critical eye. Here is a checklist reiterating our earlier advice. Use it to analyze your whole paper, or use it to help you to figure out what went wrong with a particular part of your work.
Consider Your Introduction
•If you are writing a researched paper, does your introduction place your argument in an ongoing conversation?
•If you're not writing a researched paper, does your introduction set context?
•Does your introduction define all of your key terms?
•Does your introduction draw your reader in?
•Does your introduction lead your reader clearly to your thesis?
Consider Your Thesis
•Does your thesis say what you want it to say?
•Does your thesis make a point worth considering? Does it answer the question, "So what?"
•Does your thesis provide your reader with some sense of the paper's structure?
•Does the paper deliver what your thesis promises to deliver?
Consider Your Structure
•Make an outline of the paper you've just written. Does this outline reflect your intentions?
•Does this outline make sense? Or are there gaps in the logic? Places where you've asked the reader to make leaps you haven't prepared her for?
•Is each point in your outline adequately developed?
•Is each point equally developed? (That is, does your paper seem balanced, overall?)
•Is each point relevant? Interesting?
•Underline your thesis sentence and all of your topic sentences. Then cut and paste them together to form a paragraph. Does this paragraph make sense?
Consider Your Paragraphs
•Does each paragraph have a topic sentence that clearly controls the paragraph?
•Are the paragraphs internally coherent?
•Are the paragraphs externally coherent? (That is, have you made adequate transitions from paragraph to paragraph? Is each paragraph clearly related to the thesis?)
Consider Your Argument and Its Logic
•Have you really presented an argument, or is your paper merely a series of observations, a summary?
•Do you see any holes in your argument? Or do you find the argument convincing?
•Have you dealt fairly with the opposition? Or have you neglected to mention other possible arguments concerning your topic for fear that they might undermine your work?
•Have you supplied ample evidence for your arguments?
•Do you see any logical fallacies? (for more information on logic and logical fallacies, see Logic and Argument.)
Consider your Conclusion
•Is your conclusion appropriate, or does it introduce some completely new idea?
•Does your conclusion sum up your main point?
•Does your conclusion leave your reader with something to think about?
•Does the language resonate, or does it fall flat? On the other hand, have you inflated the language ridiculously to try to pad a conclusion that is empty and ineffective?
Tips for Revision
In addition to the advice given above, we'd like to offer the following tips for revising your paper.
•We've said it before, but it's worth repeating: give yourself adequate time to revise.If you don't start your paper until the night before it's due, you won't be able to revise. If you have a short paper due on Friday, finish your draft no later than Wednesday so that you have Thursday night to revise. If you are working on a long paper, of course you'll want to set aside more time for revising.
•Print a hard copy of your paper.Studies have found that many people miss problems in their papers when they are reading from the computer screen. Because you can't see the whole paper on the screen, it is sometimes hard to diagnose big structural problems. Having a hard copy of your paper will not only help you to see these problems, but it will give you space in the margins where you might write notes to yourself as you read.
•Read your paper out loud.Sometimes you can hear mistakes that you don't see. Reading aloud will signal to you when something doesn't make sense, when sentences go on for too long, when punctuation has gone awry, and so on.
•Get a second reader.It's often difficult to figure out what's gone wrong in your own paper. This is why getting a second reader is the smartest thing you can do as a writer. A second reader can do a lot for you: she can tell you where she got bored, or confused, or offended, and she can give you advice for improving your work. Remember, though: when you ask someone to read your work, you should be prepared for any criticism they might make. Don't be defensive; instead, try to figure out why your reader feels as she does about your paper. Of course, you don't have to follow every suggestion that your reader makes, but you will certainly profit from her comments and questions, even if you do decide to ignore her advice in the end.
•Be a second reader.There's no better way to learn how to revise your paper than to help someone else revise his. You'll find that your critical eye works much better when it's focused on your friend's paper than it does when it's focused on your own. You can be more objective when looking at someone else's work. You can see more easily what's gone wrong in a paper and how to fix it. When you practice these skills on someone else's paper, you become more adept at practicing them on your own.
•Visit RWIT.Technically, this falls in the category of "getting a second reader." But at RWIT, you get a reader with a difference: that reader has been trained to diagnose and respond to the problems in your work. Our tutors not only help you to write a better paper, they also ask questions aimed at helping you to develop your own critical eye. (For more information, visit the RWIT Web site).
Friday, December 3, 2010
ENG095/ENG111 EXIT EXAM SCHEDULE
ENG095/ENG111 EXIT EXAM SCHEDULE
Week 13 (November 29…)
· Exam readings distributed to students for upcoming week 14 “first try” exam.
Week 14 (December 6…)
· Administration of “first try” exams.
· Grading sessions:
o Full-time faculty: Tuesday, December 7, 1 pm, B224, B223.
o Part-time faculty: Thursday, December 9, 4:30 pm, E450; Saturday, or December 11, 9:30 am, E450. (Stipend paid for participation in these sessions.)
Week 15 (December 13…)
· Administration of “second try” exams to students who did not pass first time around.
“Last Chance Exam” (for day students who missed one of the previous opportunities to take the exam): Tuesday, December 21, 12-2 pm. (Students do not need to have the reading ahead of time for this session.)
Summary of Exit Exam Process for ENG095 and ENG111/FALL 2010
Week 13 (November 29-December 5)
Readings distributed to students in anticipation of week 14 exam. Students may annotate the reading. They may bring in the annotated reading to the exam. However, they may not bring in additional notes or outlines or other types of prewriting. Further, the instructor doesn’t “prep” the reading with students.
Week 14 (December 6-12)
First administration of the exam. Students write the exams in class. They may not receive additional help. They may consult a dictionary. Students may use scratch paper to do prewriting and plan and draft. Instructor should oversee the collection of all of this material at the end of the session. Past experience has shown that a standard seventy-five minute period is sufficient for most students to write an exam. However, some students do struggle at the end, particularly those students who come to English as a second language. At the instructor’s discretion students may receive some additional time to complete their exam. The only stipulation is that the students must be monitored by the instructor. Instructors should also be mindful of classes that may be scheduled to meet during the next period.
Grading sessions. Full-time day faculty are scheduled to meet during the Tuesday 1 p.m. activity hour. Part-time faculty will meet either Thursday, December 9, 4:30 p.m. (E450) or Saturday morning, December 11, at 9:30 a.m. (E450). (A stipend is paid for the Thursday evening and Saturday morning sessions.) See below for additional information about grading procedures for ENG095 and ENG111.
Notifying students of the results. If a class meets twice per week, instructors can use the second session to go over exams with students who need to re-take the exam. [Note: students may see exams, but the instructor retains the exams.] The instructor can then give the week 15 reading to students who need to re-take. Evening, weekend and Friday classes present a special problem as they meet only once per week. How best to notify students? How best to distribute the reading to those students who need to re-take the exam? Some instructors call or e-mail students, particularly those students who need to re-take. Students are then able to come to the week 15 class ready to go over the exam and then re-take. Some instructors also distribute the week 15 reading ahead of time to all students. If a student is then notified of the need to re-take the exam, the student already has the reading to work on.
Week 15 (December 13-19)
The process is repeated during week 15, the last regular week of classes, for those students who did not pass the exam the first time around, or for those students who missed the first administration.
Week 16 – Final Exam week
“LAST CHANCE” FINAL FOR DAY STUDENTS: Tuesday, December 21, 12-2 p.m., rooms tba. This is an opportunity for day students who missed one of the earlier sessions. Students do not need to receive a reading ahead of time. A shorter reading appropriate for a two hour exam sitting will be provided at the time of the exam. Instructors who refer students to this session should be prepared to help with proctoring and grading.
Week 13 (November 29…)
· Exam readings distributed to students for upcoming week 14 “first try” exam.
Week 14 (December 6…)
· Administration of “first try” exams.
· Grading sessions:
o Full-time faculty: Tuesday, December 7, 1 pm, B224, B223.
o Part-time faculty: Thursday, December 9, 4:30 pm, E450; Saturday, or December 11, 9:30 am, E450. (Stipend paid for participation in these sessions.)
Week 15 (December 13…)
· Administration of “second try” exams to students who did not pass first time around.
“Last Chance Exam” (for day students who missed one of the previous opportunities to take the exam): Tuesday, December 21, 12-2 pm. (Students do not need to have the reading ahead of time for this session.)
Summary of Exit Exam Process for ENG095 and ENG111/FALL 2010
Week 13 (November 29-December 5)
Readings distributed to students in anticipation of week 14 exam. Students may annotate the reading. They may bring in the annotated reading to the exam. However, they may not bring in additional notes or outlines or other types of prewriting. Further, the instructor doesn’t “prep” the reading with students.
Week 14 (December 6-12)
First administration of the exam. Students write the exams in class. They may not receive additional help. They may consult a dictionary. Students may use scratch paper to do prewriting and plan and draft. Instructor should oversee the collection of all of this material at the end of the session. Past experience has shown that a standard seventy-five minute period is sufficient for most students to write an exam. However, some students do struggle at the end, particularly those students who come to English as a second language. At the instructor’s discretion students may receive some additional time to complete their exam. The only stipulation is that the students must be monitored by the instructor. Instructors should also be mindful of classes that may be scheduled to meet during the next period.
Grading sessions. Full-time day faculty are scheduled to meet during the Tuesday 1 p.m. activity hour. Part-time faculty will meet either Thursday, December 9, 4:30 p.m. (E450) or Saturday morning, December 11, at 9:30 a.m. (E450). (A stipend is paid for the Thursday evening and Saturday morning sessions.) See below for additional information about grading procedures for ENG095 and ENG111.
Notifying students of the results. If a class meets twice per week, instructors can use the second session to go over exams with students who need to re-take the exam. [Note: students may see exams, but the instructor retains the exams.] The instructor can then give the week 15 reading to students who need to re-take. Evening, weekend and Friday classes present a special problem as they meet only once per week. How best to notify students? How best to distribute the reading to those students who need to re-take the exam? Some instructors call or e-mail students, particularly those students who need to re-take. Students are then able to come to the week 15 class ready to go over the exam and then re-take. Some instructors also distribute the week 15 reading ahead of time to all students. If a student is then notified of the need to re-take the exam, the student already has the reading to work on.
Week 15 (December 13-19)
The process is repeated during week 15, the last regular week of classes, for those students who did not pass the exam the first time around, or for those students who missed the first administration.
Week 16 – Final Exam week
“LAST CHANCE” FINAL FOR DAY STUDENTS: Tuesday, December 21, 12-2 p.m., rooms tba. This is an opportunity for day students who missed one of the earlier sessions. Students do not need to receive a reading ahead of time. A shorter reading appropriate for a two hour exam sitting will be provided at the time of the exam. Instructors who refer students to this session should be prepared to help with proctoring and grading.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Vivian Gornick
QUIZ QUESTIONS
Describe how the "streets" were therapeutic for the author. Give three specific examples, and two relevant quotes.
Relate your personal experience to that of Gornick. Make sure you use specific examples from her essay and two relevant quotes.
SYLLABUS * If you can hand in journals and portfolios on Thursday it would be greatly appreciated.
Class 25-- Tuesday Nov. 30, 2010
Hand in final paper.
Discussion of reading.
In class writing assignment.
ASSIGNMENT:
Essay on Vivian Gornick
Read "The Cost of Living" by Bernard Malamud
Class-- Thursday--- Dec, 2, 2010.
Discussion of Reading.
Quiz
Editing session
ASSIGNMENT
Read:"My Lost City" by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Class-- Tuesday-- Dec. 7, 2010
Discuss Reading.
Quiz on reading.
Assignment
Write a poem--- a character study of an odd or interesting person you know or knew.
Class 26-- Thursday Dec. 9, 2010
Papers handed back.
Fond farewell.
Students who want to meet with me
Describe how the "streets" were therapeutic for the author. Give three specific examples, and two relevant quotes.
Relate your personal experience to that of Gornick. Make sure you use specific examples from her essay and two relevant quotes.
SYLLABUS * If you can hand in journals and portfolios on Thursday it would be greatly appreciated.
Class 25-- Tuesday Nov. 30, 2010
Hand in final paper.
Discussion of reading.
In class writing assignment.
ASSIGNMENT:
Essay on Vivian Gornick
Read "The Cost of Living" by Bernard Malamud
Class-- Thursday--- Dec, 2, 2010.
Discussion of Reading.
Quiz
Editing session
ASSIGNMENT
Read:"My Lost City" by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Class-- Tuesday-- Dec. 7, 2010
Discuss Reading.
Quiz on reading.
Assignment
Write a poem--- a character study of an odd or interesting person you know or knew.
Class 26-- Thursday Dec. 9, 2010
Papers handed back.
Fond farewell.
Students who want to meet with me
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Joan Didion
What changed about Didion from her early 20's to her late 20's....
In love with New York (888) The City as a Lover
Nothing was out of reach (889)
Things changed (894)
What changed for you? Compare it to Didion.
In love with New York (888) The City as a Lover
Nothing was out of reach (889)
Things changed (894)
What changed for you? Compare it to Didion.
ENG 101 11/18/2010
The final paper is due Nov. 30
Hand in Portfolios and Journals Dec 2.
I will hand back your drafts on Tuesday--with comments.
Reading " Writing New York" Hell's Kitchen
Quiz on Hell's Kitchen......
Hand in Portfolios and Journals Dec 2.
I will hand back your drafts on Tuesday--with comments.
Reading " Writing New York" Hell's Kitchen
Quiz on Hell's Kitchen......
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Minor Characters by Joyce Johnson (973)
Minor Characters by Joyce Johnson (973)
Question: " If you were an artist, painter or poet why would the Lower East Side of N.Y. in the 1950's be the perfect place for you to hang your hat?"
Bohemianism is the practice of an unconventional lifestyle, often in the company of like-minded people, involving musical, artistic or literary pursuits, with few permanent ties. In this context, Bohemians can be wanderers, adventurers, or vagabond. Make an argument that Joyce Johnson and her friends are Bohemians.
DISCUSSION
Was Johnson an authority?
What was she trying to get across to the reader?
Does she make her point?
How does the writer get your interest?
What is the belief system of the author?
" The Beat Generation"
Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg
What is a " Bohemian?"
Why did they have no use for money?
Why was the Cedar Bar important?
The Five Spot Billie Holiday
Assignment for next class
Joan Didion " Goodbye to all that" 250 word focus paper on it.
Question: " If you were an artist, painter or poet why would the Lower East Side of N.Y. in the 1950's be the perfect place for you to hang your hat?"
Bohemianism is the practice of an unconventional lifestyle, often in the company of like-minded people, involving musical, artistic or literary pursuits, with few permanent ties. In this context, Bohemians can be wanderers, adventurers, or vagabond. Make an argument that Joyce Johnson and her friends are Bohemians.
DISCUSSION
Was Johnson an authority?
What was she trying to get across to the reader?
Does she make her point?
How does the writer get your interest?
What is the belief system of the author?
" The Beat Generation"
Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg
What is a " Bohemian?"
Why did they have no use for money?
Why was the Cedar Bar important?
The Five Spot Billie Holiday
Assignment for next class
Joan Didion " Goodbye to all that" 250 word focus paper on it.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Critical Reading of poems...
I: Critical Analysis of Poetry
The process of analyzing a poem
The elements of analysis discussed below are designed to help you identify the ways in which poetry makes its meaning, especially its 'parts'; they do not give a sense of how one goes about analyzing a poem. It is difficult to give a prescription, as different poems call on different aspects of poetry, different ways of reading, different relationships between feeling, i mages and meanings, and so forth. My general advice, however, is this:
look at the title
read the poem for the major indicators of its meaning -- what aspects of setting, of topic, of voice (the person who is speaking) seem to dominate, to direct your reading?
read the ending of the poem -- decide where it 'gets to'
divide the poem into parts: try to understand what the organization is, how the poem proceeds, and what elements or principles guide this organization (is there a reversal, a climax, a sequence of some kind, sets of oppositions?)
pay attention to the tone of the poem -- in brief, its attitude to its subject, as that is revealed in intonation, nuance, the kind of words used, and so forth.
now that you've looked at the title, the major indicators of 'topic', the ending, the organization, the tone, read the poem out loud, trying to project its meaning in your reading. As you gradually get a sense of how this poem is going, what its point and drift is, start noticing more about how the various elements of the poetry work to create its meaning. This may be as different as the kind of imagery used, or the way it uses oppositions, or the level of realism or symbolism of its use of the natural world.
Reading poetry well is a balance among and conjunction of qualities: experience, attention, engagement with the qualities which make the poem resonant or compelling, close reading of structure and relationships. It's an acquired talent, you have to learn it. When you do, however, more and more meaning, power and beauty start leaping out at you.
Elements of analysis
Here then are some questions to apply to your analysis in order to see how the poem is making its meaning: they cover
genre, the speaker, the subject, the structure, setting, imagery, key statements,
the sound of the poetry, language use, intertextuality,
the way the reader is formed by the poem, the poem's historical placement, and
ideology or 'world-view'
1. What is the genre, or form, of the poem?
Is it a sonnet, an elegy, a lyric, a narrative, a dramatic monologue, an epistle, an epic (there are many more). Different forms or genres have different subjects, aims, conventions and attributes. A love sonnet, for instance, is going to talk about different aspects of human experience in different ways with different emphases than is a political satire, and our recognition of these attributes of form or genre is part of the meaning of the poem.
2. Who is speaking in the poem?
Please remember that if the voice of the poem says "I", that doesn't mean it is the author who is speaking: it is a voice in the poem which speaks. The voice can be undramatized (it's just a voice, it doesn't identify itself), or dramatized (the voice says "I", or the voice is clearly that of a particular persona, a dramatized character).
Identify the voice. What does the voice have to do with what is happening in the poem, what is its attitude, what is the tone of the voice (tone can be viewed as an expression of attitude). How involved in the action or reflection of the poem is the voice? What is the perspective or 'point of view' of the speaker? The perspective can be social, intellectual, political, even physical -- there are many different perspectives, but they all contribute to the voice's point of view, which point of view affects how the world of the poem is seen, and how we respond.
3. What is the argument, thesis, or subject of the poem
What, that is to say, is it apparently 'about'? Start with the basic situation, and move to consider any key statements; any obvious or less obvious conflicts, tensions, ambiguities; key relationships, especially conflicts, parallels, contrasts; any climaxes or problems posed or solved (or not solved); the poem's tone; the historical, social, and emotional setting.
4. What is the structure of the poem?
There are two basic kinds of structure, formal and thematic.
Formal structure is the way the poem goes together in terms of its component parts: if there are parts -- stanza's, paragraphs or such -- then there will be a relation between the parts (for instance the first stanza may give the past, the second the present, the third the future).
Thematic structure, known in respect to fiction as 'plot', is the way the argument or presentation of the material of the poem is developed. For instance a poem might state a problem in eight lines, an answer to the problem in the next six; of the eight lines stating the problem, four might provide a concrete example, four a reflection on what the example implies. There may well be very close relations between formal and thematic structure. When looking at thematic structure, you might look for conflicts, ambiguities and uncertainties, the tensions in the poem, as these give clear guides to the direction of meanings in the poem, the poem's 'in-tensions'.
5. How does the poem make use of setting?
There is the setting in terms of time and place, and there is the setting in terms of the physical world described in the poem.
In terms of the physical world of the poem, setting can be used for a variety of purposes. A tree might be described in specific detail, a concrete, specific, tree; or it might be used in a more tonal way, to create mood or associations, with say the wind blowing mournfully through the willows; or it might be used as a motif, the tree that reminds me of Kathryn, or of my youthful dreams; or it might be used symbolically, as for instance an image of organic life; or it might be used allegorically, as a representation of the cross of Christ (allegory ties an image or event to a specific interpretation, a doctrine or idea; symbols refer to broader, more generalized meanings).
Consider this a spectrum, from specific, concrete, to abstract, allegorical:
concrete --- tonal -- connotative -- symbolic --- allegorical
6. How does the poem use imagery?
"Imagery" refers to any sort of image, and there are two basic kinds. One is the images of the physical setting, described above. The other kind is images as figures of speech, such as metaphors. These figures of speech extend the imaginative range, the complexity and comprehensibility of the subject. They can be very brief, a word or two, a glistening fragment of insight, a chance connection sparked into a blaze (warming or destroying) of understanding; or they can be extended analogies, such as Donne's 'conceits'or Milton's epic similes.
7. Are there key statements or conflicts in the poem that appear to be central to its meaning?
Is the poem direct or indirect in making its meanings? If there are no key statements, are there key or central symbol, repetitions, actions, motifs (recurring images), or the like?
8. How does the sound of the poetry contribute to its meaning?
Pope remarked that "the sound must seem an echo to the sense": both the rhythm and the sound of the words themselves (individually and as they fit together) contribute to the meaning.
9. Examine the use of language.
What kinds of words are used? How much and to what ends does the poet rely on connotation, or the associations that words have (as "stallion" connotes a certain kind of horse with certain sorts of uses)? Does the poem use puns, double meanings, ambiguities of meaning?
10. Can you see any ways in which the poem refers to, uses or relies on previous writing?
This is known as allusion or intertextuality. When U-2's Bono writes "I was thirsty and you kissed my lips" in "Trip Through Your Wires," the meaning of the line is vastly extended if you know that this is a reference to Matthew 25:35 in the Bible, where Jesus says to the saved in explanation of what they did right, "I was thirsty and you wet my lips."
11. What qualities does the poem evoke in the reader?
What sorts of learning, experience, taste and interest would the 'ideal' or 'good' reader of this poem have? What can this tell you about what the poem 'means' or is about? The idea is that any work of art calls forth certain qualities of response, taste, experience, value, from the reader, and in a sense 'forms' the reader of that particular work. This happens through the subject matter, the style, the way the story is told or the scene set, the language, the images, the allusions, all the ways in which we are called by the text to construct meaning. The theorist Wayne Booth calls the reader as evoked or formed by the text the "implied reader."
12. What is your historical and cultural distance from the poem?
What can you say about the difference between your culture's (and sub-culture's) views of the world, your own experiences, on the one hand, and those of the voice, characters, and world of the poem on the other? What is it that you might have to understand better in order to experience the poem the way someone of the same time, class, gender and race might have understood it? Is it possible that your reading might be different from theirs because of your particular social (race, gender, class, etc.) and historical context? What about your world governs the way you see the world of the text? What might this work tell us about the world of its making?
13. What is the world-view and the ideology of the poem?
What are the basic ideas about the world that are expressed? What areas of human experience are seen as important, and what is valuable about them? What areas of human experience or classes of person are ignored or denigrated? A poem about love, for instance, might implicitly or explicitly suggest that individual happiness is the most important thing in the world, and that it can be gained principally through one intimate sexually-based relationship -- to the exclusion, say, of problems of social or political injustice, human brokenness and pain, or other demands on us as humans. It might also suggest that the world is a dangerous, uncertain place in which the only sure ground of meaningfulness is to be found in human relationships, or it might suggest on the other hand that human love is grounded in divine love, and in the orderliness and the value of the natural world with all its beauties. What aspects of the human condition are foregrounded, what are suppressed, in the claims that the poem makes by virtue of its inclusions and exclusions, certainties and uncertainties, and depictions of the way the natural and the human world is and works? For a brief elaboration of the concept of ideology, see my page on the subject.
The process of analyzing a poem
The elements of analysis discussed below are designed to help you identify the ways in which poetry makes its meaning, especially its 'parts'; they do not give a sense of how one goes about analyzing a poem. It is difficult to give a prescription, as different poems call on different aspects of poetry, different ways of reading, different relationships between feeling, i mages and meanings, and so forth. My general advice, however, is this:
look at the title
read the poem for the major indicators of its meaning -- what aspects of setting, of topic, of voice (the person who is speaking) seem to dominate, to direct your reading?
read the ending of the poem -- decide where it 'gets to'
divide the poem into parts: try to understand what the organization is, how the poem proceeds, and what elements or principles guide this organization (is there a reversal, a climax, a sequence of some kind, sets of oppositions?)
pay attention to the tone of the poem -- in brief, its attitude to its subject, as that is revealed in intonation, nuance, the kind of words used, and so forth.
now that you've looked at the title, the major indicators of 'topic', the ending, the organization, the tone, read the poem out loud, trying to project its meaning in your reading. As you gradually get a sense of how this poem is going, what its point and drift is, start noticing more about how the various elements of the poetry work to create its meaning. This may be as different as the kind of imagery used, or the way it uses oppositions, or the level of realism or symbolism of its use of the natural world.
Reading poetry well is a balance among and conjunction of qualities: experience, attention, engagement with the qualities which make the poem resonant or compelling, close reading of structure and relationships. It's an acquired talent, you have to learn it. When you do, however, more and more meaning, power and beauty start leaping out at you.
Elements of analysis
Here then are some questions to apply to your analysis in order to see how the poem is making its meaning: they cover
genre, the speaker, the subject, the structure, setting, imagery, key statements,
the sound of the poetry, language use, intertextuality,
the way the reader is formed by the poem, the poem's historical placement, and
ideology or 'world-view'
1. What is the genre, or form, of the poem?
Is it a sonnet, an elegy, a lyric, a narrative, a dramatic monologue, an epistle, an epic (there are many more). Different forms or genres have different subjects, aims, conventions and attributes. A love sonnet, for instance, is going to talk about different aspects of human experience in different ways with different emphases than is a political satire, and our recognition of these attributes of form or genre is part of the meaning of the poem.
2. Who is speaking in the poem?
Please remember that if the voice of the poem says "I", that doesn't mean it is the author who is speaking: it is a voice in the poem which speaks. The voice can be undramatized (it's just a voice, it doesn't identify itself), or dramatized (the voice says "I", or the voice is clearly that of a particular persona, a dramatized character).
Identify the voice. What does the voice have to do with what is happening in the poem, what is its attitude, what is the tone of the voice (tone can be viewed as an expression of attitude). How involved in the action or reflection of the poem is the voice? What is the perspective or 'point of view' of the speaker? The perspective can be social, intellectual, political, even physical -- there are many different perspectives, but they all contribute to the voice's point of view, which point of view affects how the world of the poem is seen, and how we respond.
3. What is the argument, thesis, or subject of the poem
What, that is to say, is it apparently 'about'? Start with the basic situation, and move to consider any key statements; any obvious or less obvious conflicts, tensions, ambiguities; key relationships, especially conflicts, parallels, contrasts; any climaxes or problems posed or solved (or not solved); the poem's tone; the historical, social, and emotional setting.
4. What is the structure of the poem?
There are two basic kinds of structure, formal and thematic.
Formal structure is the way the poem goes together in terms of its component parts: if there are parts -- stanza's, paragraphs or such -- then there will be a relation between the parts (for instance the first stanza may give the past, the second the present, the third the future).
Thematic structure, known in respect to fiction as 'plot', is the way the argument or presentation of the material of the poem is developed. For instance a poem might state a problem in eight lines, an answer to the problem in the next six; of the eight lines stating the problem, four might provide a concrete example, four a reflection on what the example implies. There may well be very close relations between formal and thematic structure. When looking at thematic structure, you might look for conflicts, ambiguities and uncertainties, the tensions in the poem, as these give clear guides to the direction of meanings in the poem, the poem's 'in-tensions'.
5. How does the poem make use of setting?
There is the setting in terms of time and place, and there is the setting in terms of the physical world described in the poem.
In terms of the physical world of the poem, setting can be used for a variety of purposes. A tree might be described in specific detail, a concrete, specific, tree; or it might be used in a more tonal way, to create mood or associations, with say the wind blowing mournfully through the willows; or it might be used as a motif, the tree that reminds me of Kathryn, or of my youthful dreams; or it might be used symbolically, as for instance an image of organic life; or it might be used allegorically, as a representation of the cross of Christ (allegory ties an image or event to a specific interpretation, a doctrine or idea; symbols refer to broader, more generalized meanings).
Consider this a spectrum, from specific, concrete, to abstract, allegorical:
concrete --- tonal -- connotative -- symbolic --- allegorical
6. How does the poem use imagery?
"Imagery" refers to any sort of image, and there are two basic kinds. One is the images of the physical setting, described above. The other kind is images as figures of speech, such as metaphors. These figures of speech extend the imaginative range, the complexity and comprehensibility of the subject. They can be very brief, a word or two, a glistening fragment of insight, a chance connection sparked into a blaze (warming or destroying) of understanding; or they can be extended analogies, such as Donne's 'conceits'or Milton's epic similes.
7. Are there key statements or conflicts in the poem that appear to be central to its meaning?
Is the poem direct or indirect in making its meanings? If there are no key statements, are there key or central symbol, repetitions, actions, motifs (recurring images), or the like?
8. How does the sound of the poetry contribute to its meaning?
Pope remarked that "the sound must seem an echo to the sense": both the rhythm and the sound of the words themselves (individually and as they fit together) contribute to the meaning.
9. Examine the use of language.
What kinds of words are used? How much and to what ends does the poet rely on connotation, or the associations that words have (as "stallion" connotes a certain kind of horse with certain sorts of uses)? Does the poem use puns, double meanings, ambiguities of meaning?
10. Can you see any ways in which the poem refers to, uses or relies on previous writing?
This is known as allusion or intertextuality. When U-2's Bono writes "I was thirsty and you kissed my lips" in "Trip Through Your Wires," the meaning of the line is vastly extended if you know that this is a reference to Matthew 25:35 in the Bible, where Jesus says to the saved in explanation of what they did right, "I was thirsty and you wet my lips."
11. What qualities does the poem evoke in the reader?
What sorts of learning, experience, taste and interest would the 'ideal' or 'good' reader of this poem have? What can this tell you about what the poem 'means' or is about? The idea is that any work of art calls forth certain qualities of response, taste, experience, value, from the reader, and in a sense 'forms' the reader of that particular work. This happens through the subject matter, the style, the way the story is told or the scene set, the language, the images, the allusions, all the ways in which we are called by the text to construct meaning. The theorist Wayne Booth calls the reader as evoked or formed by the text the "implied reader."
12. What is your historical and cultural distance from the poem?
What can you say about the difference between your culture's (and sub-culture's) views of the world, your own experiences, on the one hand, and those of the voice, characters, and world of the poem on the other? What is it that you might have to understand better in order to experience the poem the way someone of the same time, class, gender and race might have understood it? Is it possible that your reading might be different from theirs because of your particular social (race, gender, class, etc.) and historical context? What about your world governs the way you see the world of the text? What might this work tell us about the world of its making?
13. What is the world-view and the ideology of the poem?
What are the basic ideas about the world that are expressed? What areas of human experience are seen as important, and what is valuable about them? What areas of human experience or classes of person are ignored or denigrated? A poem about love, for instance, might implicitly or explicitly suggest that individual happiness is the most important thing in the world, and that it can be gained principally through one intimate sexually-based relationship -- to the exclusion, say, of problems of social or political injustice, human brokenness and pain, or other demands on us as humans. It might also suggest that the world is a dangerous, uncertain place in which the only sure ground of meaningfulness is to be found in human relationships, or it might suggest on the other hand that human love is grounded in divine love, and in the orderliness and the value of the natural world with all its beauties. What aspects of the human condition are foregrounded, what are suppressed, in the claims that the poem makes by virtue of its inclusions and exclusions, certainties and uncertainties, and depictions of the way the natural and the human world is and works? For a brief elaboration of the concept of ideology, see my page on the subject.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Proposing A Solution
Proposing A Solution
A--What is a problem in your community that needs solving?
CRIME?
DRUGS?
Coyotes?
People with bad hair?
B-- Create a case
How do you get a reader's interest?
Have you defined the problem clearly enough?
Do you go into enough detail about how you would implement change or a solution?
C-- Remember to proofread!
The writing assignment
A-- identify a problem in your community***** you are the expert here**** remember use something that you have experienced.........
Remember:
Is it a real problem?
What causes the problem?
Who is affected?
How does it harm members of the community?
Solution
What solutions have been tried/
Is the problem too big? You might want to try to write about one aspect of the problem.
Will the solution really solve the proble?
Do I know enough about the problem?
Do I have a personal interest in the subject/
A--What is a problem in your community that needs solving?
CRIME?
DRUGS?
Coyotes?
People with bad hair?
B-- Create a case
How do you get a reader's interest?
Have you defined the problem clearly enough?
Do you go into enough detail about how you would implement change or a solution?
C-- Remember to proofread!
The writing assignment
A-- identify a problem in your community***** you are the expert here**** remember use something that you have experienced.........
Remember:
Is it a real problem?
What causes the problem?
Who is affected?
How does it harm members of the community?
Solution
What solutions have been tried/
Is the problem too big? You might want to try to write about one aspect of the problem.
Will the solution really solve the proble?
Do I know enough about the problem?
Do I have a personal interest in the subject/
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Review of principles of essay
Introduction
The introduction is the first paragraph in your essay, and it should accomplish a few specific goals.
1. Capture the reader's interest
It's a good idea to start your essay with a really interesting statement, in order to pique the reader's interest.
Avoid starting out with a boring line like
"In this essay I will explain why Rosa Parks was an important figure."
Instead, try something like
"A Michigan museum recently paid $492,000 for an old, dilapidated bus from Montgomery, Alabama."
The second sentence sounds much more interesting, doesn't it? It would encourage most people to keep on reading.
2. Introduce the topic
The next few sentences should explain your first statement, and prepare the reader for your thesis statement.
"The old yellow bus was reported to be the very one that sparked the civil rights movement, when a young woman named Rosa Parks..."
3. Make a claim or express your opinion in a thesis sentence.
Your thesis sentence should provide your specific assertion and convey clearly your point of view.
"In refusing to surrender her seat to a white man, Rosa Parks inspired a courageous freedom movement that lives on, even today."
Body
The body of the essay will include three paragraphs, each limited to one main idea that supports your thesis. You should state your idea, then back it up with two or three sentences of evidence or examples.
Example of a main idea:
"It took incredible courage for an African American woman to make such a bold stance in 1955 Alabama."
Offer evidence to support this statement:
"This act took place in an era when African Americans could be arrested and face severe retribution for comitting the most trivial acts of defiance."
Include a few more supporting statements with further evidence, then use transition words to lead to the following paragraph.
Sample transition words:
moreover
in fact
on the whole
furthermore
as a result
simply put
for this reason
similarly
likewise
it follows that
naturally
by comparison
surely
yet
The fifth paragraph will be your conclusion.
Conclusion
The final paragraph will summarize your main points and re-assert your main claim. It should point out your main points, but should not repeat specific examples.
Once you complete the first draft of your essay, it's a good idea to re-visit the thesis statement in your first paragraph. Read your essay to see if it flows well.
You might find that the supporting paragraphs are strong, but they don't address the exact focus of your thesis. Simply re-write your thesis sentence to fit your body and summary more exactly.
By doing this, you will ensure that every sentence in your essay supports, proves, or reflects your thesis.
The introduction is the first paragraph in your essay, and it should accomplish a few specific goals.
1. Capture the reader's interest
It's a good idea to start your essay with a really interesting statement, in order to pique the reader's interest.
Avoid starting out with a boring line like
"In this essay I will explain why Rosa Parks was an important figure."
Instead, try something like
"A Michigan museum recently paid $492,000 for an old, dilapidated bus from Montgomery, Alabama."
The second sentence sounds much more interesting, doesn't it? It would encourage most people to keep on reading.
2. Introduce the topic
The next few sentences should explain your first statement, and prepare the reader for your thesis statement.
"The old yellow bus was reported to be the very one that sparked the civil rights movement, when a young woman named Rosa Parks..."
3. Make a claim or express your opinion in a thesis sentence.
Your thesis sentence should provide your specific assertion and convey clearly your point of view.
"In refusing to surrender her seat to a white man, Rosa Parks inspired a courageous freedom movement that lives on, even today."
Body
The body of the essay will include three paragraphs, each limited to one main idea that supports your thesis. You should state your idea, then back it up with two or three sentences of evidence or examples.
Example of a main idea:
"It took incredible courage for an African American woman to make such a bold stance in 1955 Alabama."
Offer evidence to support this statement:
"This act took place in an era when African Americans could be arrested and face severe retribution for comitting the most trivial acts of defiance."
Include a few more supporting statements with further evidence, then use transition words to lead to the following paragraph.
Sample transition words:
moreover
in fact
on the whole
furthermore
as a result
simply put
for this reason
similarly
likewise
it follows that
naturally
by comparison
surely
yet
The fifth paragraph will be your conclusion.
Conclusion
The final paragraph will summarize your main points and re-assert your main claim. It should point out your main points, but should not repeat specific examples.
Once you complete the first draft of your essay, it's a good idea to re-visit the thesis statement in your first paragraph. Read your essay to see if it flows well.
You might find that the supporting paragraphs are strong, but they don't address the exact focus of your thesis. Simply re-write your thesis sentence to fit your body and summary more exactly.
By doing this, you will ensure that every sentence in your essay supports, proves, or reflects your thesis.
IN text citations MLA
Each of the following sentences makes at least one error (often more than one) in MLA citation format or usage. Correct those errors.
A major reason families succeeded in the 1950s was that "federal assistance programs were much more generous and widespread than they are today." (Coontz, p. 62).
According to Stephanie Coontz, in the 1950s "federal assistance programs were much more generous and widespread than they are today" (Coontz, 62).
Stephanie Coontz argues that it was the generosity and availability of federal aid programs that made families seem so successful and reliable in the 1950s.
Even politically conservative scholars admit that we "should not hide from students that Colombus and other European explorers were often brutal" (Cheney, 267.)
Lynne Cheney is forced to admit that students should learn that even European explorers were "often brutal (Cheney 267)."
Lynne Cheney concedes that students must be told the errors of our European past (p. 267).
In the online article "The Income Inequality Debate" we are told that although the author finds "the poverty of the very poor unlovely, … [p]overty is a relative concept."
A major reason families succeeded in the 1950s was that "federal assistance programs were much more generous and widespread than they are today." (Coontz, p. 62).
According to Stephanie Coontz, in the 1950s "federal assistance programs were much more generous and widespread than they are today" (Coontz, 62).
Stephanie Coontz argues that it was the generosity and availability of federal aid programs that made families seem so successful and reliable in the 1950s.
Even politically conservative scholars admit that we "should not hide from students that Colombus and other European explorers were often brutal" (Cheney, 267.)
Lynne Cheney is forced to admit that students should learn that even European explorers were "often brutal (Cheney 267)."
Lynne Cheney concedes that students must be told the errors of our European past (p. 267).
In the online article "The Income Inequality Debate" we are told that although the author finds "the poverty of the very poor unlovely, … [p]overty is a relative concept."
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Some sample Thesis Statements for final paper
Thesis Statements
Relationships in Doug Holder's collection of poetry "The Man in the Booth in the Midtown Tunnel" are characterized by miscommunication and alienation.
In the poem "Shea Stadium: 1972" in Doug Holder's poetry collection "The Man in the Booth in the Midtown Tunnel" baseball is used as a metaphor for life.
The Midtown Tunnel, the Brooklyn Bridge, and other landmarks have been a source of literary inspiration. In Doug Holder's "The Man in the Booth in the Midtown Tunnel" and in Lewis Mumford's "Sketches of a Life" both the tunnel and the bridge spark the literary imagination.
Food and eating are an important aspect of every day life. Food can also reveal a lot about the nature of a person, and it is a perfect symbol to be used in poetry. In Doug Holder's " The Man in the Booth in the Midtown Tunnel" Holder effectively uses food as a potent literary symbol.
*************************************************************************************
SOURCES
A. Midtown Tunnel can be one source
B. Other sources can be books, journals, magazine articles, etc.
C. DO NOT USE WIKIPEDIA For instance if you are doing research on Bartleby's depression use such respected sources and NIMH.org MayoClinic.com
*Make sure the author is legit
*A lot of advertisements on a website is an indication that a site is less than reliable.
* Make sure studies are current.
* Databases like Lexus Nexus, NOBLE and Proquest are good places to start.
Would you use the National Enquirer to do research for Obama?
Relationships in Doug Holder's collection of poetry "The Man in the Booth in the Midtown Tunnel" are characterized by miscommunication and alienation.
In the poem "Shea Stadium: 1972" in Doug Holder's poetry collection "The Man in the Booth in the Midtown Tunnel" baseball is used as a metaphor for life.
The Midtown Tunnel, the Brooklyn Bridge, and other landmarks have been a source of literary inspiration. In Doug Holder's "The Man in the Booth in the Midtown Tunnel" and in Lewis Mumford's "Sketches of a Life" both the tunnel and the bridge spark the literary imagination.
Food and eating are an important aspect of every day life. Food can also reveal a lot about the nature of a person, and it is a perfect symbol to be used in poetry. In Doug Holder's " The Man in the Booth in the Midtown Tunnel" Holder effectively uses food as a potent literary symbol.
*************************************************************************************
SOURCES
A. Midtown Tunnel can be one source
B. Other sources can be books, journals, magazine articles, etc.
C. DO NOT USE WIKIPEDIA For instance if you are doing research on Bartleby's depression use such respected sources and NIMH.org MayoClinic.com
*Make sure the author is legit
*A lot of advertisements on a website is an indication that a site is less than reliable.
* Make sure studies are current.
* Databases like Lexus Nexus, NOBLE and Proquest are good places to start.
Would you use the National Enquirer to do research for Obama?
Friday, November 5, 2010
ENG111
In Deborah Tannen's " Sex, Lies and Conversation" she focuses on how men and women communicate very differently. She calls it " cross-cultural" communication and describes how men and women have different expectations when it comes to converstion. A woman sees talk as a sort of intimacy, while men take a more hierarchial approach--to them talk is about status and not being pushed around.
I can relate to this because when I was growing up, I shared secrets with my friends and talked about a lot of things. I noticed that my brother acted differently with his friends and they were always pushing and wrestling with each other. They seemd to have a connection without all of the talking all of us girls had.
*************************************************************************************
I strongly agree with Tannen's thesis in which she states that systemic differences in childhood socialization make talk between men and women like cross-cultural communication. It is my opinon that men and women are raised and experience things in society that condition that condition them to listen and interpert what is said differently.
In my own personal experience when I talk to my male friends I want to get my point across and dismiss what they say. And when I talk to women I want to stick to the facts and leave out feelings.
*************************************************************************************
*************************************************************************************
I can relate to this because when I was growing up, I shared secrets with my friends and talked about a lot of things. I noticed that my brother acted differently with his friends and they were always pushing and wrestling with each other. They seemd to have a connection without all of the talking all of us girls had.
*************************************************************************************
I strongly agree with Tannen's thesis in which she states that systemic differences in childhood socialization make talk between men and women like cross-cultural communication. It is my opinon that men and women are raised and experience things in society that condition that condition them to listen and interpert what is said differently.
In my own personal experience when I talk to my male friends I want to get my point across and dismiss what they say. And when I talk to women I want to stick to the facts and leave out feelings.
*************************************************************************************
*************************************************************************************
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Kate Simon Eng 101
Your favorite movies and how they affected you?
KATE SIMON
Kate Simon wrote about how she viewed movies as a school.
Kate Simon wrote about how she used movies as an escape vehicle.
THESIS STATEMENT: Compare your own experience with the movies to that of Kate Simon.
Ideas:
Were movies a teaching tool for you?
Did it help you escape the realities of every day.
Kate Simon viewed the movies as a refuge from everyday life. When I was a child like her I too sought the movies to escape from everyday worries and anxieties.
Establish what she was escaping from and how did movies help her escape.
What were you escaping from and how did movies help you escape. You can use specific movies.
******* (948) What she learned...
****** (949) Fantasy of family...
******** (950) Reality of Family...
*************************************************************************************
**Hacker 438 to 437
BOOK:
Cornish, Edward. Futuring: The Exploration of the Future. Bethesda, Maryland: Publisher, 2004 Print.
ENCYCLOPEDIA ARTICLE
Stubben, Jerry. "Native Americans and Government Policy." Social Issues in America. Print.
MAGAZINE ARTICLE:
Urlich, Carmen Wong. "Stop Stressing Over Money Now!" Health. April. 2006. 126-128. Print.
NEWSPAPER ARTICLE:
Neill, James. "Professor Doug Holder Wins Nobel Prize." Endicott Daily News. 20 April. 2014: 617. Print.
WEB
United States. Children's Alliance. Children's Problems. Web. 9 Nov. 2010. www.childrensalliance.com
KATE SIMON
Kate Simon wrote about how she viewed movies as a school.
Kate Simon wrote about how she used movies as an escape vehicle.
THESIS STATEMENT: Compare your own experience with the movies to that of Kate Simon.
Ideas:
Were movies a teaching tool for you?
Did it help you escape the realities of every day.
Kate Simon viewed the movies as a refuge from everyday life. When I was a child like her I too sought the movies to escape from everyday worries and anxieties.
Establish what she was escaping from and how did movies help her escape.
What were you escaping from and how did movies help you escape. You can use specific movies.
******* (948) What she learned...
****** (949) Fantasy of family...
******** (950) Reality of Family...
*************************************************************************************
**Hacker 438 to 437
BOOK:
Cornish, Edward. Futuring: The Exploration of the Future. Bethesda, Maryland: Publisher, 2004 Print.
ENCYCLOPEDIA ARTICLE
Stubben, Jerry. "Native Americans and Government Policy." Social Issues in America. Print.
MAGAZINE ARTICLE:
Urlich, Carmen Wong. "Stop Stressing Over Money Now!" Health. April. 2006. 126-128. Print.
NEWSPAPER ARTICLE:
Neill, James. "Professor Doug Holder Wins Nobel Prize." Endicott Daily News. 20 April. 2014: 617. Print.
WEB
United States. Children's Alliance. Children's Problems. Web. 9 Nov. 2010. www.childrensalliance.com
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