Snakes

Hi 9's

I remember reading the following poem in high school, I can't quite remember what grade but I remember I like it because I could clearly picture what D.H. Lawrence was writing about. I'll post just the first two stanzas. What I would like you to do is just write if you were able to clearly picture what the poet was trying to say and if so what did you "see"? You could also comment on whether you liked it or not, would read the rest, anything that comes to mind!

 Snake by DH Lawrence

A snake came to my water-trough

On a hot, hot day, and I in pyjamas for the heat,

To drink there.

 

In the deep, strange-scented shade of the great dark carob-tree

I came down the steps with my pitcher

And must wait, must stand and wait, for there he was at the trough before me.

He reached down from a fissure in the earth-wall in the gloom

And trailed his yellow-brown slackness soft-bellied down, over the edge of the stone trough

And rested his throat upon the stone bottom,

And where the water had dripped from the tap, in a small clearness,

His sipped with his straight mouth,

Softly drank through his traight gums, into his slack long body.

Silently.

 

What words/phrases really stand out in this poem? Read the rest of the poem. What literary devices are used by Lawrence?

 

Poetry Connections

After watching the final installment of the poets' interview, reflect on the experience of interacting with the poets. What specific things did you learn about poetry? What did this do for your appreciation of poetry? What comments do you have for the poets Dan, Patrick and the facilitators Karen and Bert? What would you like to see change for next time to make this interaction better?

 

1985

There's a song called Nineteen-hundred eighty five, sung by Paul McCartney and Wings, a band from before your guys' time, I think. Your job is to find a song that was released in 1985. Explain why you chose it, how it makes you feel, what the poet/songwriter is saying and if you even like it. I wasn't born until 1988 so I will also do this one. Remember your selection has to be school-appropriate!!

Some suggestions…

-USA for Africa (band)

-Kool and the Gang

-Madonna

-Bryan Adams

-What I am going to do is type in hits of 1985 in a search engine, results will come up!

 

 

Novel Poetry

Hi everyone,

Have any of you ever read a novel in the form of poetry? I haven't, in fact I only ever heard of them a couple years ago. I thought you might find it interesting to read an excerpt of one. As well, I'd like it if you would comment on at least three of the following.

-If you have read a poetry novel, did you like it? Why or why not?

-Would you ever read a poetry novel? Why or why not?

-Did you like the excerpt?

-Would you read this specific novel? If so, why? If not, why?

-Do you think the use of poetry is effective? Why or why not?

Title: One of those hideous books where the mother dies, written by Sonya Sones

Synopsis: This is the story of what happens/ when my mother dies/ and I'm dragged three thousand miles away/ from my boyfriend Ray, /to live in LA with my father/ who I've never even met/ because he's such a scumbag that he/ divorced my mom before I was born. /The only way I've ever even seen him/ is in the movies,/ since he's this megafamous actor/ who's been way too busy/ trying to win Oscars/ to even visit me once in fifteen years./ Everyone loves my father. /Everyone but me.

Excerpt:

I Don't Want to Get on This Plane

But now I don't want to get off it.

I gather up my stuff in slow motion

and make myself follow

the sumo wrestler down the aisle,

past the flight attendants standing byt the cockpit,

grinning and nodding at me

like those bobble-head dogs

that people stick on the dashboard of their cars.

 

I force myself to step through

the gaping steel jaw of the doorway,

and inch down the corridor of doom,

balancing on the tightrope

of dirty gray carpet,

painfully aware that every step I take

is leading me

closer and closer

to the sperm donor himself.

 

Robert Frost TFTASTI

Post your analysis here! 

Poet Profile Patrick Swann

What is the name of this type of poetry? Have you seen this type of poetry before? 

What aspects of Patrick's writing appeals to his audience? 

Comment on the delivery of the poems. Would they have the same impact if they were read off a page? What does Patrick do to make the poem come to life? 

Poet Profile Dan Tysdal

What is unique about Dan's Poetry? Have you ever seen something like this? How would you describe this form of poetry? 

Which poem really stood out for you from his collection in Acts of Barbarity and Vandalism? Why? 

A "Holy" Response

I would like to thank Mrs. J.  for her awesome work with VT!! Watch Mrs. J's Voicthread poetry reading. Comment on the imagery and use of pacing, tone and pitch to enhance her. What really stands out for you in this poem? Listen to the poem again. What is the poem about? What did Mrs. J do well to communicate the message of the poem? What have you learned that you can apply to your own podcast?

Poetry Slam

Check out the introductory videos about HBO's poetry slam competition. What are your impressions of this type of poetry? Would you perform this type of poetry?

http://www.hbo.com/bravenewvoices/video/

Meet our Mentors

Take a moment to read about our mentor teachers from the University of Regina. They will post a short bio here. Take a moment to welcome them to Grand Centre High School and our Mactopia!

Poetry Profiles

What should be included in our profile of a famous poet? List the items you would create to help you start your research.

Poetry

What is poetry? What kinds of poetry are there? Do you have a favourite poem/poet? 

What have been your experiences with poetry in other classes? What sucked about it? What was enjoyable and made for positive learning experience for you? 

Gender Roles: Taming vs. 10 Things

How do gender roles affect the attitudes of the characters, and how do these roles surface in the play? Most of the men seem to have a particular idea about how a wife should behave, but do their preconceptions extend to all women? How do the women react to these expectations? Are the women systematically oppressed, or do they subtly balance the men’s power? 

 

Tip: review the Discovery blog rubric, make an outline, and include links to outside sources. References must also be made to specific Acts and scenes for evidence. Put your response on your own blog. 

Care Today

Was was great about the conference? What could be improved? Watch this video.

What are 2 things you learned about our world that you didn't know before?

Now that you have attended this event which outlined some of the issues facing our world, this is your opportunity to apply these ideas to your own community.

       Where are the “hotspots” in our community? These may include any area where you feel unsafe, that you know illegal activities are taking place, or where there are issues of social concern  (like poverty, abuse, homelessness, etc…). What can you do to effect change? Where can you start?

Performing a Play

Your job is to translate an original scene into modern language and present a 1-2 minute version of the scene. Use the Kodak mini video cameras to capture the scene. 

 

What does a good performance look like? What things should we be mindful of when presenting a scene like this on video? 

Pressure Cooker!

Do you ever feel torn between the expectations of others and your own expectations for yourself? Do teachers expect unfair behaviour from you? When faced with peer, society, or school pressure to conform, how do you react?

One more tweet!

What would Chris be doing now if he had lived?

Will the publicity encourage copy cats?

Read this blog post and decide- yes or no, will the movie, the novel and the press coverage encourage others to go Into the Wild.

The Bus

Read the following blogpost. Would you spend a night in the bus where Chris MccCandless died? 

Why or why not?

What is your opinion of the author of the blog? Should he or shouldn't he have camped there? Is it morbid? After reading his post and looking at his photos, what do you think was the motivation for he and his group travelling there?

After posting your response, use this LINK, read the poll question and then vote.

Waiting on the World to Change Feedback For Mr. Nichol

Think of your experiences while completing the WOTW project. What elements of the project did you think were valuable learning experiences? Why? 

What elements did not appeal to you? Why?

What do you think I should change for next year? How could the project be formatted to make it better? Give me details that will help me learn. This is your chance to give HONEST feedback, so take it! 

(if you think it sucked, tell me how it could be improved!)