A.P. Literature and Awesomeness: September 16, 2014

Focus: How can we use sound to contribute to our understanding of poetry?

1. Warming up: Celebrating some of your excellent close readings of imagery

The images of the stone, sea, and sky converge to create the notion that his Kingdom of Stone is eternal. The images of stone serve to characterize this kingdom as stoic and study. It is a place without glitz or pettiness; there is no color, gold, or culture. Essentially this place is as bare as a simple gray stone; however, stone has power...The island of stone lies within an ominous sea with "groaning icebergs" like sentries to a cold, hard place. The sea isolates and connects; the Kingdom of Stone is set apart by a gray Atlantic, yet, it facilitates travel and knowledge of the world of which they cannot be a part.
(Gabby)

2. Working through a mini lesson on two sound devices

Alliteration (the silent snake slithered stealthily)

Exact rhyme (also called perfect rhyme) vs. Slant rhyme (also called imperfect rhyme)

Sounds are way of establishing patterns among words.  A few questions to ask yourself when you notice a sound pattern:

• Why are these particular words being brought together? 

• What larger pattern/effect do they contribute to?

• Is the sound euphonious (lovely and pleasant sounding), or cacophonous (ugly and harsh sounding), and how does this contribute to tone?

If you're looking at slant rhyme in particular, try also asking yourself what it means that these words fail to rhyme perfectly.  In other words, what is keeping them connected yet slightly disconnected?

3. Trying Tuesday Writing #3: "To Paint a Water Lily"

HW:
1. Follow the East of Eden reading schedule: Read through the end of Part 2. For your reading ticket, please type half a page (double spaced) in response to the following question: Consider how the novel is structured so far.  What important difference do you notice between Part 1 and Part 2?  In other words, what has shifted, how has it shifted, and why is this important?  Any predictions for Part 3?

2. College essays due this Friday.  Please bring your draft to class tomorrow for a 20-30 minute workshop (hard copy or Google doc--whatever you prefer).