Read all of the following before you do any writing.
I am in the process of setting up a Zoom meeting for this class and for Bible. It will be on Wednesday morning at 10:00 and will last approximately one hour. It will be an opportunity for you to ask questions of me; I will also go over some things and ask questions of you. You will receive an invitation by email with all the information you need to get started. Your attendance and participation are required.
In our nonfiction unit so far, we have seen some pretty serious situations: a forest fire that threatened property and lives; a grown man who attacked a child with a large chunk of coal; a dog that bit people; a violent gang that beat up and robbed innocent people; and a woman killed by a poisonous snake. In a couple of these selections, the author chose to treat a serious matter in a humorous way. Mark Twain makes light of the attacks on the steamboat, and James Thurber uses a lot of humor in his descriptions of Muggs and his outrageous behavior. But in the others, the authors treat the subject with great seriousness.
For your next writing assignment, I would like you to focus on humor. I would like you to relate a true story that is also funny. It can be something that happened to you personally, to someone you know, even a family story that has been passed down. Maybe it even happened recently. It doesn't matter as long as it is true and it is funny (not mean). It could be about a sports event, an unusual person, a family celebration, a pet, or something that happened at school.
The story itself will be funny, but you need to play up the humor with the way you write about it. Use Twain and Thurber as your models. Exaggeration, silly metaphors, and other techniques will help you to bring out the funny side of the story.
As with any story, first set the stage for the reader, the setting of the story and the necessary background. Clearly describe what happened in a way that is entertaining. If there were any consequences, make sure you include them. Your story should be in a paragraph of no fewer than 150 words. Use standard American English spelling, punctuation, etc. It is due tomorrow, Tuesday, May 12, no later than 3:00pm. Do not send it to me today.
American Literature
Read all of the following before you do any writing.
I am in the process of setting up a Zoom meeting for this class. It will be on Wednesday morning at 11:00 and will last approximately one half hour. It will be an opportunity for you to ask questions of me; I will also go over some things and ask questions of you. You will receive an invitation by email with all the information you need to get started. Your attendance and participation are required.
Watch video discussion of "The Snow Man" here. The teacher is not as hilarious and dynamic as I am (?), but much of what he says I think is true and helpful in understanding the poem. It is about 15 minutes long. You may want to pause it at times or watch it more than once. Please respond in complete sentences to the following. It is due tomorrow, Tuesday, May 12, no later than 3:00pm.
1. Mr. Griffin suggests that the somber tone of the poem may reflect some personal tragedies in Stevens' life. What, for example?
2. He maintains that the poem is both impersonal and direct. What does he mean by that?
3. Mr. Griffin notes that in the context of the poem "regard" and "behold" have a special meaning. What is that?
4. He also points out something related to the grammatical structure of the poem, What is that?
5. He interprets the poem as saying something about human suffering. What does he say?
6. He also notes that, as the poem progresses, the language becomes more abstract. What metaphor does he use to explain this point?
7. According to Mr. Griffin, there are two "bare" places that are relevant to the poem. What are they?
8. What does he say is the "epiphany" that the poem contains?
9. Prepare a question and an observation to share at the Zoom meeting.
British Literature
There will be another Zoom meeting the Wednesday at 2:00 pm for this class and for Bible. Plan on an hour. An invitation and further details will follow.
Read and respond to ch. 5 for tomorrow.
C.S. Lewis
See previous post.
Luke and Acts
Read Acts 19:23-41. Retell the story in the form of a skit. Give it a title. Use a narrator and stage directions as well as characters like Demetrius, the crowd, and the city clerk. Use your literature anthology to remind you how a play or skit is to be written out. You may collaborate on this with one or two other students, if you wish, so long as everyone is doing his or her share. If you do, just send one copy with everyone's name on it. Have fun with this, and do a good job. It is due tomorrow, Tuesday, May 12, no later than 3:00pm. Do not send it to me today.
Poets and Prophets
The last of the Servant Songs is Isaiah 52:13-53:12. There is a lot of material here, so we will break it up a little bit. The first two strophes are 52:13-14 and 52:15.
1. Isaiah presents the servant's experiences in non-chronological order: He begins with exaltation, goes next to his humiliation, and finishes with his exaltation. a. Compare v. 13 with Is. 6:1. What do they have in common? b. What event in Jesus' life would correspond to this? c. Chronologically, however, humiliation comes first. How does Isaiah portray this humiliation? d. What event in Jesus' life would correspond to this?
2. The second strophe (v. 15) begins with the image of sprinkling. However strange the language may be to us, it would have been a familiar one to Isaiah's original audience from various religious rituals. One of the most famous rituals is described in Leviticus 16. a. What is the event? Read verses 11-19. b. Who is doing the sprinkling? c. What substance is he sprinkling? d. What is he sprinkling it on? e. Using this information from Lev. 16, what would you say is the significance of the sprinkling in Is 52? f. Briefly explain how this would connect to Jesus.
3. The second colon of v. 15 may also strike us as unusual. a. What is the image? b. Guess what the meaning may be. c. Connect it to Job 40:4, 5 and Job 41:1-6. d. Connect the rest of the verse to Isaiah's call, 6:9, 10.
French
Two of you in the introductory class have fallen behind in your work. Use this "day off" not only to be ready for tomorrow, but to finish your unfinished work. Everyone has an assignment for tomorrow. See the blog or email.
And to all of my students who work hard every day, who do your best, who get your work done on time, who follow directions, who even help others to do their best--this troll's for you!
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