Poetry Out Loud: Solitude

   So, at first when my english teacher told us to choose a poem from the website poetryoutloud.org, I was clueless on which poem I should recite and remember. There were so many poems that I just randomly picked the ones that had a pretty good tittle. As I looked at the ones that I picked, I saw that they were the ones that I didn't like or didn't make sense to me. Then I scroll down the page and thought about the meaning of the title and found " Solitude" by: Ella Wheeler Wilcox. When I looked at the poem I was freaked out if I could remember any poem by memory at all. Tonight, I took a look at the poem and tried to memorize it by memory and it didn't work really well. But, then I could recite from memory.

   I don't think I have to do many gestures for my poem. Probably I would do gestures sometime in the stanza to show the meaning of that line. But, what I 'm afraid is that I would tense up when I am in front of my classmates and forget my lines. For example, I can put my hand out when the at the part " Sing, and the hills will answer". Also, I can change the pitch or type of voice that I'm using to recite the poem. That is because for every positive thing there's a negative thing that is said about the subject.

   In the poem " Solitude" by Ella Wheeler Wilcox, I feel that she explains the negative and positive things about life and the reaction that we will get if this is the emotion that we show. I really like this poem, because I really agree with the opinions that are stated in the poem. What ever attitude and emotion that you produce on the outside will determine the reaction that you will get from people around. However, there are some people that actually get the opposite reaction of what they expect. For example, there could be a student that wants to get along with her/his classmates. In order to do that they try to be kind to them, but the reaction from their classmates could turn out to be a good or bad one. It varies because of how each person's mind process the emotion or feelings that is given to them.

FIve Part Paragraph Extra Credit

   So far one fourth of the school year has passed during my time at school in my English class, I found that I have developed a little bit on the things I needed to work on. There was one major thing that I needed to work on. That was to stay on topic, looking back on what I said about improvements, I saw that I need to work on my commentaries. I feel that I have improved throughout the year as I got to understand more in depth of a commentary about a concrete detail. Then, there was the transitions that I needed to improve on. I feel that I didn't really improve that much on this skill. But, I think that I should expand my vocabulary more than it is now to help pick transitions. Lastly, the flow of my writing, because to me it flows but when other people read it they say that it doesn't really flow. I think that I have seen why that is, by looking at the essay in another person's eye. Although, I haven't polish my writing skills much, I hope to make more improvements as the school year goes on.

Poetry Out Loud Activites

Part I: Website Cruising

1. "The Metal and The Flower" By: P.K. Page

2. " A Dream Within A Dream" By: Edgar Allan Poe

3. " Fairy Tale Logic" A.E. Stall

4. "Solitude" By: Ella Wheeler Wilcox; "The City of Sleep" By: Rudyard Kipling

Part II:What Do You Think?

Out of the five poems that I read, I thought that the poem that I liked best was Solitude. That is because inside everyone of us, there is a part of our soul that is in solitude. Although most humans don't admit, they are lonely somewhere within themselves. Only one's self can tell, not other people unless you show that on a very large scale. I didn't like the poem called " Fairy- Tale Logic" because I didn't really understand the poem and it seemed so confusing. I would probably study " Solitude" because Wilcox tells the positive side of things but then she also tells the negative side of it too. I don't know if in the eyes of others I connect with the poem, but I feel like I myself do connect with the poem. That is because, usually I would be more interested sitting in the sidelines and watch and if I do join in then I wouldn't want to join in so much. Opinion wise I would feel relax if I were alone, but I would also feel weird having no one near me. In big crowds I would rather be with someone rather than alone. But, if I needed to do something, I would do the task alone since it will be faster.

Part III:Scoring Criteria

I think that based on the " Evaluation Criteria and Tips" PDF document, I think that the two things that will be the easiest would be the ability to not act out the poem and showing that I can connect with the poem. That is because I think that I am more of a still person unless I am bored then I will move around a lot. The two things that I think will be more difficult will be the ability to not only look at the judge but at other people too. Also, the ability to speak loud because to me I already sound like I am yelling when I try to talk loud. But, people end up saying that they can barely hear me.Plus I would be worried about my accuracy when saying the words. For Example, they say that words sometimes get marked down because the recitation is wrong. For me, I feel like I have a Chinese accent so some people don't really understand what I am saying. Because to them it sounds different from what I hear myself say.

Part VI: Videos

Stanley Andrew Jackson: I thought that this poem was successful, because I could feel from his voice the tone of the poem. Also, if I were to just read the poem off something, I wouldn't understand a clue that the poem is about. But when someone actually puts emotions and feelings into the words that it give the audience a sense of what is being said.

Allison Strong: I think that Allison Strong was successful because of the way she recited the poem. Although she was a female you could hear that she was reciting off the poem as a male. It wasn't just the pitch of the voice she is using.But, the feeling that she sent out with the words she said.

Part V:Summary

After spending some time on Poetry Out Loud, I didn't think that the website would have that less. From what I imagined, I thought that there were more selections. I looked at a poem judged by the tittle and when I click to read the poem, it wasn't as good as I thought it was. Maybe it was because I didn't look deep enough to find the meaning of the poem but I didn't really like most of the poems that I looked at. I'm really nervous about the competition, because I'd get embarrassed reciting a poem in front of everyone and my voice isn't very loud. I am planning to memorize " Solitude" because I think that I can remember something better if I can relate to what it means.

Something Interesting

In our discussion "Lobsters" by Howard Nemerov, I heard some interesting ideas and insights that I didn't notice about the poem. For example, when someone mentioned " As he crawls over the shell of a dream resembling himself." At first, I didn't pay much attention to what the poem meant and what that line meant. But, when someone mentioned that part, I started to think what did that line meant. The first thought was that the lobster was just crawling over a rock or something. As we started discussing about that line, we go our heads together and figured out that it means that the lobster is walking over another lobster that is like himself. So it's like a bunch of lobsters just crawling over each other. 

I admit, I'm not much of a person to look deep into a poem. After we had our discussion, I felt that the poem "Lobsters" was the poet's way of explaining how beautiful the lobster is in a somber tone. But, the poet also compares humans to lobsters as if humans weren't as beautiful. Although the poet was describing the lobsters as if they are at a much higher beauty scale than us humans, they are somewhat similar to humans. Like humans they are waiting wonder when their time will come to an end. Usually we humans don't think about these things. But, when in the last two lines " Thinking: There's something underneath the world. The fame beneath the pot that boils the water". It sparks our thoughts about when will our time end? Is there more than what we see and experience right?

5 part paragraph

During the last few weeks that I listened to my peer's paper read aloud, I found that many of the papers had the same things to work on. For example,I found that some of the papers had plot summary in them before or after their quote. Then there were people who had a little bit of problem with one or two mistakes on conventions. Other than that, I don't seem to find anything that my peers needed to work on. Although I thought that there could be a better hook in the topic sentences. On the other hand few people had to work on their concrete details and commentary. There were some commentaries that were kind of plot summaries and not their own thought about the concrete details. Also, the commentaries didn't really tie in with the concrete details.


On my own five part paragraph essay, I found that I had many things to work on. What hit me the worst was how my paper didn't flow easily. I could polish how I worded my sentences and how my sentences were structured. Also,  I can go back and choose better transitions for each point that I was making. My commentaries seemed to waver from what my concrete detail was trying to prove. Maybe I can find better concrete details to support my idea so that I could write more about the topic and I can go deeper on what I was discussing about in my essay.

Formal vs. Informal Diction

   As of my report about this week, there wasn't much exciting things that I thought was exciting. All through out the whole week, I felt that there was an abundant load of homework on Thursday. Plus the fact that "we" the Orchestra people had a concert that very same night. Although I made sure that I did all my homework before preparing for the concert, I found later when I came home that I  still had some homework left to do. I finished my other homework but then I forgot that I had to do my "Tone Worksheet". Before going to bed, I tried to finish the homework; but then a thought occurred to me that I have a Japanese test the following day. So I studied my vocabulary for Japanese. Along the way as I was finishing studying, I remember that I also have a Word Power quiz on the same day as my Japanese test. Instead of doing my homework, I studied for the Word Power quiz and when I finished it was already 11:00 PM. I was thinking, since it's only 11:00PM I still can do my homework instead of doing it in the morning. Sure, I finished my Tone worksheet homework but then when I got to school and Mrs. Gilman said " Let's collect your homework from last night." I was thinking am I smart or what? I finished my homework. But then when I tried to look for my homework it wasn't there. I remember then that I forgot to put the homework in my backpack before going to school. Doomed thought I, I am going to get a F for the assignment! 

  

   Well, lets drop that thought; my mind went floating back to what I have that is due on Monday. Shocking I didn't finish my novel for my honors English class do I have to somehow cram the book in and finish my project by Saturday. On top I still have to make my brochure about a scientist, so far my research is finished; but I still need one more source. I wonder how am I going to fit all these things in during the weekend. Finishing blow, I am to bring the fake baby from health home this weekend and have to care for the baby. If I can finish all this assignments and projects, I am indeed proud of myself.

Writing about Wrighting

   One of my proudest writing would be when I was in 8th grade writing a book review. The book was called Stravaganza: City of Flowers, by: Mary Hoffman. In eight grade, we had to write a book review on the book that we read about once every one or two months. Usually I am really worried about my grammar, punctuation and other things when I write essays. But in that particular one, I think I did the best on.Also, most of the books that I read for essays, I didn't know what to write and I end up rambling on about the book. In my best writing, I actually made a pretty balance of my opinion about the book and the book's plots.


   I was really into the book because the book was mainly full of fantasy, romance, action, and history throughout the whole novel. The novel would be what I call a perfect combination of my favorite type of novel. Also, the plot was very exciting that I couldn't stop reading the book. The setting would go back and forth between the present and the past with a item called a talisman. The talisman would be something that is from the past and when you sleep you can drift off into the past. But as exciting as it is for the characters, it was dangerous; one could be lost forever between time space if they were to somehow end up in the wrong time space. There is all this action with all kinds of people across the whole plot; but the most I was interested in was the events that happened with the royalty. There are almost other people that are from the present world that go back in time to help solve mysteries.


   I don't remember what I got for the score of that one particular essay, but I was really glad that I read the novel. At first I hesitated because when I saw how the novel was when I was randomly looking at novels. But, I thought why not I give this a try? If I didn't like the novel then I would return the novel and get another one. Other than that essay about City of Flowers, I don't really remember what other essays that I was proud of.

Jane Eyre By: Charlotte Bronte

  First off, the novel I'm reading about talks about a orphan girl who was taken in my her uncle's wife but later was sent to school and never see them again. So far in the novel, I haven't gone that far so there isn't really anything big happening. I am looking forward to when Jane meets Mr Rochester. That is because from the description of Adele about Mr. Rochester, it seems like he is a very outstanding and good natured person. But, currently I think that the book is boring to be blunt. I could lose my train of thought about the novel in a couple of minutes, so  I tend to reread the paragraphs or pages. What I was looking forward in the book was the romance between Jane and Rochester from the summary on the back of the book.

   I suppose that I will probably reflect the plot or character in my creative project because I believe that I will most likely fall into the plot or the character more than the theme and other literature terms. The plot would contain a very smooth rise of the conflict till when Jane encounters a big problem that will somehow put the thing that she is doing at that time in danger. Also, it will be something that she enjoys or loves to do. But, If I were to reflect on the characters, the main focus would be Mr. Rochester, because I will find myself engrossed into the romance and events that happens between the two of them. Also, the conflicts that Jane will have with her relatives, family members, or friends.

   There was one book that I read during my 8th grade year called  Chinese Cinderella  By: Adeline Yeh Mah. The novel was about an unwanted daughter named Yeh Mah( the author), who has talents but was unrecognized by her family, especially her stepmother Niang( mother in Chinese). Yeh tried her hardest to please her Niang but her Niang didn't recognize her talents. Instead her Niang was trying to send her away from the family. Also, Niang was treating Yeh and her stepbrothers/ stepsisters unequally. Similarly to one of the themes from Jane Eyre, the theme of trying your best to please someone but that someone doesn't even recognize you.

   At this point, I am thinking of making a poster about the plot and events throughout the novel. Also, I would add character information and details about their life and personality. Or I can write a essay that I can turn in to the teacher.

Extending the Theme

When I was reading this novel, there didn't seem to have anything that stood out to me. That's because my childhood was completely different from Scout's childhood. I just had regular parents who just stood there and let me do what I wanted to do. Although my parents opened a restaurant when we were still in China, I was only at kindergarten which during the time I didn't understood any philosophy. I wish I had parents like Atticus, who's wise and guides his children to the right road in the future. But, I am content with the parents I have now, because even though they don't give me guides, when I go the wrong path they will tell me. I remember my mother told my things about how I should act because when I was little, I was more outgoing and now she thinks that I changed a lot by the way I act. In "To Kill a Mockingbird" , the novel shows me that not all people aren't what you expected them to be. Also, that some people can be evil to no ends or kind and big-hearted to no ends. But I find that in this whole world there are many that are in the middle of the scale of good or evil. There are rarely anyone who is really evil or really big-hearted. We human beings aren't perfect so we have different sides to our beings. Maybe somewhere out there is our other half where we learn things that are completely opposite from ourselves.

Another thing would probably be a way a person is easily angered. In the novel, Jem and Scout gets angry at each other and make up. Where as I get angry at my brothers for being annoying but later or sooner we make up. Although the way that Jem and Scout gets mad of each other is different than the way I get mad at my younger brothers, we still get mad easily when one of us does something that is annoying to the other person. One thing, when we were little I didn't like to play with my younger brothers because they kept me behind when I was doing something and I never get the thing I wanted to get done.

I feel that the family/friendship that Atticus and his children have is very special. Mainly because they don't hide things from each other and they treat each other like equal beings. In my family, when the adults are talking about things that are deeper in thought than how we kids think, they would say that we are short-minded. I think that the adults should tell us the same thing, just because we aren't as old as them, we still have the right to know the same things. If we didn't know the things that should be known how do they expect us to grow up? Atticus tells Jem and Scout things that happen in his life and shares philosophy with his children. I hoped that my parents would do the same. But I feel that I don't learn much philosophy from my parents.

My Boo Radley

There wasn't really a Boo Radley in my life, but there was someone that I heard a lot from adults that an aunt was going to visit us. At first I heard that she was very strict and mean. I wondered how she was like for days before she came to visit us. I pondered at school and at home when I was doing my homework. That aunt was what I would call "Si ma", they said that she was rich and she opened a restaurant in Norway. Then the day that she actually arrived, I was scared to meet her face to face. When she came it was when my great grandmother's 90+ birthday, which was a great call for celebration. At first sight, she dressed like we do and it seemed like she wasn't that mean. At that point, depressing news came on the same day during my great grandma's birthday. My second aunt's father has passed away. I didn't know what was going on, but I saw that my second aunt and my cousin Ying and Mei were crying. My second aunt wanted to get back to HaiNan right away, but she didn't have enough cash with her. Then Si Ma gave her $400 to ride the boat to her father. I thought it was weird that she would give my aunt money for something. I heard something about "....take this money to ride the boat and see your father." But, my aunt didn't accept the money, she kept pushing it back and forth; on as they go pushing the money back to each other. I actually thought back on the situation and came to the conclusion that she wasn't mean at all. Although she looked mean and strict, as they say you can't judge a person by their appearance. 

       After a couple of years later, she came to visit my grandma because she heard that she wasn't feeling well. She kinda changed over the years but not so much, she came with another relative to visit my grandma and I was glad to see her. She became a lady who changed my views on people, especially if you don't know the person, then you shouldn't judge them just by their appearance.

Introduction

First off, My name is Ting, from Mrs. Gilman's 9th grade honors class of period 1. I don't really know what kind of English student I am, but I do like to read. If someone clicks my blog, I feel that they will mostly see the answer to Mrs.Gilman's blog prompt. Although I don't think that I  willl have anything that is intresting, I hope that everyone will visit my blog from time to time. I think that the meaning of a English calss would be to practice and learn the ways of the tradition of English so that we will acquire more knowledge of English and use them. Why would English be a 4 year requirement for college students? I don't know. But I'm guessing that it is because there would be many terms that have different meanings in other subjects. In order to get what the context is, we would have to learn and understand all the meanings that one word could contain. Exceclling in English can first help me understand what the job or whatever I'm doing wants me to do. Besides, imagine a person not knowing English, how would you understand whatever that you are doing and the situation that you are in?