Holly's British Literature class

third quarter reflection

2011-04-17T19:50:00.000-07:00

We have been doing mostly poetry in British Literature this term. I can't say that I'm a huge fan of poetry because sometimes I don't quite understand them. I think my grades for the tests weren't as pleasant as those last quarter too. I guess I would never succeed in poetry. This is very frustrating. Judging by these test scores I don't think I'm ready for any of the college english stuff, especially with poetry. I just hope that I'll never have to do them ever again. But one thing that could really improve my test scores is that I should really read carefully when I do the tests because I found some errors that I shouldn't have made. It was careless mistakes and now I feel even worse. I should really improve my comprehension skills because they just suck. Some of the texts such as Rime of the Ancient Mariner was hard to understand, and I read kind of too slow. I liked the Lady of Shalott the best but not quite either because it has a really sudden ending. All of the poems imply some moral theme that we need to derive from not directly in the poem but just by interpreting them. I hope I won't have to suffer anymore.

quickwrite

2011-03-13T18:58:00.000-07:00

I think it's just natural for people to keep reading stories with knights and quests, because these stories have been around for so long and people are just obsessed with them. These stories provide a mysterious, perfidious, and treacherous environment so people get excited and are curious to find out what will happen, though maybe in the end knights win the dragons. However, I'm not obsessed with these stories so I'm not so sure why people still read them. I guess no matter what the stories are about, it's the characters, like the knights, who help build up the suspense in the story and they are used to create stories with adventures. These stories are interesting too. Furthermore, because people are enchanted with the middle ages, and many things related to the medieval period, it's just very natural for people to read these stories over and over again. Sometimes during our "modern times", movie directors and writers still use knights and quests as their theme, just with different stories. I don't htink they're just being nostalgic but more because of people's obsession with adventures.

analyzing poetry

2011-03-08T19:16:00.003-08:00

When I analyze a poetry, I first look at the title In order to find out what the poem is about. Then, I start by reading the first line. When I look through the poem, I will carefully try to find if there’s a particular meter, rhyme and rhythm, or form to the poem itself ( for example, a sonnet with fourteen lines and twelve syllables in each line..etc.) After I have finished reading, I will also try to see if there are imageries, similies, metaphors, and figures of speech in the poem. At last, when I finish reading the poem, I should go back and read again and see if there’s something that I don’t understand. If everything is sound and clear, I should be able to get a main idea of the poem, in other words, the purpose of the poem. Because the tone affects the main idea, and they are interrelated, it should be identified too. Furthermore, sometimes a sudden twist in poems affects the tone and general idea.

page 842 Qyucj "Talk"

2011-03-06T17:57:00.000-08:00

If your imagination could take you on an adventure, what would that adventure be?

If my imagination could take me on an adventure, it would probably be like a fairy tale. I've always dreamed of actually visiting and staying in a candy house, with the house made of cookies and candies and treats inside the house. Then there should be some kind of bad, evil witch who perhaps wants to trick me. But of course I won't like that so I'll leave. Then I can walk in the forests and stay ina treehouse because I've dreamed of a tree house since I was little. It looks too fun. But to tell the truth I don't have much imagination, and this is a really hard question. But as I walk in the forest I want to meet some fun characters from fairy tales such as the wolf in the Little Red Riding Hood, Shrek, the donkey, and maybe the animals in Madegascar! That will be awesome. Altohugh I don't really want to meet the witch, meeting her will make my adventure more interesting so maybe I should meet her. I will definitely eat as much candies and cookies and biscuits and drink as much juices soda tea as I can. Now I think that this I also hope that I would have unlimited money to spend and buy as much stuff as I wish to on the way. I probably would also like a car with removable wings so when I need to drive I can just choose to fly, especially when there's traffic on the highway.

Quickwrite page 818

2011-03-01T18:01:00.000-08:00

What sights (natural or human made) prompt you to think imaginatively about life?
I think this is such a hard question, but whenever I go to amusement parks, such as Disneyland, I think imaginatively about life because the characters and the facilities there resemble another creative and imaginative world. Many of the facilities also remind me of fairy tales. Also when I go hiking, when I see forests, and perhaps waterfalls, I think about living in the "wild" and how I would interact with animals. Although I really don't think that I'm anywhere close to being imaginative, I mostly think imaginatively when I was little. I think that's what happens with everyone too. Furthermore, when I go to a candy store, I also think imaginatively, especially when I was little. I used to envy kids who could live in a real house made with candies and sweets, and perhaps cookies as well. To conclude, I find this question SO HARD that I don't even know what to write about anymore. I suppose that these days nothing could really inspire me to think imaginatively because firstly I've always lived in cities and secondly I don't really go out and hike anymore. I've missed the nature for too long. So yes, I do need some inspirations.

Quickwrite page 766

2011-02-20T17:55:00.000-08:00

My own version of paradise, which is my ultimate perfect place, will be very different from that of Coleridge. My paradise must have lots of places to shop around and everything should be free so I can just take whatever i want hehehe. I don't particularly like nature, but my paradise needs to have trees for the health of my eyes' sake and cute "backgrounds" with hearts and polka dots. AHAHAHA. Then of course, tehre shouldn't be homework. And I shouldn't worry about money too. I will also need a place where I can dance. Furthermore, I like to take a bath everyday so I'll need a nice big bathtub with jakoozi =D that will be heaven. There should also be unlimited supply of food that I like, and of course I don't need anything that I find disgusting such as bananas and salaries.I love deserts; puddings, tiramisu, cheese cakes, chocolates, and of course drinks should all be supplied. And now i have to go study.

page 388 Quickwrite

2011-02-15T18:00:00.000-08:00

Think of someone you know or have read about who was in love. Did love make the person see the world more clearly, or did it cloud his or her vision? Explain your answer in a paragraph in your Reader/Writer Notebook.

I think this is an interesting question, does love cloud someone's vision or make the person see the world more clearly? I think it's a subjective question, but I think love definitely clouds someone's vision. For example, in Shakespeare's famous play Romeo and Juliet, which is a story of love between the two young main characters, Romeo and Juliet( who are just fourteen and fifteen),, Romeo and Juliet clearly had no idea about what they're doing. Although they knew about the everlasting coup between their families- the Montagues and the Capulets, they still decide to "elope". The result turned out to be devastating as Romeo died in a fight and Juliet poisoned herself. Although people may find this story "romantic", looking at the two lover's decisions in a more pragmatic and practical way, I think they're completely absurd and lacked perception. Therefore, love does blind people's visions. If Romeo and Juliet hadn't fallen in love, they could've had a "bright future" awaiting for them and "dreams for them to fulfill". But of course, love makes people's mentality different and is just unexplainable. It's the only time when you might've seen your friend done something crazy when she's in love.

My Younger Days

2011-02-13T18:02:00.000-08:00

Personally, I'm not a big fan of poetry and I don't really read poetry outside of English class. The poems that I've encountered in my English class were mainly Shakespeare's sonnets, John Donne's metaphysical poetry, and a few others. However, I'm not particularly impressed by these poems because fristly, they're quite obsolete and I have to spend a fair amount of time to figure out the general idea of the poem, and secondly, as I said I'm just not into poetry. But if I were to really compare poetry, certainly I'm more interested in subtle and humorous poetry. There's one that I found on the web that's quite interesting, it's titled "My Younger Days" and depicted the speaker's "younger days" compared with her older times. The speaker addresses aging issues, such as gaining weight, losing the good eyesight, (which I have empathy), and worsening skin condition. It's humorous and subtle because the speaker twists around and compares her "glorious younger days" with the present. I find it interesting and it's also easier to understand than those of our English class. I think we should look at more contemporary poems in our English class!

page 394 questions

2011-02-10T18:10:00.000-08:00

1. In sonnet 18, the speaker clearly expresses his love toward his lover as he compares his lover with summer. The speaker believes that his lover's beauty will never "fade away" while summer does. In sonnet 29, the speaker expresses his depressed, jealous, and frustrated feelings towards the king. But in the last few lines he shifts the "direction of the sonnet" and claims that he scorns to change his state with the king. In Sonnet 30, the speaker addresses his sorrow to perhaps the loss of his friends and things that he regrets; however, in the last few lines he claims that he is no longer sad when he thinks about his friend.

6. In sonnet 18, the speaker believes that sometimes summer becomes scorching hot and summer's beauty fades away. However, when compared with his lover's beauty and youth, summer fades away while his lover's youth and beauty stays eternally.

7. In Sonnet 29 and 30, both the speakers change their minds at the end of the sonnet. Furthermore, they both express their sorrow and grief. Sonnet 29 expresses frustration and maybe envies the king. But in the end the speaker states that he will still not want to change his status with the king. In sonnet 30, the speaker is depressed and nostalgic. While he mounrs for the loss of his friends, and perhaps time and change, in the end he also states that when he thinks about his friend "now". he doesn't feel sad anymore.

8. I think the most unexpectated comparison, or conceit, in these sonnets, is the comparison between sessions and court trials. They remind me of john Donne's metaphysical conceits. Sessions used to be times when people meditate, and Shakespeare manipulates this and compares it with trials when people's thoughts comes to justice. I think this is quite extraordinary.

My Favorite song

2011-02-08T17:53:00.000-08:00

One of my top five favorite songs (used to be, because I get bored of old songs) is bleeding love by Leona Lewis. This song resembles a poem because it also uses metaphor like the title of the song stated "bleeding love". The painful love is compared with "bleeding" and "veins" ..etc.

Bleeding love is also "rich in imagery", " my heart's crippled by the vein that I keep on closing. you cut me open and I .. keep bleeding..." I think this is also personification by which the heart is personaified and is "crippled by the vein" Basically the whole song is depicting the pain that the singer gets from loving someone because she can't help but fall for a guy, and even if it's painful she doesn't care.
"Time starts to pass, before you know if you're frozen...My heart melted to the ground, found something true..."This also helps create another imagery in my mind because her heart melts for the guy whom she loves and it's very strong and intense in terms of loving someone else.

The Rape of Lock& Question # 8

2011-01-30T18:01:00.000-08:00

The Rape of Lock is a story by Alexander Pope in which a lock was stolen by a young man named Robert.However, the story had a happy ending, which ended with laughter and ended the feud between the two families. I thought the story was just very normal without really any particular "special features". Whether Alexander Pope's purpose was to merely entertain or instruct people I don't know. But it was actually quite interesting. As the title suggests, the story is about the "rape" of lock. The stealing of a lock from a young, rich lady, which is quite extraordinary I suppose. As for further detail I would need to read more and try to analyze Alexander Pope's intentions.

Question # 8
I think the poem applies to contemporary social life, whether it's now or the time period in which the Pope wrote this poem. Although the social structure might be different, the basic idea is the same. The pope tries to say that there's something wrong with people's values; the most trivial things that shouldn't matter (according to the pope), is given great emphasis and value. It seems like people are too materialistic. Furthermore, I think many passages could serve as a satirical commentaries such as when Belinda yells and tries to find her keys or the last paragraph, in which the Pope mocks the "great hero."

The Black Death

2011-01-25T17:50:00.000-08:00

The Black Death is the other name of the Plague, a disease that spread throughout Europe and caused millions of deaths. There's also different names for different Plagues, for example the Bubonic Plague. I think the Black Death is a pandemic and during that period human population was quickly decreased. I think the disease spread around by fleas and there were no cure for the Plague (although now we do). It's kind of like the bird flu or SARS in the present time. Like SARS, the plague is a widespread disease and it has a carrier--the flea. As for the details, I will need to read further about the disease. That's pretty much all I know of the plague.

What I know about the 18th century

2011-01-23T18:06:00.000-08:00

The English Restoration Period began with the restoration of Charles the 2nd to the english throne. England once was again back to monarchy. Many Europeans were moving to American and the colonies rebelled against Britain. The French Revolution was also taking place in France and the first form of democracy was formed with the end of French monarchy after the execution of Louis 16th and his wife- Marie Antoinette. There was also the Enlightenment period. People were less superstitious and instead focused on things that they viewed as rational. They strived to enlighten themselves. Religion was no longer the most imoprtant thing that mattered, and athiests and Deists emerged. There was also a strong focus on science and a new way of organizing the social and political structure.

A Knight's Tale

2011-01-23T05:56:00.000-08:00

"A Knight's Tale" is a comedy movie that is first inspired by Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. It's clear that the movie isn't serious and perhaps is even playful when the "we will we will rock you" music is played. William is a peasant who pretends to be a knight along with his peasants friends. It's obviously a funny movie which sometimes pokes fun at medieval knights. I think this movie isn't as serious as the Canterbury Tales because the Knight was a genuine knight. They are similar, however, in some ways such as the characters all try to go on "pilgrimages". The movie, on the other hand, entertains people and make the story really engaging and interesting. I like the movie more than Canterbury Tales. Furthermore, I think A Knight's Tale is somehow similar to Don Quixote, another story/ movie that pokes fun at medieval knights. However, Don Quixote is more "extreme" because he doesnt seem to handle his "knight business" well. At least William learned a lesson from his adventure.

Holt Reader Literary focus

2011-01-23T05:34:00.000-08:00

By writing and publishing the Modest Proposal, Swift is basically making some really important facts here that England shouldn't ignore. Swift proposes to first feed the children in Ireland with food to fatten them and at last eat them up whether they are boiled, roasted, or whatsoever. This provides the ultimate solution to famine because the children won't have to suffer the famine in the future and they're better off "eaten". Prior to writing this proposal, Swift has had already proposed and tried different measures in order to solve the problem. However, he is almost ignored everytime. Angered by the "feedback" he receives from perhaps the government, he is now cynical and tries to outrage the readers when they read the satirical essay. Swift cannot believe how indifferent England is in solving this critical problem that Ireland faces.

Retreat of the Tiger Mother

2011-01-18T19:11:00.001-08:00

I think this article is trying to deliver a message that Amy Chua, the author of the Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother,
probably isn't at all like what some people have described her "nuts" and extreme. Amy Chua declared that the book is a memoir of
her asian parenting, and not a guide on parenting. Although she is a typical stereotypical asian parent, at the end of the article it says that
she was going to take her daughter Lulu and her friends to a sleepover. I think maybe sometimes Amy Chua's method of parenting, like calling her kids garbage
and insulting them, isn't really correct because it really hurts the kids' self-esteem. She intends to raise her children to be more tough, tolerating, and resistant to pressure
than the other kids, and her methods may be extreme but it might really work. The problem with most typical asian parenting is that the kids who grew up under it might be prestigious and diligent and all,
but they might not be as happy. When you ask them :" what do you really want?" They might not be able to answer you. This may be shocking to western parents but it's a common issue for asian kids raised under the asian way.
It's hard to determine what's best for the kids. But Amy Chua's way would produce more successful children academically. They certainly play piano well and get good grades.

Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior

2011-01-18T03:23:00.000-08:00

After reading this excerpt from the Wall Street Journal, the first thing that came to my mind was: " Really? Chinese mothers still do that??" I wasn't really aware of the news lately because of my sudden "outburst" of diseases, but this article really shocked me and I think it's a really controversial and debatable issue. I don't think anyone can claim that the chinese way of education is superior. Even my parents don't do that. Amy Chua, the author, seems a bit too strict and overwhelming. I'd be really scared if my mom was like that. I mean, my mom let's me attend a sleepover, be in a school play, watch TV, choose my own extracurricular activities, get grades less than an A, and not be the No. 1 student in every subject. I don't think Amy Chua depicted the modern chinese /asian parents. She has the old obsolete style of teaching. Or it's just that she's stricter. I really don't think that her way of teaching is the best. Maybe it is right for the parents to force and psuh their children to learn something when they were small, because they would get a chance to experience what they might find passionate about. However, as they get older, I don't think it's right for the parents to interfere anymore. The other thing is, I don't think yelling and calling someone cowardly or fat would strenngthen their self-esteem or motivate them. I think it really hurts the children and affects theiri "growth" psychologically. I used to remember my dad calling me fat all the time when I was little, and I still remember. I think typical chinese mothers should look at the western mothers' educational style and take out the good parts such as strengthening independence and pursue of interest.

Term 2 reflection

2011-01-18T03:13:00.000-08:00

Well, I think my brain is rotten because I was in the hospital for too long and I can't seem to remember what just happened. But I'll still try my best. My fingers are freezing tooo. eeek. Okay. Firstly, I thought the materials, which mainly focused on poetry, was not bad. I'm not a big fan of poetry so I'm going to be honest. I don't really like love poems. I think they are sometimes abstruse or just hard to picture. As for Macbeth, I thought it was boring. I didn't enjoy Macbeth as much as I could because I just can't stand reading about murders. I guess it's a great literature contribution but I don't really like it.
As for my personal "performance", I thought that maybe I could've done more for the poetry video. I was in a rush and I didn't find props. Maybe if I could just film it at school and get someone else to help the video will be more interesting and eye-catching. When it comes to the final exams, I should've studied more and focused more on Macbeth I guess. There were many questions that I was uncertain of. So the grades weren't as good as it could've been. I also didn't like Paradise Lost because it's such hard core reading and I didn't quite understand what the story was about until I read it two or three times. Overall, I think term 2 was alright but I need to focus more in class now. I don't want to get senioritis!!! I'll also have to make up lots of missing assignments for the week and I might be missing some more classes. Yuckkk

Why Chinese Mothers Are Not Superior

2011-01-16T18:07:00.000-08:00

After reading this article, I kind of see an epitome of what the kids in our school face --their asian parents. Although I do believe that some parents are like typical asian parents who stress the importance of good grades, it's important to distinguish those asian parents who raise their children in the United States from just those in Taiwan and China. Because usually the first generation Chinese parents who have the ability to immigrate are usually highly educated, they expect more from their children. While some low-income families in China are not really familiar with education, these parents who move to the U.S. long for a stereotypical "Asian success" acknowledged by asians--getting first place on some competitions, getting good grades, and getting into a top tier university as always. Furthermore, I don't think that all asian families are like that. What this article depicts is a typical asian family with a high educational background. However, many of the things that asian parents push their children to do are described in the article. Compared with western parents, asian parents are indeed stricter. I also feel the same when the article mentions about the criticisms of physical appearances and weight. This is very true, and it does stung. Because my parents used to criticize about my weight. My dad thought that I was too fat. Despite the fact that criticisms stung, my parents are actually quite unlike those asian parents described in the article. My dad sort of favors the "american way". Therefore, he merely yells or pushes my brother and me. However, when I was little, my mom did encourage and perhaps made me learn all sorts of skills that are very arbitrary, including calligraphy, piano, swimming, flute, english, writing, drawing and she tried to persuade me to take ballet classes but I refused every time she mentioned it. This was only when I was in elementary school, and as I got older she stopped interfering with what I really want to learn. My dad, on the other hand, was always too busy at work. Therefore, he didn't really care much and he encouraged us to pursue our interests. However, one thing all asian parents have in common is they all want their children to get into a good college. My dad also believes that getting into a better college guarantees a better start-up job. I guess there are many advantages and disadvantages of asian and american educational system. I personally think that they should try to pull out the advantages of both systems and view things from an eclectic perspective

Guiding Lights

2010-11-30T17:53:00.000-08:00

There are many examples of a song or a story that gives guidance for people's lives. For example, many of the stories in our British Literature textook try to instruct people and give guidance including the Canterbury Tales, Meditation 17..etc. These stories reveal a moral and some important aspect of life that people must pay attention to. However, when asked about a song or story that might influence one's heart or mind, I wouldn't jump to a conclusion for a particular song or story because it actually depends on the readers' mood and personality. For example, the Pardoner's Tale in The Canterbury Tales tell its readers to not be greedy because greed actually causes death. For a person who is frugal, this won't seem to matter much because he or she already understands the importance and virtue of frguality. However, for an extravagant person, this might make an impact. Furthermore, if the Bible counts as a story, then it definitely influences people's heart or mind because it's intended to instruct people on their behaviors. For religious people, they definitely follow it. For atheists, maybe it doesn't influenc them at all. To conclude, all of the stories and songs that attempt to give guidance for people's lives, their influence might vary on the people who read them.

Donne/Johnson Comparison

2010-11-28T17:59:00.000-08:00

In John Donne's poem "Death be not proud", death is personaified as a person. Donne mocks death and suggests that death "should not be proud" because he is not "mighty and dreaful" nor how people thought death really was. Furthermore, death cannot kill people when they are asleep because it actually gives much pleasure. When people die, they are granted pleasure and "wake eternally", an eternal life is granted. Therefore, death disappears and is "slave to fate". To conclude, Donne is strugglng with the meaning of life and death, and clearly he does not like it.
On the contrarary, in Ben Jonson's poem "On My First Son", Jonson laments his loss of his seven year old son and believes that death is actually another beginning of a better life because his son "escaped world's and flesh's rage." This is very different from Donne's poem because Donne has more of a negative and cynical view of death.

Language of Love

2010-11-21T17:56:00.000-08:00

It's actually quite funny that whenever I'm asked to relate a dialogue or poem about love to some other novels or poems, I think of Romeo and Juliet, and the musical Guys and Dolls. Maybe that's why english techers should start including more love-related-novels to their curriculum. In the dialogue or poem between the shepherd and his love, the shepherd is rejected by his love because she does not believe in the idealized view of pastoral life. The shepherd, however, seems to be very optimistic and upright in his vision and promises to make gowns and other garments for his love. On the contraray, in Romeo and Juliet, when Romeo first sneeks in Juliet's garden, he openly expresses his love for Juliet and Juliet also rejects him. However, Juliet does like Romeo when compared with the aloofness of the shepherd's love. It's just that Juliet knows the feud that has always existed between the Montagues and the Capulets so she should not be meeting Romeo. Although Juliet rejects Romeo at first, she gave up in the end and their love "bursts", which is very different from the contradictory relationship between the shepherd and his love because the shepherd's love mocks the idealized rural life.

Lovey Dovey

2010-11-16T17:52:00.000-08:00

The first thing that came to my mind when one asks for a song or poem that expresses love for another person would be the Guys and Dolls Musical song "I've Never been in Love Before", since we hear it over and over again this year. Both the two main characters express their love through singing back and forth at each other, like a response. The girl main character Sarah tells how she's never been in love before but now that she is, so she feels ambivalent but cannot hide her feelings. The other main charcter Sky, who is in love with Sarah, responds to her by also expressing his love. However, the lyrics don't reveal much about how they're in love.
Another "poem" that came to my mind would be Shakespeare's masterpiece Romeo and Juliet with such ample sonnets about love. Obviously, Romeo and Juliet expresses their love passionately through "sensory- appealing languages". They both fell passionately in love with each other at the same time, but Juliet knew that there had been a feud between their families. Although she tried to reject Romeo at first, at last she "gave in" and followed Romeo. I think both of these poem and song are very similar. The author just uses different diction to express the speakers' love for their lovers.

Question 10 page 287

2010-11-15T22:27:00.000-08:00

The idea "carpe diem" became very popular in Renaissance English poetry. Carpe Diem means "seize the day", therefore one should always try to grab and make the most of one's life at his or her best ability. In the poem "To the Virgins, to Make much of Time", the author Herrick, who is a priest, urges and admonishes all young women to enjoy, finish, or do as much as you can every day because "Tomorrow will be dying". Herrick also suggests that time is relentless and fleeting, therefore a woman should "go marry", so she won't regret whatever she couldn't do. This poem conveys the idea of carpe diem clearly because it intends to instruct women to grab and even grasp as much as they can because time does not wait for people.
In Marvel's poem "To His Coy Mistress", the speaker urges his "mistress", or lover, to take advantage of the moment because "time's winged chariot hurrying near". He suggests that youth and beauty will soon be gone and they will both lie in graves. As opposed to the young lady's hesitant attitude, the speaker urges her to "sport us while we may", to enjoy pleasures and pursuits. Compared with Herrick's poem, Marvel's poem is also clear on the theme of carpe diem. However, Marvel's poem is more "personal" since the speaker only addresses the poem to his lover.

Why do people write journals or diaries?

2010-11-14T17:55:00.000-08:00

People write journals and diaries for various reasons. Firstly, some people value their memories, so they would try to record meaningful events that happen everyday. People like to "go back and reflect", it's really fun to look back on what they wrote and go "wow, I wrote that?" or "Oh my god, why was I mad?" Secondly, journalists keep journals because they need to report the news that they are in charge of. They might be in a distant country, so it's important to keep a journal. Thirdly, we students write journals in our english classes to improve our writing and grammar. Writing skills are basic, it's essential to learn how to write well especially now that we're all going to college next year. Although I can't really think of famous people who write journals, I guess if Anne Frank counts then that makes one?
Anne Frank is a Jewish girl who wrote in her diary or journal for more than two years because they were hiding in an attic. It's interesting to read because it's also a historical reference. Journals and diaries are easy to read and refer to for people, so in the historian's perspective these journals are valuable. People want to read journals because they are interesting. Journals are real life experiences that happen everyday. Reading a diary could help self-discovery. When the person who wrote the diary reads his or her diary, he or she might find out how drastically he or she changed.

Reflection: What I enjoyed, what could be improved, what I didn't like

2010-11-09T17:57:00.000-08:00

Time flies!!! Our first quarter has nearly ended, or should I say it's ending today? I enjoyed my British Literature class but there're still few improvements that could be done both by myself and the teacher perhaps. I think what I need to do to succeed in this class is to just read more outside of class to build up my comprehension skills since they're important in the future when I leave for college too. I also think that maybe I should get a macbook since vista is so slow and it takes half a century to just turn on the computer and get the internet connection going, which makes it hard for me to write journals and I really don't have the time to get upset over technical issues. What I really like about the class is that we got a chance to do a filming project, which was fun actually.
From all the stories we've read in class, I liked the Canterbury Tales compared with the Anglo-Saxon poems and Medieval ballads. The Canterbury Tales was itself interesting and engaging. I just hoped that we have a chance to read the other characters' tales rather than just the Wife of Bath and the Pardoner's tales. On the other hand, I didn't like the riddles and the Anglo-Saxon poetry. I thought riddles are boring and the poetry was more on the "depressed" side. I'm depressed enough already I don't want to get more pessimistic. (hahaha) Watching the Pardoner's tale group act out the story was also entertaining, I enjoyed it. But the midterm slaughtered everyone in the class. It was frightening.

Metaphor exercise

2010-10-19T18:48:00.000-07:00

The difference between a similie and a metaphor is very subtle; while both draw comparisons to the subject that the sentence is describing, a similie uses like or as while a metaphor does not. Some examples of similies and metaphor describing my hair, this school, anger, love, forgiveness, the sun, a flower, school lunches, and Mr. Dahl:
my hair: My hair is as long as a river. My hair is a river
This school: Pacific American School is as small as an ant compared to big schools.
Pacific American School is jail.

Anger: Anger is like a bomb that explodes unexpectedly.
Anger is tsunami, destorying everything in its path relentlessly.
Love: Love is like fire that passionately arises between lovers.
Love is a rose, while it may seem pretty and enjoyable on the surface, it pricks people who attempt to touch it.

Forgiveness: Forgiveness is like a rock turning into sediments, as serene as it seems.
Forgiveness is a melted ice cube, everything is forgotten and forgone.
Sun : The sun is as shiny as a diamond.
The sun is lion, the keystone species that supports all the planets.

Flower: Flowers are like girls, weak but strong and steadfast in fighting the weather.
Flowers are birds, free as they fly and stand in the face of mother nature.

School lunches: School lunches are as nasty and smelly as the sewer.
School lunches are textbooks, boring and banal.

Mr. Dahl: Mr. Dahl is as tall as a tree.
Mr. Dahl is a tree.

Quickwrite- Ballad

2010-10-17T19:04:00.000-07:00

Question: Thank about a ballad, or a song you think qualifies as a ballad, and describe its qualities. (Theme, meter rhyme, subject matter)

A ballad, by definition, is a kind of form of verse like poetry set to music. It was first seen and used during the medieval period widely across Europe. Many ballads attribute to the theme of love. In "Love Ballad" by George Benson, the theme is obviously love. Whereas other ballads have a sad or melancholy tone, this ballad seems cheerful. It depicts a happy relationship "Lovers come and lovers go, that's what people say...Don't they know, how I feel when you love me, and what we have is much more than they can see". This ballad mainly talks about that the feeling a guy has towards his girlfriend perhaps, and he's deeply "soaked in love." He's probably blinded by love and he's passionate.
Furthermore, although there is no rhyme in this ballad, for it is a modern song, it does have repetition, or the chorus. It repeats the part "what we havve is much more than they can see", which further emphasizes the guy's strong inclination and love for the girl. However, I think other ballads are more on the sad side.

Something unexpected

2010-10-12T18:45:00.000-07:00

I was diagnosed of several eye diseases this year in January including optic nerve atrophy, cataract and others. I can't say that my diseases changed me in a good way but it did contribute to shaping who I am today. I used to be healthy and hadn't experienced much frustrations or setbacks. I took everything for granted and I was lucky. Because I came from a good family with parents who love me and money wasn't a problem.My parents always took care of everything. But after I was diagnosed I started to think more negatively on things and I really thought of suicide because the unfortunate events seem to come all at once and I was overwhelmed by them. I couldn't understand why it had to be me who got the diseases, I couldn't even see the board and how am I going to survive in college if I couldn't even see the board?
But there're still other alternatives; attitude matters so I decided to change the way I look at things. If I were to be sick, I'll face it and fight it. I can only rely on myself and although the western doctors had gave up already because there's no cure for my disease, I'll just have to keep changing Chinese doctors and hope for the best. I don't care if I can't see the board I'm still going to apply to colleges and live my life like before. This event is really something unexpected that changed my life because there're many other "tagging along sicknesses" that go with it, I didn't like surgeries but there was not much I can do so I'll have to learn to live with it and think positively. This made me realize how health is the primary thing and I'm still finding a balance between exercising, going to the doctors' checkups, and school work. The other thing is I think that psychological effects afffects my diseases so I'll have to think positively and keep telling myself about how everything's going to get better. I'm still tryinggg.

Quickwrite : Where I want to live

2010-10-10T18:48:00.000-07:00

If I could live anywhere in the world, I would live in Japan. Firstly, I personally think that Japan is an important economic trade center in asia and I'd like to broaden my view and see the world, especially on how they manage to keep up with their economy. Lots of electronics products come from Japan too, for example the NDS and Wii. Secondly, Japanese people are so polite and well-mannered that I think adapting and acquiring their greeting skills would help me in the future. They have really tidy streets, unlike those of Taiwan. They have good city planning. Thirdly, I've watched many Japanese dramas and read comic books and was once fascinated by them so I'd like to look at the place where these works originated from.
Furthermore, from what I've heard from my friends who have been to Japan, it is EXTREMELY convenient. Because everything seems to be expensive, they've built a subway station almost everywhere in Tokyo. They also have good places to shop too !! I'm sorry but I just like to shop and many Taiwanese people follow the trends in Japan so I'd like to actually see myself. At last, I like the Japanese language and I've always wanted to learn it so living in Japan would be a great chance to enhance my fourth language!

Quickwrite--Chaucher and the Canterbury tales

2010-10-05T18:47:00.000-07:00

I think Chaucer favors Parson the most because many of the descriptive words that depict him are positive ones such as--a holy-mindede man of good renown, learned man, a clerk..etc. Chaucher wrote that, although the Parson was poor yet he was rich in holy thought and work who truly knew Christ's gospel and would preach it devoutly... He also was benign and diligent and patient when adversity was sent. Parson was portrayed as a good-hearted man who is sympathetic and caring; because of his piety he was scrupulous. The full description of the Parson was associated with many words that have positive connotations and at last he quoted "I think there never was a better priest, he sought no pomp or glory in his dealings, no scrupulosity had spiced his feelings...", which demonstrated the good nature of the Parson and how Chaucer liked this character.
On the contrarary, I think the Miller was portrayed in a negative way. Because in the poem it described him as a big guy who would boast and it made him sound wild.

Quickwrite 10/4-- pilgrimages

2010-10-03T18:49:00.000-07:00

People go on pilgrimages for simple and straightforward purposes, to worship their gods and to practice their religion more piously and devoutly. For example, Muslims must go on a pilgrimage journey once in their life to Jerusalem. There are many problems and surprises that go along with pilgrimages, because many people hold distinct ideas on how to practice their religion, they might come across some disputes or arguments. However, people with the same religion who practice it in the same region should hold similar ideas. This will most likely help many with their pilgrimages. On the other hand, once people get to their "holy site", such as the ones in Jeruselm, which is probably the most holy place in the world with the destination of three religions--Judaism, Muslim, and Christianity. When people come across problems like these, religious tension may explode because of the proximity. I think people who hold different religions will "compete" against each other when they show their religion is better in their own ways. I think this is also why religion took such a big part in European history because people struggled over their own religion, and if you don't convert to whatever the kings/queens believed in nasty things could happen to you. Furthermore, those who are religion extremists might go on a pilgrimage, therefore undoubtedly they are more stubborn and adamant in their views.

Rippy the Gator

2010-10-03T05:11:00.000-07:00

Rippy the Gator is voraciously waiting for his prey under the lake; he is insatiably starving and ready to vehemently rip a victim's body apart. On the other hand, the children living in the nearest civilization are also told to stay away from the loathsome Rippy the Gator and the wild lake. Furthermore, Rippy the Gator had eaten many youth alive and people expected no reparation from him. Although people did not bother Rippy the Gator, he seems to favor a reprisal when his friend Meewee Amookie Fafa died, unquestionably attributing his death to the townspeople. No one has proven to be strong enough to defeat Rippy the Gator when he attacks. Finding a person who is infallible in fighting vicious animals is almost improbable. But the townspeople are keen enough to just ignore Rippy the Gator and finally he starved to death. People extolled Yieuyn, the person who came up with the "starve-to-death" strategy in fighting Rippy the Gator

Quickwrite--rewrite--hero

2010-10-03T05:07:00.001-07:00

A hero is someone who is audacious, bold, courageous, and strong. Furthermore, he or she is willing to sacrifice herself or himself for the better good of society. However, a hero should not be foolhardy and compulsive. Personally, I think a hero should be keen and considerate of his actions and the outcomes resulting from them. To conclude, a hero should be both mentally and physically capable of handling strenuous tasks.
In the epic poem Beowulf, the protagonist Beowulf is seen as a hero who reflects the Anglo-Saxon values. Beowulf meets the qualities of a hero; he is courageous, strong, and determined to fight and efeat the antagonist Grendel, one of the vicious monsters in the tale. In conclusion, Beowulf risked his own life in fighting rendel and is courageous; he wins the fame and glory that he deserves.

Quick write

2010-09-29T18:58:00.000-07:00

Hancock was on his way to fight another ravenous creature, who had killed many people in the city. The mayor, who was obligated to uplift the citizens, had asked Hancock to help "pull them out" of desolation. Hancock then flew to the city to protect the citizens. As he fought the monster, many people were too frightened and hid cowardly. After a violent and bloody battle, Hancock finally defeated the creature. The mayor thanked Hancock and was very happy but surprised by the glorious and brave demeanor of Hancock. Furthermore, hancock did not gloat about his victory, and people respected him afterwards; they remained in good relationships.

corrections, question 6 worksheet

2010-09-29T18:27:00.000-07:00

Don Quixote, a novel written by a Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes, is an example of an epic hero other than Beowulf, the Anglo-Saxon hero which we are studying right now in British Literature. In contrast to the Anglo-Saxon literature, the medieval literature focuses on chivalry and courtly love. Don Quixote is deeply influenced by the ideals of knights, which is why he journeyed to accomplish his goals. However, although Don Quixote constantly fails and the novel is supposed to be a satire, he does have many traits of an epic hero. Firstly, he is brave, courageous, and bold. He's not afraid in the "dangers" that faces him(although maybe in his imagination) , and he's willing to sacrifice his life in battles. Secondly, he's determined to accomplish his goals in his journey. I think these characteristics makes Don Quixote an "epic hero."

Quiz corrections

2010-09-28T01:56:00.000-07:00

reparation: The Geats would expect no reparation from Grendal, since the vicious monster would never make amends or admit for his wrongdoings; a compensation was simply impossible.

extolled: Beowulf was extolled by many people who respected or worshipped him for his scrupulous, courageous, and strong acts because defeating Grendel was praiseworthy.

vehemently: Grendel attacked the warriors one by one vehemently, and violently ripped their body apart and ate them all until none of them was left.

infallible: Beowulf, although once infallible, was lying on the ground dying; for the first time fate had denied him and he did not guarantee victory.

emphasis: The spotlight gave the central figure augmented emphasis so the art students know what to concentrate on.

attribute: The pious Catholics claimed their success as an attribute to God himself.

concept: The general concept derived from the Anglo-Saxon book Beowulf granted people more knowledge of the historical period and core values of the Anglo-Saxon people.

loathsome: The loathsome monster Grendel was prepared to attack Hrothgar's men again at night; however, this time the warriors were prepared because Beowulf strengthened the people and increased their hatred.

elegy vs. riddle

2010-09-26T18:48:00.000-07:00

An elegy is a sad lamentational poem in comparison to a neutral, perhaps even happy tone of a riddle. Riddles can be heard at special celebrational occasions such as a wedding or the latern festival, espcially in China. It's a ritual and tradition for people to guess riddles in which they may get money or prizes in the end( usually for children). An elegy may be heard at perhaps a funeral, to address and mourn for the person. Furthermore, I think riddles has many forms and it's flexible in tone because the purporse of a riddle is for people to "figure out the puzzle". Therefore, there shouldn't be a "too emotional tone" compared to that of an elegy.

What makes a person act against injustice?

2010-09-21T21:18:00.000-07:00

Everyone interprets the word justice differently, but personally I think justice integrates moral values and high moral conducts according to the values of the society. On the other hand, injustice means violating the laws and standards set by the society today such as crime. Therefore, people who act against injustice are heroic and courageous. However, there are distinctive reasons of why some people would act against injustice while others do not, being bystanders themselves. Firstly, one's occupation matters; a policeman is obligated to "catch" and "handcuff" criminals who have committed serious crimes. Secondly, one may act against injustice if he or she is "selfless enough", and feels the need to resist injustice; such act is heroic. Thirdly, people seem to be "following the crowd" a lot. If one sets an example of acting against injustice and others showed their support, many would act against injustice too. Furthermore, a society's religious values is crucial in defining "injustice". There are certain acts that are perhaps condemned and banned by the religion a country believes in; therefore many would act against injustice in order to protect their religion and be faithful and pious.
When my brother and I were little, we used to fight a lot. When my brother was two, I was five. One day we argued over some toy while we were on our back home. I got really mad and sort of pushed my brother, and he fell on the marble stairs and knocked his head on the wall. He started to bleed and then my mom took him to the hospital for a small surgery (just for the cut to heal ) , and I never confronted my mom about the actual story, although my brother fell on the ground himself I had responsibility too. I still feel guilty !

Quickwrite :riddles

2010-09-21T21:09:00.000-07:00

My own understanding and interpretation of the word "riddle" is that it is usually a sentence or a poem that reveals something "under the surface". Riddles are like puzzles and mazes, they are manipulations of words like a word game. Sometimes riddles can be profound and obscure; people may need a long time to figure them out (or maybe they never do ! ) Furthermore, riddles may use sensory descriptions.

Yellow like the sun
curved like the moon
sweet as candies
(a fruit)

paraphrasing assignment: Beowulf sec. 1~5

2010-09-09T23:28:00.000-07:00

A powerful monster Grendel lives in darkness, growls in pain as he impatiently awaits for time to attack Hrothgar’s men. He was a descendent of Cain, who is punished of his wrongdoing of murdering Abel and the father of all evil creatures on Earth.
The mighty Grendel found the warriors in Herot, sleeping and undisturbed in peace. He quickly killed thirty men and continued to triumph Herot for twelve years. There was nothing that Hrothgar can do but to watch his men being slaughtered. The best council of his secretly held sessions but no solution was reached.
So sorrow struck Hrothgar and his people, agony pervasively intrude people. Nevertheless, the strongest of the Geats—Beowulf heard about Grendel and proclaimed a visit to Hrothgar with the other fourteen mightiest men of the Geats.
When Beowulf arrived in Herot, the mead hall in Denmark, Wulfgar was sent to greet him. Beowulf immediately goes to Hrothgar and informs him of his initiative to fight Grendel and protect Herot. Furthermore, Beowulf will fight Grendel without weapons, as it is fatal that God decides who wins; there is no need to be mournful if fate has intended to reject Beowulf’s usual victories.
Hrothgar then made a speech on how he had helped Beowulf’s father prior to Beowulf’s visit and the pain that Herot endured and suffered. He is more than happy to accept Beowulf’s intention to visit and together the Danes and the Geats bond and drink in hopes of defeating Grendel in the future.

description of Grendel's appearance

2010-09-04T04:25:00.000-07:00

Grendel, one of the antagonists in the epic poem Beowulf, is feared by all but Beowulf. He is violent, fierce, and monster-like. Although the poem doesn't give the exact description of his appearance, personally I think that Grendel is a bipedal monster with human body parts. Furthermore, he must be incredibly huge with sharper teeth than humans , enough to pierce through the body of his prey. Grendel must have been like any other monster creatures; although he is scary-looking and feared by humans, he isn't keen but rather foolhardy that humans eventaully outsmart him. Moreover, Grendel is believed to be a "human gone wild." The descriptions in the poem reveals the physical characteristics of humans such as hair and neck.