Fri Sept 28

We got through a fair number of poems today. Was very happy about that. We learned about what a Blazon poem was about and read from the Song of Songs 4:1-7

I mentioned one of the original poems in Western Literature today, too. It was "The Iliad" by Homer, and the film version of a part of it stars Brad Pitt and Eric Bana, and we HAD to watch a bit of the epic fight between Achilles and Hector






We then got to the work for homework we had to do and we got this assigned:

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

BY ROBERT FROST

Whose woods these are I think I know.   

His house is in the village though;   

He will not see me stopping here   

To watch his woods fill up with snow.   

My little horse must think it queer   

To stop without a farmhouse near   

Between the woods and frozen lake   

The darkest evening of the year.   

He gives his harness bells a shake   

To ask if there is some mistake.   

The only other sound’s the sweep   

Of easy wind and downy flake.   

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,   

But I have promises to keep,   

And miles to go before I sleep,   

And miles to go before I sleep.

Wed Sept 26

Mother to Son

BY LANGSTON HUGHES

Well, son, I’ll tell you:

Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.

It’s had tacks in it,

And splinters,

And boards torn up,

And places with no carpet on the floor—

Bare.

But all the time

I’se been a-climbin’ on,

And reachin’ landin’s,

And turnin’ corners,

And sometimes goin’ in the dark

Where there ain’t been no light.

So boy, don’t you turn back.

Don’t you set down on the steps

’Cause you finds it’s kinder hard.

Don’t you fall now—

For I’se still goin’, honey,

I’se still climbin’,

And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.

We also watched and read this as a poem:

Tuesday Sept 25

Today we did some readings both from the teacher and the students. We talked a little about the different assignments coming due next week - I actually got to remind students that next Thursday is Oct 4th!

Yeah. I had to let that sink in for a few minutes.

Here is the poem for the day

Half Way Dressed By Dennis Lee

I sometimes sit
When I’m half way dressed,
With my head in a sweater
And I feel depressed.

I’m half way out
And I’m half way in
And my head’s nearly through
But the sweater’s gonna win,

Cause the neck-hole grabs
Like as if it’s glue,
And my ears don’t like it,
And my nose don’t, too,

And I can’t stand sweaters
When they grab this way,
And they jump on a kid
And decide to play.

I’m half way dressed,
And I’m half way dead,
And I’m half way ready
To crawl back to bed

Monday Sept 24

So ... we started the Poetry Unit today.

We read this poem, this poem, and this poem.

By the end of the class, we read a bunch of poems and learned about:

Rhyme Scheme - the pattern of syllables at the end of the line
Image - something a writer uses to write about in a poem
theme - answers the question why the writer wrote the poem

We read two poems today: The Termite and Reflection on Babies by Ogden Nash

Wednesday Thursday and Friday Sept 21

Today we are starting Poetry Today

Here is the Unit Outline