Group Essay Colaboration

Well group members, I haven't really changed anything in my paragraph.  It is still pretty much the same.  As for questions, I am wondering if any of you guys have any ideas for the conclusion paragraph. I am having trouble thinking of ways to reword the thesis.  Any ideas?

Dishonesty

     Dishonesty relates to humor in epigrams because the characters ideals or beliefs on life are hypocritical.  They say one thing, and two seconds later, the contradict it.  In a way, they are lying.  Also, some of the beliefs that the characters have are based off of lies such as the situation with Algernon and Jack pretending to be a man named Ernest.  Dishonesty relates to the satire of social institutions because the rich and snotty people which are also known as the upper class, can pretty much do whatever they want (including lie) and get away with it.  For example, Algy decides that he wants to miss his business meeting, and he doesn't even care because he won't get in trouble.  Dishonesty is related to the pursuit of pleasure because the women decide they wouldn't love the men unless their names were Ernest.  That is the women's pleasure, but the men are lying about their names.  Also, for Algy and Jack, pleasure comes before being a gentleman.  The go bunburying to party and have a good time instead of being true to their families and friends.  The name Ernest and the title of the play (earnest) are related to dishonesty for obvious reasons.  Again, Gwendolyn and Cecily think the name Ernest inspires absolute confidence.  Algy and Jack  are lying about their names and relatives to meet that criteria.  It's ironic that the women say they could never marry someone who isn't named Ernest when they love Algy and Jack.  I would also classify this as satire of marriage.
     I think Wilde is trying to show that lying will get you into trouble in the end.  This play is like a web of love, but it only gets to be that way because of the characters' lies.  Then Algy and Jack get caught up in those lies when they both pretend to be Ernest for different women.  As both men and both women end up at the same house, it becomes quite clear that the men will have to tell the truth.  I also think Wilde is saying that lying can seem like fun and a good idea at the time, but in the end, one will be discovered as a liar.

Animal Farm Project Evaluations

1.  Brooke: Song: I thought the song did an OK job of portraying the book.  I thought it was kind of choppy, and it didn't flow as well as I would like.  In general, however, this was a good project.
2.  Kayla: Animal Pyramid:  This was an excellent project! It was creative, and it was easy to understand.  Kayla did a good job portraying the book and it's elements of irony.
3.  Melanie: Power Point:  This is another great project.  It very clearly showed the elements of the book.  It was creative, definitely computer based, and this is a project that deserves an A.
4.  Donna: Video:  I thought this project portrayed the elements of the book very well.  The video was nicely done and put together.
5.  Reagan: Poem:  I loved her project!  It met all the criteria, and it was very introspective and thoughtful.
6.  Alena: Video:  This was a great project.  It conveyed the book elements, and it was interesting and fun to watch.
7.  Brittany G: Drawing:  This project would have been better had I been able to see it.  It wasn't easily seen, and I'm not sure how it reflected irony, foreshadowing, and the like.
8.  Leah: Comic Strip:  This was a very cute project.  I liked how it showed the irony in an almost satirical fashion.
9.  Sherwin, Ketl, Chase, Zack:  Video:  Again, a great project.  The use of both songs not only enhanced the performance, but it was also a new way of viewing the story.
10.  Olivia: Poem:  This poem was short but good.  I could tell, despite the length where she was getting across the ideas of irony and such.

I think my project compared very well to the other projects.  I think some people could have spent a little more time on their projects, but in general, the projects were very good.  I think that my group and I spent a lot of time on our project, and it payed off.  I'm proud of my work, and I am glad I got to work on this project with my friends.

New Year's Resolution

This year, I have made a personal resolution to read the entire Bible in a year.  My youth pastor's wife has created a group on Facebook that I have become a part of.  Each day, she posts the passage of the Bible that needs to be read in order to finish by the end of the year.  I am a Christian, and I believe that reading the Bible in a year will greatly improve my life.  God's word has so much to teach me and anyone else who reads it.  I definitely want to live a more godly life, and this will help me accomplish my goal.  As far as keeping resolutions, I have had trouble in the past.  The Facebook group will keep me on track, just like a calendar/planner or a devotional.  I also have some other New Year's resolutions, but reading the Bible in an entire year has always been a goal of mine, and I am excited that I have the opportunity and resources to accomplish this goal.

Animal Farm Project

For our artistic response to animal farm, we made a trailer and mini movie. The video shows foreshadowing and themes through the background music. One song is about power and control, which foreshadows corruption. Irony is present when Napolean accepts an invitation to drink with the farmer breaking not just one, but two of his own laws. We also added in the windmill as a symbol of success in a unique way. We hope this video enhances your perception and knowledge of Animal Farm and that you enjoy the movie!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tt-ZM9Rkm78

Poetry Out Loud Poem

     I chose the poem "Invitation to Love" which is by Paul Laurence Dunbar.  I absolutely love this poem.  It's not so much the fact that I relate to it.  I do relate to this poem a little bit, but mostly I like the idea behind the poem and the imagery it contains.  The poem is pretty straight forward.  I personally believe that the speaker is a young, lonely girl.  As can be assumed from the title, this poem is her invitation for love to come to her.  She doesn't care what time, what season, what day, etc.  She only wants true love.
     As far as this poem's relevance to my life, there was a point in time when I really wanted a boyfriend.  The whole idea of "love" seemed so fantastic and magical; that's what I wanted.  When I finally started dating someone, I found that it's a whole lot more complicated and difficult than it first appears.  Real life is nothing like the movies.  There are hardly any happily ever afters in high school relationships.  I know how the speaker feels in a sense, but I also think it's ironic this girl wants love which is so difficult, complex, and eventually heart-breaking.
     During the make up competition (since I will be missing the real one in December) I am going to definitely use facial expressions to convey the longing this person is feeling.  I want people to see the longing and almost borderline desperation on not just my face but even in my eyes.  The other thing I want to portray to my audience is the speakers adoration.  She describes love as sweet, soft, peaceful, and delicate.  She views love as something perfect, and that can be portrayed through facial expressions, voice inflection, and even a small gesture here and there.  In conclusion, I simply love this poem, and I can't wait to perform it.

Poetry Out Loud

Part One:
1.  "So This Is Nebraska" by Ted Kooser
2.  "Not Guilty" by David Rivard
3.  "Onions" by William Matthews (Suggested by: Kayla)
4.  "A Birthday" by Christina Rossetti
5.  "Golden Retrievals" by Mark Doty

Part Two:
Of the five poems above, I liked "Golden Retrievals" and "Not Guilty."  I liked these poems because they were interesting but still simple.  I also think that they accomplished what poetry is supposed to accomplish: they took something I already knew and said it in a way that I had a hard time understanding.  The poets took the obvious and viewed it in a new way.
I didn't particularly care for the poems "So This Is Nebraska," "Onions," and "A Birthday."  I didn't like these poems because they were too confusing, and they were about things that I had no relation to.  They did not interest me at all, and I would not choose these poems.
If I had to choose a poem I would probably pick "Golden Retrievals" because it is a poem that I like, but it is shorter.   I think, however, that I could do a good enough job performing the poem to make up for the missed points for difficulty.
I connected with that poem because I have a dog, and I have often wondered what she was thinking.  This poem is written from the mindset of a dog, and I found that very interesting.  The poem in general appealed to me, and I really enjoyed this poem (unlike the other poems I had read).

Part Three:
It will be easy for me to have good accuracy.  I am good at memorizing and I will not need to use the prompter at all.  Voice and articulation will also be easy for me.  I do drama so I know how to project, and I can articulate very well.
Physical presence and evidence of understanding will be the two hardest categories for me.  When I get nervous I cannot stand still.  It will be hard for me to appear calm while performing.  I also don't understand poetry very well.  Unless I have help, I will probably not be able to understand the poem I pick, and I cannot convey that while performing.

Part Four:
Jackson Hille recited the poem "Forgetfulness."  This was a successful poem because he really connected with the audience.  He articulated well, and he clearly understood the meaning of the poem and it's satirical tone.  He was able to portray that to the audience very well.
Shawntay Henry performed the poem "Frederick Douglass."  This performance was successful because her dramatic action and voice really shows her understanding of the poem.  She recited her lines slow and deliberately which gave the poem a somber tone.  Her stage presence demanded attention, and that is why people want to hear her speak.  That is why her poem was so successful.

Part Five:
I am going to memorize the poem "Invitation to Love."  I chose this poem because I love it.  I feel like I can relate to the poem really well, and I also like that the poem rhymes.  I thought the website was extremely helpful.  It has all the "grading" criteria and good performance videos to watch.  That really helped me a lot.  I am looking forward to the make-up competition in January.