Monday, January 20, 2014

Literary Terms #2

Circumlocution: the use of many words where fewer would do, especially in a deliberate attempt to be vague or evasive
Classicism: literary style characterized by formal adherence to traditions of structure, content, and genre
Cliché: word or expression that has lost much of its force through overexposure
Climax: the turning point in a plot or dramatic action
Colloquialism: word or phrase that is not formal or literary; typically used in ordinary or familiar conversation
Comedy:  a drama or narrative with a happy ending or non-tragic theme
Conflict: opposition between characters or forces
Connotation: set of associations implied by a word in addition to its actual meaning
Contrast: a rhetorical device by which one element is thrown into opposition to another for the sake of emphasis or clarity.
Denotation: plain dictionary definition
Denouement: loose ends tied up in a story after the climax, closure, conclusion.
Dialect: the language of a particular district, class or group of persons; the sounds, grammar, and diction employed by people distinguished from others.
Dialectics: formal debates usually over the nature of truth.
Dichotomy: split or break between two opposing things.
Diction: the style of speaking or writing as reflected in the choice and use of words.
Didactic: refers to a particular philosophy in art and literature that emphasizes on the idea that different forms of art and literature ought to convey information and instructions along with pleasure and entertainment.
Dogmatic: rigid in beliefs and principles.
Elegy: a mournful, melancholy poem, especially a funeral song or lament for the dead, sometimes contains general reflections on death, often with a rural or pastoral setting.
Epic: a long narrative poem unified by a hero who reflects the customs, mores, and aspirations of his nation of race as he makes his way through legendary and historic exploits, usually over a long period of time.
Epigram: witty aphorism.
Epitaph: any brief inscription in prose or verse on a tombstone; a short formal poem of commemoration often a credo written by the person who wishes it to be on his tombstone.
Epithet: a short, descriptive name or phrase that may insult someone’s character or characteristics.
Euphemism: the use of an indirect, mild or vague word or expression for one thought to be coarse, offensive, or blunt.
Evocative: a calling forth of memories and sensations; the suggestion or production through artistry and imagination of a sense of reality.

Literary Terms #1

Allegory: something that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning
Alliteration: repetition of the same sounds at the beginning of words
Allusion: an implied or indirect reference
Ambiguity: uncertainty or inexactness of meaning in language
Anachronism: a thing belonging to a period other than that in which it exists
Analogy: a comparison between two things
Analysis: detailed examination of the elements or structure of something
Anaphora: repetition of a word or phrase at the beginnings of several successive verses, clauses or paragraphs
Anecdote: short and amusing story about a real incident or person
Antagonist: character(s) that represent opposition against which the protagonist must contend
Antithesis: person or thing that is the direct opposite of someone or something else for contrasting effect
Aphorism: short phrase that expresses true ideas
Apologia: a formal defense or justification
Apostrophe: act of addressing some abstraction or personification that is not physically present
Argument: exchange of diverging or opposite views
Assumption: act of taking possession or asserting acclaim
Audience: spectators/listeners assembled at a performance
Characterization: the means by which a writer reveals a character’s personality
Chiasmus: figure of speech in which two or more clauses are related to each other through a reversal of structures

SMART Goal: 2nd Semester

Specific: Force myself to go to school everyday

Measurable: The amount of days I go to school

Attainable: Over time, I'll learn how to manage my illness better and slowly gain the strength to go every single day.

Reinforce-able: My parents can provide moral support for my efforts instead of being disappointed when I don't go.

Timely:  Schedule enough time to get every thing I need to do done with enough time left over for activities I find fun(drawing/video games) while still getingt a good amount of sleep.

Thursday, January 9, 2014

AP Test Prep Post #1: Siddhartha

1. From here
   Explain the metaphor, “I looked at my life and found that it also was a river.” What insight did Siddhartha gain from this realization?

2. From here
Explain the following quotation. The speaker is Siddhartha. "Most people, Kamala, are like a falling leaf, which is blown and is turning around through the air, and wavers, and tumbles to the ground. But others, a few, are like stars: they go on a fixed course, no wind reaches them, and in themselves they have their law and their course."

3. From here
What purpose does self-denial serve in Siddhartha? What about self-indulgence?

4. This is an AP Tess Essay prompt that features Siddhartha on the list of novels to choose from.
In some works of literature, a character who appears briefly, or does not appear at all, is a significant presence. Choose a novel or play of literary merit and write an essay in which you show how such a character functions in the work. You may wish to discuss how the character affects action, theme, or the development of other characters. Avoid plot summary.

5. This is an AP Test Essay prompt that features Siddhartha on the list of novels to choose from.
"A bildungsroman, or coming-of-age novel, recounts the psychological or moral development of its protagonist from youth to maturity, when this character recognizes his or her place in the world. Select a single pivotal moment in the psychological or moral development of the protagonist of a bildungsroman. Then write a well-organized essay that analyzes how that single moment shapes the meaning of the work as a whole."

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Hacking My Education

What do I want to know?
How some students stay diligent in spite of some of the hardships they face. Everyone deals with problems differently but not every method works. Sometimes all it takes is for someone to give a little bit of advice to help you get back on your feet.

What skills do I want to demonstrate?
Although it does not apply to English, I wish to learn the skeletal and muscle structures of the human body. By doing so, I believe my art quality would improve due to a greater understanding of how the body moves. I do think that my art isn't very good compared to that of some of my fellow peers but instead of comparing myself to others, I wish to get to a point where I am at least pleased with my art.

What experience do I want to have?
I want to be able to collaborate with some of my fellow students to create an original comic and/or story. It is something I've always wanted to do since I was little but I lacked the story making abilities to do so. I also think that more than one creative mind would develop a better story overall.

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

What's In This For Me?

For this course specifically, my goal to focus more on memorization of the literary terms and vocabulary words. By doing so, it will enable me to establish a deeper understanding of what they are and how they are used. I also intend to complete my homework as soon as I get home and not leave it off until the last second.

My studying habits are currently sub par at best, meaning, I do not really study much at all. By working on developing better techniques I will be preparing myself for college where I know studying is required in order to understand the material.

I, like most highschool students, put things off until the last second which normally results in many "freak out" moments and occasionally bouts of crying. By completing my work on time, I created a less stressful environment and now have time to work on other things without the pressure of having to do another task with a time restraint.