As I was writing my post for this week, I couldn’t help but think of the movie “Never Been Kissed” in which Josie Geller an editor at a newspaper, played by Drew Barrymore, poses as a high school student for an article she is writing. In this scene, Josie is asked to read a scene from Shakespeare and while doing so has a flashback of her own high school days. Enjoy!

(Fast-forward to about 5:40 to 6:27)

Although it may be a little too soon to tell, I truly feel that last Thursday’s class meeting will be my favorite class yet. Seeing my fellow classmates putting themselves, along with their thoughts and emotions, out there and pouring their hearts out in front of everyone was such a moving experience. Without a doubt, all of us, at some point in our lives have suffered from a fear of being judged, of being ridiculed, of wondering if our work is “good” enough. As I mentioned in last week’s blog post, I believe that much of poetry should be non-judgmental and not-graded. It is almost impossible to place a letter grade on something so personal and so intimate.

Not only was it inspiring to see my fellow classmates abandon this fear of being judged by others (unfortunately something I need to work on), but their poems itself were even more touching. We all come from so many different backgrounds and experiences, yet every single poem had an aspect we could each relate to-- whether it be heartbreak, going through changes, being stuck in the past, education, and so on. 

More importantly, however, it was interesting to experience firsthand the power of poetry and how the interpretation of a particular poem does not stop merely with the author. It was exciting offering and hearing others’ interpretations of a given poem, then hearing what the author had to say and the meaning he or she sought to convey. Overall, this was such a moving experience and definitely one that should be integrated at the high school level. 

Amazing and inspiring work, everyone!

Inspired

As I was writing my post for this week, I couldn’t help but think of the movie “Never Been Kissed” in which Josie Geller an editor at a newspaper, played by Drew Barrymore, poses as a high school student for an article she is writing. In this scene, Josie is asked to read a scene from Shakespeare and while doing so has a flashback of her own high school days. Enjoy!

(Fast-forward to about 5:40 to 6:27) 

Although it may be a little too soon to tell, I truly feel that last Thursday’s class meeting will be my favorite class yet. Seeing my fellow classmates putting themselves, along with their thoughts and emotions, out there and pouring their hearts out in front of everyone was such a moving experience. Without a doubt, all of us, at some point in our lives have suffered from a fear of being judged, of being ridiculed, of wondering if our work is “good” enough. As I mentioned in last week’s blog post, I believe that much of poetry should be non-judgmental and not-graded. It is almost impossible to place a letter grade on something so personal and so intimate. 

Not only was it inspiring to see my fellow classmates abandon this fear of being judged by others (unfortunately something I need to work on), but their poems itself were even more touching. We all come from so many different backgrounds and experiences, yet every single poem had an aspect we could each relate to-- whether it be heartbreak, going through changes, being stuck in the past, education, and so on. 

More importantly, however, it was interesting to experience firsthand the power of poetry and how the interpretation of a particular poem does not stop merely with the author. It was exciting offering and hearing others’ interpretations of a given poem, then hearing what the author had to say and the meaning he or she sought to convey. Overall, this was such a moving experience and definitely one that should be integrated at the high school level. 

Amazing and inspiring work, everyone!

O Poetry!

For the record, I used to LOVE poetry— writing poetry, reading poetry, even explicating poetry. However this assignment was so difficult and time-consuming (in the most positive sense of the words, of course) for me. I found myself getting distracted and sidetracked, but even worse, I was getting stuck. I never realized it was possible to experience writer’s block when dealing with poetry if we consider poetry to be essentially its author’s thoughts and feelings transferred onto paper.

In our previous class session we were given time to work on our poems. This also proved to be a difficult task. I found myself frustratingly staring into a blank screen, then onto my blank notebook, finally scribbling random words, then crossing them out. I felt so uninspired and muse-less. I felt as though I was being forced to pour my heart out for bloggers across the world (and for a grade, nonetheless). Then I came to the comforting conclusion that much of poetry should be non-judgmental and should not be assigned grades. Who is to say what really constitutes a “good” poem versus a “bad” poem? If we must grade poetry, however, the grade assigned should be a reflection of whether or not the student has satisfied the requirements and criteria set forth by the teacher or professor (for example: structural guidelines, figurative imagery, rhyme scheme, etc.). Otherwise, putting a letter grade on something so personal and expressive will only discourage and dishearten students.

Woman

Sweet disposition, rosy cheeks.

Flaming eyes, attentive ears.

Yesterday a friend, today just a game.

Yesterday a queen, tomorrow an enemy.

My name is Eve

Devil on one shoulder; Angel on the other.

Careful, don’t mess up; he’s watching you: Big Brother.

Unwritten rules, they’re just frowned upon. Words of wisdom no one ever follows.

Swingsets and jump-ropes and coloring books; those days are no more. All lost in the hollows.

“Hey, don’t do it”, “Just say no, it’s not that hard.”

[un]Guilty pleasures embraced with no regard.

“The Fall of Man”, I say. “Afterall, I’m only human.”

Ancestral, inherited, call it what you will; it’s all Original Sin.

Innocence doesn’t exist. Innocence never existed.

So good, but so bad. Who could have resisted?

Anoush Keskerian
English 495ESM
17 September 2010
Wordsworth and the Romantic Era

The Romantic Era is essentially characterized by any “trend exalting nature above artifice, sensibility above intellect, the foreign above the familiar, energy above restraint, the search for an Absolute above concern with the here and now.” (Deutsch 151) This major social and cultural movement shaped much of Western artistic thought in the late 18th and 19th centuries. The Romantic Movement not only opposed the idea of controlled, rational order propounded during the Enlightenment, but more importantly emphasized the importance of spontaneous self-expression, emotion and personal experience in producing art. Much of the Romantic Period placed a heavy emphasis on the individual and his or her personal reflections and memories. Many poets during this period incorporated their experiences into their poems, and in doing so, allowed the reader to relate to some of these authors. William Wordsworth, one of the most profound English Romantic poets, truly helped epitomize this era through his undeniable Romantic poetry. His poem “Composed upon Westminster Bridge, Sept. 3, 1802” is exemplary in embodying the characteristics that define Romanticism.

Before delving into the poem and its intricacies, it is imperative to first consider the structure of the poem itself. Composed of fourteen lines of iambic pentameter, “Composed upon Westminster Bridge” is in the form of the Petrarchan sonnet. The sonnet’s octave, comprising of eight lines, has the following rhyme scheme:

A B B A
A B B A;

whereas it’s sestet, comprised of the remaining six lines, has the following:

C D C D C D.

Prior to reading the poem, the reader may first make the assumption that the poem, as its title suggests, is composed upon Westminster Bridge. Wordsworth begins his poem by expressing that “Earth has not anything to show more fair” than the scenery he looks over. He uses such descriptive and vivid words to illustrate the scenery such as “touching in its majesty”, “beauty”, “silent, bare”, “bright and glittering”, “smokeless air”, “calm” and so on. As in the large majority of Romantic poetry, the dominating theme proves to be Nature. During a time when much of the world was experiencing the harsh social and economic conditions that accompanied the Industrial Revolution, a disengagement from human beings, nature and its surroundings was almost inevitable. Many authors during this period sought to remedy this disconnect from the natural world by expressing themselves through their writings and in doing so hoped to reach others who may have been affected by this detachment from nature. One can’t help but notice the irony in Wordsworth descriptions when he illustrates “the City” as having “smokeless air” and being “silent” and “bare”, especially when the effects of Industrial Revolution left areas in such deplorable environmental conditions.

From an emotional aspect, one may suggest that Wordsworth is so attached and in love with his City that regardless of its conditions, it will always be beautiful to him. Furthermore, Wordsworth attributes humanlike qualities to the City (personification) and describes the City as “like a garment, wearing the beauty of the morning.” He further goes on to say that the sun has never looked so beautiful, nor have the valleys, rocks or hills, which are being illuminated by the sun. Wordsworth describes the river, which “glideth at his own sweet will”. He expresses the City is so quiet and calm that even the “houses seem asleep.”

While a portion of the 19th saw the development of the Romantic Era, the larger part of it was essentially an Industrial period full of poverty, unemployment, poor working conditions and a depleting environment. During a time when technology and machinery dominated, detachment from nature was not all too unexpected. It is the works of authors like William Wordsworth, however, that mankind can revisit the natural world and the simple pleasures it has to offer. With his allusions to the beauty of nature and his vivid descriptions, as well as his emphasis on the emotions rather than logic, “Composed upon Westminster Bridge” truly embodies all that is Romanticism. Most importantly, with his “belief in the unity of man, in the spiritual development of man under the tutelage of nature, the harmony of society, the absence of… turmoil” (“On Wordsworth’s Westminster Bridge Sonnet”), Wordsworth truly helped steer the Romantic Era.

Works Cited

Deutsch, Babette. "Romantic." Poetry Handbook: A Dictionary of Terms. Fourth ed.

“On Wordsworth’s Westminster Bridge Sonnet”. The News Bulletin of the Rocky Mountain Modern Language Association, Vol. 9, No. 1 (Oct., 1955), p. 4

Media Technology in..media?

Taio Cruz ft. Ludacris- “Break Your Heart”

Although having heard the song countless times, I felt I should, or at least attempt to, abandon what I know of the song and focus solely on the lyrics and how these words would lend to the music itself.

Upon first glance, the lyrics would suggest that the song have a more melancholy and somber tone. The speaker is explicit in stating that he/she is going to “love and leave” his love interest (or rather former interest) and “break [his/her] heart.” The speaker recognizes and is fully aware of the consequences of his actions and although seemingly feels no remorse, one would assume the song would have somewhat of a staid and serious tone.

The songs we examined in class such as Eminem’s “My Mom” and The Smith’s “Ask” were exemplary in showing that without supplementary material, in this case the music itself, lyrics on paper do not necessary correspond with the music at all times.
These examples show how even in something as simple as a song, media technology can play a significant role in how a given text is interpreted.

Taio Cruz ft. Ludacris- “Break Your Heart”

[Ludacris:] LUDA!
Now I may not be the worst or the best but you gotta respect my honesty.
And I may break your heart, but I don't really think there's anybody's as bomb as me
So you can take this chance, in the end everybody's gonna be wondering how you deal
You might say this is Ludacris, but Taio Cruz tell em' how you feel

Now listen to me baby
Before I love and leave you
They call me heart breaker
I don't want to deceive you

If you fall for me
I'm not easy to please
I'mma tear you apart
Told you from the start, baby from the start.

I'm only gonna break break your break break your heart. (x4)

[Ludacris:]
(Thats all I'm gonna do woman)
Listen, now I'm only gonna break your heart
And shatter and spatter it all into little itty bitty pieces
Whether or not you get it all together
Then its finders keepers and losers weepers
See I'm not trying lead you on, no I'm only trying keep it real
You might say this is Ludacris, but Taio Cruz tell her how you feel!

[Bridge]
And I know karma's gonna get me back for being so cold
Like a big bad wolf I'm born to be bad and bad to the bone
If you fall for me I'm only gonna tear you apart
Told ya from the start.

Now listen to me baby
Before I love and leave you
They call me heart breaker
I don't want to deceive you

If you fall for me
I'm not easy to please
I'mma tear you apart
Told you from the start, baby from the start.

I'm only gonna break break your break break your heart. (x4)

Woah woah

There’s no point trying to hide it
No point trying to erase me
I know I got a problem
By doing this behavior

If you fall for me
I'm not easy to please
I'mma tear you apart
Told you from the start, baby from the start.

I'm only gonna break break your break break your heart. (x4)

Media Technology in the Classroom

Hi everyone! My name is Anoush and I am currently a graduating senior at Cal State Northridge anticipating my Bachelor’s Degree in English- Subject Matter. Initially I had planned on entering CSUN’s Teaching Credential program but recently discovered that I would rather pursue a Master’s Degree in English in hopes of becoming a professor. The entirety of this blog will be devoted to discussing and relating concepts of Multigenre Literacy in a Global Context.

Whether we like it or not media technology is a HUGE and growing industry in almost every facet of our everyday lives. More and more increasingly, and in my opinion for the better, we are seeing the use of this technology in education regardless of grade level. Many of us these days are so focused on the aesthetics of things that students are becoming more visual learners at younger ages. Personally, having a PowerPoint to refer back to during lectures--at any grade level-- not only catches the student's eye and sparks his or her interest, but makes it more likely for him or her to pay attention and better grasp and retain the given material.

I think it's important that technology play a significant role in the classroom, but should by no means dominate or replace conventional teaching methods. Rather, these media technologies such as PowerPoint, visits to the computer lab, YouTube clips, and so on would be best suited to supplement and aid  teaching material and traditional methods rather than eradicate them altogether.