Blog #29: Final Project Blog

For my final project, I will be studying division, separation, and equality through E.M. Forster's novel, A Passage to India. Check it out at http://apassagetoequality.blogspot.com/

Blog Post #28: Drama Assignment - "The Piano Lesson"

Presentation & Video

Script

AP Notes Summary Sheet

Tone Shifts Charts & Storyboards

Blog Post #27: Hamlet Essay

Completed in class.

Blog #26: Hamlet AP Test Prep Materials

Prompt: 1976. Conflict created when an individual opposes the will of the majority. Analyze the conflict and analyze the moral and ethical implications for society.

3x3
Hamlet meets (the) ghost = Call to Adventure
Hamlet feigns insanity = Crossing the Threshold
Hamlet gets revenge = Reward

Thesis: In "Hamlet", William Shakespeare examines objection and rebellion. After the king's death, Hamlet struggles to risk his image and claim to Heaven in order to avenge his father's death.

Quotes:
"[Hamlet's antic disposition] is a general disgust with life so sweeping that it makes him suicidal, oblivious to the contingencies of the particular situation and incapable of action." (1)

"How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable / seem to me all the uses of this world." (1.2.133-134)

"The funeral bak'd meats / did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables" (1.2.180-181)

"The serpent that did sting my father's life now wears his crown" (1.5.38-39)

"The examples in the "To Be" speech are generalized and unconnected with the speaker's actual and particular circumstances" (3)

"Hamlet tells them that he is overwhelmed by disgust with every aspect of the world" (3)

Blog #25: Hamlet: Act V Character Perspective

Blog Post #24: Hamlet: Act IV Character Perspective

Heat rises to my cheeks as I read Peter Seng’s ridiculous interpretations of Ophelia’s words. Certainly, she is not -- as Cladius suggested -- “Divided from herself and her fair judgment, / Without the which we are pictures, or mere beasts” (4.5.79-81). Ophelia is intelligent, balanced, and well-protected -- I refuse to believe that my actions sparked her crazed thoughts and ballads.

I can agree with Seng’s basic interpretations. He points out that, “That the ballad relates to the death of Polonius -- is not wrong; it simply does not go far enough. The song does, after all, tell of a loved one who was unexpectedly died and who has been buried without loving rites” (Seng, 217). I disagree with Seng because I believe it must be more than relate to Polonius or myself; in fact, it also ties to my father’s death.

In noting this connection, I am certain that Ophelia is not of unsound mind. Ophelia, like myself, must be acting! “Though this be madness, yet there is a method in't” (2.2.199). Her ballad, referencing the burial without “loving rites” was most certainly a snub towards my mother, achieved through her crazed tone. In this state of mind, Ophelia can say and do anything; they will not punish her or be offended! I am certain that this insulting my mother is Ophelia’s way of supporting. She is not crazed.

Seng, indeed, noticed these chides as well. “That obviously interpolated negative chides Gertrude for her inadequate mourning for King Hamlet, and perhaps for worse offences as well” (218, Seng). Strangely enough, Seng did not see these chides as evidence for the mental sanity of Ophelia. She had to be acting! I refuse to believe that my love lost her mind.

Ophelia’s exaggerated points are not missed by Gertrude. “Which bewept to the grace did not go with true-love showers” (4.5.39-40) In fact, it is clear that Gertrude is affected by them; when asked to see Ophelia she exclaims that “Each toy seems prologue to some great amiss/ So full of artless jealousy is guilt,/ It spills itself in fearing to be spilt” (4.5.18-20). Gertrude sensed the impending disaster of losing her guard and being exposed in public as an adulterous and undeserving wife of the King.

Perhaps I am doing it again -- you know, the whole rationalizing thing. Perhaps I am wrong. Could I have truly caused Ophelia so much hurt that she has gone mad?

After all, she refers to what she assumed to be her future mother in law as “beauteous Majesty of Denmark” (4.5.22). And then, of course, there’s Seng’s point:

“Ophelia’s song begins with an imaginary wayfarer’s echo of her simple query about her missing lover; it ends with the equally simple statement about his burial in a foreign land. Hamlet has been laid to earth by strangers, and without the tribute of Ophelia’s true-love tears. Such a burial is a foreshadowing of her own barren rites a few scenes later in the unconsecrated plot of Elsinore churchyard” (Seng, 219). Well.

I did not predict that Ophelia’s story would end in such an untimely death. I cannot believe the misfortune that is my life! First my father, now my love?! How much more can Cladius take away from me?

Thoughts Hamlet

@ToBeOrNotToBe: Why is Cladius so quick to point out Ophelia’s lack of a rational mind, when he himself holds no shame? #Where’sYourConscience ?

@ToBeOrNotToBe: “Imagination is the only weapon in the war against reality” #CheshireCatWisdom #LewisCarroll

@ToBeOrNotToBe: A hasty funeral #WhereAreYourTearsGertrude

@QueenGertrude: I feel so guilty! I can feel karma just around the corner… #Can’tWinForTooLong #WhoWillBringMyDemise ? #Scared

@TheFlowerGirl: That beautiful queen, Gertrude #lying #adulterous #conniving #subtweet #ThoughtsOphelia #GotYourBackHamlet

Blog Post #23: Hamlet: Act III Character Perspective

Blog Post #22: Hamlet: Act II Character Perspective

“What a treacherous thing to believe that a person is more than a person.”

It seems as though we make up everything in our heads.

Though the voice of the King’s ghost echoes in my ears, I am reminded that ghosts cannot be real and that it must all be in my head. Perhaps things are not as they seem, but more likely, perhaps my imagination is running wild. Have I created this character -- promoted this evidence of Cladius’ guilt -- to soothe my anger, my discontent with the aftermath of my father’s death? Indeed, “there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so” (2.2.236-237) and perhaps it is time to admit that I have made Cladius as so…

Just as Quentin, in Paper Towns, creates Margot to be far more than a person, fixing his irrational desires and hopes upon her -- or, more accurately, his idea of her.  But how could Margot’s disappearance -- the disappearance of a girl who existed far more in Quentin’s mind than in reality -- spark such a grand reaction in him? If their relationship was within his imagination -- if it was fake -- how could he have been sprung into action? “What's Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba, / That he should weep for her?” (2.2.484-485)

A teenage boy can be so moved, so incontestably changed by the disappearance of a girl and I -- a prince and son of a KING sit idly by, rationalizing reality until it is diminished into nothing. Quentin Jacobson can carry out an entire investigation, embark on an endless car ride to New York, and search fruitlessly for Paper Towns simply in the name of a girl, yet I -- I sit alone in denial, convincing myself into inaction, avoiding the truth.

“Am I a coward?” (2.2.497)

Undeniably, it must be true! This generation’s latest fads have outed real art, still an insignificant story about a teenager’s trivial obsession over a girl holds more passion than I am exhibiting for the revenge of my father! Margo and Quentin’s pranks on her ex-friends reeked of far more resentment than my plan to kill Cladius!

Nay, I must relax. Although I may appear to be melting into a puddle of my tears, I know that “Though this be madness, yet there is a method in't” (2.2.199). Though I may feel impatient for revenge, I am certainly not a coward. My plan is in the works.  Just as Quentin’s search for Margo took time, my plot to punish Cladius must run its course.

Ultimately, “The play's the thing,/ Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king” (2.2.532-533)

Thoughts Hamlet

@ToTweetOrNotToTweet: We see things the way we want to see them #Perspective #TheBreakfastClub #MargoRothSpieglman

@ToTweetOrNotToTweet: How can I sit idly by, when others feel such strong emotions for such trivial things? #WhatAmIDoing #SelfDoubtIsCrippling #Ugh

@ToTweetOrNotToTweet: Am I? #Coward #InactionIsFrustration #IWantToKillCladius #EarPoison

@ToTweetOrNotToTweet: Revenge is best served cold? No. Revenge is best served carefully, calculated, and cold. Cold like an icicle stabbed deep, deep within the heart... #I’mComingForYouCladius #Can’tStopMeNow #SubtweetingLikeABoss

@ToTweetOrNotToTweet: I’ll Get You My Little Pretty! @KingCladius #WizardOfDenmark #WickedKingoftheDanes

Blog Post #21: Hamlet: Act I Character Perspective

The tables of life are turning far too quickly for me to maintain my balance.

Days earlier, I was the content, scholarly Prince and student of Wittenberg -- but today I have nothing to lay my claim to. No longer am I in attendance at Wittenberg and no longer am I a content Prince. In a matter of days, I lost all things to which I attached my identity. Nevertheless, the state of Denmark’s crown is not the product of an unfortunate loss but the backwash of a calamitous robbery.

As the ghost -- my father? I am still unsure of what to call him -- mentioned, “The serpent that did sting thy father’s life / Now wears his crown.” (1.5.38-39). My uncle, I am certain, is responsible for these horrifying events. And my mother, by jumping onto the marriage wagon so quickly -- even when ““the funeral bak’d meats / Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables” (1.2.180-181) -- is nothing short of an adulterous accomplice to Cladius’ contrivances.

And, now, I am left with nothing. Though my broken ties with my mother may have been voluntary, I did not surrender my connections to my father willingly. Still, I must come to terms that I will never have a father figure, like Laertes does. Never again, will I gain unsolicited -- yet crucial -- advice. Oh, how I long to hear my father remind me in his booming voice, “This above all: to thine own self be true” (1.3.78)

Woe is me. “How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable / Seem to me all the uses of this world!” (1.2.133-134)

Everything has gone wrong, and yet, the worst days of my life have served as Cladius’ best. It is gravely suspicious of how quickly he came to secure the throne and don the royal robes. Maybe it is a testament to my instability, but the ghost is the only person in this kingdom who makes sense to me.

Indeed, “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.” (1.4.90)

Perhaps it is time for revenge...

Thoughts Hamlet

@ToTweetOrNotToTweet: @KingCladius you give royalty a bad name #ShotThroughTheHeart #Ow

@ToTweetOrNotToTweet: S/o to the priest for officiating a funeral & wedding back2back -.-  #CrapCladiusDoes @KingCladius jumping the gun are you?

@ToTweetOrNotToTweet: Missing dad’s wise words :( #UnsolicitedAdvice #YouDoYou

@ToTweetOrNotToTweet: Everything sucks butt #ThoughtsHamlet #WoeIsMe #ScrewYouCladius (and you too, mom)

@ToTweetOrNotToTweet: @Ghost & I are coming for you @KingCladius. Watch out. #IKnowWhat’sUp #Can’tFoolMe #Can'tStopWon'tStop #ToThineOwnSelfBeTrue

Blog Post #20: TEWWG Fishbowl Discussion Feedback

Group 1: Ben Allen

“The dissonance that results from cultural clashes, particularly the conflicts experienced by those who are moving -- by choice or by coercion -- from one culture to another.

I loved that you chose to begin your food memoir with the commentary provided by your mother! I think that perfectly crafted the context for you to be able to introduce your dish and expand upon its meaning to you and your life. PS it was delicious!
I really liked your group’s focus on the motivations behind moving. As Janie came across each of the men in her life, her reactions to them evolved slightly in each situation, clearly displaying her growth. At first, Janie is younger and her fate as the wife of Logan Killicks is predetermined by her grandmother. As a result, there is great dissonance, as Janie is given a life which she did not choose for herself. So, when Janie chooses to leave, it is with little thought and difficulty. With Joe Starks, however, Janie willingly partners with him, so she experiences more turmoil in the disagreements that stem from their marriage. Thus, once Tea Cake comes along, Janie takes her time and navigates their budding relationship with great care.

A marriage is, essentially, a partnership and requires great compromise. That’s why it can be easily looked at as a “culture clash”, because both spouses combine their backgrounds and interests to create a united one.

I think this idea very interestingly relates to your food memoir -- both you and your father were reluctant to try your mother’s dish, because she brought it from her childhood/culture, which was separate from your father’s and your’s. However, after the initial dissonance / reluctance, you came to enjoy the dish and it worked its way into your culture and background.

Group 3: Akane Ohara

“How power or voice (or lack of power or voice) leads to the representation (or misrepresentation) of certain groups. Various ways people use (or abuse) power -- for survival and lives of excess."

I loved your presentation of the Kinton in your food memoir! The pace/tone of the video was very soft and delicate, which I really liked because I think it emphasized the idea of the memoir being a reflection on your past and reflected the way you seem to think and speak in real life.

I appreciated your group’s discussion of nature vs. nurture, and how this contributed to a character’s ability to “survive”, or develop and grow into a mature person. I think it is very important to acknowledge the importance of “nurture” and how those in power shape who we become. In both TEWWG and “Rapunzel Explains The Tower”, the women in power directly influence the futures of Janie and Rapunzel. For example, the grandmother is the first to force Janie out of the nest, by throwing her into a stable life and marriage with Logan Killicks. Similarly, in “Rapuzel,” the witch sends her daughter out the instant “she noticed the new swell of my girl’s waist”. This forces Rapunzel to grow to be strong, so she can one day “smash the palace mirrors” for her child. Janie’s marriage to Killicks forces her to take a leap of faith and run away, putting her on the path to her future trials and errors, which she must face in her Hero’s Journey.

Whether intentional or unintentional, those in the place of power -- specifically our parents and grandparents -- have the power to directly influence the way we think, act, and feel. Interestingly enough, this is evident in your memoir as well, as your mother teaches you to “over peel the skins of the sweet potato so that the paste turned out a clean, golden color”, reminding you of the “of the importance tradition that goes into my every meal” and introducing you to a new role in your family’s festivities.

Group 4 - Kelly Wu

“ The divisions, concepts, & multiple forces within the self.”

Your food memoir was so enjoyable to watch! I loved the inclusion of your little sister -- she clearly adds spark to your home life and I think it’s awesome that she got to do so in the video as well. I also loved the idea of beginning the memoir with the tale of Yuan Xiao. That was so creative and really added to the overall piece.

In the discussion and your fishbowl notes, the theme of physical divisions comes up on multiple occasions. Often times, physical barriers are used in literature to emphasize the presence of internal barriers. For example, you included the quote in “To Helen” that said, “Lo! in yon brilliant window-niche/How statue-like I see thee stand”. This quote is a perfect example of the significance of a physical barrier; the subject, Helen, stands in the window, just out of reach; this further entices the speaker, who is enamored by Helen, and wants her for himself. This idea also translates to both stories in your memoir. Yuan Xiao was kept from her family, creating a division within herself that compelled her to take action. Although you live in the states, your heart is tied to your culture and family in China (something I can totally relate to). The distance between the US and the China emphasizes the disconnect between yourself and your cousins, “Although Yuan Xiao did not move to an entirely different country, she was separated from her family, as I am from my relatives. Whenever I see my relatives in China I feel slightly left out because of the differences in our lives, I miss out on the close relationships my cousins are able to form without me.”

Group 5 - Gina Deaton
“The role of performance in everyday life, particularly in the sense of taking on certain roles & disguising true personalities in order to assimilate into mainstream.”

Unsurprisingly, your memoir was beautifully written! I completely agree with the comment made by Austin after your presentation; your memoir was truly unique because it discussed something seemingly ordinary and showed how it could be of great importance to your family’s culture and background. A lot of your blog posts on your blog for the Chronicle have a similar theme -- it seems like you have a knack for revealing the beauty in the ordinary! I also liked how you included the subtle silliness in the filming of the video. It definitely brought out your personality and made me smile.

I really enjoyed the connections you made between “Will” by Jane Yolen and TEWWG, as they related to your prompt. It was interesting how you pointed out how adhering to social norms can often backfire for characters. In “Will”, the father hides his past from his daughter in order to fit into his new, American lifestyle. Similarly, Joe pressures Janie to act in specific ways in order to keep up their image as the mayors of the town. In both cases, it obviously backfires. Yolen relays this in the final lines, portraying the father as a monster, “He devours them / As he devoured me / … All of my life” and Zora Neale Hurston emphasizes this by showing Janie transition into falling out of love with Joe, eventually ripping off her handkerchief after his death, symbolizing her newfound freedom. I also thought this idea slightly related back to your food memoir, as you mentioned that your grandfather was initially embarrassed to eat pizza/Italian Food, because he wanted to blend into American society.

Blog Post #19: Food Memoir, Poster, & Video

Video

Food Memoir

Blog Post #18: Food Memoir Rough Draft

I enter the doors of my home in India and, immediately, I am engulfed in embraces. My family members converse to each other rapidly in Hindi, pausing only briefly to wrap an arm around me and welcome my return to our home after four years. In Bhojpuri, our family’s dialect of Hindi, conversation is quick, fast, and abrupt. There is little time for pleasantries – instead, gentle sarcasm underlies almost every line of dialogue. The pace of conversation is invigorating – it’s difficult to not be caught up in the atmosphere.

Still, almost immediately, the gap between myself and the rest of my family is made evident to me. They smoothly entangle their words, softening phrases and sounds together -- Bhojpuri style -- while I stutter, my lips unaccustomed to manipulating the sounds of my mouther tongue. Hindi, the letter d is used in five variations – d, dhu, da, dha, and udu – but I can barely pronounce half of them, my articulations dissolving into a cacophonous blur that is antithetical to the sweet harmony that escapes their mouths so effortlessly. My words – despite my efforts to disguise them – are tainted with a growing American accent and expose me as a non-Indian, drawing attention to the ever-widening gap between myself and my culture.

This is not a story about a touching realization of the importance of culture – no, this story is about the adventure that follows, the wild goose chase to reclaim the Indian stake in my identity that, years ago, I harshly rejected.

As a child, I used every excuse to announce to my Bhojpuri-speaking grandmother that I was not Indian. According to culturedecanted.com, “We symbolically consume identity through our food and drink costumes – more specifically, by what we don’t eat or drink.” And I did just this, obstinately refusing every dish served at meals to the point where I would fall gravely ill.

Nani was equally adamant, but in a gentler form. Each time I alienated her by choosing to speak in English to the rest of my bilingual family, she would patiently reminded me to speak in Hindi. And I, impatiently, would defiantly refuse in a raised voice, “Na-ni! Humko Hindi mein NAHIN baat karna hain!”

Blog Post #17: TEWWG Fishbowl Discussion Notes

Semester Reflection

We were first introduced to discovering the complexity in literature through the study of binary oppositions in our summer creative projects. We continued this through writing and reflecting upon benchmark essays, presenting theses on several poems of different themes, and beginning “Their Eyes Were Watching God”. Throughout each unit, we focused on complexity and symbolism. The Foster Chapters clued us into the meaning of different symbols and allusions -- vampires, flight, fairytales -- and we analyzed how they pertained to each poem. We also were introduced to the different forms of poetry and tone shifts and adapted to writing a different style of 5 paragraph essays, diverting the focus from literary devices to the author’s meaning.

Initially, identifying the complexity in the pieces was very difficult. I set several goals to aid with this process. I knew that if I could understand the different choices the author made -- regarding form of poetry, devices, tone, etc. -- then I would have a better chance of crafting an effective thesis. So, I studied the different forms of poetry and reviewed the meaning of each device in our Lit & Comp textbook. This certainly made it easier; knowledge of the form can often clue us into the location of each tone shift. This helped me identify the complexity. I also set goals to write a better essay, reading and reviewing the notes in our textbook, all the while moving away from the typical device-focused 5 paragraph essay. Although I began writing more effective theses and topic sentences, my pieces lacked some continuity. My topic sentences allowed me to write more organized pieces that emphasized meaning over specific devices, but I often struggled to include multiple devices within paragraphs. Also, my trail of logic within the essays was somewhat broken because I did not always do the best job of connecting the topic sentences back to the thesis. Although the connections were always clear in my mind, I failed to explicitly create them on paper. For this reason, my essays remained in a 5 range.

Still, I did experience a lot of growth. I’ve developed a better strategy for attacking the essays within the forty minute time period. I’ve understood how to identify tone shifts and use them to create an effective thesis. Although there is obviously room for improvement, it is important to acknowledge that there has been improvement. In the following semester, I would like to develop a deeper understanding of some new literary devices, like enjambment, so I can easily discuss how they add to the tone and complexity of the poem. I would also like to continue to extend my understanding of the different forms of poetry, focusing on how forms of meter (iambic pentameter, tetrameter, etc) add to the existing forms. This, in addition with ensuring to connect paragraphs back to the thesis, will allow me to create better essays with stronger analysis of the complexity within the pieces that I am writing. The most important thing that I have learned this semester is that continued participation and studying are most effective in this class. By doing homework consistently and putting equal effort into the projects, I was able to slowly but thoroughly develop my understanding of the topics in this class. Having experienced all aspects of the AP exam, I am confident that I will be ready by the time May arrives. I am certain that with continued effort and practice, I will be able to write developed essays in the 7-9 range.

Blog Post #14: Paired Poems Group Presentation

The following two poems are about Helen of Troy. Renowned in the ancient world for her beauty, Helen was the wife of Menelaus, a Greek King. She was carried off to Troy by the Trojan prince Paris, and her abduction was the immediate cause of the Trojan War. Read the two poems carefully. Considering such elements as speaker, diction, imagery, form, and tone, write a well-organized essay in which you contrast the speakers’ views of Helen. 

Initial Essay

In the poems “Helen” by H.D. and “To Helen” by Edgar Allen Poe, the two poets present contrasting views of Helen of Troy. While the first author impartially illustrates an unpopular, bleak Helen, the second paints an infatuated lover’s perception of the subject. The authors use contrasting speakers, rhetorical devices, and shifts in tone to give evidence to their description of Helen of Troy.

The first poem’s speaker is clearly detached. They describe Helen in third person, addressing no audience in particular, and sticking simply to a calm explanation of Greece’s loathing perception of Helen. They do not appear to attempt to invoke a particular emotion in their audience. The second poem, conversely, is directly addressed to Helen. The speaker consistently praises Helen, expressing their deep infatuation for her. Through the different attempts by speakers, the poets present contrasting images of Helen, the first being a hated woman and the second being a deeply loved one.

The differences in the poets’ approaches are also apparent in their choice of rhetorical devices. The first poem uses blazon ironically. Blazon, typically used to list a woman’s body parts in praise, is used differently in this poem. The detached speaker describes Helen’s “white face”, “cool feet”, and “slenderest knees”, acknowledging her beauty but focusing on Greece’s hatred for her. In the second poem, the speaker uses metaphors to address his love for Helen, comparing her to “those Nicean barks of yore”, to explain that she represents safety and comfort to him, a “weary, way-worn wanderer”. He uses a metaphor, again, in the second stanza, saying that she “brought [him] home”, giving him direction and belonging. In the first poem, the blazon is while explaining all that Helen has destroyed, whereas in the second, she appears to be a haven.

Each perspective, however, gains depth in the final stanzas of each poem through the shift in tone. The first poem includes an inconsistent rhyme scheme, relying heavily on assonance and slant rhymes and remaining free verse. Still, in the final stanza, after explaining Greece’s hate of Helen, the speaker describes her as “God’s daughter, born of love”, which is opposite to the previous descriptions of her. This suggests that Greece may not be as adamantly against Helen as originally described. This theme is also apparent in the second poem; although the rhyme scheme is far more consistent, this one wavers more as each stanza progresses. The dissolution of the rhyme scheme, emphasized more in each stanza, also parallels the shift in metaphors. Originally, the speaker describes Helen as a comfort and haven, comparing her to the Naiads, beautiful and mystical water creatures. However, in the final stanza, she is compared to Psyche, a beautiful woman but also only a mortal. This shift in comparison of Helen from mystical creatures to a mortal who visited the underworld suggests doubt in the speaker and a subtle fading of their infatuation of her.

Active Reading

C&C Chart

Tone Shifts Chart

Blog Post #13: Paired Poem FRQ Revision

Revision

In "The Chimney Sweeper," William Blake illustrates the disillusionment of life as a chimney sweep, using two paired poems. Although the first poem depicts a young sweep’s optimistic view of his life, the second displays an experienced, bitter view. Blake uses shifts in rhyme scheme, allusions to religion, and contrasting tones to depict the morbid reality of life as a chimney sweep.

In the first poem, the rhyme scheme is aabb. This rhyme scheme is very typical and parallels a nursery rhyme, adding to the hopeful and optimistic tone. However, this rhyme scheme shifts slightly in the final stanza to a slant rhyme. This shift draws attention to the final line, “so if all do their duty, they need not fear harm” (24). This emphasizes the irony in the 1789 poem; the character is hopeful and optimistic, but in reality, their lives are destined for grief. This rhyme scheme is repeated in the second poem, but not entirely. In the second stanza of the 1794 poem, the rhyme scheme shifts to abab. This shift in rhyme scheme creates a distinction between the two poems, allowing the readers to separate them. However, when the rhyme scheme shifts, so does the author's perspective towards chimney sweeping. This shift in rhyme scheme suggests organized innocence and rebellion. The lines with abab rhyme scheme present a disillusioned view of being a chimney sweep; before, the reader "need not fear harm" (24), but in the abab rhyme scheme, the reader believes "they have done me...injury" (10). No longer conforming to the usual aabb rhyme scheme, the sweep is not only rebelling against their predetermined destiny of a difficult life as a sweep, but also using the tenth line to identify those who did wrong to them -- their parents and those in authority.This poem’s disillusioned bitterness towards chimney sweeping is further emphasized through the use of allusions to religion in the poem.

Blake depicts the main character's disillusionment with chimney sweeps through the role of religion in each poem. In the first poem, the character's innocence is revealed through the death of the other chimney sweeps. Blake introduces an Angel who opens the coffins of the dead children and sets "them all free" (14). The Angel also tells a child, Tom, that if he is an obedient chimney sweep, "he'd have God for his father" (20). In both of these lines, it is obvious that the innocent chimney sweeps view their jobs as means to achieving salvation, or being rewarded by God.  This suggests a trust toward the higher authority in their lives. Their belief towards the role of religion is drastically different in the second poem. Written five years later, the second poem illustrates an angry, more hateful child. The main character refers to God and religion as making "up a heaven of our misery" (12). This perspective is drastically different because it suggests a negative connotation towards their faith. In the first poem, God and Heaven are the reward, whereas in the second poem, God and Heaven are instead looked at with misery and anger.

The child's disillusionment in the second poem is emphasized with Blake's choice of words. In the first poem, words have a positive, innocent connotation; the children, although dead, are "free" and his friend, Tom, is "happy & warm" (23). Although the characters are in a terrible situation, they do not realize it, instead believing that "they need not fear harm" (24). Blake's choice of these words suggests that the characters are very innocent, because they do not understand their predicament. In the second poem, however, the words have a darker connotation. The children are taught to cry "in notes of woe" and are clothed in "clothes of death (7-8). They point out that although on the outside they mirror themselves in the first poem--appearing "happy" and dancing and singing--on the inside, they are filled with misery and vengeance. The children say that their parents "think they have done me no injury" (10). This reveals the complexity in the disillusionment of the children; although they appear unaffected and happy on the outside, they have become filled with dark misery on the inside. Blake's writing of these two poems depicts the change in the chimney sweeps as they grow up.

Although both poems are centered upon the subject of chimney sweeping, they present two drastically different outlooks. The first poem is naive, illustrating an innocent perspective towards the death and difficulty of chimney sweeping through consistent rhyme scheme, allusions to religion, and diction with positive connotation. In the second poem, on the other hand, the shift in rhyme scheme and negative connotation of religion and the words used reflect a darker perspective towards chimney sweep, revealing the reality of the childrens' lives as chimney sweeps. Blake's poems are binary contrasts, the first representing innocence and trust towards God, and the second representing a disillusioned perspective that is more hateful, and negative. Still, the final lines of the second poem reflect a different view. Although the first is mostly innocent and the second is mostly experienced, the end of the second poem suggests organized innocence. The second poem retells the difficulties in being a chimney sweep. However, the final stanza, "they think they have done me no injury" suggests that the children are not only coming to terms with the reality of their life, but identifying those who are responsible for their situation. By acknowledging that their parents placed them in the situation, they begin to look at not only chimney sweeping, but their parents, with disdain. This suggests that the children feel more than simply innocence or disillusionment; their organized innocence suggests that they are prepared to rebel against their predicament.

Blog Post #12: Paired Poem FRQ

The poems below, published in 1789 and 1794, were written by William Blake in response to the condition of chimney sweeps. Usually small children, sweeps were forced inside chimneys to clean their interiors. Read the two poems carefully. Then, in a well-written essay, compare and contrast the two poems, taking into consideration the poetic techniques Blake uses in each.

Response

In "The Chimney Sweeper," William Blake illustrates the life of a chimney sweep in paired poems. Although the first poem depicts a trustful, innocent chimney sweep's view of his life, the second displays a learned and disillusioned view. Blake uses a shift in rhyme scheme, allusions to religion, and descriptive diction to depict the morbid reality of life as a chimney sweep and suggest the children's rejection of their assigned fate.

In the first poem, the rhyme scheme is aabb. This rhyme scheme is repeated in the second poem, but not entirely. In the second third of the second poem, the rhyme scheme shifts to abab. This shift in rhyme scheme creates a distinction between the two poems, allowing the readers to separate them. The first poem describes an innocent view of the chimney sweep, and so does the first stanza of the second poem. However, when the rhyme scheme shifts, so does the author's perspective towards chimney sweeping. The lines with abab rhyme scheme present a disillusioned view of being a chimney sweep; before, the reader "need not fear harm" (24), but in the abab rhyme scheme, the reader believes "they have done me...injury" (10). This second, experienced outlook on the chimney sweeps is further emphasized through the use of allusions to religion in the poem.


Blake depicts the main character's disillusionment with chimney sweeps through the role of religion in each poem. In the first poem, the character's innocence is revealed through the death of the other chimney sweeps. Blake introduces an Angel who opens the coffins of the dead children and sets "them all free" (14). The Angel also tells a child, Tom, that if he is an obedient chimney sweep, "he'd have God for his father" (20). In both of these lines, it is obvious that the innocent chimney sweeps view their jobs as means to achieving salvation, or being rewarded by God.  This suggests a trust toward the higher authority in their lives. Their belief towards the role of religion is drastically different in the second poem. Written five years later, the second poem illustrates an angry, more hateful child. The main character refers to God and religion as making "up a heaven of our misery" (12). This perspective is drastically different because it suggests a negative connotation towards their faith. In the first poem, God and Heaven are the reward, whereas in the second poem, God and Heaven are instead looked at with misery and anger.

The child's disillusionment in the second poem is emphasized with Blake's choice of words. In the first poem, words have a positive, innocent connotation; the children, although dead, are "free" and his friend, Tom, is "happy & warm" (23). Although the characters are in a terrible situation, they do not realize it, instead believing that "they need not fear harm" (24). Blake's choice of these words suggests that the characters are very innocent, because they do not understand their predicament. In the second poem, however, the words have a darker connotation. The children are taught to cry "in notes of woe" and are clothed in "clothes of death (7-8). They point out that although on the outside they mirror themselves in the first poem--appearing "happy" and dancing and singing--on the inside, they are filled with misery and vengeance. The children say that their parents "think they have done me no injury" (10). This reveals the complexity in the disillusionment of the children; although they appear unaffected and happy on the outside, they have become filled with dark misery on the inside. Blake's writing of these two poems depicts the change in the chimney sweeps as they grow up.

Although both poems are centered upon the subject of chimney sweeping, they present two drastically different outlooks. The first poem is naive, illustrating an innocent perspective towards the death and difficulty of chimney sweeping through consistent rhyme scheme, allusions to religion, and diction with positive connotation. In the second poem, on the other hand, the shift in rhyme scheme and negative connotation of religion and the words used reflect a darker perspective towards chimney sweep, revealing the reality of the childrens' lives as chimney sweeps. Blake's poems are binary contrasts, the first representing innocence and trust towards God, and the second representing a disillusioned perspective that is more hateful, and negative. Still, the final lines of the second poem reflect a different view. Although the first is mostly innocent and the second is mostly experienced, the end of the second poem suggests organized innocence. The second poem retells the difficulties in being a chimney sweep. However, the final stanza, "they think they have done me no injury" suggests that the children are not only coming to terms with the reality of their life, but identifying those who are responsible for their situation. By acknowledging that their parents placed them in the situation, they begin to look at not only chimney sweeping, but their parents, with disdain. This suggests that the children feel more than simply innocence or disillusionment; their organized innocence suggests that they are prepared to rebel against their predicament.

Reflection

We were given two paired essays written by William Blake about chimney sweeps and forty minutes to analyze them and write a response to the prompt. I was able to annotate the essay somewhat, but I still had little ideas surrounding how to write my paper, so I discussed its diction, rhyme scheme, and allusions to God/religion. Like the 6 essay, I talked about rhyme scheme and the two sweeps' differing relationship with God. I think the analysis of both of these topics were probably deeper than in the benchmark essays, but they still were not entirely clear. Like the 4 essay, I failed to acknowledge the irony/complexity in the final line of the first poem, "So if they all do their duty, they need not fear harm." This essay is similar to the lower scoring essays in that it lacks complexity; on the other hand, it is similar to the higher scoring essays because the analysis goes into great detail. For this reason, I would give my essay a 5. I think that the essay does a good job of identifying the techniques in both poems; it uses element-by-element organization, making it easy to understand. Also, contrasts words like "however" and "although" were utilized in the process to make the contrast between the two pieces easier. However, this analysis lacks complexity on multiple levels; I missed the irony and I failed to compare the poems, focusing strongly on the "contrast" aspect. In retrospect, I should have studied the devices in poetry more, specifically how rhyme schemes contribute to the analysis of the poem. In order to do better next time, I would like to review how text-by-text organization can be used in a compare and contrast essay, so I know how to write both styles of analysis. 

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