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This semester I choose to read 9 of Edgar Allen Poe stories or poems. I have read Romance, Introduction, Fairy Land, and Fairy-Land. My last five pieces are Spirits of the Dead, Evening Star, The Haunted Palace, A Dream Within a Dream, and For Annie.
Spirits of the Dead is about I think discribes how spirits feel after death. Like this following quote, "In death around thee-and their will/ Shall overshadow thee: be still."
Evening Star talks about a star in the night sky, but I also think it talks about love. These next two lines are the reason I believe it also talks about love, "For joy to my heart/ Is the proud part."
The Haunted Palace talks about a creepy old house and starts to discribe it. "Banners yellow, glorious, golden/ On its roof did float and flow."
A Dream Within a Dream is about a person having a dream within a dream hence the title. "All that we see or seem/ Is but a dream within a dream."
For Annie talks about a man's love for a girl named Annie. "Of the love of my Annie- With the thought of the light/ Of the eyes of my Annie."
The one thing Poe seems to do in all of his stuff is discribe them in the weirdest way. Which I think is the reason I love reading his work. He has been one of my ideals for awhile now and all of his pieces amaze me. Well at least the ones I have read so far.
Out of the ones I have read for this class I would have to say my favorite is The Haunted Palace. I love anything haunted and I love it when authors discribe those places. It makes me feel like I'm right there stepping into the haunted place. Thats what Poe did for me and so thats why it's my favorite. And because his work connects to me I give these stories all 5's.

Class This Semester

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Over the semester I have loved going to World Lit. class. All the pieces have been interesting and some have been boring, but that's just me. I would have to say my favorite piece from class would have to be the Women of Baths tale. It's funny and reminds me of mine and my friends conversations. We can talk about anything and everything in my group of friends and be fine. 
There wasn't really any piece I didn't like. All the pieces had my attention at some point in time and kept my attention through the rest of the piece. 
I enjoyed the group discussions. They were fun and always lead to something else. We were free to tell our opinions which I believe is a major part of class. Without our opinions we can't establish who we are so we can't have deep discussions. 
I have learned many things through this class. History about all the places the pieces were coming from, how hard it can be to understand the old language and that the stories you expect to be boring are the exiting ones. I also learned that the movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail is a funny movie and I am considering finding it and finishing it. 

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There is only one thing I think should be added to the class.... Shakespeare. I have always been a fan and I think the class should read Macbeth. We have already read Julius Ceasar, Romeo and Juliet, and I think we read part of Hamlet. So the class should then read Macbeth.

The Canterbury Tales

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The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer is about 19 different people coming together to travel to the  shire of Saint Thomas a Becket in Canterbury. Each person is supposed to share two stories on the way there and two more on the way back. In the prologue Chaucer goes through and discribes all of these people.
I have been assigned to talk about one of the pilgrims from this tale, the Summonor. A Summonor is an official who brings summons to those who have been brought up on various charges. Now the Summonor from this tale has narrow eyes, a thin beard and black scabby eyebrows. He is often drunk but yet he is a noble varlet. In the book varlet is used to mean scoundrel. In the prologue there is a set of lines that are the best way to discribe the Summonor. It shows how sneaky he was. "Thus, as he pleased, the man could bring duress on any young fellow in the diocese. He knew their secrets, they did what he said." Those are lines 681 to 683.

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I'm not really sure how Chaucer feels about this pilgrim. I thinks it's neutrel, but if I wrote this then I would be for the Summonor. I think this because the Summonor could uses his tricks to help on the trip or if the group runs into danger. It also means the Summonor can take care of himself.

Poe and The Aeneid

For class we have been reading The Aeneid by Virgil. These next responses are for the RWLV.

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It seems Virgil's epic was a big hit. Artists had drawn inspiration from the epic and created pictures or sculptures based on it. If I was Virgil I would be feeling awesome knowing my piece of writing inspired some of the greatest pieces of art work in the world. My favorite piece of art work would have to be the sculpture of  Aeneas, Anchises, and Ascanius, because it shows all three generations together. To me it shows what the whole family has been through. The son carrying his father with his son at his feet close behind.

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I would say that "Dido's Lament" does describe the mood at that point in the play. I think this because the lyrics themselves deal with what Dido just went through and now she is telling her people not to worry about her. I think the black and white version is the best mainly because she sings the whole song, while I the color version she only sings the Aria part over and over again. If the color version did that then it would have been the best because I believe color allows viewers to see the actors expressions better. Now both of them would have been better if they had had the part where she stabs herself. I think that would have helped set the mood some more.

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Now this week I read Fairy Land and Fairy-Land by Edgar Allen Poe. I read them both because they have the same name with only a hyphen that makes them different. To me both poems are talking about fantasies. Like in Fairy Land to me he sounds as if he can hardly believe her beauty. Almost as if she has come from a place only in his dreams. Then In Fairy-Land there are lines from Fairy Land to me sounds like they are describing a land for away and how one the prettiest creatures has come from that place. Both of these poems are so sweet with the words that are used. Plus it rhymes most of the time so it adds a good beat to the whole thing.

Poe and I

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This week I read two poems by Poe and they were Romance and Introduction. I read both of them because the poem Romance is in the poem Introduction. Romance was about the love between two people while the Introduction was about the meeting of those two people. These two poems were sweet and so well discribed at least to me anyways. They made me think and I like it when a poem can make me see, feel and think.
In class we just got done reading the Iliad which is a greek epic. The story was interesting and exciting. This story has it all love, war, a hero and a legend.
I had always been a fan of the Trojin horse idea. I thought that plan was well played out. I even watched the movie Troy. The book and the movie are way different for example in the movie Achilleus dies at the end where as in the book he dies before that. That had to be one of the worst parts is when he died. He was brave and a good man and he dies. To me thats not right. So I will leave you all with this even the bravest of the brave fall. No one knows when it will be their last day.

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My Journey with Poe and Oedipus

The book I chose for the semester is The Complete Works of Edgar Allen Poe. I choose it because I'm a big fan of his work and everything he has done. Now I haven't gotten much read this week because it's been confussing with spring break and not having school Friday. Then my friend Emily had her baby so I was supporting her. But I plan to get some more reading done this week.

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Class has been interesting lately. We just finished the story of Oedipus. It was interesting and kind of fun to read. There were times when the words were way to hard to say and the vocab would sometimes throw me for a loop. What helped a lot though was the back channel. On the channel there was always someone else who didn't get a word or something and it would be dicussed and then it became easier to understand. I really think Oedipus got what he deserved. He was so studdord he wouldn't even listen to his wife/mom. I like watching the play after reading it. It helped me to picture how the greeks would have saw it and it made me feel as if I was in ancient Greece.

Final Comments

I have finished my book Frankenstein. The main character is Dr. Frankenstein and I'm not really sure how to discribe him. When he is working he doesn't really do anything else. Like when he was creating the monster he didn't sleep or eat.
The monster would have to be a main character because he torments his creator through the whole book. Now the monster is one of the most disturbing looking things ever. When humans see them they run and scream in terror.

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Then there is Elizabeth, who would be a minor character. She is Frankenstein's wife. She has lived with his family most of her life and it was always planned that the two would marry. She is sweet and cares about others. She is one of those people who see the good in others.
Another minor character would be Frankenstein's father. His father is the type of father everyone wants.  He is caring and wants the best for his kids. Wishes to see his kids happy and he doesn't judge with out having all the facts.
Over all the book is about a man who goes of to college and creates one of the nastiest creatures on Earth. The monster tries to be apart of the human race, but can't because they run him away. He asks his creator for one thing that will help him not be alone anymore. The monster does things that upset his creator and his creator goes looking for him till the end of the book.
Now I give this book a three. The main reason it gets that rating is because of the way the book is written. It took me forever to read this book because I would have to stop and reread things over again. Then there was a bunch of parts that I thought didn't need to be in there. Then I didn't like the way the book ended and I would say why, but I don't want to give it away to anyone who wants to read it. I was really kind of disappointed with the book. I thought there would be more horror related things and it would be creepy and scary. It had all of that yes, but to me there wasn't a lot of it. I would say I like the movies more than the book and for me that is saying something. Usually I love the book more, but this is the one book I'm not so sure I would read again.

Folk Songs

Last week we talked about folk songs and how they represent something. It came from our Chinese unit. One of my favorite  folk songs was and still is Oh Suzanna.It's about a man going to find his true love and going through tough times to get to her. Now as part of our assignment we were told to right a folk song. Mine is called Freedom and is based on the American idea of freedom.



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          Freedom
Chorus: America is freedom
Freedom of chance
Freedom of will
Free to do whatever you please

Though we have rules
It's for our safety
That's what the government says
But it's pointless

Chorus

We pay taxes
We have to go to school
Limited rights
Having to listen to the man

Chorus

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Deep within out country
We get treated like crap
Government doesn't really care
No one gives a crap about the other
It's all an illusion
This so called thing we call freedom

Chorus 2x


I mention taxes in the song because our ancestors came here from England to escape things like taxes. They wanted to be able to practice what ever religion they wanted to and not having to worry about pay a big amount of taxes. Though the government is letting up some on the rights now. Like some states have legalized gay marriage. Which is great for those people because now they came marry the one person they love. So that's where some of the lyrics came from.

Part 5 Along with Confucianism

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In class this week we talked more about Taoism and Confucianism. I would like to take this moment to talk about the group activity we did on Confucianism and comparing it to the U.S. constitution. I thought this was a great way to talk about to different countries' bases og living. They both have things in commen like obeying your parents, but who does that? Just kidding anyways the one major thing that I believe would change if America decided to follow Confucianism. That would be religion. People wouldn't go to church or practice they would focus on the relationships between them and others.
Now in my book this week I read from page 82 to page 105 which is 23 pages. Awesome that's 3 more pages than last week and that was 3 chapters. I'm getting there and I'm almost to the half way point. Anyways this week the person assused of murdering the doctor's brother was put on trial and convicted. Though she didn't do it, she confessed anyways and was put to death. Doctor Frankenstein blames himself and plans to get back at the thing that did this. He goes on a search for his creation and I stopped when they get ready to have a talk.


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I think the monster will ask him a favor and will promise to leave the doctor's family alone. Maybe they will even get in a fight, that would be cool. Now the reading has gotten a lot easier with only a few problems here and there. My goal for next week it to read 30 or more pages.

Part 4 with the Force

    Class this week was interesting, comparing Taoism to the Force from Star Wars. I'll admit it threw me for a loop at first, but then after reading more about Taoism they are alike. And of course of all the people in the world to come up with that comparision would be Mrs. Olson. I do love how she was able to come up with a connection like that thought. In Taoism, Tao means path or way and they say it is the force that controlled the earth. In Star Wars, Obi-Wan explains what the Force is to Luke and it's pretty much the same thing. I think that's the best way to sum up what Taoism is.

www.independent.co.uk

    This week for my independent reading this week I read from page 62 to page 82 so that's 20 pages. Which is six more than last time!! I'm so happy I was able to pull that off. Anyways in my book this week Frankenstein got a letter from his love. Then him and his friend hang out and looked some languages. Frankenstein planned to go home, but the weather pushed back the date. He receives a letter from his father saying his younger brother has been murdered so he races home, finds his monster and knows he did it, but another has been arrested.


     I think the monster did it as well, because to me it seems like that's where the story would go. And the person who they arrested is a girl, a little girl. I really doubt a little girl could strangle a little boy. Now the reading is getting a little easier, but it's still confusing. To top it all off now they are using bigger words than before. If it gets any worse it will be to the point when I have to have a dictionary beside me as I read it. Now the question is will the monster kill again or will his maker get to him first? I can't wait to see what happens next and see if the monster will go after his maker's love.

Part 3 of My Journey

 


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Okay we just finished our Hebrew Lit. part of class and it was interesting. Before that we read Gilgamesh and I liked it better than the Hebrew stories. I liked the fighting in Gilgamesh and in the Hebrew stories there isn't much of that. And some of the stories are similar in both the Hebrew lit. and the Epic of Gilgamesh. Like both had a story about how there's a flood that kills everyone except those who were told to build a boat.



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My independent reading this week has gotten interesting. I started on page 48 and read to page 62 which was 14 pages. I also just reached chapter 6 which to me is a big deal considering the problem I have been having reading the book. In this section I read Doctor Frankenstein was changing some of his habits. All he did was focus on his work, day and night. Finally the night came and his creation lived. But he ran from it and it followed.

I will admit I was expecting it to be more dramatic like in the movies. When the Doctor yells, “It’s Alive!!" And there to be thunder and lighting, which there really wasn't. It was stormy though and raining hard. And I had always thought the Doctor loved his creation, but it seems from what has happened he doesn’t. I can't wait to see what happens next. Will the Doctor come to love his creation or will he dispose of it?




Frakenstein Part 2

  To begin my blog today I would first like to share something. I didn't not commplete my blog friday or saterday because I wanted to wait and see if I could get more reading done at the Speech Team District contest at Perry. I did get some more reading done, but when waiting for the results to see if your group made it to state was nerve racking. The T.V news did not make it, but radio did. So my group and I will be in state. It was wonderful and exciting to see hear and then see the 1 rating on the paper.
  In Gilgamesh the people to me are similar to people of the present time. We all have fears and believe in certian things. The people in Gilgamesh were also ones who believed in the gods like the sun and moon gods. Now a days there's only one or two gods in most religions. I also believe that those people were not as selfess as people are today. Now of course there were some that were, but after reading the story and how Gilgamesh planned to share the plant that can give immortality it just shows that people can change. In todays world I believe it's harder to change because of everything that todays world has, but it is possible.


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  For my indepentant reading the reading has gotten a little better, but it's still kind of a pain. I do plan to finish it though because I'm a big fan of all things supernatural. I started this weeks reading on page 35 and read to page 48 which is 13 pages which is more than last week. I maybe makeing slow progress, but it's progress and the way it's written is as I said before is a little hard to read. So far Frankenstein has talked about his mothers death and how she wished to see him and Elizabeth get married. Then he goes af to what I think is college and studies science. Which dosen't surprise me since it takes science to make the monster. I can't wait to see what happens next. I just hope that it gets to the good stuff soon.

I picked this image again because the blogger insert image thing wasn't allowing me to add images from anywhere except ones already on my blog or one i had as my back ground.

Frankenstein…My First Impressions

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   Okay I would like to start this blog out by introducing myself so those of you who are from our sister class know a little about me and why I may do somethings in my blog. My name is Haley Masker and I'm looking forward to the end of the school year because then I won't have to go to high school anymore. I love anything to do with the supernatural from books to movies. I love reading fantasies, horrors, and romances and the same goes for movies. I also write stories and poems that tend to be dark and hardly go with out a gory scene. I plan to attend college and get a bachelor's degree in creative writing and sculpture. I want to become a world famous author and be able to get things that I can not have now.
 
The book I chose was Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. I chose this book because I love horror and I hear it's a classic. If Dracula was on here I would have choose that, I'm a big fan of him. I also chose this book because I thought it would be interesting. It is an interesting book if I could just get past the beginning. I'm on page 35, but I haven't read that much. The first chapter doesn't start until page 26, so I've only read 10 pages.
 
   That alone took me awhile to read because of the way the book is written. There have been times when I had to read something 2 to 3 times just to make sure I understood it. There are some big words in here that I don't know plus some Italian, so it's kind of hard to keep up. So far the narrater is Victor, which I'm assuming is Doctor Frankenstein and he is telling the story. He has told how his parents met and how he met a girl who I think becomes his wife but I'm not sure yet. He has talked about her and his friend and his childhood other that that nothing else has happened. I really hope something excited happens soon. I want to get to the part where he makes the monster. That most likely won't so up until chapter 15 or something. I am looking forward to how it ends though and i plan to read more this weekend.

My Reasons

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       Since eighth grade I have known what I wanted to do with my life. I want to become a famous author, an author so famous that everyone fights over my last copy at the store. To get to that point I made the decision of going to college. I chose to take World Lit. to help me be the best I can be in college. I heard great things about the class and I love english so much I thought it would be fun to take. I love english so much I'm taking three english class this semester. I also thought it would be a great experience to have. I also love to read so I thought taking this class would be a great fit. The book that started my love for reading was The Vampire Diaries by L.J. Smith. I'm looking forward to what this class will help me reach my goals.