Romeo and Juliet--- Diary entry

            Dear Diary,

                        I am but o so confused. I was sure she was the one, that her beauty would be mine, that I could possibly want nothing more. But now, everything is foggy. I’ve meet Juliet. Rosaline looks like a crow compared to her. She is the most beautiful girl I have ever seen. For her, I would do anything. I now no longer need to feel the pain of love. I won’t have to weep over Rosaline, as she never wanted to contribute her beauty to the world. I won’t have to cry to Benvelio about her selfish ways. Yet my head will still be turning, spinning in circles, lost and confused by this thing called love.

            Juliet will soon be mine. I will make sure of that. I would do anything for her to feel for me, the way I feel about her, but I just don’t know if she does yet. Love has made me do some crazy things, but this sure has to be the craziest of all. Going after Juliet. She is filled with more knowledge, beauty, and kindness than any one I have ever let my eyes stray to. Two days I have known her, and already I’m head over heels. Soon I will not only be head over heals, but down on one knee, ready to propose.

            Diary please give me the power to get her. Give me the power to convince her to carry me inside her, for her to be mine forever. There is nothing I have ever loved more than her. There is nothing I have ever felt this strongly about. I know I would take a knife to the chest, if I just meant she would allow me to spend time with her. All I want is she.

                        I’ll let you know how things go,

                        Until then,

                       

                        Sincerely,

                       

Romeo

            I wrote this letter to show how romantic Romeo is. I wanted to capture is personality but at the same time show some sort of pot going on in the story. I also wanted to really prove how easily he falls for girls. I did this by mentioning that her wants Juliet more than Rosaline. This shows that just recently he felt similar to this about a whole different girl. I captured the plot in this entry by saying how they can’t be together. All though the timing in the book, and the entry is a little off, I think I do a good job showing all of this. This entry also captures Romeo’s personality. It shows how he really is just a hopeless romantic, by how he is writing how in love he is. I think this is important because he is known as a famous character all around the world, at every age as the big, nice, amazing guy character. He is also portrayed like this in the book, so it is important that in his own diary entry, it is clear how he is feeling, and that this known personality for him is in fact accurate. 

Letter to Friend on Romeo and Juliet

Dear Friend,

            I have recently just begun reading Romeo and Juliet. So far it is clear to see why this book is such a famous book. Shakespeare does an amazing job including details, and really giving a clear picture of what is going on, and who the characters are, and their personalities. Even though it is a play, therefore there are no details (main details) written by a narrator, it is still clear to see them, as if they were in book form. He is able to add humor into it without taking away from the plot, and the seriousness of it, but so you can still see the puns and word play. Less then twenty pages in, the plot is already clear, many characters have been introduced, and you can guess what the main problem is going to be.

            Although the writing style of the book may be a little confusing, the majority of it can be understood. Of course the definitions, and explanations on the side are helpful, I have found that just by reading slowly and carefully understanding the concept, and the idea of what is being said isn’t that challenging. The only Shakespeare I have read before is a paraphrase of Midsummer Nights Dream, which was when I was much younger. I thought it was very interesting, and I appreciated that I was able to read the story without all the confusing language, but I have to say I much prefer this. Although it is more challenging and time consuming to read, the language of the book really helps to make it what it is, and describe the scenery.

            So far in the book it is clear that there is a rivalry between the Montague’s and the Capulet’s. It seems to go even beyond their families but also to their servants. You also know that Romeo is upset about something. All you know that is love in cannot have, but you do not know why yet. It is also clear that the royal families do not appreciate the fighting between these families. I am wondering what the rest of the town thinks about this, and why this rivalry started. Also, the relationships between Romeo and his parents, and Juliet, and her parents.

            If you are planning to read shake spear I would definitely recommend reading some of the definitions from the side before you start, and to make sure you read slowly, and really pay attention to every word and how it is used. I also recommend trying to paraphrase the phrases or lines you are confused by, because missing one line can kind of throw the rest of the story off, because most things seem to relate to each other. One more thing I would recommend is trying to familiarize your self with the story before you start, because that can also help things make more sense.

            I hope you read some Shakespeare, and you are able to enjoy it as much as I am. Good Luck!

                        Becca

Poems

            As we discussed and learned about poetry during class, I began to make comparisons about all the different types of poetry there are, and how they relate and how they are different. When doing this I picked three of the poems that we read, or listened to in class. All very different, and all very unique. The three poems I picked are Harlem by Langston Hughes, My Mistress’ Eyes are Nothing Like the Sun sonnet 130 by William Shakespeare, and If I Should Have a Daughter by Sarah Kay. There are many reasons why I picked these three poems; they are all very different in many ways, including length, topic, and style, they are all very creative, and meaningful, and these were probably my three favorite poems that we read during class.

            Harlem is a what happens to poem, and has a ton of literary devices. This poem is about dream, and what happens when you ignore them. My Mistress’ Eyes are Nothing Like the Sun is about a intimate friend of Shakespeare, and how even though she is by all means not perfect, he still loves her. It is a sonnet, and follows the correct rhyme scheme and the iambic pentameter. If I Should Have a Daughter is a poem that was intended to be said out loud. This poem also has a lot of literary devices, and deeper meaning. It is about what a mother would do, and teach her daughter is she was to have one, one day.

            There are many similarities between these poems, but also many differences. All of these poems have many literary devices. They use similes and metaphors mostly, to show the deeper meaning of the poems. Also, besides the sonnet, they all use their own rhyme patterns, and follow their own beats. All of these poems have deeper meaning; you just have to read closely, and carefully to figure out what they are, and what the poems are really about. However they are all about different things, one about dreams, one about love, and one about teaching. Still these poems are very similar. Although on the outside they may seem very different, but if you look closely they are extremely similar.

            Also, if you think about it, they are all wondering about something in the feature, although they really all know the answer. Harlem is seeing if you can really put of a dream, or ignore, and forget about it. You can tell the author has thought about doing this, but realized it is simply impossible. My Mistress’ Eyes are Nothing Like the Sun is kind of showing that he really doesn’t like the outside of this girl, and is probably embarrassed by her, but maybe he tried being without her before, and realized it was all worth it. If I Should Have a Daughter seems to be about what her mother did for her as a child, or what she wishes she had done. She is trying to relive, or maybe even remake her childhood, by making what she wants for something else. As you can see although these poems are different, they are all so incredibly similar.

            

Untitled---> Sonnet

You’re the same as you wake, and as you sleep

Your colors make you and show your beauty

You give light, and take it without a peep

Providing us with heat is your duty

Your colors are simply magnificent

Orange, red, and yellow and even pink

Together you are really excellent

As we wake and sleep you change in a blink

You try and get me up in the morning

And you try to put me to sleep at night

You really are never ever boring

Always trying to shine loud, strong, and bright

You are the sun, always in the sky

Without you our life would not be complete

Poems

Poem on painting:

This painting is you,
and even has you in it,
it is your childhood,
and your favorite stories,
it is your feelings,
and the people who caused them

This painting is colors,
and emotions,
and wonderful designs
it is swirls,
and words,
and the letters than make them

This painting is all of pollock and even more


What is poetry poem:

Poetry is you
Poetry is whatever you want it to be
it is the heart and soul of every human being
it is words

Words that for some people may be nothing
but is really everything
Emotions, feelings, and your own world wrapped up into one

Poetry is you
Poetry is whatever you want it to be
Poetry is everything


What happens to a dream


What happens to a destroyed dream

does it disapear

and never come back 

until its just forever gone

Or does it never truly go away
until it reforms
and build and build and build
until it is back to normal

What truly happens to a destroyed dream

Jackson Pollock-- Mural

            

             The first paining of Jackson Pollock I ever saw was at the Brooklyn Museum. It, like the majority of his paintings was painted with the splatter plate technique. I was unimpressed to say the least. I thought it was boring, not special, and took little to no talent. But as I found out more about Pollock, and where is paintings came from, and there meaning I realized how truly special all his paintings were. They are filled with emotion and elements, and moments in his life. Although the paintings may seem like there was no talent involved in making these paintings, if you look closely, there are all kinds of details mixed in throughout his paintings.

            Jackson Pollock grew up on a farm in a small town in Wyoming. He went to school for art in 1929, but had a really hard time with drawing. His brother was a famus artists, none for his drawings, so there was a lot of pressure on him. In the late 30’s he was introduced to the work of Picasso and learned that not all art had to be straight lines and pictures. He decided to try more surreal art, which he ended up succeeding with. Everything involved with Pollock’s work, was very untraditional. He used untraditional materials (not paintbrushes, and pencils), painted on the floor, and his final product was always very unique, he would even walk on his paintings.

            The painting a choose to look at is called Mural. It is one of Pollock’s more famous paintings, and is extremely well known. This painting comes from many different roots. Some if it being other artists, and paintings he was inspired by, and some of it being events from his past. One major thing that this is based on his Native American stories. When he was a kid, a Native American neighbor would tell them stories from her heritage. The color base, and other elements of the painting come form this. (Jackson Pollock)

            Although as many people look at this, all they see is a bunch of different colored squiggly lines, if you look closely there is much more in it. While I was first looking at this, I noticed that the majority of the colors were very natural and earthy. As I looked closer I noticed that there seemed to be bird shaped lines all over the painting. As I looked even closer than that I noticed I saw that the painting has letters all over it, and the letters spell out Jackson Pollock. I think Pollock personally hid his name in the painting, so as not to distract from the rest of it, but to make you look at it really closely. In order to even see his name in the painting, you have to look extremely close, so I think part of the reason he hid it, was so people looked further into it, and noticed all the other details. (Decoding Jackson Pollock)

Identical #2 *Spoilers*

          I have just finished reading Identical by Ellen Hopkins. This book is about two girls, who are identical twins. Their mom is never around, and their father sexually abuses one of the girls. Throughout the book they mention an accident, making it clear something serious has happened but your not sure what. The twins in the book are completely different people, but somehow at the same time very similar. At the end of the book, what is really going on becomes clear. This is only one sister, the other twin died in the accident that was being mentioned. However she had a disease that made her think that there was two of her. One moment she would be Kaeleigh (who she actually was), and then the next moment she would think she was her twin, Raeanne. I noticed that although you know there is something the author isn’t telling you, and you don’t really noticed anything that peculiar about the situation, if you go back throughout the book, there are things throughout the book that were almost like clues, that this was happening.

            For example some obvious ones that I was actually wondering about throughout the book were that they never seem to be together. The other twin would always be somewhere else. At rare points in the book, they would both be at home, or at school, but they never talked or interacted. Also, when they were with other people, they would never call them by name. Sometimes, people would call Kaeleigh (the actually twin) but never Raeanne. Another thing is that other people never talked about Raeanne, although they did talk about Kaeleigh.

            Some less obvious, and more specific moments in the book where the author kind of shows that there really aren’t two people, is when Kaeleigh is talking to Ian, and he is saying how she is always with other guys. Kaeleigh thinks this is Raeanne doing this, not realizing it is actually herself, and of course the other characters know it’s her. However when she is talking to Ian she really doesn’t understand what he is talking about, and something comes up, and they say they will talk about it but they never do. I think this was Hopkins trying to give you a little clue, but not actually give it away, because if they were to talk about it further, she would have said it was Raeanne, and Ian would have told her there wasn’t a Raeanne, making the truth come out too early in the book.

            Another not so obvious clue is about the relationships they have with people, two that help show there is only one person. The first one is with a girl at school named Madison. In the book Madison doesn’t get along with either Raeanne or Kaeleigh, but she has no real reason to hate Kaeleigh. Raeanne is going out with her ex boyfriend, so she is extremely mean to her, but in Kaeleigh’s eyes, there is no reason, for the way she acts. Obviously it is Kaeleigh who is actually dating him, explaining the way she treats her. Another relationship is with her father. Kaeleigh’s father is very protective of her. She has to come home straight home after school, and he has to know about everything she does. In the book Kaeleigh is the perfect child, Raeanne however is the opposite. While reading you wonder how Kaeleigh will get in trouble for the smallest things however Raeanne can do whatever she wants. Their father doesn’t seem to even notice Raeanne, which of course would be because she isn’t alive. This I think was a big clue in the book.

            One last thing in noticed is that Raeanne is always talking about Kaeleigh, and the things she does. However Kaeleigh never mentions Raeanne. I think this may be because when she is Kaeleigh, she knows that Raeanne is dead. However I don’t think she knows that she thinks she is Raeanne sometimes. This is another big clue. Concluding that, although it isn’t obvious that these twins end up being one person, after finding out, it is clear to see that the author left many clues throughout the book.