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Through reading numerous texts and poems, watching informational videos, and doing thorough research, English 1 broadened my knowledge in many different topics. In this class, we worked on our essay writing skills, responded to multiple novels, and participated in bookclubs. I got to explore topics of my choosing, which allowed me to explore things that I am passionate about. Overall, this class changed the way that I look at information that is being put in front of my eyes and further encouraged me to pursue what I have an interest in.
Favorite Word | Strive
Below are my significant writing assignments.
*In chronological order
Where I'm From Poem and Reading by Kate Feigus
*click reading... second recording on the left
Creative Response to "Sticks" by George Saunders
After reading Sticks by George Saunders, we were assigned to write a reader's response, exit slip and a creative response. This is the creative response that I wrote.
Creative Response to "Yours" by Mary Robinson
After reading Yours by Mary Robinson, we were assigned to write a reader's response, exit slip and a creative response. This is the creative response that I wrote.
Excerpts From The Essay:
"Although it is short in length, Winter Love by Linda Gregg made me feel as though I was seen, it made me further recognize that love is so much more than two people, love is anything that makes a person feel whole. "
"The word decorate suggests something further than the literal sense of the word... Most of all, decorations are for life. Decorations can be loving partners, true friendships, companions in the form of a four legged creature, a small human made with love, an experience, or a tray full of homemade cookies. Decorations are what make life feel worth living, worth all of the pain, the effort, the happiness, the sadness, the days of celebration."
"Love is always there. The burning hot, intense love is waiting for everyone. When there is a feeling of warmth, but not heat, just turn the stove back on and wait for the kettle to whistle. "
"My Thoughts Live In Someone Else's Mind: How Winter Love Depicts Solitude"
*response to "Winter Love" by Linda Gregg
Creative Response to "The Flowers" by Alice Walker
After reading The Flowers by Alice Walker, we were assigned to write a reader's response, an exit slip and a creative response. This is the creative response that I wrote.
*"The Flowers" by Alice Walker
Small Country By Gael Faye Reading Response Journal Entries
Each week that I was reading Small Country, we were responsible for completing a two page response to what we had read. We would then have "book club meetings" with our groups and talk on very topics. We worked on a JamBoard as a group, then had a class discussion about what we noticed. We would then write an Exit Slip, which includes something that we learned or realized during these discussions. This book was one that I wouldn't normally pick up and flip through, however I am glad that I was given the opportunity to read it. It broadened my horizons and beliefs on what life means. There is so much to be learnt from this book and even more to learn when reading it with other people.
Antigone By Sophocles Reading Response Journal Entries
Each week that I was reading Antigone I was responsible for completing a short summary, writing themes and big ideas, doing a quote and note, asking a character a question, making a discussion question for the class and writing any deep thoughts. Before reading this book, I truly didn't understand how much one story can relate to many of the problems the world has today. Antigone's courage and persistence is greatly inspirational and can be used in many situation in life. At the end of our reading, I created a vision board for my idea of an adaptation. Overall, this text was unexpectedly relatable and provided a great opportunity for my thought process to grow.
March By John Lewis Reading Response Journal Entries
When we were assigned to read this graphic novel, I was very excited. Not only was I excited to read a graphic novel, something that I don't do often, but that the book is written by John Lewis. Even before reading the first page, I knew that inside the pages was an incredible story. I was right. The novel was filled symbolism and kept me intrigued the entire way through. I had no problem completing our assignments, which were to track our observations, questions and aha moments.
Unwind By Neal Shusterman Reading Response Journal Entries
For our final bookclub, we were allowed to chose a book from a preselected group. We were then paired up with whoever chose the same book. I chose unwind because it is a dystopian novel and addressed the topic of abortion.
Voice Project - Kate F Voice Project
Music And The Brain
This project is a true representation of who I am. We were instructed to research a desired topic and use a creative medium to share what we learned from our exploration of the topic. We had to find at least 3 separate sources and write an annotated bibliography for each. After a bit of contemplation, I decided to do the psychological affects of music. It is something that I've always wondered about. Not only have I thought about the ways in which playing an instrument affect me, but I've also questioned how listening to music can change my mood and performance. Choosing this topic was a great opportunity to create an informational video, which is something I enjoy doing. Using my research, I wrote a script and made an outline for the video. I thought I would challenge myself by creating the video using Premiere Pro, a program which I hadn't used before. In the end, I am confident in saying that this is my favorite project of the year. It is a culmination of everything I have learned, and the creative mindset that has grown, during the school year.
Below are quick writes in which we were instructed to write out anything or sketch anything that the poem brings to mind, borrow any line, let the line lead your thinking, ask questions, or reject the prompt.
*we were given 5 to 10 minutes depending on the day
You do not have to meet or exceed someone else's expectations. Your only responsibility is to set your own and give your best effort toward that goal. Tell me about your inconsistencies and I will tell you mine. We can realize, together, that they don't make or break us. They are small pieces of the ongoing puzzle of our bodies. Whoever you are, whatever you are and whatever you see, you know where I'll be.
Wisdom is more than experience. It's a deep understanding of said experience. It's knowing how to use that knowledge to invoke understanding in others who might be going through the same situation. Wisdom is knowing what truly matters and how to thrive with an open mind. Wisdom is individual, yet it is used universally. A wise person is someone who takes what they have learned, listens to a person's situation, and helps them in realizing that they know what to do.
4) Describe the structure of the poem. How does this relate to content (the ideas the poet is expressing)?
5) What is the tone of the poem? How is it achieved? (See below for a list of tone words.)
6) Notice the poem’s diction. Discuss any words which seem especially well-chosen.
9) State the poem’s central idea or theme in a singular sentence.
10) What connections can you make between this poem and Small Country?
4) This poem consists of 3 stanzas and has a repetitive beginning to each of them. The stanzas start with "before you learn or know" something about kindness. In this way, it makes the poem more cohesive. There are so many different thoughts making up this poem and this repetition creates consistency.
5) This poem gives kindness a personality. It makes it seem as if kindness is a noun, a thing. By using kindness as a noun, I was further intrigued to keep reading, as I was very interested in gaining that new perspective. I loved the line "who journeyed through the night with plans
and the simple breath that kept him alive". It gave a clear sense of how everyone is human, nobody is that different from the other.
6) The last stanza is full of personification. As I previously stated, the poet made kindness a noun.
"only kindness that ties your shoes
and sends you out into the day to gaze at bread,
only kindness that raises its head
from the crowd of the world to say
It is I you have been looking for,
and then goes with you everywhere
like a shadow or a friend."
9) To know kindness, you must first understand the contrary, at which point you will never be able to let it go.
10) In Small Country, Gaby grew up living quite rebelliously. He stole from his neighbors and rummaged around his neighborhood. Gino and the twins, they never grew past that time in their lives. Most people want to leave that time in their life behind them. Gaby could've, he wanted to at least. However, Gaby took it and grew from it. Gaby took that hate that he shed and turned it into kindness. Madame Economopoulos showed kindness in allowing Gaby to read her books. Gaby, the boy who stole her mangoes and sold them back to her. Kindness travels and kindness morphs.
2)To whom is the speaker speaking, or in other words, who is the audience?
5)What is the tone of the poem? How is it achieved? (See below for a list of tone words.)
6)Notice the poem’s diction. Discuss any words which seem especially well-chosen.
7)Are there predominant usages of figurative language? What is the effect?
9)State the poem’s central idea or theme in a singular sentence.
2) The audience is the reader. The poet is speaking directly to the reader by using second person.
5) The tone of the poem is "interested". The poet is warning us to beware of all the things a library is capable of doing anyone who walks in. However, the interest that he poet has in "the library" is much stronger in this poem than the warning that is presents. He sees a library as being so much more and further intrigues the reader by shifting their thinking.
6) By comparing a library to a pet store and then describing novels as having "big eyes", I was further encouraged to read further. "The deli offerings of civilization itself" was also a line that caught my attention. I would say that the best line of the poem is "The library is the book of books..." because it encompasses everything that the poem is trying to portray in half a sentence.
7) The poet used figurative speech to better explain his thoughts about what a library represents. He compared a book to a dog, describing them as having "big eyes" and "cuddly when they're young". This is an example of personification. These descriptions impacted my view of what a book is, making me not look at it in such a literal sense. The scent of a book was described as one of a doughnut and coffee. These two things are usually of comfort for people which greatly described the poets belief of the feeling that he has around books.
9) Books make up a library, but books are so much more than words on a page, so we are left to question what a library truly is.
1)Who is the speaker in this poem? What kind of person is he or she?
2)To whom is the speaker speaking, or in other words, who is the audience?
3)What is the situation and setting in time (era) and place?
5)What is the tone of the poem? How is it achieved? (See below for a list of tone words.)
9)State the poem’s central idea or theme in a singular sentence.
1) The speaker is Billy Collins as he writes about his experience with silence and ending with the moment that he took to write this poem. He clearly does not overlook silence or try to find a way to fill it. He appreciates the silence, looks further into what is creates.
2) The speaker is speaking to a specific love, whether that's a partner or a child I am not certain. He uses the word "you" once in the poem and creates a sense that there is love in the embrace that they hold and a longer when it ceases.
3) The setting is at his home. Apart from the first couple of lines, the images are coming from events and objects in the home. I would like to believe that he era is somewhat far in the past as the child was being reprimanded with a belt, however that cannot be concluded because people still do that to their children.
5) This poem is meditative. Collings brings you into his headspace where he thinks about the meaning of silence in his life. Then he brings you into the moment, which started with full silence, then ended with seemingly thin silence. While reading this poem, I forgot what was surrounding me. The way he described the situation was immensely intriguing and for a moment fully captivated me.
9) Silence isn't distinguishable as a single "thing" because it is full, it is thin and it is everything in between.
It's the facade. The facade that the seemingly most put together people place before their true selves. An effort to conceal what is believed by society to be broken, to be pitiful, to be something to criticize. Yes it looks sturdy from the outside, but it's only standing because of the things fighting each other on the inside... the inner workings.
"I get nervous every time someone
gets close enough to hear me breathe...
Some days I forget that my skin
is not a panic room."
These are all things that I can relate to, that I find in myself. These are things that I thought I was alone in feeling. Poetry is interesing. Somehow, it feels like a safe space. I have never understood why. Why does it feel more comforting to write feelings instead of expressing them? Why does it feel like you are having a conversation with a sheet of blank? Why is it more terrifying to speak than to read or recite? Poetry is a disguise for kept in words, feelings, stories, and experiences. Why choose poetry? Well, it's comforting to be able to say everything, to let it all out, while saying it with small, short, concise and chosen words. You feel in control, you are in control.
Reading all of these lines, all I can think about is how people write for nothing, but for everything as well. There isn't a correct reason to write. We write with something in mind but for nothing in particular. When you write, you don't know who's gong to see, so what are you writing for... yourself? You have your own thoughts, so why write them down? Maybe you have to see it to believe.
"feel safe sharing the intimacies of their own silences"
When there is silence, there is a reason. Instead of filling a room with truth, it is filled with nothing because the act of nothing is easier. It is so easy to stay silent, internalize all feelings, but it helps no one. Truth is difficult because it is something that everyone deserves, but is can cause pain.
Anyone who reads a poem, and doesn't truly understand the meaning of writing one, looks for a meaning. Not only do they look, but they try to force one out of it. This is wrong. Poetry is something that doesn't always have a set meaning. Poetry is simply someone's thoughts, we shouldn't try to make it more complex than it is.
"I come from being given permission to dream but choosing to wake up instead."
This particular line of the poem made me stop and think for a moment. It's a way that I have never viewed dreams. Although he was told he could dream of a life more fulfilling and fair, he instead chose to face the reality before him. True change comes from action not from thought or a dream.
Everyone has a story and it never is short. It's interesting how the main parts of someone's life, the main events that shaped who they are, can be written in such short, generalized sentences, How a few words can make you imagine a complete story. How much you can assume, yet not know if it's the truth.
"The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep
And miles to go before I sleep."
These lines remind me of challenging goals that people set and how looking at them at the beginning is quite daunting, but people also know that the journey ahead of them will in some ways be lovely. They can't let the fear stop them from achieving what they set out to achieve. In order to get what they desire, they must put all they have in themselves into it, which could mean neglecting sleep.
*our first quick write prompt
Below are my responses to writing prompts that were posted at the beginning of class.
*we were given 2 to 5 minutes to complete our responses
Prompt: Freewrite || Everyday Moments
Prompt: Freewrite || Everyday Moments
Somehow, despite the chaotic nature of the present world, this moment felt calm. Not a typical way to describe the city that never sleeps. Sitting, right leg crossed over left on an empty bench in a small corner park, I place each white corded earbud into my ears, scrolling through my spotify playlists to find the perfect one. "Favorite Oldies"... that's the one. "I feel the earth. Move. Under my feet..." From then on, my phone rested on my leg, left untouched. I look up to see speed walkers, intent on getting somewhere, but also maybe nowhere. Speed talkers, attached at the ear to their device or talking to their one earpiece, looking as though they are conversing with themselves. The observers, looking every which way, slowly waltzing along the dance floor that is the city streets. They keep moving, hustling left, right and across. Inside the confines of the separating iron fence, children run, swing and climb on the playground behind me, the deep thump of their feet hitting the ground in time with the beat playing in my head. Parents on the benches, watching their children, enjoying such rare moment of pure content. My eyes browse further behind me to meet the half basketball court. Only a couple of focused kids stand there, working on their dribbling, occasionally taking a shot to break up the monotony. I turn back to face the fence. The panoramic picture I took in my mind still taking up space in my thoughts. A flock of pigeons descend onto the brick pavers, their coos mostly muted by the oldies. There was no food around. I felt different in the one park on the corner of one street in a city with endless paths to follow. I take a video. There wasn't anything exciting happening... not a mistake. A homeless man walks through the gate, finding the nearest bench to rest. I wasn't remotely phased, should I be? A woman gently guiding a stroller with a child passed me to get to the stairs. As she begins to get herself situated to lift, the resting homeless man comes over. "Let me help". Together they lift the stroller up the stairs. The trust, unexpected. The man, underestimated. The city, itself. The moments, described only by the word "everyday".
Spring is the season when it feels like the Earth has somehow strengthened. The rest of the seasons are either the extremes of Earth's abilities or the death of its children(plants). In Spring, Earth is set free to grow and flourish. The air isn't too warm and it isn't too cold. The wind picks up, but it's more like a flowing breeze. Taking the metaphor in this poem, the breeze does make a song. When you stand out in it, I suppose it does become a body song. When you feel the breeze you can't help but to look around and realize that this is Earth. The real Earth.
Prompt: Read "The Red Wheelbarrow" by William Carlos Williams. Consider: what does depend on that little red wheelbarrow? Write a pastiche of the poem.
Prompt: Read "The Red Wheelbarrow" by William Carlos Williams. Consider: what does depend on that little red wheelbarrow? Write a pastiche of the poem.
so much depends
upon
a bike air
pump
placed in the
shed
beside the flat
tires
Prompt: Read "This is Just to Say" by William Carlos Williams. Write a pastiche of the poem. Aim for at least two stanzas. Definition of pastiche: an artistic work in a style that imitates that of another work, artist, or period.
Prompt: Read "This is Just to Say" by William Carlos Williams. Write a pastiche of the poem. Aim for at least two stanzas. Definition of pastiche: an artistic work in a style that imitates that of another work, artist, or period.
I have taken
the blanket
that was on
the couch
and which
you were probably
saving
to cuddle
Forgive me
it was comfy
so soft
and so snug
Prompt: Unpack the following quote: "Madame Economopoulos told me that words hold more truth than reality" (161)
Prompt: Unpack the following quote: "Madame Economopoulos told me that words hold more truth than reality" (161)
Reality is debatable, words are not. Reality is seen and the human eye can rarely be trusted. In criminal investigations, people must state their case, even if a video or photo exists. This is because there is always so much more to a moment than the eye can perceive. Words come from people's minds, people's minds and actions make up moment, which in turn make up reality. When you listen to or read words, you are going right to the source. This source is where the truth is found.
Prompt: Respond to the following quote: “"Of course a book can change you. It can even change your life. It's like falling in love. And you never know when such an encounter might happen. You should beward of books, they're sleeping genies'" (Faye140).
Prompt: Respond to the following quote: “"Of course a book can change you. It can even change your life. It's like falling in love. And you never know when such an encounter might happen. You should beward of books, they're sleeping genies'" (Faye140).
The way that a person views their own existence can change within an instant. This change can happen because of anything that comes across a person's path, however books are something completely different. Books are made with a relative common meaning, however books are also a form of a piece of art is seen differently by many. There is so much content in a book, so many different paths of thought to take. It is like falling in love because a person always finds something about a book endearing or addictive, leaving its flaws in the back of their head. Books can make a person recognize their desire to do, have, or say a certain something. Books can grant those wishes. Books are a whole other universe, one that we will never come to fully explore... just like the "real" world.
Prompt: Respond to the following quote: “I began to wonder about the meanings behind silence, about what some people left unsaid as well as the insinuations and predictions of other. The country was built on whispers and riddles. There were invisible rifts, sights, and glances that I didn’t understand” (Faye 101).
Prompt: Respond to the following quote: “I began to wonder about the meanings behind silence, about what some people left unsaid as well as the insinuations and predictions of other. The country was built on whispers and riddles. There were invisible rifts, sights, and glances that I didn’t understand” (Faye 101).
To this thought process, silence is portrayed as a game. A game that doesn't have distinct rules or a set objective. The thing about silence is that it can make a story or set a mood, but it can also be meaningless. The hard part is that you never know which one it is. When you are constantly surrounded by whispers and riddles, you have to wonder what it's about. Sometimes, there's silence that is made that isn't meant to be understood, it just exists. That fact has to be accepted.
Prompt: The perfect (or near perfect) age. Explain.
Prompt: The perfect (or near perfect) age. Explain.
32. You are fully grown and have a solid understanding of who you are. You are not too young that you have an unlimited imagination, but you still have plenty of time to make something of yourself. Your body is arguably at its prime, allowing you to accomplish those dreams that involve movement. You're ready for a real relationship and understand how to make it last.
Prompt: "When we talk about land, land is part of who we are. It’s a mixture of our blood, our past, our current, and our future. We carry our ancestors in us, and they’re around us. As you all do.” -Mary Lyons (Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe) *Connect this quote to “Small Country”
Prompt: "When we talk about land, land is part of who we are. It’s a mixture of our blood, our past, our current, and our future. We carry our ancestors in us, and they’re around us. As you all do.” -Mary Lyons (Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe) *Connect this quote to “Small Country”
Gabriel has never been to Rwanda, yet there is still a part of it in him. This is why the thought of it never leaves his mind. He is reminded of his "true land" when he thinks of his mother, however his mother doesn't see him as Rwandan. There's confusion in his situation because he is told by others and by himself that he should care more about his "home", yet the reason why it is his "home" has never provided any information or story supporting it. Gabriel carries his ancestors with him, however they contradict everything that he has grown up knowing. Burundi is his land, yet Rwanda keeps finding ways to call for him.
Prompt: Names. Myop-Myopia (look up the word). Thoughts about why Walker named her character Myop? as seen in "The Flowers" by Alice Walker
Prompt: Names. Myop-Myopia (look up the word). Thoughts about why Walker named her character Myop? as seen in "The Flowers" by Alice Walker
Nearsighted. Myop, along with most other young children, is full of innocence and has a version of blindness that's only allowed during childhood. Myop was encouraged to see the beauty in her surroundings, not to worry about the things that might challenge that thinking. The word perfectly describes the thoughts of the character. She only sees past the present when she steps on the past. At that point, her sight changes.
Prompt: The Snow.
Prompt: The Snow.
Fills and covers, creating a cool tone when you gaze out the window. Allows for sledding and building snowmen, yet blocks people into their homes. It's beautiful, then it melts away. Enjoy while it lasts, there's no guarantee it'll be there tomorrow.
Prompt: Why Write?
Prompt: Why Write?
To express yourself through stories and ideas that provoke conversation and deep thought.
Prompt: Listen to the poem that Amanda Gorman shared at the Super Bowl. Choose a line that you connected to and explain.
Prompt: Listen to the poem that Amanda Gorman shared at the Super Bowl. Choose a line that you connected to and explain.
"Let us walk with these warriors,
Charge on with these champions,
And carry forth the call of our captains!"
This line connected to me because it is what we are currently hearing over and over again, yet Amanda Gorman somehow made it seem different. She is saying that we must not only be safe for these warriors, champions, and captains, but that we must also work together with them. We must walk along side each other, carrying the words of our captains, to make a change and give lives back to the people who have lost theirs because of the pandemic. These people have started the movement, but it takes more than one to continue to move forward and make it grow.
Prompt: Describe the snowy walk you took with Robert Frosts' "Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening" poem in mind.
Prompt: Describe the snowy walk you took with Robert Frosts' "Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening" poem in mind.
I took a few minutes to walk across the street to a small park. I noticed how strong the wind was and how the strength of it changed the mood of the walk. I then found a place where the wind was blocked and it was calm. The absence of the wind made me think about how under the strong winds, there was a sense of calm that, to be found, just had to be looked for.
*all photos used and projects presented created by Kate Feigus
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