Welcome, writers!

Yes, it's that time again. The heat is sweltering and the minds are craving some intellectual stimulation. Yeah, yeah. I know what you're probably thinking: "Mr. Phinizy is looney if he thinks that I'd rather be in class than outside enjoying the day." Looney, maybe. But I do know that whether you are aware of it or not, you do crave some intellectual stimulation. Let's get the grat matter churning!

Just to give you an idea of the things that inspire me, I've offered a poem below by a fellow teacher on the act of teaching. Check it out.

Freshman English

Lord of the Flies
Deep down are we all evil or good? If we were put to the test, would we all do humanity proud or are we all capable of commiting such horrific crimes? William Golding tries to find answers to these questions in his novel, Lord of the Flies. If you'd like to check out a preview of the story, simply press play.

Junior English

The Color of Water
We're already midway through James McBride's memoir and have discussed many of the issues of identity that he had struggled with. Race, culture, religious practice--so many of the cues that help us define ourselves become a battleground when our own definitions contradict the proscribed identities in society.

Let's see how James reconciles what it means to be the son of a white mother and black father in a period of time when race was defined simply as either black or white; there was no in between. If you're interested in learning more about James McBride, check out his website.

Freshman English

Limerick

Originally from Ireland, this five-line poem is written with one couplet and one triplet. The rhyme pattern is A A B B A. Limericks are funny little poems that tell a story. The rhythm is catchy, With lines 1, 2 and 5 containing 3 beats and rhyming, and lines 3 and 4 having two beats and rhyming. Here is an example...

There was an old man from Peru

who dreamed he was eating his shoe.

He awoke in the night

with a terrible fright,

and found out that it was quite true.

If you're interested in looking at other limericks, check out the website here.

Junior English

The Box Man Redux
"The Box Man knows that loneliness chosen loses its sting and claims no victims" (line 9).

As we return to reexamine Ascher's essay, "The Box Man," we begin to gain a better understanding of what it is she is trying to say about this unusual man who lives deliberately outside of mainstream society. He has knows and lives accordingly to what Ascher says we all know but are not willing to accept. The Box Man, on the other hand, has accepted it, and perhaps, this is a key to life.

Let's remember that Ascher is not beating us over the head with this message. She doesn't want to come off as being didactic (preachy). So, she is careful with her words and tone, and aims to help you understand what the Box Man is all about. She knows her audience and writes about the Box Man in such a way, with metaphor and imagery, allusion and parallelism (to name a few), to reveal her opinion more subtlely. See if you can locate some of the rhetorical devices that make up her writing style. If you need help, check out this site and review your annotations. If you have any questions, feel free to email me. To get you started on your essay, check out the Box Man essay initiator sheet. THE ROUGH DRAFT FOR YOUR BOX MAN ESSAY IS DUE MONDAY, MAY 7TH!

Freshman English

Haiku
As we learned, this kind of poem, albeit short and seemingly simple, actually is packs a poetic punch! The drive for the haiku poet is to paint a picture with words, but s/he is limited to three lines--the first line is five syllables, the second seven syllables, and the third is five. It seems easy, but give it a try (writing a haiku is your Poem #4). It can be more of a challenge than meets the eye. You can also check out some examples of haiku here. Although these poets bend the syllable rules, or the syllable count gets lost in translation, the power of haiku is still present. Make sure you follow the basic rules though!
Good luck!

Freshman English

Poetry Unit
Our unit on poetry is underway and not only have we been witness to some awesome examples of words shaped into metaphor, simile, and used to create imagery with our senses, but we have already taken a hand at writing our own poems in class. Some of you have mentioned that you have already written poetry on your own. Your experience is welcome!

So far we've written a Sensory Poem (Poem #1), the Phone Number Poem (Poem #2), and are working on a Concrete Poem (Poem #3). Be sure to take a look at more examples at this site. Remember: the Poetry Chapbook is due May 11th. Be sure to keep up with the Poetry Workshops in class and let me know if you have any questions.