Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Week 11






from Emily Dickinson (1830–86).  Complete Poems.  1924.



XVI

THE SKIES can’t keep their secret!
They tell it to the hills—
The hills just tell the orchards—
And they the daffodils!
  
A bird, by chance, that goes that way        5
Soft overheard the whole.
If I should bribe the little bird,
Who knows but she would tell?
  
I think I won’t, however,
It’s finer not to know;        10
If summer were an axiom,
What sorcery had snow?
  
So keep your secret, Father!
I would not, if I could,
Know what the sapphire fellows do,        15
In your new-fashioned world!



Good day to you all.  Hope you are well and have found time to practice your recitation, which is to be performed today, as you know.  Afterwards you will have time to write the final essay of about 500 words, open notes and sources, including author and title references to the 3-6 sources you are required to integrate, and direct quotation to illustrate the aptness of your descriptions and interpretative claims.

Any outstanding work must of course be submitted this week, no later than Thursday midnight.





Enjoy the Summer, Come Rain Come Shine

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Week 9


Gannets Mate for Life

Good afternoon!  Today and next week we will cover a few final story pieces and poetry and review the works covered over the quarter and how they might be used for the in-class short essay final and the final project, if you choose.

I'll let you decide what we read from among the various selections already provided and those I bring today, including  "Puppy," a short story by George Saunders, considered one of today's very best in the genre. In fact at the following link you can read the convocation speech he delivered in 2013 and which bears the thematic marks of many his stories, namely, the difficulty and utmost desirability of human kindness and love:  http://6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/31/george-saunderss-advice-to-graduates/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0