Poems

The three poems I asked you to read this week are pretty different from each other. So there are several ways you might approach responding to them on the blog.

• You might do a close reading of one of the poems (like we did w/ David Mason's poem last week)
• You might compare the poems. What similarities do they have? What differences do you notice?
• You might write about difficulties you have with a poem. Feel free to use the blog to ask questions. I value good open questions. (Open questions are subjective, they lead to exploration. Closed questions are purely factual ("What color is the sky?") or yes/no.) And yes, you get credit for asking good questions.
• Try to answer one of my open questions.
• Try to answer one of you peers' very good open questions. And yes, again, you get credit for responding to classmates' comments and questions. 
• Make connections between a poem and other texts you've read (or seen or heard).
• Make connections between a poem and your life experience. 

It helps to quote from the text if you're making a specific comment or claim about a poem.

Poet John Ciardi had these three rules for reading poetry:

1)  The poem is not to be confused w/ a paraphrase.

2)  Avoid speed-reading. Discover the natural rhythm of the work.

3)  Read it aloud.

Or we might consider what poet Richard Wilbur wrote about poetry (quoted in BAP 2018, p. xix): "A poem should not be like a Double-Crostic; it should not be the sort of puzzle in which you get nothing until you get it all." In other words, although a poem may puzzle you, it's not for you to solve. A truly rich poem should offer you something different every time you return to it. Shakespeare wrote his plays over four hundred years ago and people are still publishing books and articles about them. That shows you how rich some texts can be. 

Foreword to BAP 2018

I think it's instructive for us to read and think about David Lehman's foreword to Best American Poetry 2018, esp. since you all will have to write your own forewords. Some questions to consider:

• How does this foreword work in relation to the anthology of poetry that we're about to read? 
• What does the opening (introduction) do? How does it relate to what comes after?
• He's got three sections in the foreword which he divides with asterisks (***). What purpose does ea. section serve?
• What questions did you have after reading the foreword? Do you feel better qualified to write your own? 

Response to First Christmas

In my initial reading of David Mason's "First Christmas in the Village", I was confused with the second and third stanzas inclusion within the poem. The meaning and purpose behind them was lost on me. I simply disregarded the lines as the author's attempt at creating atmosphere for his story. After reading how others in my class also found the octopus dinner to be out of place, I decided to re-read the poem. The new mindset was to assume that the octopus dinner is meant as a veil to mask the true purpose of the dinner. The sequence of dinner is as follows, the writer of the story is brought a octopus by the widow's father who also cooks it for him. This makes the father the provider of this meal. During the eating of the meal, the story teller is deliberate in stating that this was his first octopus, and at the end of dinner he receives a "Don't tell the priest" card . The writer compares his octopus to a salty steak. An octopus steak that is oozy and briny makes it hard to digest. Similarly new controversial ideas can also leave a salty taste in the mouth. Perhaps the dinner and serving of the octopus was a metaphor for learning of the messiah's birth. We don't know when the story takes place but we do know from the  title that it is the first Christmas of the village. Perhaps this gathering for a dinner and spreading the new of Jesus birth was their Christmas. After learning of this new idea the story teller is cautioned by the widow to not inform the priest through the widow's playing cards. It is important to note that this meal was cooked over coals which the writer later takes some of home. Showing that the experience had some lasting impact on him. If we take into consideration the title and the sequence of event it is possible to make the assumption that the octopus meal wasn't just a meal.

Syllabus

After I read the syllabus, I was happy to see that it was straight to the point and, its good because there were less questions I had to ask at the end of the day. Not going to lie though, it got me a little scared when I saw the collection we had to do for the end of the semester.

The syllabus

After reading my syllabus I do not have any questions about the course I understand everything that is expected of me. My experience with reading and writing hasn't always been the best however since I started college my writing has improved a lot I still need to work on my grammar its one of my weak spots along with run on sentences. I attend the writing center twice a week sometimes more depending on what I need help with, I am willing to put in the work for the grade I desire.

Thoughts for first week

Hello all, first I like to say how sorry I am that I had to miss class today, unfortunately I had a bit of a family emergency that needed my immediate attention.  My thoughts for the first week of class are very positive.  I am looking forward to reading all the poems and literature associated with this course. I am happy knowing that once this semester is over we will all be even more adept in the English language.  What's more, with all the poems and literature we will also grow more culturally.

Syllabus

I found the syllabus to be very straightforward therefore I had no questions about anything in regards to it. My attitude towards the syllabus is just hoping for a good semester and to learn new things in this course that could eventually help me out later on in life. 

Reading the syllabus

After reading the syllabus, it is clear and straightforward. I have no further questions about it.

Reading the Syllabus

After reading the syllabus I have a question about the course, but more specifically about the Blog.
The syllabus says "ENGL 102's week ends when everyone else's does, at 11:59 Saturday evening",
does this mean we are able to respond at anytime during the week before Saturday 11:59 or do we have to respond to it right away before next class in the same week?
Other than this, everything on the syllabus is very clear and if I may have any other questions in the future I will definitely be sure to ask for clarification, thank you.
My experience with reading and writing has been quite well I would say. I enjoy writing because I feel like it is a way to express your thoughts and feelings about absolutely anything even if nobody is going to read it, it could even just be for yourself. I also enjoy reading and following up with a discussion. I personally enjoy hearing different point of views and how others can interpret a reading completely different than my personal interpretation of the same text.

Response to First Christmas In The Village

In response to the poem "First Christmas in the Village", I personally thought it was a bit confusing after reading it for the first time on my own. I don't normally read or enjoy poems as much but I am always open to reading and discussing different kinds of liturature with other individuals. After reading it over a second and even third time, as well as discussing it with my peers I was able to grasp a better understanding of it and the story it held. What really caught my attention as well as clarified the poem was in stanza four, line three where David Mason wrote "that night all murders were forgotten". Which to me meant that when Jesus was born it was like a new beginning and second chance for the people. I very much enjoy reading and writing. I don't read books as often as I use to but I definitely love a great book. I personally feel like writing is one of my strong suits. It is not the easiest thing to do but I love expressing my opinions, my point of view and my thoughts on a specific topic. I also occasionally do free writing in a journal.

First Christmas in the Village

The poem "First Christmas in the Village" was very interesting.  After having the chance to read it over and a bit slower, I think I understand it a little better.  In the first stanza, the author, I believe, is talking about a group of people that are gathered together, and they have just witnessed the birth of an unexpected child.  These people know and care for each other.  And though it was a nasty night, they all gathered silently by the fire.  There were no children around, but they longed for the presence of a child, hence the line "though the widow had no children and taught a game with playing cards."

In the second stanza, I think the octopus symbolizes some kind of a struggle or danger that these people had over come.  They had to overcome some great danger through the use of lethal force.
Also, this was maybe the first time the man had been a part of such a thing, due to the lines "my first octopus, its brain afire." And "-Don't tell the priest-" "a wink at caution in the game of living." From the third stanza.

In the fourth stanza I feel the author is letting us know that a holy child was born. And this child will be a savior for mankind.  Therefor, any wrong doing, any crime including murder can be forgiven, and people if they should choose can be reborn into a life of peace.

Reading the syllabus

Good evening all,

After reading the syllabus, I feel that I am very clear on what the Professor expects from
the class.  I don't have any questions at this time regarding the syllabus.  I have never been
part of any kind of a "blog" before, so I hope I am writing what you are suppose to write in a
blog page.  As I mentioned before, I read the syllabus and pretty much agree with the terms
set forth.  I appreciate the fact that all work due can be found under Class Schedule, that way
I won't ever be confused as to when any given assignment is due.  I hope to be able to get all
three required texts this week, and get a jump start on some of the reading.  I'm looking forward
to this semester, I have some challenging classes, Eng 102 being one of them.  I have been out
of school for quite some time, and Eng 101 was the first time in years that I had to read and write
so much.  However, I managed to do good, I plan to work even harder in this course to do as good
or better than Eng 101.

Thoughts for first week

My thoughts for First Week is mixed. First, it's been a few years that I've been away from poems and literature. But I am thrilled to read those amazing collections again. It's great to be back. I have read first few pages and I noticed how the book's editors shared their hard work and some pieces of evolution of American poems in the beginning of the book. Honestly, I don't know what to say about it. Since technology takes the books away from us gradually, I feel like what they are saying is quite right. Second, I like to read books again, it is for the class or not, some break from the phone screen feels good. All in all, I am looking forward to hear from all of you and I can't wait to share different idea and definition about readings among us.

Texts

Someone was told at the bookstore on Friday that my books were not ordered. This is false. Apparently, there are some staff who do not know the ropes yet. If you find an unhelpful staff member, ask someone else. I spoke to the manager and my books should be there.

First Week

As you write on the blog this week, I'd like you to respond to these first few poems that we're reading. But I'd also like you to share some information about yourself--your attitudes/experiences about reading and writing and anything else you might want to share. Please also ask any questions you have and I'll use this space to answer them.

Response to "First Christmas in the Village"

In my opinion, the poem is like a puzzle that wants reader to solve. The title gives the only one hint that the story was about First Christmas but I don't think that is the very first Christmas which Jesus was born. The words " stormy" and "widow" do not match up the story of First Christmas. Plus, in the title, it said " First Christmas in the Village".Here, the village could be anywhere in the world. But by looking at these lines in the second stanza, " A fisherman brought an octopus.....and laid it burning on my plate." I could say the village is by the sea. And then in the third stanza, he composed about the taste of octopus. But I quite can't figure out what this line means" And the illicit cards- Don't tell the priest- a wink at caution in the game of living". 

By the fourth stanza, I am able to pick up the meaning of "the birth" from the first line of the poem. In my opinion, it means the creation of long lost peace among the villagers. He also gave the supporting facts why the peace was born the night, because the raging storm, the warm fire and unexpected seafood feast. The last stanza was about the narrator's returning journey to his place, carrying a bucket of coals, so he could use those to warm himself instantly without bothering to wait for hours to heat up brand new coals.
All in all, I found this poem challenging and mysterious.