Blogging Around

This was my response to Marika's post about the process of writing her poem:

Marika-

I really enjoyed reading your thoughts on your poem, especially because I've read your poem and know what it's about. I can definitely relate to your confusion about the "widowed images" part. I spent hours trying to come up with a widowed image of my own! I think sometimes with poetry you just have to wait for an idea to come to you. I disagree with how you described your poem though. I think it's a lot deeper than you think it is!

-Kate

I also read Margot's post about her poem, and I found it really interesting to compare different people's strategies to revising their poems.

Margot-

Infinity and vastness scare me too! I'd be interested in reading your poem, or at least hearing your thoughts on the subject, because I think it's a fascinating topic. You seem to have a great idea for your poem from a "form is content" perspective. I really liked reading your post because I've had a lot of similar feelings about the revision process. I think sometimes it's difficult to part with pieces of your writing that you've grown attached to. While I was writing my second and third drafts, I often had to remind myself that the changes were just for Mr. Allen, and I could keep a copy of my poem just the way I wanted it. However, now I like the "Mr. Allen" version of my poem better than the original! That may not be true for you, but I think sometimes the initial response to criticism is feeling defensive, but once those feelings have calmed, you might realize that the changes really were for the better.

-Kate

Metacognition: Poem

I think it's important to note that, unlike a lot of other people in Academy, I enjoy writing poetry. I'm not going to pretend to be some master poet (I have just as much difficulty understanding poetry as anyone else--trust me!), but I can say that something about it really moves me more than any other from of writing can.

The fact that I like poetry is important because, I have to admit, I have a difficult time motivating myself for things that I do not enjoy. For example, in English, it was much harder getting myself to sit down and read King Lear than The Kite Runner, simply because I enjoyed The Kite Runner more.

I think my appreciation for poetry was a big factor in the process of the assignment. As soon as Mr. Allen explained the requirements, I rushed home to my computer, eager to start writing. I write poetry occasionally in my free time, so I looked back at some of my previous poems for inspiration. I also read some poetry online and flipped through some of the handouts we got in class. I think this method was helpful because it got me thinking about writing style and the essential elements of a poem.

While reviewing my previous poems, I stumbled across one I had recently written, and it struck me as a subject matter that fit the assignment. Basically, I took that concept and re-worked it into my first draft.

The first draft wasn't difficult. However, it was difficult for me to edit the poem for the second and third drafts. I think I was just so opposed to changing any of it, which I now realize was completely wrong of me. This assignment helped me realize that writing is a process, and you can always improve your writing.

Next time we have a writing assignment, I think I will apply the strategy of looking at other pieces of writing for inspiration. It just seems to put me in the "writing mood" when I read the work of really great writers.

My main goal for future assignments is to be open-minded to the draft process. I have to realize that constructive criticism exists for that very reason: to construct, or edit my writing and make it better.

Best of Week: King Lear/Edgar Relationship

When I was trying to reflect on what insightful comments or ideas we discussed in class, only one stuck out in my mind. I forget who brought up the topic to begin with, but I remember discussing the relationship between King Lear and Edgar. During the discussion, a few important observations were made, leading us to establish several conclusions:

1. Lear is actually going mad, while Edgar is only pretending
2. Lear benefits from seeing aspects of himself (or who he is becoming) reflected in Edgar
3. Edgar benefits when Lear looks after him

While these points may seem obvious, organizing them like this really helped me understand the Lear/Edgar relationship better. I think these observations show Shakespeare's brilliance with character development and contrast.

This also connects to another good point of the week, which was one of Mr. Allen's. He said something to the effect of, "As writers, we always want to look after our characters, make sure they take the right path. To be a good writer, you have to let go and see where the characters take you."

I think Shakespeare did exactly that. He probably didn't map out all this madness beforehand, but since that's where the story took him, he decided to place characters in Lear's path that would help him see who or what he was turning into. This is only one of the thousands of reasons Shakespeare is still considered some sort of literary god.

Connection: Cordelia and Cinderella

While trying to understand the family dynamic of King Lear and his daughters, I thought of Cinderella. In the well-known fairytale, Cinderella is kindhearted, but her stepsisters are greedy and insincere. Even though Cinderella is the only pure one of the three, her sisters are favored and showered with gifts, while she is left with nothing, forced to stay at home doing housework. Eventually, with the help of a fairy godmother, she attends a ball and meets her Prince Charming, and one lost slipper later, she lives happily ever after.

Although this differs from the storyline of King Lear, I saw a strong connection between the characters Cordelia and Cinderella. In the beginning of King Lear, the king decides to divide his land among his three daughters. His only requirement is that they all proclaim their love to him. Cordelia's older sisters, Goneril and Regan, immediately rant about how much they love their father, without the faintest sincerity. Cordelia, on the other hand, refuses. She believes that it is dishonest and wrong to exaggerate just to please someone else or just to get some reward. When she doesn't say what her father wanted to hear, he withdraws his offer, and Cordelia gets nothing. Despite this misfortune, Cordelia eventually is married to a man who loves her despite her lack of possessions.

Clearly, the plots and settings of King Lear and Cinderella are entirely different, but the central characters share similar qualities and endure similar situations. Both are honest and good, despite being surrounded by fake, selfish people. Both suffer unfair consequences, regardless of their good natures. Both eventually find their true loves, who appreciate the kindness that they possess. This connection helped me better understand Cordelia as a character and appreciate the circumstances she struggles through. I haven't finished King Lear, so I don't know what will become of Cordelia, but I can only hope that she will have the same fairytale ending that Cinderella did.

TED Presentations

Overall, I think the TED presentations were a success. I was sick for the presentations last year, so I can't really make specific comparisons between last year and this year. Nevertheless, I can generally say that the process was much smoother this year. The criteria for grading was less subjective, so we were more aware of what was expected of us. Google sites was an efficient tool that we learned to use to communicate with our group members and organize our thoughts.

Still, the project wasn't without complications. First of all, the video selection process seemed inconsistent, since many got their first choice topics, but some people didn't get any of their three choices. In addition, there was a lot of confusion among the upperclassmen. Juniors and seniors seemed to think less was expected of them, so in the earlier stages, they didn't feel the need to contribute as much.

I also disagreed with some aspects of the grading system. I don't think it's fair for this grade to have such a huge influence in some of our subjects, especially foreign language. We didn't use Spanish at all throughout the whole process, so I don't think it makes sense to make the TED project worth a test grade in that class.

Despite these issues, the presentations were interesting to watch and listen to. I think we all were inspired by these TED presenters and their ideas to improve our future. I would be interested in continuing this project in the coming years, as long as these issues are addressed and solutions are developed.

Captured Thought: "This too shall pass"

To say I've been stressed lately would be the understatement of the century. The end of the quarter means extra tests, extra projects, extra homework...extra stress. Sometimes, it seems like it's never going to end, and I wonder why I ever joined Academy, or how I manage to stay alive through all this.

Recently, when I was having these overly negative thoughts for about the thousandth time, I remembered a saying my mom used to tell me. "This too shall pass." It sounds simple and obvious, but, as I reflected on the phrase, I found deeper significance. Isn't it true that almost every cause of stress eventually ends? For me, marching band just finished, which is a huge relief. After this week, the TED project will be over. That's another thing to cross off my list. Of course, more stresses will appear. Pessimists may call it, a "vicious circle". However, if you come to accept that stress is unavoidable and emphasize the fact that every worry, every burden, will eventually dissolve, life seems much more bearable.

I'll admit that at times I can be more of a "glass-half-empty" kind of person, so I'm going to try to remember this saying every time I feel overwhelmed with demands. For instance, tonight I have about ten different things I have to do...but now I get to cross my English blog off the list!

Metacognition: TED Presentation Project

I'll admit, when I first heard about the TED project, I was less than thrilled. I remembered the confusion associated with the project last year, and I expected the same to be true this time around. Whatever little excitement I had was dimmed further when I found out my topic, "Building a Commodities Market in Ethiopia", which wasn't any of my three choices. My video focused on the economy, something I've never understood or had an interest in. The other members of my group only made things more complicated, since it seemed some of them had no intention of committing to the project.

Of course, I was disappointed in myself. I wanted to care about the project beyond my own grade. I wanted to find the deeper meaning, but I was just so hung up on having a topic that didn't even slightly interest me or seem relevant to my life. As I struggled to focus on doing the best I could to prepare for the presentation, I realized how ridiculous I was being. School isn't all about doing the things you like to do, it's about learning, and in life, you don't always get what you want. So, now I'm just going to do the best I can to do my part and give a good presentation. Maybe, somewhere along the way, I'll even learn to appreciate the subject matter.