Baseball Vortex

 

This is a rather late update, but I've decided to post all of my animated videos onto my blog for future references. Remember, I'm still learning so these will improve once I'm in college. :) Thanks to everyone who has viewed!

It's the end of high school... but it's the beginning of a future waiting to be discovered.

Three Reasons Why I'm Going to Kick Butt on this AP Exam

 

 

This is it. Tomorrow is a day where I'm going to be fully concentrated and I'm going to redeem myself from last year's total catastrophe. Here's to a fresh start! :) (Thanks to Kelli for convincing me to post this and to Preston with his helpful tips on those AP questions.)
Geez, I hope this video will show...

Gridlock

As I Walked  Out One Evening by WH Auden

Vendler Grid

Meaning	Time is everlasting and the nature of it is compared towards human conditions. It journeys through using three voices, which relates time through several metaphors.
Antecedent Scenario	The essence of time continues to change life and affects everyone in its grasp. (I'm not exactly sure about how to word this)
Structural Parts	Three narrators. First person narrative, clocks, and the lovers. Each one has stanzas explaining it's own connection with time and its attitude towards it.
Climax	"But all the clocks in the city Began to whirr and chime: 'O let not Time deceive you, You cannot conquer Time."
Other Parts	(What?)

Skeleton	It holds a strong emotional path and then curves into that of sadness. It becomes bitter and transforms into disappointment.
Content Genre- games	Love poem at first but then it becomes that of a nature poem.
Tone	The tone is rather grave, yet, bold.
Agency	Time is the main agent in this poem.
Roads Not Taken	I can imagine someone altering the message of the poem by changing the perspective of the narrator. They could definitely change who the speaker is.
Speech Acts	Author's speech at first is casual as if merely explaining a walk to the park. Then the speech is that of longing and of passion. It switches a warning towards the clocks of time and it's forever turning hand. It's almost like a plea towards the readers. (I'm not very good at identifying the speech so this is all I can explain)
Outer and Inner Structural Forms	There are fifteen stanzas and each have four lines. Rhyming every other sentence and in constant motion. The connected words found in the poem are all having to do with nature such as water and land.
Imagination	The author's use of metaphors made this piece very imaginative as he used words of naturalistic beauty to get his point across.

 

 

Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night by Dylan Thomas

Theme: (Chart is all wonky) Death is inevitable, but that doesn't mean to give up and give in when it comes to living.

TPCASTT:  Poem Analysis Method:   title, paraphrase, connotation, diction,  attitude, tone, shift(s), title revisited and  theme
Titleof poem means	Don't go willingly into whatever comes up (which could be anything). Fight for what's right.
Paraphraseparts of the Poem	Men live their lives all differently, even though they are categorized as wise, good, wild, grave, etc., but they all fight against death. Even his father must fight against it.
Connotationof some of the words – changing literal meaning to implied or associated values	Author telling us to try and resist death and hold out longer because life must be cherished and even though death is inevitable, keep on fighting.
AttitudeWhat is the attitude of the author, characters or yourself?	The attitude is full of hope, yet I found it to be filled with melancholy and of depression. The author holds a tone of desperation towards those he speaks to, which was poignant and upset.
ShiftAt first we think or feel one way – then there is a shift:  identify the shifts and explain them	The shift happened, in my opinion, at the last stanza. The author led his readers to believe that he was speaking in general towards those men who all must face death one day, but the shift suddenly takes a turn when the author mentions his father specifically, which alters the perspective of the readers.
Title revisitedAny new insights on meaning or significance of title?	Fight against your opponent, even if you know you cannot win. Show your strength and take charge in life. Live it to the fullest.
Theme

Seventh Reading

The poem I chose was a poem that my group and I discussed while in class. I read "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night" by Dylan Thomas.

I usually read parts of a poem over and over again to try and understand its message. However, I read it straight through one time and tried to piece together what I could. The only thing I understood was that the author was telling others to fight death even though death is inevitable. The experience I felt when reading it the first time was that of having a vague understanding of the message as well as utter confusion with certain phrases in the poem. "Because their words had forked no lightning they do not go gentle into that good night" continued to trip me up as I read it a third and fourth time. Still, I was able to ascertain that each stanza is linked together with the same message. Each stanza describes different men-- wise men, good men, wild men, grave men-- and that their thoughts towards death are different, but all the same the author tells them to continue fighting against the cold grasp of death's fingers. "Rage, rage against the dying of the light." The experience when reading it the seventh time was that of full comprehension with the connection the author has with the poem as well as who the author was writing this for. "And you, my father, there on the sad height..." Thomas wrote this for his father, who was probably dying of old age. I really became connected with the poem by the time I had read it a fifth time, so the experience overall went pretty well. The meaning and purpose of the poem is now sealed with hot wax in my mind and I'm glad that I can now identify what I need to know when it comes to that AP exam I'm so dreading.

I apologize for the late update. I'm stupid.

Macbeth Notes Act V

Scene I

- A doctor and a waiting gentlewoman watch Lady Macbeth sleepwalking, for she has been asleep while Macbeth has been out in the field.
- Lady Macbeth has been sleepwalking and writing letters in her sleep as well
- The gentlewoman doesn't want to tell the doctor what Lady Macbeth has been saying in her sleep for fear of getting in caught
- Lady Macbeth seemingly to look like she's in a trance for her eyes are open but she is sleepwalking
- A light is on Lady Macbeth at all times now (how queer) and she's washing her hands
- There seems to be an invisible blood stain that she is trying to rub out of her hands
- "Out, damned spot! out, I say!" Famous quote
- Lady Macbeth refers to the murders: "The thane of Fife had a wife" and it's a burden on her shoulders, even though she had nothing to do with the murder
- Doctor tells the gentlewoman to keep a lookout for Lady Macbeth and to make sure she does not harm herself

Scene II

- Siward is the father-in-law of Duncan and the grandfather of Malcolm
- Macbeth no longer has control over the nobles
- Lennox, Caithness, Angus, Menteith, and the other soldiers march on
- All I know is that they sound as thought they are ready to shed blood for their country (Meh)

Scene III

- "The devil damn thee black, thou cream-faced loon! Where got'st thou that goose look?" "There is ten thousand--" "Geese, villain!" "Soldiers, sir" I laughed at this for not only is the insult very clever, but Macbeth is just such an overdramatic character that I find it humorous "lily- liver'd boy"
- Servant warns Macbeth that an army is headed towards him
- Macbeth comes to terms with this and vows to fight with all his might
- Seyton is introduced and brings Macbeth his armor
- The doctor informs Macbeth of his wife's mental illness and Macbeth simply tells him to fix it
- However, the doctor tells him that her solution lies within her and Macbeth is unhappy about this and scorns medical art
- Macbeth seems restless in this scene and the doctor wants nothing more than to ditch this neighborhood

Scene IV

- Meanwhile in a country near Burnam wood...
- English forces unite with Scottish lords near Burnam wood
- Malcolm orders for his men to cut down boughs in order to conceal the numbers of the army
- War is approaching

Scene V

- An overconfident Macbeth has trusted his castle to keep him safe
- There is a sudden noise, which was reported to be that of the cry of women
- Seyton brings the news that Lady Macbeth is dead
- Macbeth mourns over the loss of his wife and contemplates suicide before a servant brings him out of his soliloquy
- The servant tells Macbeth that he saw the forest begin to move (the soldiers are camouflaged)
- Macbeth doesn't believe him: "If thou speak'st false, upon the next tree shalt thou hang alive"
- Macbeth, in despair, saddles out to meet those who have betrayed him (he knows this must be a losing battle for him)

Scene VI

- A short scene of the soldiers preparing to attack
- There isn't really much to say about this scene so... quack

Scene VII

- A Young Siward confronts Macbeth and asks for his name for which Macbeth tells him
- "The devil himself could not pronounce a title more hateful more hateful to mine ear." "No, no more fearful."
- They fight and Macbeth kills Young Siward
- The others prepare to enter the castle

Scene VIII

- Macduff finally meets up with Macbeth, who has been avoiding Macduff because he knows that he is already guilty for murdering his family
- They begin to fight while exchanging harsh words at one another
- Macduff: "Painted on a pole and underwrit, 'Here may you see the tyrant.'
- Ross tells Siward that his son was found dead and Siward mourns, but is proud of his son's bravery
- Macduff enters with Macbeth's head in his hand (Whoa there)
- "Hail, King of Scotland!"
- Ross closes the play with his monologue aaaaand Fin.

Macbeth Notes Act IV

Scene I

- Witches brewing a potion
- "Double, double, toil and trouble." So that's where that came from!
- The lead witch, Hecate, arrives to watch the show unfold
- Macbeth enters the cave and confronts the witches
- Three apparitions appear (reference towards A Christmas Carol)
- First apparition: an armed head
- Second apparition: a bloody child
- Third apparition: a crowned child holding a tree
- Eight ghosts appear along with the ghost of Banquo
- Macbeth, in horror, flees to England before Lennox arrives at the cave and the witches vanish

Scene II

- Lady Macduff, Ross, and son discuss why Macduff would leave his family like he did
- Lady Macduff asks her son how he will continue on without his father around
- Because Macduff fled, Lady Macduff is suspicious that he committed a crime that he is guilty of
- Three murderers suddenly enter and call Macduff a traitor, which upsets the son
- "What, you egg!" "He has kill'd me, mother! Run away, I pray you!" (Monty Python just because)
- Son is killed by the murderers

Scene III

- Malcolm and Macduff begin talking to each other about Macbeth and the tyranny he's causing in Scotland
- Malcolm understands how bloodlust can be, but Macduff opposes to such a thing
- "Of horrid hell can come a devil more damn'd in evils to top Macbeth"
- (Rather tedious scene) A doctor arrives
- Doctor refers to the disease that Macbeth has: EVIL
- Ross gives Macduff the sad news about his entire family and servants being killed at his castle
- This causes a wave of guilt to hit Macduff as he realizes that it was his fault they lost their lives
- They agree to push forward and move on to deal with Macbeth

Life of Pi Multiple Choice Questions and Open Essay Questions

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Piscine was named after a ___.
A. Swimming pool
B. Relative
C. Indian actor

2. What is the most dangerous animal in a zoo according to Piscine's father?
A. Alligator
B. Elephant
C. Golden Agouti

3. What was the name of the ship that sank?
A. QEII
B. Titanic
C. Tsimtsum

4. How many religions did Piscine practice out of enjoyment?
A. 2
B. 5
C. 3

5. How long did Piscine survive out in sea?
A. 305 days
B. 165 days
C. 227 days

6. What did Piscine ultimately decide to do with Richard Parker?
A. Train him and keep him alive
B. Wage a war of attrition
C. Drug and kill him

7. What animal is COMMONLY known as the most dangerous animal in the zoo according to the novel?
A. Rhinoceros
B. Man
C. Tiger

8. While on an abandoned island, what did Piscine survive off of during that time?
A. Fruit off of trees
B. Wild Boars
C. Algae

9. Who is Tomohiro Okamoto?
A. A Japanese reporter
B. Captain of the Tsimtsum
C. Female Bengal Tiger

10. What is the formed relationship between Piscine Patel and Richard Parker?
A. One of insecurities and bitterness
B. One of dominance and trust
C. One of loving and protection

Open Essay Questions

1. Religion plays a big role in Life of Pi. Discuss the part of religion in the novel and how it affected Piscine's journey.

2. A recurring motif in Life of Pi is territorial dominance and setting boundaries. How does Piscine's way of marking his territory in the lifeboat serve as a lifesaver and how does his survival guide contribute to creating daily routines?

3. Piscine tells two stories about what happened to him out on sea; one with animals and one without. What does this say about human understanding and believing what is real as well as those who are skeptical and only go off of hard facts?