Today I once again witnessed history in the making and it was quite awe inspiring to say the least. I think it shows something about America that we can finally elect our first African-American President, but overall I think it shows that America is ready for a much needed change. With all the struggle we face in America now it is hard to think we will ever recover, but President Obama is right, we have been through many tough times and each time we Americans overcame our troubles and continued to survive and thrive. His positive attitude towards the times ahead is something that really made me optimistic and hopeful, and this is what America needs and what President Obama is bringing, Hope. Now after I heard and read Elizabeth Alexander's poem, "Praise Song for the Day," I can really see a connection between it and this historic occasion. The part where she talks about "the many who died for this day" and "who laid the train tracks, raised bridges..." really rings true with President Obama's speech; they both seem to intertwine with each other and create a new meaning of Hope and Change for America in this troubled time. The framework has been laid for us by those heroes of the past and now it is our turn as heroes to rise up and continue the effort to build America. This is truly a historical event and we are definitely living in very interesting times. As an American, I am anxious to see what awaits us in the future under the leadership of President Obama. Now unfortunately I wasn't able to see the speech live today, but luckily I was able to watch it online with a transcript. I found that watching it this way gave me a little more context to work will and I felt that I was able to understand his meaning on a deeper level that I would have otherwise; the same goes for Elizabeth Alexander's poem. Seeing the two texts together helped me to better find connections between the two. Although I would have much rather seen President Obama's speech live, I found that this way was much more beneficial to fully understanding it and its connection to Elizabeth Alexander's Poem. Today was history in the making and I can say that I am very proud to be an American.
God Bless America.
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the course blog for eng L202 (cruz), spring 2009
Course objectives
This course has three objectives. First and foremost, this class will introduce you to literary genres (poetry, drama, and prose fiction), to the skills you need to analyze different forms of literature, and to the key terms we use in literary analysis (ranging from sonnet structure to unreliable narrators). Therefore, this course is also an introduction to the English Literature major (although you need not be an English major to succeed in the class). Through readings and in class discussion, we will work throughout the semester on improving close reading and critical analysis skills.
Second, this class will provide an intellectual space in which you can discuss formal, thematic, and cultural aspects of literary texts. We will view all of our texts as cultural products, and we will think critically about some of the ways in which literary works might be responding to, commenting on, and even working against some of the dominant assumptions of their time and ours. We will consider a wide range of subjects—including racial and cultural identities, formations of gender and sexuality, and strategies of resistance and counter-narrative through literary form. As the semester progresses, we will think about the following key question: How does the form of a work enhance its project?
Our final objective is to develop tools for effective writing. Writing is, at its core, a process; this course will introduce you to different ways of thinking about this process. Eventually, you’ll need to define your own individual process, since we all write and think in different ways. You will begin by thinking about your own strengths and identifying your goals for the course. In this class, we will be focusing on specific genre of academic writing: the argumentative analysis essay. Remember, this essay is one specific type of writing – just because this type of paper is our focus does not mean that other forms are invalid. I mention this because we’ll spend a significant amount of time learning about this type of essay. Therefore, the class includes writing workshops that focus on the various aspects of writing a successful argument essay: 1) choosing a subject and crafting a daring, debatable thesis; 2) selecting appropriate evidence for your argument; 3) analyzing evidence; 4) writing effective sentences and paragraphs; 5) editing, proofreading, and revising.
Ideally, you will leave this course with strategies that you will be able to use beyond the boundaries of the “college essay” and literary analysis alone, such as thinking critically, analyzing evidence carefully, developing original and creative opinions and arguments, and most importantly, communicating effectively.
Second, this class will provide an intellectual space in which you can discuss formal, thematic, and cultural aspects of literary texts. We will view all of our texts as cultural products, and we will think critically about some of the ways in which literary works might be responding to, commenting on, and even working against some of the dominant assumptions of their time and ours. We will consider a wide range of subjects—including racial and cultural identities, formations of gender and sexuality, and strategies of resistance and counter-narrative through literary form. As the semester progresses, we will think about the following key question: How does the form of a work enhance its project?
Our final objective is to develop tools for effective writing. Writing is, at its core, a process; this course will introduce you to different ways of thinking about this process. Eventually, you’ll need to define your own individual process, since we all write and think in different ways. You will begin by thinking about your own strengths and identifying your goals for the course. In this class, we will be focusing on specific genre of academic writing: the argumentative analysis essay. Remember, this essay is one specific type of writing – just because this type of paper is our focus does not mean that other forms are invalid. I mention this because we’ll spend a significant amount of time learning about this type of essay. Therefore, the class includes writing workshops that focus on the various aspects of writing a successful argument essay: 1) choosing a subject and crafting a daring, debatable thesis; 2) selecting appropriate evidence for your argument; 3) analyzing evidence; 4) writing effective sentences and paragraphs; 5) editing, proofreading, and revising.
Ideally, you will leave this course with strategies that you will be able to use beyond the boundaries of the “college essay” and literary analysis alone, such as thinking critically, analyzing evidence carefully, developing original and creative opinions and arguments, and most importantly, communicating effectively.
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January
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- It's hard for me to get excited about "plug in" po...
- A nice view of cultured hell
- Raw Material + Genuinity (just made that up) = "Po...
- Resonating Questions
- The poem America by Claude McKay is a regular son...
- Poetry is where we are ourselves.
- Poetry About Poetry
- Claude Mckay=Stephen Colbert?
- they died instead
- America-- Claude McKay
- America- Claude McKay
- E.E. Cummings spoke
- next to of course god america i
- I Believe, Too
- communication in poetry
- He spoke. And drank rapidly a glass of water
- E.E. Cummings
- America the ridiculous?
- Enjambment and Allusions make a Mockery of Patriotism
- A Contradiction of Form and Feeling
- Personifications Purpose in Poetry
- Close Reading, Part I
- a rough night before a reassuring dawn
- Praise Song for the Day by Elizabeth Alexander
- A Nation's Change
- The Impact of Words
- A Sharp Sparkle
- Does America still want to be a "Melting Pot"?
- Why “Praise Song for the Day?”
- Who Can You Trust?
- America: A Rejuvenated Nation
- Inauguration Day and Elizabeth Alexander’s Poem
- As the Crowd Walked Away
- of the people, by the people, for the people
- She's A Machine
- Inaugural Oath: Roberts vs. Obama?
- Hard Work
- "ON THIS DAY WE CHOOSE HOPE OVER FEAR"
- Sacrifice
- Sacrifice
- We walk into that which we cannot yet see
- A Day of Celebration
- We Can
- Number 44
- Dawn of Change
- Inauguration Day
- A Historical Day in America
- Welcome to your ENG L202 course blog. Throughout t...
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January
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"Poetry (and now my voice is rising)/ is not all love, love, love,/ and I’m sorry the dog
died./ Poetry (here I hear myself loudest)/ is the human voice,/ and are we not of interest to each other?" --Elizabeth Alexander, "Ars Poetica #100: I believe"
died./ Poetry (here I hear myself loudest)/ is the human voice,/ and are we not of interest to each other?" --Elizabeth Alexander, "Ars Poetica #100: I believe"
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