Thursday, June 12, 2014

Gros Jean

"Ti-Jean and His Brothers" is a very rich play in all the aspects one would expect. There is comedy and tragedy as well as the effects of music, sound and light. In the play we also see how the english language has evolved in such a way as to complement the culture of the caribbean. Ti-Jean and His Brothers is an engaging and enjoyable play.
The comical aspects of the play permeate the entire story. The comedy mainly comes into play during the interaction between the Devil and each of the three brothers. When Gros Jean is working for the planter the Devil, as the Planter, deliberately goads Gros jean by calling him by all sorts of names except his own. Soon after the Planter enters he says : "Thats right Gros Chien, Gros Jean, Gros Jean, Sorry". The Planter goes from calling Gros Jean, Joe, to Mac, to Gros Chien, to Charley, back to Mac, then to Horace and then francis, Joe again, Henry and ends with Benton then Mervin near the end of the scene. "You're worth more to me, Benton than fifty men. So you should smoke, after all. And such a pleasant disposition, always smiling. Just Like a skull. But Remember Mervin, I'd like you to try and finish this, you see I have a contract and the harder you work the more I . . . ". The humour would be more apparent if one was actually visualising the way it would be acted on stage. The Planter would probably say the different names in an absent minded fashion while Gros Jean gets more and more frustrated. Gros Jean would probably feel as if his identity was in jeopardy. Identity is very important to Gros Jean, this is illustrated by the various references he makes to his strength, something he considers integral to his identity.

Monday, June 9, 2014

Poetry

Theme Matrix
Title
War
Death
Nature
Childhood
History/Legacy
Green Beret”




Dulce et DecorumEst
 
 



A Lesson this Sunday”


 


BirdshootingSeason”


 
 

Ancestors (Part 1)”




 
In the New World”




 
Ballad of Birmingham”

 


 
Because I Could Not Stop For Death”

 






Practice Essay:
Ti-Jean and His Brothers explores the theme of good versus evil. With reference to the play:
a)
Describe the family’s situation as presented in the prologue.     6 marks
b)
Discuss the portrayal of evil through the devil and his fiends in the entire play.    10 marks
c)
Explain how good overcomes evil in the end.                              9 marks
Practice Comprehension piece in English for All book 2 page_____

Dramatic irony

Act 2
This Act opens with the Chorus warning Mi-Jean of Gros Jean’s failed attempt at beating the Devil. Mi- Jean shows contempt at the animals talking to him, man, a superior being. The Chorus leaves the stage as the masked Devil appears as an Old Man on stage. Mi- Jean is startled at this man’s knowledge but he plays it off as common knowledge. There are hints given to the audience that the Old Man is the Devil, through the cloven hoof (of a cow), his song of  the enemy –Death being everywhere on land and sea, and showing his Devil’s mask to the audience when Mi-Jean sings his Song of Silence. Silence does not last long for Mi- Jean as he becomes exasperated with his task of tying the goat and the insulting philosophy of the Devil. Mi-Jean becomes angry and he is trapped by the Devil’s embrace and his own annoyance.
Dramatic Irony
“This involves a situation in a play or a narrative in which the audience or reader shares with the author knowledge of present or future circumstances of which a character is ignorant;  in that situation, the character unknowingly acts in  a way recognized to be grossly inappropriate to the actual circumstances.” From Glossary of Literary Terms, M.H. Abrams, 7th Edition



Ti-Jean and His Brothers (prologue)

Comprehension items
Prologue:
1.
How were stage directions used at the start?
2.
Describe the setting. (Read the entire Prologue first.)
3.
Identify two allusions/references to traditional theatre.
4.
Why was Ti-Jean placed in the moon?
5.
How do the stage directions and props help in their characterization?
6.
Contrast the music played for the entrance of Mi-Jean and then for the mention of his mother.
7.
Describe the entrance of the devil and his fiends. How is the mood changed again?
8.
How is the stupidity of Gros-Jean and Mi-Jean revealed? What is the effect?
9.
What is the relationship between the two brothers and Ti-Jean?
10.
What two things do they compare him to?
Act 1
1.
Do you agree with Gros Jean’s decision to leave with telling anyone goodbye? Explain.
2.
What is the effect of Mother’s comment: “Woman life is so. Watching and losing.” Give an example of her watching and one of her losing.
3.
The mother says, “The arm which digs a grave/ Is the strongest arm of all.” What does she mean? Whose arm is the strongest in the story based on what she says?
4.
Comment on the use of literary devices in the mother’s speech in the same section.
5.
What advice does Mother give Gros Jean? Does he obey? If no, explain.
6.
What is the dramatic effect of Gros Jean’s song?
7.
Who is the Old Man? How do you know?
8.    According to Gros Jean is the shortest way to success?
    9.    How does the planter successfully anger Gros Jean? List his strategies.
   10.  What do the stage directions reveal about Gros Jean and the planter?
Act One
Chorus
Acts as narrators.
Introduces the central characters
Comments on the action
Stage Directions
The opening stage directions reveal the setting of the play (location, time of day, weather), introduce the chorus and the mother (characters) and hints at the theme of poverty.
Stage directions add to characterization: how Gros Jean walks, how the creatures react, etc.
Show how props and sound effects/music are used.
Props
Related to poverty – empty bowl, bare table
Props are used to indicate the brothers’ jobs (faggots and fishing line) and also interest (books)
Music
Characterization: Gros Jean performs an exaggerated march to music.
A drum roll and comic quatro introduce Mi-Jean, and the mother is introduced with “sad music on flute.”
The mood and music change again with the entrance of the devil and his servants: cymbals, shrieks, thunder.
Bolom enters with the sound of wind, rain and insects.
Bolom later imitates the crying of a child.
Lighting
It is a dark rainy evening.
Red for the devil.
Blue for Bolom.

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Group Assignment

Group Assignment
1. Prepare a presentation on the poem you were given. This presentation should include a chart with all the vital information from your poem, a ten minutes oral presentation explaining the poem - making reference to the chart, creative take away notes for other groups/ students as highlights of your presentation.
2. Areas that should be covered are on the poetry worksheet: author, background information (if needed), structure, diction, meaning/summary, figurative language, theme, tone, mood, meter, rhyme and any other feature that was outstanding in the poem.
Presentation Outline
 Chart
1.      Make a chart about the size of two cartridge papers (width and length).
2.      Place on the chart four ‘Did you know?’ cards giving background information vital to the poem,or  facts or opinions that can help readers understand any aspect of the poem.
3.      The title of the poem should be placed in bold at the top of the board, along with the poet’s name in a smaller font.
4.      Use your creativity to arrange the following information on the chart: summary of the poem, figurative language used and their meaning explained, themes and evidence from the poem to support, three clear images that support the poem ( these can be drawn and coloured, or neatly cut from magazines or other sources), tone, mood, a short commentary on the diction used and any other features that were outstanding in the poem.
Take away notes
1.      This should bear highlights of the poem.
2.      Title of the poem should be at the top along with the poet’s name.
3.      The top ten most import points of the poem must be given in bullet form.
4.      The dimensions of this item must not be bigger than 7 cm wide and 25 cm long (average bookmarker)
5.      Make enough so that each student can get a copy or two to each group.
Oral Presentation
1.      The aim is to get your viewing audience interested in your poem. Hence, if you want to role play, dj or give a dramatic reading of the poem it is fine.
2.      Give your viewing audience a guided tour of the experience in the poem, making reference to your chart as you do that.
3.      Incorporate as many individuals of your group in this presentation.
Create five (5) true or false questions based on your presentation that should be given at the end of your 10 minutes to your viewing audience.


POEMS: “In the New World”, “Lesson for this Sunday”, “Birdshooting Season”, “Because I could not stop for Death” and “Ballad of Birmingham”

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

revision poetry websites (games)

http://daisyane.myweb.uga.edu/6200/project/game.html

http://www.quia.com/rr/745431.html?AP_rand=369781756

Sunday, March 9, 2014

"Dulce Et Decorum Est"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4Lzo_EXXOQ

Wilfred Owen fought and died in the First World War and much of his poetry is about the horrors of that conflict.

The Poet

Wilfred Owen is one of the most famous war poets. He was born in 1893 and died in 1918, just one week from the end of World War One. His poetry is characterised by powerful descriptions of the conditions faced by soldiers in the trenches.

World War One

World War One took place between 1914 and 1918 and is remembered particularly for trench warfare and the use of gas. Owing to the technological innovations in use during it, the war is often referred to as the first modern war.

The War Poets

Poets such as Wilfred Owen, Siegfried Sassoon, Isaac Rosenberg and Ivor Gurney have a strong association with World War One. As a group, their poems are often violent and realistic, challenging earlier poetry which communicated a pro-war message. The first-hand experience of war is arguably one reason why there is such a shift in the attitude of poets towards war.

Dulce et Decorum Est uses gruesome imagery to narrate the horrors of a gas attack.


An injured soldier carried out on a stretcher in World War 1
An injured soldier carried out on a stretcher in World War 1
The poem describes a gas attack on a trench in World War One. The poem reveals to the reader the terrible consequences of a gas attack: 'the blood / Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs'. It also presents the unglamorous reality of trench life, with the soldiers described as being 'like old beggars'.
The Latin used at the end of the poem means 'It is sweet and honourable to die for your country', a concept Owen is strongly denying.

Wilfred Owen uses careful chosen words to convey the pain and suffering of the weary soldiers.

Structure

There is not a clearly defined structure to the poem, although Owen does make use of rhyme, mostly on alternate line endings.
The poem opens with a description of trench life and the conditions faced by the soldiers. Then comes the gas attack, and the poem offers a graphic description of the effects of such an attack.

Language

A soldier without a mask succumbs to the fumes
A soldier without a mask succumbs to the fumes
The opening stanza is characterised by language about 'fatigue': the soldiers 'marched asleep', they 'trudge', and 'limped on'. They are 'deaf', 'lame' and 'blind'; all rather pitiful language intended to reveal the reality of war and its effects.
The speaker describes a vision in a dream of a gas victim 'guttering, choking, drowning'. The listed verbs are associated with a lack of air and death.
The language used in the sections depicting the gas attack is strong, representing both the anguish of the victims of the gas attack as well as the effect on those haunted by what they have seen: 'watch the white eyes writhing in his face, / His hanging face'. The repetition of the word 'face' makes it clear which element disturbs the speaker most: the transformation in the face of the victim. The use of alliteration on the 'w' sound reflects the agonised twisting of the gas victim.
Wilfred Owen mounts a powerful argument against the complacency of those who believe war to be a glorious patriotic duty.

Attitudes and ideas

Storm troops advancing in battle
Storm troops advancing in battle
The opening of the poem suggests Owen pities the state to which the soldiers have fallen. Instead of youthful, strong fighters they are 'Bent double', 'Knock-kneed, coughing like hags'. Owen's imagery presents the men as prematurely old and weakened. War has broken these men, and they are described in the most unglamorous, inglorious manner. Owen's bitterness at this transformation is obvious.
Owen's disillusionment with war is also clear from the closing lines of the poem. After describing the horrifying effects of the gas attack he addresses the reader:
'My friend, you would not tell with such high zest To children ardent for some desperate glory, The old Lie'
He is rejecting the accepted attitude back at home that serving your country in war is glorious. He is critical of the 'high zest', or great enthusiasm, used to convince men to go to war. He sees war as brutal and wasteful of young lives. His choice of the word 'children' is also significant; impressionable young men are almost lured to war by the promise of 'desperate glory'.


  • War transforms soldiers, breaking them physically and mentally: 'Bent double' 'Knock-kneed'. Rather than glorious men, Owen presents the soldiers as weakened old 'hags'.
  • The experience of war is something no soldier can escape: 'In all my dreams, before my helpless sight, / He plunges at me'.
  • The effect of gas used in World War One is communicated to the reader through Owen's use of verbs linked to death by a lack of oxygen: 'guttering, choking, drowning', 'smothering'.
  • Owen offers the reader very graphic imagery associated with suffering, aiming to present the truth about the war experience, arguably arising from his first-hand experience of war.
  • Owen presents the soldiers as victims who have been betrayed by those who encouraged them to go to war. He uses words such as 'innocent' and 'children' to reinforce his positive attitude to the soldiers.
  • Owen is bitter about war and the encouragement given to go to war. He angrily refers to 'The old Lie' that dying for your country is sweet and honourable.
  • The detailed description of a soldier dying as a result of gas attack is intended to make the reader feel discomfort, forcing him or her to confront the reality of war, something which is far from honourable or sweet.

"Green Beret" study questions

Answer the following questions in your exercise book.

1. Which group of soldiers did the boy belong to? North or South.How do we know this?
The boy belonged to the North Vietnamese High Plateau Soldiers. We know this as the Green Beret were American Soldiers who were supporting the South Vietnamese. 

2. What is meant by “ a good fight will make him talk”?
"A good fight will make him talk" refers to the method used by the Green Beret. They are going to frighten the child into telling them where the North Vietnamese were hiding. 

3. Who is the Green Beret referring to when he commands, “tell us where they are”?
The Green Beret commands "tell us where they are" as he wants the boy to divulge the secret hideouts of the North Vietnamese - the opposition are. 

4. What image in the poem suggests the boy is hurt and afraid?
The image in the poem which suggests the boy is hurt and afraid is when he is described as having " eyes [like] a hurt animal" and his face as being "all eyes". This makes us imagine the boy is terrified. 

5. Explain the following images in your own words.

a) “the forest’s green wall”
The forest is so thick it is like a wall and impenetrable.
b)” a face all eyes”
The boy's eyes appear to be huge because of the terror he feels. 
c)” like tigers across the high plateau”
The North Vietnamese are quietly and stealthily creeping unnoticed across the High Plateau.

6. Is the boy as weak as the Green Beret assume? Explain your answer in detail. What lines in the poem back this up?
The boy is not weak. He has sacrificed the life of his father to ensure the North Vietnamese are not discovered. The lines in the poem which support this are "and the boy knew everything...."

7. What sacrifice was forced on the boy because he was prepared to take a stance?
The boy sacrificed the life of his father.

8. Who was the boy protecting? Was he successful? How do you know?
The boy was protecting the North Vietnamese. He was successful as the poem ends with us knowing the North Vietnamese soldiers were still moving across the High Plateau. 


http://www.slideshare.net/Scarlett69/green-beret-by-ho-thien

Green Beret, written by Ho Thien, a Vietnamese writer, is a narrative poem, telling a story that a brave and loyal twelve-year-old boy insisted and succeeded in concealing the secret of Viet Cong Guerilla,,confronting with the traitors and the threatening of father’ life from the American Green Beret during the Vietnam War.

In structure, the poem can be divided in three parts by the narration content. First part is from line 1 to line 5; the second part covers line 6 to line 35; the rest is the third part. Part1 brings the protagonist a twelve-year-old boy to readers in first person— an unknown boy and his father was caught by the Green Beret because of treason from the mercenaries. Part 2 creates scenes that Beret menaced the boy to kill his father in one minute, if he did not tell where the guerilla is. However, his father was sacrificed in stead of divulging the secrets. The last part praises the magnificent loyalty, patriotism, and huge sacrifice (his father’ death of the boy, and sets of the Green Beret’ cruelty and evil of the mercenaries by contrast.

From the aspect of language, many monosyllabic words are used in relation to the threatening of the Green Beret. “You father – dead” (line 12), and “or we kill your father”(line 16) stress their brutality. Besides, the repetition of time— from one minute, ten seconds, to the last instant, all construct a severe, depress environment. The description of the boy’s father’s death— “kill”,“roared” “ shattered” reveal the Green Bret’ impatience and excitement to slaughter. All of the words bring readers to witness the real reappearance scene of inquest and the vivid image of Green Beret.

Otherwise, the poet uses many repeated words in the poem. In line 2 and line 4, the repetition “I do not know”, shows the boy and his father may be frail strangers to “I”, but I would be able to remember the event, their loyalty and sacrifice forever. As backgrounds, the sky, the forests of trees, and the High Plateau, also have many times appearance. In reality, it is a silent remonstration and blame on the invasion and violence happened in the homeland. The word “frail”, “silence”, “cry”, “tears” arose many times as well. They demonstrate the struggles and poor reactions of the weak in the war.

The big contrast can be seen everywhere in the poem. First is the contrast between characters— the frail boy who is weak and frightened and Green Beret who dominated the life of a children’s father; the devoted boy, his father and the mercenaries standing in the invader’s sides( “a damn thing” in line 32). The second contrast is emerged in the movements. In line 6 to line 8, “with a eyes of hurt animal” shows his little sympathy to the weak, however in line 13, “with eyes now bright and filled with terror” exposes the savage nature of Green Beret for his fright to the boy did not work. In line 22 to line 29, “in the silence”, soldiers stood as the sky and trees, while, the fragile boy cried out.


Monday, February 24, 2014

Easter Term Language Assignments


·         Homework
ü  A Descriptive Essay.
Due Week 5
ü  Comprehension Exercise Due Week 7
·         Classwork
ü  Journal Entry #4 Description of a Scene (Poem)
Due Week 5
ü  Journal Entry #5 Description of a Person (Essay)
Due Week 6
ü  Project: JOURNAL

·         Departmental Six Weekly Exam

Easter Project 2014 - Journal

Easter Term Project 2014
Journal
This will be an individual assignment, where the student will be required to reflect, create and critique, things learnt in Literature and Language class each week. The journal should be a regular ruled exercise book that the student creatively decorates and keeps with him for the weekly writing assignments. The assignments may be done in class or at home dependent upon the instruction from the teacher. At one point, the parent /guardian will be asked to be a part of one or two journal entries.

Writing Assignments

Week 1 – Find a short poem, and paste or write out in your journal. Label at least three elements of poetry found in the poem. Write out what are your challenges with poetry. Write two goals

Week 2- Write a paragraph in response to these questions: What is this poem about? Which other literary work does it remind me of? Would I be as brave as the persona? Explain your answer.

Week 3- Find a photo of young soldiers and paste in your journal. Write a paragraph in response to these questions: If there was war declared in Jamaica, would I be enlisted after reading this poem? Explain your answer.

Week 4- Give a short report, outlining your experience in the sharing session and your opinion of two other poet’s  (classmates) work.

Week 5- Language Requirement
Week 6- Language Requirement
Week 7- Language Requirement

Week 8- Critique the representation of nature in the poem “Nature” by H.D. Carberry

Week 9- Write three lines summarizing what you learnt about comparative essays. Write two questions that you still have on the topic.

Week 10- Write a poem explaining the concept of death. Ask your parent to help you.

Week 11- Peer edit your friend’s poem in your spare time. Do another draft of your poem from week 10.


Week 12- Give a short report, reflecting on your experience writing poetry, writing about poetry and discussing poetry.