Learning Log #1

Well, first real week of the second semester! I have been enjoying my classes and the new material we've started to cover. Only problem for me? I am a chipmunk. Yes, since I just had my wisdom teeth removed, my face has been quite swollen. Anyways! Lets review what happened in class this past week!

Each class we usually begin with a poem from this website that Mr. Hazeu found. Everyday a new poem is featured, and together as a class we read and analyze the poems. I very much enjoy this part of class because it gives us a chance to exchange our personal interpretations of the poems, as well as helping each other better understand what the author was trying to create. My favourite poem so far was a sonnet (109, I believe) by Shakespeare. We didn't really understand all of what Shakespeare was trying to say, but the rhyming pattern flowed so smoothly and the words about love fit with the valentines day theme.

In preparation for the Bradbury novel 451 Fahrenheit, we have been learning a bit about what dystopian literature is. Dystopian literature is a genre that uses futuristic, worst case scenario societies to identify an issue that is rising from a current trend or political system. Some examples of dystopian literature would be books like The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and The Host by Stephanie Meyer.

So far, we've only just started reading 451 Fahrenheit, and its already kind of confusing... I like how the author uses words in a way to create emotion in the reader. The only thing I don't enjoy about his style is that I am finding it difficult to decipher what is actually happening and what the author is trying to make us feel (Clarify, I have a hard time understanding what information is relevant to the story and what is not).

That is a rough sum up of this past week. Till next time!
Happy (Belated) Valentines Day!

Melina