15 November: Lessons to the End of Term

15 November 2013 The following is a rough plan for the remainder of term, but be prepared for possible changes. English 1301 18-22 November 2013 “The Seafarer” – time for a quiz. I forgot to tell you that “wyrd” is the Old English word for the pagan concept of fate. It’s on the quiz. The quiz is quite a long one and will require much thought, thus, take it with you. Do NOT try to finish this in class; if you do, you will fail to grasp the complexities of the apparently simple questions. Take your time. Think about what the question asks. Craft your responses as good thoughts expressed in good, clear, effective, subject-verb-object sentences (some among you are lapsing into passive voice and inverted-sequence structures that really don’t work). Use the blank sides of the pages for your rough drafts. The quizzes will be available beginning Monday morning. Tuesday / Wednesday students, you are welcome to pop into class for a copy. Feel free to take one away for a friend. I will need your quiz finished and returned to me – not to someone else, who will then lose it or forget to deliver it – by 11:04 A.M. on Thursday. Because this is a help-each-other quiz with a four-day window (metaphorical window, of course), the grading will merciless. Finish your research paper. Turn it in now. Wednesday morning class only – JHS offers the ASVAB (so many acronyms…) from 0800 – noon. You are welcome to take it, but do let me know in advance (a day is advance; ten minutes is not advance; I do not walk around with an Orwellian telescreen glued to my hand) via email so I don’t count you absent. We will take most of the period for research papers, and your classmates can take notes for you regarding any other matters. Finish your research paper. Turn it in now. Research papers – time for a bit of nagging. Only a few students have brought to me works-in-progress for suggestions. I have read at least three complete rough drafts that, even in their preliminary construct, are ‘A’ papers. I should have seen more complete rough drafts by now. Some students are so far behind that they are unsure about topics, and this should have been resolved in September. Some have asked questions that indicate that they have not listened to the lessons presented in class (too busy with the chips and the Orwellian telescreens?), have not read the assignment handout given to everyone at mid-term, have not read the assigned text pages, have not read the many sample research papers available week after week, have not read the postings on BlackBoard and on Angry Verbs, and have not used in-class time allotted for ad lib work on their research papers. For the last few weeks I have almost always given half of each class for this and for one-on-one consultations with me. Some of your classmates have not shown me even a paragraph. Do those students think inactivity is wise? I am always on campus early, usually an hour or more, and I have offered to stay after class for forty-five minutes or so for further assistance. Even given the reality that most work on a research paper must be accomplished outside of class, the generous amount of in-class time provided means that there really should be more production than I’ve seen. Initiative is your ally; passivity is your enemy. If even one student in this class can write an ‘A’ research paper – and I’ve read at least three – then every one of you can. It’s a matter of choice. Thus, if you fail this paper or drop in class ranking because of a low average, I will give you no sympathy. There’s an old saying that actions have consequences; so does inaction. There’s another saying, not so old, that “failure is not an option.” Well, yes, it is. I don’t like to growl like an old bear, and I shouldn’t have to. Everyone in this class is capable, or you wouldn’t be here, but some of your classmates appear to have taken early retirement. You’ve all done so well, so don’t drop the (metaphorical) ball now. Initiative is your ally; passivity is your enemy. Anyone who plans to download a paper or parts of a paper from the ‘net should re-think it. Even I know how to make a string search, and if I’m still unsure I refer a paper to the techies. “Gosh, the old fellow’s sure grouchy today.” “Yeah, someone must have switched his Geritol with Harry Potter’s Elixir of Meany-ness.” English 1301 25-29 November 2013 The week of 25-29 November is a holiday for Jasper High School, and thus you need not attend my class. However, this is not a hol for Angelina College, and I will be on campus Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday mornings. I can’t imagine you would lose any social status among your coevals by popping by for a few minutes on any of those three days with your research paper for me to read. I’ll be in the office or in the library, so look for me or ask for me. I won’t be as early as usual, so anticipate meeting with me any time between 0945 – 1105. Initiative is your ally; passivity is your enemy. Angelina College’s holiday begins at 2:30 P.M. on Wednesday. Finish your research paper. Turn it in now. English 1301 2-6 December 2013 Monday class – early submission of research paper. If you turn in your research paper BY ROLL CALL ON MONDAY, I will award you ten extra points. If you are late, well, no. Absence is not an excuse; you were told about the assignment in September. This date was the original no bonus / no penalty due-date, so be grateful for the extension. Initiative is your ally; passivity is your enemy. Tuesday class – early submission of research paper. If you turn in your research paper BY ROLL CALL ON TUESDAY, I will award you ten extra points. If you are late, well, no. Absence is not an excuse; you were told about the assignment in September. This date was the original no bonus / no penalty due-date, so be grateful for the extension. Initiative is your ally; passivity is your enemy. This week you will write an expository literary essay on a topic I will assign you from “The Seafarer.” This must be submitted by the end of class on Thursday. No late papers will be accepted. English 1301 Week of 9-13 December Monday class – your late research paper will be accepted with a ten-point penalty (note that this is wonderfully generous) NO LATER THAN ROLL CALL ON MONDAY. If you are tardy, you will take your earned zero. If you are absent, you will take your earned zero. Tuesday class – your late research paper will be accepted with a ten-point penalty (note that this is wonderfully generous) NO LATER THAN ROLL CALL ON TUESDAY. If you are tardy, you will take your earned zero. If you are absent, you will take your earned zero. Monday and Tuesday – final presentation, “How to Read Literature like a College Professor.” Wednesday and Thursday – final exam. You are welcome to write this exam on either day. I will be on campus – provided that famous creek does not rise – by 0830 both days, and will be pleased to stay until noon for any student who is on time.

Lessons, Week of 11-15 November 2013

English 1301 11-15 November 2013 Research paper – You have only a few weeks left. During most classes we will take some of the period for working on your research papers, and you should have me look over your work in progress. “The Seafarer” – There is lots of discussion about this poem, much of it quite good, on the ‘net, so use your Orwellian Telescreen for good purposes. We haven’t enjoyed a good quiz in a long time. You have much work to accomplish both in class and during your own scheduled study time.

Lessons, 4 - 8 November 2013

English 1301 4-8 November 2013 Who is the Seafarer? The first half of each period: this week we’ll begin reading a short poem, “The Seafarer,” (handout) in translation, both for content and historical context, and for learning poetic terms, including: Kenning 4-beat line Caesura Alliteration Elegy / elegiac Sapiential? Maybe. Metaphors Imagery (the sea, the cold, ice, terns [seabirds]), land, spring, the cuckoo, solitude, and more!) Poetry is not prose; flinging some words about and calling the chaotic result poetry is puerile. Poetry can be therapy, and when it is, the patient should keep it to himself. Poetry is language crafted from any number of hundreds of possible techniques beyond the elements of prose, and reflects the poet’s skill and the poet’s respect for his (the pronoun is gender-neutral) audience. Yes, you will soon write a literary essay based on an assigned topic from “The Seafarer” and the techniques associated with it. The second half of each class period: We (you, mostly) will work on your research paper. Understand that in-class time is not enough, not nearly enough; this is a long-term project whose success requires initiative (yours). The time for discussing topics is over; two months is enough time (actually, two hours is enough time) to select a topic, accomplish a quick ‘net search for sources, accomplish a quick mind (yours) search for feasibility, consult with the instructor, and get on with it. This week I want to read your rough drafts and your rough bibliographies. I must see your sources in a physical form before I sign off on them – read and re-read your assignment. Forgive me for saying this yet again, but this is not high school. Notes on attendance: Neither Angelina College nor Jasper High School canceled classes last week, so missing class counted as an absence. Yes, I believe you about the flooded driveway, but in college there is no concept of excused absences or unexcused absences. Happily, those who missed on Thursday now have only one absence, and there is no perfect attendance award, so all is well.