VOCABULARY #2

1. accoutrements: (n) accessory or piece of equipment associated with a specific object.

• I didn't have all the proper accoutrements necessary to create a realistic costume.

2. apogee: (n) the best or greatest point.

• The apogee in most action movies involves a car chase.

 3. apropos: (adj) just right, opportune, fitting

• I found that the family gathering was not the most apropos time to announce my bad grades.

4. bicker: (v) to argue about something unimportant.

• Every time we get together my sister and I end up bickering.

5. coalesce: (v) to merge or unite things

• The two coaches decided to coalesce the separate programs to create one team.

6. contretemps: (n) an unfortunate occurrence, mishap.

• Kanye West interrupting Taylor Swift at the VMA's was a hilarious and unforeseen contretemps.

7. convolution: (n) difficulty, complication

• We had lost our map which presented a serious convolution in our road trip.  

8. cull: (v) remove somebody or something as worthless, reject, discard

• There was too much excess footage so the director had to decide which scenes to cull.

9. disparate: (adj) very different, describes two things that cannot be compared.

• Ghana and the United States are two disparate places.

10. dogmatic: (adj) expressing rigid opinions, inflexible, unbending

• The preacher was dogmatic in his beliefs.

11. licentious: (adj) sexually immoral, unchecked by morality, pursuing desires selfishly and aggressively

 

12. mete: (

 

13. noxious: (adj) physically harmful, morally harmful

• We knew something went seriously wrong when we smelt noxious fumes during the experiment.

14. polemic: (n) passionate argument, controversial

• The outspoken girl launched an incredible polemic against animal cruelty.

15. populous: (adj) highly populated, overcrowded

• Costco is rather populous on pay-day.

16. probity: (n) moral integrity, correctness

• It is extremely difficult to find a politician with decent probity.

17. repartee: (n) witty talk

• My best friend and I often have conversations filled with humorous repartee.

18. supervene: (v) to follow immediately after, interrupt, appear, turn up

• The after party supervenes directly after the award show.

19. truncate: (v) shorten by removal, abbreviate

• The gardener found it necessary to truncate the shrubbery to boost curb appeal.

20. unimpeachable: (adj) impossible to discredit, flawless

• In my opinion Harry Styles is purely unimpeachable.

Beowulf Notes from 8/21

Here is a crappy picture of my Beowulf notes from a few nights ago. I am too lazy at the moment to type them up but it will get done eventually!

Beowulf Comprehension Questions

Prologue:

1. Scyld became leader because he was the strongest out there. No one would dare to challenge him and because of that he gained respect. His people were sad to see him go. They sent him to sea in a ship filled with gold and other riches. Scyld is the great-grandfather of Hrothgar.

Heorot Is Attacked:

1. Hrothgar undertook the task of building a mead-hall (banquet hall). Grendel attacked it at night by killing thirty men and continued his attacks for 12 years. The Danes were struck with grief for their lost friends and no one dared to use the new hall. All those who fought against Grendel in effort to stop him were killed.

The Hero Comes To Heorot:

1. Beowulf assembles a ship of men and sets sail to Hrothgar upon hearing of his struggle with Grendel.
2. When the Geats arrive they meet Hrothgar's lieutenant, a watchman, who asks what the strangers purpose is for landing there. They respond that they are there to speak with Hrothgar about ways to help battle the monster.
3. Beowulf then meets Wulfgar who is impressed with Beowulf's tale and immediately relays the message to Hrothgar. Beowulf is then invited to see Hrothgar and offers to fight Grendel unarmed. It's not surprising that Hrothgar knows Beowulf because tales of his feats have traveled such a long way.
4. Hrothgar tells Beowulf that after his father killed a member of the Wulfing tribe Hrothgar sent money and treasure in hopes of mending the feud.

Feast at Heorot:

1. Unferth accuses Beowulf of losing a race against his childhood friend Breca. Beowulf responds with his version of the story about how not only was he victorious but he also slayed multiple monsters along the way. This is relevant because it highlights Beowulf's previous victories and reinforces the audience's confidence in him. He accuses Unferth of being a drunk and calls out his weakness against Grendel.
2. Queen Wealhtheow thanks God that Beowulf is there to fight Grendel (www.sparknotes.com).

Beowulf Returns Home:

1. Hrothgar predicts a great future for Beowulf and promises him gold.
2. Hygd is the wife of King Hygelac and she differs from Modthryth because she(Hygd) is not a killer of innocent people.
3. Beowulf hopes to inspire a feud between the families again, hopefully strong enough for fighting to ensue. This is a far less noble and heroic side to Beowulf.
4. Of course Beowulf embellishes the story of his great battle.
5. Beowulf is given treasure and a land of his own to rule from Hygelac. He gives a lot of his treasure to his king.

Beowulf Attacks the Dragon:

1. Beowulf wishes his men good luck but asks for no help in facing the dragon.
2. Beowulf is not as strong as he used to be in his youth and struggles against the dragon. While most of his companions flee in terror Wiglaf remains and encourages the others to stay and fight because it is their duty to remain loyal and honor their oaths. Wiglaf continues to aid Beowulf in the fight.
3. Wiglaf continues to assist Beowulf. The dragon manages a bite to Beowulf and before he realizes it will be a fatal bite, Beowulf stabs and kills the dragon.
4. Beowulf asks Wiglaf to fetch some of the treasure for him to see before he dies. Beowulf is joyful that he has won this treasure for his people. He wanted a large pyre decked with armour.

Beowulf's Funeral:

1. Wiglaf scolds the soldiers who fled and calls them cowardly. He predicts that many clans who were too afraid to attack them while Beowulf was alive will hear of his death and launch attacks.
2. a
3. Wiglaf tells the crowd of Beowulf's final moments and to begin building the funeral pyre specific to Beowulf's last wishes.
4. The dragon's body is thrown into the water.
5. During the funeral "the Geats burn their kings body on a funeral pyre and bitterly lament his death." After they take to building a tower in his honor for sailors far and wide could find it. (from the translation by Burton Raffel).
6. In the last three lines the Geats say that no better king had ever lived and that there was no one so deserving of praise as Beowulf. In a way this is expected of someone who was a military hero because they are often thought to be the biggest, baddest, and bravest of society.

The Fight with Grendel, Celebration at Heorot, Another Attack, Beowulf fights Grendels Mother, and Further Celebration at Heorot: Courtesy of Jenna.
The Fight with Grendel

1.)Heroic poetry normally has a scene in which the hero arms for battle. What is different about Beowulf's preparations for his fight with Grendel? Beowulf unarms himself when preparing for battle with Grendel which is unusual for the time because a characteristic of a hero back then was excellent sword skills and he instead decided to use his hands. 2.)What happens when Grendel enters Heorot? How does Beowulf fight with him? What happens when Grendel tries to leave? Does Grendel escape? What does he leave behind? When Grendel enters Heorot he killed one of the men easily so he was taken aback when Beowulf comes at him with such power. Grendel tries to escape, but Beowulf rips off his arm. Grendel finally manages to escape only to go die alone. Celebration at Heorot 1.)When the Danes and Geats return from following Grendel's tracks to the mere, someone sings in Beowulf's presence, comparing him to Sigemund and saying that he was not like Heremod (lines 883-914). How is Beowulf like Sigemund? How is he not like Heremod? Beowulf is similar to Sigemund in that he had won many battles and is known for his courage and bravery as well. Heremod and Beowulf are similar because they were both excellent warriors, but Heremod was interested in the fame and fortune that goes along with winning and Beowulf was not. 2.)How does Hrothgar respond to Beowulf's deed? What does he offer to do for him? What does Unferth have to say now? Hrothgar is so happy that Beowulf slayed Grendel that he promises him his kingdom and all his riches. Unferth doesn't really have anything to say because he is embarrassed that he was so wrong about Beowulf. 3.)The singer sings of Finn during the feasting (lines 1070-1158). The exact details of the Finn story are not clear, but in general, what happens? What does it suggest about the wisdom of using a woman as bride to heal enmity between tribes? In the story of Finn Hnaefs daughter is given to Finn as sort of a peace offering which suggests that marriages were seen as business agreements in that time. 4.)When the feasting resumes, what does Wealhtheow ask Hrothgar not to do? Wealhtheow asks Hrothgar not to forget his children and their inheritance. 5.)Wealhtheow gives Beowulf a large, broad necklace. What later happens to it? What does Wealhtheow ask Beowulf to do? Wealhtheow asks Beowulf to look out for her sons and to help them if they need it. 6.)Why do so many men remain in the beer hall to sleep? Why is it a mistake? The drunk men fall asleep in the hall because they believe, now that Grendel is gone, that it is safe. This is a mistake because Grendel's mother comes seeking revenge. Another Attack 1.)Why has Grendel's mother come to Heorot? Is it the same reason Grendel had? Grendel's mother comes to get revenge by killing Beowulf while Grendel entered Heorot to just kill anyone in sight. 2.)What is Hrothgar's response? Whom has Grendel's mother killed? Hrothgar is very upset about Grendel's mother so he offers Beowulf a reward if he can kill her. 3.)What sort of place is the mere? The mere is dark and dangerous, it is always covered with a thick fog. Beowulf Fights Grendel's Mother 1.)How does Beowulf tell Hrothgar to respond? Beowulf says he'll fight for the Danes and believes that he'll be sucessful. 2.)What happens at the mere before Beowulf enters it? Beowulf sinks down in the water. 3.)How does Beowulf prepare for the battle? What sword does he take with him? Beowulf tells Hrothgar what he wants done in case he doesn't make it back and he takes his ring marked blade sword. 4.)What happens when Beowulf enters the mere? What is surprising about where Grendel and his mother live in the mere? Grendel's mother grabs Beowulf's armor which protects him from her claws. The surprising thing about where Grendel's mother lives is that it's underwater. 5.)What happens to the sword Beowulf borrowed from Unferth? The sword breaks when it makes contact with Grendel's mother. 6.)At one point Beowulf is on the floor, with Grendel's mother sitting on him and drawing her knife. How does Beowulf escape? Beowulf digs deep and uses his incredible strength to get out from under her. 7.)How does Beowulf kill Grendel's mother? What weapon does he use? What happens when she dies? What does Beowulf take with him from her home? What happens to the sword he used to kill her? Beowulf kills Grendel's mother by using a sword he found hanging on the wall and breaking all her bones. When she dies her body lights up, he brought Grendel's head and part of the sword because some of it was stuck inside her body. 8.)What happens when Beowulf returns to the surface? Did his men expect him to return? The men didn't expect Beowulf to return so no one was there when he surfaced. Further Celebration at Heorot 1.)What does Beowulf give to Hrothgar? Beowulf gives him the sword of giants. 2.)What message does Hrothgar have for Beowulf? What and why does he tell us about Heremod? Why and how did Heremod die? What lesson does Hrothgar teach with the Heremod example? Hrothgar tells him to seek virtue because Heremond didn't and he ignored the signs of the gods. This teaches Beowulf not to act selfishly. 3.)What does Beowulf give to Unferth as he leaves? Beowulf gives Unferth his sword back.

The Dragon Wakes: Courtesy of Rachel

The Dragon Wakes

1.      How much later does part 2 take place? What kings have died in the meanwhile? What danger now exists?

Part 2 takes places 50 years later. King Hygelac and his son Heardred have both died. The danger that now exists is the dragon that is attacking the kingdom.

2.      Why is the dragon angry? Why did the man take the cup? How did the treasure come to be there in the first place? (The speech of the lone survivor, the one who put the gold in the barrow, is in a typically old English elegiac tone.)

The dragon is angry because a man stole a cup from his treasure. The man stole the cup from the treasure to honor his lord. The treasure was there because ancient people hid it there.

3.      What did the dragon destroy that evening?

The dragon destroyed buildings and homes in the kingdom.

4.      Why does Beowulf think his home was burnt? Why does he order a new shield? How will he fight this battle? What will happen to him?

Beowulf thinks his home was burnt because he did something to anger god. He orders a new iron shield so that it can’t be burned like his old wood one would be against the dragon. Beowulf plans to fight this battle until the death.

5.      How did Hygelac die? (the description in lines 2354-2379 begins one of the several versions of Geatish history and Hygelac’s death we will get.) What did Beowulf do after Hygelac’s death? What happened when he returned home? Did he accept Hygd’s offer to become king?

Hygelac was killed by the Frankish king in a battle. Beowulf killed the Frankish king and refused to become king in loyalty to his cousin.

6.      What happened to Hygelac’s son Heardred? (That’s the story in lines 2380-2390.) How did Beowulf plan to revenge Heardred’s death (lines 2391-2396)?

Heardred was killed by the Swedish. Beowulf planed on revenge by befriending the man that killed Heardred.

7.      How many men accompany Beowulf as he goes to meet the dragon?

Eleven men accompany Beowulf to meet the dragon.

8.      What happened to Hygelac's oldest brother Herebeald? Who killed him? What did this do to his father King Hrethel? What happened between the Swedes and Geats after Hrethel's death? What happened to Haethcyn? How did Beowulf revenge Hygelac's death?

Herebeald was killed by Heathcyn (the younger brother). King Hrethel went into a depression and then died. After Hrethel’s death the Swedes and Geats continued having their conflicts. Heathcyn died and Beowulf revenged Hygelac’s death by killing a lot of the Swedes.

My Opinion Is Not (A) Right Notes

• Interdependence : depending on others
• limbic : emotional part of the brain
• schema : framework/outline that helps organize and interpret info.
• We have the right to have an opinion and not necessarily the right to opinions.
• Political: entitled to any argument, even if it's groundless
• Epistemic: only entitled if it contains evidence and sound arguments
• people tend to claim the right to an opinion "just at the point in an argument when they would be forced to admit error."
• opinions do not solve all arguments because the right to your opinion does not oblige others to agree with you. "People seem to think their opinions are somehow sacred, so that everyone must handle them with great care."

Reflections On Week One

1. The only factor that will truly have an affect on my participation in this class is my hectic schedule. I have soccer practice, games, and tournaments all week long in addition to family obligations. Sometimes while I am away for those reasons I don't have immediate access to a computer and my phone isn't always the most reliable back up solution for accessing the class blog.

2. One of the best learning experiences I ever had was going to a student leadership conference called CASL. I went with my fellow ASB members and we got to stay in a really great hotel in San Jose, California. There were a lot of professional speakers there including Mike Smith who really made an impact on me. He was just the average guy throughout his life but at his young age he has accomplished so much. His message was mainly that you have no idea how much of an impact you can have on other peoples' lives. It made me start to think twice about every person I pass in the hallways at school or even just on the streets. Every person has a story and this experience really gave me a desire to try and figure them out.

3. I'm probably ( as weird as it sounds) most excited about the Shakespeare unit. It's been since freshman year that we really got a chance to dissect any of his work it's something that I really enjoyed. I'm most concerned about finding time to fit everything in. I know right now the homework is really intense and with my year round soccer and college applications coming up I really worry about finding time for it all.

VOCABULARY #1

1. adumbrate: To give a faint indication.

•  The author used the various symbols to adumbrate an upcoming turn of events.

2. apotheosis: The elevation of someone to divine status.

•  Hercules reached apotheosis upon completing his journey to becoming a true hero.

3. ascetic: characterized by severe self-discipline and abstention from all forms of indulgence.

• The puritans were famous for their religiously driven ascetic lifestyle that left little to no time for mindless recreation.  

4. bauble: a small trinket or decoration.

• My Grandmother's house is full of little baubles with no real purpose but certainly add a lot of character!  

5. beguile: Trick or deceive someone into doing something.

• I couldn't believe I was beguiled into doing the group project by myself yet again. 

6. burgeon: begin to grow or increase rapidly.

• The amount of homework assigned each night is burgeoning as high school goes on.  

7. complement: a thing that completes or brings to perfection.

•  The cider served as a great complement to the Thanksgiving meal, adding just the right amount refreshment to the heavy spread.  

8. contumacious: disobedient to authority

• I cannot stand when children are blatantly contumacious to their parents wishes for no good reason.  

9. curmudgeon: a bad tempered or surly person

• Most teenagers are curmudgeons upon being assigned an excess of homework.

10. didactic: intended to instruct

•  The instructor had a didactic method of lecturing that often had students bored and uninterested quickly.

11. disingenuous: not sincere

• While talking to the witness the officer got the distinct feeling they were being disingenuous with the information.  

12. exculpate: show that someone is not guilty of wrongdoing

• with understanding of the evidence the jury found it impossible to exculpate the plaintiff.   

13. faux pas: error, misstep

• Letting your elbows rest on the dinner table can be seen as an extreme faux pas in many formal situations.  

14. fulminate: express vehement protest.

• The class was quick to fulminate against the teacher's decision to move the due date forward.  

15. fustian: pompous or pretentious in manner of speaking

• He was clearly well educated however I found the man incredibly fustian while speaking to him.

16. hauteur: disdainful pride

• The downfall of many gods in Greek myths is their display of unapologetic hauteur.  

17. inhibit: hinder, restrain, or prevent  

• My knee injury inhibited me from participating in the soccer tournament.

18. jeremiad: a long mournful complaint

•  After a disappointing stay the hotel guest left a jeremiad on a note at the front desk.

19. opportunist: a person who exploits circumstances to gain immediate advantage.

• Beckham was quite the opportunist when it came to expanding his brand.

20. unconscionable: not right or reasonable

• I had waited an unconscionable amount of time for the concert tickets and was still left empty handed.

Senior Resume

So I have my senior resume but I printed it out for easier editing...but I had it done on time!

Austen/Montaigne Essay

    Much like shooting stars, the thoughts of the human imagination can be extraordinary and fleeting.  Gone in the blink of an eye or even just built upon too quickly to be able to break down what the original trigger was.  In his 2001 story "Good Old Neon" David Foster Wallace wrote, "What goes on inside is just too fast and huge and all interconnected for words to do more than barely sketch the outline of at most one tiny little part of it at any given instant." When it comes to the essays of Montaigne, this statement is absolutely true. Montaigne wasn't focused purely on structure or even necessarily content. He was more focused on letting his writing be an outlet for each thought passing through his mind like a shooting star which he would then develop into one of his essays.
   
    In an introduction to Montaigne's essays by J.M. Cohen it is stated that Montaigne "does not proceed along the line of time; he does not tell us what event succeeded what other." This supports Wallace's statement to a tee. Thoughts are fast and constantly evolving. Montaigne used his writing to literally create "trials" of his thoughts. If and idea came to him he could write it down without the pressures of time or what happened when. As his thoughts occurred to him he would try to develop it  throughout his essay and as Wallace stated this could sometimes be barely an outline of certain ideas or develop all too quickly into a greater issue.

     In contrast Austen's Pride and Prejudice is completely oriented about the passing of time and chronological order of events. She did not say at the beginning that Elizabeth would marry Mr. Darcy and then in the middle showcase their stubborn resistance towards each other.  This is chiefly because Austen's style is about the use of plot development through showing how each piece adds to the puzzle that will eventually be whole at the end. Montaigne's style was more in correlation the process of thought where one second he could be contemplating "That our actions should be judged by our intentions" and in the next "Cannibals". One thought does not necessarily need to precede the other as it does in Austen's work.
  
    Montaigne's essays do in fact correlate with Wallace's statement. Though his statement does not remain true to every work such as Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Montaigne's almost erratic writing style definitely represents the position that some thoughts can just be too fast and complex to develop more than a basic outline of the inner workings of the mind.

1987 AP Exam Notes

• literature given was hard to understand.
• the poetry was really hard to understand because the language was so old I felt like I was translating it.
• question 9 was hard to answer due to the fact where it required some inferring into the character and wasn't easy to determine through the text
• I really need to keep up with AP vocab
• pious: devotedly religious
• patriarch: male head of family/tribe
• questions 32/61 referring to the poems were extremely difficult due to the fact that I had no idea what formats like pactylic hexameter and iambic tetrameter were.
• I hadn't read any of the listed texts for the essay portion (were we supposed to attempt the essay portion?)

Poetry #1

1. The poem sampled in the Levi's commercial is "The Laughing Heart" by Charles Bukowski.

2. This could be considered ironic because it uses phrases such as "dank submission" and "your life is your life" but is asking you to submit to wearing clothing by one of the biggest corporations in America. You're only "you" when you are wearing the same jeans as everyone else?

3. The poem most definitely reflects the author's reputation. Bukowski was adamant in his refusal to submit to the mainstream which is another reason the use of his work in a Levi's commercial was so ironic. He often said things that other people were afraid to say or would refer to as crass but he did it anyway.


4. My research process was fairly simple. First I listened closely to the words in the advertisement and took note of some of the more important phrases. Next I headed over to trusty old google.com and searched for any poetry containing the noted phrases. I was referred to thebestamericanpoetry.typepad.com where I was able to find the name of the poem and full text as well as the author. I printed the page and read it along with the video to make sure I had the right information. Next I used the same website and found some information on Bukowski.

ESSAY #1

    Edward Said described exile in two ways. First as "...The unhealable rift forced between a human being and a native place," and second as a "potent, even enriching" experience. In The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver the entire Price family got to experience exile. Choosing to leave Georgia and venture to the Congo in Africa creating a rift between each individual member and the native land, customs, and culture they once knew. This is very apparent in the character of Leah Price.

    Leah Price is merely fourteen years old when her family makes the move to Kilanga. This can be taken as a form of exile. Through this she is alienated from her homeland and everything she ever knew. There are barriers in language, culture and customs with the native people, and probably most importantly, religion. Her father, Nathan, is so adamant to force his views on the native people he just digs a deeper trench and sense of separation between his family and the people of the Congo.

   The exile from her homeland can also be seen in Said's point of view as especially "enriching" for Leah. Through being separated from everything she once knew Leah is forced to experience the new and scary elements of a brand new culture and people. Being completely taken away from society and situations you are comfortable in truly tests you as a person and Leah was able to grow tremendously. Though initially there is of course tension mainly from the father's harsh persistence in Christianity, Leah is able to incorporate herself in to this new society. It shows a sense of bravery and independence not previously seen in Leah that she was able to go out and find herself despite the persistence of her father viewing the Congolese as lesser people. Once so dedicated to her father and his views she shows tremendous growth that might never have developed in Georgia. She realizes that maybe her father's views of God are not necessarily what she believes to be true which is a realization that may have been non-existent had it not been for her being cut off from her homeland. She is able to open her mind and experience the hardships people go through she could not have possibly fathomed had it not been for being "exiled". Leah also suffers a cut off between herself and her father. By being taken out of her homeland and away from places where his views can be thrust upon her Leah is enlightened to so much more of the world and is essentially disillusioned with a religion she once believed wholeheartedly. Though this does cause a true rift in the relationship between her and her father, Leah was truly able to grow as a person in mind and spirit.

   Leah Price had an uphill battle with being cut off from her home. As Said stated it can be a time of complete alienation or enrichment. Leah embodies this statement by fighting through some of the initial turmoil and developing tremendously as a person in a way that wouldn't have been possible without this severe displacement from her home.
  

MY BIG QUESTION(S)

Why is racism so heavily present in today's society? From subtle things like Miley Cyrus mocking black culture as a whole to blatant race crimes such as Trayvon Martin's murder.

And also...Who gets to decide which books students read in school are "good enough". Just because it's three thousand years old doesn't make it automatically profound.