My Favs of Spring 2013

My favorite poem, though we didn't go over it in class, was Robert Frost's poem, The Road Not Taken. This has always been one of my favorite poems because it's about not following the norm, and setting your own path. This poem made an impact on me when I was entering high school and ever since then I've always tried to be my own self.

My least favorite peom was Ode To A Greacian Urn by John Keats. I didn't like this one because it was too old fashion for me. By that I mean the language was like Shakespearian and so it was really hard to understand.

My favorite short story was actually "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Gilman. I liked it because it was very different, and creepy. It reminded me of the movie A Beautiful Mind, which is about schizophrenia, and so I thought it was very fasinating to read "The Yellow Wallpaper" which was written by someone who had mental health issues.

My least favorite short story was "Happy Endings" by Margaret Atwood. I didn't like this one because it seemed really depressing, I felt like I should have only read Part A!

I felt like watching Bartleby that it didn't really help me understand Bartleby's character or anything else about the story. Whereas watching Death of a Salesman helped me understand Willy's character a lot more. Because we could actually hear and see him, we could tell by his stuttering and rambling that Willy isn't as sharp as he once was. And seeing him hit Linda, helped us understand that he has little respect for her.

I really liked the test prep days where we would put together the quotes from different short stories or try to figure out which character said what in  Death of a Salesman.I found this really helpful! And I find myself now quoting the stories all the time! "Ah Humanity"

My least favorite activity was working in small groups, I felt like we should have been mixed up more so we could get more intakes on the readings.

With my schedule I was very glad that we didn't have to do presentations! So I was glad that we never had to do that.

At first I didn't think I was going to like the blog posts, but after I got started, I ended up really enjoying it! I really liked trying to come up with certain poems like the howl imitation or the Ode. I thought those were very challenging but at the same time they felt rewarding. Especially since I could relate my poems to my own life somehow. My least favorite thing about the blogs was having to remember when they were due and trying to get onto our class blog, because if you don't put the .com at the end, you'll never find our class blog.

Hap's view of Willy

What's that son? You want to know about your grandpa Willy? Alright, well he was a lot like me. He was a travelling salesman just like me! And like me, he was always away from home and working so hard to make money for Grandma, Biff, and I. Just like how I make money for you and your mother. What's that? Who's Biff? Well Biff is my brother, he left town after Pop passed and never talked to us again. He drove Pop nuts! There was a time when Pop would go on rambling all night! That's how crazy Biff made him.
But back to Grandpa Willy, he always idolized us kids, me more than Biff of course, cuz he couldn't stand Biff. Son, remember that Florida plan I have? Your Grandpa Willy always liked that idea! He was a man of business, that man! He did right by being a salesman, he would be proud of me for following in his footsteps. Son, you only have a few more years before you're going to be out in this world. Say, what do you think about that Florida plan, eh? Just picture it, you and me, father and son, running a sports shop in Florida, we'll be millionaires in no time! Ah your grandpa would be so proud! If he were still alive Son, him and I would be running that sports shop, we'd be "The Loman's: A Father and Son Business." We would have been a success, Pop had many clients up in Boston, New England, and New York, they would've made us millionaires...
Ah son, that was the darkest day of my life when Pop passed. I've never seen so many people at a funeral in all my life! That man had friends in all places! They came from miles around! All corners of the States, former clients flew from Portland and Florida, people drove down from Boston and New England. And anyone who was anyone came from New York.
Son, I tell ya, your Grandpa...He was a man to admire! He would do anything for us kids, and hell!(oops sorry Son, I'll put money in the swear jar) He'd do anything for his clients too! He even bought stockings for some clients to keep their business...(He taught me everything I know...Hap thinks to himself) What's that son? No I don't need to  buy stockings (only drinks...Hap thinks to himself), I'm much more successful than Grandpa Willy, I did him proud Son.

Linda's Diary

Monday, June 3, 1939
It's the first day of the boys' summer vacation, and poor Willy has to drive to New England for sales. Boy is he a go getter or what? Hopefully he will have some time after work today to be with Biff and Happy. Oh how they adore him! Biff will want to throw the ole football around, since he is the star quarterback...Willy will be so tickled to watch Biff play this coming fall! Those two are joined at the hip, I swear it! He always comes home so happy! Just the other day he brought me home new stockings! He is a generous man with a big heart! Oh how I love that man!

Thursday, March 4, 1955
I am so worried about Willy, he has been coming home way too often when he should be out selling. And when he comes home he acts a little strange, I hope it has nothing to do with the rubber tube I found behind the fuse box...I shouldn't think like that, Willy would never try to hurt himself like that, maybe he forgot it there, he is getting pretty forgetful these days. But ever since the insurance inspector came over and told me that a woman claimed that Willy deliberately ran off the bridge...I've been having horrible thoughts of my poor Willy. I know things aren't going well between him and Biff, but suicide? No. Not my Willy. I just know that sometimes he gets distracted and daydreams, which is a perfect explanation for running off the bridge. Once things clear up between him and Biff, he'll be back out there selling in no time!

The Lottery

Shirley Jackson's short story, "The Lottery," displays people's ability of determining what is right from wrong.  However in "The Lottery," the people of the town choose not to stand up against the annual stoning the has been taking place for over seventy years. There are a few people who try to bring up the fact that other towns have stopped the stoning ritual, but are highly discouraged from the topic by an elderly man who firmly believes in the stoning process. For example, Mr. Adams says to Old Man Warner "over in the north village they're talking of giving up the lottery." Then Old Man Warner says, "Pack of crazy fools, [...] Listening to the young folks, nothing's good enough for them." I think Mr. Adams wants to hear what everyone else has to say about quitting the lottery before he actually makes a stand for it. It always helps to have some sort of backup when you're trying to break a tradition or trying to stand up for what is right. In my small town, we have a lot of jocks who think they are invincible and that they can get away with anything. So they all came to the homecoming dance wasted and sneaking in alcohol, right in front of chaperons which so happen to be their parents. But nobody said anything. So the following Monday my brother, at this point was very popular but not a jock, went to the principal's office and told him about how the kids came to the dance drunk.The principal called in the jocks, they all denied it, their parents totally covered for them, their coaches said nothing of it, and my brother became the outcast. Those jocks then made my brother's life a living hell, it came to a point that he actually had to change schools. 
I think Mr. Adams brings up this point of other towns quitting the lottery, to get a feel for what others think. That way he can get a gang of people who want to stop doing the lottery and they can protest against it together. And he won't have to go at it alone and become the outcast that my brother became. 

Facebook Charlotte Gilman

-That awkward moment when you realize your summer home is haunted...like I wasn't nervous enough #justmyluck (with John and Jennie)

-Still don't understand why I couldn't have the room with the roses...instead I'm stuck in the yellow room

-Got some writing in today =) had to hurry and hide it before John could find it!

-I'm starting to feel like this yellow wallpaper is beginning to cave in on me...must find a way to remove it...I think this will help www.angieslist.com/articles/how-remove-wallpaper.htm Thanks Angie's list!

-No better way to spend the Fourth of July, than with my friends and family! with Nellie

-This wallpaper is starting to grow on me...I might actually learn to like it! lol jk jk 

-I'd rather go to Weir Mitchell than sit in here with this creepy yellow wallpaper!! It's so creepy! Tell me you see it too!!

-The wallpaper even smells bad...ugh... my life

-Please don't call or text me tonight...I will be busy...removing wallpaper, don't tell John! I want to surprise him, and finally prove to him I'm not crazy!!!!

-FREEE AT LAST!!!! I did it!! I finally got rid of that jail of yellow wallpaper, How great it is to be out...

Boy

This is how you bait a hook and how you shoot a gun. This is how you throw a baseball, here is your mitt. Hug your parents and call your grandparents at least once a week. Don't listen to loud music and treat girls with respect. Don't be the player you see on those MTV shows. This is how you drive a manual, and this is how you drive on the back roads. Don't drive too fast around this corner at dusk, the sunset will blind you and you'll drive into the ditch. You will not have tinted windows, not like those players on MTV. Put your dishes in the dishwasher after you have rinsed them. Sit up straight don't slouch like that, people will mistake you for a player. Listen when someone is talking to you. Bring a  woman flowers as often as you can. Be honest with your words and try to make it to church on Sundays. This is how you iron your shirts and take some respect into how you look. Remember we are Seahawk fans, if you wear anything with a Steelers logo, I will know that you became a player I did not raise you to be.

Dialogue

I was in the kitchen looking for something to eat in the refrigerator at my sister's house, when i heard my three year old niece and my sister start fighting...

the little girl stumbles into the kitchen and starts hitting her mom, finally the mom says just stop being a baby and go to your room i'm trying to talk to your auntie and your being rude!

the big blue eyes widen with shock: I'm not rude...I'm not a baby. And the girl goes to her room and begins pacing back and forth in frustration: i am not a baby...i am NOT a baby... I am NOT a BABY!...I'M NOT A BABY!!

the little girl comes back to the kitchen and looks right at her mother: I AM NOT A BABY!!....your...your the baby! YOU BIG BABY!!

the mother turns to the girl: you need to go take a nap right now!

the little girl stands her ground: I...am...NOT...a.... BABY!! and begins hitting her mom again

The mom's face turns fierce: That's IT! I'm counting to three and if you don't apologize you're getting a spankin'!

ONE!

silence...

TWO!!

I'm not a baby...the girl says under her breath, still standing her ground

THREE!!!

the girl takes off running with her mother after her: I'm not a BABY!!

test prep 2

Prose Poem

A prose poem has vivid imagery and concentrated expressions, it blends prose (ordinary language people use in speaking or writing) with imagery and poetry.
Here is an example from Oscar Wilde, just click HERE

I found this youtube video and it really seemed to help explain prose poetry, it's 13 minutes long, but if you don't have the time then watch the first 4 minutes, it will really help you!

so maybe after watching this video you can go back to the Oscar Wilde poems and get a better appreciation for his work :)

Test Prep

Hyperbole is an exaggerated statement that is not intended to be taken for the truth...much like yo mama jokes. They're supposed to be fun and give the poem some life. So here are some examples if you are still confused just click here.  Or just watch this video...

Howl Imitation

I saw a generation of wannabes and must-havers

Who shell out hundreds of dollars for the new iphone, ipad, or a new flat screen TV then cry broke when asked to donate money to charity

Who would break cell phones in order to get new ones, then wonder why none of their relationships last more than a few weeks

Who look up to women named Snooki and not to a man named Jesus.

Who put themselves first before others and treat everyone else like they are beneath them

I saw a generation of abusers and mistreaters

Who forget to tell their moms "I love you" and forget to take their hats off indoors or to stop texting when someone is talking to them

Who cash in their financial aid checks and drop out of school, and use the money to create the meth lab of their dreams

Who send their children to school without breakfast or a lunch, because their too hungover or high to remember

Who yell and fight in front of young kids because the kids "don't understand and won't be affected"

Who text and drive then wonder why they get tickets or wonder how they didn't see that family of four slam on their brakes in front of them

I saw a generation born on a silver platter

Who believe working for a living is a joke, and that it's easier to gain weight and call themselves "disabled"

Who think mommy and daddy will pay for everything even though mommy and daddy "don't know anything and are stupid"

Who think words like "retard" and "gay" are not hurtful

Who will crush a person's ego and walk away laughing like nothing happened

I saw a generation that I am not proud of

Imagist

My Car

So many dings and dents
like two old friends

Sestina

No words have been spoken,
but the subconscious jury gave verdict.
It's too late, your judgment was made.
Those daring blue eyes
give strength to the gavel.
Now let the sentencing begin.

There's no hope for friendship to begin,
words are lost before they were spoken.
Only the ring of the pounding gavel
will be heard over your silent verdict.
Untold stories behind hazel eyes,
memories must be forgotten...for they'll never be made

Your crude comments were made
and it is time for a new chapter to begin.
If only you could see the hurt behind green eyes...
Your actions were spoken
louder than any verdict,
but much quieter than the pounding gavel.

My heart sinks lower as the gavel
pounds. But it is time for a choice to be made.
I will have nothing to do with your personal verdict!
It is time for my life to begin
and no more will those words spoken
echo in my head, and no tears from my eyes

will fall. Your judgmental eyes
won't bother me no more. It is my turn with the gavel
now. I have spoken
true and my bed has been made.
My journey without you shall begin
This is my life and my verdict.

Let it sing out, let everyone know my verdict
is in. These green eyes
will never look your way. And my heart will begin
with the pounding of my gavel
And with the beat made
from African warrior drums! Not a word will be spoken.

Now silence your gavel!
And turn down those daring blue eyes
Because I have destroyed the words you have spoken!

Unexpected Ode

Ode to Math

Thou hast given me

A's and B's

Yet never any C's

Your generosity has

left me with

a house 

and a bed

No matter how 

simply you are

You still give me

a spinning head

Do not fret,

Dear Math

you are as close to me 

as the fingers on my hand.

Your imaginary numbers

And differential equations 

Are what give us 

light and warmth.

Oh beautiful Math,

You are found everywhere

yet never seen

nor appreciated...

Thank you Math

For building the roof

over thy head

And the wheels on my car

Thank you for the bridge

across the water

and the iphone 

in my pocket.

It is the calculators

That are beneath you,

And the computers

that become you.

Circles and Triangle 

use you...

But it's the squares

like me 

that love you

for your calculus!

And for your perfect 

ratio of peanut

butter and 

chocolate!

Oh Math,

Where would we

be without

thee?

Litany Imitation

This one goes out to my boyfriend Ryan

You are the monkey and the trees,
the chocolate and the milk.
You are the thousands of miles on my car,
and the playlist of my heart.
You are the knot in my shoe
and the last minute Hail Mary shot.

However, you are not the plummeting waves of the ocean,
the gravel beneath my feet,
or a lost ship at sea.
And you are certainly not the giver of the blankets.
There is just no way that you are the giver of the blankets.

It is possible that you are the seagull that stole my French fry
maybe even the last bite of pie,
but you are not even close 
to being the dishes in the sink.

And a quick look in the mirror will show
that you are neither the walrus 
nor the moon

It might interest you to know,
speaking of the plentiful imagery of the world,
that I am indeed the walrus and the moon.

I also happen to be a Beattles song,
a Sunday afternoon,
and a diamond in the ruff.

I am also the sweat pants on a rainy day
and the first bite of apple pie.
But don't worry, I'm not the monkey and the trees.
You are still the monkey and the trees.
You will always be the monkey and the trees,
not to mention the chocolate and-somehow-the milk.

Hi!

My name is Megan Grassl, I am from Uniontown, Washington. I graduated from Colton High School in 2010 and went to Spokane Community College for two years before coming to LCSC. I am currently working on my Biology major, with a degree in Biology I would like to go to dental school to become an orthodontist. So I still have a long road ahead of me...
As for hobbies, I played volleyball and softball in high school. I still love playing softball, I have played on my sister's city league team several times. However the change from fast pitch to slow pitch is still a challenge for me. I love winter sports! Especially snowboarding! My family and I go to Tamarack Ski Resort, near McCall, Idaho, every winter. I also enjoy riding snow mobiles and sledding. In the spring/ summer season my boyfriend and I go hiking and backpacking. I love going to the beach and swimming and catching some rays. My parents just bought a boat last summer so water sports are still in the works for me!
I am also a huge Seahawks fan! And an even bigger family gal. I come from a family of four plus three step siblings, I also have two nephews and two nieces, it's a pretty big family and we're all really close.