IT Home Learning: Lesson 2

My favourite poet is Robert Frost.He has been reviewed by many critics over the years, including by another poet Daniel described his early work as"the Puritan ethic turned astonishingly lyrical and enabled to say out loud the sources of its own delight in the world." He even commented on his career as the American Bard and he said,"He became a national celebrity, our nearly official Poet Laureate, and a great performer in the tradition of that earlier master of the literary vernacular, Mark Twain."Even the American President, John F.Kennedy had even described him as" a body of imperishable verse from which Americans will forever gain joy and understanding." His work is principally associated with the life and landscape of New England and his work is often infused with layers of ambiguity and irony. This means he is a creative person who is able to write poems this way, which is why I like him.

Robert Frost's Background:

Robert Frost was born in San Francisco on March 26, 1874. He moved to New England at the age of eleven and became interested in reading and writing poetry during his high school years in Lawrence, Massachusetts. He was enrolled at Dartmouth College in 1892, and later at Harvard, but he never earned a formal degree.

Frost drifted through a string of occupations after leaving school, working as a teacher, cobbler, and editor of the Lawrence Sentinel.

His first professional poem, "My Butterfly," was published on November 8, 1894, in the New York newspaper The Independent.

In the year 1895, he married Elinor Miriam White, who became a major inspiration to all of his poetry until her death in the year 1938.The couple moved to England in 1912, after their New Hampshire farm failed, and it was abroad that Frost met and was influenced by such contemporary British poets as Edward Thomas, Rupert Brooke, and Robert Graves. While in England, Frost also established a friendship with the poet Ezra Pound, who helped to promote and publish his work.

When Robert Frost returned to the United States of America in the year 1915,he had published two full-length collections, A Boy's Will and North of Boston, and his reputation was established. By the nineteen-twenties, he was the most celebrated poet in America, and with each new book—including New Hampshire (1923), A Further Range (1936), Steeple Bush (1947), and In the Clearing (1962)—his fame and honors (including four Pulitzer Prizes) increased.

Robert Frost lived and taught for many years in Massachusetts and Vermont, and died in Boston on January 29, 1963.

Some examples of his poems:

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

The Lockless Door

It went many years,
But at last came a knock,
And I though of the door
With no lock to lock.
I blew out the light,
I tip-toed the floor,
And raised both hands
In prayer to the door.
But the knock came again.
My window was wide;
I climbed on the sill
And descended outside.
Back over the sillI bade a 'Come in'
To whatever the knock
At the door may have been.
So at a knockI emptied my cage
To hide in the world
And alter with age.

http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/
poets.org

IT Home Learning: Lesson 1

The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Q1)The figurative language used in this poem is simile, hyperbole and symbolism. The words used for simile are " as just as fair" ,the words used for hyperbole are "ages and ages" as a hyperbole is an exaggeration and the words used for symbolism are "Two roads diverged".

The poet chose to use hyperbole as by using hyperbole, it is an exaggeration and unrealistic. The poet chose to use symbolism as it symbolises the difficulty to choose his decisions during life and his desire to make a decision in life. The poet chose to use simile as he is trying to make a comparision.

Q2) I like this poem as this is a description of what he wanted to happen and not what really happened, a bit of fiction. In the last stanza, the word "sigh" can be used to express a regret or relief which makes me wonder which is it and the word "difference" makes us think is it a positive or negative difference in life did the poet make. "I took the one less travelled by" This makes me wonder if this particular decision he made was a decision that made a positive or negative impact on his life. Another reason I like this poem as it creates a kind of mysterious feeling, making you wanting to ask more questions.

Book review 1

Book read: Angels and Demons by Dan Brown

Application
Q1:What would the main character be likely to do if s/he visited your classroom?

Firstly, the main character of this book,Angels and Demons,is a Harvard professor named Robert Langdon. He is a professor of religious iconology and symbology at Harvard University. He has actually written over a dozen books, all about religious iconology and symbology. Examples are The Art of Illuminati, The Symbology of Secret Sects, The Lost Language of Ideograms and the renowned textbook, Religious Iconology.

According to the book, he can be seen discussing computer graphics and religious history with his students on weekends or lecturing at museum openings.

If Mr Robert Langdon really visited my classroom, he would most likely discuss with all of us about religious iconology and symbology. But first, I am sure he is clear that we are only secondary school students who know nothing about these two subjects.

So, this is the sequence of things he is going to do are:
1) Briefly introduce to us what is symbology about
2) Discuss with us about simple symbology
3) Share with us about his experience with symbology
4) Lastly, encourage us to take up symbology and give us our best wishes

Analysis
Q2:If your story occured long ago, compare that time with today in a good paragraph.If it was a modern story, compare it with a long time ago and tell what would be different

Angels and Demons is a modern story. In comparison with a long time ago, somethings indeed would be different.Firstly, in the story, the illuminati used an antimatter canister to threaten to wipe out the Vatican. Once the antimatter comes in contact with the matter, it would explode. Such advanced technology would not be possible to be found long time ago. The terrorists would most probably use normal bombs to wipe out the Vatican. Secondly, professors at that time did not know that much information as information was not that easily able to obtain. So, professional help may not be able to be obtained. Lastly, at that time, the Vatican archives were not yet open to the public, no one, except important people like the pope, was allowed to enter. Therefore, the quest to find the churches would not be able to solve.

Synthesis
Q3 :Make a radio announcement to advertise the book
Love to read thrillers? Are you a fan of Dan Brown's books and Robert Langdon? Then you got to read "Angels and Demons". It is a Robert Langdon thriller that will leave you at the edge of your seat. Buy it now at any bookstore nearby.

Evaluation
Q4:What did you think was the most interesting part of the book? Why?
To me, I think the most interesting part of the book is when Robert Langdon tries to figure out the next church so that he can, together with the police, to catch the abductor and murderer of the cardinals that were kidnapped. I find this part most interesting as it gives the reader a little mystery to solve before Robert Langdon solves and find the church. Much information about the history of these church and symbols comes in which makes the story more interesting. IT makes the reader wanting to know more.

Should we be rewarded for our efforts in school?

Being rewarded, is it a yes or no? Many students like me will of course shout out a big yes. But is it a good thing actually? Rewarding has both a positive and negative side to it.

How did rewarding started? Well, it all started when a student could not get what he wants but he comes into a deal with his parents that they promised to get him what he wants as a reward if he is able to achieve good results. Then, the idea of rewarding spread throughout and more and more students adopt this idea.

Well, the positive side of this particular idea is that students would work and strive even harder each time to achieve their goals and get what they always wanted. Although this may seem materialistic, but the students get good results and becomes smarter. It also serves as an encouragement.

The negative side is that the students have no motivation other than the reward offered. Without the reward, the students would not study at all as they find it meaningless. This way, their grades would deprove and no knowledge is obtained. Another negative side is that if their parents discovered the present they requested is very expensive and they cannot afford it, the students would lose motivation to study and the same negative outcome would happen.

Under what conditions can parents reward students? Well, if it serves as an encouragement for the student to work harder. Parents must also test if the students can study willingly without the reward given to them. The present must also be affordable and not to grand like a pen or something. Never give a present like a car.

To reward or not, is your choice, but do it in the right time with the right conditions.