abase--behave in a way so as to belittle or degrade (someone)
abdicate--voluntarily cease to keep or claim; give up
abomination--a thing that causes disgust or hatred
brusque--abrupt or offhand in speech or manner
saboteur--a person who engages in sabotage
debauchery--excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures
proliferate--increase rapidly in numbers; multiply
anachronism--a thing belonging or appropriate to a period other than that in which it exists, especially a thing that is conspicuously old-fashioned
nomenclature--the devising or choosing of names for things, especially in a science or other discipline
expurgate--remove matter thought to be objectionable or unsuitable from (a book or account)
bellicose--demonstrating aggression and willingness to fight
gauche--lacking ease or grace; unsophisticated and socially awkward
rapacious--aggressively greedy or grasping
paradox--a statement or proposition that, despite sound (or apparently sound) reasoning from acceptable premises, leads to a conclusion that seems senseless, logically unacceptable, or self-contradictory
conundrum--a confusing and difficult problem or question
anomaly--something that deviates from what is standard, normal, or expected
ephemeral--lasting for a very short time
rancorous--characterized by bitterness or resentment
churlish--rude in a mean-spirited and surly way
precipitous-- dangerously high or steep
Monday, October 13, 2014
Phonar "Unphotgraphable"
The first time I experienced a "wow" moment that I didn't take a picture of was the first time I went on the ride Goliath at Six Flags. It's the tallest coaster in the park, (23 stories) and it takes its sweet time getting you to the top...and then it keeps you there for a good five seconds which, in the open air at that height, feels like a lifetime. I couldn't take a picture, obviously, but taking a picture wouldn't have been able to capture exactly what I was seeing anyway. I thought for sure I was going to die. I was sooo scared. A picture wouldn't be able to capture that feeling, either.
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Canterbury Outline
Introduction
-Thesis
- introduce chosen tale
Body paragraphs
-compare to Dante's Inferno
-dante's inferno and Canterbury are actually pretty similar
-show similarities
-use of language
Conclusion
-Thesis
- introduce chosen tale
Body paragraphs
-compare to Dante's Inferno
-dante's inferno and Canterbury are actually pretty similar
-show similarities
-use of language
Conclusion
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
The Point of Canterbury Tales is...
Canterbury Tales is different from other stories of its time by its use of ___, ___, and ___.
Green Eggs and Hamlet
1. I saw Hamlet at PCPA last year, so I know the basics of the storyline.(Spoiler alert: If you don't want to know what (kind of) happens, stop reading now.) It's about a prince whose father suddenly died and less than a month later his mom marries his dad's brother, and Hamlet thinks that his uncle poisoned his father in order to become king so he decides to kill him. Then he kind of has a thing with Ophelia whose father Hamlet kills on accident and she goes crazy and commits suicide (or something along those lines) and that's all I remember. It's pretty much typical Shakespeare.
2. I know that Shakespeare devoted his life to writing his plays and sort of abandoned his family in order to pursue his dream of being a playwright (at least that's what I learned at OA freshman year). Also, he was married to a woman named Anne Hathaway and she was way older than him.
3. Students "involuntarily frown" when they hear his name because despite how great he's considered to be, the fact is that his work is very old and hard to understand and boring. Freshman year we went over Romeo and Juliet in detail and it made me realize that Shakespeare was actually pretty funny, but you would never catch his jokes today if you saw it in a theater or read it because it requires in- depth analysis.
4. I don't know about making it an "amazing experience" but if we could read it in completely modern English it would be more interesting for everyone, but then that kind of defeats the purpose of how he wrote it because it was in iambic pentameter and all that. I just like it when we read something like Shakespeare and then we have in-class discussions about it because I think it helps everyone to understand it better.
2. I know that Shakespeare devoted his life to writing his plays and sort of abandoned his family in order to pursue his dream of being a playwright (at least that's what I learned at OA freshman year). Also, he was married to a woman named Anne Hathaway and she was way older than him.
3. Students "involuntarily frown" when they hear his name because despite how great he's considered to be, the fact is that his work is very old and hard to understand and boring. Freshman year we went over Romeo and Juliet in detail and it made me realize that Shakespeare was actually pretty funny, but you would never catch his jokes today if you saw it in a theater or read it because it requires in- depth analysis.
4. I don't know about making it an "amazing experience" but if we could read it in completely modern English it would be more interesting for everyone, but then that kind of defeats the purpose of how he wrote it because it was in iambic pentameter and all that. I just like it when we read something like Shakespeare and then we have in-class discussions about it because I think it helps everyone to understand it better.
Monday, October 6, 2014
Vocabulary #5
shenanigans--secret or dishonest activity or maneuvering
ricochet--a split or division between strongly opposed sections or parties, caused by differences in opinion or belief.
schism--a split or division between strongly opposed sections or parties, caused by differences in opinion or belief.
eschew--deliberately avoid using; abstain from
plethora--a large or excessive amount of (something)
ebullient--cheerful and full of energy
garrulous--excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters
harangue--a lengthy and aggressive speech.
interdependence--depending on each other: unable to exist or survive without each other
capricious--given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behavior
loquacious--tending to talk a great deal; talkative.
ephemeral--lasting for a very short time
inchoate--just begun and so not fully formed or developed; rudimentary
juxtapose--place or deal with close together for contrasting effect
perspicacious--having a ready insight into and understanding of things
codswallop--nonsense
mungo--cloth made from recycled woven or felted material.
sesquipedalian--characterized by long words; long-winded
wonky--crooked; off-center; askew
diphthong--a sound formed by the combination of two vowels in a single syllable, in which the sound begins as one vowel and moves toward another (as in coin, loud, and side). Often contrasted with monophthong, triphthong.
ricochet--a split or division between strongly opposed sections or parties, caused by differences in opinion or belief.
schism--a split or division between strongly opposed sections or parties, caused by differences in opinion or belief.
eschew--deliberately avoid using; abstain from
plethora--a large or excessive amount of (something)
ebullient--cheerful and full of energy
garrulous--excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters
harangue--a lengthy and aggressive speech.
interdependence--depending on each other: unable to exist or survive without each other
capricious--given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behavior
loquacious--tending to talk a great deal; talkative.
ephemeral--lasting for a very short time
inchoate--just begun and so not fully formed or developed; rudimentary
juxtapose--place or deal with close together for contrasting effect
perspicacious--having a ready insight into and understanding of things
codswallop--nonsense
mungo--cloth made from recycled woven or felted material.
sesquipedalian--characterized by long words; long-winded
wonky--crooked; off-center; askew
diphthong--a sound formed by the combination of two vowels in a single syllable, in which the sound begins as one vowel and moves toward another (as in coin, loud, and side). Often contrasted with monophthong, triphthong.
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Canterbury Tales (II) What A Character
Pages 106--115 focusing on Chaucer's use of humor
The wife of Bath has had five husbands and despite the failed marriages, she believes herself to be quite proficient in the matter of relationships. Chaucer gives her a humorous description and says she is an ugly woman where looks and personality are concerned yet men seem to like her, as she landed five husbands and multiple lovers when she was younger.
The miller's tale uses farce (a comic dramatic work using buffoonery and horseplay and typically including crude characterization and ludicrously improbable situations) as the main form of humor. He gives the miller a ridiculous and exaggerated description, saying that he is like an ox. He is described as being strong, and claims he can break down a door completely by running at it. He's also a thief.
The summoner is also given a funny and rather unattractive description. He has pimples and gross eyebrows and he's boisterous. He's a "kind" man who'd let any young man keep a whore for a year as long as he received a quart of wine, despite the fact that there's "no better fellow" than he. He seems easily persuaded by alcohol.
The pardoner likes to swindle people out of their money and doesn't feel bad, though he is very good at seeming like a person with morals. He would imitate someone who was a churchgoing person and yet he was the complete opposite. One of the reasons why he was happy to sing a church song was because he could easily get money from all of the people there.
The wife of Bath has had five husbands and despite the failed marriages, she believes herself to be quite proficient in the matter of relationships. Chaucer gives her a humorous description and says she is an ugly woman where looks and personality are concerned yet men seem to like her, as she landed five husbands and multiple lovers when she was younger.
The miller's tale uses farce (a comic dramatic work using buffoonery and horseplay and typically including crude characterization and ludicrously improbable situations) as the main form of humor. He gives the miller a ridiculous and exaggerated description, saying that he is like an ox. He is described as being strong, and claims he can break down a door completely by running at it. He's also a thief.
The summoner is also given a funny and rather unattractive description. He has pimples and gross eyebrows and he's boisterous. He's a "kind" man who'd let any young man keep a whore for a year as long as he received a quart of wine, despite the fact that there's "no better fellow" than he. He seems easily persuaded by alcohol.
The pardoner likes to swindle people out of their money and doesn't feel bad, though he is very good at seeming like a person with morals. He would imitate someone who was a churchgoing person and yet he was the complete opposite. One of the reasons why he was happy to sing a church song was because he could easily get money from all of the people there.
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