Okay, here goes my first effort!
Title: A Vision of Style
The capacity of which one person can affect a whole country’s culture is summed up in the reign of one man. Louis XIV, King of France, set precedence for the lifestyle culture of France, which has exceeded into today’s world. Not a man to be complacent or bored, he catapulted France into a new age with vigorous energy, personality, and not always with consideration of possible consequences to others. This is a tale of a man whose vision surpassed most men’s wildest dreams. The affects of this one man would change France forever.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Research Blueprint
Suffice it to say, this is not an easy project for me so I am taking every spare moment possible to focus on each detail. I have finally landed on an idea for my thesis, not being either of the original ideas I posted previously, and am trying to fine tune it into a thesis statement. It is pertaining to a fastidious character, Louis XIV King of France, and the effects on the French Culture then, and now as we know it. I find him to be quite intriguing and bizarre and am hoping an actual thesis statement will not be too difficult to come up with.
Now that the challenge of picking a topic is eliminated the next thing was to collect all of my sources so I may be thoroughly informed of my topic. This involved perusing many, many online sources both from the web and databases. I had one book that actually inspired the idea, and was able to find another related book fairly easily.
The next step will be to read through all of my sources to get a broad and well-informed base from which to begin. Of course there will be a great deal of note-taking and outline after outline to create as well. I am planning to keep a list of works cited as I go so as to keep the final process of the Works Cited page fairly simple and straightforward.
After all that I will begin drafting my paper. Collecting my thoughts and putting them on paper is not always an easy process for me. With this topic there are many details to sift through and assemble. Hopefully I have gathered plenty of source information, but if not, I will go back and look for more to round out my paper.
Finally, after the draft has been edited and revised (probably many, many times) I will complete the final draft. Hopefully, this will yield me a decent grade!
Now that the challenge of picking a topic is eliminated the next thing was to collect all of my sources so I may be thoroughly informed of my topic. This involved perusing many, many online sources both from the web and databases. I had one book that actually inspired the idea, and was able to find another related book fairly easily.
The next step will be to read through all of my sources to get a broad and well-informed base from which to begin. Of course there will be a great deal of note-taking and outline after outline to create as well. I am planning to keep a list of works cited as I go so as to keep the final process of the Works Cited page fairly simple and straightforward.
After all that I will begin drafting my paper. Collecting my thoughts and putting them on paper is not always an easy process for me. With this topic there are many details to sift through and assemble. Hopefully I have gathered plenty of source information, but if not, I will go back and look for more to round out my paper.
Finally, after the draft has been edited and revised (probably many, many times) I will complete the final draft. Hopefully, this will yield me a decent grade!
Monday, September 8, 2008
Research Idea Assignment
The Rat Pack (research idea #1)
The Rat Pack would be a fun subject to research. I have listened to this music since I was little. I loved watching old movies with my mom when I was a kid and this music takes me back. Questions that spring to mind are:
How did they meet? How did they become "The Rat Pack" and where did that name arise from? How did each of them arrive to their famed proportion when they eventually collaborated in "The Rat Pack" venture?
The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (research idea #2)
My second interest would be the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. They were a group of seven (sometimes one or more would join in) young men that formed a secret "brotherhood" during the Victorian era. Questions to zone in on would be:
How did they meet? Who were the women in their paintings and how were they associated to the artists? What led up to the demise of the Brotherhood? Why was it a secret?
Which one do you think I should pick?
The Rat Pack would be a fun subject to research. I have listened to this music since I was little. I loved watching old movies with my mom when I was a kid and this music takes me back. Questions that spring to mind are:
How did they meet? How did they become "The Rat Pack" and where did that name arise from? How did each of them arrive to their famed proportion when they eventually collaborated in "The Rat Pack" venture?
The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (research idea #2)
My second interest would be the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. They were a group of seven (sometimes one or more would join in) young men that formed a secret "brotherhood" during the Victorian era. Questions to zone in on would be:
How did they meet? Who were the women in their paintings and how were they associated to the artists? What led up to the demise of the Brotherhood? Why was it a secret?
Which one do you think I should pick?
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Outline: Interpreting A Poem (SYW.com assignment)
Interpreting a Poem
I. Recognizing a poem when you see one
A. The Line
1. line breaks at end of sentence
a. end-stop
b. enjambment
B. Greater focus on sound of words
1. the rhythm
a. rhyme at end of sentence
b. half rhyme-matching certain words mid-sentence throughout
C. Density-richness and level of thought process to pick up on the meaning and/or emotion
1. connotations-what is implied
2. denotations-what they literally mean
3. simile
4. metaphor symbolic language
D. Associations
1. concrete images vs. abstract concepts
E. Irony
1. using two conflicting points to make a point of irony
II. Elements of a Poem
A. Meter
1. rhythm/foot
a. stressed
b. unstressed
2. iambic pentameter
3. metrical pentameter
4. trochee
5. spondee
6. free verse
B. Form – prescribed pattern
1. stanza
2. open form
3. blank verse
III. Tools of Analysis
A. Practical Criticism
1. do a close reading
2. pick out levels of meaning
3. scan the lines
a. meter
4. identify the form
5. examine the diction
6. make general observations
a. history
b. social context
c. psychology
d. gender concerns
e. subject matter
B. Enjoy what you are reading!
I. Recognizing a poem when you see one
A. The Line
1. line breaks at end of sentence
a. end-stop
b. enjambment
B. Greater focus on sound of words
1. the rhythm
a. rhyme at end of sentence
b. half rhyme-matching certain words mid-sentence throughout
C. Density-richness and level of thought process to pick up on the meaning and/or emotion
1. connotations-what is implied
2. denotations-what they literally mean
3. simile
4. metaphor symbolic language
D. Associations
1. concrete images vs. abstract concepts
E. Irony
1. using two conflicting points to make a point of irony
II. Elements of a Poem
A. Meter
1. rhythm/foot
a. stressed
b. unstressed
2. iambic pentameter
3. metrical pentameter
4. trochee
5. spondee
6. free verse
B. Form – prescribed pattern
1. stanza
2. open form
3. blank verse
III. Tools of Analysis
A. Practical Criticism
1. do a close reading
2. pick out levels of meaning
3. scan the lines
a. meter
4. identify the form
5. examine the diction
6. make general observations
a. history
b. social context
c. psychology
d. gender concerns
e. subject matter
B. Enjoy what you are reading!
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
who am I?
Who am I? That is such a vast question and it is one I am currently, deep down, trying to answer. At my age (early 40-something) most people have an idea of who they are, I suppose, but I am still searching. I had a relatively normal, uneventful childhood. I enjoyed the 80's era in high school with my high school sweetheart, whom I married. We've been married for almost 21 years....happily I might add. We have two daughters, aged 18 and 13, that have filled my life with much joy. But I have yet to fulfill any personal goals at this point. I have returned to college for one class this semester in hopes of sparking some interest, some glimmer of something imagined long ago and forgotten. I don't know....it's too late to go back, but I am hoping to stumble upon something that may lead me towards a richer more creative life.
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