On Close Reading

In the literary piece “On Close Readings,” Peter Rabinowitz argues that close reading is not always the best form to read. He states that “the way one reads also varies from text to text.” He later defends his argument by stating that “different authors, different genres, different periods, different cultures expect readers to approach the text in different ways.”Later in the piece, Rabinowitz expresses his opinion on the text students should be exposed too.

            I agree with the arguments presented in this piece because students should not be forced to analyze all pieces of literature in the same manner. For example, we sometimes come across points, or devices in a text that are superficial  yet we do not catch because we are occupied in finding the meaning to everything and how it relates back to the theme, tone or mood. I also believe that students should read texts that will broaden their horizon.

                    Dylan Thomas, in  his piece "On the words in poetry," describes his first encounter with words and how he became to love them. He states " O did not care what the words said,overmuch, not what happened to Jack and Jill and the Mother Goose rest of them; I cared for the sound that their name, and the words made in my ears." Furthermore, illustrating the idea that one is never to young to appreciate words. They can be appreciated simply by there sound. Later on he moves on to stating," And as I read more and more, and it was not all verse, by any means, my love for the real life of words increased until I knew that I must live with them and in them always..." This meaning that words are not just letters put together to form a beautiful sound but they can be the speakers paintbrush to create a magnificent piece of art.

                    I agree with Mr. Thomas, in the sense that words can be a stupendous palette. They all make different sounds and put together they make an exquisite piece. However, one does not  simply need to hear their sound but know how to use them correctly. If there is no talent then what good are they? They are just blown away by the wind without having a single purpose.

Metaphors, What for?

                     In his piece about metaphors, John R. Searle comes forth with his disagreement on metaphors. Personally I would have to agree with him the use of metaphors is not always necessary. I do not mind them however, why make them extremely difficult to understand like, "Sally is a prime number between 17 and 23." What good can come out of that metaphor? If one does not have a certain intellectual level then it is foreign language. Why can't society stick to similes?                    

                    Yet, I do not close myself to metaphors, even if I find them useless at times, I do have to recognize that metaphors embellish a piece of literature. In spite of this, literature would be much easier to understand without having to figure out all the metaphors and what they mean.

Introduction to Poetry

                In his poem Introduction to Poetry, Billy Collins elaborates on his view that students should enjoy poems. He describes that poems are vibrant and full of life but students decide to just take it literally and forget that there is a meaning behind every word. He states that “all they want to do is tie the poem to a chair with a rope and torture a confession out of it.” Personally, I believe that he is saying that the poems should not just be broken down because you are told to do so by an instructor, but poems should be read for entertainment during leisure time.

Reflection

           This past year has been filled with difficulties that were hard to overcome yet not impossible. The decision to join this challenging course was spontaneous. Although, AP Language was not as difficult as I thought it would be, my biggest obstacle  was my time management. Balancing my chores, academics, and work was the greatest trouble of them all. 

         The work given to me this year was entirely too much for me. The work itself was not difficult, it was the amount of essays that had to be written. Instead of being proactive by doing the work when given, I became a procrastinator. Therefore, my work was turned in past minute. Yes, I am ashamed for displaying such dissatisfying work ethics, but I plan to better them during the upcoming year.

The Death of a child

Is there a heaven? Is there a hell? Can you have one without the other? How do you achieve the golden ticket to heaven? The answers to these questions vary from person to person. These are questions that might never be answered and proved with physical evidence. However, a question that is indisputable for those who believe in such places is whether children go to heaven, hell, or just linger around in an endless sorrow. Of course the innocence of children takes them on the expressway to heaven.
Although here on Earth us mortals cry because we have lost a sister, a brother, a cousin, a friend that was so young and still had a bountiful amount of experiences to live. We must trust that we gained an angel. The phrase “gone but never forgotten” should be implemented by those who are left here on Earth. We should not mourn the death of a child. You should not wear black to remember a child; one should wear white to represent the child’s purity and ingenuousness.



**In memory of all the children whose physical bodies have left our side, and are now watching from above.**

You Can Control the Future!!!!

What is left for generations to come? Currently we are facing life changing situations throughout the world such as global warming and debt; this leads to uncertainty amongst parents. As the years go by the probability of children not having a secure future increase.

For example, presently the US has had to minimize the amount of money that is available for high school seniors that has been used to help them pay for their college education. As a result of the reduction, requirements for scholarships have increase, making it difficult for graduating seniors to receive scholarships.

Not only have the funds for education been reduced, but also the amount of money available for senior citizens, that has so far been given once he/she decides to retire. Is this really fair? The money that these citizens receive is just a payback of the taxes they payed while in the work force.

As urbanization progresses an excessive amount of trees are being cut down. As we all know trees are vital in the purification of air; without them the air will continue to become more and more polluted. Therefore, causing global warming, environmental decline.

A New Start

Change has brought a new perspective to the Roman Catholic Church. After being reigned by European popes for more than 1000 years, there is now an outsider in charge. After the resignation of his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Francis I, a formal Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, has now made history as the first Latin American to become the head of the Roman Catholic Church.

As expected, responses to this election were made immediately. As soon as he walked out on the balcony to make it known that he was chosen as the new leader of the Roman Catholics, there was first an awkward gasp because of the fact that he was not European as expected. However, Pope Francis was not intimidated by the first response, instead he joked about his ethnicity. “In Italian, he seemed to address his outsider status by joking: ‘As you know the duty of the conclave is to give Rome a bishop. It seems that my brother cardinals went almost to the end of the world.’” In response to the pope’s decision to name himself Francis “after the humble Catholic friar St. Francis of Assisi,” President Barak Obama referred to the pontiff as "champion of the poor."

Although at first, I thought that the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI was unacceptable because there was no one to directly follow him, as it would be if the president were unable to fulfill his duty then the vice president would take charge. However, with the election of Pope Francis I there bring new views and also some diversity in the history of pope’s.

Will this be enough!

                    It cost the massacre of 20 innocent angels for this country to realize how much danger easy access to assault riffles represents. Finally the risk has been minimized a bit; President Obama has recently signed 23 executive orders,"  which don't require congressional approval -- to strengthen existing gun laws and take related steps on mental health and school safety." President Obama is not only doing what he alone, as president can do,but he is also pleading to Congress if they would reconsider renovating an assault weapon law that ended in 2004.
                     On a more personal level, being that President Obama is a father himself; I believe that he understands how hurt those parents where. Therefore, he made it his personal goal to ensure that things such as this one will not repeat itself. Many may oppose his decision say that it is unconstitutional, but they are not weighing out the possibilities that one day a dreadful event like this one may affect their own family . As our president said earlier today, "This is our first task as a society -- keeping our children safe."

Bash, Dana, Carol Cratty, Jim Acosta, Paul Steinhauser, David Ariosto,

Kevin Liptak Contributed to This Report, and Mark Morgenstein

Updated from Atlanta. "Pushback on Obama's Plan to Stem Gun

Violence." CNN. Cable News Network, 16 Jan. 2013. Web. 16 Jan.

2013. <http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/16/politics/gun-laws-battle/

index.html>.