Close Reading Bingo

Weakness 1: His strange admiration is expressed with metaphors like "the free-standing kind: a pair of integral signs swooping upward" and "a temporary, steeper escalator of daylight"
Source: My Everyday Sticky Waffle

Weakness 3:He describes the boy’s feelings towards his parents with a negative, abusive and defiant diction.
Source: UNDERWATER

Weakness 2:  "Turned toward the escalators, carrying a black Penguin paperback and a small white CVS bag, its receipt stapled over the top," describes the harsh clattering of the setting.Source: T-Rex

Weakness 6:  It was also literal in denotation, as while reading it. Throughout the excerpt Barker used excellent verbs and description to explain all of the sentences.
Source: Lets's Start!




#1 Best Close Reading (in my eyes) was by A Scrap of Parchment

Looooooooooooong Poem but still a classic

The Raven

 By Edgar Allan Poe
 Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
  Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
    While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
   As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
  "'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door-
                Only this, and nothing more."

    Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,
  And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
    Eagerly I wished the morrow;- vainly I had sought to borrow
    From my books surcease of sorrow- sorrow for the lost Lenore-
  For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore-
                Nameless here for evermore.

    And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
  Thrilled me- filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
    So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating,
    "'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door-
  Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door;-
                This it is, and nothing more."

    Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
  "Sir," said I, "or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
    But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
    And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,
  That I scarce was sure I heard you"- here I opened wide the door;-
                Darkness there, and nothing more.

    Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering,
        fearing,
  Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortals ever dared to dream before;
    But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,
    And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, "Lenore!"
  This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, "Lenore!"-
                Merely this, and nothing more.

    Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,
   Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.
    "Surely," said I, "surely that is something at my window lattice:
    Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore-
  Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore;-
                'Tis the wind and nothing more."

    Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and
        flutter,
  In there stepped a stately raven of the saintly days of yore;
    Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed
        he;
    But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door-
  Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door-
                Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

   Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
  By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore.
   "Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou," I said, "art sure no
        craven,
   Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the Nightly shore-
  Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!"
                Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

    Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,
  Though its answer little meaning- little relevancy bore;
    For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
    Ever yet was blest with seeing bird above his chamber door-
  Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door,
                With such name as "Nevermore."

    But the raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only
  That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.
    Nothing further then he uttered- not a feather then he fluttered-
    Till I scarcely more than muttered, "other friends have flown
        before-
  On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before."
                Then the bird said, "Nevermore."

     Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,
  "Doubtless," said I, "what it utters is its only stock and store,
     Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster
     Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore-
  Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore
                Of 'Never- nevermore'."

    But the Raven still beguiling all my fancy into smiling,
  Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird, and bust and
        door;
    Then upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking
    Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore-
  What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt and ominous bird of yore
                Meant in croaking "Nevermore."

    This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing
  To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core;
    This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
    On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamplight gloated o'er,
  But whose velvet violet lining with the lamplight gloating o'er,
                She shall press, ah, nevermore!

    Then methought the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer
  Swung by Seraphim whose footfalls tinkled on the tufted floor.
    "Wretch," I cried, "thy God hath lent thee- by these angels he
        hath sent thee
    Respite- respite and nepenthe, from thy memories of Lenore!
  Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!"
                Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

    "Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil!- prophet still, if bird or
        devil!-
  Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
    Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted-
    On this home by horror haunted- tell me truly, I implore-
  Is there- is there balm in Gilead?- tell me- tell me, I implore!"
                Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

    "Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil- prophet still, if bird or
        devil!
  By that Heaven that bends above us- by that God we both adore-
    Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,
    It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore-
  Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore."
                Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

    "Be that word our sign in parting, bird or fiend," I shrieked,
        upstarting-
  "Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore!
    Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!
    Leave my loneliness unbroken!- quit the bust above my door!
  Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my
        door!"
               Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

    And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
  On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
    And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,
    And the lamplight o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the
        floor;
  And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
                Shall be lifted- nevermore!

Currently

Pages Read : 219-319

Books Read : IT  By Stephen King


Top Five Best Style Mappers (in first period)


1) J-Momma-" Keep it, Guard it, care of it, for it keeps men, guards men, cares for men. Destroy it and man is destroyed."  He wants people to take care of the land we live on because it takes care of us and without it we are nothing.


2) Bakeface Space- The elevation is low. It seems like this is taking place in the south which is known for their slang and terse language. The sound of the story is harsh. The words are noisy and hard sounding. Lastly, the story is denotative. It has no expressive voice in it and just says it how it is.


3) Happy Go Lucky- The excerpt has a rhythmic flow which is emphasized through various sentences. The sentence "Days of riding where ther rode no soul save he," is poetic in a sense that people everyday do not talk like that.


4) ZENGERINEgoesacademic- In contrast, Cormac McCarthy's figurative-language-heavy introduction to Blood Meridian balances both an earthy grittiness and an elevated vocabulary as McCarthy describes the surroundings. By far the simplest of all, Walker Lamond's Rules for My Unborn Son has a no-nonsense and almost journalistic approach to writing.

5) Twilight- In this passage from Cormac McCarthy's "Blood Meridian," he uses common familiarity and suggestive language mixed with a harmonious and sweet sound.
                    
Favorites: I choose these excerpts because the each person did a good job of describing the situation,or their ideas about the writings.

Rainy Days Are Here Again

Once again another week of rain. Can it just please stop raining I want to get as much skating in as I can before the ice age comes.Well at least today I got to skate a parking garage with the homies! Hopefully it will dry up by Saturday because I wanna skate the park so bad. You really never notice how grateful you are for something when you are unable to use it. Good thing I have become better friends with some of the Rise skates op guys because now I got the hook ups to go to some people's barns that have minis in them. I seriously can't wait! Well I'm blogging a little late I need to get to bed night blogger.

Observing and Describing Language

In Neil Gaiman’s Stardust the tone is an elegant and elevated because of the great descriptions. Stardust is also more of a connotation having a poetic theme to it as well as being very lyrical about it. The story is also musical instead of being harsh, Stardust just seems like it would be a song. Next excerpt is from Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian to contrast with Stardust McCarthy’s story has a more blunt and coarse tone in the story. McCarthy’s story is also Denotative having a more straightforward look to it, using more literal sayings instead of being all poetic about it. The only thing that Stardust and Blood Meridian have in common is that they are both musical. Blood Meridian despite it having a low elevation and being denotative, it still has a musical flow to it when you read the excerpt. The last excerpt I chose is from the first page of the book called IT by Stephen King. This first page definitely has a very blunt and common elevation to it, along with being literal and precise during this first page. There is nothing melodious to this excerpt it has a gritty tone to it and as you keep reading it, it seems more and more intriguing.

Quarterly

Books Read: IT


Pages Read: 100-219


Semester Reading: This semester I think I have really grown as a reader. I have never really read up untill I took this class, and I am really happy I started to read what I want to read. The first book that I finished was The Shining, it was a wonderfully awesome book. It was like being inside a horror movie every turn of the page got better and better, and I never would have expirenced that book without this class. I feel like having the freedom to choose what I read really makes me want to read more stuff that interests me. The books I have read has been The Shining, The Colorado Kid and I am currently reading  IT , which are all by Stephen King. I don't know why I like reading Stephen King so much, maybe because each book, except for The Colorado Kid , have been like a horror story and I love horror movies so these stories are great! I find my self reading alot at night and sometimes during school once I am done with all my work. The most challenging is to keep a steady reading speed instead of bingeing and reading a lot of pages in one night. My goal for next semester would definitly be read more frequently and maybe try new authors and books.

Film Day

Well this Saturday me and a couple of my friends are planning to wake up early so we can gather some footage for an edit we are making. We have to wake up early because the spot we wanna skate is always busy unless you go at an odd time such as six in the morning. Hopefully it won't be to dark out, I might have to move the time back to seven. Earthier way me and my friends are on a mission to get film (which is a rare sight to see). Normally we just skate for fun not for film. But it is always fun to actually push yourself to land a trick. Well I can't wait to go lurking on Saturday, I just need to get through one more day!

Creating Art with Your Hands

Well this past week I kind of for got to blog (sorry). I was really busy going to Saint Francis on friday for an art workshop. I got to go and sculpt in a college art room it was a very good learning expierence plus it was alot of fun! The process of making a figure was quite interesting. First I had to start out by creating a metal skeleton for my figure using wire. We took wire and began to twist it into the shape of a body, we had to make two wire bodies because you then took thinner wire and tied them together. This created a stronger skeleton to sculpt with. After wrapping wire around the major body parts, I had to create a slurry which helps hold the cement ,which is what we sculpted with, to the wire armeture. Then came the really messy part, I had to mix concrete into fine strands of steel wool until it became a clay like substance. Lastly we take the concrete mixture and began applying it to the skeleton of wire we created. The whole expirence there was so much fun, plus I got to eat actually good food for lunch instead of the school lunches at homestead.
Also last Saturday I took a college visit to Saint Francis which showed me everything there, the campus is so beautiful and the clare dorm is the one I am hoping to get in.

Currently (for last week)

Books Read:  IT by Stephen King


Pages read 1- 100

1) " Do they float?"
     "Float?" The clown's grin widened "Oh yes, indeed they do. They float! and there's cotton candy. . ."
     George reached.
     The clown seized his arm
     And George saw the clown's face change.

2) "Everything down here floats," that chuckling, rotten voice whispered, and suddenly there was a ripping noise and a flaring sheet of agony, and George Denbrough knew no more.
---At this point in the story Pennywise the clown tricked Georgie into reaching down the sewer grate for his paper boat, but as he reached for it Pennywise's face changed into a monster and tore poor Georgie's arm off.