English 3

May 14^th – May 18^th

On Monday and Tuesday, we will finish viewing and discussing The Great Gatsby. Your test on the novel will be on Wednesday. To repeat what I said in my posted message last week, as you read Gatsby, you should have noticed reflections of Fitzgerald’s own life in his novel. Much of what he included came directly from his own experience as well as his lifestyle. However, there is one element that he included at the very end of the novel that is fairly eerie, since it echoes an event in his own biography but one which he could not possibly have actually known about. Try to remember the video biography of Fitzgerald that we saw, and see if you can guess what it is. [There might be bonus points on the test for this, so really try to remember.]

After we have finished our work on Gatsby, we will then move back into the literature book briefly since there are two other authors that we must complete, specifically Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman.

First we will look at the poetry of Emily Dickinson. Since she was not particularly interested in getting published and wrote her poetry primarily for self-expression, there is a freedom of subject, thought, and message in her poetry that makes it very personal but at the same time reflective of many of the questions or “musings” which we all pose to ourselves in the privacy of our own minds.

Whitman strongly believed in the importance of personal freedom, and this had an effect on the development of his poetry. His free verse does not use a regular meter and rhyme pattern, but instead uses cadence, a distinct beat similar to the pattern utilized in speeches by good orators. It gives his poems a discernable pulse and intonation that illustrate his message. Whitman also used catalog, a listing technique, specifically in his poem “I Hear America Singing,” which you might remember reading during freshman year. This type of poetry is not necessarily easy to memorize [which you will not be asked to do], but the format is more effective for his message.

After we have finished our work on these two poets, which will include a test or a quiz, I will be able to calculate exemptions. In order to be exempt, a student must have completed all of the work due for the course and earned an A for the year. Therefore, exemptions cannot be announced until our last class period before exams.

As for the burning question, I will return your research papers to you this week. I know you are anxious to get these back, but it was simply not possible to return them earlier. Remember that, according to the original stipulation of this assignment, the grade you have earned on the paper will be averaged as a double test grade.