"If It's Square, It's a Sonnet" - Do Not Stand at my Grave and Weep - AP Lit Post #2

In all honesty, I've never been a big fan of sonnets. Many of them seem to be written in roundabout ways and my brain just can't handle decoding them. So, obviously, this was a pretty difficult assignment for me. However, I did find one sonnet that caught my attention. It's called "Do Not Stand at my Grave and Weep". So, here it is!

Do Not Stand at my Grave and Weep

by Mary Elizabeth Frye

Do not stand at my grave and weep:

I am not there; I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow,

I am the diamond glints on snow,

I am the sun on ripened grain,

I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you awaken in the morning’s hush

I am the swift uplifting rush

Of quiet birds in circling flight.

I am the soft starshine at night.

Do not stand at my grave and cry:

I am not there; I did not die.

        What pulled me into this sonnet was the beautiful flow of phrase upon phrase, as well as the overall message of the poem. Personally, I haven't experienced many deaths in my life. I did lose my grandparents a while back, but two of them had already passed away before I was even born, and the other two both suffered from altzheimers disease and dementia so I never really got to know them. So I never really cried at their funerals or graves. It would be a lot different though if I had gotten to know them better. Take my pets. I've had time to get to know them my entire life, and I have experienced those deaths - of which I wept, a lot. In fact, I cry my eyes out whenever I lose a pet that is close to me. Therefore, I can't even imagine what it would be like to lose a human being who was that close to me - like a family member or a friend. I'm guessing that my reaction would include bawling my eyes out. It's something that I don't even want to think about. Therefore, when I read this sonnet, I was moved. The words in this poem cry out in vain, begging the reader to not cry when they lose someone precious, but look at all of the accomplishments they fulfilled throughout their life. Although their life has ended, their spirit has lived on in the memories of those they touched. Every person you meet leaves a mark on you, and your mark is left on them in return - it's just how life works. We change each other. Part of what makes us who we are is the people around us. If one of them suddenly disappeared, we would feel a hole in our life, like a piece of us was missing. Still, their imprint on our own lives remains with us, and they are never forgotten. I believe this sonnet was trying to convey that truth - that we should be celebrating a life, not simply mourning a loss. 

        I also liked the structure of this sonnet. It had a very distinct rhythm that kept the words moving in a cascading pattern. By having every two phrases rhyme with each other, Frye stitched together a stream of metaphors for one who has passed away. The fist half of the sonnet described in detail just who the person in question is and what they have become in a very metaphoric way. The second half continues on with that description and leads into a quiet transition that takes the reader to the final statement - showing them that the victim is dead and gone, but their spirit is still shining strong. I really loved the flow of the sonnet itself - the imagery mixed with the powerful rhythm gave off a feeling of strength, as well as joy, rather than allowing sorrow to creep into the words. The powerful descriptions within the poem shaped it into a beautiful piece of work with a reflective message to hold it all together. So there you have it - my chosen sonnet - "Do Not Stand at my Grave and Weep".

Note: I realize that I wrote this post with the belief that the poem above had 14 lines. As it turns out, it only has 12, and therefore is not a true sonnet, but has other qualities that a true sonnet would have. Namely, as I said before, the poem has two parts - both take up about six lines ("The first half of the sonnet described in detail just who the person in question is and what they have become in a very metaphoric way. The second half continues on with that description and leads into a quiet transition that takes the reader to the final statement"). Also, as  Foster explained how most sonnets are written in iambic pentameter, all of the lines in "Do Not Stand at my Grave and Weep" are fairly close to ten syllables. Not to mention, the rhyming pattern is very noticeable. Foster also explains that not all sonnets will follow the exact same structure - it all depends on the type of sonnet. :)

My Favorite Things - AP Literature Post #1

        Let me just say, deciding what my favorite books are is one of the hardest tasks anyone could ask me to perform. I love to read. In all honesty, sometimes all I want to do is forget about everything going on in the world, sit on a couch and read all day long. There are so many good books out there, that it's truly difficult picking a small group of favorites. After a LOT of thought, however, I finally came up with a pretty decent list of my very top choices. So, here are my top ten favorite books of all-time:

1. The Entire Percy Jackson & The Olympians Series (Sorry - I couldn't choose just one)
2. Heir to Sevenwaters
3. Divergent
4. The Mark of Athena
5. Flame of Sevenwaters
6. Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows
7. The Hunger Games
8. Valley of Fear
9. Ender's Game
10. Peter and the Starcatchers

        This list was so hard to create. I had to leave so many amazing books off the list to keep it a decent size. As you can see, I am a fantasy person. I love adventure stories and all of that stuff. Other genres interest me as well, but fantasy is my all-time favorite. I am very intrigued by anything considered creative writing - poetry, short stories, fantasy novels - I love to read them. Now to explain a bit about why I chose these specific books over the others. For one thing, I loved all of their plots. All of them had a good base plot line - one that fit and made sense with the context. Some of them had surprises along the way as well that I wasn't expecting at all. Whether those surprises were good or utterly tragic (the Hunger Games trilogy comes to mind...), they aided the plot lines along the way and added a whole new element to the story in question.    

         Along with the amazing plots, these books have amazing character development within them. The characters created by the authors all have distinct personalities and habits, and they truly keep the audience reading. From a girl leaving her home faction just trying to find her place in society to an extremely intelligent little boy who carries the weight of the world on his shoulders, the characters all have true bravery and a good knack for distinguishing the difference between right and wrong. In all of these books, the main characters are pushed into the worst situations imaginable, yet they always fight for what they believe in, even if it means giving up something important along the way.
        I also appreciate the way all of them are written. All of their authors' writing styles appealed to me, which I find hard in some other types of books. The writing flowed smoothly and guided the stories to their full potentials. I hate it when I am reading an amazing book but the writing style is terrible. That can make the story seem too slow or just plain confusing.
        While AP Lang taught me the value in works of nonfiction (which I had not opened up to until last year), I still can't help but return to the fiction that I have come to love so much. I guess you could call it my "comfort genre". It allows me to take a break from actual worldly problems and analyzing the text (not that that's a bad thing) and just sit down, relax, and enjoy what I am reading, getting lost in the pages of a priceless piece of fiction.
         Well, I guess that's it for my rant about fantasy books. AP Language was very interesting and I am glad that it taught me to think in a different way. I now look forward to AP Literature and the books we will read within this coming school year. I can't wait to see what we will learn next! :)

Future AP Lang Advice (TA Post)

        AP Lang is not impossible, but there are things I would have done differently if I could retake the class. I wish that I could go back in time to the fall and give myself some advice that would help me a whole lot in the future, but I can't. So this is for the future AP Lang students who will be able to benefit from my advice.
        First off: Vocabulary. Do not, under any circumstances, take AP Lang vocab lightly. Sure, previous english classes had ten words a week every week that you learned and took a small quiz on. By the end of the year, you usually forgot some, if not most of them. Well, in AP Lang, vocab is important. Without it, how would you know how to analyze the rhetorical devices in a piece of writing or apply those devices to your own writing? Therefore, if I could go back, I would have done something to record every new word or device that we learned in order to keep them all in an organized, easy-to-follow list that could take me through the year easily.
       Secondly: Stay on task. If for one moment you don't know what is going on, ask another student or teacher. If you don't learn the basics of the rhetorical thinking process, it will be hard to get back into the flow of things. Keep up with the reading homework and NEVER put it off until the last moment. For all you know, two chapters that you are assigned to read could end up taking hours upon hours to read (especially if you're a slow reader like myself).
        Thirdly: Break old habits. This is a tough one for me. Once I'm used to writing in a certain way, it's hard for me to switch to another form of writing. However, in AP Lang, you have to let go of some of the things that were pounded into your minds for years (such as 5-paragraph essay formatting) and open up a path for new, rhetorical ideas and strategies to flow into your writing. Even though it may take some time, I promise that it is, indeed possible to break some of the worst writing habits with time.
        AP Lang truly guides you to think in a different way. When I first heard this, I was pretty confused at what it meant. Now that I have taken a year of the class, I finally understand. Once you take this course, you start to analyze writing in a way that you didn't really do before. It's different, but very helpful in forming effective statements and building on them to form solid arguments that truly call on your reader's attention. Well, good luck, future AP Lang students! I hope this post is somewhat helpful to your life! (:

Exam Preparation (TA Post)

        Exams are quite a climax for the year. All of our studying and homework struggles lead up to one ending point that determines everything for the year. I have to say, I have never been good at studying for hours on end. I am someone who gets distracted the moment I take my eyes off of the paper. The most studying I have ever done in an exam was in 9th grade in World History. I was so nervous for the exam (I'll admit, history is NOT my best subject) that I read the entire contents of my history folder. It literally took me more than three hours. The good news is, I got almost a perfect score on the exam! Other than that, however, I haven't really downright studied for hours on end. In reality, I adjust my study habits to the situation. In English before AP Lang, it was hard to study because it was mainly based off of books, so I would just study some vocabulary. In choir, my exam involves singing a solo, so I just practice my solo a few times and work on memorization. Simple as that! There are a few classes that I study more for, but usually I will only study the things that I am really struggling with in order to use my studying time wisely.
       Other than studying, I try to take it easy the week of exams. This is sometimes challenging, due to extracurricular activities like Dutch Dance and memorizing songs for certain choirs, but I somehow manage to keep a level head. This may be because I sing a LOT and music really relaxes me. It's all about finding that one thing that truly eases your mind into a peaceful state. Therefore, what prepares me best for hard tests is calming my nerves through soothing music that I sing or play on piano in the comfort of my home. After that, I'm all ready for exams.
        As you can see, it's hard for me to pinpoint an exact way to prepare for exams. It really varies for different people. Some people study for days, others just take things easy for a while. There is no right or wrong way. It's all a matter of what works for you, and how you will accomplish that unique form of exam preparation. (:

Why Netflix is Amazing (CM)

        I'm sure most of you have heard about Netflix, the online site where people can watch TV after paying for a membership. I found out about Netflix around a year ago when my brother bought a membership. After a while, I realized just how amazing Netflix was. You see, I'm not much of a TV watcher. I'd rather sit down and watch a nice movie, or watch certain series' that catch my eye. In my situation, I feel like it would make life so much simpler to just stop paying for the TV network at my house and switch completely to Netflix. I only watch about three channels, so why pay for thousands that I will never care to even look at? Netflix has so many advantages. While a TV company may charge $80 per month, Netflix is currently $7.99 a month. I would rather not pay so much money for channels I may never watch. Not to mention, while TV plays shows at certain times and you have to navigate around commercials every ten minutes, Netflix allows people to watch anything straight through whenever they want. Also, rather than waiting for the right episodes to play, Netflix organizes its TV shows in chronological order, making it easy to simply go through the series in order and without rewatching things you have already seen. Some people may argue that TV is essential because of the news, which you can't really watch on Netflix, but it is easy to simply find a news channel online. Most news companies offer live streaming and frequent updates on current events.
         I love Netflix because you can use it anytime of any day. My family and I used to have Doctor Who marathons when everyone was home (which doesn't happen very often). This would have been difficult with just normal TV because we would have had to record a LOT of episodes, not to mention we don't even have the channel. Well, I also love to watch movies with my family, and Netflix gives us a variety of movies. I think the reason Netflix is better than television sets is that it is easy to use, full of variety for everyone, and simple. You find a show you want and press play. On TVs, you have to find the right channel at the right time, or record something ahead of time, still filled with commercials.
        I would not say that TV should be replaced by Netflix, but that many people (including me) benefit more from something like that rather than normal TV. Well, I'm done rambling on about Netflix now. I hope you enjoyed my thoughts!

Stories of Nature (CC Post)

        As soon as we started reading Into The Wild, I was hooked. The idea of someone abandoning everything they have in life to live out in nature alone and without many supplies is very extraordinary to me. As I read, I keep thinking about how hard it would be to just let go of everything you know in life. Imagine leaving your family and friends and not telling them what you are going to do, choosing to live secluded from the rest of the world. It would be nearly impossible to get even that far. So, when I think about what McCandless did, I am impressed at his will to survive out in the wild. I'm not sure I would go so far as saying that it was a good idea, but it is an amazing feat.
        While I read about McCandless's craving for nature, I can't help thinking about A Walk in the Woods, which I read last summer. It was a story about a man (Bill Bryson) who wanted to hike the Appalachian Trail, so he entered The Smoky Mountains National Park and tried to fulfill his goal. However, although he hiked for his love of nature, his story was very different than McCandless's. While McCandless abandoned everything - his family, his education, his life - Bryson was better prepared. He still could not connect with his family on the trail, but at least they knew where he was, what he was doing, and that he loved them. Also, he was careful to carry provisions for the hike on his back, including food, a sleeping bag, and strong hiking equipment. He also was following an actual path, rather than deciding to simply enter the wild with no solid plans.
        Although their stories have their differences, I can't help relating Bryson to McCandless. They both decided to take a break from their everyday lives and spend some hardcore time in nature. Both were gone for months on end, and neither regretted the overall experience. Acting on a love for nature, they followed a path in life that would strengthen their spirits and give them an understanding for the amazing world around us that is often forgotten. Through inner strength and the endurance needed to survive out in nature, both Bryson and McCandless followed their instincts to take an unforgettable hike through the wild of the world outside.

The Seasons (Free Write)

        I love Michigan. It's such a wonderful state and I feel like we tend to take it for granted a lot. One of my favorite things about it is that we get all four seasons. We get the freshness of spring, the traditions of summer, the beauty of fall, and my favorite, winter. Okay, so I admit it, I'm one of those few people who adores snow and absolutely loves the winter. This is funny even to me, seeing as I'm always cold, but I honestly love the winter. It just brings out the happiness in me. Anyways, I love having all four seasons. I know that a lot of people travel down south for the winter, but I just don't see the point. Yeah, they escape the cold weather, but look at what they're missing! Winter is such a beautiful season. I love watching the snow as it piles up outside and glistens in the sunlight of the day. Of course, I wouldn't want to live with winter all year round. I don't see how the people who live far up north survive. I would freeze without the comforting thoughts of warmer seasons just around the corner. The change from season to season really is something. A blossoming spring develops into a crisp summer, and then the leaves change color, and snow starts to fall. I would have to say that my favorite season change is, without a doubt, winter to spring. This is because we have already adjusted to the icy weather of the winter months, so even though 50 degrees would feel cold in the fall, in the spring it feels like a heatwave has washed over us! Therefore, I rest my case. Michigan is awesome, and we are so lucky to live here. One of my sisters lives down in Virginia, and they get hardly any snow most years. In fact, once when I was visiting her at Christmas time, her school got a snow day in the anticipation of snow. I woke up the next day expecting to see lot's of snow outside, like when we get snow days up north. Well, there was no snow. In fact, it didn't even start snowing until after lunch time. Compare that to our recent week of snowdays due to our massive amounts of snow currently occupying the town. I really do love the snow. I know a lot of people hate it, but there's something about it that just makes me smile. The same thing goes for falling leaves, shades of so many colors drifting through the air and piling up on the ground. This is also true for blossoming flowers and plant growing seasons. Every season has unique traits that make it special in its own way. Without one of the seasons, something would be missing from my life. With them, I feel so complete. I really don't know how I could live without one. It would be so different. People who live without winter and those who live without summer really are tough! I would miss the balance of the four seasons way too much. I'm so glad we live in such a beautiful state. Michigan truly has its perks! (: