Diary Entry

11 October , 2012

Dear Diary,

I don't understand why my family and friends are so against my relationship with him?! I love him with all my heart and I know deep down that we are meant to be together. I truly love him and he feels the same way so shouldn't they be happy for me? I feel so scared but yet so angry at the same time, mum and dad have threatened to disown me if i don't end our relationship, but how can I when I am so deeply in love with him! I want to be with him and I don't care what anyone else says, we are meant to be together. I will make it work and we will convince everyone that we love each other.

<3 xx

Love Story – Taylor Swift

Discussion Questions:

1.    Outline the subject matter of the poem?

The subject matter of the poem, love story by Taylor Swift, is love and hope. This is displayed through the story told in the song as the story shown in the song is about love and having hope that they can be together, hence the title ‘Love Story’.

2.    Why is the poem entitled “Love Story”? Use evidence from the   lyrics to support the titles significance and relevance.

The poem is entitled Love Story because that’s exactly what the song is about, a love story. This is evident from the lyrics “You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess, It's a love story, baby just say, yes”. The stereotypical love story generally relates back to fairytales with the prince and the princess living happily ever after, explaining why the song is titled “love Story”. Overall, the title “Love Story” does have significance and it is relevant to what the song is about and what story is told throughout the song.

3.    Describe the relationship between the two characters.  Who are they?

The relationship present in this song/poem is very strong and full of love and passion for one another. The two characters are Romeo and Juliet, and as shown through the lyrics present in the song, they are deeply in love with one another however they are forbidden to see each other. There relationship summed up, I believe, is forbidden love.

4.    What evidence is there to suggest that these lovers have to overcome obstacles in their relationship?

There is much evidence shown in this poem that the two lovers have some obstacles them manage to overcome in their relationship. The lyrics “And my daddy said stay away from Juliet, And I was crying on the staircase, Begging you please don't go” as well as the lyrics “And my daddy said stay away from Juliet, But you were everything to me, I was begging you please don't go”. Both of these lines show that their love was forbidden by their families and in particular Juliet’s dad, and that this caused them to have a very hard time in their relationship.

5.    What themes and issues are explored in the lyrics and through the video clip?

The Themes of Love, Hope, Passion, Sadness and joy are shown in the song and the through the video clip. The themes of love and passion are shown through the evident love that Romeo and Juliet share “I love you and that's all I really know”. The themes of joy are shown throughout the last verse when Romeo proposes to Juliet and they can finally get married and in the film clip where they run into each others arm and be together and the theme of sadness is shown through the lyrics “And I was crying on the staircase, Begging you please don't go” it is also shown through in the part of the film clip where Taylor is waiting for Romeo.

6.    How does the “Love story” end for Romeo and Juliet in the song? Is this how it ends for the Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet? Why does Taylor Swift end her song this way? What perspective is she writing from and why would they want the story to end this way?

The love story for Romeo and Juliet ends with them getting married and living happily ever after, however in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet both lovers end up dying tragically. I think Taylor decides to end her song this way because she want her listeners to capture the love that Romeo and Juliet shared with one another and how they overcame everything to be able to be together and that true love really does exist. The perspective Taylor is writing from is from Juliet’s perspective. I believe she does this, as her main audience is young girls. By having the perspective of the song in Juliet’s perspective, she is able to reach out to her audience more and really make them believe true love exists.    

English Homework 26.8.12

1. How effective is the headline?

The Title is effective as you don’t know its about the Dixie chicks so when the word ‘Chicks is in the title which is not a common word used in articles, It really draws you in. Also the fact that is sounds like they are physically going to be hurt, this also draws you in.

 2. The journalist has chosen not to include an extensive byline. Do you think this is a good decision? Explain your answer.

I think that this is a good idea because of the type of article it is and where it is, because it is an internet article

3. How does the introductory paragraph help your understanding of what the article will be about?

Because it explains about Natalie Maines and who she is and really gives you an idea of who she is and what her personality is. It also gives you an idea of what she said and did and that gives you a good idea of what the article is going to be about.

 4. What kind of tone do you think the journalist is trying to achieve? Provide examples to explain your answer.

I think the kind of tone the journalist is trying to achieve is a serious one but at the same time a neutral one as he/she does not want to get into the middle of things.

5. What do you think the journalist's purpose was in writing this article? Provide examples to help prove your answer.

I think the journalist wrote this article to shed some light on the situation and to show that Natalie Maines is a very strong willed and confident person. The journalist write “Natalie Maines is one of those people born middle finger first.”.

6. The journalist makes considerable use of direct quotations throughout the article. How does this affect your understanding of the article and influence your opinion of the band members? Use evidence to support your claims.

By using lots of direct quotations, your opinion on the band members is developed, "I apologized for disrespecting the office of the President," says Maines. "But I don't feel that way anymore. I don't feel he is owed any respect whatsoever." This lets the readers form an opinion On Natalie that she is very strong willed and confident in what she says and does not really mind what the consequences are if she believes in what she is standing up for.

7. How effective do you think this article is in achieving the journalist's purpose? Explain your answer in full please.

I think the article is extremely effective in achieving the journalists purpose because it is a strong article that shows the reader what really happened and sheds light on the situation and what the two sides were to the story.

·      Subject Matter

What event, situation, or experience does the poem describe or record?

The event/situation/experience that the song describes is about the things that Natalie Maines said to/about the president (George W Bush) and the backlash that was caused but those comments she made.

·      Purpose

Also means the message of the poet, what is the poet’s purpose in writing this, what message does he/she want to communicate?

The Message that the Dixie Chicks are diplaying in their song, is that they are mad and they don’t believe that they should have to say sorry for something they stood up for and that it was something that they believed was right

·      Emotion

Also means mood, what is the predominant emotion/feeling/mood of the poem?, does the mood change during the poem?, what emotions or feelings does the poet seem to bring out in the reader?

The moods shown in the song are angry, hurt and lost, these moods change throughout the song, at the beginning the mood is more angry and lost then it moves to sad and angry but the overall feeling is angry.

·      Craftsmanship (see SLIMS)

·      Structure

how is the poem structured?, Does it have a conventional structure such as a sonnet, or an ode?, Does it have stanzas with a regular number of lines, or any other interesting features of structural design?

The song is structured into verses, choruses, instrumentals etc.

·      Language

Is the language appropriate to the subject and/or theme?, what effect does the language have on the poem’s achievement?

The language is appropriate for the subject and theme as it helps to show the mood and the message throughout the song.

·      Imagery

Are there any striking examples of similes, metaphors, personifications or symbols in the poem?, What is their effect?

An example of a metaphor and a simile is “I made my bed and I sleep like a baby”. The effect is that its shows the viewers that she is glad she said what she said because she can go to sleep and know that she has done the right thing and she “sleeps like a baby”

·      Movement

Does the poem have any significant sound features?, is it musical?

This poem is a song so it is musical and has many musical features including solos from different instruments.

·      Sound

Does the poet use onomatopoeia, alliterations or assonance?, Does the poem rhyme?, What are the effects of these features of sound on the achievement of the poem?

The song does rhyme in a few lines including the lines:

“I probably wouldn’t if I could

‘Cause I’m mad as hell

Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should” (could and should)

However the song overall does not rhyme that much.

·      Summary

What is the impact of the whole poem for you?, How successful is it as a work of art?, Does it successfully achieve the poets purpose?

The impact of this whole song for me is a very strong impact and is extremely successful in getting the message across to all the viewers. The song and the music video are both very successful at being works of art as the images and themes shown in the music video are very good at showing a message of anger and in the song the lyrics don’t hold back in terms of getting the message across. The song, I believe, successfully achieves the poets purpose.

English Homework 13.8.12

The overall poem is 16 lines, one stanza.

Chapter 4 of book 2 - Saved

Chapter 4 of book 2 - Saved

Chapter Summary: In this chapter Vladek talks to his son again about money and asks him again to move in with him, Artie pushes his father again to tell him more about the holocaust and how Anja made it though to the end of the war. He tells him that she was helped to Russia by Mancie and then makes her way back to Sosnowiec. The story goes into more detail about how Vladek also got out and was traded for prisoners of war. The it comes back to present and Vladek shows Artie some photos obtained from Richev’s Governess and he explains about the people in the photo. Then Vladek gets a pain in his chest and takes a pill and the pain goes away leaving the work him and Artie are doing for another time.

Identify which main themes are seen in this chapter: Love, Hope, Sadness and Pain.

We learn about Anja, and how she got through Auschwitz, We learn that Vladek is getting frail and his life experiences are finally starting to take its toll on him. We understand that Artie still does not want to move in with Vladek, his father. We also Lear more about Vladek’s Journey through Auschwitz.

The main themes Art Speigelman is trying to get across to the readers in this chapter are the pain and sadness that Vladek has experienced and how it does take its toll eventually no matter how strong you are.

The Techniques that Art Speigelman is using in this chapter are

·      Relationships

·      Colour

·      Language choice

·      Characterization

·      Sequencing of events

·      Perspective

Relationships are used in this chapter by the relationship between Vladek and Anja and Vladek and Artie. Colour is used in this chapter as the colour is black and white and it represents a very serious theme and the chapter is quite serious. The Language Choice helps to create the serious theme that adds to the chapter. Characterization helps as it brings out who the characters really are. Sequencing of events help as you start to feel bad for Vladek because Artie turns his offer of moving in with him down, before he tells more of his story. Perspective helps as it helps to make the story more realistic because it is coming from someone who experienced everything first hand. 

2. Uncle Jimmy is integral to Sophie’s emotional recovery. What does he do that helps her rebuild her confidence and find happiness?

Jimmy is integral to Sophie’s emotional recovery because he helps her find happiness and gain her confidence. The first thing he does is give her confidence in herself by giving her a bit of a push in the right direction and gets her to open up and start being herself again. The interaction between Jimmy and Sophie helps her to come out of her shell as he shows her he does care and gets to her realise her true talent for pottery. He nurtures that talent and encourages Sophie to use it in a positive way overall making her feel good about herself and boosting her confidence and happiness in her life.