Entry 2: Response to "The Raven"

1. Background:

    Intrigue surrounding American author Edgar Allan Poe persists to this day. Did he die a mentally deranged madman, a drug abuser, or a man simply infected with rabies? His life and prose continue to emerge in countless pop-culture references in this century, often through parody; a movie detailing his possible demise is to be released in 2012.  Poe was known primarily for his mastery of the Gothic genre and his fondness for the macabre in his writing as you know well from "The Tell-Tale Heart". "The Raven" (1845) is considered by many to be the most famous poem in the Western Hemisphere.

2.  Poetry Study: Listen to a reading of "The Raven" by James Earl Jones and discuss what meaning you can take from it.

3. Vocabulary and Devices:  Refer to "The Raven" Interactive Lesson. Use the annotations to define unknown terms  on your handout of "The Raven"; note the terms in your glossary and practice identifying examples of alliteration, assonance, and internal rhyme on the handout.

4.  Blog Assignment:  Response to "The Raven"

Why do you suppose Poe's narrative poem, "The Raven", has stood the test of time? What do people find so frighting about this poem 166 years after it was first published?

Develop a response arguing your opinion in a blog post of at least 250 words. Relate your arguments back to the poem. Due: Nov. 3.  Call it Entry 2: Response to "The Raven"

"The Raven's" final stanza portrayed by Gustave Doré, 1884

Create a Blog and Entry 1

     Welcome to my poetry blog for Grade 10 Academic English class.  You will be responsible for devising several blog entries where you create, critique, or comment upon literature.  Here's my first entry:

Entry 1: The Meaning Behind "Dancing With Daffodils"

     The name of my blog, "Dancing With Daffodils", refers to William Wordsworth's Romantic poem, "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud", written in 1804.  It is a reminder to me of the power of escape that the beauty of nature offers in troubling times. When my son was in the hospital fighting for his life little more than a year ago, this is one of the poems I retreated to as I tried to stay sane. To me, it is both grounding and humbling to consider the power of escape that the beautiful image of a simple field of golden daffodils "fluttering and dancing in the breeze" (6) can offer an anxious soul. The picture this poem paints, in my mind, is one of solace and grace that is a safe place to which to escape.

"I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud"


I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.


Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.


The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed---and gazed---but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:


For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils. 

 - William Wordsworth

Your first task is to create a blog like I have just done. 

Step 1: Go to blogger.com and log in with your gmail account. Share your blog with me, please.  Do so by joining my blog. You can click on the link in my blog where it says to join. Email me: haydengdci@gmail.com if you are having problems. Be sure to allow "Reader comments".

Step 2: Choose a blog name with poetic connotations. You may choose a title, line, or image from a favourite poem or song lyric. Also choose a basic template for your blog to start.

Step 3: Create your first blog post. Call it -- Entry 1: The Meaning Behind _______ (blog name) or something creative where I get what you're saying. In it, explain why you chose the name you did for your blog. Paste the poem in here and write a paragraph describing the impact the poem has on you, or how it reflects a side of your personality or experiences.  If you are feeling quite put on the spot, there is a mind-boggling array of poetry posted online: look to the links on the side of my page for Poetry Sources.

Step 4: Edit carefully. e e cummings chose not to capitalize, and that is acceptable for poetic writing. When you are writing in your own voice, use "I" not "i", and use formal language choices for the most part. There is a spellcheck option here too!

Step 5: Include a picture that relates to your chosen poem. You can choose where it goes. Label your poem "Entry 1". I look forward to reading about your favourite poetry!