Media Literacy Thoughts

Today we got into our groups and we discussed what kind of media source do we want to use in our presentation. I am really excited about this presentation because it’s a unique topic to do a presentation on. I had never presented a media source in the past. I think it is important to know the different media types there are, so for us future teachers can know what can be useful for our students and us in a classroom.  Now in days seems that technology can be a big factor to teach students. Also, with technology advancing so rapidly students need to be aware of it and understand it. Furthermore, there are so many media sources that can be used for students to learn and keep in touch with teachers. As a group, we came up with two ideas. I believe they are creative ideas because I don’t think people are aware of those two media literacy we want to present. At least most of the people in my group were not aware except for one person. I am sure we will provide an effective presentation and people are going to enjoy our source.  Also, I am looking forward for the other presentations.

 

Myth Presentation Reflection

When we were assigned to do the reading for Myths. I was confused of what all that information was about. In the past I had never been exposed to that kind of information, so everything was new to me. Definitely, it made it easier doing a group project on them. I got a better sense of what myths are all about. My group and I decided to do our presentation on the Male Divine, but our main focus was on the myth “Thor’s Duel with Hrungnir”.  I enjoyed working with this myth because we related our myth to the theme of father and son relationship. In addition, I enjoyed working with my group peers. In our presentation we introduced the gods that were on our myth, gave a quick summary on the myth, and showed video clips. The class seemed very engage with our presentation.

 

10/18/2012

Today, we had myth presentations in our class. I truly enjoyed every single one of them. Although I read some of the myths, I was disinterested by some of them. I actually stopped reading some. When my peers started presenting it was eye appealing. The reason why was because there was fewer information and it was straight to the point. In addition, illustrations and video clips helped me visualize the gods. I think showing images to people can help them understand the concept better rather than lecturing them. By lecturing them you can loose your audience.  I was amazed at how creative people were on their class activities and powerpoint presentations. I enjoyed the powerpoint with the animations, it just looked so vivid and easy to picture everything.

Blog Reflection

During our class period, most people had the opportunity to read their poems out loud. All the poems that were presented to the class were great. I was impressed with some of the poetry I heard. There are a lot of talented people in class.  Also, the poems were very creative. I think poetry is a good way where people can express their feelings and thoughts.
For my poetry, I wrote from a personal point of view. My first poem was about how I met my boyfriend at CSUN and how it was love at first sight. I met my boyfriend back in my sophomore year in a Chicano Study class. It only took one date where we had a great conversation and we knew that we were meant for each other. I would of never thought I would of met my special half in a class at the most random time, but things like that do happen. My second poem is all about living for the day of today. I always used to worry and try to live for the future rather than the present. Until one day I realized that I had to live day by day and stop worrying about the future. So now I tried to value every day of my life and enjoy it to the fullest.

My Poetry

“Love at First Sight”

At 9:30 A.M. when I had my first class at CSUN.

Feeling exhausted and slumberous,

 I was not looking forward for the remaining day.

After taking a ten minute nap in class,

I see an attractive boy sitting next to me.

I get up rapidly and my heart is beating fast as a timer.

He turns and looks at me and gives me a charming smile with a “hello”.

His voice was so warm and comforting,

His lips looked soft as a cotton ball.

His dressing was impressive,

Simply his eyes made me melt.

It only took one conversation and one date.

It was love at first sight.

Today, he still remains my boyfriend.

“Today”

As everyday goes by I realize I am only getting older,

I have to enjoy life to the fullest.

So from now on I will live with no regrets, what “ifs” or “buts”.

Today, I’m going to be adventurous,

Today. I’m going to be wild,

Today, I’m going to create long lasting memories.

Today, I’m only living for today.

 Tomorrow is not guaranteed.

And the future is not predicted.

Class Exercise

1. Alliteration and Assonance Lists

Create a list of word pairs and phrases that are built around alliteration or assonance. Remember, alliteration is when words in close proximity start with (or contain) the same consonant sound (as in pretty picture). Assonance is when words in close proximity echo vowel sounds (bent pen). Try to come up with at least ten of each. 

Crazy/cat, red/robin, fat/bag, full of food, feeling foolish, sassy/classy, strong/soldier/, chocolate/crumbs /seven/squirrels, /write/words

2. Make a list of significant life events – birth, death, graduation, marriage, having children, starting your own business. Next, come up with a metaphor for each of these events. Remember: a metaphor is when we say one thing is another thing. A simile is when we say one thing is like another thing.

Metaphor: Life is a dance.

Partying is crazy. He is awful. Love is painful.  Gave Over. It’s the end of the universe. Marriage is a knot.

3. Lyrics and Musicality

Choose a catchy song that you enjoy and rewrite the lyrics, but stick to the rhythm and meter. Try to go way off topic from what the original lyrics were about. You can play the song while you work the exercise or search for the lyrics online and use those as your baseline. The idea is to get your mind on the musicality in your writing.

LYRICS

 Leave me its ok, I can handle it

You’ve do it on the past, it’s not the first time

Before I would always take you back

But now guess what?

 Not this time.


I hate that you never cared.

Boy, I can do it on myself from now on, I’m only looking forward now.

Not back.

I don’t know why but you always do this

Knowing all the pain I have, you do it again

I can’t feel my heart; it’s broken into millions of pieces

I hate that you never cared.

In life sometimes you win and sometimes you loose

You can’t have it all in this world

But today I lost.

While I hate it, you love it.

I hate that you never cared.

Hey! You know what?

Someone will be waiting for you soon.

But it ain’t me do you know who?

That well known Karma.

I hate that you never cared.

What goes around comes around.

But life moves on, doesn’t  it?

This time I don’t want you back

And you better believe it

I hate that you never cared.

Today, I’m erasing you from my life,

This time it won’t be for only one day, or one week.

But for the rest of my life,

You will never exist again.

Today, it's the end of you and I.

I hate that you never cared.

 

Poem Analysis Essay

Lizbeth Hernandez

September 13, 2012

English 495

Professor Wexler

                                                             Poem Analysis Essay

            Alfred Edward Housman was born in Fockbury, Worcestershire, England on March 26, 1859. Housman was a noted British Latin scholar whose poems combined simplicity and craft in a manner that found favor with both critics and the reading public.  Housman published only two volumes when he was alive which were A Shropshire Lad (1896) and Last Poems (1922). “To an Athlete Dying Young” is one of A.E. Housman’s most popular poems from his collection “A Shropshire Lad”. My first impression when I read the title of the poem it made me believe that it was a very sad poem and that I would start feeling sympathy for the young athlete who died at a very young age. However, after reading it, my thoughts changed about this poem. “To an Athlete Dying Young” is an elegy poem that the speaker tries to give the audience an alternative view of death. Through literary devices like alliteration, and metaphor gives us a better understanding of the poem and although death is a mournful time, does the speaker try to make the audience understand through literary devices that for this athlete to die young is not unfortunate but rather see it as an escape from seeing this athlete’s life forgotten and faded?

            “To an Athlete Dying Young” consists of seven stanzas. Each stanza consists of two pairs of end-rhyming lines. Many of the lines are in iambic tetrameter, which have four feet that each consists of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable,  “The time you won your town the race, We chaired you through the market-place”(1-2). 

According to Michael J. Cummings this piece of work is considered an apostrophe poem because the speaker of them poem addresses a deceased person which in this case was an athlete. On the first stanza, the speaker shows a remembered image of the young athlete who is a runner and that day he won a race in his own townhome. After been victorious in his race his town people carried him home on their shoulders.

            On the second stanza, again the athlete is been carry on the town people’s shoulders but not because he won again but because he is in a casket on his way to the cemetery. In the sentence “ To-day, the road all runners come”(5), not only is an example of alliteration but also according to Gage’s article it emphasizes the speaker’s awareness of the morality of people. In Line 7 “ And set you at the threshold down” symbolizes that this is where the athlete will spend his life eternally. Also, “Townsman of a stiller town”(8), not only is alliteration but also a metaphor because stiller town is a cemetery and its compared to a town.

            On the third stanza, we see a shift on the language compared to the first two stanzas. In this stanza we see that is more of a lyrical format. Also, it describes how the athlete’s death was a good thing that happened because his fame was very high and people would definitely remember him. On the other hand, if he would have grew and lived longer then his fame would have faded. Line 10 “From the fields where glory does not stay” represents a metaphor because it is making a comparison of glory to a person or thing that leaves the fields. Also, on line 11, “And early though the laurel grows” laurel shows a representation as a symbol of victory and that life can be short. The athlete received a laurel, which symbolizes great works, according to Cummings, “Today the phrase to win one’s laurels is often used figuratively to indicate that an athlete, scholar, or stage performer has earned distinction in his or her field”.

            There have been many famous people that died and after hardly anyone remember them. At the beginning of the fourth stanza, “Eyes the shady night has shut”, is a metaphor because its comparing death to night. In this stanza the speaker tells the audience that the athlete eyes are now closed forever and that he will not be able to experience or witness the victorious moments he had and records he set when he was alive.

            The following stanza describes how many athletes that lived forever their fame only lasted for a small amount of time because they were no longer able to perform. No one remembered them anymore.  According to Cummings these athletes’ names died before their bodies. However, for the athlete in the poem because he was at his highest peak of fame and died young then people are going to remember him. Also, in line 19,“Runners whom renown outran”, is a metaphor because it is comparing renown to an athlete.

            Next stanza is when the young athlete is about to be put on the tomb. In the first line of this stanza, “So set, before its echoes fade” the speaker makes an usage of the word “set” which is important. The speaker makes “set” an important word because the speaker wants the townspeople to direct the death body down the grave as quickly as possible. Because if it is not quickly as possible, the speaker does not want the athlete’s running steps echoes to fade away. If the footsteps were to fade away then he will become forgotten like the other forgotten athletes.

            In the last stanza, it gives the audience an image of the young death athlete that passed through the threshold into the world of the death. The young athlete is wearing a laurel wreath because it signifies that he was victorious when he was alive. Also, it says that it was good that the athlete passed away because he was young. In addition on the last line of the poem “The garland briefer than a girl’s”, Gales article states that behind the meaning of that sentence is that the garland usually in the natural world withers more quickly than the rose in line 12, but that here it will live forever as a symbol of glory and that will not fade away.

            In today’s society if we have someone famous die at a young age, we feel sympathy right away and question ourselves why. Also, we can’t accept it. However, their families might spend the rest of their lives question why they died so young. But what about their fans, are they still going to remember them? Maybe within the first weeks fans will still remember them but what about a year from then most likely no because their fame has faded away. Housman definitely tries makes his audience understands that for this athlete is was good that he died at a young age. The reason for been well is because he was at his highest peak of fame. Townspeople will still remember because he was young. I he would of lived longer then his fade would have faded very soon.

            In conclusion, “To an Athlete Dying Young” by A. E. Housman, is a eulogy poem because is about a young athlete died at a very young age. This athlete was very victorious before he died and because he died at a young age his fame will never faded as oppose if he would have lived longer. With literary devices used in the poem the audience can better understand the meaning the speaker is trying to convey.

Works Cited

Cummings, Michael J. "To an Athlete Dying Young." To an Athlete Dying

Young.Cummings Study Guides, n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2012.

<http://www.cummingsstudyguides.net/Guides3/Housman.html>.

"Overview: “To an Athlete Dying Young”." Poetry for Students. Vol. 7. Detroit: Gale

Group, 2000. Literature Resource Center. Web. 13 Sep. 2012.