We would have talked in class about comparisons and contrasts between "Memphis Belle" and All Quiet. One line from the movie was "Those that I fight I do not hate, those I guard I do not love." (It was from the poem he read.) What are your feelings about that quote? Are there other things you want to say or point out about the movie? INFERNO MONDAY!!! This picture is of the historical people who flew this mission, not from the movie.
And then you stopped to breath and we were finished with All Quiet! :) This week will involve the evaluations of the book and the culmination of the unit. I hope you liked it. Your discussions were pretty good. We'll get better as we go!
Below is the text for another of my favorite poems. This one speaks to the theme of people being enemies because of a word of command, instead of personal conflicts. Respond to this poem and relate it to both the book as well as any other war literature or movies. The Man He Killed ~Thomas Hardy "Had he and I but met By some old ancient inn, We should have sat us down to wet Right many a nipperkin! "But ranged as infantry, And staring face to face, I shot at him and he at me, And killed him in his place. "I shot him dead because – Because he was my foe, Just so – my foe of course he was; That's clear enough; although "He thought he'd 'list perhaps, Off-hand like – just as I – Was out of work – had sold his traps – No other reason why. "Yes; quaint and curious war is! You shoot a fellow down You'd treat if met where any bar is, Or help to half-a-crown."
Read the poem below by Wilfred Owen. Respond to it in some way and then make a connection between this poem and All Quiet. DULCE ET DECORUM EST by Wilfred Owen Bent double, like old beggars under sacks, Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge, Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs And towards our distant rest began to trudge. Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind; Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots Of tired, outstripped Five-Nines that dropped behind. Gas! Gas! Quick, boys! – An ecstasy of fumbling, Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time; But someone still was yelling out and stumbling, And flound'ring like a man in fire or lime . . . Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light, As under a green sea, I saw him drowning. In all my dreams, before my helpless sight, He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning. If in some smothering dreams you too could pace Behind the wagon that we flung him in, And watch the white eyes writhing in his face, His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin; If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs, Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues, My friend, you would not tell with such high zest To children ardent for some desperate glory, The old Lie; Dulce et Decorum est Pro patria mori. 8 October 1917 - March, 1918 If you liked this poem, search out other WWI poetry. Wilfred Owen, Siegfried Sassoon, Rupert Brook are all good places to start. Poetry from this era is very interesting and realistic.
Newsweek articleClick on the link above to read an article from the February 18, 2008, edition of Newsweek. What are your thoughts?
I hope you guys are ready to go with some literature and writing! :) This is one of my favorite books to teach and I hope you all like it as much as I do.
Time has a way of passing very quickly and I again find myself in a sea of new faces, frantically trying to memorize almost one hundred names, back to trying to figure out personalities and what makes my students tick! It can be frustrating at times to have to do all of this again twice every year, but there is just something exciting about change and something refreshing about a blank slate! What other job in the WORLD do you get to have a fresh start two times every year? None, I tell you. I am very excited about my two sections of English II Honors this fall. I hope you all will use this blog, enjoy this blog, and maybe even keep following this blog once you are out of my clutches gone on to bigger and better things! :) Anyway, welcome to the class. I know we are going to have a great semester and I am excited! Take deep breaths this weekend, get some sleep, because starting on Monday we are hitting the ground running.
