AP Book Club Groups

The Picture of Dorian Gray
Hamlet
Tyler Fairbairn
The Handmaid's Tale
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
Invisible Man

The Poetry of Song: Class Work for Tuesday, 4-1

TOOL

A double entendre is a figure of speech in which a spoken phrase is devised to be understood in either of two ways. Often the first meaning is straightforward, while the second meaning is less so: often risqué, inappropriate, or ironic. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a double entendre as especially being used to "convey an indelicate meaning". It is often used to express potentially offensive opinions without the risks of explicitly doing so. A double entendre may exploit puns to convey the second meaning, but puns are more often used in sentences that do not have a second meaning. Double entendres tend to rely more on multiple meanings of words, or different interpretations of the same primary meaning; they often exploit ambiguity and may be used to introduce it deliberately in a text.

For active listening, please locate the lyrics to: 

“Mary Jane’s Last Dance” by Tom Petty

1. In the Petty song, "Mary Jane" serves as a double entendre. Describe both feasible interpretations of this term and include specific language from the song that is suggestive of these respective interpretations. Why do you think Petty utilized this double entendre? (one paragraph)

Allegory is a figurative mode of representation conveying a meaning other than the literal. Allegory teaches a lesson through symbolism. Allegory communicates its message by means of symbolic figures, actions or symbolic representation. Allegory is generally treated as a figure of rhetoric, but an allegory does not have to be expressed in language: it may be addressed to the eye, and is often found in realistic painting, sculpture or some other form of mimetic, or representative art. Simply put, an allegory is a device that can be presented in literary form, such as a poem or novel, or in visual form, such as in painting or sculpture. As a literary device, an allegory in its most general sense is an extended metaphor. As an artistic device, an allegory is a visual symbolic representation. An example of a simple visual allegory is the image of the grim reaper. Viewers understand that the image of the grim reaper is a symbolic representation of death. Nevertheless, images and fictions with several possible interpretations are not allegories in the true sense. Furthermore, not every fiction with general application is an allegory.

For active listening, please locate the lyrics to: 

"Animal Planet" by The GZA (Genius)

"The Trees" by Rush

"Right in Two" by Tool

2. For each allegory, construct a breakdown (a short paragraph) that includes: a) the identification of the literal/superficial framework, b) the identification of the figurative (allegorical) framework, and c) the effect or message that this allegorical scenario conveys (the "why"). 

3. Peruse your peers' blogs. Post the name of your nominee for this week's "Blog of the Week." 

4. If you haven't yet posted your binary thesis, please do so. 

G Block English I: Class-work for Monday, 3-10

Locate your To Kill a Mockingbird notes and book. Today, I am asking you to focus on the distinctions that exist within the range of a particular device. In other words, how can we subdivide Lee's use of a given device? Shakespeare, for example, conjured celestial and fatalistic imagery in order to achieve varying effects on his audience. 

1. Select 2 prominent devices employed by Lee (imagery, characterization, colloquialism, etc.)

2. Using quote integration techniques with textual excerpts, pinpoint the distinctions within device types in paragraph form. You should compose 2 paragraphs in all, with each paragraph dissecting at least 2 variations (2 modifiers) of the given term. Consider what derivation is used, how it is used, and why it is used. If you would like to see a model, click on the comments below (from D block). Obviously, I don't want you to mimic someone else's work, but looking at these should help you understand what the final product should look like. 

I have jury duty today- if you have any questions or get stuck, you can email me- I may or may not be able to use my phone to respond. 

D Block English I-H: Class-work for Monday, 3-9

Locate your To Kill a Mockingbird notes and book. Today, I am asking you to focus on the distinctions that exist within the range of a particular device. In other words, how can we subdivide Lee's use of a given device? Shakespeare, for example, conjured celestial, aviary, and fatalistic imagery in order to achieve varying effects on his audience. 


1. Select 3 prominent devices employed by Lee.

2. Using quote integration techniques with textual excerpts, pinpoint the distinctions within device types in paragraph form. You should compose 3 paragraphs in all, with each paragraph dissecting at least 3 variations (3 modifiers) of the given term. Consider what derivation is used, how it is used, and why it is used. 

3. Students who finish early may pair up for DF preparation, if applicable. You may also finish your Word Wealth work if necessary. 

I have jury duty today- if you have any questions or get stuck, you can email me- I may or may not be able to use my phone to respond. 

The Poetry of Song: Class-work for Monday, 3-10

Please complete the following tasks before the end of the period. Post your final product as a comment to this post. Please number your responses according to the order below. I have jury duty today- if you have any questions or get stuck, you can email me- I may or may not be able to use my phone to respond. 


1. Be sure that your URL link list is complete. Confirm that you have successfully linked your classmates. If your link is faulty, or does not appear on Mr. Kefor's blog, please write it, along with your name, neatly on the board. Your classmates can then include you in their lists. 

2. Revisit our song from last week, “Little Green” by Joni Mitchell. If you were absent or if you've misplaced the lyrics, you may locate them online. You can also locate your thesis under the comments to the post below. For each of your 3 devices or elements, complete a what-how-why progression. Consider what device or tool is being used, how it is being used, and why it is being used. This is the type of thinking that should pervade a successful analysis. Here is a random example (for a different song); mimic this format for each of your 3 devices:

WHAT: "Song #1," by the Kefor Jazz Trio, is infused with celestial imagery pertaining to the cosmos and the seemingly infinite world beyond our earthly limits.
HOW: These images are largely visual, and are repeatedly paired or juxtaposed with their earthly or homebound counterparts, which inhabit the opening of each stanza. 
WHY: This infusion of celestial images, carefully balanced against the limits of the speaker's terrestrial limitations, serves as a conveyance of the infinite and suggests that our inner voices and emotions can transcend our surroundings and have effects far beyond our comprehension. 

Be particular; be specific. Pinpoint the nuances between and among the tools. Adverbs (repeatedly, intermittently, pervasively, sparingly, subtly, etc.) are particularly helpful for the "how" sections. The "why" sections should convey the means by which each element supports the universal idea in its own unique way. There should be little to no duplicates- in other words, imagery is likely serving the song in a different way than, say, symbolism. They are performing different functions. This is as much (or more) about thinking as it is about writing.

3. Select an album from your theme-genre to review. Your review will be graded as a quiz on the 0-9 Song Analysis rubric. Type the album title and artist here. In class, we will go over the methods of approach for this, as it differs from the thesis-driven mode of the song analysis. Set up an outline document into which you should paste the track losing (in order) and the lyrics to all of the songs. Spend the remainder of the class listening to (if you have headphones) and annotating the lyrics in the document. Color coding this may be wise, in order to separate the lyrics from your observations. You may not finish this process, which is okay, but please work until the end of the period. 

The Poetry of Song: Joni Mitchell's "Little Green"

After learning about Mitchell’s impetus for the song, alter your group’s thesis (individually) to reflect your newfound insight.