Farewell!

Wow! What a year it has been! I admit, English was a challenge, but boy, was it fun! Although the blogs were a hassle, writing about all those topics really gave me a chance to do some deep thinking. Writing those weekly ongoing pains actually helped me discover myself a little bit more. There is a lot more in-depth significance in doing these weekly assignments than what really appears.
Remember the hectic commotion of starting our blog and remembering our password and URL address? Boy, was that fun to watch (Being the techie myself, it took me only a few minutes to get this thing on the roll)! And look how it’s paid off! Adding my personality into my writing style has been much improved since the beginning, and viewing the comments my friends have made, I have learned how to improve my ideas and techniques in writing (all thanks to da blog!).
Sitting next to the fire writing this blog, I have realized that free writing can steal you away from reality. You can dream awesome things, you can imagine those most amazing places. You think outside the box when you have so much freedom writing. Maybe it wasn't Mrs. Gilman's intention, but blogging really helps you open your mind and discover.
Now that I have gotten super hot, I am reading all my blogs I have posted for my blog. Wow. I'm coming across many with good quality, some with good quantity, and some with not much quality or quantity (let me remind you of my Animal Farm Project). Reading all the posts since September 24, one specific post stood out.
On October 20, I posted "My Earliest Memories". Reading it right now made me stop and think. If I had been a closer friend to Derik, he could have been hanging out at my house the day he died. I could have stopped his death that day. But all I did was lie on my bed, drenched in tears, asking myself why. If I ever get a chance to fix one thing wrong in my life (here goes my imagination again), it would be saving Derik's life.
You might think I'm getting off track from this assignment, but I think I'm straight on. Writing this blog really helps me say what I feel deep inside. Blogging helps me say what I wouldn't normally say in front of other people (I'm actually pretty shy...). I always feel more comfortable when doing blogs. More safe.
Well, I guess I'm gonna wrap up my blog now. My stomach just flipped over. Wrapping up. For the whole year. Aaaahhhhh!!!!! Well, for all the people who actually read my blog, I've had fun! But don't worry! I'll come back; I promise! With newer and fresher blogs that will blow your mind! Oh, just you wait! I'm gonna have a bigger and better blog (and audience)! I swear! Miles's English Blog will have some new bams and whams waiting for you, so just wait! So long, folks! I'll miss you all! Asta lavista! Blog y'all next year! Toodleloo! Bye bye! See ya later, Alligator! (After while, Crocodile!) Farewell! Adieu! Sayonara! Aloha! (I'm pretty sure that means hello and goodbye...) Adios, amigos! So long! Cheerio!


"It well may be that we will never meet again in this lifetime, so let me say before we part: So much of me is made of what I learned from you, you'll be with me like a handprint on my heart. And now whatever ways our stories end, I know you have rewritten mine by being my friend."
-Wicked The Musical

Essay Writing

Ya right! I'm definitely not an accomplished essayist! I admit, I have learned a thing or two, but "accomplished"? Not likely. I understand the citation stuff and the structure of the essay, but all my essays turn out really choppy and wierd. And usually when I pick a topic to write about, I don't have enough evidence. My (plural of thesis) are really good, but that's only when Mrs. Gilman leads me in the right direction. I think the part I've really got down is the voicing. I think what I would normally say first, and then I copy it on a piece of paper. Voicing really keeps the essay interesting.
Well, my hook kinda sucks. That's probably the thing that will bring me down to a B or lower. But how do you find a hook for the theme of religion being used for the romance in the play? If you got any ideas, please post! I also had some hard times proving my thesis with a lot of evidence. My thesis is really specific, so it's hard to find all the citations that I need for my essay. My title seems really boring. Mrs. Gilman said it sounded very sophisticated, but I just think it's stupid. But, I guess if the teacher says it sounds good, you're gonna get a good grade on that part. I hope Mrs. Gilman doesn't read this. She might change her mind...

Fate and Dreams

I don't much about astrology, so I guess that means I'm stuck with dreams. Well, let me tell you, I have the crazyist dreams when I actually remember them. Did you know, kinda off topic, that you always have dreams when you sleep. It's just when you wake up, you don't remember them! Anyway, a couple weeks ago, I had the strangest dream known to man! I was sitting in my awesome car on the beach. Dont ask me why, just read! And then for some reason, two hippos slowly walk out of the water. Wierd, but in my dream I figured it was kinda normal since hippos swim and all that. But then two zebras come out, then two giraffes, then two elephants! Wierd, huh? Well, I was freaking out! Then two lions come out and instead of just passing my car, they slowly came toward me and tried to get in it. Oh, and by the way, my car door was open. Whoops! And that was the end of my wierd nightmare...
So, even though my dream made no sense whatsoever, I agrre with Romeo. I think dreams and reality are somehow tied together and that dreams are signs for the future. Remember when Romeo had a dream before the party that something bad would happen if he went. And obviously, Romeo and Juliet die at the end. Well, I don't think that's a coinkadink!

Culture Shock

I know this is not everyone's favorite story but I'm gonna compare Romeo and Juliet to Twilight, so I'll make this short and simple. Twilight is a basic Romeo and Juliet with a bit* of vampire in it. Get it? *Bit*? I just made a pun right there! In Twilight, Bella falls in love with Edward, who Bella later finds out is a vampire. Bella and Edward are from two different worlds, and they have to keep their love a secret in order to stay together. Edward risks his life trying to save Bella, just as Romeo risks his life multiple times to see Juliet. The two families are also partially enemies too. Bella's father and the whole town hear rumors about the Cullen family. But the Cullen family accept Bella into their lives instead of despising her as the Montagues and Capulets despise each other.

Summer Reading List!

Although I'm fond of Honors English and the reading we do, I feel as if I don't get to enjoy the modern novels in the world because I'm translating the shakespearean language. I feel as if we should read more modern novels since we aren't living in the Victorian Era! I mean, authors build their stories off of other great novels, but if we don't read their novels, how are we ever going to improve?

I started reading some James Patterson books over Christmas break and I really like the Daniel X series. The story is about this boy called Daniel. Daniel has secret abilities, you could call them "superpowers" if you must, and he uses these powers to exterminate alien assasins that invade Earth and create havoc. Daniel has a list of all the aliens he has to exterminate and the one alien murderer who killed Daniel's parents is number one on the List. And the interesting thing about Daniel is that the reason he doesn't have a last name is because he is an alien himself. I'm waiting for the next book in the series. I've read the first two, The Dangerous Days Of Daniel X, and Daniel X: Watch The Skies. They are really good and I highly recommend it to all those guys who love action books!

If you can't figure it out already, I love action and fantasy books. That's why I'm always dreading reading those boring books in English where the only conflict in the book is romance, class and popularity, or friendship and that sort. One of the books I loooovvvvveeeee has so much action and thrilling mythology in it! I'll give you some clues. It's based on greek mythology, but in modern time. No? What about there are five books in the series and they all tie into one dangerous but exciting conflict. Still haven't got it? Written by Rick Riordan, my favorite books are from the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series! It is filled with amazing action with thrilling monsters and the plot makes me almost cry when I just think about it! Don't tell. I've read the series already but I'm still amazed by this series and I ant to read the series again and again and again! The movie sucked though...

I hope you consider reading these two series over the summer. This is high quality stuff I'm talking about, folks! Join in next time for Miles's Blog!

-Miles

Skit Prep

There are a lot of great scenes in Great Expectations, giving me a lot to choose from. If I had to pick three, I would have the scenes be scattered throughout the book, not just all in the same chapter. So, for my first scene I might want the scene where Mrs. Joe beats Pip with Tickler after Pip comes backs home in chapter 2. That scene would be really funny to watch, especially with a 9th grade english class! I would also want to do the "fight" scene where the pale young gentleman challenges Pip. That would be hysterical! To calm things down, I probably would want to do the scene where Estella reveals her engagement to Pip. That scene has a lot of drama in it and would be a unique skit. Well, those are three skits so, farewell! So long! Asta lavista! See ya later! Goodbye! =P

More Questions

So... In chapter 40, Magwitch says"Blast you every one, from the judge in his wig to the colonist a-stirring up the dust, I'll show a better gentleman than the whole kit on you put together!" Well, I know the judge and the colonists he was talking about was from his trial and all that, but I don't understand how that fits in with showing a better gentleman... So, I guess tht's it for today folks! Blog y'all later! Toodleloo!

Book Questions

One thing I really just dont understand is why Joe was scared of Miss Havisham on chapter thirteen. Is it because she's like, filthy rich or is it because her mansion is like dark and creepy?
Also, in chapter 26, Pip is at Mr. Jagger's house and he says"I know what kind of loops I thought they looked like." So... what does that mean?...

Conclusion

In this comedic play, there are different relationships that have an important role in the play. As Jack and Gwendolyn share a genuine relationship, Algernon and Cecily produce an exaggerated connection. A tentative and awkward relationship is used between Miss Prism and Chasuble as well. Evidently, the words expressed by the individual couples unveil the stereotypes of romance in the Victorian Era. Wilde clearly shows that little words have a great meaning in a relationship. Lies are a perfect example. If you state that your name is Jack in the country and Ernest in town, there are likely to be some problems in your love life. Great impacts can be created by small words.

Group Essay: Topic 5

Chasuble and Miss Prism's relationship relates to another stereotypical relationship in the Victorian Era, showing a unique style which uses awkward and childish communication between a high class male/ female relationship. Oscar Wilde relates this exaggerated couple to a couple in the Victorian Era.
Both Chasuble and Miss Prism are tentitive toward each other, but eager to e in a relationship. In Act II, Miss Prism tries to persuade Chasuble to get married. Obviously, Miss Prism is attempting to make a next step into the relationship. This can be similar to a couple in the Victorian Era, but Oscar Wilde greatly exaggerates this style of relationship.
In the play, Miss Prism and Chasuble can end up in awkward conversations. On page 39, Chasuble explains, "Were I fortunate enough to be Miss Prism's pupil, I would hang upon her lips." He takes a deep pause, noticing the awkward silence, and quickly recovers "I spoke metaphorically. My metaphor was drawn from bees." This shows timid and shy communication between the two. This most likely did not occur often in the Victorian Era mainly because relationships were meant for buisness, not so much actual affection.
Although this couple shares a childish communication between each other, they do show some high class in their "classy" diction. "I do not deserve so neologistic a phrase. the precept as well as the practice of the Primitive Church was distintcly against matrimony." Words such as neologistic and precept show that these people are higher class. This was very common in the Victorian Era.

The Importance of Being Earnest/ Victorian Reasearch

The Importance of Being Earnest was written by Oscar Wilde, a man who struggled to survived in the Victorian Era by doing what he did best. Writing. The Victorian Era had much segregation from the social classes. The higher classes frowned upon the lower class and the lower class could never have much contact with the upper ones, creating seperation between the lowere, middle, and upper class. Oscar Wilde came from the lower class, working his way up the social ladder writing plays and poems that excited many people, including the upper class. Similar to the character Jack in Wilde's play, The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar began at the lowest class and managed to climb the ladder to the top. There was as little contact between classes, although Lane and Algernon seem to be having a ongoing relationship that is more suitable for similar classes.



Researching the Victorian Era has given me a better understanding between the roles of men and women. Men seemed to be in more control of the relationship and the women were greatly encouraged to marry men who had money and could support a family. It was very typical to marry someone within your class. And similar to Jack and Gwendolyn and Algernon and Cecily, the men will manipulate the women, lying to them to keep a healthy marriage. Ironic, isn't it?

My poem of Animal Farm...

There once was a pig
They called him Snowball.
He was a great leader
Indeed; he led all

Snowball was vivacious,
quick in his speech.
He made seven commandments
For that he must teach.

But suddenly Mr. Jones
appeared with some men.
They fought with the animals
But soon came to an end.

Snowball fought bravely and was
Injured in war.
But that didn't matter
Victory was what they wore.

He never held back
When he ran at Mr. Jones.
Snowball was bravest
And he made no moans.

So next time when
You start to put up a mess.
Remember brave Snowball
And try to do your best.

Mockingbird Motif

When I was doing the summer reading assignment for Honors English, I had no idea what the word motif even meant. And starting Honors English was the hardest thing to do because I didn't understand any of those big meaningful words. We moved on so quickly and I knew I was getting left behind in the gigantic, smart-word, dictionary dust the rest of the class left for me, to choke on and slowly fade away to nothing under their feet. So as I'm the turtle in this 1000 meters/second, Mrs. Gilman announces to the class that we are starting a new book. Oh great! Just the thing I had been hoping for, right? WRONG! Just more motif and tone stuff to deal with! But I was very surprised when I actually could annotate the book! Doesn't mean I did well, but how awesome is that! So trying to not get off topic, I am getting to my point in this paragraph. After I read To Kill a Mockingbird, I finally could understand in depth of the great wonders of motif!
After Linnaea told me what the mokingbird meant, I finally got it! The mokingbird is a symbol for an innocent person. And it's a sin to kill a innocent person. Now dont think that means just physically and you can go killing people's feelings like crazy, it means if you harm an innocent person in any way, it is a sin. And karma's going come back and hit you right in the backside for your wrongdoing (Wow! Big word!)!

Life Lessons

My mother always is giving me helpful advice that has meaning behind it. But the one piece of advice she always told me was to "follow through". When I make a committment, she tells me I can never give up. And sometimes that can be really hard when you are trying new things and you find that some things are not your best taste of interest. But what mother says goes, and I have to endure something boring, horrifying, or painful for a long time.
Last year i played basketball for Reeves (worst thing Ive ever done). I hated it from the moment I started to the moment it ended. The one thing I truly hate about sports is all the jocks who act as if they are better than everyone else and exclude the ones who suck(me). But my mom (the coach) would not let me quit because of her little rule. So, for the whole basketball season, I was the outcast of the team. But Ive had some good experiences with my mom's advice too. When I was in fourth grade, I enrolled in a summer play at Capital Playhouse. I remember the director being really mean and always yelling at me if I did something wrong. I was innocent and young! I didnt know what I was doing! But anyway, you can imagine what my mom said to me when I told her I wanted to quit. She said "follow through because you made a committment and you need to keep it". So I kept acting at Capital Playhouse and got to meet other directors in plays. And that has made me the actor, singer, and dancer I am today (which I HOPE is a good thing!).

My best friend

My best friend is Mo. Mo has darkish brown hair that reaches to about her shoulder. People always laugh when they hear Mo make a joke. She always has a mirror with her and sometimes she brings her brush if her hair is really messed up one day. She has been wearing braces since elemntary school and has even worn head gear in fifth grade. She plays the piano and likes to talk about guys a lot (I normally just sit out on those occasions). Mo can never be alone and she always tells secrets to her closest friends about her updated relationship status because she can't ever keep it in.
Mo might seem like an egoist at times, but she truly is an extrovert. She is very creative and uses new ideas every day. Mo always has a way to keep smiling through the day and always loves to make you giggle from the inside out. She is always out going and tries to think of a positive solution to a problem. She loves to create new songs on the piano and put them on Youtube. She always has a friend to talk to and really wants her opinion of a person understood by a close friend so that they are on the same page

My Early Memories

I've had many memories. Some good, some bad. The one I truly remember is of my friend, Derik. Derik was one year older than me, and he was like the bigger brother I never had. I looked up to him. He was my role-model. And I wanted to be exactly like him. And I remember the last time I ever saw him. The last time we ever spoke to each other. Before the accident that ended Derik's life.



My family was on the move to our house on Littlerock Road. We had stayed in a rental house for two years while the house was being built. And of course, my mom needed more help loading boxes than just me and my sister, so she asked her friend Doug if he could help us move. When Doug got there, he had brought his son, Derik, with him. So Derik, my sister, and I, went to play on the gigantic tree that stood in the backyard.



I had brought my neopet from Mcdonalds to the backyard so I could show Derik. I wanted him to be amazed. Instead, Derik and my sister started playing monkey in the middle with the neopet, on the tree. With me in the middle. On the ground. So of course I got upset and started wailing. So, Derik gave me my neopet, and left me alone.



Now, don't think that Derik was a bad guy. He wasn't. He was the coolest, nicest, guy in the world. And I never gave any thought I would have lost him forever.



When Derik and Doug left the house, I sat in my new room and was so mad at Derik and myself. But the days passed on and I healed up quickly like I always do. And one day, in the middle of August, my sister and I were riding our bicycles around the neighborhood. When we got back home, my mom was sitting on the front porch with her cell phone in her hand. She told us to come and she, slowly but painfully, told us the bad news.

Derik died from a quad accident. He was riding quads with his dad and they were having lots of fun. Derik decided he wanted to go off a ramp with his quad, and Doug told him not to go to fast. Then Derik rode of the ramp, trying to go the speed his dad intended, but failed severly. Derik and the quad flipped and the quad landed right on top of Derik. Doug quickly went to see if Derik was okay, but Derik was gasping for air. Doug put Derik in the back of his truck and called the ambulance while trying to comfort Derik. Then, slowly, Derik died.

Now some people might think this story is balony. Some people might think it's too sad too be true. But believe me, it happens. So hold on close to the ones you love. Hold on as tightly as possible and never, ever, let go. Because when I heard those painful words, I felt that life was NOTHING. And now, even though tears swell up in my eyes every time, I think about Derik every day. I never want to forget Derik. But even now the memories are fading away from my head. But I will always have Derik in my heart.

Dracula: Motif...

Well, the motif really stood out more than anything in the book. At first, it was, of course, word choice, but then, AHA! It hit me! I finally realized that the motif is... blood! There is ssssoooo much blood in this book! Not like gory stuff or anything, but just blood. The author uses the motif the most because it sets the tone for the story. I mean, who doesn't think that blood has a dark, somber tone to it?

Another reason the author uses the motif a lot because, well, where would vampires be without blood? Blood is part of the theme! It is where the whole plot is based off of! I mean, how would vampires exist without blood? The whole story would be nothing without blood!

Outside Reading

When I was listening to presentaions of the books people read over the summer, I was most intrigued by Ahlora. I love adventrous, exiciting books and I think vampires would be great to read about for our english class. but again, "Don't judge a book by it's cover!" When I first started reading Dracula, it immediately grabbed my attention. It seemed a little spooky and mysterious. But with all those huge words and that sky high diction, it immediately made me want to throw the book across the room. But I tried to skim over the pages picking out the juicy parts of the story. Finally, I got to the good parts where the narrator meets Dracula and when Harker discovers Dracula's unusual diet and his out of the ordinary daily "naps". But now since I've gone past that part in the book, I've discovered a vast, space of boring. I'm stiil trying to push through the book.

I'm very unsure of the literary elements in Dracula...

I would think that Dracula is somber. It just has a dark feeling to it. I mean, vampires have a dark, evil thing about them that by thinking about them is probably going to give nightmares tonight. And I think it will probably stay the somber for the rest of the book (I read the thing on the back).

Writing about Reading

Sometimes I read books just because they're short! Usually, if I have to read a book for the following day, I just read a short story so I can finish the assingment. But sometimes that's not the best idea. Usually the book is sssoooo boring, most of the time because it is short. So, what I usually do when the first chapter is hard to follow is I skim. I just read like a couple sentences of each paragraph and look for the good parts. Sometimes i might miss an important detail or two. Like when I read Twilight by Stephanie Meyer(which is amazing!), I started skimming for a few paragraphs. But then I missed one of the best parts of the book when Edward makes a dent in the car! And it totally ruined the moment...

Have you ever been in a situation where you have the most powerful, amazing, wondrous book in your hands and you are longing to read it but you can't because the annoying pest you call your sister is bugging you an bugging you untill you explode? Trust me, it happens to me ALL the time! So what I usually do when that happens is I sit in a relaxing pose and I go into a soothing state of mind where all distrations can't get into my head. I just ignore those distractions, but its kind of more complexed than that. I close my eyes, hum a little, then enter the world of my book.

Now I bet that 97% of all the people in the world would rather read fiction than non-fiction. The world you live in is just too boring to read about. Wouldn't you rather explore new worlds, go on adventures, and meet much more exciting people? Non-fiction books just give you more detail about the boring things around you, while fiction takes you out of this world! Now who wouldn't want to read fiction?