Creative Writing Developing creative perspectives and a deeper

Creative Writing Developing creative perspectives and a deeper appreciation for the creative process

Course Concept Overview Lesson 1: Course Introduction WA: Introduction Poem HW: What’s in a Name? Lesson 2: Imagery WA: Vivid Language HW: Likes & Dislikes List Lesson 3: Abstract & Concrete WA: Turning Abstract to Concrete Activity HW: Sensory Experiences Lesson 4: Extended Metaphor WA: Extending Metaphors HW: Unfinished Sentences & Map of Life Lesson 5: Personification WA: Personification Poem HW: A Quality Personality Lesson 6: Hyperbole WA: Children’s Poem HW: The Ultimate All- Purpose Excuse Lesson 7: Repetition & Anaphora WA: “We Real Cool” HW: Personal Symbol Lesson 8: Juxtaposition & Oxymoron WA: “Perfect Juxtaposition” HW: Your Choice Portfolio Lesson 9: Understatement WA: “The History Teacher” HW: Your Choice Portfolio Lesson 10: Final Exam Due WA= Writing Activity; HW= Homework

Daily Course Expectations Course Opening Activities: • Descriptive Word Bank – Building a “Mental Picture” Vocabulary • See it, Describe it – Transforming Images into Vivid Language • Learning from the Professionals – Studying Description in YA Literature Concept Lectures: • Concept Overview – Definition, Examples, and Analysis • Practice – Simple Construction Writing Activities: • Poem Example – Using Concept • Writing Assignment – Including length, theme, etc. Course Closing Activities: • 5 -Minute Write-Down – Word Games

Course Grading GRADE INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENTS BREAKDOWN Policy Tests 50% Writing Activities 25% Writer’s Notebook 25% >>>>>>>>>>>>>> Tests: Autobiography Portfolio Writing Activities: In-class Poetry Writer’s Notebook: Course Opening & Closing Activities (Word Bank; See it, Describe it; Learning from the Professionals; & 5 -Minute Write-Down) Each individual assignment (all categories) will be graded based on the following: ✓Length ✓Title ✓Grammar/ Mechanics ✓Creativity /

Autobiography Portfolio • Each week, your homework assignment will be to complete a prompt from your Autobiography Portfolio. • Your Autobiography Portfolio is the culminating project of this class (a. k. a your final exam). • Every prompt must be formatted a specific way, and I expect you to correct any mistakes that I point out before you turn them all back in as your final exam. • Each prompt is different. Some just require you to make lists. Others ask you to extend yourself further and re-create memories for your reader.

Autobiography Portfolio Example Prompt 14. Telling Tales: Think back to memories you associate with family storytelling. You know, the ones you hear over and over every holiday. Maybe these tales are the legends that have given your family courage in hardship? Maybe they are religious stories or goofy songs or true family history? Maybe they all seem to be about what a bad kid you were? Embarrassing, hilarious, unbelievable? Retell a story you remember as part of your family’s heritage OR makeup one you wish had been told (and may tell in your own family circles later).

Autobiography Portfolio Requirements & Specifications • Cover – Your cover should include your selected title, your name, and an illustration appropriate to your book. • Title Page – Select a word or phrase particularly meaningful for you to serve as a title. “A Book about Me” or “My Autobiography” are not acceptable titles. Page should include title, name, & due date. • Table of Contents – List the assignment number and title of all assignments in your autobiography. • Dedication – Write a short dedication for you portfolio. You should state specifically who you dedicate it to and why. Your dedication should be a paragraph or longer and can be on or near your title page.

Autobiography Portfolio • • • Requirements & Specifications Individual assignments must be TYPED Example Heading – TNR or Arial Narrow, single or double Your Name spaced, ½ “ to 1” margins Telling Tales - #14 Minimum length is one FULL page Due Date Maximum length is two FULL pages --------one space------Each new assignment must start on a new page. Begin writing……. Heading must include your name, portfolio #, portfolio title, & due date.

Week One: Introductio n Poetry

****DESCRIPTION BANK**** WORD CANTANKEROUS Definition: (adj. ) difficult or irritating to deal with Synonyms: ornery, surly, ill-natured, disagreeable, ill-humored Antonyms: amiable, good-humored, good-natured, good-tempered, pleasant Directions: Write a quick descriptive sketch using your new “word bank” word. This sketch should be no fewer than five sentences. Create a scenario to add more depth and creativity. Descriptive Requirements: Imagery (5 senses – specifically sight and sound)

****DESCRIPTION BANK**** WORD CANTANKEROUS Definition: (adj. ) difficult or irritating to deal with Synonyms: ornery, surly, ill-natured, disagreeable, ill-humored Antonyms: amiable, good-humored, good-natured, good-tempered, pleasant Example: The cantankerous old man shifted from foot to foot. His grey woolen pants absorbed the moisture of his hands as his scratched them back and forth, up and down. He couldn’t believe he had agreed to visit the home. He may be old, but he was certainly capable of caring for himself. He wasn’t a child – though he saw his face slowly changing with every new day. Changing, fading, sloughing away with tiresome age.

------SEE IT, DESCRIBE IT------ Directions: Describe the image using vivid language. Vivid means “full of life. ” Your language should paint the image for a reader who has never seen this image. Be specific! Use imagery!

------SEE IT, DESCRIBE IT------ EXAMPLE : For a moment, we weren’t sure which way was up. The snow-frosted mountain peaks sliced through the air, grasping high into the clouds. We walked in the middle between up and down or down and up – we couldn’t be certain as the frosted worlds blended and faded. Only one thing was certain - the cold stone under our feet kept us pounding forward – forward into a transparent world with only the chilling truth smoking from our lungs.

Learning from the Professionals Sandra Cisneros’s The House on Mango Street: “But the house on Mango Street is not the way they told it at all. It’s small and red with tight steps in front and windows so small you’d think they were holding their breath. Bricks crumbling in places, and the front door is so swollen you have to push hard to get in. There is no front yard, only four little elms the city planted by the curb. Out back is a small garage for the car we don’t own yet and a small yard that looks smaller between the two buildings on either side. ” ________________________________________________________________ 1. Read the excerpt above. Write a general reaction statement to the descriptive nature of Cisneros’s writing. 2. Choose one sentence that paints the best mental picture. Explain your selection. 3. How does this detail “the city planted by the curb” add to the overall tone of the excerpt?

Learning from the Professionals Sandra Cisneros’s The House on Mango Street: “But the house on Mango Street is not the way they told it at all. It’s small and red with tight steps in front and windows so small you’d think they were holding their breath. Bricks crumbling in places, and the front door is so swollen you have to push hard to get in. There is no front yard, only four little elms the city planted by the curb. Out back is a small garage for the car we don’t own yet and a small yard that looks smaller between the two buildings on either side. ” ___________________________________________________________ 1. Read the excerpt above. Write a general reaction statement to the descriptive nature of Cisneros’s writing. Example Reaction Statement: Cisneros’s use of personification and hyperbole in particular create a specific image of a cramped, claustrophobic home that the narrator finds disappointing.

Introduction Poem This poem introduces a person. It begins and ends with your name in the following line: I am __________. In between, there are 4 truthful statements and 4 lies. The lines may be mixed up so that telling truth from fiction may be difficult. Example: I am Paula Jones. I am sixteen years old. I ride wild stallions. I collect foreign coins. My sister has six fingers on her left hand. My mother and I always get along. Time has stood still for me. An arsonist destroyed my home. My father is a mole in the CIA. I am Paula Jones. Now it’s your turn: 1. Write your name, 4 truthful statements, and 4 false statements. 2. Using the formula above, write an introduction poem. Remember to mix up the truths and lies. 3. Read your poem aloud.

Introduction Poem Example I am Michelle Hughes. I am twenty-six years old. My mother is a teacher. English is my favorite subject. I have a dog named Sully Elizabeth Hughes. I love to cook gourmet meals every night. Basketball is my favorite sport. I would love to travel the world when I retire. My favorite snack is buttery popcorn. I am Michelle Hughes.

Introduction Poem Example I am Michelle Hughes. I am twenty-six years old. [LIE] My mother is a teacher. [LIE] English is my favorite subject. I have a dog named Sully Elizabeth Hughes. I love to cook gourmet meals every night. [LIE] Basketball is my favorite sport. [LIE] I would love to travel the world when I retire. My favorite snack is buttery popcorn. I am Michelle Hughes.

Homework Write a one-page creative response to the following prompt. Follow all of the specifications listed earlier. Your response will be graded on the following: requirements, clear and creative perspective, & grammar/mechanics ----------------------------------------------------2. What’s in a Name? : Names are an integral part of who we are. They shape our sense of who we are. Explore your feelings about “the unity between [your]self and [your] name. ” Are these the names you would have chosen for yourself? Surname, middle name, Christian name? Is there a story behind your naming? Someone famous, a family member, weird initials? Does your name have symbolic meaning? Is it ethnic or historic or literary? Did your parents consider other names? In short, how do you live with your name?

5 -Minute Write-Down Create as many words as you can using three or more of the letters below (at least one eight-letter word is possible): CDITER

DUE CHECKLIST ✓Description “Word Bank” (WN) ✓Describe it, See it (WN) ✓Learning from the professionals (WN) ✓Introduction Poem (WA) ✓ 5 -Minute Write-Down (WN) Wn = Writer’s Notebook; WA = Writing Assignment

Week Two: Imagery

****DESCRIPTION BANK**** WORD SLOVENLY Definition: (adj. ) untidy especially in personal appearance Synonyms: sloppy, unkempt, frowzy, slobbish Antonyms: dapper, dashing, sharp, smart, spruce Directions: Write a quick descriptive sketch using your new “word bank” word. This sketch should be no fewer than five sentences. Create a scenario to add more depth and creativity. Descriptive Requirements: Imagery (5 senses), describe a building

------SEE IT, DESCRIBE IT------ Directions: Describe the image using vivid language. Vivid means “full of life. ” Your language should paint the image for a reader who has never seen this image. Be specific! Use imagery!

Learning from the Professionals Paul Zindel’s The Pigman: “When I opened the door on the left, I got a little bit scared because there was one of those adjustable desk lamps with a long neck that made it look like a bird about to attack. I put the light on though, and the room was a huge bore. The ceiling slanted on the far side, and there was only one window. It was okay if you wanted to keep somebody as the Prisoner of Zenda, but it looked like a rotten place to work. All it had was this big desk made by taking a thick piece of plywood and laying it over two wooden horses, and a bookcase with blueprints and stuff in it, and a big oscilloscope, with its guts hanging out, in the corner. There were three old TV sets too, but they looked like they didn’t even work. ” ___________________________________________________________ 1. 2. 3. Read the excerpt above. Write a general reaction statement to the descriptive nature of Zindel’s writing. Choose one sentence that paints the best mental picture. Explain your selection. What does the inclusion of direction (“…on the left”) do for you as the reader?

IMAGERY Using Vivid Language to Paint a Mental Picture Definition, Examples, & Practice

Imagery is… • A figure of speech that uses language to create pictures in the mind • Descriptive language that evokes sensory experience • Imagery can describe action, dialogue, physical appearance, emotion, and MORE…

Sight Identify the words that elevate the given sense. I would gaze out of my giant square windows at the tall green pine trees.

Sight Identify the words that elevate the given sense. I would gaze out of my giant square windows at the tall green pine trees.

Sound Identify the words that elevate the given sense. On a quiet day, I might also hear distant birds chirping.

Sound Identify the words that elevate the given sense. On a quiet day, I might also hear distant birds chirping.

Touch Identify the words that elevate the given sense. Walking around my room barefoot would be a delight on my soft, fuzzy round rug.

Touch Identify the words that elevate the given sense. Walking around my room barefoot would be a delight on my soft, fuzzy round rug.

Smell Identify the words that elevate the given sense. Sweet-scented vanilla candles would also be burning constantly.

Smell Identify the words that elevate the given sense. Sweet-scented vanilla candles would also be burning constantly.

Taste Identify the words that elevate the given sense. On a weekend morning, I could also have breakfast in bed, which might include my favorites: salty eggs and sweet wheat toast.

Taste Identify the words that elevate the given sense. On a weekend morning, I could also have breakfast in bed, which might include my favorites: salty eggs and sweet wheat toast.

Imagery Identification Practice Directions: Identify each example of imagery. 1. We pushed our way through the crackling underbrush. 2. He was as clever as a fox. 3. The hot July sun beat down on us relentlessly. 4. The closet doors hid the room’s mess. 5. I feel like we had this argument a million times. 6. The deep blue waves crashed fiercely on the sandy shore. 7. I feel as fat as an elephant. 8. The thick, juicy steak sizzled on the grill top. 9. The car alarm screamed at the top its lungs. 10. The wasp lazily strode across the nest’s grey, papery surface.

Imagery Identification Practice KEY Directions: Identify each example of imagery. 1. We pushed our way through the crackling underbrush. 2. He was as clever as a fox. 3. The hot July sun beat down on us relentlessly. 4. The closet doors hid the room’s mess. 5. I feel like we had this argument a million times. 6. The deep blue waves crashed fiercely on the sandy shore. 7. I feel as fat as an elephant. 8. The thick, juicy steak sizzled on the grill top. 9. The car alarm screamed at the top its lungs. 10. The wasp lazily strode across the nest’s grey, papery surface.

Imagery Writing Pointers • • Accuracy – make sure words selected suit the purpose Precision – make sure the words suit the context Appropriateness – make sure the words suit the audience Emotion – make that the words chosen convey the emotional intensity of the moment (sadness, excitement, anger, humor, etc. ) • Avoid repetition – avoid unnecessary repetition • Avoid excess – avoid excess use of description and wordiness • Contrast – use contrast to create distinctions

Imagery Writing Practice Directions: Think of a particular place (the mall, your kitchen, a classroom, a doctor’s office) Spend a few moments focusing on the details that most people do notice. Then, complete the lines below. Chosen Place: ____________ I see __________________ I hear _________________ I smell _________________ I touch _________________ I taste _________________

Imagery Writing Activity Look at the example poems on the next slide. Notice how the first poem takes the idea of hate and compares it to many different things. The second poem takes the idea of hate and compares it to only one thing, a zit, but the metaphor is extended throughout the length of the poem. Choose a concept (love, greed, loyalty, friendship, etc. ) and write a metaphor poem that uses imagery. You can choose to write either a line-by-line poem or extended metaphor style.

Imagery Writing Activity LINE-BY-LINE Hate is a sore, festering and bubbling on the heart Hate is a single-leafed tree, its owner weak and alone Hate is a wilted rose, time has worn it from beauty to wretchedness Hate is a zit, ready to burst Hate is the Hulk, small when calm, huge and fierce when agitated Hate is a snake, it swallows its enemies whole Hate is a birthday party, it can take you by surprise Hate is a tree, it stands the test of time Hate is a rubber bank, it will snap when pulled too hard Hate is a deadly disease, something you don’t want to catch EXTENDED METAPHOR Hate is a zit Earned by debris, dirt, oil, grime Kicked into a face By a filthy world It begins beneath the surface Then pokes out its disgusting head Makes the face turn red And grows and grows Until finally It explodes

Homework Write a one-page creative response to the following prompt. Follow all of the specifications listed earlier. Your response will be graded on the following: requirements, clear and creative perspective, & grammar/mechanics ----------------------------------------------------- 4. Likes / Dislikes List: Make columns, one titled “Likes, ” the other “Dislikes, ” and list from to specific items in each column. Avoid naming specific classmates and teachers by generalizing. For example, “that mean teacher who’s making me write an autobiography, ” not my name! TWO TEN FIFTEEN

5 -Minute Write-Down The vowel combination “ee” almost always sounds like the hard “e” in “feet. ” List as many words as you can that contain “ee. ” EE

DUE CHECKLIST ✓Description “Word Bank” (WN) ✓Describe it, See it (WN) ✓Learning from the professionals (WN) ✓Imagery Poem (WA) ✓ 5 -Minute Write-Down (WN) Wn = Writer’s Notebook; WA = Writing Assignment

Week Three: Abstract & Concrete

****DESCRIPTION BANK**** WORD PRECOCIOUS Definition: (adj. ) exhibiting mature qualities at an unusually age Synonyms: inopportune, premature, unseasonable, untimely Antonyms: late, overdue, delayed, postponed, expected, slow Directions: Write a quick descriptive sketch using your new “word bank” word. This sketch should be no fewer than five sentences. Create a scenario to add more depth and creativity. Descriptive Requirements: Imagery (5 senses), describe a landscape, use an antonym

ABSTRACT & CONCRETE DETAIL Showing vs. Telling Definition, Examples, Practice, & Writing Assignment

The difference between the almost-right word and the right words is really a large matter – it’s the difference between the lightning bug and lightning. - Mark Twain

Showing vs. Telling How did you learn to ride a bike? Can you ever learn to ride a bike by reading about the basic facts of bike riding? To really learn how, one must experience it all … from the pedal pushing, wobbly starts, and sudden crashes. Every bit of this is important to learning how to ride a bike… If you just tell it, no one is actually learning about riding a bike.

ABSTRACT DETAIL • Abstract detail refers to words that do not appeal imaginatively to the reader’s sense. Abstract words create no “mental picture” or any other imagined sensations for readers. • Abstract words include – love, hate, feelings, emotions, temptation, peace, seclusion, alienation, politics, rights, freedom, intelligence, progress, guilt, etc.

ABSTRACT DETAIL Try to create a mental picture of “love. ” Do you picture a couple holding hands, a child hugging a mother, roses and valentines? These are not “love. ” Instead, they are concrete objects you associate with love. Because it is an abstraction, the word “love” itself does not imaginatively appeal to the reader’s senses.

ABSTRACT DETAIL Some abstract detail is inevitable in your writing, but you need to give readers something that they can imaginatively see, hear, smell, or taste (imagery). If you remain on an abstract level, your readers will most likely lose interest in what you are saying, if your readers can even figure out what exactly you are talking about.

A BSTRACT DETAIL Study this example… Robert and Jena have experienced difficulties in their lives, and both have developed bad attitudes because of these difficulties. They have now set goals to surmount these problems, although the unfortunate consequences of their experiences are still apparent in many everyday situations. ✓What is this writer trying to say? It’s hard to tell. The detail is so abstract that it is likely to mean something different to each reader. ✓Writing that is overly abstract and general is also not pleasant to read.

------SEE IT, DESCRIBE IT------ Directions: Describe the image using vivid language. Vivid means “full of life. ” Your language should paint the image for a reader who has never seen this image. Be specific! Use imagery!

CONCRETE DETAIL • Concrete Detail refers to words that stimulate some kind of sensory response in the reader. • As we read the words, we can imaginatively use our senses to experience what the words represent. • Concrete words include: dog, cat, computer, classroom, tree, candy bar, chair, department store, radio, pencil, hat, clock, rain, ice cube, Coca. Cola, etc.

CONCRETE DETAIL Now try to picture a dog. Because “dog” is a concrete word, you are able to form a mental picture of it. Because concrete details imaginatively appeal to the sense, it tends to involve readers more than abstract detail does.

Learning from the Professionals Louis Sachar’s Holes: “Stanley awoke in a meadow, looking up at the giant rock tower. It was layered and streaked with different shades of red, burnt orange, brown, and tan. It must have been over a hundred feet tall. Stanley lay awhile, just looking at it. He didn’t have the strength to get up. It felt like the insides of his mouth and throat were coated with sand. And no wonder. When he rolled over he saw the water hole. It was about two and a half feet deep and over three feet wide. At the bottom lay no more than two inches of very brown water. ” ___________________________________________________________ 1. Read the excerpt above. Write a general reaction statement to the descriptive nature of Sachar’s writing. 2. Choose one sentence that paints the best mental picture. Explain your selection. 3. Identify two examples of imagery and explain their affect.

GENERAL CONCRETE DETAIL What do you imaginatively “see” when you read the following sentence: “The dog jumped on top of the car”? The concrete detail should stimulate some “mental picture, ” but what exactly do you “see”? You should imagine a dog jumping on top of a car, but what kind of dog? And what kind of car do you imagine? Most likely, you see your dog jumping on top of your car, but is this what the writer intended you to “see”? Probably not. The sentence uses concrete detail, thus allowing you to create a mental picture, but that diction is general and not specific.

SPECIFIC CONCRETE DETAIL Now, what do you imaginatively “see” when you read this sentence: “The Saint Bernard jumped on top of the black corvette”? The concrete and specific detail in this sentence ensures that you are “seeing” exactly what the writer wants you to see. In general, specific and concrete detail is a characteristic of strong writing, whereas general and abstract detail is a characteristic of weak writing.

SHOWING VS. TELLING SHOWING TELLING A four-hundred pound male gorilla, unaccustomed to tourists, bolted in the forest at the mere sight of a person. Even a large male gorilla, unaccustomed to tourists, is frightened by people.

Specific Concrete Writing Assignment Directions: Choose three items from the list below and create specific concrete descriptions for them. Each concrete description should be 25 -30 words. Example: Seaweed The sun-dried kelp made its way up from the depths of the Atlantic only to be stomped on by the pounding feet of children playing tag on the beach. (29 words) Word Bank: Grandfather Book Driveway Wagon Room Flag Tool Caterpillar Plane Song Boat Horse Shell Illness Weapon

Homework Write a one-page creative response to the following prompt. Follow all of the specifications listed earlier. Your response will be graded on the following: requirements, clear and creative perspective, & grammar/mechanics ----------------------------------------------------- 5. Sensory Experiences: The five senses allow us to perceive whatever is tangible, or concrete. A sensory experience is something we can taste, touch, smell, see, or hear. For example, ice-cold watermelon, hot dogs sizzling over a charcoal fire, mosquito bites, fireworks, and the music of the ice-cream wagon are sensory experiences I associate with a Fourth of July picnic. Describe a specific time and place which recalls rich sensory experiences for you. Include at least details that appeal to each of the senses. TWO FIVE

5 -Minute Write-Down Try to sort out the five scrambled words below: IMEL RGNIB FIRDEF NCESIEC

DUE CHECKLIST ✓Description “Word Bank” (WN) ✓Describe it, See it (WN) ✓Learning from the professionals (WN) ✓Specific Concrete detail (WA) ✓ 5 -Minute Write-Down (WN) Wn = Writer’s Notebook; WA = Writing Assignment

Week Four: Extended Metaphors

****DESCRIPTION BANK**** WORD INCORRIGIBLE Definition: (adj. ) incapable of being corrected or amended; unalterable Synonyms: hopeless, incurable, irremediable, unredeemable Antonyms: curable, reclaimable, savable, reformable, reversible Directions: Write a quick descriptive sketch using your new “word bank” word. This sketch should be no fewer than five sentences. Create a scenario to add more depth and creativity. Descriptive Requirements: Imagery (5 senses), describe the moon and its glow

------SEE IT, DESCRIBE IT------ Directions: Describe the image using vivid language. Vivid means “full of life. ” Your language should paint the image for a reader who has never seen this image. Be specific! Use imagery!

Learning from the Professionals Karen Hesse’s Witness: 1. the day was cold, bitter, below-zero. made-you-wish-you’d-been-born-inside-a-fur-coat heavy sky, early dark, lamps already lit. esther playing in the kitchen with her clothespin dolls, and mr. hirsh still at the shoe store. that‘s when leanora sutter, half frozen, showed up on my porch. she wore no coat, her head was bare, no rubbers on her feet, nothing but worn-thin school clothes standing between her and the teeth of winter. cold. 2. 3. Read the excerpt above. Write a general reaction statement to the descriptive nature of Hesse’s writing. Choose one sentence that paints the best mental picture. Explain your selection. Discuss the impression and affect of the hyphenated adjective in the third line.

Extended Metaphors Taking creativity the extra step Definition, Examples, Practice, and Writing Assignment

Extended Metaphors • A metaphor compares two unlike things without using like or as. Identify the metaphors below: 1. Happiness is a growing garden. 2. I am so hungry that I could eat a horse. 3. The question was a bullet through my heart 4. He looked like an old man. 5. The dog was their baby. 6. The lights sparkled like diamonds in the night sky. 7. The flags danced in the afternoon wind.

Extended Metaphors • A metaphor compares two unlike things without using like or as. Identify the metaphors below: 1. Happiness is a growing garden. 2. I am so hungry that I could eat a horse. 3. The question was a bullet through my heart 4. He looked like an old man. 5. The dog was their baby. 6. The lights sparkled like diamonds in the night sky. 7. The flags danced in the afternoon wind.

Extended Metaphors 1. 2. 3. 4. Identify the two things being compared in each metaphor. You are the sunshine of my life. The giant’s steps were thunder as he ran toward Jack. The pillow was a cloud when I put my head upon it after a long day. The bar of soap was a slippery eel during the dog’s bath.

Extended Metaphors 1. 2. 3. 4. Identify the two things being compared in each metaphor. You are the sunshine of my life. The giant’s steps were thunder as he ran toward Jack. The pillow was a cloud when I put my head upon it after a long day. The bar of soap was a slippery eel during the dog’s bath.

Extended Metaphors • An extended metaphor (also known as a conceit) takes two (sometimes more) concepts and evaluates them over a series of sentences to create a more intricate picture of how one thing is like the other. • Extended metaphors use complex logic such as the following to flesh out the argument: – Compare (how one is like the other) – Contrast (how one is unlike the other) – Juxtaposition (placing both ideas together) – Analogy (the relationship of one to the other) – Extrapolation (inferring of hypothesizing the unknown about one using the known of the other)

Extended Metaphors Example: Emily Dickinson’s poem comparing hope to a bird Hope is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul, And sings the tune – without the words, And never stops at all, And sweetest in the gale is heard; And sore must be the storm The could abash the little bird That kept so many warm.

Extended Metaphors 1. Read the poem Hope is the thing with feathers 2. Read it a second time and ask That perches in the soul, yourself, “What two things And sings the tune – without the words, are being compared? ” And never stops at all, And sweetest in the gale is heard; And sore must be the storm The could abash the little bird That kept so many warm. 3. Search to see if the metaphor, the two things being compared, continue for several lines. 4. Provide the proof.

Extended Metaphors Hope is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul, And sings the tune – without the words, And never stops at all, And sweetest in the gale is heard; And sore must be the storm The could abash the little bird That kept so many warm.

Extended Metaphors Example – Will Ferrell’s Extended Metaphor: The University of Life (comparing life to school) “I graduated from the University of Life. All right? I received a degree from the School of Hard Knocks. And our colors were black and blue, baby. I had office hours with the Dean of Bloody Noses. All right? I borrowed my class notes from Professor Knuckle Sandwich and his teaching assistant, Ms. Fat Lip Thon Nyun. That’s the kind of school I went to for real, okay? Will Ferrell, Commencement Address at Harvard University (2003)

Extended Metaphors “I graduated from the University of Life. All right? I received a degree from the School of Hard Knocks. And our colors were black and blue, baby. I had office hours with the Dean of Bloody Noses. All right? I borrowed my class notes from Professor Knuckle Sandwich and his teaching assistant, Ms. Fat Lip Thon Nyun. That’s the kind of school I went to for real, okay? Will Ferrell, Commencement Address at Harvard University (2003)

Extended Metaphor Writing Activity • Make a list of 30 random objects (sunburn, submarine, coffee cup, moon). • Select five nouns from your random list and compare each of them to yourself by creating a metaphor. • Choose the BEST comparison of the ten, and then extend the comparison as far as you can (approx. 100 words) Example: Coffee Cup: I’m full of energy. People can’t get enough of me but when they try, they end up feeding off of my energy. In my purest form, my personality is very strong like black coffee but I can be mellowed and sweetened by adding cream or sugar The steam rising from me, when the coffee is hot, is like my anger being released when I’m mad, but eventually, like the coffee, I too will cool down.

Homework Write a one-page creative response to the following prompt. Follow all of the specifications listed earlier. Your response will be graded on the following: requirements, clear and creative perspective, & grammar/mechanics ----------------------------------------------------- 15. Unfinished Sentences: Complete each of the following sentences by expanding them into short paragraphs. As always, be specific. 1. I usually worry about… 6. I feel frustrated when… 2. I feel angry when… 7. I feel depressed when… 3. I’m moody when… 8. I am comfortable when… 4. I’m happiest when… 9. I feel nervous when… 5. I feel confident when… 10. I feel sentimental when… 17. Map of Life: Draw a stylized map, beginning with your birth and ending with the present. Along the way, include little labels or diagrams of what you remember as important events, places, and people in your life. Keep all items in order, but leave enough space between individual items to fill in as you think of additional information. Write small since it must fit on page. You may use ONE

5 -Minute Write-Down How many words can you think of that have the same prefix, suffix, OR root as the multisyllabic word below? (The possibilities are endless!) TYPOGRAPHI CAL

DUE CHECKLIST ✓Description “Word Bank” (WN) ✓Describe it, See it (WN) ✓Learning from the professionals (WN) ✓Extended Metaphor Activity (WA) ✓ 5 -Minute Write-Down (WN) Wn = Writer’s Notebook; WA = Writing Assignment

Week Five: Personificatio n

****DESCRIPTION BANK**** WORD PIOUS Definition: (adj. ) deeply religious: devoted to a particular religion Synonyms: constant, devout, loyal, true, steady, steadfast Antonyms: disloyal, faithless, fickle, traitorous, untrue, treacherous Directions: Write a quick descriptive sketch using your new “word bank” word. This sketch should be no fewer than five sentences. Create a scenario to add more depth and creativity. Descriptive Requirements: Imagery (5 senses), describe something as pious without using the word

------SEE IT, DESCRIBE IT------ Directions: Describe the image using vivid language. Vivid means “full of life. ” Your language should paint the image for a reader who has never seen this image. Be specific! Use imagery!

Learning from the Professionals Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl’s Beautiful Creatures: “I pushed on the door, slowly, tentatively. I could see just a glimpse of the study, a corner of the built-in shelves, stuffed with my mom’s books, and the Civil War debris she seemed to collect wherever she went. I took a deep breath and inhaled the air of the study. No wonder my dad never left the room. I could almost see her, curled up in her old reading chair by the window. She would’ve been typing, just on the other side of the door. If I opened the door a little more, for all I knew, she might be there now. Only I couldn’t hear any typing, and I knew she wasn’t there, and she never would be again. ” ___________________________________________________________ 1. 2. 3. Read the excerpt above. Write a general reaction statement to the descriptive nature of Garcia & Stohl’s writing. Choose one sentence that paints the best mental picture. Explain your selection. Re-write one sentence from the excerpt adding more detail.

Personificati on Giving a voice to the silent Definition, Examples, Practice, and Writing Assignment

Personificati on Personification means giving human traits (i. e. qualities, feelings, actions, or characteristics) directly to a non-living object. Example: 1. The trees were dancing with the wind. 2. The pot of soup bubbled merrily on the stove. 3. The sun peeked over the hill Why are these sentences examples of personification?

Personificati on Why use personification in your writing? • Many times an author will use this literary technique to add more fun, drama, sparkle, excitement, or interest to a story or to convey a certain mood. • It makes more sense to us (as readers) to understand what the author is talking about when WE can RELATE to the emotions or characteristics that the “non-living” object has. Example: The light breeze gracefully danced across the porch and sang verses of warm summer melodies. • What kind of feeling does that verse give you?

Personificati on Explain how each of example uses personification. The printer spit out fifty copies.

Personificati on Explain how each of example uses personification. The printer spit out fifty copies. Printers are non-human objects. They don’t really spit, but saying that the printer spit out the copies gives us a picture of the printer working quickly.

Personificati on Explain how each of example uses personification. That chocolate cake is calling my name.

Personificati on Explain how each of example uses personification. That chocolate cake is calling my name. Cake cannot really talk. This example uses personification to present the idea that the cake is beckoning to the writer, enticing him to come and eat chocolate cake.

Personificati on Advertisements, movies, and even toys use personification. Explain how each of the following is an example of personification. y o b s l l i P r u b h g u Michelin Man o D y Mr. Potato Head

Personificati on Product slogans use personification too. Consider the following examples: “Nothing hugs like Huggies. ” “Goldfish – the snack that smiles back. ”

Personificati on “Summer Grass” Carl Sandburg Summer grass aches and whispers It wants something: it calls and sings; it pours out wishes to the overhead stars. The rain hears; the rain answers; the rain is slow coming; the rain wets the face of the grass • Where is the personification? • Why add personification to a poem? • How do we know there is personification? Keywords?

Personificati on “Summer Grass” with personification Summer grass aches and whispers It wants something: it calls and sings; it pours out wishes to the overhead stars. The rain hears; the rain answers; the rain is slow coming; the rain wets the face of the grass “Summer Grass” without personification The grass is very dry. It hasn’t rained in days. It rains and gets the grass wet.

Personificati on Directions: Identify which of the following statements use personification. 1. Her silky hair swayed with the breeze. 2. The knot on Jan’s leg looked like a golf ball. 3. My computer growled at me when I hit the wrong button. 4. The chair stood straight like a soldier on guard by the door. 5. Carrying my book bag was like dragging around a 10 -pound sack of flour. 6. Michael was the alpha dog in his group. 7. Hot flames from the fire licked at my hands as I put on another log. 8. The fiery red vase screamed to be recognized in the all white room.

Personificati on Directions: Identify which of the following statements use personification. 1. Her silky hair swayed with the breeze. 2. The knot on Jan’s leg looked like a golf ball. 3. My computer growled at me when I hit the wrong button. 4. The chair stood straight like a soldier on guard by the door. 5. Carrying my book bag was like dragging around a 10 -pound sack of flour. 6. Michael was the alpha dog in his group. 7. Hot flames from the fire licked at my hands as I put on another log. 8. The fiery red vase screamed to be recognized in the all white room.

Personification Poem Assignment: Write a short poem using personification. Requirements: • Must be 8 -10 lines long (can be longer) • Must have a title • Must use at least 4 examples of personification • Must underline each example of personification • Must have a clear message – cannot just be a mismatch of random personifications streamed together

Homework Write a one-page creative response to the following prompt. Follow all of the specifications listed earlier. Your response will be graded on the following: requirements, clear and creative perspective, & grammar/mechanics ----------------------------------------------------- A Quality Personality: In J. Ruth Gendler’s The Book of Qualities, 70 abstract qualities come to life, walking and talking, borrowing Grandmother’s shawl and telling scary stories late into the night… personification at its best! Precise, specific images reveal each abstract quality as a vivid personality. These qualities are real people, with weird relatives, bad friends, unique clothing styles, and strange stories to tell. Make your chosen quality a real personality, too. Then write and carefully polish a -to- -paragraph personification of your quality. Make every word count! See next slide for quality list and my example. 7. ONE THREE

Homework #7 A Quality Personality Shame You’d never know that Shame had anything to hide by looking at her. So common that nothing about her appearance strikes you at first glance – average height, average weight. She always wears a plain solid-colored tshirt, no logos or slogans for her, and blue jeans, broken-in but not wornout. She bought a pair of those new walking shoes to help improve her posture, but she just won’t stand up straight. Her grey eyes, usually cast downward, are stunning, pale and eerie, when she really looks you in the eye, and she blushes easily. Although she seems so humble, every sentence starts with “I. ” She favors her sisters Guilt and Embarrassment, and Doubt is her brother. She hides Snickers in her bedside dresser drawer, lies about her age, and pinches herself when she thinks no one is looking. In her closet, way in back, is a bright turquoise sundress that she’s never worn out but sometimes tries on late at night, listening to the blues and drinking Merlot all alone. As she gets on the train, she smells someone’s perfume and it makes her step quicken. The sound of foreign languages reminds her that the ground under her feet is moving. The crying of someone else’s baby makes her sick so she leans forward and bites her knee. Her eyes unfocus, watching the scenery rush by too fast to see. Even though the only thing she can be sure of tonight is sleeping in a bed that isn’t hers, she is not afraid.

Homework #7 A Quality Personality Choose a quality from the following list: Anger Competition Greed Anxiety Confusion Honesty Beauty Depression Imagination Blame Devotion Innocence Boredom Excitement Integrity Charity Faith Jealousy Charm Fear Joy Compassion Forgiveness Loneliness

5 -Minute Write-Down Create as many words as you can using three or more of the letters below (at least one eight-letter word is possible): GSMUER OE

DUE CHECKLIST ✓Description “Word Bank” (WN) ✓Describe it, See it (WN) ✓Learning from the professionals (WN) ✓Personification Poem (WA) ✓ 5 -Minute Write-Down (WN) Wn = Writer’s Notebook; WA = Writing Assignment

Week Six : Hyperbole

****DESCRIPTION BANK**** WORD ODIOUS Definition: (adj. ) causing hatred or strong dislike Synonyms: abhorrent, loathsome, rancid, evil, foul, dreadful, hideous Antonyms: acceptable, alluring, delightful, dreamy, gratifying, inviting Directions: Write a quick descriptive sketch using your new “word bank” word. This sketch should be no fewer than five sentences. Create a scenario to add more depth and creativity. Descriptive Requirements: Imagery (5 senses), describe an animal

------SEE IT, DESCRIBE IT------ Directions: Describe the image using vivid language. Vivid means “full of life. ” Your language should paint the image for a reader who has never seen this image. Be specific! Use imagery!

Learning from the Professionals Veronica Roth’s Divergent “The air howls in my ears as the ground surges toward me, growing and expanding, or I surge toward the ground, my heart pounding so fast it hurts, every muscle in my body tensing as the falling sensation drags at my stomach. The hole surrounds me and I drop into darkness. I hit something hard. It gives way beneath me and cradles my body. The impact knocks the wind out of me and I wheeze, struggling to breathe again. My arms and legs sting. ” ___________________________________________________________ 1. Read the excerpt above. Write a general reaction statement to the descriptive nature of Roth’s writing. 2. Choose one sentence that paints the best mental picture. Explain your selection. 3. How is Roth’s description of falling relatable to readers?

Hyperbole Literally the best figurative language technique EVER! Definition, Examples, Practice, and Writing Assignment

Hyperbole • Hyperbole is a figure of speech that uses intentional exaggeration. • Hyperboles are descriptive language. Using a hyperbole is a creative way to describe something. • By exaggerating certain characteristics, hyperboles give the reader a vivid mental picture. Example: He snores louder than a freight train. – No one snores louder than a freight train, but by exaggerating the writer shows us that snore REALLY loud.

Hyperbole • Hyperbole is used for emphasis or humorous effect. With hyperbole, an author makes a point by overstating it. • Hyperbole makes qualities of people or things stand out by exaggerating them. – Example: The skin on her face was as thin and drawn as tight as the skin of onion. • Hyperbole can also be used to describe a person’s emotions (feelings).

Hyperbole Explain how each of the following are examples of hyperbole: 1. We stood in line so long that grass began to grow on our shoes. 2. I would die of embarrassment. 3. He things money grows on trees. 4. I’m so hungry I could eat a whole elephant. 5. Here once the embattled farmers stood and fired the shot heard round the world.

Hyperbole Complete these hyperboles: 1. That joke is as old as ___________. 2. Our new school is so big that __________. 3. My backpack is as heavy as __________. 4. Her smile is like a __________. 5. He runs as fast as a ___________.

Hyperbole Find four hyperboles in this passage. Marian wanted a summer job. If I just had a job, she thought, I could buy everything I ever wanted. However, she was nervous about going on a job interview. She was so nervous that she felt as shaky as a leaf on a tree. After a few interviews, Marian got a job at Dairy Queen. She served up mountains of ice cream. She served enough sodas to fill an ocean. Finally, payday came.

Hyperbole Find four hyperboles in this passage. Marian wanted a summer job. If I just had a job, she thought, I could buy everything I ever wanted. However, she was nervous about going on a job interview. She was so nervous that she felt as shaky as a leaf on a tree. After a few interviews, Marian got a job at Dairy Queen. She served up mountains of ice cream. She served enough sodas to fill an ocean. Finally, payday came.

Hyperbole Writing Assignment: Write a children’s poem using hyperbole. Since children love rhyme, this assignment requires that you create a rhyming poem. You may choose the rhyme scheme; however, altering schemes (ABAB) fit the form best. Think of simple, child-like things for the topic of your poem, like animals, elements of weather, or nature. Your poem should be approximately 15 -20 lines. Make sure that it has a title and that you include at least 4 examples of hyperbole.

Hyperbole Writing Assignment “The Hippo” A head or tail – which does he lack? I think his forward’s coming back! He lives on carrots, leeks, and hay; He starts to yawn – it takes all day Some time I think I’ll live that way. “Appetite” In a house the size of a postage stamp lived a man as big as a barge. His mouth could drink the entire river you could say it was rather large. For dinner, he would eat a trillion beans And a silo full of grain, Washed it down with a tanker of milk As if he were a drain.

Homework Write a one-page creative response to the following prompt. Follow all of the specifications listed earlier. Your response will be graded on the following: requirements, clear and creative perspective, & grammar/mechanics ----------------------------------------------------- 13. The Ultimate All-Purpose Excuse: Just in case you are tardy some day, write an elaborate, exaggerated, fantastic excuse for yourself. Be as creative as you can. In about 150 , convince your heartless English teacher that your excuse is a valid reason for being tardy. WORDS

5 -Minute Write-Down The root word “-chron-” means “time” and sounds like “kron. ” How many words can you list that contain this root? -chron-

DUE CHECKLIST ✓Description “Word Bank” (WN) ✓Describe it, See it (WN) ✓Learning from the professionals (WN) ✓Children’s Poem (WA) ✓ 5 -Minute Write-Down (WN) Wn = Writer’s Notebook; WA = Writing Assignment

Week Seven: Repetition & Anaphora

****DESCRIPTION BANK**** WORD ASTUTE Definition: (adj. ) having or showing an ability to notice and understand things clearly; mentally sharp or clever Synonyms: canny, clear-sighted, knowing, savvy, sharp, hardheaded Antonyms: unknowing, naïve, gullible, unperceptive Directions: Write a quick descriptive sketch using your new “word bank” word. This sketch should be no fewer than five sentences. Create a scenario to add more depth and creativity. Descriptive Requirements: Imagery (5 senses), describe an inanimate object

------SEE IT, DESCRIBE IT------ Directions: Describe the image using vivid language. Vivid means “full of life. ” Your language should paint the image for a reader who has never seen this image. Be specific! Use imagery!

Learning from the Professionals James Dashner’s The Maze Runner: “A large, bulbous creature the size of a cow but with no distinct shape twisted and seethed along the ground in the corridor outside. It climbed the opposite wall, then leaped at the thick-glassed window with a loud thump. Thomas shrieked before he could stop himself, jerked away from the window – but the thing bounced backward, leaving the glass undamaged. Thomas sucked in two huge breaths and leaned in once again. It was too dark to make out clearly, but odd lights flashed from an unknown source, revealing blurs of silver spikes and glistening flesh. Wicked instrument-tipped appendages protruded from its body like arms: a saw blade, a set of shears, long rods whose purpose could only be guessed. ” ___________________________________________________________ 1. Read the excerpt above. Write a general reaction statement to the descriptive nature of Dashner’s writing. 2. Choose one sentence that paints the best mental picture. Explain your selection. Extra Credit Opportunity: Based on the description, draw the character.

Repetition & Anaphora Making it Stick! Definition, Examples, Practice, & Writing Assignment

Repetition & Anaphora is a figure of repetition that occurs when the first word or set of words in one sentence, clause, or phrase is repeated at or near the beginning of successive sentences, clause or phrases. What in the world does that mean? We want freedom by an means necessary. We want justice by any means necessary. We want equality by any means necessary. - Malcolm X

Repetition & Anaphora • Anaphora is the repetition of the initial word(s) over successive phrases or clauses. • It is a very effective rhetorical device to use in poetry, in order to stress the significance of something. • It’s also a way to create musicality and rhythm in a poem without using rhyme.

Repetition & Anaphora What Bugs Me When my teacher tells me to write a poem tonight. When my mother tells me to clean up my room. When my sister practices her violin while I’m watching TV. When my father tells me to turn off the TV and do my homework When my brother picks a fight with me and I have to go to bed early. When my teacher asks me to get up in front of the class

Repetition & Anaphora "Yesterday, the Japanese government also launched an attack against Malaya. Last night, Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong. Last night, Japanese forces attacked Guam. Last night, Japanese forces attackedthe Philippine Islands. Last night, the Japanese attacked Wake Island. And this morning, the Japanese attacked Midway Island. “ -Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Pearl Harbor Address Yes, we can change. Yes, we can heal this nation. Yes, we can seize our future. And as we leave this great state with a new wind at our backs and we take this journey across this great country, a country we love, with the message we carry from the plains of Iowa to the hills of New Hampshire, from the Nevada desert to the South Carolina coast, the same message we had when we were up and when we were down, that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we will hope. And where we are met with cynicism and doubt and fear and those

Repetition & Anaphora Now you try it. In time ________________________________

Repetition & Anaphora Now you try it. Out of ________________________________

Repetition & Anaphora Now you try it. From ________________________________

Repetition & Anaphora “Be Nobody’s Darling” Alice Walker Be nobody’s darling; Be an outcast. Take the contradictions Of your life And wrap around You like a shawl, To parry stones To keep you warm. Watch the people succumb To madness With ample cheer; Let them look askance at you And you askance reply. Be an outcast; Be pleased to walk alone

Repetition & Anaphora Writing Assignment QUICK WRITE POEM WRITING ASSIGNMENT • Write a poem (song) What is the best that gives advice that you • Be sure your advice is appropriate for school, have ever received? but it does not have to Given? relate to school. • Your poem should be Explain in at least 20 lines long. approximately 5 • Your poem must have complete

Homework Write a one-page creative response to the following prompt. Follow all of the specifications listed earlier. Your response will be graded on the following: requirements, clear and creative perspective, & grammar/mechanics ----------------------------------------------------16. Personal Symbol: Write about an object that has special symbolic meaning for you. It might be a gift from someone you love, an award of which you are proud, a souvenir from a place you miss, a childhood toy you still treasure, a family photograph, whatever. Describe the object, appealing to the senses as appropriate and giving specific details. Also explain what it symbolizes for you.

5 -Minute Write-Down Rearrange the letters in the nonsense phrase below to create new words that actually make sense (ignore the spaces): Joy of

DUE CHECKLIST ✓Description “Word Bank” (WN) ✓Describe it, See it (WN) ✓Learning from the professionals (WN) ✓Anaphora Mini Poems (WN) ✓Advice Poem & Quick Write (WA) ✓ 5 -Minute Write-Down (WN) Wn = Writer’s Notebook; WA = Writing Assignment

Week Eight: Juxtaposition & Oxymoron

****DESCRIPTION BANK**** WORD CRASS Definition: (adj. ) having or showing no understanding of what is proper or acceptable; rude and insensitive Synonyms: common, crude, insensible, rude, rugged, vulgar, uncouth Antonyms: civilized, cultured, genteel, polished, refined, tasteful Directions: Write a quick descriptive sketch using your new “word bank” word. This sketch should be no fewer than five sentences. Create a scenario to add more depth and creativity. Descriptive Requirements: Imagery (5 senses), describe a special occasion (i. e. birthday, wedding, anniversary)

------SEE IT, DESCRIBE IT------ Directions: Describe the image using vivid language. Vivid means “full of life. ” Your language should paint the image for a reader who has never seen this image. Be specific! Use imagery!

Learning from the Professionals Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief: “A larger crowd made its way around them as Rudy swung at Franz Deutscher’s stomach, missing him completely. Simultaneously, he felt the burning sensation of a fist on his left eye socket. It arrived with sparks, and he was on the ground before he even realized. He was punched again, in the same place, and he could feel the bruise turn yellow and blue and black all at once. Three layers of exhilarating pain. The developing crowd gathered and leered to see if Rudy might get up again. He didn’t. This time, he remained on the cold, wet, ground, feeling it rise through his clothes and spread itself out. ” ___________________________________________________________ 1. 2. 3. Read the excerpt above. Write a general reaction statement to the descriptive nature of Zusak’s writing. Choose one sentence that paints the best mental picture. Explain your selection. Explain how Zusak shows, not tells in this passage, “It arrived with sparks. ”

Juxtaposition & Oxymoron Side by Side Definition, Examples, Practice, & Writing Assignment

Juxtaposition & Oxymoron • Juxtaposition is a placement of two words / descriptions / concepts literally or figuratively next to each other to present a comparison or contrast. • Juxtaposition causes readers to stop and reconsider the meaning of the text through contrasting images / ideas / motifs • Juxtaposition shows connections and differences. Readers are expected to determine the message of a piece by these opposing, yet similar images.

Juxtaposition & Oxymoron Identify the uses of juxtaposition in the following excerpt from Charles Dickens’s A Tale of Two Cities: _____________________________________________________ “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way”

Juxtaposition & Oxymoron Identify the uses of juxtaposition in the following excerpt from Charles Dickens’s A Tale of Two Cities: _____________________________________________________ “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way”

Juxtaposition & Oxymoron Read “A Perfect Juxtaposition” and identify the examples of juxtaposition.

Juxtaposition & Oxymoron A Perfect Juxtaposition by Kezzi I thoroughly hate loving you. Your heart is a perfectly-carved stone; Set deep into your chest, soft as granite. I grip you gently with angels’ claws; Icy breath scorching your warm, shivering skin. Your hard topaz eyes shimmer liquidly; Evaporating my soul with their numbing heat. Together we fall upwards, drowning in the very air that whistles past our entwined, separate bodies. Your moist lips deliver a dry kiss upon mine; I can live neither with nor without you, my sweet oxymoron. You and I; A perfect juxtaposition.

Juxtaposition & Oxymoron A Perfect Juxtaposition by Kezzi I thoroughly hate loving you. Your heart is a perfectly-carved stone; Set deep into your chest, soft as granite. I grip you gently with angels’ claws; Icy breath scorching your warm, shivering skin. Your hard topaz eyes shimmer liquidly; Evaporating my soul with their numbing heat. Together we fall upwards, drowning in the very air that whistles past our entwined, separate bodies. Your moist lips deliver a dry kiss upon mine; I can live neither with nor without you, my sweet oxymoron. You and I; A perfect juxtaposition.

Juxtaposition & Oxymoron • Oxymoron is a figure of speech that juxtaposes (places side-by-side) two opposite or contradictory words to present a dramatic paradox for effect. • The two words are ALWAYS side-by-side.

Juxtaposition & Oxymoron Examples: ✓Bitter + Sweet = Bittersweet ✓Living + Dead = Living Dead ✓Beautiful + Tyrant = Beautiful Tyrant! ✓Minor + Crisis = Minor Crisis ✓Jumbo + Shrimp = Jumbo Shrimp ✓Clearly + Confused = Clearly Confused ✓Only + Choice = Only Choice ✓Larger + Half = Larger Half ✓Freezer + Burn = Freezer Burn ✓Pretty + Ugly = Pretty Ugly

Juxtaposition & Oxymoron Read “A Perfect Juxtaposition” and identify the examples of oxymoron.

Juxtaposition & Oxymoron A Perfect Juxtaposition by Kezzi I thoroughly hate loving you. Your heart is a perfectly-carved stone; Set deep into your chest, soft as granite. I grip you gently with angels’ claws; Icy breath scorching your warm, shivering skin. Your hard topaz eyes shimmer liquidly; Evaporating my soul with their numbing heat. Together we fall upwards, drowning in the very air that whistles past our entwined, separate bodies. Your moist lips deliver a dry kiss upon mine; I can live neither with nor without you, my sweet oxymoron. You and I; A perfect juxtaposition.

Juxtaposition & Oxymoron Examples: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Angels’ claws Warm Shivering Numbing heat Fall upwards Entwined, separate

Juxtaposition & Oxymoron Writing Assignment: Write a 10 -15 line poem using both juxtaposition & oxymoron. Use juxtaposition at least once. Underline your usage. You cannot count an example of oxymoron as a juxtaposition though. Use oxymoron at least twice. Underline your usage. Be sure to include a title. My recommendation is to use either juxtaposition or oxymoron in your title.

Homework Write a one-page creative response to the following prompt. Follow all of the specifications listed earlier. Your response will be graded on the following: requirements, clear and creative perspective, & grammar/mechanics ----------------------------------------------------- Choose your portfolio from any of the prompts on the following two slides.

Homework 9. Room Sweet Room: We are territorial animals, instinctively seeking a place we can call our own. The rooms we live in and how we decorate them are as revealing as our clothing. Examine your own room and all the things that make it uniquely yours. Describe the room, not just by listing the things in it, but by conveying the feelings you have for the room and the items in it. 10. Personal Metaphors: Make a list of metaphorical comparisons. Think, “If I were an animal, what kind of animal would I be? ” For each item, write the general and then your specific comparison. Be realistic, be somewhat honest, and be able to explain your choices. Don’t say you are a rose, if you’re really a daisy. 1. Animal 11. Musical Instrument 2. Car 12. Geometric Shape 3. Article of Clothing 13. Piece of Furniture 4. Day of the Week 14. Song 5. Food 15. Season of the Year 6. Color 16. TV Character 7. Movie 17. Cartoon Character 8. Fragrance 18. Appliance 9. Type of Building 19. Natural Phenomena 10. Plant 20. Word LABEL 11. Extended Metaphors: Go back to your list of personal metaphors. Choose that you can extend by explaining the comparison in detail. Write a paragraph for each personal metaphor by giving four or five specific points of comparison. If you are like an alley cat, discuss four characteristics of an alley cat and explain the ways in which you have the same characteristics. FIVE

Homework 18. A Mysterious Place: Describe in a FULL page some place that seemed mysterious, exotic, or fearful to you. Concentrate on creating the same impression on your reader by a careful selection of sensory details which recreate the setting. Help us recognize what was special about this place. Or make up a fantasy place that has these qualities…just describe it well enough for us to believe in it too. 20. A Day in the Life: Write about a part of your life as if it were a passage from a novel. Refer to yourself in the THIRD PERSON — not “I woke up” but rather “she woke up. ” Exaggerate, elaborate, and prevaricate if you wish — there’s truth to be found in fiction, too. 21. These Words Belong to Me: Make a list of words which have special power and magic. Think of common words with uncommon meanings, or even strange new words which allow you to think a new kind of thought. For example, do you know what “serendipity” means? Find out why it’s so wonderful. What’s ironic about a “scar”? List and define at least TEN words. For each word, explain why this particular word belongs to you. Or perhaps give me a hint hidden in a question?

5 -Minute Write-Down The vowel combination “ay” almost always sounds like the hard “A” in “play. ” List as many words as you can that contain “ay. ” Ay

DUE CHECKLIST ✓Description “Word Bank” (WN) ✓Describe it, See it (WN) ✓Learning from the professionals (WN) ✓Juxtaposition & Oxymoron Poem (WA) ✓ 5 -Minute Write-Down (WN) Wn = Writer’s Notebook; WA = Writing Assignment

Week Nine: Understateme nt

****DESCRIPTION BANK**** WORD CAUSTIC Definition: (adj. ) very harsh and critical; marked by incisive sarcasm Synonyms: acrid, biting, sarcastic, pungent, scalding, sharp, snarky Antonyms: amusing, merry, playful, gentle, good-humored, sociable Directions: Write a quick descriptive sketch using your new “word bank” word. This sketch should be no fewer than five sentences. Create a scenario to add more depth and creativity. Descriptive Requirements: Imagery (5 senses), free describe (you choose what you describe)

------SEE IT, DESCRIBE IT------ Directions: Describe the image using vivid language. Vivid means “full of life. ” Your language should paint the image for a reader who has never seen this image. Be specific! Use imagery!

Learning from the Professionals Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games: “Behind him, Cato slashes his way through the brush. He’s sparkling wet, too, and badly stung under on eye. I catch the gleam of sunlight on his sword and do as Peeta says. Holding tightly to my bow and arrows, banging into trees that appear out of nowhere, tripping and falling as I try to keep my balance. Back past my pool and into unfamiliar woods. The world begins to bend in alarming ways. A butterfly balloons to the size of a house then shatters into a million stars. Trees transform to blood and splash down over my boots. Ants begin to crawl out of the blisters on my hands and I can’t shake them free. Someone’s screaming, a loud high-pitched scream that never breaks for breath. I have a vague idea it might be me. I trip and fall into a small pit line with tiny orange bubbles that hum like the tracker jacker nest. Tucking my knees up to my chin, I wait for death. ” ___________________________________________________________________ 1. 2. 3. Read the excerpt above. Write a general reaction statement to the descriptive nature of Collins’s writing. Choose one sentence that paints the best mental picture. Explain your selection. Examine Collins’s use of detail. How do her details create a sense of horror for the reader?

Understatemen t It’s just a flesh wound! Definition, Examples, Practice, & Writing Assignment

Understatement • Understatement is a form of irony in which something is intentionally represented as less than it is. – It is often used to create humor. • An understatement is the opposite of a hyperbole. • The speaker or writer makes something sound less important than it really is, wishing to make something that is very important into something normal or

Understatement Identify the example of understatement: During a British Airways flight on 24 June 1982, volcanic ash causes all four engines of the aircraft to fail. Although pressed for time as the aircraft rapidly lost altitude, Captain Eric Moody still managed to make an announcement to the passengers. He said, “ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We have a small problem.

Understatement Identify the example of understatement: During a British Airways flight on 24 June 1982, volcanic ash causes all four engines of the aircraft to fail. Although pressed for time as the aircraft rapidly lost altitude, Captain Eric Moody still managed to make an announcement to the passengers. He said, “ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We have a small

Understatement Identify the example of understatement: In the novel, Catcher in the rye, one character says, “I have to have this operation. It isn’t very serious. I have this tiny little tumor on the brain. ”

Understatement Identify the example of understatement: In the novel, Catcher in the rye, one character says, “I have to have this operation. It isn’t very serious. I have this tiny little tumor on the brain. ”

Understatement Youtube: • Monty Python “Black Knight”: http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=dh. RUe-gz 690 • Geico Randy Johnson Snowball fight: http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=p. VOlw 6 PIj. BE Explain how each video uses understatement.

Understatement Writing Assignment The History Teacher Billy Collins Trying to protect his students' innocence he told them the Ice Age was really just the Chilly Age, a period of a million years when everyone had to wear sweaters. And the Stone Age became the Gravel Age, named after the long driveways of the time. The Spanish Inquisition was nothing more than an outbreak of questions such as "How far is it from here to Madrid? " "What do you call the matador's hat? " The War of the Roses took place in a garden, and the Enola Gay dropped one tiny atom on Japan. The children would leave his classroom for the playground to torment the weak and the smart, mussing up their hair and breaking their glasses, while he gathered up his notes and walked home past flower beds and white picket fences, wondering if they would believe that soldiers Identify the use of understatement in the poem.

Understatement Writing Assignment The History Teacher Billy Collins Trying to protect his students' innocence he told them the Ice Age was really just the Chilly Age, a period of a million years when everyone had to wear sweaters. And the Stone Age became the Gravel Age, named after the long driveways of the time. The Spanish Inquisition was nothing more than an outbreak of questions such as "How far is it from here to Madrid? " "What do you call the matador's hat? " The War of the Roses took place in a garden, and the Enola Gay dropped one tiny atom on Japan. The children would leave his classroom for the playground to torment the weak and the smart, mussing up their hair and breaking their glasses, while he gathered up his notes and walked home past flower beds and white picket fences, wondering if they would believe that soldiers Identify the use of understatement in the poem.

Understatement Writing Assignment Write a 20 -line poem using at least 2 examples of understatement. • Underline each example of understatement that you include. • Give it a humorous title. • Remember to use imagery to enhance your poem. • Suggestion: Use dialogue. It will help you use understatement.

Homework Write a one-page creative response to the following prompt. Follow all of the specifications listed earlier. Your response will be graded on the following: requirements, clear and creative perspective, & grammar/mechanics ---------------------------------------------- Choose your portfolio from any of the prompts on the following two slides.

Homework 27. Cheer Yourself Up!: Got the blues? Down in the dumps? Make a list of crazy things you could do to distract yourself from your troubles. Some possibilities — Play Frisbee with your old, worn-out records, smile all the way through class and make your teacher wonder what’s going on, or cover your front teeth with foil to look like braces. Think of your own ideas, both sane and crazy. You might want to draw cartoons to go with some of your ideas. 27. Metamorphosis: Make a list of objects, places, ideas that could stand for younger self, symbols for the way you used to be. Then make a contrasting list that could stand for your current self, symbols that represent the way you are now. Sort of an “I used to be…but now I am…” kind of chart. Use these contrasting LISTS to write a FREE VERSE POEM on your transformation. 29. Picture This: Find a visual IMAGE that you can actually include in your portfolio — a photo of friends, a copy of a well -known painting, magazine clipping, etc. Paste it on the page with IDENTIFICATION (title and artist, bibliography, etc. ) Then write a RESPONSE, clearing stating your opinion of the work and supported by details from the work.

Homework 30. Look Who I Look Up To: Think of three people of established reputation whom you admire. You may need to do some formal research on these people, so don't choose your Aunt Helen unless she's in the encyclopedia. You must be specific. If you admire Martin Luther King, Jr. , saying he fought for civil rights isn't enough. Exactly what did he do? Devote one solid paragraph to each person. 30. Remembering the Child: Imagine yourself a sweet little toddler. How did others see you when you were very little? Interview someone who knew you as a small child -- one of your parents or grandparents, an older sibling, or an aunt or uncle, for example. Write about their favorite memory of you. Some possibilities are when you learned how to walk or ride a bike, a memorable sports game or musical event, a visit to grandparents, a special birthday, a fulfilling and relaxing evening at home, or anything else that stands out. 32. One Medium Suitcase: Imagine that you are leaving home forever, and you can only take what will fit in one medium-sized suitcase with you. Specifically, what will you take with you and why? Explain.

Autobiography Portfolio Rubric Creative Writing (Hughes) Student’s Name: __________________ Title of Portfolio: _______________ Period: _________ Score: ____ / 100 10 Portfolio Pieces Complete Creativity / Complexity (15) One Page Minimum (20) Grammar / Spelling (10) Original Title Table of Contents Dedication & Explanation Final Form Neatness / Creativity Comments: ______ / 45 ______ / 10 ______ / 15 ______ / 10

5 -Minute Write-Down Try to sort out the five scrambled words below: LAOE Fup. FY Go. GLOEG

DUE CHECKLIST ✓Description “Word Bank” (WN) ✓Describe it, See it (WN) ✓Learning from the professionals (WN) ✓Understatement Poem (WA) ✓ 5 -Minute Write-Down (WN) Wn = Writer’s Notebook; WA = Writing Assignment

Week Ten: Final Exam

****DESCRIPTION BANK**** WORD MISANTHROPIC Definition: (adj. ) marked by a hatred or contempt for humankind Synonyms: cynical, pessimistic Antonyms: trustful, unsuspicious, optimistic, ingenuous Directions: Write a quick descriptive sketch using your new “word bank” word. This sketch should be no fewer than five sentences. Create a scenario to add more depth and creativity. Descriptive Requirements: Imagery (5 senses), free describe (you choose what you describe)

------SEE IT, DESCRIBE IT------ Directions: Describe the image using vivid language. Vivid means “full of life. ” Your language should paint the image for a reader who has never seen this image. Be specific! Use imagery!

Learning from the Professionals S. E. Hinton’s The Outsiders: “They looked like they were all cut from the same cloth: clean-shaven with semi. Beatle haircuts, wearing striped or checkered shirts with light-red or tan-colored jackets or mudras ski jackets. They could just as easily have been going to the movies as to a rumble. That’s why people don’t ever think to blame the Socs and are always ready to jump on us. We look hoody and they look decent. It could be just the other way around – half of the hoods I know are pretty decent guys underneath all that grease, and from what I’ve heard, a lot of Socs are just cold-blooded mean – but people usually go by looks. ” ___________________________________________________________ 1. 2. 3. Read the excerpt above. Write a general reaction statement to the descriptive nature of Hinton’s writing. Choose one sentence that paints the best mental picture. Explain your selection. Consider the perspective. What details make the perspective believable?

Final Exam Take the rest of the class to complete your portfolio. It needs to be submitted by the end of class today. Ask questions now!

5 -Minute Write-Down How many words can you think of that have the same prefix, suffix, OR root as the multisyllabic word below? (The possibilities are endless!) PREEXISTE

DUE CHECKLIST ✓Description “Word Bank” (WN) ✓Describe it, See it (WN) ✓Learning from the professionals (WN) ✓Autobiography Portfolio (WA) ✓ 5 -Minute Write-Down (WN) Wn = Writer’s Notebook; WA = Writing Assignment