Hamlet and Our other texts

     We have read many texts this semester and explored many themes.  As this is the last blog for the semester, it is time to reflect.  Look at all that we have read this year and make a connection between Hamlet and one other text from this semester.  How are they the same and how are they different?

     In doing this comparison, think about the themes, big ideas, characters, struggles, language.  In your post, explain what you want to say about Hamlet in one paragraph, explain the second text in another paragraph, and then explain the connection in the third paragraph.  Use quotes from both to back up your argument.

Hamlet and Beyond

Hamlet is quoted so often in our pop culture.  Just today when I was watching Westworld there were two references: "What dreams may come" and "Brevity is the soul of wit."   I have even written a poem where I merged one of the soliloquies and my own language to try and speak on many levels.  Hamlet transcends time and that is the beauty of any work: the ability to speak for a moment and to speak beyond a single moment.

For this week's blog, I would like for you to pull one of the quotes from the play that resonates with you.  Explain what it means in the context of the play, and then explain how it can transcend the play. Once you have done the other two, apply it to your musical.

Why Poetry?

     We are drawn to certain genres more than others.  Sometimes, it depends on our moods and other times, it is because we are hungry and need to feed our souls.  I read every night.  Some nights, it may be news articles, essays, crazy tweets, FB posts, or movie reviews.  Some nights, it may be short fiction, or a novel.  But when I am feeling like chaos has exploded into my world and I need to find my rhythm, I read poetry.  Poetry speaks to me in a way that is hard to describe.  Perhaps, it is because we speak the same language.  
     This week, I want you to watch this TED Talk: Poetry: Why it is important.   As you listen think about why he thinks poetry is important.  Pull two items that resonate with you and explain why.  Then I want you to post a poem of significance and explain why you have chosen this poem.  Why is it significant to you?  Why do you like it, love it, need it, return to it?  Tell us why.  

These times they are changing...

Last week something very interesting happened.  Bob Dylan has been awarded with the Nobel Prize in Literature.  Over the weekend there were many whose opinions were heard loudly in either concurrence or disagreement. It is a first that a music artist has won this award.  As a result, I want us to discuss this.  We have been reading songs in my classroom as poetry for several years now and analyzing them.  This year, we are looking at Musical Theater.  Is it such a stretch that song lyrics be considered poetry?  

Read this article from the New York Times, "Bob Dylan Wins Nobel Prize, Redefining Boundaries of Literature."  Pull two things from the article that resonate with you and explain why.  Once you have read the article and pulled your two items, listen to one of his songs.  Tell us the title and what you think of the writing.  Then, look at one other post from this week by one of your peers and respond to their thoughts.  (When you do respond to your peer, please be respectful).

Just so you know, this year we have read two others who have won this same award: Toni Morrison and Samuel Beckett.

Dreams

Read this poem by Nikki Giovanni and figure out what you think it means.  What is she saying about dreams?  What is she saying about certain types of dreams?  

Once you have figured out the poem, connect this poem to Waiting for Godot.  What are they saying that is the same?  Explain your analysis using evidence from both texts.

Dreams by Nikki Giovanni

i used to dream militant 

dreams of taking 

over america to show
these white folks how it should be 

done

i used to dream radical dream
of blowing everyone away with my perceptive powers
of correct analysis

i even used to think i'd be the one
to stop the riot and negotiate the peace

then i awoke and dug

that if i dreamed natural
dreams of being a natural
woman doing what a woman
does when she is natural
i would have a revolution.

Waiting...

We have been reading the play, Waiting for Godot.  This week we are trying to figure it out. For this week's blog, read this article that makes the assertion that of the "100 best nonfiction books: Godot by Samuel Beckett would be 29th."  Pull two points made by the article and defend them using the text as your evidence.

Rise Up

I am always reading.  My favorite part of social media is the reading material.  I'm not a super social person, but reading and finding out about the world energizes me.  Martha Southgate in her essay titled "Rise Up" published in American Scholar explains the impact of Lin-Manuel Miranda and his creation Hamilton on her life.  I was drawn to her essay initially because it was about Hamilton, and it would be an understatement to say that I love Hamilton, but she also addresses Lin-Manuel Miranda and how he has affected her.  This was particularly interesting to me.  This is partly because I feel the same way about him.   We read books, watch plays, watch films, and the like but we never feel as though we know the creator.  We see them as the vehicle of production, but with Hamilton, Miranda has changed that.  His persona draws people to the art just as much as the genius of the art.  Because of this, the line between life and art becomes blurred.  We no longer see the musical in isolation.  We see him and the art.  This leads me to our prompt for this week.

Read her essay.  Look at what she says about how art affects us.  Once you have finished reading the piece, think of a piece of art that has affected you deeply.  Think about and explain what brought you to the art in the first place and what you have learned about yourself, the world, and the art as a result.  In your response, pull at least two points that Southgate makes that resonate with you and how the art you selected impacts you.