Walt Whitman (Sean’s Example)

Essay 2-Poetry Explication

April 12, 2020

Prof. Scanlan, ENG 1121

 

Music and Meaning in “We Real Cool”

 

Gwendoyn Brooks’s “We Real Cool” is a short, formal verse poem that has 5 stanzas. It is about 7 pool players at a place called the Golden Shovel. But it is also about the toughness of these guys, an interpretation reinforced by the short, choppy lines, the cool, jazz-like rhythm and rhymes. I will explicate two lines in the middle of the poem: “Lurk late. We/Strike straight. We.” These two short lines are fascinating because they point out both rhymes and meanings that are important to the group of pool players. While many lines are important to the poem, I highlight and explicate these two because they have something to do with a type of attitude and sense of violence that has a lot to do with the prospect of death—the last line. In order to track down these meanings, I will dive into alliteration, rhyme, repetition, and some of the connotations of key words. I’m not sure if the music drives this poem or the poem seems a type of music, but diving deep into this one was rewarding…so much packing into a short space. I was surprised by my own conclusion.

The alliteration of the repeated “L” of “Lurk late” gives off the sound of music, like singing. And the next line repeats the “S” sound in “Strike Straight.” So much repeated sounds suggest a cool humming and the “S” sound reminds me a snake. But the repeated “We” at the end of both lines is sort of nice and gives a higher sound, like a bird. So, the sounds are cool and low but the “E” in we (assonance), breaks up the song they seem to be singing.

Many denotations and connotations and are inside these two lines. The idea of lurk means to be hidden or to wait in ambush. That gives the connotation of sinister feelings or possible danger and darkness. These connotations are reinforced by “late.” This word means both late in the day—possibly night—and it means to arrive tardy, not on time. These ideas remind me that they are not in school, so they wait for something to happen late at night, possibly an activity not very nice. Next the pair of words “Strike straight” require some unfolding. The word strike has many many meanings, but some central ones are to hit, to think of a new idea (both as verbs), and to refuse to work (as a noun). The three meanings suggest the ideas that these guys are not working, not in school, waiting to hit something—or even to be hit. Also, because they are at a pool hall, the balls are being struck, so that is hitting.

Lastly, they idea of “We” is important and needs unfolding. The meaning of we is together. So, this group is together, they have a family of sorts and that helps them to lurk and strike as a team. This term to me is mostly positive, while the words lurk and strike are mainly negative. Does the positive we balance out the negative hitting or ambushing? Maybe the answer is suggested by the last line: “Die Soon.” And I can’t forget that in many cases in this poem, the “We” is cut off from the next line, meaning that the enjambment creates tension and suggests they are more separate than together, more alone. Though I love this poem, I am left with the conflicting meanings that to lurk late and strike straight is sad and dangerous and will cut them off from others.

 

(613 words)

 

 

Hi Class,

Thank you to all the students who have attended this week’s classes! It was great to hear your voices.

Four things:

1–Here are the notes I typed up while working on the  “We Real Cool” explication:

UPDATED-WITHCLASS-NOTES-we real cool

2–Here are the notes I typed up while working on the “Dulce et Decorum Est” explication:

UPDATED Dulce-et-Decorum-Est-Explication-Example-1121 (5)

3–Later today, I will post the Zoom recording of today’s class and put it in the Video’s menu tab.

4–400 word draft of the explication is due by Monday, April 13.  Post your draft to the Category: Explication Drafts.

 

Have a great mini-break. See you April 13  at 9 am for our next class.

Sean

Hi Class,

Thanks for joining Monday’s class! It was great to hear so many voices… 16!

Here’s Tuesday’s Zoom info:

Sean Scanlan is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Sean Scanlan’s Zoom Meeting
Time: Apr 7, 2020 09:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/962272216?pwd=cFpsQjFyS3hmZmxtZTI1R0lON0JUZz09

Meeting ID: 962 272 216
Password: 040048

 

Best wishes,

Sean

Hi Class,

 

Agenda:

1–Zoom Details

2–Weekly Folder

 

1–First, here is the info for Monday’s Zoom Class:

Sean Scanlan is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Sean Scanlan’s Zoom Meeting
Time: Apr 6, 2020 09:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/805390526?pwd=ZW9ka3NrS1RMVjJVdUtUb2VwbkR0Zz09

Meeting ID: 805 390 526
Password: 045596

 

2–We have a short week, so I am asking you to write up the first draft of the poetry explication:

Due Monday, April 13: 400 word draft of poetry explication. This must be POSTED to the Explication Drafts menu tab on our website. This draft should include a brief introduction that includes the poem’s title, author, and the two lines you are explicating. Also, you should include a thesis that attends to the poetry terms you will use and a method. The more you include in this draft, the easier it will be to revise and finish it.

Best,

Sean

 

 

Hi Class,

I hope that you have been able to recharge and rest during the past few days. I know the schedule for the next week is new, so please remember that we are “on” from 4/2 – 4/7, then we are off from 4/8 – 4/10. Excluding the weekend days, of course.

 

Summary:

1—Reminder to attend Thursday’s class from 9 – 10:30 am (April 2) on Zoom

2—Updates to the Course Policy including grades

3—If you have not done so, please turn in all the work from last week—See the post below this for details (Journal 5, Explication Homework: denotation/connotation, Virtual Coffeehouse)

 

1–Please attend as much of Thursdays class as you can. It will really help us to get back on track…or rather to get into a new track. I plan to go over new course policy details such as grades and attendance. I will also go over details about the Poetry Explication Essay—including new due dates. Please bring your questions!

ZOOM INFO:

Time: Apr 2, 2020 09:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

https://zoom.us/j/362646096?pwd=emQ5SUlzcXU2WCtxUGk2eXZCUE9DQT09

Meeting ID: 362 646 096

Password: 090420

 

 

2–I’m revising the course policy to include our new distance learning model. Though it is not finalized, below are some changes:

Attendance/Class time: I want to change my ideas from a week ago and make a set class time, but a class time with some flexibility. On Mondays and Wednesdays, I will hold a formal class. Each student is expected to attend one class per week for the entire period: 9 – 9:45 am. Extra credit will be awarded for attending both classes. Attending one of these sessions is vital to getting the information needed to succeed in my class.

Office Hours: The best way to handle writing questions is through email because that way I can see your writing and comment on documents directly.

Grades: The grade distribution is slightly changed—see the New Course Policy. I’ve decreased the Journal/Quiz grade from 20% to 15%. And I’ve increased the Participation/Homework/Coffeehouse Post to 15% (from 10%). The main change here is that I want to count the Coffeehouse more and the journals less. To be more clear, the journals and quizzes are set in number and so that grade is simple to track. The Participation/Homework/Coffeehouse Post is more complex. Up to the mid-semester mark, I counted in class questions and participation for each class period (and email questions and office hour visits) which added up to a possible 40 points. Most students did very well in this category, even if they did not participate in many classes. After March 23^rd, I will count Coffeehouse Posts more heavily—I will request that 6 Posts and 6 comments be written for these weeks:

March 23-27

April 13 – 17

April 20 -24

April 27 – May 1

May 4 – 8

May 11 – 15

If students complete 6 posts and 6 comments, they will receive an “A” in that grade category. The quality of the posts will determine whether a student gets a high A or a low A. I am still working on mid-semester grades. I hope to send them to you on Friday, April 3.

Late Papers and homework: This is fully changed now: Beginning March 23, I will provide a “soft” turn in date. This means that I want each student to turn in the work by my due dates. But, if a student cannot meet these due dates, then they need to contact me so that we can work out an arrangement that will not become a penalty.  My goal is to help all students finish the semester on a positive note. So, I will accept late work. City Tech official policy on this is due to change in the coming weeks. I will relay the new rules.

The English Department is running a new Writing Center. It is open for distance learning help concerning writing and literature. Students needing writing help should email CityTechWritingCenter@gmail.com, and they will receive a fast response.

 

 

3—If you have questions about what is due, please see my post from March 23.

 

Be Well,

Sean

Hi Class,

[BREAKING NEWS! I PUT UP MY FIRST VIDEO. GO TO VIDEOS MENU TAB…more are on the way. Have a great weekend even though it might be difficult]

 

First, thank you very much for emailing me and checking in. We are fine in my house–thanks so much for asking. I hope that all of you and your families are doing well.

1–RECALIBRATION PERIOD: This has been confusing for me and for most of City Tech. Here is what I believe is happening:

Recalibration begins today and last through Wed next week. Classes resume on Thursday. It’s a very short break. We start again on Thursday, April 2, and then we we go through the following Tuesday, April 7. Then we stop again April 8. We resume again the 13th.

Off:  Fri 3/27, Mo 3/30, Tu 3/31, W 4/1

On:  Th 4/2,  Fri 4/3, Mo 4/6, Tu 4/7 (Wed schedule)

Off: W 4/8, Thu 4/9,  Fri 4/10

On: M 4/13 and after

This means that I will grant all homework as being on time if you turn in today’s homework (Journal 5; explication homework–denotation/connotation; Virtual Coffeehouse Post) by next Thursday, April 2.

Also, I will update the assignment sheet or the Explication Essay.

The Explication Essay IS NOT DUE THIS WEEK. INSTEAD, IT WILL BE DUE IN (ABOUT) TWO WEEKS.

I also need to update the weekly schedule, and I’m still working out how to handle next week’s Weekly Folder.

 

2–ZOOM MEETING. I really really really want to see and hear everybody, so I’m thinking about changing around the office to more of a set classtime. From what I’ve heard from you all and from other teachers is that it is really beneficial to be able to see and hear each other LIVE AND IN PERSON! So, my goal is to organize a real classtime next Thursday morning where we all  drop in. It will not be graded or mandatory. My initial thoughts are to hold a CLASSTIME FOR THURSDAY, 4/2, FROM 9 – 10:30. I will go over homework, explication, and general questions and anwers.

 

3–EMAIL. Thank you for the many emails you have been sending. Please keep them coming. BUT I DO NEED TO EMPHASIZE EMAIL RULES: please treat emails as formal pieces of writing. I have been completely swamped with emails from all sides, and it helps to know what each email is about. My rules: each email that you send to me must have a clear subject; a greeting; a body paragraph (this can be short); and a signature.

My Example:

Subject Line: Sean’s explication homework, March 27

Greeting: Dear Prof. Scanlan,

Body: I’ve attached this week’s denotation/connotation homework to this email. It is a Google Doc. Let me know if it doesn’t come through.

Signature: Best wishes, Clara

 

4–I hope to have at least one short video posted by 5pm tonight.

 

Cheers,

Sean

Hi Class,

First, thanks to those who dropped into Zoom office hours today. I think it was fun and informative. Please note that these Zoom meetings are not mandatory; they are not graded–but I will award extra credit points to those who spend some time hanging out. I’ve now decided to think of my new office hours like this:

*Email: anytime

*Text/phone call: Mondays – Wednesdays 10am – 5pm

*Zoom in person, drop in meetings: Mondays 9 – 9:30 am; Tuesdays 10 – 10:30 am; Wednesdays 11 – 11:30am.

 

Second, I’ve updated our OpenLab site in terms of our Virtual Coffeehouse. The main change is that all of those posts –as long as you select the  CATEGORY: VIRTUAL COFFEEHOUSE — will now go to the menu tab labeled Virtual Coffeehouse instead of the homepage. So, please make sure to select the right category when posting. Also, if for some reason you can’t post in this way, please email me, and I will set up alternate plans so that you can still get those  points.

 

Third, if you have NOT activated your library card, please email me, and I will help you get activated so that you can do research from home using our City Tech Library.

 

That’s all for now-I will work on brief instructional videos over the next several days.

Please stay safe, healthy, and calm,

Sean

Hi Class,

First, thanks to the three students who have written wonderful and honest Virtual Coffeehouse posts. Great job.

Second, I’m holding office hours today (actually a half hour) from 11 – 11:30. Feel free to drop in–even for a few minutes. No pressure if that time doesn’t work for you. Here is the link:

https://zoom.us/j/238075157

Third, later today, I will put up a new announcement regarding the email from CUNY central and some helpful links.

 

Best wishes,

Sean

WEEKLY FOLDER FOR MARCH 23 – 27

Hi Class,

 

OVERVIEW:

1-Introduction

2-Journal #5 (homework due Friday)

3-Poetry Explication (homework due Friday)

4-Virtual Coffeehouse (homework due Friday)

5-Zoom; office hours

6-On the horizon

 

 

1–INTRODUCTION:

 

I truly hope that you are all well and hanging in there. I’m sorry that I didn’t finish this earlier—I was feeling a little overwhelmed and kept second-guessing myself as to what sort of ideas I should try. I hope the length of this message does not seem overwhelming. If it does, then try to read it in sections. Honestly, I find that everything I do is taking longer than normal.

We are in the midst of a global crisis. We can’t pretend that this is not affecting us all–faculty and students–deeply. Social distancing will be very hard for many us. Social isolation amps up anxiety, depression, and loneliness. And, all that is unknown and uncertain can bring fear. We can also anticipate that all of our circumstances are changing. With schools closing, kids home, and more people working remotely, chances are our home situations will be chaotic. And for those who will still “go in” to work, we can expect there’s anxiety there, as well.

Rather than pretend nothing is different, then, I redesigned the second half of the semester to let us better, more honestly, and more directly share our concerns. Our goal, then, is as much about creating the conditions of support and engagement with each other, as it is about “getting through” the semester.

Yes, this class is still about writing. It’s about writing as a powerful means of personal and collective expression. It’s about the role language plays in naming, defining, and understanding experience. And, it’s about how writing can help us find some sense of control and purpose in the midst of chaos.

My goal is to post the new Weekly Folder in a new menu tab titled  “Weekly Folder” each Monday at noon.

Thank you for reading this and for helping each other (including me) figure things out.

[Sidenote: I hope that this week’s homework does not take more than 2-3 hours.]

 

 

2–JOURNAL 5:

This journal is now a little old, but I want to give you credit for doing it. Several of you have already turned this in—thank you!

Homework: Journal 5: 300 words in which you select three favorite poems from the ones we have read so far (either in our book or in the handouts); briefly state why these three are your favorite and be sure to use at least three of our poetry terms (underline them). My advice is to think about selecting a poem that you will use for your explication.

Due by Friday, March 27, at 5pm.  Please email it to me in whatever form is easiest for you: MS Word, Google Doc, Open Office, or in the body of the email.

 

 

3–POETRY EXPLICATION ESSAY:

Important note: I’ve posted the literature section of our book in the Readings menu tab, so all the poems are there—this is a pre-publication PDF, so it might have a few typos. I’ve also posted the two poems by Walt Whitman.

 

Timeline:

-This week: we will read, review, and work on denotation/connotation

-Next week (March 30 – April 3): we will draft the essay

-Next next week (March 6 – 10) Final draft due by 5pm on Friday, April 10

Overview:

We have done a lot of work learning new tools for working on poems, and we have read a broad range of poems, too. The explication essay itself is not very long, but it needs to be detailed, and so I want to review some of the things that we have learned so far. This week, I will ask you to reread some poems and to write about them in informal ways—which I will explain below.

Step 1: How to Read and Analyze Poetry: Please review this handout, which is in the Readings menu tab.

Step 2: Terms: Please review the poetry terms that we have learned so far and note the three new ones:

1. 1. Stanza
   2. Metaphor
   3. Tenor (related to metaphor)
   4. Vehicle (related to metaphor)
   5. Simile
   6. Personification
   7. Symbol
   8. Enjambment
   9. Irony
   10. Paradox
   11. Alliteration
   12. Assonance
   13. Consonance
   14. Explication
   15. Allusion
   16. Denotation
   17. Connotation
   18. Free Verse = a poem that does not rhyme or have a metrical pattern (example: Walt Whitman’s “Manahatta” is free verse
   19. Formal Verse = a poem that contains rhymes and/or a repeated metrical pattern or rhythm (example: Robert Frost’s two poems: “Fire and Ice” and “The Road Not Taken”)
   20. Blank Verse = a poem that has a repeated rhythm/meter but no rhyme (example: Amy Lowell’s “The Taxi”)

Step 3: Explication Examples:

Reread the Poetry Explication Details (in Assignments menu tab if you can’t find it). Then read the two explication examples — in the Readings menu tab. One is a brief explication of “Dulce et Decorum Est” and the other one is an actual student example from my class last year. Please read these documents carefully. My goal is to make a short video that explains what is happening in them, and why they are successful examples.

Step 4: Homework for Explication:

Reread/skim our poems and decide which poem you want to use for your explication (you may have already done this two weeks ago!). Then decide which two lines you want to explicate. Give some thought to which two lines you select—they should be suitably complex enough to make for an interesting explication, and you should select lines that are important to understanding the poem as a whole. Make sure to select two lines that are next to each other. Lastly, look up the denotation and connotation for four of the most important words in these two lines. Type the title of the poem, the poet, the date of publication, the two lines and the denotations and connotations (This is not the whole essay, merely a listing of the denotations and connotations for four words). Email this document to me by 5pm on Friday, March 27.

 

 

4–VIRTUAL COFFEEHOUSE:

Sidenote: In the future, I will put the Weekly Folder in the new menu tab titled Weekly Folder.

The Virtual Coffeehouse is a new idea that I’ve learned about from several colleagues. The idea is to have a meeting place for us to share our thoughts, reflections, and ideas.  Each week I will offer a prompt, yet I also want to allow students to provide a prompt. I will count your Coffeehouse writing as Participation and Homework points. Please review your writing in this space (it is technically a blog post) and try to avoid spelling/grammar errors. That said, I will not grade writing mistakes as this is a safe space to share, vent, complain, and practice writing. More specifics:

 

Here’s How It Will Work:

Every Sunday (except this week), I’ll post a question to start the conversation.

Then, between Monday and Friday: you all pop into the Virtual Coffeehouse and write a few paragraphs responding to the question–please sign your name (200 words or so). When you arrive, take some time to read what others have said, so you can truly join the conversation. As you write your post, feel free to reference your colleagues if you’d like. And, of course, If my question doesn’t speak to you, you can simply change the subject. That’s how conversations go, right? So, people who arrive in the coffeehouse later, can participate by pursuing the new thoughts that are emerging or the old thoughts inspired by the starting question.

 Get it?

At the end of the week, you might find it interesting to revisit that week’s coffeehouse exchange to see where the conversation went after you left. You are welcome to write replies to people, too. I think that makes the conversation more real and it keeps us more connected in this time of weird distance learning and living.

Homework:

Please write one post by 5pm on Friday, March 27.

Select one or both of these prompts: What are some of the challenges you’re facing in “doing school” right now? What are some of the challenges you’re facing in “doing life” right now? One or two paragraphs—about 200 words.

How To:

Please review the directions for posting to our site: Posting work on a Site in a Course, Project, Club, or Portfolio

Important tip: you must be logging in to post.

 

 

5–OFFICE HOURS AND ZOOM:

I want to try out Zoom for office hours and for recording brief videos. I know that not everybody has the same schedule and that our daily routines have changed dramatically. Students might not be able to “meet” on Zoom at my usual office hours or during our old class time. My idea is to hold office hours at different times. Here is what I want to try out this week:

 

–Tuesdays: 10 – 10:30 am. I will send a Zoom meeting link to join and I will be there to listen and talk about the class.

–Wednesdays: 11 – 11:30 am. Same as Tuesday—only at a later time.

–Depending on how this week goes, I will adjust as needed.

 

 

6–ON THE HORIZON

 

1. I want to begin making short videos this week on explication and on writing better sentences.
2. I plan to send each student a grade report that details where they are up to this point. In that email, I will also send a scan of their Journal 4 and the extra credit quiz.
3. I will put up helpful links under the Helpful Links menu tab related to distance learning.

 

Thanks for reading!

Don’t hesitate to contact me by text, phone, or email.

-Sean

Hi Class,

I thought that I would be done with the Weekly Folder by Sunday night. That didn’t happen. Then I thought I would have it finished by 9am today: nope. Then, I moved that to 11: Uggh, missed that deadline too.

I will really try to have the week mapped out by 3. Sorry about the delay.

Best wishes,

Sean