Reading Details 4/22

Portfolio Work: 4/ 20- 2hrs . - edited remix and did most of revision
Requiem by Lauren Oliver- 4/21- 1 hr. 5%

Total: 3 hrs- edited remix, revision, and 70-75% (kindle)

Reading Times 4/14

Requiem by Lauren Oliver: 4/9- 1hr. 4/13- 2hrs. 4/14- 1 hr. 15min.

Total: 4hrs 15min. 30%- 70% (40%- kindle)

One Thing in the World

         Since I was 2. 2 years old. I have always wanted to be a veterinary surgeon. Everything I've ever done has been put myself in position to achieve this dream. Vet school. It's more selective than medical school. There are only about 25 in the country. But I believe that I have the drive. People are always asking me, "How are your grades so good? What's your secret? Do your parents put a lot of pressure on you?" Even: "Do you have to cheat?" In all honestly, that one stung. Who do you think I am? No. This is all me. I try: my grades are good. No, I don't have a secret- I study like any other person. Yes, my parents expect a lot, but I disappoint myself more quickly than I do them. And no. I absolutely do not cheat. My honor means too much to me. How dare you challenge that? And it all means so much to me- gets under my skin so deeply- because I have a dream that entails one of the most difficult roads of any profession. But that's okay. I don't care. It's mine to choose.

           With similar desperation, Tambu in Nervous Conditions wanted to be educated to lift her family out of poverty. Her situation was a bit more dire than mine- I could do something else if I had to. She didn't have any options. Just like Ralph from Lord of the Flies. Ralph had to get off the island, preferably with the majority of the group alive. One death? Eh. Sacrifices had to made. In theory, nothing should get as desperate for me as it was for these two characters. Work ethic, determination, and common sense should ease my road.

Basketball

I ache but I keep going.
There is nothing
that means more. This is
for redemption.
We lost last year.
Twice.
And the year before that.
I can't hear, I'm deaf
to everything beyond the sidelines.
Only the pounding of feet and
banging on the rim and
buzzer.
I ache.
I ache for this.
I ache to win.
I ache. I need to make
the next shot.
the next play is more
important. The last is not.
Win. What is it worth?
What is the prize for the fight?
Well, what's worth the prize
is always
worth
the
fight.


In this poem I used enjambment to emphasize words or phrases, anaphora to highlight a phrase, and consonance to repeat the "w" sound of "win."

Reading Response 4/7

          Well, its been a while since we've done one of these. Anyhow, this past week I finish Clockwork Princess, by Cassandra Clare. It is the third and final installment of the Infernal Devices trilogy. Main character Tessa Gray (part shadowhunter, part demon, shapeshifter extraordinaire) is stuck in the action packed issue of being the much sought after weapon that could bring down the entire race of Shadowhunters, while her best friends and the two boys she loves are just that: Shadowhunters.
           Clockwork Princess includes a great deal of foreshadowing, though some of it is misleading. The plot twists and turns, keeping the reader guessing. As Tessa does her best to save the world, you as the reader are left trying to decipher even details that may be considered minor in the grand scheme of things. This all creates a tale that is hard to put down, and I found myself leaving it only when forced to by sleep deprivation or homework. Cassandra Clare is an excellent author. I can only hope this is not the last of her works.
             As a reader, I would highly recommend this book and series. It's probably not the best guys read, but there are elements of it that anyone would enjoy. I didn't want the story to end, no matter how perfectly it turned out. I was disappointed that my constant reading allowed for only a few days of enjoyment, but for slower readers, that shouldn't be a problem. It may not feel like it, but the book is very long. If a three inch spine width is daunting, try this one first. You may be surprised.

So for the times:

Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare: 3/31- 45 min. 4/1- 30 min. 4/2- 30min. (70%-100%)
Requiem by Lauren Oliver: 4/3- 1 hr. (0%-20%)

Total: 2hrs. 45min. 30% and 20% (kindle)

Bless the Broken Road: Rascal Flatts

Lyrics

             One of the poetic devices used by the band, Rascal Flatts in their hit, Bless the Broken Road, is symbolism. For example, the "broken road" and its "sign(s)" are not literally just that. They stand as an extended metaphor for the speaker's journey through his life, to finally find the love that brings him "home". The diction also lends special emphasis to the symbolism, as this road is repeatedly described as "narrow" and "broken." These words form a stunning imagery of the speaker wandering and lost, searching for something, when he doesn't even seem to know exactly what that something is.

             Alliteration and consonance add to the songs balladic nature. The repeated "l"'s of "long lost,""led,""like," and "loving"are just one example. "Blessed," "broken," "broke," "brow," and "but" are another set. These two sound patterns in particular give the song a softer, rejoicing sound. You can hear the speakers gratefulness in the lyrics and the sounds themselves. Overall, "Bless the Broken Road" is an extremely powerful and effective poem and song.

Reading Details

Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare: 3/20- 30 min. 3/21- 10min. 3/22- 15min. 3/23- 2hrs. 3/24- 3 hrs. 0-70%

Total: 70%, 5hrs 55min.