Being in Honors English- Claire Riley

If I hadn't done anything, I'd be in CP English. Not that I didn't like that class, it was fine. But how do I explain that I don't feel smart.
How do I explain that when I was there, after fighting a year as a freshman, as the leader of every presentation group, I was still held back?
How do I explain that after getting "outstanding!" written on my paper over and over, I was still held back?
How do I explain that after working harder than I've ever worked in that class only to be labeled as a "try hard," I was STILL held back?

Being in this honors class has meant the world. I know it doesn't seem like much. It's a high school course, and kids including me complain ALL THE TIME about work. But just the idea of getting to sit where others who genuinely care about their grade is awesome. Getting to feel like I'm actually improving in my work and getting a quality education is awesome. Writing has been the only academic I've never stopped enjoying, and I don't plan to stop anytime soon.

Being in this class means that I've earned it. It means that I'm seen as above average at something that I've worked hard on to improve. I feel on top of the world when I sit down in my seat and get asked by peers what I wrote. Why am I the example? Aren't you guys the geniuses? 

Being in this class I've read the most interesting books. What's better? I found people just as interested in reading as me. Mrs. Kopp's recommended books never failed to intrigue me, and I've had so much fun talking about them.

Being in this class makes me feel smart. I feel like I have something colleges can finally look at and say, "oh, so she likes to write huh?"

In my next two years, I hope to go into some AP English classes. English has always been a bigger part of my school life than the rest of my academics, and I'm happy to say I excel at something that I could get a job in later on.

I'm so happy the school board and the English department has let me into this class, even after I almost gave up hope. I'm so grateful that Mrs. Valleau put up with my crap about wanting to go higher, even without the recommendation or the grades. I'm so happy I was able to spend my time in this class this year, have so many valuable lessons, and enjoy my time feeling like the smartest kid in the world...or at least for 45 minutes. :)

Connections in Literature By Grace Becker

As we continue to read different novels throughout this class, I am constantly realizing how many of these books relate. For example, in Beowulf and in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, the two creatures in these novels both have different point of views. Grendel, the evil, monstrous demon in Beowulf, has a different point of view than that of what others see him as. In the novel Grendel, by John Gardner, the reader sees a different point of view from Grendel that shows a much softer side to him that changes how you interpret his character. This also relates to Frankenstein's monster. When the point of view changes to his, we learn how his up bringing caused him to become an evil monster and that he was not created this way. It is very interesting how these two novels relate and that the little details in them allow for readers to connect the stories to each other. These two monsters coincide because they both represent the real stories of the monsters that many do not understand. This can also lead to the idea that both monsters are looked at as more evil than they truly were set out to be.

Identity: Chapter 2 by Julia Young

Identity: Chapter 2
My body was merely a shell. A shell with my brain in it... or rather just my eyes, as I was yielded no control. I was conscious in sight, but not in mind. My brain said scream, but the muscles in my face just didn't listen. It was as if all my muscles were deaf to my helpless cries, and rather listened to another force that knew sign language. I continued to stare at the reflection in the mirror, as that was all I could do. I stared at my self, refusing to call me 'me' and resorting to using 'it' instead. All it's moves mechanical and monotonous, my body had been transformed into a robot. My head was shaved, my body, stripped down to a white cloth; my skin even had a silver tint to it, my lips, pale purple. All that I could use to identify that this being was me was it's eyes-- my eyes. Their deep warm hazelnut color contrasted with the coldness of their surroundings: a sign of life in an otherwise dead tundra. Yet they were expressionless. You could not see my fear, my anguish, nor my despair. As I helplessly stared into the mirror, my eyes only stared back... empty.

This is a continuation of my last blog post, "Identity: Chapter 1". Although inspired by the same picture as before, I thought that the picture above-- another one from the same collection-- went along with what was happening in this chapter. It not only created a visual for what was going on in the character's head, but also inspired some of my writing.
I hope to continue to write at least one more chapter to this story as I really like how it is developing. Writing these pieces provides me with a chance to relax and enjoy writing in a way that we usually don't write in class.

How to Read and Understand Anglo Saxon Litrature

HOW TO:

Read and Understand Anglo Saxon Literature

By Julia Loewen

Lo! The æroworld was fullwer of earth-treaders whom spræc a forwened englisc. Did you get that? Didn't think so. That's because you just read an ancient form of English known as Anglo Saxon. This strange language may slightly resemble the English you know and use today, but many of the words like, "spræc" or "fullwer" probably don't ring any bells. The Anglo Saxon language was spoken in Northern Europe around the years of 550 to 1066 CE, and some of the earliest stories known to mankind originated during this time. To prevent you from missing out on these legendary stories, you must follow the simple steps below so you can read, understand, and enjoy Anglo Saxon Literature! 

1. Understand the background of the story

It's easy to pick up any modern-day book and easily read and understand it without any troubles. When reading Anglo Saxon literature, it's different. With all the strange words, phrases, and names, a reader that is unfamiliar with the plot might as well read a book in Chinese. It is important to do some research on the literature prior to reading it so it makes sense what is going on in the story and why. A good place to find this information is Spark Notes, because they provide easy-to-read summaries and translations of Anglo Saxon literature that will help paint the picture of the events in the ancient stories. TIP: Don't think that reading a translation or summary of an Anglo Saxon piece will be the same as reading the actual piece, because it won't! The information on Spark Notes should only be used as a guideline.

2. Become familiar with the characters

Beowulf, Achilles, Grendel, and Oedipus are just a bunch of letters put together if you aren't familiar with their role in the story. That is why it is important to research a character list on Spark Notes or a similar website. This list will give the reader a short description of the character without spoiling the whole story.

3. Know the meaning of kennings/epithets

One of the most prominent aspects of Anglo Saxon literature are the kennings and epithets. A kenning is a descriptive phrase formed from two nouns. An epithet is an adjective that expresses a quality or

characteristic of a person or thing with an adjective and a noun. Kenning and Epithets are ubiquitous in Anglo Saxon literature and for a better understanding of the language, it is necessary to know what is being symbolized or described. 

QUIZ: Is "earth-treader" a kenning or epithet, and what does it mean? 

ANSWER: "Earth-treader" is a kenning because "earth" and "treader" are both nouns representing something else. "Earth-treader" represents one who walks the earth, so a human. If an epithet were to describe a human in a similar way, it would be something like "adventurous creatures". 
4. Have a dictionary nearby
The English Language sounded slightly different only 50 years ago, so imagine how much the language has evolved over the last 2000 years! The English language from 550-1066 CE is extremely different that the language spoken today, even with translations to make it simpler. It is not expected of readers to know off the top of their head the meaning of "æroworld" or "forwened", but with useful websites and dictionaries, the words can be understood. The website 
OldEnglishTranslater.co has the meanings of many Old Enlish words that have a similar definetion to modern-day English. Some of the words in Anglo Saxon literature can also be found in a dictionary.

Conclusion:
Now that you have acquired all of the tips and tricks of reading Anglo Saxon literature, see if you can translate the first sentence of this post. Remember to use the information in this post to understand what the sentence may be about, find kennings or epithets, and use the Old English Translator. Comment below what you come up with!