Reading and Writing Times 4/29

4/22 Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein 1 hour

4/23 Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein 45 mins

4/25 Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein 2 hours

Free Post

It is getting near the end of the school year, and I have many projects. I have a project in every class due before school ends, and I get very stressed out about these. I am very bad about procrastinating and not starting things until a few days before they are due, but this time I am determined to stay on top of my work. Usually, I know that I have something big due soon and I stress out about, but I think that by not thinking about it will calm me down. This ends up making me even more stressed out in the end, and the night before it is due I am frantically running around trying to finish. Every time I do this, I usually do fine, but it puts so much stress on me the night before.

This time, I am trying really hard to get all of my stuff done before it is due. I am done with my history project, and I have already begun all of my other projects. My goal is to pick a project each night and work on it for at 30 minutes. If I do this, hopefully I will be able to spread out my work and not be so stressed out at the end.

Reading and Working Times 4/7-4/13

4/7 NC Appetizer 20 mins
      NC Entree 45 mins

4/8 NC Dessert 60 mins

4/9  NC side 35 mins
       NC Entree 30 mins

Macbeth Statements

Ambition is a positive, desirable trait in a person.
I agree with this statement. I think that ambition is a good trait to have because if you don't have ambition, you won't work hard for anything. You basically won't care. However, the reason why I don't strongly agree with this is because I feel like if someone has too much ambition, it can be a very bad thing. In Macbeth, Macbeth has lots of ambition to be the thane of Cawdor, but he ends up killing many people to get this. Ambition is a necessary trait to have to get anywhere in life, but if you have too much or you have ambition for something bad then this is not a positive trait to have.

Sometimes you have to do things other people consider wrong to get ahead.
Depending on what situation this is in, my answer would vary. I think that sometimes you have to do what you have to do. Some people may think what you are doing is wrong, but you and others may not. It is their opinion. However, in Macbeth's case, I disagree with this statement. He decides to kill many people to be the thane of Cawdor, and I don't think this is right. This statement could apply to many different situations.

Reading and Working Times

Wednesday - Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson - 60 mins
Sunday- Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson - 45 mins
Monday- Studying for poetry test - 60 mins

Poem

I wish that I had endless money,

buy anything that I could want.

I wish that I didn't have so many responsibilities,

school work, practice, chores.

I wish that I wasn't always so nervous,

walking past a person and having thoughts racing through my head.

I wish that I was perfect,

and be a model, walking down the runway.

I wish that I could make great grades

without even trying.

I wish that could sing,

and be able to perform notes like a bird.

I wish that I would stop worrying

about all the things that I am not,

and begin to be happy about the things that I am.

In this poem, I used anaphora, consonance, stanza of mostly the same lengths, and a simile.

Reading Times:

Monday: 20 minutes - Wintergirls - Laurie Halse Anderson
Tuesday: 40 minutes - Wintergirls - Laurie Halse Anderson
Thursday: 20 minutes - Wintergirls - Laurie Halse Anderson
Saturday: 60 minutes- Wintergirls - Laurie Halse Anderson
Sunday: 120 minutes - Wintergirls - Laurie Halse Anderson

Song Analysis

Obsessions - Marina and the Diamonds

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/marinathediamonds/obsessions.html

In this song by Marina and the Diamonds, many techniques are used such as cacophony, sibilance, assonance, and personification.  For example, a cacophony is used when the song says, "Supermarket, oh what packet of crackers to pick?" This helps portray to the listener that the person asking this question is sort of mad and annoyed. The way that Marina sings it, she sounds annoyed. In order to understand why it is supposed to sound mad, you will have to read the lyrics, but basically it is about trying to be absolutely perfect and how impossible it is. You can get obsessive about it, hence the name Obsessions. She portrays this pressure through a person in a supermarket who has to pick the perfect pack of crackers. Another technique used is assonance. For example, the song says "Silk sheet... sweetheart," and later in the song repeats "week...weak." I think that this sort of shows a calm and more relaxed point in the song. Lastly, personification is used in the song. The phrases "nasty thought" and "sick ideas" are used multiple times throughout the song. These help tell the story in the song and describe the thoughts and ideas.

Using SOAPSTone, I analyzed this song. The speaker of the song is the character that has an obsession with being perfect, to the extent where she has to pick the perfect pack of crackers. The occasion of this song may have been because Marina suffers with the obsession to be perfect. However, Marina is known for writing and singing about different mental challenges and illnesses. The audience may be general listeners or people suffering from the same problem. The purpose may be to let people know that trying to be absolutely perfect can be bad, and potentially dangerous. The subject is the obsession to be perfect and the consequences that come along with it. The tone of this song is sad and sort of downgrading perfection. Overall, this song has lots of deeper meaning than the lyrics look, along with the rest of Marina's songs, and I recommend listening to all of her songs.