Friday, February 28, 2014

7-7 Class Photo

The Quidditch poem by Ingolfr the Iambic

The Quidditch poem by Ingolfr the Iambic: (J.K Rowling)

 

Oh, the thrill of the chase as I soar through the air

With the Snitch up ahead and the wind in my hair

As I draw ever closer, the crowd gives a shout

But then comes a Bludger and I am knocked out.

Belfast Tune - Joseph Brodsky

Belfast Tune




Here's a girl from a dangerous town
She crops her dark hair short
so that less of her has to frown
when someone gets hurt.

She folds her memories like a parachute.
Dropped, she collects the peat
and cooks her veggies at home: they shoot
here where they eat.

Ah, there's more sky in these parts than, say,
ground. Hence her voice's pitch,
and her stare stains your retina like a gray
bulb when you switch

hemispheres, and her knee-length quilt
skirt's cut to catch the squall,
I dream of her either loved or killed
because the town's too small.

DIVING BOARD ~Shel Silverstein

You’ve been up on that diving board

Making sure that it’s nice and straight.

You’ve made sure that it’s not too slick.

You’ve made sure it can stand the weight.

You’ve made sure that the spring is tight.

You’ve made sure that the cloth won’t slip.

You’ve made sure that it bounces right,

And that your toes can get a grip—

And you’ve been up there since half past five

Doin’ everything . . . but DIVE.

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Jewellee's Favorite Poem

Mr. Nobody

Anonymous

 

I know a funny little man,

As quiet as a mouse,

Who does the mischief that is done

In everybody’s house!

There’s no one ever sees his face,

And yet we all agree

That every plate we break was cracked

By Mr. Nobody.

 

’Tis he who always tears out books,

Who leaves the door ajar,

He pulls the buttons from our shirts,

And scatters pins afar;

That squeaking door will always squeak,

For prithee, don’t you see,

We leave the oiling to be done

By Mr. Nobody.

 

The finger marks upon the door

By none of us are made;

We never leave the blinds unclosed,

To let the curtains fade.

The ink we never spill;   the boots

That lying round you see

Are not our boots,—they all belong

To Mr. Nobody.

Cinderella By Roald Dahl


Cinderella




I guess you think you know this story.
You don't. The real one's much more gory.
The phoney one, the one you know,
Was cooked up years and years ago,
And made to sound all soft and sappy
just to keep the children happy.
Mind you, they got the first bit right,
The bit where, in the dead of night,
The Ugly Sisters, jewels and all,
Departed for the Palace Ball,
While darling little Cinderella
Was locked up in a slimy cellar,
Where rats who wanted things to eat,
Began to nibble at her feet.

She bellowed 'Help!' and 'Let me out!
The Magic Fairy heard her shout.
Appearing in a blaze of light,
She said: 'My dear, are you all right?'
'All right?' cried Cindy .'Can't you see
'I feel as rotten as can be!'
She beat her fist against the wall,
And shouted, 'Get me to the Ball!
'There is a Disco at the Palace!
'The rest have gone and I am jealous!
'I want a dress! I want a coach!
'And earrings and a diamond brooch!
'And silver slippers, two of those!
'And lovely nylon panty hose!
'Done up like that I'll guarantee
'The handsome Prince will fall for me!'
The Fairy said, 'Hang on a tick.'
She gave her wand a mighty flick
And quickly, in no time at all,
Cindy was at the Palace Ball!

It made the Ugly Sisters wince
To see her dancing with the Prince.
She held him very tight and pressed
herself against his manly chest.
The Prince himself was turned to pulp,
All he could do was gasp and gulp.
Then midnight struck. She shouted,'Heck!
I've got to run to save my neck!'
The Prince cried, 'No! Alas! Alack!'
He grabbed her dress to hold her back.
As Cindy shouted, 'Let me go!'
The dress was ripped from head to toe.

She ran out in her underwear,
And lost one slipper on the stair.
The Prince was on it like a dart,
He pressed it to his pounding heart,
'The girl this slipper fits,' he cried,
'Tomorrow morn shall be my bride!
I'll visit every house in town
'Until I've tracked the maiden down!'
Then rather carelessly, I fear,
He placed it on a crate of beer.

At once, one of the Ugly Sisters,
(The one whose face was blotched with blisters)
Sneaked up and grabbed the dainty shoe,
And quickly flushed it down the loo.
Then in its place she calmly put
The slipper from her own left foot.
Ah ha, you see, the plot grows thicker,
And Cindy's luck starts looking sicker.

Next day, the Prince went charging down
To knock on all the doors in town.
In every house, the tension grew.
Who was the owner of the shoe?
The shoe was long and very wide.
(A normal foot got lost inside.)
Also it smelled a wee bit icky.
(The owner's feet were hot and sticky.)
Thousands of eager people came
To try it on, but all in vain.
Now came the Ugly Sisters' go.
One tried it on. The Prince screamed, 'No!'
But she screamed, 'Yes! It fits! Whoopee!
'So now you've got to marry me!'
The Prince went white from ear to ear.
He muttered, 'Let me out of here.'
'Oh no you don't! You made a vow!
'There's no way you can back out now!'
'Off with her head!'The Prince roared back.
They chopped it off with one big whack.
This pleased the Prince. He smiled and said,
'She's prettier without her head.'
Then up came Sister Number Two,
Who yelled, 'Now I will try the shoe!'
'Try this instead!' the Prince yelled back.
He swung his trusty sword and smack
Her head went crashing to the ground.
It bounced a bit and rolled around.
In the kitchen, peeling spuds,
Cinderella heard the thuds
Of bouncing heads upon the floor,
And poked her own head round the door.
'What's all the racket? 'Cindy cried.
'Mind your own bizz,' the Prince replied.
Poor Cindy's heart was torn to shreds.
My Prince! she thought. He chops off heads!
How could I marry anyone
Who does that sort of thing for fun?

The Prince cried, 'Who's this dirty ****?
'Off with her nut! Off with her nut!'
Just then, all in a blaze of light,
The Magic Fairy hove in sight,
Her Magic Wand went swoosh and swish!
'Cindy! 'she cried, 'come make a wish!
'Wish anything and have no doubt
'That I will make it come about!'
Cindy answered, 'Oh kind Fairy,
'This time I shall be more wary.
'No more Princes, no more money.
'I have had my taste of honey.
I'm wishing for a decent man.
'They're hard to find. D'you think you can?'
Within a minute, Cinderella
Was married to a lovely feller,
A simple jam maker by trade,
Who sold good home-made marmalade.
Their house was filled with smiles and laughter
And they were happy ever after.

Invictus

Invictus

By: William Ernest Henley

Out of the night that covers me,

Black as the pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

For my unconquerable soul.

 

In the fell clutch of circumstance

I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeoning of chance

My head is bloody, but unbowed.

 

Beyond this place of wrath and tears

Looms but the Horror of the shade,

And yet the menace of the years

Finds and shall find me unafraid.

 

It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll,

I am the master of my fate,

I am the captain of my soul.

Eric's favorite poem

My Journey with luck

By Hemu Gupta

 

My zodiac sign matches with many millionaires,

But I don’t possess the same amount of wealth.

My date of birth is same as many athletes and players,

But I don’t have similar health.

 

I rearranged my house according to fengshui on advice of my neighbour.

I wore many gemstones but it also proved to be fruitless labour.

 

I had fasts as my astrologer said it will end all my financial troubles.

But in addition I got health problems so my trouble became double.

 

I have always been very cautious about good or bad omens.

I worship many imaginary gods to be safe from many imaginary demons.

 

I also talked to talking parrots and glanced through magic crystals.

I went to forged pundits on footpath to reach higher pedestals.

 

I also searched the key to happiness through a set of tarot cards.

I performed various rituals to satisfy my ancestors sleeping in graveyard.

 

I visited many palmists to know what is wrong with lines of my palm.

I changed the spellings of my name to save myself from any kind of harm.

 

But one day I got fed up and decided to just concentrate on my work.

From that day till today I have never been lazy and never ever shirked.

 

I changed my habits and changed my way of living.

I started loving my life and started respecting small things.

 

Now I don’t think that anything in my life is tragic.

Now there is no uncertainty as I have become strategic.

 

Now my life is no longer uncertain or tricky.

As I am no longer lucky or unlucky.

 

http://poetry.com/poems/1176080-my-journey-with-luck

The Road Not Taken

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Robert Frost

Peanut-Butter Sandwich

Peanut-Butter Sandwich




    by Shel Silverstein (1932-1999)



I’ll sing you a story of a silly young king
Who played with the world at the end of a string,
But he only loved one single thing --
And that was just a peanut-butter sandwich.

His scepter and his royal gowns,
His regal throne and golden crowns
Were brown and sticky from the mounds
And drippings from each peanut-butter sandwich.

His subjects all were silly fools
For he had passed a royal rule
That all that they could learn in school
Was how to make a peanut-butter sandwich.

He would not eat his sovereign steak,
He scorned his soup and kingly cake,
And told his courtly cook to bake
An extra-sticky peanut-butter sandwich.

And then one day he took a bite
And started chewing with delight,
But found his mouth was stuck quite tight
From that last bite of peanut-butter sandwich.

His brother pulled, his sister pried,
The wizard pushed, his mother cried,
“My boy’s committed suicide
From eating his last peanut-butter sandwich!”

The dentist came, and the royal doc.
The royal plumber banged and knocked,
But still those jaws stayed tightly locked.
Oh darn that sticky peanut-butter sandwich!

The carpenter, he tried with pliers,
The telephone man tried with wires,
The firemen, they tried with fire,
But couldn’t melt that peanut-butter sandwich.

With ropes and pulleys, drills and coil,
With steam and lubricating oil --
For twenty years of tears and toil --
They fought that awful peanut-butter sandwich.

Then all his royal subjects came.
They hooked his jaws with grapplin’ chains
And pulled both ways with might and main
Against that stubborn peanut-butter sandwich.

Each man and woman, girl and boy
Put down their ploughs and pots and toys
And pulled until kerack! Oh, joy --
They broke right through that peanut-butter sandwich.

A puff of dust, a screech, a squeak --
The king’s jaw opened with a creak.
And then in voice so faint and weak --
The first words that they heard him speak
Were, “How about a peanut-butter sandwich?”

 

Casper's favourite poem

Invictus

-William Ernest Henley

 

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

Talking Turkeys

Talking Turkeys!

by:Benjamin Zephaniah


Be nice to yu turkeys dis christmas
Cos' turkeys just wanna hav fun
Turkeys are cool, turkeys are wicked
An every turkey has a Mum.
Be nice to yu turkeys dis christmas,
Don't eat it, keep it alive,
It could be yu mate, an not on your plate
Say, Yo! Turkey I'm on your side.
I got lots of friends who are turkeys
An all of dem fear christmas time,
Dey wanna enjoy it, dey say humans destroyed it
An humans are out of dere mind,
Yeah, I got lots of friends who are turkeys
Dey all hav a right to a life,
Not to be caged up an genetically made up
By any farmer an his wife.

Turkeys just wanna play reggae
Turkeys just wanna hip-hop
Can yu imagine a nice young turkey saying,
ÒI cannot wait for de chopÓ,
Turkeys like getting presents, dey wanna watch christmas TV,
Turkeys hav brains an turkeys feel pain
In many ways like yu an me.

I once knew a turkey called........ Turkey
He said "Benji explain to me please,
Who put de turkey in christmas
An what happens to christmas trees?",
I said "I am not too sure turkey
But itÕs nothing to do wid Christ Mass
Humans get greedy an waste more dan need be
An business men mek loadsa cash'.

Be nice to yu turkey dis christmas
Invite dem indoors fe sum greens
Let dem eat cake an let dem partake
In a plate of organic grown beans,
Be nice to yu turkey dis christmas
An spare dem de cut of de knife,
Join Turkeys United an dey'll be delighted
An yu will mek new friends 'FOR LIFE'.

 

 

 

An Eastern Ballad

An Eastern Ballad

By  Allen Ginsberg

I speak of love that comes to mind:
The moon is faithful, although blind;
She moves in thought she cannot speak.
Perfect care has made her bleak.

I never dreamed the sea so deep,
The earth so dark; so long my sleep,
I have become another child.
I wake to see the world go wild.

My Favorite Poem

Be Glad Your Nose in on Your Face


By: Jack Prelutsky


Be glad your nose is on your face,
not pasted on some other place,
for if it were where it is not,
you might dislike your nose a lot.

Imagine if your precious nose
were sandwiched in between your toes,
that clearly would not be a treat,
for you'd be forced to smell your feet.

Your nose would be a source of dread
were it attached atop your head,
it soon would drive you to despair,
forever tickled by your hair.

Within your ear, your nose would be
an absolute catastrophe,
for when you were obliged to sneeze,
your brain would rattle from the breeze.

Your nose, instead, through thick and thin,
remains between your eyes and chin,
not pasted on some other place--
be glad your nose is on your face!

Once by the Pacific Ocean

The shattered water made a misty din.
Great waves looked over others coming in,
And thought of doing something to the shore
That water never did to land before.
The clouds were low and hairy in the skies,
Like locks blown forward in the gleam of eyes.
You could not tell, and yet it looked as if
The shore was lucky in being backed by cliff,
The cliff in being backed by continent;
It looked as if a night of dark intent
Was coming, and not only a night, an age.
Someone had better be prepared for rage.
There would be more than ocean-water broken
Before God's last Put out the Light was spoken.

Robert Frost

O Captain! My Captain


O Captain! My Captain!



BY WALT WITMAN


O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done,

The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won,

The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,

While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring;

                         But O heart! heart! heart!

                            O the bleeding drops of red,

                               Where on the deck my Captain lies,

                                  Fallen cold and dead.

O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells;

Rise up—for you the flag is flung—for you the bugle trills,

For you bouquets and ribbon’d wreaths—for you the shores a-crowding,

For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning;

                         Here Captain! dear father!

                            The arm beneath your head!

                               It is some dream that on the deck,

                                 You’ve fallen cold and dead.

My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still,

My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will,

The ship is anchor’d safe and sound, its voyage closed and done,

From fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object won;

                         Exult O shores, and ring O bells!

                            But I with mournful tread,

                               Walk the deck my Captain lies,

                                  Fallen cold and dead.


My Favorite Poem

Sick


by Shel Silverstein


 

"I cannot go to school today,"
Said little Peggy Ann McKay.



"I have the measles and the mumps,
A gash, a rash and purple bumps.



My mouth is wet, my throat is dry,
I'm going blind in my right eye.



My tonsils are as big as rocks,
I've counted sixteen chicken pox



And there's one more--that's seventeen,
And don't you think my face looks green?



My leg is cut--my eyes are blue--
It might be instamatic flu.



I cough and sneeze and gasp and choke,
I'm sure that my left leg is broke--



My hip hurts when I move my chin,
My belly button's caving in,



My back is wrenched, my ankle's sprained,
My 'pendix pains each time it rains.



My nose is cold, my toes are numb.
I have a sliver in my thumb.


My neck is stiff, my voice is weak,
I hardly whisper when I speak.



My tongue is filling up my mouth,
I think my hair is falling out.



My elbow's bent, my spine ain't straight,
My temperature is one-o-eight.



My brain is shrunk, I cannot hear,
There is a hole inside my ear.



I have a hangnail, and my heart is--what?
What's that? What's that you say?
You say today is. . .Saturday?
G'bye, I'm going out to play!"

Pies Pies Pies

Pies, Pies, Pies


By Theresa Ann Moore



Pies have various flavor fillings
With different ingredients and toppings
Some are opened faced; plain to see
Others have a crust concealing delicacy

The mouth-watering aromas of baking blends
Make your mind delirious as waiting extends
In the history of preparing pies and serving
Taste tests, as a rule, decide the most deserving

A favorite is apple crumb with cinnamon...
Fresh Macintosh slices sweetened is common
Tasty pumpkin is primarily for Thanksgiving
With heaps of fluffy whipped cream adorning

Tart cherries are tastier with lots of sugar grains
Raspberries are terrific, though the seeds remain
Seedless dried grapes make a scrumptious start
Pecan nuts saturated with syrupy nectar top the chart

Beyond the fruits and nuts there are even more...
Beef, chicken, and turkey can be put into your
Pot pies with flavored gravy and vegetables
Even singing blackbirds appear in pie fables

Combinations that evolve continue to be adventurous
As you can see the possibilities are certainly endless
The key ingredients enhance each other as they dwell
In a temporary shelter provided by a delectable shell

A pie could even be a metaphor for a person’s existence
The measured contents mingle with an ounce of chance
A flavorful result is shared with many who evaluate
The finale is matchless; there is no recipe to recreate


Life is Fine-Langston Hughes

Life Is Fine

I went down to the river,
I set down on the bank.
I tried to think but couldn't,
So I jumped in and sank.

I came up once and hollered!
I came up twice and cried!
If that water hadn't a-been so cold
I might've sunk and died.

But it was Cold in that water! It was cold!

I took the elevator
Sixteen floors above the ground.
I thought about my baby
And thought I would jump down.

I stood there and I hollered!
I stood there and I cried!
If it hadn't a-been so high
I might've jumped and died.

But it was High up there! It was high!

So since I'm still here livin',
I guess I will live on.
I could've died for love--
But for livin' I was born

Though you may hear me holler,
And you may see me cry--
I'll be dogged, sweet baby,
If you gonna see me die.

Life is fine! Fine as wine! Life is fine!

Langston Hughes

#Poem #Poetry #LangstonHughes

Eileens Fav too :D

 

Chosen poem: The Loser by Shel Silverstein

Date: Thursday Feb 27 2014

Favorite poem of:Gauri 7-7

Screen Shot 2014-02-27 at 3.02.52 PM

 

Where the Sidewalk Ends

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

There is a place where the sidewalk ends
And before the street begins,
And there the grass grows soft and white,
And there the sun burns crimson bright,
And there the moon-bird rests from his flight
To cool in the peppermint wind.

Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black
And the dark street winds and bends.
Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow
We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And watch where the chalk-white arrows go
To the place where the sidewalk ends.

Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go,
For the children, they mark, and the children, they know
The place where the sidewalk ends.

#Poem #Poetry

I Wrote Your Name Into My Heart

I Wrote Your Name Into My Heart

by: Jason Graham

I wrote your name in the sky,
but the wind blew it away.
I wrote your name in the sand,
but the waves washed it away.
I wrote your name in my heart,
and forever it will stay.

#Poetry

The Raven

The Raven

by: Edgar Allan Poe

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
''Tis some visitor,' I muttered, 'tapping at my chamber door-
Only this, and nothing more.'

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow;- vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow- sorrow for the lost Lenore-
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore-
Nameless here for evermore.

And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
Thrilled me- filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating,
''Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door-
Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door;-
This it is, and nothing more.'

Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
'Sir,' said I, 'or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,
That I scarce was sure I heard you'- here I opened wide the door;-
Darkness there, and nothing more.

Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering,
fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortals ever dared to dream before;
But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,
And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, 'Lenore!'
This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, 'Lenore!'-
Merely this, and nothing more.

Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,
Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.
'Surely,' said I, 'surely that is something at my window lattice:
Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore-
Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore;-
'Tis the wind and nothing more.'

Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and
flutter,
In there stepped a stately raven of the saintly days of yore;
Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed
he;
But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door-
Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door-
Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore.
'Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou,' I said, 'art sure no
craven,
Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the Nightly shore-
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!'
Quoth the Raven, 'Nevermore.'

Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,
Though its answer little meaning- little relevancy bore;
For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
Ever yet was blest with seeing bird above his chamber door-
Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door,
With such name as 'Nevermore.'

But the raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only
That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.
Nothing further then he uttered- not a feather then he fluttered-
Till I scarcely more than muttered, 'other friends have flown
before-
On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before.'
Then the bird said, 'Nevermore.'

Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,
'Doubtless,' said I, 'what it utters is its only stock and store,
Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster
Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore-
Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore
Of 'Never- nevermore'.'

But the Raven still beguiling all my fancy into smiling,
Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird, and bust and
door;
Then upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking
Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore-
What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt and ominous bird of yore
Meant in croaking 'Nevermore.'

This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing
To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core;
This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamplight gloated o'er,
But whose velvet violet lining with the lamplight gloating o'er,
She shall press, ah, nevermore!

Then methought the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer
Swung by Seraphim whose footfalls tinkled on the tufted floor.
'Wretch,' I cried, 'thy God hath lent thee- by these angels he
hath sent thee
Respite- respite and nepenthe, from thy memories of Lenore!
Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!'
Quoth the Raven, 'Nevermore.'

'Prophet!' said I, 'thing of evil!- prophet still, if bird or
devil!-
Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted-
On this home by horror haunted- tell me truly, I implore-
Is there- is there balm in Gilead?- tell me- tell me, I implore!'
Quoth the Raven, 'Nevermore.'

'Prophet!' said I, 'thing of evil- prophet still, if bird or
devil!
By that Heaven that bends above us- by that God we both adore-
Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,
It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore-
Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore.'
Quoth the Raven, 'Nevermore.'

'Be that word our sign in parting, bird or fiend,' I shrieked,
upstarting-
'Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore!
Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!
Leave my loneliness unbroken!- quit the bust above my door!
Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my
door!'
Quoth the Raven, 'Nevermore.'

And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,
And the lamplight o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the
floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted- nevermore!

Nothing Gold Can Stay

Nothing Gold Can Stay
by Robert Frost.

Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

Ontheroofs trailer - YouTube

You remember our trip to Shanghai last year?



These guys had a better(well, different) view.



Ontheroofs trailer - YouTube.

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost : The Poetry Foundation

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

BY ROBERT FROST

Whose woods these are I think I know.

His house is in the village though;

He will not see me stopping here

To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer

To stop without a farmhouse near

Between the woods and frozen lake

The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake

To ask if there is some mistake.

The only other sound’s the sweep

Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

via Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost : The Poetry Foundation.

Fog by Carl Sandburg

IMG_7714

http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/174299

Poetry-Con '14

poetry con

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

The Red Wheelbarrow

The Red Wheelbarrow

 

by William Carlos Williams

so much depends

upon

a red wheel

barrow

glazed with rain

water

beside the white

chickens.

via The Red Wheelbarrow- Poets.org - Poetry, Poems, Bios & More.

Was Alexander really that Great?



Organize a speech on the topic using a graphic organizer of your choice.  Follow a similar pattern to the expository style we have discussed throughout the year and that you followed on your choice speech.  There are many options for organizers available here.

  • Have a HOOK to grab and hold your audience’s attention.

  • Write a thesis statement that states the idea or situation you are writing about.

  • State your opinion about the thesis statement.

  • Have two or three reasons for your opinion.

  • State the reasons and give the details that support each one.

  • Finally, restate your opinion and list the reasons.


Organization of this speech is required, presentation is optional.  Let me know which day you would like to present if you choose to.

 

 

 

MS-Poetry Wiki

MS-Poetry - home.

 

 

CITS Budget Poll

Instructions

Rank the offices by the percentage of funding they should receive. Note, the administrative offices of Taxation, Treasury, Lobbying are not included.

via Poll&Match : Poll.

BBC News - Alexander the not so Great: History through Persian eyes

Alexander the Great is portrayed as a legendary conqueror and military leader in Greek-influenced Western history books but his legacy looks very different from a Persian perspective.

via BBC News - Alexander the not so Great: History through Persian eyes.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Today's Bookchat

International School of Beijing: Olympics.

    
Welcome to our epad reading conference.   The purpose is to increase the depth of your in-class reading experience.  This is an effort to discuss, ask questions, make connections and gain perspective on your reading.  Participation is required, but the direction of the discussion is up to you.

 

Avoid Spoilers, please.  Also, at the conclusion of our discussion, this will be posted on the 778 Blog.

 

Please put your name what are you Reading?

Eileen - divergent

Lawrence- The Hamsters Massacre 

Louisa- The Bar Code Tattoo

Gabby: Anne Frank the Diary of a Young Girl

Andrew: Ender's Game

Angela - Divergent

The Voyage of the Frog - Michelle

Hyo Jin- Time Riders

Brandon: Re-reading Divergent

Divergent - Jewellee

Lizzy- Flawless 

Casper- Allegiant

Matt-City Of Ashes

Steph-Catching Fire

Get started – 10 minutes starts now!


 

Why did you choose this book?

I chose Divergent because alot of people in my class has read it and also because sunny and gabby had read it really fast and recommended it to me.

I have read the first one and I have really enjoyed it. I also liked the movie based off of it.

I chose this book because I bought it from scholastic a long time ago, but I haven't read it yet. Also the cover page was attention grabbing and seemed a bit scary. 

I chose my book, because it seemed interesting, and I like to read books about important history.

I chose this book because everyone in my class was reading it, even Mr.Koch.

I chose this book because i was flipping through the library and i found this book. It has a catchy title so I decided to read it.

I chose this book because I watched the movie and it looked really interesting. I just decided to start reading the book so I would be able to compare the two stories.

Because lots of my friends are reading this book and they recommand me to read it too.

Every one started reading this book and even finished the other series so I started reading this book.

It was the next in the series

I chose this book because the title first hooked me. The cover page didn't seem to be about frogs but the title was named, so i thought it was interesting enough to read.

I chose to read this book because the whole class was reading Divergent. It sounded like a interesting book read, so I chose to read this book.

I chose this book because i had watch the TV show and i wanted to compare the two. 

Because I read the first book, Hunger Games, and I watched the Catching Fire movie so I was interested.

How much of this book have you read so far?

I've read about 1/2- 3/4 of the book

half to three quarters

I just started today. Like 5 pages.

I've read the book once, this is my second time, and I'm halfway throught he book.

4/5 of the book (almost done)

I have read to like about 4-5 of the book

I've read 64 pages out of 335 pages.

I have read like about half of the book.

3/4 of the book

The first few chapter, 4-5 chapters.

chapters 1-5 

I'm on the 10th chapter

I'm on the 7th chapter

Set a goal for what date you will finish.

this weekend

I think i can finish this book by the end of the weekend

I think I can finish it by next week.

I think I will be able to finish by next week.

I hope I finish this book by the end of this week. 

By this friday and Start the last Olympian

I hope I will finish this book in the next 2 weeks.

I think that I would be able to finish this book by the start of next week if I have time to read at home.

Almost to the half.

Start of March

I lost the book, the book was from the class, so i think someone took it but if i didn't lose it, maybe in 5or 6 days. (because the book is easy for me)

I want to finish this book in the next 2 weeks 

First week of March

Probably 1 week

Identify any connections between the book you are reading and something you have studied in 7th grade classes?

Dystopian society

Divergent is similar with the book we read in class like Harrison Bergeron, The Giver, Crime on Mars...

I cannot find any connections yet.

I don't think this was related to anything we learned but it was related to one of the Impromto Speech Topic- Goverment should control gun shooting- something similar like that.

So far, I cannot find a relation between the story Ender's Game and other things from class.

This book doens't really relate to anything we've studied in class, but I think the holocaust is something we should be aware of. 

This book is part of the future where nobody uses cards or money, they all use the bar code tattooed on themselves to do everything, so nothing really ties into 7th grade, although I do feel that the world Kayla lives in is powered by a dictator. I think this way because there are people against the bar code tattoo, but they have no power because Global-1 (The Dictators) choose everything. 

I think the setting of the book is very simular as other books we have read in class, because it take place in the future and we have read many book or stories that took place in the future.

I don't think this book relates to anything that I learned in 7th grade.

Not really though, because the book is about David sailing the boat, but we never really learned about these kinds, or any relationships between the character i think.

It is a dystopian society

This book does not remind me of anything in 7th grade other then the fact that this story took place when the character were in 7th grade. 

I think Divergent has a distopia/utopia setting (depends on how you look at it. The distopia/utopia setting is similar to The Giver's setting or The Hunger Games' setting. There 

Government studies.

�      This character reminds me of myself because . . . 

None of the characters really relate to me

Tris reminds me of myself because 

 This reminds me of myself because when i had hamsters the baby either die or live. And it has so many blood over the cages just like the book.

Kayla reminds me of Kina because she doesn't care what other pe

Anne Frank reminds me of myself, because she is about my age and stays positive in the rough time she's living through.

None of the people remind me of myself.

None of the characters really remind me of myself.

David kind of reminds of myself, but not alot. He thinks most things in his mind, and he really has a lot of sensibility of minds and also in real life situtaions, like in boats.

No characters remind me of myself.

There is no character that reminds me of me 

It reminded me of myself when Beatrice got really nervous before she took the test.

It reminds me of a game I'm playing

�      I think this setting is important because . . . 

The whole book takes place there 

I think this setting is important because, if this book was located in a nother place other than this, the story wouldn't make sence.

Of course it's important, it shows where the entire story takes place. In Ender's Game, the story takes place in a space battle training area. Most of the story takes place there. 

I think the place where the group of people against the bar code tattoo meet is very important, because it is where the information is collected, the analyzing is done and the plans are made. 

I the setting in Germany is important because it starts the conflict.

In this book, obviously i think the setting of the sea is important, because most of the book's setting/David's journey stands in the sea, and Owen's spirit(?) [i don't know what to call it] would be sprinkled in the sea.

I think the setting in Spencers back yard it important because that is the part where Alison disapeared.

The city because the story takes place there.

I think the setting(the pit) is important in chapter 10 because I think it's the perfect place for tough training.

Because without this they don't have to fight.

�      This scene reminds me of a similar scene in (title of book/movie/T.V. show) because . . . 

 SPOILER WARNING!!!!!!!!!!!

 the scene where the bereu is blown open reminds of the beginning 

 part in star wars where darth vader enters the rebel ship

 The scene where

 In the first book the werewolves remind me of twilight because i was flippin' through the channels and I saw a little bit of it.

 This book remids me of alots of books such as the hunger games, the giver, harrison bergeron and many more because all of these stories have something in common and that is that the setting is a distopia.

The scene where David sales the boat reminds me of the movie "Life of Pie" because when they sail, they are sailing there life towards the sea, and the thunder storm parts are similar too.

This scene does not remind me of any other T.V show or book because i dont normally read books in this genre. 

Divergent reminds me of so many distopia/utopia based books like the giver, the hunger games, and ect.


�      I like/dislike this writing because . . . 

It's kinda boring so I dislike it

I kind of like how this auther writes because he basically writes this book like a diary.

I like how Anne Frank's diary isn't just about her life, it's about what going on in her mind and with everyone in her life. I like her writing style, because it's interesting, and pulls me in to read more.

I like this writing because I like time traveling stories.

I mostly like the scenes and the basic story. It's really interesting how the sail boat's name is Frog, and it's a girl. I was first confused but after i knew, it was fun to read.

I kind of like the book but kind of dont because i have alreasy seen most of the TV show so i know what is about to happen. 

I like this writing because this book is really detailed, which helps me visualize the scenes.


Tell about the author's writing style. 

This is a copy of Anne Frank's diary, and Anne Frank is very smart and has a large vocabulary for a young girl. 

Veronica Roth is a good writer in the sense that she is very good at describing the settings and the characters so that I have a clear picture of everything thats happening in my head.

I think this author (veronica roth) writes her stories in a way that I can visualize it so clearly and some others can visualize it in a different way than me. For example (dont take this the wrong way), there was a part where Tris and Four kissed, but this author did not say they "kissed", she described it as like "I felt his lips touch mine. I felt his warm breath in my face."

The author describe everything she wanted us to know in a very detailed way (?).

She uses normal writing style and sometimes she brings in the Diary of the Wimpy Kid type of writing (diary form)

I like the way this book is written, she doesn't tell you the secret of the bar code tattoo till the very end. This keeps me hooked to the book. 

bye

The author writes the story by dividing it in to short chapters. Each chapter tells the reader the time and the place that the story sets.

The author writes really in depth. He really gets in to the kind of character, and writes the word really matchingly, and hooks not only in the introduction, but every single paragraph because of his depth of words. I was really cool how he could get in any character fast and deep. I really like it!

The author's writing style is descriptive, 

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Government of Baja

Screen Shot 2014-02-16 at 11.37.11 AM

Government of Baja

Our Valuable Friendship by Sunny Lee

Oh what a joy it is,

to have a friend like you.

For giving me strength,

the way you do.

For lifting me up like an elevator,

when I’m feeling down.

Putting a smile on my face,

when I’m wearing a frown.

Thanks for being there,

and helping me grow.

Your friendship means a lot,

and I’d like you to know.

Saturday, February 15, 2014

Eggs by Louisa Song

One morning I felt adventurous,


I was going to try something new,


Cooking my eggs without you.



First I tried scrambling them,


I dipped them in ketchup,


And ate them my way.



My day went on fine,


Nothing was a real pain,


Just a normal day.



Just then, I felt,


A twist in my tummy,


I blamed it all on the eggs.



 The next day I cooked them again,


But instead of scrambling I flattened it,


My egg was cooked, flat and shiny.



My day went on fine,


Nothing was a real pain,


Just a normal day.



Just then, I felt,


My tummy gurgle,


I blamed it all on the eggs.



I went to the doctors that day,


And found out something key,


I was allergic to eggs!


 

 

 

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Today's Bookchat

International School of Beijing: worldwithoutfish.




Welcome to our epad reading conference.   The purpose is to increase the depth of your in-class reading experience.  This is an effort to discuss, ask questions, make connections and gain perspective on your reading.  Participation is required, but the direction of the discussion is up to you.

 

Avoid Spoilers, please.  Also, at the conclusion of our discussion, this will be posted on the 778 Blog.

 

Please put your name what are you Reading?

Flawless - Jules

Jared- Allegiant

 Rachel-Matched

 Jane Eyre -- Elaine

 World WIthout FIsh - PK

Annie- Insurgent

 Hidden talents - Eric

Leah- Insurgent

Sunny-Ender's Game

Kina - Nothing but the truth

time riders-bill

Anna- Divergent


Get started – 10 minutes starts now!

 

Why did you choose this book?

My friends were recomending it to me and a lot of people had great reviews on it. 

I chose this book because I didn't have a book to read and my mom thought I would lke so she checked it out for me.

I chose this booke becuase i had already started reading the first booke of the series and i really liked it and I wanted to know what happend next.

I chose this book because I got recommended by my friends and also that when I searched up on Google, people who read said it's good so I tried.

It is a Panda Book and I am supposed to vote soon, so I thought I better get started

I chose this book because i started reading divergent at first and thought it was a good book. Then realized that there was a sequel to the book, and the other books must have been as good too.

I chose this book because I read Divergent and really liked it, so I wanted to continue the trilogy. 

I chose this book because I was always fond of books about hidden talents, and how the main character finds out for him/herself.

I chose this book because this book is made up by many diffrent people's story.

I chose this book because lots of my friends were reading it and some had read it and already seen the movie. So I decided to give it a try to see if it was the type of book that I would like to read.

I chose this book because when I finished the book Divergent, i read a sneak peak of insurgent and i really want to know that happened next, so i started reading the book. 

·      This part is very realistic/unrealistic because . . . 

This book seems realistic(and scary) because the realities of the potential destruction of the ocean seem to make sense. While it doesn't feel like a scientific bok, it does smell like science. 

This book is a mixture of both realistic and unrealistic because there is no way to tell what will happen in the future. I think parts of the book are unrealistic. For example, the simulations are a little bit to intense to make them sound realistic. Lots of realistic issues like wars and love are also mentioned in the book. 

The book is pretty realistic because it talks about what our future after the fall of our generation would be like.

This book is pretty realistic. the beginning of the book is realistic. It starts with a diary of a boy and he wrote about his daily life and what he liked in that day. Till now on it's pretty realistic but it might be different at the back. 

 This booke seems realistic because everyhting that is happening is something that would happen in real life.

It seems unrealistic because everyone is living in different community fenced off from other people. Scientists are studying them, watching what they do. It is a little disturbing to be watched constantly by an unknown person. The citizens don't even know anyway. Different people have "healed genes" and "broken genes" 

This book is realistic so far because I haven't got to the part where the main character reveals his hidden talent.

The book seems really realistic but it is a novel, and all of th story are made up by the athor, what makes the book become more realistic is the characters.

This book is very unrealistic at parts of the book because (it is a science fiction but) the way people see and do things are rediculous compared to how we would solve the problem today. In the beginning, the main character got in a fist fight with his enemy (which is realistic, it can happen) but he punched him so much that the enemy got unconscious, and the guards selected him for this camp because of "why" he did what he did.

This book is pretty realistic, i think this book happened in the future, most of the parts in the story are realictic. But some of things they talked about hasn't appeared in our life yet, so maybe a bit unrealistic somtimes. 

The topic of the book is unrealistic, but how the auther buts it it seems more realistic. 

·      I think the relationship between ______and ______ is interesting because . . .Kram and Ailat show that young people look up to their elders and want to see them pursue what they are passionate about.  It shows that the perils of being an adult in a cruel world are not lost on the young like Ailat.

I think the relationship between Tris and Christina is interesting because they used to be good friends even though they have such different personalities. Also, I find it interesting how far apart they are now because Christina is mad. normally you dont talk to them as much, not avoid them completely.

 think the realationship between Cassia and Xander is interesting because they are supposed to be in love but Cassia is in love with both Xander and Ky.

 I think the relationship between Emily and Toby is interesting considering the fact that they are dating and emily and her friends blinded Toby's sister Jenna.

 I think the relationship between Martin and Torchie is strong because torchie helped Martin adjust to his new school.

I think the relationship between Christina and Uriah is interesting because after Christina's boyfriend got shot, she was lonely. Uriah was there for her all the time. They because closer and closer and slowly would become boyfriend-girlfriend.

I think the relationship between Tris and Marcus is interesting, because Marcus is a cruel person to his son, and Tris actually believed the things Marcus says, i think it is very interesting because how they hate each other, but actually believed him. 

The relation between Jane Eyre and Edward Rochester is really interesting, because they are all the main character and there are a lot interesting and diffrent things happened between them.

·      This character reminds me of myself because . . . 

Tris reminds me of myself because she is trying new things and taking new risks, and she also adapts pretty quickly to new things. 

Four reminds me of myself because he is always trying to keep Tris safe and make sure she does not make life threatening mistakes. I also try to make sure my friends are doing what is best for them. 

Cassia reminds me of myself because she is sporty and willing to leran new things.

The character Emily reminds me of myself because she is very sporty and fairly calm.

Martin reminds me of myself because he is kind and wise.

Beatrice reminds me of myself because she is willing to take risks to discover more of the world. She is curious and brave, and would put herself in harm's way just to find out about something.

Philip Molly reminds of me because in the beginning of the book, he said that he liked to hear "you should try the race! You will lead into a victory!" from his PE teacher. I love sports so I would love to hear that and also I have an experience of hearing those comments in my previous school and it made me sooooooo happy.

Jane Eyre reminds of me, because she never quite at problems, and also she is really breave.

·      I think this setting is important because . . . 

I think the setting of the book is important, since all of the factions have different acting people, you can live with people that are like you (although Tris is divergent, so she is different than most people)

I think the setting is important because if all the factions were not as intensly different, some of the activity would not be going on. If they were not as different, factions would have no reason to exist, therefor no activity such as war would happen. 

The setting is imortant because it shows how the society is almost perfect.

I think this stories setting is interesting becuase right now everthing is happening in a tent.

It shows how different countries behave differently. Some are corrupted, some are peaceful, others are living in poverty. 

The setting is inprotant because it is talks about how do they konw each other.

i think the setting is important because without the setting the reader would not understand the book. 

We, as humans in the modern era, have to make adjustments to our fishing tactics or else the oceans will be destryoyed.

The setting in my book is irrelevant to the story.

·      This scene reminds me of a similar scene in (title of book/movie/T.V. show) because .  Two other books come to mind.  One is the Perfect Storm, a book which I read about 10 years ago about fishermen who get lost at sea off of the coast of New England.  Both books mention the same fishing groudns.  One shows the importance of fishing to the economy, one shows the devastation certain types of fishing have on the ocean.  The second story is a story I like about the garden of Eden.  It is based on the fact that the "original sin" of mankind was when they learned to farm.  Agriculture, no longer having to rely simply on what was provided by God in Eden, was where mankind went wrong.  This book feel quite similar.  Fishing is okay, if you are doing it to feed yourself.  As soona s it became commercial, things went wrong.

This book reminds me of Diverget because in a society that is supposed to be perfect the characters are causing a disturbance in the society.

This scene reminds me of the tv episodes of pretty little liars because that is actually what this book is based off of.

It kinda reminds me of The Giver, how they live in different communities and thought of the rest of the world as "Outside the fence". 

What is the reading level of this book for you?

This book is pretty good for me!

This book is a little easy but still just right for me. 

 This book is a pretty advanced book becuase their is a lot of swearing.

 This book is just right for me.

 This book is just right for me

 This book is just right for me

I think this book is fine for a teenager like me. 

just right for me 

I think this book is just right for me. 

I think this book is just right for me.

How long do you think it will take you to complete the book?

Maybe a week more...

I am almost done and I started on saturday so maybe a week. 

Maybe 5 more days.

I finished it yesterday. 

In class? maybe a week or so.

A week? 

Maybe a week to two weeks.

maybe two more weeks 

Predict what will happen next.

I think A will do something horrible to Emily at the Foxy Ball.

About 3 more days.

I think Martin and his friends are going to discover their secret talents.

I think Beatrice will discover that her mother is still alive. 

I think on Jane?s second morning at Lowood will not be that good.

i think they will find a ay to solve the shift