How To Read A Poem

    • Read the poem out loud. This is because your brain can pick up more information when listening rather than thinking, active/passive learning. (Yakich)
  1. Look up vocabulary you don’t know to get a better grasp of what the poem is about. (Yakich)
  2. Don’t expect a poem to be incredibly life-changing. Enjoy it for what it is. (Yakich)
  3. Learn how lines and line stops sound when reading a poem. (Academy of American Poets)
  4. 900+ Book Art & People Reading ideas | book art, reading, reading artApproach a poem without any prior preconceived ideas. This way you can create ideas while reading the poem without that analysis getting blocked by prior judgments. (Academy of American Poets)
  5. Find out who the poem is addressed to and who the speaker is. (Academy of American Poets)
  6. recognize if sound an important, active element of the poem. (Academy of American Poets)photo

 

 

 

 

 

Protagonist Brainstorm

Protagonist Brainstorm

 

What does your protagonist want? My protagonist wants freedom to act in the way he wants without the fear of being killed or caught by the government. The protagonist lives on the south Mexican/American border and if she crosses into Mexico she will have freedom. 
What obstacles stand in your protagonist’s way? The obstacles that stand in the protagonist’s way are the monarch butterflies that are around and constantly tracking and monitoring its citizens in case they go against the rules. 
Specific Characteristics of your protagonist (appearance, special skills/abilities, knowledge) Appearance: Brown skin, hair, and eyes. Has roots in Mexico. 

Knowledge: Her grandmother was from Mexico (but crossed in and out of the US) before the US’s civil war. After the war the authoritarian government came into power. The government leads with an iron fist and doesn’t have any tolerance for people who bend the rules.

Skill/Abilities: She doesn’t have any special skills or abilities other than she is a smart girl and is determined to live a free life. 

Fahrenheit 451: Mildred

Mildred reflects all the qualities of a citizen of a dystopic society. She is very easy to control and is fearful of the government. She also conforms to uniform social expectations. Additionally she doesn’t have any original thoughts and only looks at what’s placed right in front of her, she doesn’t wonder about the past or the world outside of her small bubble. She is also a perfect person for government manipulation, which is a common theme in dystopic novels. Another quality that she reflects that is a reoccurring theme, is that she lives in a dehumanized state. An example of this when Mildred overdosed on sleeping pills and essentially kills herself. Image result for fahrenheit 451 pictures mildred overdoseWhen she is taken to the hospital, she is treated without urgency. On page 13 when Montag asked the people working at the hospital why they didn’t send an MD because this was an emergency, they reply with, “”Hell!” the operator cigarette moved on his lips. “We get these cases nine or ten a night…””. This implies that the situation of people overdosing happens all the time, to a point where it isn’t an emergency anymore. When Montag tells her about what she did the next day, she reacts in an unconcerned way and downplays the severity of the situation. This shows how desensitized the citizens of this society are and how Mildred reflects all the qualities of a citizen of a dystopic society.

Picture: Flikr, “English Exam Review”, Quizlet,