Mr. Kolade’s 8th grade English Weblog

Take your time, and read the following poem and answer the questions below it. (Read it multiple times if you have to.)

To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time

Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,
Old Time is still a-flying:
And this same flower that smiles to-day
To-morrow will be dying.

The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun,
The higher he’s a-getting,
The sooner will his race be run,
And nearer he’s to setting.

That age is best which is the first,
When youth and blood are warmer;
But being spent, the worse, and worst
Times still succeed the former.

Then be not coy, but use your time,
And while ye may, go marry:
For having lost but once your prime,
You may for ever tarry.

- Robert Herrick

- What is this poem about? What is the speaker saying to the reader? How does this poem relate to the poem you just received in class (’Days’)?

(There are links to words you might not completely understand. Note that marry does not necessarily mean what you think it does today.)

How does the title of the poem (“Nietzsche’s Horse”) play into the meaning of the poem? Does this change what you initially thought of the poem? What is the speaker of the poem trying to do and why?

As a teenanger, do you agree with what he is trying to do? Would you do the same to your own kids in the future?

Nietzsche’s Horse

Here is your opportunity to ask questions that you might want to be answered and have some of your fellow classmates answer them in preparation for your test on Wednesday.

To start, here is a question from Maya:

Mr. Kolade, What are the concepts, symbols, and ideas that you want us to know for “Super Toys Last all Summer”?

Just in case you thought that you might be clever and not turn in your paper tomorrow because you don’t have 4th period, I just want to let you know that it will be marked LATE. The assignment is due on the 20th, unless I have told you otherwise. I expect to have the papers dropped in the box, regardless of whether you have class or not. Those have been the rules for the entire year and they have not changed now. Feel free to alert your friends to this as well.

Just thought about this as I awoke from my much needed nap….

From what you know so far, how would the major characters in the book (Beatty, Clarisse, Mildred and Montag) get along in our society? In our modern society of music videos, reality television, and MySpace, how would they do? What would they think?

I’m actually quite excited to see what you guys come up with.

If you were wondering how Ray Bradbury came up with the book, here’s an interesting video interview with the author. He explains how he came up with the names, the themes, and even some of the technology. (He also claims to have invented a number of things because of this book.)

He seems like a fairly interesting guy. What do you think?

Let you alone! Thats all very well, but how can I leave myself alone? We need not to be let alone. We need to be really bothered once in a while. How long is it since you were really bothered? About something important, about something real? (52)

- Montag

Montag says this to Mildred after the traumatic experience with the old woman burning herself. Why does he say this to her? What does he mean by this? Do you think that he has a point?
Do you agree with this statement and is it good to be bothered? Why or why not?

Here is a list of the 100 most challenged books from 1990 - 2000. (From the American Library Association) Hopefully you note that many of the books that some of you have read are on there (including some for school). When looking at the list, think about who would want these books to be banned and why would they want them banned?

Is this any different from what is happening in Fahrenheit 451? And what does this say about our society?

What do you think about some of your books being challenged? Should they be?
(Take a look around the ALA site… there are a lot of interesting things related to censorship)

Many of you may not know to just what extent aspects of your lives are being censored. I know that a number of you use ‘MySpace’ and love it. But how many of you know that even this popular site that is “committed to protecting the rights of its users and respecting their right to express [themselves],” keeps you from certain things? (MySpace Sued For Mass Censorship)

Should this be allowed? Should people be able to see whatever you want? Or should certain companies and in some cases, countries, be able to determine what people should be able to say, speak, or hear for their own protection? Which is worse, the fact that companies censor or that countries censor, or are they the same? In addition, should companies (Yahoo, Google, etc.) work with countries in censoring materials?

Here’s an article on countries that censor their citizens and the people that are trying to fight it. (Online Protest Targets 13 Nations…) What do you think?

There are a number of questions here to answer and discuss. Read the articles and answer any or all of the questions… Or just discuss how you feel about the idea of censorship in general.

In response to Blair’s comment…

Butterflies appear to be considered, by many of you, symbols of beauty and such… I agree with this. But couldn’t it also represent creativity?  And if it does, how does that make sense considering what happened to their new society?

Feel free to respond to this or any of the other questions in the other post.