Post #3: Poetry Benchmark Essay & Reflection

Prompt:

The following poem is by the sixteenth-century English poet George Gascoigne. Read the poem carefully. Then write an essay in which you analyze how the complex attitude of the speaker is developed through such devices as form, diction, and imagery.



Essay:

 In English poet George Gascoigne's poem, he recounts to a nameless woman his feelings of despair through his usage of literary techniques. His tone is laced with adoration for this woman, but the adoration is coupled with betrayal and negativity. Gascoigne includes metaphors of trapped animals and insects to figuratively display his attitude towards the woman. He depicts the mouse in a pathetic, pitiful manner expressing that while the mouse had previously broken free, it is aware o the traps that befall it. Its awareness, however, arises a sense of distrust for its surroundings, living in fear, and thus, returning to a trapped life. This imagery stands as a metaphor for Gascoigne and his relationship with the woman. His attitude is layered with elements of fear--his grief after his pain with the woman separates him from comfort. His infatuation with her places him in a state of confinement , similar to that of the mouse--toying with physical and emotional imprisonment. The diction included in Gascoigne's poem reflects his attitude through paradoxical descriptions. He mentions that "whereby I learn that grievous is the game/Which follows fancy dazzled by desire." His choice to articulate "dazzled by desire" appears mysterious and taboo, but is also positive in nature. However, connected to the previous phrase "grievous is the game", Gascgoine intentionally shifts the meaning. His word choice and their placement develop an eerie attachment to his poem. The inclusion of such lines illustrates his attitude towards the woman and their encounters--while blissful and enticing, they are draped with toxicity and pain, contributing to his attitude of hopelessness and distrust. In the conclusion of the poem, Gascoigne showcases alliteration in his final sentence--highlighting the intensity of his pain. He expresses that the woman's gaze has fueled his misery, thus he bows his head to escape contact. The lines' repetition of one letter presents a profound end to the poem, exemplifying his attitude through the distress in his words. The

 Reflection:

 Based on the prompt, I was asked to write an essay where you analyze the complex attitude of the speaker in George Gascoigne's poem, and how his complex attitude is developed through such devices as form, diction, and imagery.
 My ability to properly analyze the tone of the piece, articulate a response that is persuasive and consistent, with textual references that are relevant and concise.
 I scored my essay with a 4 due to the rubric's guidelines. While I demonstrate sporadic unique word choice, I offer "an adequate analysis of the poem" which may be partial. My most significant issue is that I did not address a complexity of the speaker, and any points that I made within my essay are not complex thought. I did not solely rely on paraphrase but my "conventions of composition" appear weak. I believe that in order to improve, I need to expand and fully grasp the identification of complexity, how to focus on it in an essay, and how to make my own analysis complex as well. For shifts, I believe I can easily identify them when annotating the piece, however, I struggle with incorporating them into my essay.

Two strategies that I have just learned that would benefit me in the future is the shifts charts and the thematic statements.
I believe that to help me improve I would need more review over complexity, and the three sentence thesis/more info on how to formulate a proper thesis without it sounding robotic or vague.

Ms. Wilson scored this essay as a 4, corresponding to the score that I gave myself. Based on my meeting with her, I discovered that my theses/points discussed were not developed in my essay. She remarked that my essay held a good academic tone and a great initial articulation of complexity, but that it was missing a further, deepened analysis of it.

Post #2: Design Justification

I believe this blog should personify my character and embrace my style both professionally and personally. Through intentional color schemes and pleasing fonts, I coordinated my blog layout to match my creativity, ambition, and thought processes. My background is a watercolor image of flowers, the simplistic art that watercolors allude and the peaceful sense from the flowers work well together as a platform for my work. The background withholds various shades of blue which ¨stimulate clear thought...calm the mind and aid concentration” (“Psychological Properties of Colors). The majority of my blog is painted with hues of blue and purple, but there is also a minute pigment of yellow, a color which “can also be associated with mental clarity and intellect” (“Color Meaning and Symbolism”). All of the elements in my blog layout contribute to its overall tone and the themes that I will aim to convey in my work.

Post #1: Tell Me One Thing PPT