Grace's English Blog

Hello, Sophia    I hope you are doing well. Do you remember me? Of course you would -maybe- we have the memory of Dory. Maybe I'll decorate my graduation cap with something that has to do with Dory. I will write this letter in hopes that in the next couple of years you can read it and remember what your 17 year old self thought. I will write this on May 3, 2024. In a couple of days I graduate, which to me is pretty scary. Part of me can't believe this is actually happening. I remember back in August I didn't think it was a big deal because in 2 months I'll be attending "school" again. But I guess it is actually different this time. I feel like from now on I have to learn to be more independent, Figuring stuff out on my own. Let's refresh your memory.     What I currently feel like is one of my big accomplishments is being able to graduate. There were times where I really doubted myself and just wanted to give up. Hopefully you can write a letter to me ...

 Today in class we read another poem by the same author. Although this poem was about eating plum, it only had 4 sentences. We had to read the poem as if it was a sticky note in a fridge. The writer was letting the reader know that it ate some plums from the fridge. The ending saying sorry but making an emphasis on how delicious the plants must've been. Which to me sounding like childish mocking. Like if this little problem was to two siblings. Although in class we haven't gone over much of this poet I feel like it would be good to know a little bit about him to try and understand why he chose this type of poetry and making better analysis of them. 

 Today in class we read over a poem about a red wheelbarrow and some chickens.  The first thing we did was write about 10 things that depend on. I was a little confused at first but then I got the idea. One of the themes was that everything is depended on something else. This poem was only 4 sentences and it was free verse with no rhythm schyme. When I read the red wheelbarrow I imagine a bright red a little kid would use in class. The white chickens a soft fluffy white from the chickens feathers. A red wheelbarrow would be helpful to farmers since they can have so much land, I feel like it would be easy to spot it. The first sentence says "so much depends on" the the next few lines are about the wheelbarrow and the chickens. So maybe the farmers rely so much on this wheelbarrow. I am curious if tomorrow we will read another poem by this same author or another writer. 

  Today in class we watched a video on a young mom earning minuim wage working in McDonalds in new york. She speaks on the challenges she has with paying rent and being able to buy food. Sometimes her manger asking her to clock out and she dosen't get a good pay check. She can't afford certian things like having a root canal because it has other steps like getting a implant later. Its not surpising but it is sad. It interest me where she must be now. Although at first glance it seems it would be good to buy frozen food that goes to in a microwave. If its easy to make so its consumed faster and then maybe there isn't enough money to guy buy more. While buying ingreidents from scratch like pasta and tomato's etc etc. Cooking homemade is much more healthier and the food can last you longer if its cooked well. I'm really grateful my parents never had to think how she does focusing on paying rent and then food. Thankfully we've been finanical stable with my moms job ...

 Today in class we hand another NewsEla to do. I did the one that for yesterday since I couldn't do it because my Chromebook was updating. That one talked about how tech in way is beneficial for jobs. The one for today talks about sneakers. The one that talks about tech its interesting but I stant in the middle. The article talks about how robots can take jobs away and this gives the opurtunity for humans to be creative. It also talks about how on social media the audience want more creativite content. The reason why I stand in the middle is because it will become difficult for the people who got there jobs taken away because of the machines. The one of today I'm not a good fan of sneakers, I just don't like how they look. My mom she has quiet alot of sneakers but now that if I tell her how bad they are for the environment. I didn't know shoes in general had so many steps to build, and how many synthetic material would be used to make them. Towards the end of the articl...

 Today in class we went over new content. The 3 different types of claims, fact, value and policy. The one I'm still not understanding was the first one I think the fact one. The one's I did find easy were value and policy. The one where you can claim a a change into something. I wrote on how school should start earlier so that students have the afternoon to themeselves. I have a friend who use to attend LHS and now he lives in gwinett and they start school around 6, and he gets home around 2. School dosen't that early and even still theres always so much traffic in this area. So by the time I get home I feel like I don't have time to do things that I need to do. But I'm so happy it's friday and now soon it'll be the weekend. 

  My spring break was okay. From saturday to monday I helped my mom with work, then tuesday I was able to stay home. I cleaned up the house, passed the vaccum, cleaned the bathrooms, cleaned up the kitchen. wednesday I went back to work but we left a bit early because my friend (david) and my brother are in the same soccer team. I wanted to go watch them play plus it was a special game, they had to win this past game to be able to play in a small tournament for a trophy. My brother did the first goal, then david did one. Since the game was special they went into pently and david did the "winning goal". So that was fun. Then thursday I stayed home again but I just chilled I didn't really do much. Friday I went back to work with my mom. That day was more tiring the days before, because a room was all ready for the older girl so we had to move stuff from her room upstairs to her room downstairs, and that house has a lot but alot of stairs. Then Saturday I went to the mall fo...

 Today in class we listened to our classmates presenting, about what they thought the theme was about "A devoted Son" as well what they thought. It's interesting seeing there connections to the story. The devoted son was a intersting story to me atleast. It seems like at first the parents were really proud of Rakesh and how far his come from a small village. But I just don't understand why Rakeshs father started to get towards the end when he was trying to keep his father healthy. It could have done how someone changes as they get older especially they can view life differently. I am glad that this the only thing we are doing this week, this way I can use friday morning to work on something for another class. 

 Today in class we had to answer some questions about our "culture". Mostly on what our parents view of us and perhaps our grandparents. One question was asking about how different expeactions our parents have for us then what there parents had in mind. Also on how the different generational values have changed. I wrote on how it has changed a bit. My grandparents would've wanted my mom and her sibling to go to university and pursue a career but they just didn't have money for it. They had to stay in the small town and help with the crops until most of them came to the US for a better life. So now my mom wants me to go to college even though I really don't want too. I'd rather start working now in some way, instead of studying for another 4 years maybe somehing I won't end up liking. Of course in life maybe you don't need a job you love because some way or another you need to pay the bills. But I'd rather start working now then feeling bad 4 years ...

 Today in class we took a test on Willaim Blake, and several of his poems talking about experience and innocence. I feel like I did pretty well. His poems a really complex, at first glance they seem simple and not that deep but they are. I really like most of his poems talking about innocence. Espeacially the one about the baby and the chimmney sweeper. How I see a new born as the most innocent thing ever, they can ruined so easily. The toddler I babysit she's 2 and she already has the bad habets of her older sister. Then with the chimmeny sweeper how they feel hope after a dream and go back to trying a live there life with how it is. Hopefully we keep reading more poems because love reading poems. To me there like paintings in a way, just with words if that makes sense. Theres always a deeper meaning that what you see. 

 Today in class we read another poem by william blake, this one also talks about child labor and a sorts of child abuse. where it seems the parents don't put there children first. Then aswell showing how not so innocent the child is. The soot of the chimney being expericene, and the snow being inocence. How the soot could be his clothes of death and the snow trying to  pull him back. Pushing away all of that experience and make him a child again. Since the poem again is as if the child was the speaker it also shows emphazes on showing how much the speaker wanted to be heard. Even though its a short poem it is deep. From what I know about God I know he does not go with abusing your own child, if anything he'd want those parents to take them to church and know about him. Aswell with the kid working, like cleaning up, picking up his toys, helping mom like bring the dishes from the dinner tabel to her while she washes them up, but he wouldn't go for it to the extent of the own ...

 Today in class we read a new poem by william blake. "The chimney Sweeper" this poem talks about how hard it but be to do labor as a child. Talking about not so innocent a child is doing such hard work. It changes in each stanza, with how innocent the child must be. Once the childeren have taken bathes in a way there innocence have returned but not fully. At the end of the poem the children accept in a way there life now. How they have work weather they like it or not, they have done something mentally to cope with their lifes now. Glady now in day its illegal to use children for hard labor. Since in many ways its alters the children. When I was a kid the most I'd do was clean up after myself, picking up my toys. 

 Today in class we read two other poems by William Blake, The main thing was about infants. One Poem talks about the joy and overall postive way when infants gets born. How joyful it is. The other poem talks about the sorrow, basically talking about how scary it can be to have a baby. For the baby being taken out of its home where its safe to the mom pushing it out trying to be strong then the dad being worried for both of them. Analyzing both poems. How most familys get so happy when seeing a new born and hearing there cries when coming into the new world. 

 Today in class we read two by william blake. The first question that we had was what is the difference between Innocence and Expericence. Then we read The lamb and The tyger. The lamb talks about who made the Lamb the speaker beinga child. The tyger talks about aswell why a tiger is the way that is and who made it. Before reading the tyger we looked at a picture of a tigers eyes. I felt like I didn't see anything dangerous, I saw old eyes not old as in age but eyes that have seen things, eyes with experience. Since the writer believed in god. So the lamb would be god and the tyger being satan. Its interesting how both poems have some similarites as too having a lot of questions. Knowing that god mad both but not intending the tiger to be the way that is now. 

 

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 Today in class we had to answer certain questions about our culture. Like certian problems we've faced, In one of the questions it askes goals we have to learn more about our culture and other cultures as well. For this question I wrote that I feel that in food someone can learn a lot about a different culture. With food its a dish that has been availibe for that area for a long time, so in a way theres a story behind every dish. As well as knowing more abouy my culture I wrote down going to central America. To learn about the natives before the spanish came to the land and the United States got involved. As well after going to Central America then visting Spain and learning about the spanish conquistodor. 

 Today in class we were given an assigement where we have to write a poem about our culture. I didn't write much at the beginning of class because I don't know that much of where my parents are from. I would like to encorporate about El salvadors history all I know besides that it was a really dangerous. So Today after school I will ask my mom a bit of SV history to show in my poem. My theme I want it to be how something small can turn into something big and succesful. I know SV has had its many tribulation of problems since spanish conquistoders came to that land. Now having the most best preisdent ever.  

 Today in class we reas another poem by Langston hughes, Harlem. This poem speaks about deferring a dream, putting a dream on hold. This poem was short by analyzing it it does speak about things that go into chasing your "dream" like motivation. How a rasin is once a grape. Then we had to fill out a chart about how we could chase our dream. A plan and as well knowing the obstacles we could come across in this plan. 

 Today in class we had a bellringer on what is means to be an American. I think as well as what it's like to be an American. How many people from other nations don't have that freedom to say that they want like we do. Here in America some poeple can say bad or negative things about the goverment while in other countries they can't. Those citzens get thrown into jail for these things. Then we read a peom by Langston Huges. Let America be America Again, is the title of the poem we are reading in class. It was an intersting poem. In junior year most of the poems I read in school were diffcult, having to analyis over and over. Having obsure emotions and the way the poems were set, and each writer having an odd life. But with this poem I like the way the words were put. There was a part in the poem where it went along the lines of letting America be something it hadn't been yet. Even though it's been some years since Mr.Hughes passed away. I still feel like the United St...