Beckett's American Literature Blog

Prompt: Reflect on a time when you paused to appreciate the beauty of nature, much like the speaker in  “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.”  Where were you, what did you notice, and how did that moment of stillness make you feel or change your perspective? Prompt Response:  A time where I paused to appreciate the beauty of nature, much like the speaker in "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" is when I was riding my bicycle by myself at twilight. One day I decided I was going to go for a casual bike ride behind my dad's condo. It was twilight, and so the sky was getting darker as the clouds loomed ominously overhead. I felt the wind blow by and it was all around quite peaceful. The stillness and movement made me feel quite tranquil, and almost as if nothing else really mattered at all. From this experience I learned that nature can calm the soul in ways that other man-made remedies cannot. Summary: Today we worked on a one pager based off a random poem we received in...

Prompt: In the poem, the speaker and his neighbor meet each year to repair a wall. Describe a time when you had to set or respect a boundary with a friend, family member, or classmate. How did it help or hurt your connection with that person? Prompt Response:  One time I had a friend in elementary school who did not respect personal space at all. He would constantly hit or be really close to people even when they told him to stop repeatedly. I remember one day, after a bit of his antics I finally stopped and practically yelled for him to stop. After that, things got better and we were able to move on from that. All in all, I learned then communication and boundaries are key into setting healthy relationships. Summary: Today in class we completed a virtual assignment in the absence of our teacher. Reflection:  I found the poem to be very elucidating, as it showed just how blindly followed traditions can harm people. I think this is very relevant to real life, where people are f...

  Prompt: Both poems by Robert Frost explore the passage of time and life’s changing moments. Write about a time when something in your life changed more quickly than you expected. How does this experience connect to Frost’s idea that “Nothing gold can stay”? Prompt Response:  One time in my life where things changed much more quickly than I expected was when I had to move houses. At the time, my mother was renting, and one day she received a notice from the landlord, Andy, that we had to move out so he could move in. My mother was furious, as on top of this, he gave almost no time for us to move and find a new house. Eventually, we had to temporarily move into my grandmother's house, which was quite stressful for multiple reasons. After a while, she found a condo that worked and was able to move us all there. Overall, the experience was really stressful, and showed me just how fast life can change. Summary: Today we read two poems named "Nothing Gold Can Stay" and "...

Prompt: As we think about our upcoming Vocabulary Monday, tell me what is your favorite word RIGHT NOW? Why is it your favorite word and how often do you use it?  Prompt Response:  I think that my favorite vocabulary word right now is chaff. I find this word to be quite funny, just because of its definition being worthless matter. In my comic there was a moment the main character called someone chaff, and although that may not be the correct usage, I still find it quite comedic. I think I'll try to incorporate this word in dialogue that is either nonsensical or having to do with agriculture. Overall, I find the vocabulary to be quite flavorful, and look forward to incorporating more of it into my works. Summary: Today, we continued to work on our presentation projects themed around the poem "Birches." Reflection:  I think my presentation reflects my childhood in a fairly accurate way, although there are some details I did leave out. Overall, I found this project to be rat...

In  “Birches,”  Robert Frost celebrates imagination as a way to escape life’s difficulties and reconnect with innocence. The speaker wishes to “get away from earth awhile” but also understands that he must eventually return to reality. Think about the role of imagination in your own life. How does imagination help you cope with challenges, boredom, or stress?  Prompt Response:  I feel imagination and fantasy play a very big role in my life for a variety of reasons. It helps me better understand the world by manipulating or representing information in different ways within my head. It also allows for the expression and transmission of ideas or thoughts with art, and through this I am able to better understand myself and what I'm experiencing emotionally and mentally. Overall, imagination is a vital tool for myself and others and I really could not imagine a world without it. Summary: Today we read the poem "Birches" by Robert Frost and started a presentation project r...

  Prompt: After reading  “Out, Out—”  by Robert Frost, reflect on a time when you faced a dangerous or high-pressure situation that demanded your complete focus. What made the situation risky, and how did your concentration affect the outcome? Prompt Response:  One time I faced a dangerous and high-pressure situation that demanded all my focus was when I was rock climbing. There are certain facilities around Atlanta that have huge artificial rock climbing walls that you can scale with the help of someone else who is there to belay you. Belaying is the process where the rope a climber is attached to is tightened or loosened via a small mechanism. Doing this requires utmost dedication, as if you mess up once someone could fall and really get hurt. One time I was belaying someone at a camp in one of these climbing facilities and they were going much faster than I could keep up. I really had to focus, as one gap in my concentration would lead to an excess of slack and wo...

   Prompt: What did you do over fall break? Prompt Response:  I found my fall break to be quite enjoyable as I did quite a variety of different things. For the first half of the break, my father, brother, and I all took a trip to Florida where we visited family and friends. During this time we also took in the nature the state had to offer, which was quite diverse and unique compared to that of Georgia. The second half of my break was more relaxed, which was good as I needed to time to recover from the trip and school. One day I went to a haunted house, which was quite spooky, but overall I found it to be enjoyable. My fall break was quite good this year, and I hope the next few breaks will live up to it. Summary:  Today, we started an activity revolving around vocabulary lesson four, that involves us creating comics. Reflection:  I think that my comic is coming along quite well, although it may not have the artistic quality one might hope for. I find it quite d...

  Prompt: How do you find time to enjoy your day, even when you have a lot going on? Write about at least three specific things you do to enjoy small moments throughout your day. Prompt Response:  Even when I'm quite busy in a day, there are some small moments that help get me through it. One of these activities is drawing, and although I'm not very good (yet), even doodling just a little helps me calm down. Another is drinking water and or getting a small snack, as usually when I'm frustrated or angry, a small break or bite can help focus myself. The final activity is either listening to music or watching a variety of media on my computer. This I often do at home, and helps especially after a long or stressful day at school. Overall, I have developed a multitude of strategies over my schooling career that allow me to cope with the stresses of daily life. Summary: Today we worked more on our argumentative paragraphs and got ready for the break. Reflection:  I came in late...

Prompt: Describe a time when someone’s words had a lasting impact on you.   Prompt Response:  One instance where someone's words had a lasting impact on myself was the time my mother announced my great grand father died. That day my brother, father, and I all's were coming home from some sort of event, when my mother was standing at the door. That whole morning I knew something was off, just from the way she was acting. She told us she needed to tell us something serious, and we all sat down in the living room attentively. Eventually got the words out that he died, and we all sat there crying for a good while. That was the first time I believe someone of importance to me died, and the words/experience overall allowed me to grasp what death is at a young age. Summary: Today, we worked more on our paragraphs for the text "Ambush," and we took notes over formal and informal language. Reflection:  I found the assignment to be relatively easy, and I hope to get a better g...

  Prompt: Write about a moment when you had to step out of your comfort zone.  Prompt Response:  One time I had to leave my comfort zone was when I went to nature club without any of my friends. Usually, in any club or social gathering I have a friend to talk to, but this one time I was alone due to said friend being in theater. Although I was uncomfortable at first, when we started picking up trash it didn't really matter, and it wasn't as bad as I thought. At the end, I just went home as normal and recorded my volunteer hours. I feel like I'm a bit too dependent on my friends socially, and so I'm glad I was put out there to help break me out of this mindset. Summary:  Today we went over an assignment over another text about the horrors of war. Reflection:  I found the text to be quite impactful as well as exemplary in the depiction of regret. I myself find that in no circumstance it's OK to kill another being, and there's always a diplomatic solution.

  Prompt:  Write about a dream that felt real.  Prompt Response:  One dream I had that felt fairly real was actually a lucid dream. A lucid dream, if you didn't know, is a dream that you can consciously control to some degree. In this dream, I was in a sprawling field that was quite picturesque, under a blue sky. At some point, I realized I was in fact dreaming, and was then able to fly around the landscape. All in all, it was quite fun, and I'm glad that I was able to experience a lucid dream as many have not.  Summary: Today, we compiled words found in lesson three in the workbook and completed an assignment on the platform "NewsELA." Reflection:  I was able to copy the words down rather quickly, and I found myself already able to understand many of said words. The NewsELA assignment was a little confusing, as I didn't know which sections I was supposed to do, but eventually I figured it out. I do regret however starting my claim with "I believe," as I...

  Prompt:  Write about something you’ve always been curious about. Prompt Response:  One thing that I've always been curious about is what lies at the bottom of the ocean. I've always been fascinated by animals and the natural world in general, but the creatures in the oceans have always been especially intriguing to me. The fact that we know more about the vast expanse of space than we know about our own planet has also always been a factor in my curiosity. Really anything could be at the bottom, strange geologic formations, new species, even much stranger things... At the same time however, I sometimes think it's better to leave it undiscovered, as I don't want humans to damage untouched ecosystems. Summary: Today we finished our argumentative paragraph based on a prompt we chose yesterday. Reflection:  I think I did fairly well on my paragraph and I hope I get a good grade on it. I found the topic t o be quite interesting and I enjoyed researching the theory of mu...

  Prompt:  Write about the best gift you have received.  Prompt Response:  I think that the best gift I've every received has to be my computer. When I was a lot younger, I always worked and played on a very old laptop that overheated to the point where it hurt to touch. While I dealt with this ancient machine, my much younger brother received a brand new laptop specifically for playing games, which he preceded to only play Roblox on. This made me quite annoyed and a little mad due to the fact that I was still stuck struggling to run the most basic of games while he got to play absolutely everything perfectly. However either on my birthday or Christmas, I was finally gifted a newer laptop which remedied the issue. All in all, I think I should've been a bit less jealous back then and accepted that I probably would have gotten a new one at some point. I should've also been a bit more grateful for what I had, as I had many friends that only had iPads. Summary: Today, we...