"Sleepy Hollow" story technique

I found that the story was very creative and imaginative.  The author makes me believe in the story and I am left wondering what happened to Ichibod Crane even though I wasn't believing that there was a headless horseman at first.  It is extremely descriptive in every detail of the story; the woods, the village,  describing exactly how Ichibod's physical body and clothing looked.  I could see how his features really looked in my mind.

In the end I just loved the all they found was the hat, saddle and the pumpkin haha, so spooky. ooooooo.

Initial Reaction to the note at the beginning of "Sleepy Hollow"

Right when i heard we were going to be reading something scary i was excited so i jumped right into this story. The note at the top of the story, which almost looked like a quote, intrigued me;
 

A pleasing land of drowsy head it was,
Of dreams that wave before the half-shut eye; And of gay castles in the clouds that pass, Forever flushing round a summer sky. CASTLE OF INDOLENCE.

I did not understand this that much at first at all. To me, its just talking about a person falling asleep into a very nice dream, and the fact that this is put at the begging of a supposed scary folk tale is interesting.

Vocab #8

flout- to openly disregard
"Whenever i speak i seam to be flouted in every conversation."
caveat- a notice or warning
"The police officer gave him a caveat after pulling him over for speeding."
blazon- to proclaim widely
"Blazon the very idea he dreaded."
filch- to steal casually      
"The girl snuck up to filch the wallet out of the mans pocket."
fractious- bad tempered; easily irritated 
"He behaved very fractious when he didn't get what he wanted."
equitable- fair or impartial
"My mother was equitable when it came to dividing up the pizza."
autonomy- self governing
"America gained their autonomy after they won the war against England."
addendum- in addition
"I grabbed another soda addendum to my coffee i was drinking."
amnesty- forgiveness for a pass offense
"After stealing my sandwich the day before, he replaced it with a new one, i gave him my amnesty."
axiomatic- self-evident; unquestionable
"The politician had an axiomatic position regarding his policies."
extricate- free from constraint or difficulty
"The bear extricated himself from the net after he was caught."
soporific- medicine inducing sleep
"The patient was given a soporific before going into her surgery."
scathing- critical or scornful
"The actor was given a scathing review after his performance in the play."
unwieldy- difficult to carry or move because of size
"The coal miner found the wheel barrow of heavy coal very unwieldy to move."
vapid- boring; not stimulating or challenging
"Watching golf on television can be very vapid at times." 
prognosticate- foretell a future event
"The fortune teller at the circus was quite prognosticate as she spoke about him."
sepulchral- gloomy or dismal
"Washington state has so many rainy days that people that live there must feel it is very sepulchral."
salutary- positive effect; beneficial 
"Graduating high school will hopefully be salutary on my life and future."
straitlaced- exaggeratedly proper
"The businessman of a rich corporation walked in the room very straitlaced and yet friendly."
scourge- a whip used as punishment
"In ancient times the workers were scourged into submission during their work."
precept- a rule used to regulate
"The office has many precepts to learn for each position." 
transient- impermanent 
"The temp agency only allows me to work for a transient period of time. "

Self Reliance

1. Discuss the meaning of the verse perceiving the essay.
We shouldn't ever not speak our minds if we think it not good enough.
2. What does Emerson mean by Self Reliance? Summarize major points.

3. Interpret the first sentence. "What does someone realize at the beginning of his/her education.
Realize what you already naturally know, and maybe what your capable of.
4. The eye was placed where one ray should fall that it might testify of that particular ray.
Be more comfortable with themselves and their answers about it.
5. What does Emerson mean by the divine idea that each of us represents? 
Individualism, each one of us has something to offer.
6. Explain the significance of the iron string, why do you think he didn't use silken, golden or silver?
Maybe iron is stronger, its not going to break. So Emerson is saying if you know you are not going to break...your not.
7. Define Transcendentalism.
Going above and beyond expectations.
8. Interpret the quote. "Society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of everyone of its members."
I think its talking about how society is always criticizing, and judging, and bullying its entire population. No one is ever good enough, no girl is ever skinny or pretty enough, no boy is ever super buff or hot enough.
9. Interpret the quote. "The virtue in most requests is conformity, reliance is its aversion.
Becoming independent.
10. Interpret the metaphor. "A foolish consistency is a hob goblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines."
That when you do something and get good results, people with power usually use that against you and abuse it.
11. Discuss the use of the simile. "Words as hard as cannon balls."
Words, and criticism is hard and hurtful.
12. Answer Emerson, paragraph of reaction toward essay. 

Ad Hominem

Tonight when I was at church, two of my friends were actually fighting over the rest of my monster enenergy drink. They then began to wrestle over it and they flung it in the air and it landed on the ground...waste of a great beverage D'x

Vocab #7

ad infinitum: infinity
The thought of ad infinitum gives me a headache.
 apportion: approval
* I need my moms approbation to get a piercing.
 bona fide: genuine 
 Romeos love for Juliet was bona fide.
buoyant: to keep afloat
* A boat must have bouyancy in order to float.
 clique:a small group of people who share the same interests
* You can find me with my clique in the Greek Theatre at lunch.
 concede:to admit
* i conceded to cheating on the test.
 congenial: pleasant personalities
* My friends are known to be verycongenial.
 lofty: proud
* My feelings towards my piano recital was lofty and content .
 migration: seasonal movement
* The ducks migrate every year.
 perceive: realization
 * After  studying the vocabulary it was easy for my to perceive the story of Young Goodman Brown.
 perverse: unacceptable behavior
*His manners were considered pervese at the resturant.
 prelude: introduction
 * Bach's perlude in C is a beautiful piano piece.
 rancid: unpleasent smell or taste
  * The milk became rancid
rustic: simplicity
 *The design of the house gave it a rusticcomplement.
 sever: break off
* She severed all ties with her mother after the abuse
 sordid: unethical
 * Murder is an unethical crime
 untenable: indefensible
 * His crimes were severely untenable 
 versatile: able to adapt
 * You have to be versatile to join the military 
 vindicate: defend or justify
 * She chose to vindicate her rights and start a petition 
 wane: decline
 *His grades began to wane as his study habits grew weaker

Midterm study stradegy

MONDAY: Get all words and definitions available for day to day review. Begin studying today.

TUESDAY: About every hour or so glance at words from the first two lists the entire day, the. At night really study all words and definitions.

WEDNSEDAY: Continue what I did Tuesday only with te next two lists of words.

THURSDAY: Continue what I did Tuesday and Wednesday only with the rest of the words. When home really study hard ALL words and definitions for test tomorrow morning.

FRIDAY: *Before I take the test* PRAY TO GOD I PASS BECAUSE JASMINE SAID SHED GIVE ME A CUPCAKE IF I GET A B- OR BETTER!!!!!!!

I Walk Alone I Walk Alone

I was requested to take a walk alone. So that's exactly what i did. No Ipod, or anything. While starting this walk i just took a quick look around me, then down to my feet and began my 45 minute thinking venture around my neighborhood.

For the first 5 or 10 minutes i was just looking all around at my surroundings. Looking down at the sidewalk, observing the cracks, weeds and bugs surrounding everything. Then looking at the bushes and trees, admiring the houses to the very well kept, to the abandoned druggy houses. To me they are all one big definition of our little ol' Santa Maria. Everything i see has true history behind all the people that live and have lived here and the effect they left behind.

Then for the rest of the walk i was just thinking about me. What i really meant, what my purpose was for this Earth...I'm a junior in high school and i still have absolutely no clue what career path i want to pursue for the rest of my life. It makes me scared, and sad...but mostly confused. I think about it everyday, talking to my friends and they all seem like they really have it figured out. What am i doing wrong here.

Then finally i see my house again, guess that's the end of my walk alone.

Romanticism Websites

In this first website, I found that it talked about mainly how romanticism was founded, and how much of an affect it was on the early ages of society. check it

This second website explains the art in romanticism, mainly with French and British influences.check this too!

The third website is my favorite, it defines romanticism and explains what really is in play when you read a "romantic" poem. Also how historians have been arguing over the true meaning of romanticism.CLICK

To conclude i belive these three websites could clasify as romanticism, it defines what it is. Gives great examples. They tell the true history behind it, and can benefit a lot to those who have no clue what romanticism really is.

Dream within a dream reaction paragraph

The first paragraph of the poem to me is talking about how he loved this women so dearly, he didn't want to say goodbye to his love, and that the love was so unimaginable it seemed like it was all just a dream to begin with.

The second paragraph was talking about how he is sitting on the beach alone weeping for his lost love, and as he tries to grasp the grains of sand, he can't keep them from going back into the ocean. I think he feels that if he can't even keep the sand in his grasp, how can he possibly keep his one true love in his arms.

first post

hi.