English - Culminating Project

1. JAN 15 2024 MAYA BENO ENG2D Mr. BURNS The Falcon Times Soaring into Literature A deep dive into the high school language journey. n The Works of Shakespeare: Julius Caesar Power of Rhetorical Language Exploring Censorship

2. TABLE of contents Poetry and Advertising 03 An exploration into the literary devices connecting them Fahrenheit 451 07 The elements and themes that shape the timeless classic Julius Caesar 09 Rhetorical language and symbols that hold their significance centuries later Canadian Short Stories 11 A dive into the works of Canadian writers and the insight it provides readers today Closing Thoughts 13 A student’s perspective of the year in literature 1

3. The Falcon times Literature ENG2D Mr. Burns 2

4. Poetry ADVERTISING & Between these two fundamental forms of expression and communication lie hidden similarities and connections. My Maya Beno 3

5. breaking down Structure To explore different types of poetry, you must first become familiar with the various layers of its structure. Poetry is complicated, rich with thematic content and symbols, and extremely unique to both the person crafting it and the one experiencing it. However, there are a number of key similarities throughout the genres, and many lie in the distinct poetry styles and characteristics. Unit 1 While Milton is generally most recognized for his greatly influential blank verse and epic poetry, including Paradise Lost, he had written a sparse collection of sonnets before his passing. “When I Consider How My Light Is Spent” by is a poem about Milton’s transition into becoming blind (it is thought that it was written in the early years of his vision loss in the early 1650s ). The main idea centers around his contemplation of such a loss just halfway through his life. He asks himself in the first stanza how he can be expected to support himself in his livelihood without the ability to write (many consider this ironic today, as he created his famous Paradise Lost after this period). Throughout the poem, Milton’s use of rhyme scheme and meter adeptly support his thoughts and theme. 5

6. Rhyme Scheme Rhythm & Flow Meter “When I Consider How My Light Is Spent” When I consider how my light is spent, Ere half my days, in this dark world and wide, And that one Talent which is death to hide Lodged with me useless, though my Soul more bent To serve therewith my Maker, and present My true account, lest he returning chide; “Doth God exact day-labour, light denied?” I fondly ask. But patience, to prevent That murmur, soon replies, “God doth not need Either man’s work or his own gifts; who best Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best. His state Is Kingly. Thousands at his bidding speed And post o’er Land and Ocean without rest: They also serve who only stand and wait.” This sonnet follows the rhyme scheme of ‘ABBAABBA CDECDE’. Unlike Shakespearean sonnets, it is classified as a Petrarchan sonnet, which divides its 14 lines into one octave and one sestet. Often, this type of rhyme scheme is used to separate the poem into two distinct viewpoints or speakers, in order to compare the two or have them in discussion. Petrarchan sonnets can have multiple variations of this rhyme scheme (usually changing only the closing sestet), such as ‘ABBAABBA CDCDCD’. As a classic sonnet, the poem is in the form of iambic pentameter. This is when each line contains ten syllables grouped into 5 ‘feet’, each foot consisting of one unstressed and one stressed syllable. ‘And post o’er Land and Ocean without rest:’ The choice of Petrarchan stanzas and rhyme scheme introduces a method of portraying two opposing speakers/voices/views to the subject in each stanza. In Petrarchan sonnets, there is often a turn or volta which presents a shifting of the poet’s thoughts. The two viewpoints could be seen as the speaker’s and ‘patience’s’ (another side of himself answering his supposedly foolish fears). Furthermore, Milton utilizes enjambment – run-on sentences between lines in poetry. For example, despite the volta usually being located at the start of the ninth line leading into the sestet, Milton places it in the middle of the eighth line and has it run on into the next. In this case, it could be interpreted as the discovery of an answer or solution to his problem sooner than he had expected. All the literary, structuring, styling, and rhyme scheme choices contribute to a well-paced and rhythmic poem that conveys a deeper message of life and purpose, through the eyes of its author. While this pattern may flow less evenly compared to many Shakesperean sonnets, more lines of text are able to be interconnected directly, due to the lengthened stanzas. In addition, the iambic pentameter helps provide a sense of order and rhythm to the words; 6

7. Parallels to Advertising In advertising, specific types of persuasive language are utilized. These include logos, ethos, and pathos, which are instrumental to convincing an audience of something, or to sway them to your side. Unit 1 Logos The use of information and data in this form is referred to as “statistical reasoning” – a very common and effective method of logical persuasion. One reason it is employed so often is because it presents a seemingly unbiased approach to an issue or situation, allowing an audience to feel more comfortable in drawing their own conclusions (as a persuasive technique, the statistics provided may often be tailored to supporting only one perspective of an argument, and therefore the resulting judgments will reflect it). 7

8. Deep Dive: Advertisement creation In this hands-on collaborative project, students are tasked with the intriguing challenge of creating an impactful advertisement for a selected product or service, utilizing the core principles of ethos, pathos, and logos. Students will immerse themselves in roles such as Research Analyst, Creative Director, Content Writer, and Project Manager, each playing a pivotal part in the advertisement's development. By Maya Beno 9

9. This advertisement combined themes from Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” and a fictional shoe company to create a promotion for running shoes. 10

10. FAHRENheit Through the Lens 451 social class. As readers begin to form an image of Bradbury’s dystopian world throughout the first chapter, it is not difficult to discern its own stark differences between the varying classes in its societal hierarchy. Among the pages of a fictional world with fictional characters, an author’s personal reality is often the scaffolding that supports their imagination. In many instances, the novel draws from ideas like Marxism pertaining to these issues and social commentaries. The same insurmountable leaps between the characters’ hierarchies effectively shape how the story unfolds. In addition to providing a historically relevant theme to the readers of the 1950s, Bradbury presents a means for them to observe how social position plays a role in Montag’s situation and development. Evidently belonging to the working class (proletariat), his position is provided a direct contrast in the form of Beatty’s (the privileged bourgeoisie). The class conflict also relates to the Marxist ‘hierarchy’, in which the bourgeoisie are dependent on the working class to lift their pedestal high above their own. Unit 2 Had Fahrenheit 451 been inspired by any other point in time, its criticism of society would unsurprisingly maintain its relevance. Power struggles, hunger for economic success, and the unbalanced prioritization of issues have always marred the so-called utopias of human history. One common shortcoming in these societies is the disparities in 11

11. Here, you can place a caption for the photo. It can be a short description or it can credit the production team. A utopia sunk too far into its reach for utter equality, the world of Fahrenheit 451 demonstrates that a wholly perfect society is only a mask for the corruption and forced conformity underlying it – one which will inevitably peel away, as it did for Montag. The possession of knowledge is clearly how the government maintains power in Bradbury’s world; books are incinerated, roads have minimum speed limits to prevent people from truly seeing their surroundings, and schools impose obtuse memorization rather than prompting individual exploration from almost as soon as a child is able to speak. Accordingly, with each decrease in social class, citizens have less and less means to be aware and educated. In a revelation for both the readers and Montag, Captain Beatty reveals that he is well-read and knowledgeable on how their society has transformed. However, it is his firm belief that books are a disease to their people, threatening social order and spreading discord throughout the world. He continued to be a symbol of personal authority for Montag. Throughout the first chapter, readers of the novel have an aerial view of how these constrictions impact the relationships between the characters. “Someone’s written a book on tobacco and cancer of the lungs? The cigarette people are weeping? Burn the book.” Cpt. Beatty 12

12. By Maya Beno and EXPLORING Canadian Short Stories "The Lamp at Noon" by Sinclair Ross is a powerful and emotional short story set during the era of the Dust Bowl. It vividly portrays the struggles of a farming family dealing with the harsh realities of dust storms and economic hardship. The story focuses on the tension between a husband, who is determined to stay and work the land, and his wife, who desperately wants to leave for the sake of their child's future. This narrative powerfully explores themes of pride, desperation, environmental challenges, and the strain these elements place on human relationships and mental health. The New Oxford Book of Canadian Short Stories was praised as a “world-class anthology” of some of the most powerful and ingrained works in literature by Canadian authors. 13

13. "It's the hopelessness—going on— watching the land blow away," she tells him. The farming family featured in the story is comprised of the husband, Paul, who refuses to release his dream of a farming life despite years of drought; the wife, Ellen, who feels caged and vulnerable in her own home; and the couple’s baby, caught between his parents’ differences. Paul and Ellen’s countless attempts to communicate with the other are fruitless and hurtful, and her husband’s obliviousness to her struggles continue to quickly fray Ellen’s stability. The dust storm is not only a parasite to their livelihoods, but to their minds as well, stirring their emotions and peace. Early in the short, the two exchange a series of dialogue that will ultimately foreshadow the conclusion to their conflict. Ellen states, “"I'm so caged—if I could only break away and run." The land, symbolizing the state of their marriage, is ravaged, bleak, and barren. The storm raging outside their home is an embodiment of the conflict raging between them. Other smaller symbols in “The Lamp at Noon” include the horses Paul finds himself relaxing around - his faith and comfort in nature - and red sky Ellen looks toward at the story’s resolution - her view of their future. Subsequently, Paul is not only unable, but unwilling to understand his wife. His outlook on the “weakness of a woman” paired with his unbreaking faith in nature is ultimately his downfall, and drives his wife to flee with their child. By the time he finally opens his eyes to the reality of their lives, and returns home, he is too late. Reaching his only family out in the storm, he finds that Ellen has gone mad from the experience and that their baby is now dead. Their stances are now inverted - Ellen builds an illusion of a hopeful life for them, while Paul has teared his down until only a mute horror has remained. At the exposition to the story, Ellen lights a lamp at midday. While a seemingly innocent action, the light now symbolizes both hope and hopelessness at the same time, and her desperation that led her needing light during the brightest part of day. “The Lamp at Noon” allows for an in- depth character analysis and thematic discussions. the story also provides an opportunity for an exploration of its symbols and irony. Together, the story is, at once, hopeful and heartbreaking, with many faces to consider. 14

14. By Maya Beno Themes and Symbolism The novel is packed with meaningful symbols that further add to the relevant themes and character aspects portrayed. Books 01 The books in the fictional dystopia of Fahrenheit 451 are a symbol of the lingering knowledge, free will, and humanity. To Montag, books give him the curiosity and courage to change the course of his life. Their government has recognized the power knowledge gives its people, and will go to great lengths to prevent its spread. "There must be something in books, things we can't imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house." Fire 02 The fire is a means to destroy both the physical books and the right to individual thought throughout their society. The destructive side of fire is represented through characters like Captain Beatty and their hunt for those harbouring books. The controlled, knowledgeable side of the symbol is manifested through the voluntary actions of those like the woman who lights herself on fire to protect her values. 15

15. The Phoenix 03 Used first as a symbol of the firemen Montag belongs with, its representation shifts as Montag’s character does. Much like a phoenix rises from is own ashes, Montag later is also reborn and works towards the rebirth of his society - one built on knowledge and freedom. Technology & Mass Media 04 Technology represents the central issues with Montag’s society in the novel, supporting the levels of ignorance and numbness permeating in their communities. This effect is seen through characters like Montag’s apathetic wife Mildred, and is provided a direct foil to by characters like Clarisse. Individual vs. Societal Harmony 05 Where some modern societies feel it is crucial to the prosperity of future generations to enrich the individuality and critical minds of their youth, Fahrenheit’s government is a constant snuff of the candle of its people’s thoughts and rebellious sentiments. 16

16. SPEECHES in Julius Caesar Shakespeare’s works are undoubtedly overflowing with examples of profound and recognizable quotations. His penned speeches in Julius Caesar, however, are among the most famous lines he left to worldly culture. Brutus 01 “Be patient till the last. Romans, countrymen, and lovers! hear me for my cause, and be silent, that you may hear: believe me for mine honour, and have respect to mine honour, that you may believe: censure me in your wisdom, and awake your senses, that you may the better judge. If there be any in this assembly, any dear friend of Caesar's, to him I say, that Brutus' love to Caesar was no less than his. If then that friend demand why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my answer: Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more.” Following the murder of Julius Caesar, two Roman officials and friends to the assassinated leader speak to the gathered crowd before them. Brutus, one of the conspirators that killed him, speaks first . He persuades them of Caesar’s destructive ambition and how they killed him with only the wellbeing of Rome on their minds. However, one chief flaw in Brutus' speech is that his argument relied solely on the citizens’ knowledge and faith in his reputation - something Antony uses against him in his own speech. 17

17. Antony 02 “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears; I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. The evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft interred with their bones; So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus Hath told you Caesar was ambitious: If it were so, it was a grievous fault, And grievously hath Caesar answer’d it. Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest– For Brutus is an honourable man” Mark Antony, who did not participate in the conspirators’ plan, is allowed to make his own address on the condition that he not condemn those responsible. Antony, however, is more than capable at swaying the crowd and Brutus seems to have made a grave mistake in this decision. In Antony’s speech, as is evident merely a few lines in, rhetoric and irony are interwoven through his words. Simply put, Mark Antony’s central purpose is to foster a sense of injustice and dissatisfaction in his audience, both over Caesar’s death and towards the conspirators. Throughout some of the rhetorical questions and phrases prompted to his audience, Antony makes a basis of logical approaches and conclusions. By denoting ambition as the spark of the conspiracy, he insinuates on multiple occasions how the accusation is baseless. In addition, it is a continuation of Antony’s pairing of “Brutus is an honorable man” with Caesar’s great deeds. Those listening to the speech would be forced to compare the two for themselves. Antony also directly references reason and judgement in lines 33-34, particularly their current lack of it (under the guidance of the conspirators). In a specific choice of wording, he says “O judgement, though art fled to brutish beasts”. Pathos is perhaps the device with the strongest hold on Antony’s audience . After probing them with logical and patient rhetorical questions , his underlying choice of words subtly connects him with those listening. Even from the first line, where he says “Friends , Romans, countrymen… ”, Antony creates a sense of brotherhood and attachment to them – an important addition, as many of them were commoners and therefore less likely to relate to a powerful and well-off figure . Very notably, Antony also appeals to the audience’s own perspectives through his rhetorical language. For example, in asking “ You all did love him once, not without cause/ What cause withholds you, then, to mourn for him? ”, he appeals to their own emotions of respect and love towards Caesar. In the final two lines of his speech, Antony conveys his own emotions and standing on Caesar’s death (“My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar”), solidifying the audience’s certainty on his position. In contrast to the speech’s pathos, Antony’s use of ethos is much more subtle, and he often uses it to convey different perspectives. When Antony indicates, “the noble Brutus” and “For Brutus is an honorable man” in the first few lines (quite sarcastically), he presents himself as substantially more trustworthy for his audience, as they were largely in accord with Brutus at that point. Later on, in mentioning Caesar’s refusal of a “kingly crown” (line 24), he depicts the now-deceased leader as reputable, powerful, and far from ambitious. 18

18. GRADE 10 ENgLish

19. DEC/JAN 2023-24 ENG2D The FALCON TIMES