Standard 01-15-2014

I hope you all enjoyed your introduction to parallel structure--or parallelism--today.  I'm confident you have an understanding as of now, but I realize a full grasp of parallel structure is still in the future.  We'll work with it a bit more tomorrow and see if we can't strengthen that comprehension.  For now remember that parallel structure--or parallelism--consists of two or more words, phrase or clauses that are similar in length and grammatical form.  Here are a few examples:

He laughed.  He coughed.  He choked.  He died.

"Humanity has advanced not because it has been sober, responsible and cautious, but because it has been playful, rebellious and immature."   -Tom Robbins

"Those who write clearly have readers; those who write obscurely have commentators"  -Albert Camus

I love to dance in the field, run on the playground and sing in the shower.

You also have the packet in your hands.  It deals with our current focus on the overarching ideas of Hopes and Dreams.  As you read over it tonight, as you analyze it tonight, as you comprehend it tonight (notice the parallel structure?), be sure to be thinking about them.  Your task for class tomorrow is to read and annotate the pieces in the packet and then respond to the following questions.  (Be sure to write your responses directly on the packet.  There should be plenty of room.)

1) How does Martin Luther King, Jr. use repetition to strengthen his speech? Offer examples.

2) Explain the line of the speech on page four, paragraph 9, “With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.”

3) Offer different ways King says and/or refers to “hope” in the speech.

4) Using evidence from both poems, support and explain what Langston Hughes is saying about dreams.

5) Select one of the quotes and then draw a picture that captures the message the quote is sharing.  

For question Number 6, you will need to click on this link to see a picture.  Study the picture and then write a paragraph explaining how the picture relates to the overarching ideas of Hopes and Dreams.  

Be sure the work is complete before you enter the class tomorrow.  As we discussed in class, your ability to comprehend this material will go a long way to your writing a successful paper on Friday.

See you soon.