Video

https://youtu.be/BGSu5Kxc_DQ

The solemn hour（Final)

The solemn hour

When I looking at sky I can feel the human is tiny under this sky, and we are vulnerable. In the life we will have many uncontrollable factors, even the life become too hard to make same as our ideal we still need to live bravely. In people's life it contains many things, but the troubles will be the most unforgettable memories. In the life everyone will face on many difficulties, such as laugh from other, weep, wander, and die. So should we just give up? Until I read the poem “the solemn hour” which is describe about the people are facing on difficulties which happened in people's daily life. I think the main idea of the poem is when people though the difficulties, everything will become better. The poem "Solemn Hour" by Rainer Maria Rilke contains the imagination connection with the real world to suggest that no one's life is full of the difficulties, so never give up even life too hard for now.

The poem of solemn hour is a normally short poem. Also it only has sixteen lines with four stanzas. "What is solemn hour?" When I first time saw the title, the question appeared in my mind. The solemn hour is usually in some grand event, such as concert and funeral. From the title of this poem I can know it is serious poem. However this serious poem not only contains many truths, but also makes the readers to think about their life. In the beginning of the each stanzas, the speaker use “whoever now... somewhere in the world,” I think because of these kind of sentences made the whole poem become more interesting. Also in the second line of each stanza the speaker use "... without reason in the world/night," from this kind of sentence the poem made readers think much deeper. In every stanza the speaker not only used the almost same words and same rhymes, but also gave the readers more deeply feeling. Also, these make the poem sounds beautiful and attract readers’ attention.

Difficulties are the parts of people daily life. Difficulties are not only a bad pressure for people but also it is a special experience for people. In the first sentence of the poem the speaker wrote “whoever now weeps somewhere in the world,” when I first time saw his sentence it gave me a big impact, and it also make me want to keep reading to found answer of why the people weeps in the world? However the speaker gives the answer in the second paragraph “weeps without reason in the world,” when I first read this I did not understand this sentence. Until I read the third sentence “weeps over me.” I suddenly understand all the things, when the speaker face some difficulties seem like everyone on the world is weeping over him. On the second stanza the speaker wrote the similar sentence “Whoever now laughs somewhere in the night, laughs without reason in the night, laughs at me.” In my opinion when the speaker failed on something, it like everyone is laughing on him. The first stanza and the second stanza are talking about the speaker’s experiences. However in the third stanza the speaker wrote “Whoever now wanders somewhere in the world, wanders without reason in the world, wanders toward me.”  I think the meaning of this stanza is when people face the difficulties and they were confusion about the difficulties, do not give up everything will become better. “Whoever now dies somewhere in the world, dies without reason in the world, looks at me.”In the last stanza the speaker wanted to let the people who gave up by himself and wanted to end his own life to looks at the people who is succeed. No one can succeed without going through difficulties.

In conclusion "The solemn hour" for me is a special poem, because it includes the most important thing in life. The poet did not use any long or hard words, and it did not have any long sentences in the poem, but it still made the readers learned a lot from those easy lines and easy words. I love this poem, because "The solemn hour" is an interesting poem it use many easy words to tell reader do not give up when some problems happened in the life. I think the speaker try to say no matters who are you or no matters what you had when troubles came to your life do not give up even you are weeping and others are laughing at you, because everything will be better. No one's lives are full of the troubles, so no one's lives are not having any troubles. Also do not be afraid of the difficulties in life, because difficulties are the parts of the life. 

Thesis

The poem "Solemn Hour" by Rainer Maria Rilke contains the imagination connection with the real world to suggest that no one's life is full of the difficulties, so never give up even life too hard for now.

peer review

       I read Chantelle's poem analysis, and she chooses the poem is Baby's World. Baby's World is written by Rabindranath Tagore. The poem is like just like its name, because it describes a Utopian world. The poem is soft and easy makes people feel comfortable just like lie into a cradle. In her first paragraph she did a great job at to describe her poem. She used many adjective words to the poem, and she makes connection with real life. Also she pointed out the reason why this poem is different with normal poem. In the second paragraph she wrote about the some deep meaning of the poem, and she did a good job on this part. She contains many information and some guesses to describe the deep meaning of the poem. I think her third paragraph is the best, because she explained every sentences of the poem. Also she wrote about her understanding of the poem. In my opinion this part is her best part. In her analysis she focused on the meaning of the poem, and in her explanation parts everything is specific and accurate. She also wrote about the rhythm scheme of the poem. However the analysis still has some part can be improved, such as grammar mistakes.

       There have many grammar mistakes in her analysis. The past tense is the biggest part, for example "The writer uses baby as a significant figure of innocent, clear, and cute." In this sentence the word "use" should be in past tense. Also there are some sentences make me confusion "Reading this poem makes me remember my childhood when I had to trouble, and no pressure."and "He never needs to worry friends leave him because stars are always with him." These sentences might have some grammar mistakes. I think the grammar is not the most important problem on her essay. In her first paragraph I can not to find the thesis statement in her first paragraph. Thesis statement is one of the most important things of an essay, because if without thesis the reader can not understand what the author wanted to say. Also in her first paragraph is not very attractive enough, so when I first time read her first paragraph it did not attract me attention. The last problem is her conclusion. The conclusion is too short to conclude this essay, because two sentences can not conclude her essay. I think her might can to use the connection of her life or her experience to conclude the whole analysis, because this can make her analysis become more interesting. After all she wrote a good analysis for her poem the Baby’s World.

        In conclusion, her analysis is really good. I think her two body paragraphs are the best parts of her analysis, so I think she can makes the thesis statement based on her body paragraphs. For the grammar just be careful on the tense. After all the most parts of this essay are perfect, so just add a strong thesis on the first paragraph and more sentences on conclusion.

The solemn hour

The solemn hour

The human is tiny under this sky; we are vulnerable. In the life we have many indisciplinable factors, even the life is too hard to make same as our ideal we still need to live bravely. Most of people contain many things in their life. Also in life everyone will face on many difficulties, such as laugh from other, weep, wander, and die. So should we just give up? Until I read the poem “the solemn hour” which is describe about the difficulties in people daily life. When people though the difficulties, everything will become better. The poem "Solemn Hour" by Rainer Maria Rilke contains the imagination connection with the real world to suggest that no one's life is full of the difficulties, so never give up even life too hard for now.

The poem of solemn hour is a normally short poem. What is solemn hour? When I first time saw the title, the question appeared in my mind. The solemn hour is usually in some grand event, such as concert and funeral. From the title of this poem I can know it is serious poem. However this serious poem contains many truths. In the beginning of the each Satanists, the speaker use “whoever now...somewhere in the world”, I think because of these kind of sentences made the whole poem become more believable. In every stanza the speaker use the almost same words and same rhymes. These make the poem sounds beautiful and attract g readers’ attention.

Difficulties are the parts of people daily life. Difficulties are not only a bad pressure for people but also it is a special experience for people. In the first sentence of the poem the speaker wrote “whoever now weeps somewhere in the world,” when I first time saw his sentence it gave me a big impact, and it also make me want to keep reading to found answer of why the people weeps in the world? However the speaker gives the answer in the second paragraph “weeps without reason in the world,” when I first read this I did not understand this sentence. Until I read the third sentence “weeps over me.” I suddenly understand all the things, when the speaker face some difficulties seem like everyone on the world is weeping over him. On the second stanza the speaker wrote the similar sentence “Whoever now laughs somewhere in the night, laughs without reason in the night, laughs at me.” In my opinion when the speaker failed on something, it like everyone is laughing on him. The first stanza and the second stanza are talking about the speaker’s experiences. However in the third stanza the speaker wrote “Whoever now wanders somewhere in the world, wanders without reason in the world, wanders toward me.”  I think the meaning of this stanza is when people face the difficulties and they were confusion about the difficulties, do not give up everything will become better. “Whoever now dies somewhere in the world, dies without reason in the world, looks at me.”In the last stanza the speaker wanted to let the people who gave up by himself and wanted to end his own life to looks at the people who is succeed. No one can succeed without going through difficulties. 

Theater review

Theater review

     This Saturday I went to the black box for watching a new theater. The new theater contain many different parts of the shows, and it is a comedy show, called "Comedy Tonight". This is the most interesting show I ever seen. The most amazing thing is all the shows were directed by students and Mr. Porter. This is my first time watched show which was made by students. Also this is my favorite theater in this year, because when I was watching this theater it attracted me all the time. I was planed to watch this show on the Friday, because on the Friday I was too sleepy then I over slept the show. Fortunately on the Saturday had sits, so I did not miss the most interesting and funny show in this year.

     I think the best part of the show is the morning meeting. In this show I saw my daily life, and what just happened around our life in Cheshire Academy.  I love this show most, because I can found myself or my friends or my teachers or other people who was around my life in this show. I think this show is the best, because everyone laugh and clap in this show and can easily to understand this show. All the actor did their best in this show, so it make people feel like really morning meeting in our daily life. Also each teachers they acted like real, such as Ms. Minahan, Ms. Anderson, Mr. Dykemen, and Mr. Porter. In my opinion, John Jiang is the best actor in this theater. Not only he is a my friend but also when John played Mr. Dykemen most like real. 

     This is best show I ever seen. I can not believe the actors of this show are my friends. This is the most interesting show I ever seen. I can not believe this show are near to my daily life. This is the most amazing show I ever seen. I can not believe this show grab all my attention. I love this show, this is my favorite show! 

The video of poem

https://youtu.be/nABE-biCmQU

Music of poem

https://youtu.be/hZBs9RlgFfU

Let me hear 

I choose this Japanese music for the poem, because the poem that I choose doesn't include the happy meaning. Also the words of this poem shows the poem is dejected. Because of the poem has a sad meaning, so I can not use happy or romantic music. Let Me Hear is a good choice, because it has the similiar meaning with the poem I chose

The poem that I choose

Solemn Hour
A poem by Rainer Maria Rilke

Whoever now weeps somewhere in the world,
weeps without reason in the world,
weeps over me.

Whoever now laughs somewhere in the night,
laughs without reason in the night,
laughs at me.

Whoever now wanders somewhere in the world,
wanders without reason out in the world,
wanders toward me.

Whoever now dies somewhere in the world,
dies without reason in the world,
looks at me.

Date: 10/5 2016

Found poem

The human is tiny under this sky; we are vulnerable. In the life we had many irresistible factors; even life is too hard to make same as our ideal. In our childhood, we must have a happy family. But at the same time, you will face something that would make you scared in your whole life. But remember one thing, nothing can beat you, all the things finally would become the catalyst to make you grow stronger, and not afraid of face problems.

Family

The human is tiny under this sky

even life is too hard

have a happy family

make you grow stronger

not afraid of face any problems

Time

Time

The time is flying,

Sand is passing.

Don't wait

Come 

Do best

Don't waste time.

You will be best.

dorm

Five single-gender dormitories,

each dorm differs in design.

A place to unwind, study, talk,

and find time to be alone.

Friendships built here

continue long after graduation.

Spring

Ice melts to water

The White exchanges with green

 Life rouses from sleep

Poem review

1、《THE SIGNIFICANCE OF FAILURE》Robert H. Schuller

Failure doesn't mean you are a failure，

It does mean you haven't succeeded yet.

Failure doesn't mean you have accomplished nothing，

It does mean you have learned something.

Failure doesn't mean you have been a fool，

It does mean you had a lot of faith.

Failure doesn't mean you've been disgraced，

It does mean you were willing to try.

Failure doesn't mean you don't have it，

It does mean you have to do something in a different way.

Failure doesn't mean you are inferior，

It does mean you are not perfect.

Failure doesn't mean you've wasted your life，

It does mean you have a reason to start afresh.

Failure doesn't mean you should give up，

It does mean you must try harder.

Failure doesn't mean you'll never make it，

It does mean it will take a little longer.

Failure doesn't mean God has abandoned you，

It does mean God has a better idea.

This is a poem from Robert H. Schuller. It talks about the failure in human life. Everyone has failures in their life, because everyone wants to be succeeded must to experience the failure. I like the content of this poem. This is a special poem, because it doesn't include a lot of rhymes in this poem. If you look at each ending of the lines you will realize not all the words sounds the same. This poem works based on the meaning. So it is a free verse poem, and the author wants to show how to face or understand failures. In this poem every start part of the lines are similar. In my opinion I love this poem, because it meaning and special ways of writing. After I reading this poem, I think a lot of what author wants to tell us. It is about failure's meaning in our life. "Failure doesn't you have accomplished nothing, It does mean you have learned something." These are my favorite sentences in this poem. I understand this poem more deeply based on these sentences. I think the author wants to tell the readers failures always before succeeded. This is a interesting and inspirational poem. Also I think this poem can feet in everyone's life. Everyone might have different experience in their life and face on different ways of difficulties and failures. The author use this poem to show the readers the failures are not that bad or awful. Form this poem the author shows us a lot of deep meaning. This poem is perfect even it doesn't have rhythm.

Poem

1、《THE SIGNIFICANCE OF FAILURE》Robert H. Schuller

Failure doesn't mean you are a failure，

It does mean you haven't succeeded yet.

Failure doesn't mean you have accomplished nothing，

It does mean you have learned something.

Failure doesn't mean you have been a fool，

It does mean you had a lot of faith.

Failure doesn't mean you've been disgraced，

It does mean you were willing to try.

Failure doesn't mean you don't have it，

It does mean you have to do something in a different way.

Failure doesn't mean you are inferior，

It does mean you are not perfect.

Failure doesn't mean you've wasted your life，

It does mean you have a reason to start afresh.

Failure doesn't mean you should give up，

It does mean you must try harder.

Failure doesn't mean you'll never make it，

It does mean it will take a little longer.

Failure doesn't mean God has abandoned you，

It does mean God has a better idea.

I choose this poem, because it is very nearly to our life. Everyone has failures in their life, because everyone wants to be succeeded must to experience the failure. I like the content of this poem. It is about failure's meaning.

Reflection

​During the time we were working on creative project, I learned a lot things from  the progress. This creative project is the most special project that I ever had. I chose to create a board game with Jerry and Minh because I think forming this board game we could learn what is teamwork. Also from this project we could understand the characters personalities more deeply than before. Because this is a board game and it must  relates to our novel, so we spent a lot of time on creating cards and rules. So we did our best to make this game be fair, interesting and reasonable. 

​The first thing we did is to found a game mode which is most related to the novel. First we thought that  we should do a zillionaire game, but finally we change our mind because we thought zillionaire game is a competitive game, and competition in it is most attractive part. Also zillionaire game is too normal and usual for us. So we decided to change another game mode. In the end, our game is based on the game Saboteur and it is a card game. The purpose of our game is after playing game every one can have a better understanding of why unity is important in this game and referred to the novel how the Ashmol's family fight together to against the people who wants to destroy their family.

​After we decided what we want to do, we started to create our own cards. This is the most difficult part of our project because in our group no one is good at drawing or painting. This is the first problem and also is the hardest problem we need to solve, so we chose to separates the jobs first. My job is to design the special character and their abilities in this game which is related to the novel Pobby and Dingan. Minh's job and Jerry's job were the same they were going to make the cards by using the note card and trying to draw some of the road cards. In this project we helped each other and every one worked very hard. After we almost finished all the road cards, Jerry found Lillian to help us to draw the characters cards. That solved our problem perfectly. 

​When our group had already finished drawing all the cards which we are going to use in this board game, we came up a special idea to our game. Our idea is to add two goal cards in our original goal cards. The two special cards will be Pobby and Dingan, and the player who gets the character card of Kellyanne is going to let other players to find Pobby and Dingan. So the number of our goal cards became to five. Based on this idea our game can be related to the novel more clearly. Because these goals cards remind the players Pobby and Dingan who are the most important imaginary friends Kellyanne believed.

Progress of creative project

Last we started to do the project. Because in the first draft feedback some people said they did not understand the rules clearly.So before the final draft due, we still need create more cards. Now we have at least 3 characters,more than 30cards. We finished more than half of the cards. For next step we are going to create some rules by ourselves and make more connections to our book. We will make the best board game.

Creative project

Introduction:

My group decided to make a board game in order to make a interesting creative project. We choose to make the board game, because it is very interesting and we can use the board game to relate to the book Pobby and Dingan. Also board game is easy to play, so everyone can join it and enjoy it. Our board game is relate to the Pobby and Dingan. The whole game is about the people who live in the Lightning Road want to find Opal. There have two kind of characters in the board game. One is good character such as Ashmol, Annie, Kellyanne, and Rex. Another one characters is bad character such as Old Sid. The good characters' goal is to find opals. The bad characters' goal is to disturb the good characters to find the Opal. 

The game is base on the game Saboteur and it is a card game.

Rule:

 In this board game we have a start card which means where we start the game. Also we have three different goal card. The game's goal is to get opals. Each player can use the road cards or other tools card in their turn. If the good characters did not find opals, so the bad characters win all the opals. Usually this game will have three round, the people who have the most opals win the game.

opal dream

Secret of opal

       "The secret of an opal's color lies not in its substance but in its absences." I think it is the most confuse sentence in the book Pobby and Dingan. When I first time read it I did not get meaning of this sentence. However after I finish reading the whole book, I realize this sentence have a deep meaning. This sentence is not only talk about the opal. The novel's plot give me some hit to understand this sentence, because this novel is about imaginary friends, so I think the dream will be the most important meaning of this sentence. In the book Pobby and Dingan, the people who live in the Lightning Ridge all have the same dream about the opal. All the people want to get the beautiful opal or which opals can make them rich.

       In the Ashmol's family, opal dream is the most important dream in their life. Rex Williamson who is Ashmol's father, he wanted to get opal in order to make his family become rich and happy, but he is crazy about finding opals. Also he brings his family into Lightning Ridge in order to finding opal. Because of the searching Pobby and Dingan, all the people think he is a ratter. So he wanted to find opal to prove himself, and he wanted everyone who thinks he is ratter to be respected to him. Anne who is Ashmol's mother does not care about opal very much, but she wants to be rich and wealthy. She was live in England, but now she live in the poor town Lightning Ridge. Her dream is just want have a wealthy and happy family.

       All the people who live in this town are all focus the opal. That means the most of people all have this opal dream. However I think "The secret of an opal's color lies not in its substance but in its absences." really means the dream's result is important but the process is more valuable. Because in the process will left some memory which will never forget. However in Ashmol family only Ashmol understand this meaning though helping his sister Kellyanne to searching Pobby and Dingan. When he searching Pobby and Dingan he realized opal are not important, and he realize his family is more important than opal. When he made the funeral he chooses to give the opal in order to have a great funeral to his sister's imaginary friends. He wanted to use this opal to treat with his sister's health, but he failed. Because his family was too care about opal and ignore his sister's disease.

I think "The secret of an opal's color lies not in its substance but in its absences." want to tell us: the dream's result is important, but should not cost the entire thing in order to get the result. Sometime let the opal or the dream be visional is not a bad decision for the future.

Quiz

Use these questions to prepare for the quiz. Be specific and always think about what quotes you can use to back up your ideas.

1. Why do you think that Ashmol decides to search for Pobby and Dingan for real instead of just pretending?

2. What connection does Asmol make between the land covered with seawater and Pobby and Dingan? Why is that important to the story?

 3. What does Ashmol find inside their abandoned mine? Why does he believe that Pobby and Dingan are really there?

4. Why do you think Ashmol promises not to use the opal to get money? Do you agree with this decision? 

5. In the very end of the novel, Ashmol talks about what it’s like to “believe in something which is hard to see. Or to keep looking for something that’s totally hard to find.” Discuss the importance of imagination and dreams in this novel. Why are they so important even if they cannot be seen. Consider what dreams Rex, the father, and Annie, the mother, have in the story. Consider, also, the dream that Ashmol has. How do those "unseen" dreams connect to Kellyanne's belief in Pobby and Dingan?

Please bring in to the quiz one index card with notes and quotes on it. It will be handed in as part of the quiz.

1. Because Ashmol love his family members. He think Kellyanne was dying, so he doesn't want Kellyanne be sad. He think Kellyanne was dying because of her lost her two best imaginary friends. He wanted to find Pobby and Dingan in order to let his sister be happy or become better.

2. Ashmol was not believe Pobby and Dingan were not real. But now Ashmol was searching Pobby and Dingan. That made a big change for him. Also he remember his dad told him "the opal dream". Land covered with seawater showing his mind change. From there Ashmol changed his mind, and he understood his sister's imaginary friends.

3. According to the book, "when I shone my torch on it I could see there was a bit of color there. My heart beat the world record for the pole vault. I brushed the dirt off as best I could and then I licked the Robbie. It was opal. Green. Red. Black. All them together" First he found an Opal in a new tunnel. Then he found Dingan's bellybutton. He came up with a story about what had happened in the abandoned mine that can fit everything, and then he can tells his sister what had happened to her imaginary friends.

4. I think it has two reasons. First, Ashmol has a dream about opal, so he loves Opal he doesn't want use it to get money. Second, he only has one opal, so he wants to use this Opal to do some more important things not just give money. I agree with this decision because money can earn by another way, but Ashmol only has one opal. I think he shouldn't trade Opal easily.

5. Annie's dream is about family. She wants to have a lovely family which is rich,full of happy, every body is healthy. Ashmol's dream is about the opal. These are seem like Kellyanne's belief in Pobby and Dingan. They more want to see them which is hard to see. Ashmol more wants to find Opal he might hard to find it. Annie more want to have a lovely she might hard to see it. The dream and imagination give to you a goal or an objective to work hard on it. So even  they cannot be seen like Pobby and Dingan they still important.