Response to Course Material #1

In the first three weeks of school, we have begun to learn about the different ways to analyze literature, as well as reading and the discussing The American Dream. The first few days of class were a little off, because of all the new technology, meaning that Ms. Holmes could not show us her blog or even her website, but we have it now!
The first actual lesson we had was on DIDLS, which stands for diction, imagery, details, (figurative) language and syntax. We practiced annotating some papers and had to do this as homework later in the week. We read a poem called "Promises Like Pie crust", and discussed it in small groups. What stuck with me the most from this, was how much more information it is possible to pull from a poem when doing a close reading and using DIDLS.
We then learned about syntax, using a Syntax as Style paper, which we read later on in the week in my Expos class. It was better the first time. What stuck with me most from this, was how switching around sentence structure can add drama and emphasis to the end of a sentence. After discussing syntax, my group read Walden by David Thoreau and had a pretty good discussion about the many ways the sentence structure showed the tone and mood of the piece. It is all about nature and going back to the simple things, and Thoreau uses long, winding sentences with short, repetitive ones for emphasis. Unfortunately, we didn't present until the next day and volunteered to go first, meaning that we all forgot what we were actually supposed to be presenting on and didn't say half the things our group discussed.
We also read our first piece of literature as a group, The American Dream. I've heard about this play before and people always say things along the lines of, "It's super weird", and "Don't read it", but personally I liked it. I definitely thought that reading Existentialism 101 and Theater of the Absurd gave me a much better understanding of what the writer was trying to accomplish, and why the play was written as it was. We started a class discussion and got a few of the major plot questions covered, but without Ms. Holmes there the next day, the discussion deteriorated slightly.

Close Reading #1

One of the biggest, and most reported on, issues at the moment is Obama's dealing with ISIL, or the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. His long awaited plan of action, delivered to the public several days ago, consisted of destroying ISIL with air power and local forces, but no American ground troops.   Paths to War, Then and Now, Haunt Obama takes a closer look at Obama's feelings on the crisis, and how he has reacted to it. This article uses diction, syntax, and details to show that it supports the President in his actions toward ISIL.

 The author, Peter Baker, uses diction throughout the entire article to invalidate those who oppose Obama, and praise the President and his actions. In the twelfth paragraph, the author describes how the president was viewed at a dinner on Monday night. He uses the words "calm", "confident", and "well versed", in relation to the President. This gives the impression that Obama is not anxious or concerned about the issue with ISIL, because he is confident in his strategies, so the public should be as well. By using "well versed", Baker shows that Obama is knowledgeable about the subject, and therefore is trustworthy. Baker also makes the decision to include positive quotes from people, and Obama himself, while not including many opposing views. In a quote from Jane Harmen, the word "focused" is used, and Zbigniew Brzezinski says Obama is "not a softy". By including all of these words with positive connotations, Baker gives the impression that Obama is making all the right moves and that the majority of people agree with his decisions. He is made to seem collected, in control, and strong. 

The detail in this article is mostly many peoples names and descriptions of who they are. This is used to get the authors point across because its adds legitimacy to the quotes they give, and makes the piece sound more professional.  This is extremely noticeable because in the first few paragraphs when Baker is referring to  what Obama said before his speech about his plan of action, he uses the words "group of visitors". This is very vague and contrasts with the details in paragraphs twelve, fifteen and sixteen. Richard N. Hass talks about how Obama has been forced to take action about ISIL, and is then described as "President on the Council of Foreign Relations and a former Bush administration official". All of this detail is used to show the reader that this person has experience, and knows what they are talking about. This is also strategic detail because Hass was part of the Bush administration, so he would be expected to disagree with Obama, and yet he is not.

Syntax was also used in this article to emphasize certain points, and show what the author wants the reader to take from this piece. In the third paragraph, there are two long, flowing sentences contrasted with two short choppy sentences. The last two sentences are "He would not rush to war. He would be deliberate.". These sentences make a large impact, and it is obviously something Baker agreed with, and wanted to show. Baker wants to make it very clear that Obama will not rush into anything, he will make an informed decision when the time is right. The rest of the article is mainly long sentences, with many commas which give it an academic feel. This is not meant to be a story, but an informative piece of writing and the similar sentence lengths show this. Passive voice is not used at all in this article, Obama is given full responsibility for his actions and for all statements he has given. 

Paths to War, Then and Now, Haunt Obama , is an article with a definite opinion which is shown through diction, syntax and detail. Although the author's view on Obama is never directly stated, it is possible to make the assumption that he supports the President's plan for ISIL, and wants the reader to do the same.