Comin Thro the Rye

Comin Thro the Rye
by Robert Burns
modern English translation by Michael R. Burch

O, Jenny's a' weet, poor body,                 Oh, Jenny's all wet, poor body,
Jenny's seldom dry;                                  Jenny's seldom dry;
She draigl't a' her petticoattie                   She's draggin' all her petticoats
Comin thro' the rye.                                 Comin' through the rye. 

Comin thro the rye, poor body,               Comin' through the rye, poor body,
Comin thro the rye,                                  Comin' through the rye. 
She draigl't a'her petticoatie,                    She's draggin' all her petticoats
Comin thro the rye!                                 Comin' through the rye. 

Gin a body meet a body                           Should a body meet a body
Comin thro the rye,                                 Comin' through the rye,
Gin a body kiss a body,                           Should a body kiss a body,
Need a body cry?                                    Need anybody cry?

Comin thro the rye, poor body,               Comin' through the rye, poor body,
Comin thro the rye,                                 Comin' through the rye. 
She draigl't a'her petticoatie,                   She's draggin' all her petticoats
Comin thro the rye!                                 Comin' through the rye. 

Gin a body meet a body                          Should a body meet a body
Comin thro the glen,                                Comin' through the glen,
Gin a body kiss a body,                           Should a body kiss a body,
Need the warld ken?                               Need all the world know, then?

Comin thro the rye, poor body,               Comin' through the rye, poor body,
Comin thro the rye,                                 Comin' through the rye. 
She draigl't a'her petticoatie,                   She's draggin' all her petticoats
Comin thro the rye!                                 Comin' through the rye. 

Model Catcher Inspired Narrative

Sample Narrative

Read over the following narrative.  I encourage you to open it in notability so that you can write on it.  Examine these specifics about the narrative:

-Voice:  How is it established?
-Characterization details:  What do you learn about the speaker and the other characters in the story?  How do I reveal these traits?
-Beginning: How do I begin the narrative?  How does this set the tone?
-Ending:  What are my realizations?  How do I reveal them?
-Language:  What do you notice about language in the piece?
-Sentence Structure:  What do you notice?


https://docs.google.com/a/capeelizabethschools.org/document/d/1wgbqOx4lEuU-QM-Z8TgSfEc0QJMRdKfOkk7a5g1odqg/edit

Socratic Seminar Preparation

Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger: Socratic Seminar

Points for Discussion

In preparation for the Socratic Seminar on Catcher in the Rye, please consider the following points.  Please bring in notes to help guide your comments. Your notes should include specific references to the text, including page numbers and direct quotes.

1.  Consider the following statement:  We see the truth about people and the world through Holden's eyes.
Do you agree with this statement or not?  Point to specific places in the text to back up your opinion.

2.  In what ways is Holden a typical teenager?  In what ways is he atypical?  Is he a character you can relate to?  Why/why not?

3.  What aspects of people/life/the world does Holden find particularly enjoyable?  What does he find particularly abhorrent?  Is he justified in his views?

4.  In what ways does/doesn't Holden fit with the hero archetype?

5.  Consider this question as it relates to Holden: How does our past dictate who we become?

6. Which moments in the text are the most significant to the meaning of the book as a whole? Which had the greatest impact on you as the reader? Why?

7. What themes come up in this book?  How does Salinger develop these themes?  

9. What does this book help us to understand about the teenage (or, more generally, the human) experience?

10. Many people are dissatisfied with the book’s ending.  Were you?  Even if you were, how might the ending be considered appropriate for the book?

Click here for the rubric.

Claim/Evidence

Here is an explanation of how to make a claim and support it with textual evidence.

Catcher Inspired Narrative Assignment

Click here for the assignment descriptor.

Catcher: Ch 8 and 9

Click here for a document pertaining to chapters 8 and 9 of Catcher.

Note Taking Ideas: Catcher in the Rye

Click here for some guidelines on what to look out for as you're reading.

Catcher Analysis

Here are some questions/points for chapters 2-5.

Discussion Questions: "A Perfect Day for Bananafish"

1.  Why do you think Seymour kills himself at the end of the story?

2.  What vision/representation of war do we get in this story?  Do you think that Muriel is sympathetic to Seymour’s mental condition?  What evidence is there in the story to support your view?

3. What do we learn about Seymour from the conversation between Muriel and her mother?  How does this compare/contrast to the image of him that we get when we meet him on the beach?

3.  What is the significance of Sybil?  Why do you think Seymour relates to Sybil better than to others?  What specific aspects of little children does she represent/illustrate?

4.  Why does Seymour want Sybil to look for Bananafish in the first place, and what is a Bananafish?  What significance does the Bananafish serve in this story?

Narrative Essay Documents

Click here for a planning/outlining guide for the narrative.

Click here for another model text.

Click here for the rubric for the assignment.

Grammar Post: Semicolons and Conjunctive Adverbs

Use the following link for information regarding semicolon usage and conjunctive adverbs.

Mythology Assessment Review

Use the following practice questions to review for your assessment.

To further prepare for your mythology assessment, practice the following:

Choose a short myth that we haven't read.  

Identify the meaning of an unknown word using the context.

Identify the purpose of the myth.

Make at least two inferences about Greek values from the myth.

Think about any archetypes that may be present in the myth.

Summarize the myth.

Think about how certain gods are characterized in the myth.

Mythology Narrative

Read the following essay, "Two Wheeled Greek Chorus," from the NY Times and answer the following questions about it:

-What story is the writer telling?
-What allusion to mythology does she make?  What purpose does this allusion serve?
-How is the essay organized?  Make a very basic outline.


Click here for the description of the narrative essay assignment.


Use the "Two Wheeled Greek Chorus" as a mentor text/model for your essay.  Consider how Eliot Holt organizes her piece and how you might use this as a guide.  We will discuss this together in class.

Demeter Story

Here is the link to the Demeter story.  As you read it, think about the themes that the original myth presents that are developed further in this story.  What allusions to the original story do you see? In what ways is this modern adaptation different from the original in terms of characterization, themes, and inferred values?  How is each representative of its time?

Modern Day Hercules Depictions

Click here for an article about a new art exhibit which depicts Vladimir Putin completing the twelve labors of Hercules.

Use this article to link you up to your assigned labor.

The Losses of Dan Gable

Read the following article from ESPN magazine titled "The Losses of Dan Gable."  Reflect on any connections you can draw between Dan Gable and the gods Demeter and Dionysus.  Make note of any such connections.

This is a very long article!  You do not have to take copious notes.  Just read it and think about the big ideas expressed in the piece.  What sort of a man is Gable?  What are some adjectives you would use to describe him?

Inform/Explain Writing Assignment

Click here for a description of the inform/explain writing assignment.

Click here for the rubric.

The assignment is due on turnitin.com on Tuesday, September 23rd.

Mentor Text for "The Perfect…"

Click here for a New York Times article on the perfect hamburger.  Use this as a model for your inform/explain piece.