English Prose Fall 2007 Beatrice Hsu .

English ProseEnglish Prose

Fall 2007Beatrice Hsu

http://blog.xuite.net/hsubeatrice/prose

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OverviewOverview

Orientation Figurative Language & Images (an example) Learning & Reading Strategies Prose/Essay Narration Description Comparison & Contrast Argument Cause & Effect Illustration (Exemplification) Classification/Division Definition Weekly Analysis 1 2 3 4

refreshing

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Figurative LanguageFigurative Language

Definition: a type of language that deviates from the standard or ordinary use of the words to achieve special meaning or effect

Types: Trope & Scheme

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Figurative Language--TropeFigurative Language--Trope

Definition: A figure of speech resulting in a change of meaning

Types: Simile & Metaphor Simile: a comparison between two very dissimilar

things using “as” or “like”My love’s like a red, red rose.

Metaphor: two distinctively different things implicitly compared without the use of “as” or “like”

She is a red, red rose.

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Figurative Language--SchemeFigurative Language--Scheme

Definition: a figure of speech that creates certain effect through patterns of words or letters in a sentence, rather than through the twist of meaning

Parallelism: a kind of scheme writer’s use of similar patterns of

grammatical structure and length to achieve certain effect, mostly emphasis

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Parallelism—An ExampleParallelism—An Example

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today. ~~Martin Luther King

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Definition of ImageDefinition of Image

a literal and concrete representation of a sensory experience or of an object that can be known by one or more than one senses

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Kinds of ImagesKinds of Images

Visual—sight: shapes, colors, sizes Aural (Auditory)—hearing:squeak, scream, etc. Tactile—touch, ex. thermal—heat & cold, dry & wet,

etc.; soft, smooth, coarse, etc. Olfactory—smell: stinky, fragrant Gustatory—taste: sweet, bitter, sour, etc. Kinetic—movement, motion: walk, pull

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Pretense Pretense by Jolin Tsaiby Jolin Tsai 假裝假裝--1--1

呼吸著一種孤獨的味道心跳在你沉默以後慢慢的被淡忘掉我笑了笑反正你看不到我要的幸福遺落在你懷抱當愛失了焦那些最初的美好早被你擱在一角街上擁擠人潮走著看著都是催眠符號記憶停不了穿過讀你的心跳穿過想你的味道我只想不被打擾假裝多好我只要只想要再擁有一秒去相信你的擁抱一直會讓我依靠繼續等待還心甘情願的不想逃

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當愛失了焦那些最初的美好早被你擱在一角街上擁擠人潮走著看著都是催眠符號記憶停不了穿過讀你的心跳穿過想你的味道我只想不被打擾假裝多好我只要只想要再擁有一秒去相信你的擁抱一直會讓我依靠繼續等待心甘情願不想逃假裝多好依然是依然是曖昧的調一個人無理取鬧兩人世界的煎熬

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我被自己困在自己設下的圈套像是駝鳥相信時間是唯一解藥視而不見傻到了無可救藥其實早明瞭你的愛已隨風飄想要找再也找不到假裝多好我只要只想要再擁有一秒去相信你的擁抱還心甘情願的不想逃假裝多好依然是依然是曖昧的調一個人無理取鬧兩人世界的煎熬我被自己困在自己設下的圈套假裝自己已解開冰冷的手銬

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Dancing Diva Dancing Diva by Jolin Tsaiby Jolin Tsai ( (舞孃舞孃)--1)--1

月光放肆在染色的窗邊塵煙魔幻所有視覺再一杯那古老神秘恆河水

我鑲在額頭的貓眼揭開了慶典為愛囚禁數千年的關節正訴說遺忘的愛戀聽所有喜悲繫在我的腰間讓那些畫面再出現再回到從前

旋轉跳躍我閉著眼塵囂看不見你沉醉了沒白雪夏夜我不停歇模糊了年歲時光的沙漏被我踩碎

＊＊

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故事刻劃在旋轉的指尖是誰在癡癡的追隨這一夜那破舊皇宮的台階我忘情抖落的汗水點亮了慶典

一層一層把我緊緊包圍我要讓世界忘了睡你的心事倒影在我的眉間放棄的快樂都實現難過都摧毀

旋轉跳躍我閉著眼塵囂看不見你沉醉了沒白雪夏夜我不停歇模糊了年歲舞孃的喜悲沒人看見＊＊時光的沙漏被我踩碎＊舞孃的喜悲沒人看見

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旋轉旋轉旋轉旋轉旋轉旋轉旋轉旋轉所有喜悲寫在我的眼前讓那些畫面再出現回到從前

旋轉跳躍我閉著眼塵囂看不見你沉醉了沒白雪夏夜我不停歇模糊了年歲時光的沙漏被我踩碎

旋轉跳躍我閉著眼塵囂看不見你沉醉了沒白雪夏夜我不停歇模糊了年歲舞孃的喜悲沒人看見

12 Metaphors12 Metaphors

Idea taken fromTwelve Presents form the Teacher

by Jian Zhen, 2007

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What do you think of when thinking about or seeing each of the following items. What do they mean to you? What do they represent? Make as man associations as you can.

1. A toothpick2. A rubber-band3. A Band-Aid4. A pencil5. An eraser6. Bubble gum7. A cotton ball8. Chocolate9. Gold thread10.A pack of tissues11.A penny12.Life-Saver

Learning & Reading Learning & Reading StrategiesStrategies

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Learning and Reading Learning and Reading StrategiesStrategies

Predicting Skimming Scanning Note-taking Mapping Outlining Reading aloud Thinking aloud=private speech

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PredictingPredicting

Purpose: to guess what an article is about before starting to readto increase comprehension, to enjoy reading more

What: Title, subtitle, charts, headers, diagrams, pictures/illustrations

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SkimmingSkimming

Purpose: to quickly get the main idea of the reading

Method:first and last paragraphsfirst and the last sentences of the

rest of the paragraphsrepeated words

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OutliningOutlining

Purpose: to show the relationship between the main idea and supporting or

even minor supporting points in an organized sketch

for better understandingfor later review/reference

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Thinking AloudThinking Aloud

A thinking processSaying what we think to ourselvesMemorizing by sayingAppreciating by dramatizing “Everything becomes a little different as so

on as it is spoken out loud.” (Herman Hesse, 1877-1971)

Prose/EssayProse/Essay

What Is It?at Is It?

Why Is It?Why Is It?

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ProseProseDefinition: Writings that are not in regular

metrical patterns like poetry

Genres: – Short stories– Novels– Letters– Essays

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What the Essay Is NotWhat the Essay Is Not

An academic essay written for school assignments

An expository essay conveying a point but containing nothing “literary”

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What the Essay IsWhat the Essay Is

Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) in “The Scholars”– Based on experience– Ideas presented “in a general way,” “without any syste

m”– Meanings spoken “in disjointed parts”

“an ‘attempt’ to explore an issue from a personal perspective rather than effort to produce an example of finished thought” (Beach and Marshall 360)

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What Does the Essay DoWhat Does the Essay Do

Not to prove or “secure” general truths, but to provide a means of suggesting, often indirectly, what those truths might be

An “open, unconventional genre which can be shaped and reshaped according to the interests and talents of individual writers”

(Beach and Marshall 360)

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Why Reading the Essays?Why Reading the Essays?

Samuel Johnsonrefusing to read anything written by people who had written more than they had read

William Faulkner“To see how writers do it.”

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Why Reading the Essays?Why Reading the Essays?

To learn techniqueTo acquire ideasTo be stimulated to read moreTo be stimulated to writeTo satisfy one’s curiosityTo receive pleasure

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What to Do with the EssaysWhat to Do with the Essays

Not just to determine the writer’s argument or the extract the writer’s point (Beach and Marshall 359-61)

To experience “the pleasure of the author’s voice, perspective, and skillful use of language (Beach and Marshall 359)

To relate to one’s own experience and understanding of the world

To generate meanings

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How to Read the EssaysHow to Read the Essays

3 Steps1. Pre-Reading

2. Reading

3. Post-Reading

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I. Pre-ReadingPredicting: title, charts, pictures, headers

Skimming: 1st paragraph last paragraph 1st sentence and last sentence of each paragraph

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II. Reading What does the author want to say?

Intended audience, purpose, thesis (main idea) How does he/she say it? (examples, narration, comparison &

contrast, causal analysis, definition, statistics, quotations, etc.) What is the overall tone (sad, bitter, humorous, angry, helpless,

hopeful? of the essay? Why does the author apply this tone? What is the style of the essay (formal, informal, etc.) Is he/she effective?

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II. Post-ReadingDo you agree or disagree with the author’s

point?How are these points related to our life?

EssaysEssays

A Classification

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Rhetorical Modes--PurposeRhetorical Modes--Purpose

Expository Writing—to explain, to clarifyNarrative Writing—to give an account of

an eventPersuasive Writing—to influence: to talk

into taking action, to dissuade people from doing something, to argue for or against a position

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Rhetorical Modes--Rhetorical Modes--OrganizationOrganization

Narration Process Analysis Description Illustration Definition

Classification Comparison &

Contrast Analogy Cause & Effect

(Causal Analysis) Argumentation

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Narration--Basic StructureNarration--Basic Structure

1. Background (Situation)—background for the action

2. Conflict (with human, animals, or surroundings; inner or outer conflict)

3. Struggle (Climax)—the manner of dealing with the conflict

4. Ending (Outcome)—result of the struggle

5. Meaning—significance of the incident

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ComponentsComponents

1. Use of time (chronological) order

2. Use of descriptive details (specific details appealing to the five senses)

3. Use of dialogue

4. Use of transitional words showing time sequence (when, in. . . , after. . . , . . .later, soon, later, etc.)

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Narration—An ExampleNarration—An Example

我們的歲月我們的歲月詞詞 // 曲：曲： MusicMusic--1--1

十六歲的春天我們一起種玫瑰妳說一顆種子代表一個心願把希望種子重在土裡等花開放願望就會實現十七歲的夏天我們一起到海邊妳說妳最愛看夕陽緩緩不見看滿天的彩霞和風一起這就是我們繽紛的少年* 妳說讓我們看雲去看滿山的綠草遍地我說我們去摘星星看看夜空裡的月亮多美麗無法忘記我無法忘記這就是我美麗的回憶有妳的藍天有妳的日子裡世界就會變的更加的甜蜜就是愛妳我就是愛這就是我們一生的約定就算有一天我們會慢慢老去但我們永遠永遠形影不離

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Narration—An ExampleNarration—An Example

我們的歲月我們的歲月詞詞 // 曲：曲： MusicMusic--2--2 十八歲的秋天我們一起看楓葉

妳說妳最愛看楓葉漸漸飛遠看滿山的秋黃伴白雲翩翩牽我的手感覺幸福不遠

十九歲的冬天難忘白色聖誕節妳說心願融著白雪飄到我身邊就算有一天雪融冬天漸遠我們的歲月幾輩子不變

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Narration & DescriptionNarration & Description

Narrative essays, developed by chronological order, often convey a point through the presentation of an event. Therefore, selection of details and how these details are sequenced are vital to a coherent narration. Besides identifying the purpose of reading, the reader will try to identify how the major events are sequenced, how the story is told, what point of view the author employs, and what language skills the author uses to help support the thesis.

To create a strong impression, narrative essays also make use of a great deal of descriptive passages that help recreate a concrete picture of an object, a person, a scene, or an emotion. Thus descriptive essays are often rich in sensory language that appeals to the five senses. The reader will focus on the dominant impression the sensory details reveal, through whose view the description is made, and whether the description is mainly objective or subjective. They will also try to trace the order of description.

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DescriptionDescription

Definition: using words to represent the appearance or the nature of thingsa selection of certain details to create a dominant impression

Types: objective description subjective description

Order: time and/or space (spatial order)

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Description: ElementsDescription: Elements

Imagery(sight, smell, taste, hearing, touching)visual, olfactory, gustatory, aural, tactile images

Abstract vs. Concrete WordsDominant Impression

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Features of Comparison & Features of Comparison & Contrast EssaysContrast Essays

2 or more subjects Likenesses and/or differences Methods: block method & alternating (point by

point) method Equal treatment of the two subjects Comparison and/or contrast as means to convey a

thesis—a method of presentation rather than a purpose of writing

Purposes: to clarify, to differentiate, to value either one

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Block MethodBlock Method

Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 Point 4 Point 5

Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 Point 4 Point 5

A B

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Alternating (point-by-point) MethodAlternating (point-by-point) MethodPoint 1 about A

Point 1 about B

Point 2 about APoint 2 about B




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Argument/ArgumentationArgument/Argumentation

A type of writing in which the writer offers reasons in favor of or against something

Elements– Clear & effective major proposition– Counterargument and its weaknesses– Reasonable tone – Evidence– Avoidance of personal attack & logical fallacy

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Argument—Types of EvidenceArgument—Types of Evidence

Factual referencesPersonal testimony Outside authoritiesStatistics

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Cause & EffectCause & Effect

Cause refers to the factors leading to an event, while effect refers to the result(s) from certain reasons. Depending on the subject matter, cause and effect analyses can be either easy to deal with or complicated. They can be about direct causes and effects or multiple cause-effect situations. The writers of cause and effect relationships often follow a logical order in presenting the material so that there is a focus for the audience to trace.

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Exemplification (Illustration)Exemplification (Illustration)

Definition: Using an extended example or a group of illustrations to explain an idea

Order: equal order descending order ascending order (emphatic order)

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IllustrationIllustration

Illustration, also know as exemplification, is a frequently employed writing mode in presenting a claim or is used in combination with other rhetorical modes. It involves mainly an effective arrangement of relevant examples. The arrangement of examples is of three types: equal order, descending order, and ascending (emphatic) order; among them the last is the most commonly employed.

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Classification/DivisionClassification/Division

Classification essays often involve the following elements: 1) division of the subject into several categories, 2) logical arrangement of these categories, usually in emphatic order, and 3) definition of each category. The categories are classified according to a rule of classification so that they do not overlap and are complete.

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DefinitionDefinition

Extended Definition: a definition provided by the writer that goes beyond the dictionary definition

When defining an object, a place, or a concept, writers often try to show the essential nature and the special characteristics of it. Thus, the definition essays are often extended definitions through which they inform, entertain, or persuade the audience.

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Daddy’s NoteDaddy’s Note

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RefreshingRefreshing

1. What was the most useful, meaningful, intriguing thing you learned in today’s class?

2. What are some possible applications of these ideas/thoughts to your study or to your life?

3. What question(s) remain in your mind as we end this class?

4. What was the least clear to you in this class?

English Prose Fall 2007 Beatrice Hsu .

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