English I Honors students worked on their first exposure to Shakespeare in class, reading “Sonnet 29” in preparation for our new unit on Romeo and Juliet.

When in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes
I all alone beweep my outcast state,
And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries,
And look upon myself, and curse my fate,
Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,
Featured like him, like him with friends possessed,
Desiring this man’s art, and that man’s scope,
With what I most enjoy contented least;
Yet in these thoughts my self almost despising,
Haply I think on thee, and then my state,
Like to the lark at break of day arising
From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven’s gate;
For thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.

We’ll continue with the poem tomorrow, looking at how Shakespeare uses language.

English 8 Strategies began the new quarter, which will focus on expository writing. We began with a silly game to lead us into a bit of expository writing about ourselves — technically narrative writing, I understand, but we’re easing into expository writing. We’ll be using our “Which is the fib?” results for our initial writing assignments.

Homework

• English I Honors: turn in poetry project if you haven’t or have had problems with it. (See moodle.ourenglishclass.net for more details).