Question 2: From India With Love

Don Dela Cruz

05/12/15

P.4 AP Lang

Question 2: From India With Love

     The depiction of migration or adaptation confers an argumentative discussion of strength and weakness; its involvement in historical events and passages conceive a plethora of ideals to another time where movement was accepted, progressive, and normal. Nowadays, a movement or change in landscape or lifestyle dignifies weakness or lower stature. Scott Russel Sanders writes "Staying Put: a Home in a Restless World" in response to Solomon Rushdie for the sake of evaluating another's perspective on the two sides of mass migrations, and by using specific language techniques, Sanders sheds light on the topic's core meaning of substantial ideas. Breaking his essay down, understanding the author's point becomes much easier to seeing his strategy.

     Sander's writing reflects his part on perceiving the discussion and how he uses tone and tricks to alter or persuade audiences abroad. One point is the unique tip of using first-person point of view engagements, or words, to suffice an introduce showing individuality and creativity. "One hundred years after the closing of the frontier' we have still not shaken off the romance of unlimited space." The author's usage of the classic pathos, ethos, and logos triangle conveys the connection the author strives for between the speaker and audience. "In our national mythology, the worst fate is to be trapped on a farm..." This excerpt ideally shows the narrator's view with the use of words like "our" to support the push on audiences' appeal, and ironically, the hasty generalization becomes a strong and clever strategic route to by pass logically fallacies as a way of persuasive writing; the author writes "our national mythology" and presumes an entire nation to support his idea on migration, which can prove contrary to millions of others' individuality in thinking. Surprisingly, Sanders uses patriotism as a technique to change the audiences' minds. 

     A common displacement of clever, persuasive wording in the history of speeches, arguments, and basic ganders vain thinking can be a manipulative way to the reevaluation of perspective. Sand

Question 1: Revised Daylight Savings

Don Dela Cruz

04/15/15

P/4

Daylight Savings: Why?

     What once started as advice for candle saving by the famous Benjamin Franklin is now a global adaption to daily life; daylight savings has become a necessity to society's years in life and how measurement of time and moments have become man-made ideals. The repetition of adjustment in time seems utterly common, as if the world just adopted it naturally. While it seems this way, daylight savings is still an arguable factor to some nations' lives. Using several sources, the complications of the topic can be understood and analyzed. Is daylight savings just a method of federal uselessness or is it a significant part of overall greatness?

     Daylight savings is adjusted automatically via electronics and appliances, but does this mean it is a necessity to the already complicated life systems? The excerpt from the article "Energy Bill Would Extend Daylight Savings Time" by Robert Loigley explains the only society which seems to benefit and use the energy method: "...show that America's electricity usage is reduced about one percent..." In another excerpt from the book "Seize the Daylight: The Curious and Continuous Story of Daylight Savings Time" by David Prerau, the author explains its statistic usage in benefiting society by conserving enough energy to reciprocate other priorities; "...the extra hour of light in the evening could cause an increase in recreational and shopping travel by automobile..." Because we do not entirely mind the existence of something as ordinary as Daylight Savings, society does not completely understand its origins or purposes towards past society and how it had been used before. Not only does Daylight Savings Time endeavor the conservation of energy, but also physical safety to humans. 

     It seems rather obvious that Daylight Savings Time ties into the relevance of sunlight and energy, but much of its significance is also for human safety and precautionary methods. In another excerpt from David Prerau's, he writes "People feel generally safer in the daylight, and many types of crime are believed to be influenced by lighting conditions" It seems, on a more realistic note, that the purpose of daylight savings is to extend time with light and how it can help/support the importance of safety. In Source D, a graph from an article proves how daylight savings improves statistics of crashes and drastically changes afterwards. The fact that statistics give support to the ideals of daylight savings gives a better viewing of positively seeing the idea as an opportunity rather than a burden. Because of this creation, the scene of car accidents and death would not plague the universe due to its natural habitat of occasional darkness.

     As an ignorant American mindlessly following the herd of sheep to do whatever my superiors say, I have ignorantly never bothered to understand something as inventive and innovative such as daylight savings. It becomes a tedious idea due to its relevance in only occasional times of the year, yet the turning of a clock backwards or forwards seem so far from relevant. This ignorance causes me to realize that I should be understand and evaluating even the tiniest nook and cranny because in some odd way, industrialization brings forth the idea that most of everything we do today is a measured spectral of man-made knowledge. 

Portfolio Reflection

Don Dela Cruz Jr

04/27/15

AP Lang. P.4

Portfolio Reflection

     In a nutshell, my portfolio represents the utmost mediocre writing and a skill level that proves to need improvement and enhancement. While many can say their portfolios illustrate the character of one's self, I believe my writing only deciphers my level of opinion rather than overall intellect and persona. In some odd perspective, literature suits me well; it is an area that does not require expertise, accuracy, or academic grades, but prioritizes the individualism and thinking that can differ throughout other minds. Let's first understand what exactly is in my portfolio.

     The portfolio, which can reflect the ambition I have towards working, may seem no more than irresponsible and fatigued; there's a point where work can be habitual or a chore and where work can be deciphered as art, passion, and creativity. I believe my portfolio lacks many assignments, yet the ones in which are present completely deflect the ideal that presumes my mind to be lower than I perceive it to be; a mind capable of so much more. This possibility of intellect intrigues and frigtens me because in the end, with all the hard work I've dedicated myself to, my grades fall short to my false impression of myself. This causes me to discourage any other effort to better myself because the outcome pervasively remains the same negative ending. As I write this paper, it becomes relatively simple to the solution of my issues: give up. 

     The portfolio might be the only conclusion to my issues due to the evidence that I somewhat enjoy challenging myself and the academic duplicate society has created for me. It's a glimmer of hope that one day I can fit into the ideal citizen' a well paying job, beautiful home, and a nice life. I see now that my loss of passion to something as simple as education can deduct the strength and will found in my inner self, which plays such an essential role to find success, nirvana, and conclusions. In such a promiscuous way, I have found my mental barriers to hold down the possibilities and opportunities I attain by simply pitting myself down. Society tells you to be realistic and settle down, yet what motivates me, personally, is the ability to believe in a world or goal where I can be and do something much bigger than what was meant or assumed for me to become. "The Sky is the limit" is another vague and cliche method of promoting positivism, but what makes the lesson much more meaningful, not aloof, is by applying it to each aspect of your own lifestyle: being positive mentally, physically, socially, intellectually, academically, etc. 

     How does this entire paper answer all the questions on the "Portfolio Guiding Questions"? I am trying to put forth to my audience that "I am a big fish in a small pond" I have been limited to achieve any high goals, from grades to report cards, simply because I have not realized how lazy and ridiculously pessimistic I have become. It is no doubt that this class has truly altered me and how I perceive education; with all the books and lessons we've learned from, I realize that some classes such as this one develops the form of ambiguity and ambition to endeavor in much larger goals like a career or higher thinking. The ability to compensate for such a bad year is by reflecting on it and realizing how productive you have become even when it seemed so useless and pointless. For some odd reason, this will be a class to be forever cherished. It was a class that witnessed my highs, my mediums, and my lows, which can also configure the meaning to my blog subheading: "While I struggle to find myself, one day, I will witness my inauguration...". The blog subheading simply puts my year as an AP Language student into a sentence---I struggled to stay positive and clear throughout this entire year of learning, yet I look back within this assignment and realize I have come so far. My ability to analyze, my ability to write, and my ability to organize has become comprehensibly skilled. I am no Charles Dickens nor am I a John Kim---I am Don and while I do not succumb to anyone's particular standards, I will accept myself fully one day, and because of this class and progression, it seems evident that the idea might be closer than I think. 

Correction 4/ Textbook Work

Correction 4

1. B
2. H
3. D
4. H
5. B
6. G

Prompt

     Stephen Crane's poem, in my opinion, seems relentless, sad, and drastically affluent to a society that belittles its people. Crane writes his poem of war; a very complicated battle that involves physical, emotional, and mental harm. Stephen Crane seems so intrigued by the idea of war, and a supporter to the soldiers who fight in it, but is so discouraged by his own abilities where he claims he cannot be one (he believes he is not strong enough or willing). What seems to be a poem on war and violence becomes a poem of self-belittling and lacks a sense of self-confidence. It's a poem of war but not between nations, but between man and himself. His lack of confidence and his willing to make him smaller than the rest of the soldiers, or in other words "people", causes the reader to understand the insecurity and hopelessness of the author and how weak one can become after a war with himself. Getting into the other poem by Komunrakaa, both poets seem to follow each other's steps and art when it comes to the different aspects of writing such as tone, mood, and theme. Both share a tone that seems less optimistic, more pessimistic, and much more queer and peculiar than most poems due to its strong reflection-of-self and its passion to mirror an image of what the author believes he is or what he should write of (the nature of man). They both write about the natural environment of outlandish behaviors and the anatomy of the human mind and its critical significance to feeling the meaning and importance of one's self and one another.

Correction 3/ Textbook Work

Correction 3

1. C
2. G
3. A
4. G
5. C
6. H
7. B
8. J

Prompt

     Whitman and Baca are both two revolutionary thinkers in the eyes of the poetic/literature world. Whitman, known for his soft and gentle words, collide with the everlasting deep and meaningful rhymes from Baca in this textbook work. The given poems from both poets share similar traits such as morals and rights (existentialism), yet they represent different opinions and beliefs in each other's writing. Whitman, in my opinion, has the upper hand coming forth as the optimist; he writes on society and people as a positive and much more hopeful generation rather than Baca. Baca writes in a more individualistic way; a ballistic approach to how society manipulates its own decisions and causes its own alteration through time. He then seeps his own opinion on natural depletion and natural changes in society through his writing.

Correction 2/ Textbook Work

Correction 2:

1. B
2. G
3. D
4. H
5. B
6. G
7. D
8. J
9. A
10. H

Prompt:

     Both authors and poets Edgar Allan Poe and H.D view different aspects when it comes to Helen. As an avid reader of Poe's art, his usage of similes and analogies becomes apparent when seeing the visual description he has towards Helen's beauty. On the other hand. H.D uses social behavior and awkwardness as a way to describe his point of view on Helen and her own traits. Edgar Allan Poe, as dark as he is, seemingly becomes more lenient and graceful towards the feminine nature and idea of Helen, a beautiful, loving woman, whereas H.D seems to be much more critical and judgmental to the gender. It becomes clear which side Poe and H.D are on the likeness of the subject "women"; Poe shows more grace and appreciation towards his opposite sex while H.D shows structural, stiff critique that represents a strong non-suit towards the sex.

Correction 1/ Textbook Work

Correction 1:
1)A
2)J
3)A
4)B
5)C
6)H
7)C
8)H
9)A
10)F

Prompt:

    The two poems both ingrate a different depiction of one topic: love. Love is a common theme between both poems, yet each one has its different aspects of emotion, writing, and perspective. For example, Bradstreet's poem seem alike to the meaning in Millay's, yet founded in a completely different way and its alternative way of understanding love and romance can become clarified to understanding or analyzing the author and his background. Bradstreet's poem becomes obvious that it is more likely to romanticize and charm the easily understood people and common love, yet Millay's way of thinking to depict or shed his knowledge on love is to use subliminal and hidden meanings that takes more than just reading, but thinking to compensate for such complicated writing.