a time for new dreams contemporary author

ELA Department HARMON

A time for new dreamsTITLe:

Video: Meet the Author

Ben Okri

Ben Okri OBE FRSL is a Nigerian poet and

novelist. Okri is considered one of the

foremost African authors in the post-modern and post-

colonial traditions and has been compared

favourably to authors such as Salman

Rushdie and Gabriel García Márquez

OBJECTIVE:

Mini-Lesson:

STANDARD:

Activator:

Wrap up:

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT:

DEFINE IT.MODEL IT.PARTNER.

INDEPENDENT.

You will be able to compare and contrast how an author’s literary style impact the tone and mood of a text and suit the author’s purpose.

9.RL.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of diction on meaning and tone in accordance with literary style in modern fiction.

Okris’ idea of the meaning of stories

Think Aloud to read the poem and the essay.

Using the Concept Map, compare and contrast both authors

How are the author’s style’s different and similar?

Ask Yourself: how does author style reflect the author’s purpose?

In Groups, complete Literary Style Elements Continuum (Flow Charts) for the essay and the 2 poems (25 min). Read the example anaysis.

Student Groups present to whole group the summaries of their analysis citing textual evidence.

MEET THE AUTHOR: Author Spotlight BEN OKRI

What does ben okri say a story is?

ACTIVATOR

What does ben okri about kinds of stories?

What does ben okri say about the purpose of stories?

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT

O that abstract garden of being Tells me to be brave, and clear, In the fire of living, And in the journey through the year. So I will grow me like an oak tree And make life’s honey like a bee. Each day I will walk an interesting mile And with the sun I’ll share a smile. I will play again like a child, And celebrate what’s wild. I will swim in every sea or river, And reflect the light of the sublime giver. I will be at ease with opposition, And will cultivate intuition. I will walk the surprising streets, And dance to life’s unexpected beats. I will notice all the phases of the moon And try not to act too late or too soon. I will write something new every day And look at paintings in an alternative way. I’ll not dream the same way twice; But I’ll not be shy to repeat what’s nice. I’ll have the courage, when needed, to change; And I won’t forget that life is strange. And so I’ll learn to love the simple things As well as the complexity that life brings. Good or bad I’ll learn to treat the same And I’ll not forget that it’s all a mysterious game. I’ll not let that general fear of death run my life And I’ll make magic even out of strife. Into the higher realms I will enter And make my corner the centre. O that abstract garden, make me clear, Make me brave, without fear. I intend to love this rich new year.

O That abstract garden

As clouds pass above our heads

So time passes through our lives.

Where does it go,

And when it passes,

What do we have to show?

We can plant deeds in time

As gardners plant roses.

We can plant thoughts, or good words too

Especially if they are noble and true.

Time is an act of consciousness:

One of the greatest forces

Of the material world.

We ought to use time

Like emperors of the mind:

Do magic things that the future,

Surprised, will find.

We could change our life today

And seek out a higher way.

The Buddha sat beneath a tree

And from all illusion became free.

And from all illusion became free. And as we travel on this life that is a sea We can glimpse eternity. We can join that growing fight To stop our world being plunged into night. We can wake to the power of our voice Change the world with the power of our choice. But there is nothing we can do If we don’t begin to think anew. We are not much more than what we think; In our minds we swim or sink. If there is one secret I’d like to share It’s that we are what we dream Or what we fear. So dream a good dream today And keep it going in every way. Let each moment of our life Somehow help the good fight Or help spread some light. The wise say life is a dream; And soon the dream is done. But what you did in the dream Is all that counts beneath the sun. The dream is real, and the real is a dream Each one of us is a powerful being. Wake up to what you are, You are a sun, you are a star. Wake up to what you can be. Search, search for a new destiny

As Clouds pass

above our heads

BY ben okri

HARMON ELA

ELA Department HARMON

interpreter of maladiesTITLe:

Video: Meet the Author

Jhumpa Lahiri

Jhumpa Lahiri is the visionary

behind the Interpreter of

Maladies, a collection of essays. She

is Indian-American and has received

masters and a PhD in writing and

literature not to mention many

awards.

Throughout “A Temporary Matter” by Jhumpa Lahiri, the little things in life mask the most important events in Shoba and Shukumar’s lives.

Interestingly, even when Shukumar talks about the day his wife went into labor, a very important event for any couple, his memory focuses only on images and “little” things. For instance, when he thinks of the day he left Shoba alone before she had the child, he doesn’t remember that she was beautiful or happy, but only small things. He says, “Each time he thought of that moment, the last moment he saw Shoba pregnant, it was the cab he remembered most, a station wagon, painted red with blue lettering.

It was cavernous compared to their own car.

Although Shukumar was six feet tall, with hands too big ever to rest comfortably in the pockets of his jeans, he felt dwarfed in the back seat.” In some ways, even though this might seem callous, this is usually how we realistically remember events from our lives. Important events do not happen our memory as sequential narratives, but in a series of random feelings, senses, and observations. In this way, the story is narrative realistically and the story tells us that it is the little things, the small, seemingly inconsequential memories that form our realities and memories. This happens again in the short story “A Temporary Matter” by Jhumpa Lahiri when Shoba speaks her confession and says, “You went to answer the telephone in the other room. It was your mother, and I figured it would be a long call. I wanted to know if you’d promoted me from the margins of your newspaper.” Instead of looking for clues about her future husband or finding something of earth-shattering importance, she looks to see if she is making up the little details of Shukumar’s life. Again, it is clear that the little things mask the greater realities.

Unfortunately, the power outage is a “temporary matter” and something that is not a great life event, and thus it cannot trump all of the little things that have been a signaling a problem with the couple’s marriage. “A Temporary Matter” by Jhumpa Lahiri has shown that is the little things in life that form and define all of the major events in our lives and it will take more than something temporary to solve these problems or shed light on the truth. Although it may seem as though the couple’s problems do not come to light until the temporary matter of the power outage, the whole story, comprised of small, seemingly insignificant memories or thoughts are just as important as the confessions of not being in love the same way. The title of “A Temporary Matter” by Jhumpa Lahiri is certainly ironic since none of the couple’s problems are going to be solved in a temporary manner, and it shows us that the little things in life really do matter a great deal.

Mini-Lesson

The style in writing can be defined as the way a writer writes and it is the technique which an individual author uses

OKRI LAHIRIOverall Observation: Overall Observation:

Both authors are similar because:

Both authors are different because:

Ask Yourself: What is the writer’s attitude about the topic,

characters or events?

Ask Yourself: How does the reader feel about the topic,

characters, and events?

STYLE

OBJECTIVE: You will compare and contrast two contempary author’s style and analyze why they used that style whether to achieve artistic technique or to portray a message

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT

continuum: LAhIri’s essayWHAT is the conflict/s & HOW DID the author’s style illustrate the conflict?

Briefly describe howthe conflict/s

appearsin the story:

How the conflict/sevolves & developsthrough

the piece citing

textual evidence: PAGE #PAGE #

PAGE #PAGE #

GRADE: ___/100 PTSPAGE RANGE____ - ______

middle ENDbeginning

Your name:

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT

continuum: OKRI’s PoemsWHAT is the literary style of the author AND HOW is it established?

Briefly describe

examples of author stylein the poem:

How the style

developsthrough

the poem citing

textual evidence: Paragraph # PAGE #

GRADE: ___/100 PTSPAGE RANGE____ - ______

middle ENDbeginning

Your name:

Paragraph # Paragraph #

Directions: Draw an arrow from the words in the word bank to where it belongs on the continuum.

indifferent

pleased detached

sulky

Objective: determining nuances of words as they are used to impact tone and meaning

SADMORELESS

HAPPY

despairing

hopeless

gloomydepressed

melancholy

unaffected

resigned

unconcernedapathetic

amused

cheery

merry

joyful

amused

delighted

ACTIVATOR

factual funnyMORELESS

serious

taunting

mocking



solemn somber

reminiscent

nostalgic

reflective

matter of fact

informative

witty

objectiverestrained

sentimental

ACTIVATOR

calmafraidMORELESS

excited



jubilantsoothing

composedworried

meditativeanxious

mysteriousecstasticsettled

quiet

fanatical

alarmed

energetic

ACTIVATOR

confusedangryMORELESS

friendly



shocked

sympathetic

furious

irateloving muddled

quizzical disorganized

outraged

questioning aggravated

irate

compassionate

irritated

disgustedperplexed

appreciative

caring

ACTIVATOR

a time for new dreams contemporary author

Education