Petersen,+Jimmy


 * 2.2.11**I really enjoy graphic novels. I think what Gareth Hinds did with //Beowulf was// incredible. I feel that a lot of people my age aren't really into old literature, but by making it into a comic book with a lot of incredible illustrations it can easily make these kids think twice about how "boring" these old stories are.


 * 2.14.11** I really liked //Lanval.// I thought it was a beautiful piece of writing. It reminded me a lot of //Aladdin// and //Romeo and Juilet// because of what seemed to be a forbidden love between Lanval and the queen. I liked that in the end Lanval knew by continuing this affair he was not only jeopardizing his loyalty to his king but jeopardizing his life and essientailly ended things with the queen. I thought Lanval was going to be executed because of what he had said to the queen after he ended things with her and because of the queen accusing him for being gay, but was relieved that he was acquitted and released to ride off into the sunset with his true love, a beautiful maiden.

"Good morning, dear lady," said Gawain gaily, "you shall do with me as you wish, and that pleases me much, for I surrender at once, and beg for your mercy, and that is best, in my judgement, for I simply must." I really liked this quote because I liked the chemistry that these two characters shared. It reminds me a lot of how couples flirt today going back and fourth with sexual innuendos and really building upon their chemistry.
 * 3.6.11** In //Sir Gawain and the Green Knight// one passage that I liked in part 3 was the scene where the fair lady greeted Sir Gawain and said, "Good morning, Sir Gawain. You are an unwary sleeper, that one can steal in here: Now you are caught in a moment! Unless we agree on a truce, I shall imprison you in your bed, be certain of that!"


 * 3.10.11** My favorite character in Chaucer's //Canterbury's Tales// would have to be the Prioress because a lot of her traits remind me of my mother, smart, loving, nurturing and compassionate. I get a very motherly vibe from her character and I just really like how beautiful a character she has developed into.


 * 4.11.11** I really liked the //To the Troops at Tilbury// speech. I liked the fact that it was a woman, a queen who was leading //her// men into battle. When I read it at first I honestly thought that a king or higher ranking officer in that army was delivering that speech but the fact that it was from a woman in this time period made it that much more powerful and was almost revolutionary.
 * 4.15.11** I hated reading T//he Faerie Queene// at first because it was just too confusing for me to understand at first with almost everything being a metaphor but when I read it a second time after class when we talked about what Spenser's metaphors could mean the story's flow was a lot smoother and more enjoyable.


 * 4.27.11** In class we got to listen to Kelly Morgan who heads the drama department for the school. I thought what he had to say was incredible. Normally when teachers often bring in guests to me they're kind of boring and easy to tune out during class, but when Kelly Morgan came to class I was definitely tuned in. I thought he was extremely articulate and very knowledgeable about Shakespeare's work. I loved how he was able to take old literature that's very hard for someone like me to understand and break it down and make it interesting. My favorite part was when he referenced the Church Lady from SNL that's when I knew right there, there was something special about this mystery guest.


 * 5.2.11** One poem I really liked was Michael Drayton's poem from //Idea.// I feel like the narrator of this poem is dealing with an internal battle with in himself. I get the feeling that he and the love of his life have just parted ways and he is trying to be civil because of the lines, "Truce, gentile Love, a parely now I crave." I also think they relationship ended badly because of how describes "a match" that no party one. I also think because of this relationship that has ended has brought on a lot of feelings of sadness, apathy, and anger which is why the poem goes from kind of a heart breaking tone in the beginning to a poem filled with anger and hate.


 * 5.3.11** One poem I really liked was Sir Walter Ralegh's //The Lie.// I liked what the poem was saying. Basically what I took from the poem was that it was a jab at people that were higher up in society. The narrator of the poem tells himself to "go upon a thankless errand" and tell random people and numerous organizations to confess their wrongdoings and if they said no the narrarotor would accuse them of being liars, "giving them the lie."