Hiding Something

Sometimes because of pride or ego or a mistaken idea, one person may not confide in another or tell them the whole truth. Have you ever been in a situation in which you didn’t want the other person to know something about you? You had something you wanted to keep secret? How did you act? Did the other person realize you were hiding something? How did your behavior change the way they acted toward you?

A few years ago I was planning a surprise birthday party for one of my best friends Hannah. She was turning 13 and I wanted to do something special for her. I talked to my mom and got permission to have it at my house. I got help from a few of our other friends and the party was coming along great. One day however, my friend Caitlin had a question about the party so she pulled me aside right in front of Hannah and whispered to me. It was completely innocent but Hannah thought that we were talking bad about her. It caused a HUGE mess. I tried to explain everything to Hannah but no matter how I put it she still thought that we were gossiping. For the next few days she was upset and wouldn't even talk to us. I finally decided that we were going to have to tell her about the party. That's exactly what we did and her reaction shocked me! She thought that we planned a party to cover up talking about her behind her back. She was even more upset than before and I felt horrible. The day before the party she apologized for the way she had acted and the party was great! I just wish that it had been different. The surprise would have been much more fun.

Spooky!

Describe your best or worst Halloween costume ever. Use lots of details and explain why it was so awesome or lame.

My best Halloween costume ever was in 6th grade. All of my friends and I had the same costumes and we were dressed like people in the 60's. We had big, poofy, red poodle skirts with a white button up shirt, a red scarf, fun tights and white keds. We did our hair HUGE and wore lots of blush and crazy make up. 

It was so much fun! We all went trick or treating together and then we went to my house and watched scary movies. Our costumes were comfortable, fun and altogether fantastic! Everyone had a blast that night and ever since it has been tradition to have matching costumes every year. Last year we were all fairies! That costume may have been just as awesome... maybe even better! 

The Hunger Games

I have never read The Hunger Games but I am definitely interested in reading it. Teens rated it in the top ten best books and I have heard that it is fantastic.

From what I have heard it is about North America being split into twelve districts. Every year one boy and one girl from each district are forced to fight to the death. This sounds very intreaging and interesting to me. It has a very clever plot and I love reading things that are different from the "usual."

Edgar Allan Poe

It seems like reading Edgar Allan Poe stories around Halloween is a rite of passage for students in English classes. He wrote poems such as "The Raven" and "Annabel Lee" and stories like "The Tell-Tale Heart", "The Black Cat", "The Fall of the House of Usher", "The Cask of Amontillado", "The Masque of the Red Death", "The Pit and the Pendulum", etc.
If you have read Poe stories before, which ones have you read and what do you remember of them? Did you like them? How scary/creepy were they? Share your memories of you or teachers reading the works of Edgar Allan Poe.
If you have not read Poe or don't remember, describe to me what you expect from a classic horror writer? What kinds of stories do you think we'll be reading? Have you ever read scary stories?

I have read the Cask of Amontillado and The Tell-Tale Heart. I really enjoyed reading both of them. They were very dark and creepy, but creative and really made me think.

The Cask of Amontillado was my favorite of the two. I love how clever and careful he is for everything. How he tells the housekeepers not to leave the house because he knew that they would. How he uses flattery to trick the victim into going into the cellar and drink. The twist at the end when the affects of alcohol start to wear off. All of this made the story more intense and I loved it!

I also liked the Tell-Tale Heart but not as much. It seemed to me that it was not as clever as The Cask of Amontillado in some ways. It also made me a bit sick because the reason for him killing the man was because his eyes bothered him. Also how he chopped him into pieces and put his parts under the floor boards. I did like the ending however, when he goes crazy and thinks that the ticking of the clock is the heartbeat, then confesses to the murder.

I think that Edgar Allen Poe is a fantastic writer! I have never read anything of his that I didn't enjoy!

From a Dog's Point of View...

"How do you keep making the lights go on and off?" your pet might wonder.
Write about you doing something in your house...from a pet's point of view.

What is that big thing that humans watch sometimes? It has all different pictures that change constantly and sometimes it looks like other humans living their lives. Humans have a little thing with buttons and it controls what is on the big thing. I wonder what would happen if I attacked it. Would it fight back? Would my master be upset with me? What would happen if I pushed the buttons? Can I go through it and jump into different places? 

If you hadn't guess it I did my entry on a Television from a dog's point of view. My honest opinion however is that dogs are just stupid and they wouldn't even be smart enough to know any of the things said in the last paragraph. But that was the assignment so I did what I was told.

Rain

Have you ever studied a skunk's eyes? Write about some item you find beauty in that many others might not.

I love the rain. Everything about it. When ever it rains i am always so happy. I think that without rain, I wouldn't be the same person that I am today. Rain heals my soul when I'm in pain. It turns my tears of sorrow to tears of joy. Rain is an essential for me. 

Most people hate when it rains. They say that it ruins their plans and destroys important things. But for me no matter what my plans are, the rain only improves them. I will admit there have been times when it has rained and I have been disappointed because it may have messed up some plans, but that is only for a split second. I then go back to thinking of the rain and what it represents in my life, and I am happy again. Many people also feel sad when it rains because the sun is not shining and they tend to naturally lose energy and happiness. It is just the opposite for me. I am happiest when it is raining. 

The rain is my favorite thing in nature. I love to go outside in the pouring rain and feel it coming down on my skin. The sound, the smell, everything. It is amazing.

Juliet Act II

Write a journal from the perspective of Romeo, Juliet, Friar Laurence or Nurse. It should take place after the end of Act II when Romeo and Juliet have been secretly married. Remember, you ARE this person writing what they would be thinking and feeling at this time. 3 PARAGRAPHS!

I am feeling a bit confused. I am more happy than I have ever been in my life, however I am worried and nervous at the same time. Romeo, the love of my life, and I have been married secretly. I am happy beyond imagination! He is the best thing that has ever happened to me. However I am very worried about the outcome. If or when our families find out, what will the consequences be? I wonder about the outcome of my choices.

I can hardly explain the way that I felt the moment that I saw Romeo. It was, most definitely, love at first sight. When his lips touched mine on the night that we met, my heart was pounding harder than I thought was possible. When he looked into my eyes I felt like I had known and loved him my whole life. It was like he knew everything about me. It is a love, I believe that no one else has. 

Although I am very happy about my wedding and my wonderful new husband, I am very concerned about the way my family will react. Will they be happy for me? Will they be upset? What will my punishment be if they are angry? Will they disown me? No matter what the punishment is I am sure that it will be worth it. Romeo and I are in love and there is nothing that anyone can do about it.

Fate

Do you believe in Fate? Are there certain things in life that, once set in motion, are inevitable; things that cannot be stopped once they are started? The story of Romeo and Juliet implies that the path of their love and what happens to them is part of Fate's plan. Do you think this is possible?

I do believe in fate. I believe that there are things that happen just because they are meant to be and no one can stop them from happening, nor can they make things happen that aren't supposed to. I don't know where fate comes from or why certain things happen, but that is the beauty of fate. You never know who, what, when, where, how or why. Things just happen because they are supposed to. 

Fate is a part of everything, some think that it is only a part of love. But I believe that everything that we ever experience has something to do with fate. Even our mistakes and trials in life are meant to happen. Our trials make us stronger if handled correctly and the good things that happen make us happy, which is the ultimate goal in life for most people. 

We have all had our experiences, good and bad. All due to fate. Fate is an amazing thing. It is always right. Everything happens for a reason. 

Juliet

My mother asked me today to consider taking Paris' hand in marriage. I thought about it and decided that I will see if I might like him but I will not fall in love without the consent of my parents. 

I am really looking forward to the party that I will attend tonight! Paris' should be there as well as other friends and family. I might even meet my true love. Whether it be Paris' or not. He must be handsom, kind, honest and charming. 

I am so young, it is hard to think that I have been asked to marry. I do not even know if I wish to marry ever. If I do marry it will only be for true love. I will not marry someone that I am not in love with. Paris' will have to sweep me off my feet, or else some other man.

Love!

Define true love. Do you believe it exists?
(Hint: have you ever seen it? give an example. Why do you believe/not believe in it?)

I definitely believe in true love. Love is an essential to life. I beileve in it because I have seen it in so many lives and it is the most amazing thing ever! 

My parents, sister and brother have all found true love and are happily married. You can see that it is true love by the way that they look at each other. You can also see it by the way they treat each other. Of course there is the occational fight or argument, but they always get through it and in the end, they wind up loving each other even more. When you see all the people getting divorced some people assume that it just wasn't true love, but i believe that in most cases they just decided that they didn't want to work out the problems anymore, so they gave up. 

Many people believe that there is one true love in this world for each person. Their "one and only." However, i think that is not true. I think that there are several people in this world for each person that they could love and be very happy with. We decide which one we will spend our life with based on our own cercumstances. 

No matter what you believe, love is love and it's great! 

I wish I could FLY!

If you had one superpower, what would it be and why? (Hint: describe exactly what your power would be, why you would want that one, what you would use your power for, etc. Would you be good or evil? Would you use it just for fun or for a good cause?)

If I had one superpower it would be to fly.  Being able to fly would be the most amazing thing! I would never have to walk anywhere. I could go wherever I wanted to, whenever I wanted to and I would get there fast! Plus it wouldn't cost me, or anyone else, money.  This is not only good for me, but it is good for the enviornment too!  It would be one less person burning fuel and harming the enviornment. 

I would use my superpower for several different things. One being that I would just have fun with it, being able to basically do whatever I wanted.  Another thing I would do with my superpower is fly to the top of Mt. Everest and things like that, accomplishing great things.  Also if i was ever sad or upset I could fly to a quiet place where I could think.  I could go on vacation and travel the entire world, seeing everything I have ever wanted to! I would use it to help others as well, in any way that I could. 

Shakespear!

What comes to your mind when you hear the words, "Now we're going to read Shakespeare!" Do you cringe in fear? Do you giggle with glee? What past experiences have you had with Shakespeare to make you react the way you do?

The first thing that comes to my mind when I hear that we're going to read Shakespear is Romeo and Juliet. I get excited because I am very interested in dramatic romances. However to be honest I really don't know much about Romeo and Juliet. On that note, I don't know much about Shakespear at all. It makes me a little bit nervous and excited at the same time.

I have heard from a lot of people that Shakespear is confusing and hard to understand. This is why I am nervous to read it. If I don't understand something that I am reading that I can't get interested in it and I am unable to focus. But I really can't base my opinion on others', I'll just have to see for myself.

I am excited to read Shakespear too because I want to see for myself whether or not I am interested in it. I hope that it will be captivating and make me feel like I am a part of the story. I hope it will take me back to older, simpler times with every word I read. With my excitment comes hope.

English Journal

Welcome to my blog! I created it for my English class...enjoy!