Lmst

Reading’s Thin Line Between Difficult and Boring

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://www.educationnext.org/readings-thin-line-between-difficult-and-boring/

Helium is better gas than hydrogen

“Spellbound” by Emily Brontë

Emily Brontë (1818-1848), best known as the author of Wuthering Heights, was also a prolific poet, with around 200 works attributed to her. Sadly, they weren’t much appreciated during her lifetime, as is often the case, but nowadays — along with her sisters — she is considered a classic of English literature.

Emily Brontë

In this post we’ll get acquainted with her poem titled “Spellbound.” The word itself implies something magical and fascinating — something that literally binds you like a spell; you can’t think about anything else. But as we’re about to see, that’s not necessarily a good feeling!

Right from the beginning, the author creates a dark and gloomy atmosphere of a harsh winter’s night. The spell she is seemingly under is a “tyrant” that completely paralyzes her. You’ll notice how all three stanzas finish in the same, helpless way: “I cannot go.” Yet at the same time, there’s something resilient about the poet: as desperate as the situation may seem, and with everything going from bad to worse, she remains stoic and unmoved.

If you’ve ever felt trapped, unable to act, feeling oppressed as if by an unseen force — or a sense of inescapable doom, you might find this poem relatable!

The night is darkening round me,
The wild winds coldly blow;
But a tyrant spell has bound me
And I cannot, cannot go.

The giant trees are bending
Their bare boughs weighed with snow.
And the storm is fast descending,
And yet I cannot go.

Clouds beyond clouds above me,
Wastes beyond wastes below;
But nothing drear can move me;
I will not, cannot go.

VOCABULARY EXERCISE

Find the words in the poem with the following meaning:

gloom, sadness, melancholy (adjective)
to begin to occur; of a situation: to quickly develop (verb)
barren, desolate land (noun)
to tie tightly (verb)
a main branch of a tree (noun)

To check your answers, please click here.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Emily Brontë biographical entry in the Encyclopedia Britannica

Emily Brontë’s portraits in the National Portrait Gallery

NOTES

I’m a freelance language tutor (English, Latin, Classical Greek), researcher, and a literary scholar currently based in Belgrade, Serbia.

If you wish to receive new content from my blog – as soon as it’s published – please enter your email address in the box below. You can also subscribe to my free monthly Newsletter and get a regular recap with additional content.

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COVER PHOTO CREDIT

Image by Maddy Weiss via Unsplash.

#EmilyBrontë #EnglishLiterature #EnglishVocabulary #learningEnglish #literature #poem #poetry #readingComprehension #readingSkills #winter

“January” by Helen Hunt Jackson

Helen Hunt Jackson was born in Amherst, Massachusetts, on 15 October, 1830. A prolific writer, poet, and activist dedicated to the rights of Native Americans, she also happened to be a classmate of another—nowadays much more famous—Amherst poet: Emily Dickinson. The two women remained in contact throughout their lives, chiefly through correspondence.

Helen Hunt Jackson (1830-1885)

Titled “January”, the following winter-themed poem opens the short collection called “A Calendar of Sonnets”, first published in 1891. The collection consists of a total of twelve sonnets, one for each month, and it includes lovely vignettes and engravings typical of the late 19th century publications. You can access the integral version of “A Calendar of Sonnets” on the Project Gutenberg website and download it in different formats.

O Winter! frozen pulse and heart of fire, What loss is theirs who from thy kingdom turn Dismayed, and think thy snow a sculptured urn Of death! Far sooner in midsummer tire The streams than under ice. June could not hire Her roses to forego the strength they learn In sleeping on thy breast. No fires can burn The bridges thou dost lay where men desire In vain to build. O Heart, when Love’s sun goes To northward, and the sounds of singing cease, Keep warm by inner fires, and rest in peace. Sleep on content, as sleeps the patient rose. Walk boldly on the white untrodden snows, The winter is the winter’s own release.

One of the reasons why I love this poem is Jackson’s likening of winter to a kingdom. When I was a child, I remember thinking of winter in similar terms: to me, winter felt like a domain of a queenly character who would bring a renewed sense of magic and wonder to the world (in my mother tongue, the word for ‘winter’ is of feminine grammatical gender).

The poet here draws attention to the life, streams and energy hidden under the layers of ice and snow. In the middle of winter, everything in nature may look very still, dead almost, but appearances are deceptive. As it turns out, winter is an essential part in the cycle of life. Plants and animals vitally depend on their winter rest, and so do we.

VOCABULARY EXERCISE

Match the following adjectives from the poem with their definitions or synonyms:

feeling unhappy, disappointed or distressed
untravelled; not walked on
inside, interior; hidden, secret
willing to wait; tolerant
turned into ice
happy and satisfied

To check your answers, please click her e for the answer key.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Helen Hunt Jackson (entry in the Colorado Encyclopedia)

Helen Hunt Jackson: Author and Indian Advocate

Letters to the World: The Correspondence of Helen Hunt Jackson and Emily Dickinson (radio programme)

NOTES

I’m a freelance language tutor (English, Latin, Classical Greek), researcher, and a literary scholar currently based in Belgrade, Serbia.

To support my work, you can send me a donation via PayPal. It would be greatly appreciated!

#AmericanLiterature #EmilyDickinson #HelenHuntJackson #January #learningEnglish #poem #poetry #readingComprehension #readingSkills #sonnet #winter

A poem for the New Year: “Ring Out, Wild Bells” by Lord Alfred Tennyson

Last time we had a poem by Lord Alfred Tennyson here on the blog, it was his lovely short piece “The Owl”. In this post I’d like to present “Ring Out, Wild Bells”: it’s a classic New Year’s Eve poem, filled with good wishes and hopeful pleas. First published in 1850, it addresses everything from wishes for good health to the rule of justice and the end of wars—things we can all wish for over century and a half later.

Lord Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892)

The poem consists of eight stanzas of four lines each. If you read the poem aloud (which I always encourage), you’ll soon notice the ABBA rhyming pattern. You’ll also notice a steady and consistent rhythm: each line contains about eight syllables metrically organised into iambs, i.e. the poem has an iambic metre.

If I’ve lost you with this last bit, let me explain: an iamb is one of many metrical units used in poetry since the times of ancient Greece. Each iamb consists of two syllables: the first one is unstressed and/or short, while the second one is stressed and often long(er). When you read the lines of the poem below, you’ll easily be able to make out these syllables: try reading them out in this rhythm.

Two more technical words I’d like to introduce here are scansion and its corresponding verb to scan. When you scan a poem, you analyse its metrical pattern, so you’d actually know how to properly read it out. It was a huge deal in the poetry of classical Greece and Rome, as all poetry was recited in its metre. That’s very different from how contemporary, free-verse poetry is written and read out, which is pretty much like prose.

I know I’ve bored you enough, so let’s move on to Tennyson! As always in my poetry posts, there’s a vocabulary exercise for English language learners below the poem, don’t miss it.

Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,The flying cloud, the frosty light:The year is dying in the night;Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.Ring out the old, ring in the new,Ring, happy bells, across the snow:The year is going, let him go;Ring out the false, ring in the true.Ring out the grief that saps the mindFor those that here we see no more;Ring out the feud of rich and poor,Ring in redress to all mankind.Ring out a slowly dying cause,And ancient forms of party strife;Ring in the nobler modes of life,With sweeter manners, purer laws.Ring out the want, the care, the sin,The faithless coldness of the times;Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymesBut ring the fuller minstrel in.Ring out false pride in place and blood,The civic slander and the spite;Ring in the love of truth and right,Ring in the common love of good.Ring out old shapes of foul disease;Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;Ring out the thousand wars of old,Ring in the thousand years of peace.Ring in the valiant man and free,The larger heart, the kindlier hand;Ring out the darkness of the land,Ring in the Christ that is to be.

VOCABULARY EXERCISE

Match the following words from the poem with the corresponding synonyms or definitions:

frosty (adjective, stanza 1)
sap (verb, stanza 3)
feud (noun, stanza 3)
redress (noun, stanza 3)
strife (noun, stanza 4)
mournful (adjective, stanza 5)
minstrel (noun, stanza 5)
slander (noun, stanza 6)
spite (noun, stanza 6)
foul (adjective, stanza 7)
valiant (adjective, stanza 8)

sad, sorrowful, gloomy
bold and brave
a false and damaging statement about someone
a prolonged and bitter quarrel
a conflict, an angry disagreement
a desire to hurt or offend someone
a mediaeval singer or musician
disgusting; evil; immoral
compensation for a wrong
to gradually weaken, exhaust the energy of something
very cold

To check your answers, click here for the answer key.

NOTE

I’m a freelance language tutor (English, Latin, Classical Greek), researcher, and a literary scholar currently based in Belgrade, Serbia.

To support my work, you can send me a donation via PayPal. It would be greatly appreciated!

#English #EnglishLiterature #EnglishVocabulary #iamb #iambicMetre #learningEnglish #literature #NewYear #poetry #readingComprehension #readingSkills #scansion #Tennyson #VictorianEra #VictorianLiterature

A black and white portrait of Lord Alfred Tennyson as a middle-aged bearded man in an elegant Victorian suit.

My favourite wintertime books

The temperature is dropping and it’s getting colder and colder outside. What better way to spend a quiet winter evening than with a nice, warm drink and a cosy yet thrilling read!

In this post I’ll share with you some of my favourite books with a dreamy wintertime setting. For the past few years we haven’t had much snow in my neck of the woods, but there’s plenty of it in these titles! And I think there’s something for everyone in my selection – both fiction and non-fiction. So, scroll down and find something for yourself.

(A brief note for my current students – you can borrow all of these titles from my in-house library.)

Without further ado, let’s get cracking!

Five Go Adventuring Again

MYSTERY / ADVENTURE / CHILDREN’S

On the odd chance you are not familiar with the Famous Five book series by Enid Blyton, have a look at my article written on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the very first release.

Five Go Adventuring Again is the second book in the series. Originally published in 1943, it’s written in a simple way typical of Blyton’s early works, which makes it suitable for English language learners – levels pre-intermediate (B1) and above. Set during Christmas holidays, the kids get themselves involved in a holiday adventure, as they discover secret passages, mysterious maps and deal with suspicious strangers.

Regardless of how old you may be, you’re never too old for a Famous Five book! You can check out the e-book, accessible via archive.org with a free account.

The Secret History

MURDER MYSTERY / DARK ACADEMIA / CAMPUS NOVEL

Donna Tartt’s first book, The Secret History, has been a best-seller for over thirty years. First published in 1992, it follows a group of students at a small, elite New England college. Budding classicists who are the main characters have complicated personal histories and relationships, and are all somehow connected with the disappearance and murder of a fellow student.

If you’re intrigued, a while ago I posted a review of this novel (I had only the best things to say), and you can read it by clicking here.

The Sittaford Mystery

MURDER MYSTERY / DETECTIVE STORY

If you’re into thrillers and murder mysteries of a more cosy variety, Agatha Christie’s novels featuring Miss Marple are just the ticket!

The Sittaford Mystery is set in a small Dartmoor village in the middle of a very snowy winter. A group of people meets for a spiritualist seance at a residence of one of the prominent locals – but instead of table-turning, there’s a seemingly inexplicable murder!

If you like the book, check out the television adaptation of this story, part of the ITV’s Agatha Christie’s Marple series starring Geraldine McEwan. (If you can’t find it elsewhere, it’s currently available on YouTube, here and here.)

The Tenderness of Wolves

MURDER MYSTERY / DRAMA

I remember when I first read Stef Penney’s 2006 novel The Tenderness of Wolves, I loved every single thing about it! Penney’s writing style (extremely skillful for a debut novel!); the deep winter setting; small and remote rural places in Canada; the suspense… It was just breathtaking. You won’t be able to put it down!

The book is difficult to define in terms of genre, but it’s definitely much more than your typical murder mystery. I wish there was a film adaptation, but thus far there is only the BBC Radio 4 drama series originally broadcast in 2007. (Sadly, it doesn’t seem to be available on the BBC Sounds platform at the time of writing. Let me know if you manage to find it elsewhere!)

Peace Like a River

DRAMA

Leif Enger’s 2001 novel Peace Like a River is set in the early 1950s and follows the lives of the Land family from the small town of Roofing. Their initially calm existence gets disturbed by the actions of two local bullies, and from there things unintentionally go into a downward spiral for everyone.

In spite of dealing with difficult subjects, the striking thing about this book is its gentleness and grace. There’s a lot of Biblical and Christian symbolism in it, starting with the title itself (a line from the hymn “It is well with my soul”). It’s very well written and simply heartwarming.

It’s been a while since I last read this book, and I can’t guarantee that it’s actually set in winter at all – but I always feel like reading it on a cold winter’s day. So think of it as an honourable mention here.

Wilderness Seasons

NON-FICTION / ADVENTURE / NATURE WRITING

The only non-fiction title in this selection is a delectable little book written by Ian and Sally Wilson. Its full title is Wilderness Seasons: Life and Adventure in Canada’s North. First published in 1987, it’s the Wilsons’ true account of their own personal adventure.

Having decided to leave the city, they moved to a remote homestead – hundreds of kilometres from the nearest settlement, and accessible only by a small plane. Wonderfully inspiring, the book describes the four seasons in their little piece of heaven (so not all of it is winter-themed).

I’ve always harboured similar fantasies, and reading this book was incredibly satisfying. I remember getting it at a book swapping event over a decade ago. And as a special treat, the book came with the authors’ signatures. I treasure it to this day.

Please post in the comments section below and share about your wintertime favourites. I’d love to read about them!

COVER IMAGE CREDITS

Photo by Paola Chaaya via Unsplash

NOTES

I’m a freelance language tutor (English, Latin, Classical Greek), researcher, and a literary scholar currently based in Belgrade, Serbia.

To support my work, you can send me a donation via PayPal. It would be greatly appreciated!

#AmericanLiterature #books #Canada #CanadianLiterature #Christmas #EnglishLiterature #learningEnglish #reading #readingComprehension #readingSkills #recommendations #tips #winter

Calling all #readers and #writers! Are your skills up to the challenge?

Suneung: #SouthKorea exam chief quits over 'insane' #English test https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3w792x0ggyo

#education #standardizedtesting #readingcomprehension #college

Given the kerfuffle I'm causing over on Threads, I will admit I VASTLY OVERESTIMATE the intelligence of the average person. Like, they aren't even qualified to invalidate me. I expect far too much of people, I assume they are better and operating at a higher level than they actually are. I take them in good faith because I assume we're on an equal level of intellect and understanding. But trolls gonna troll. And they're mostly trolls.

“No one in this world, so far as I know—and I have searched the records for years, and employed agents to help me—has ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the great masses of the plain people. Nor has anyone ever lost public office thereby. The mistake that is made always runs the other way. Because the plain people are able to speak and understand, and even, in many cases, to read and write, it is assumed that they have ideas in their heads, and an appetite for more. This assumption is a folly.”
— H. L. Mencken; 1926 September 18, The Evening Sun, “As H. L. Sees It”

#people-skills #internet-drama #reading-comprehension #literacy #people-suck #misanthropy

Signs of Dyslexia in Kindergarten | Dyslexia Evaluation

...these early struggles are the first...indicators of dyslexia. A...dyslexia evaluation can identify indicators years before significant academic impacts...

https://educationalinspiration.com/signs-of-dyslexia-in-kindergarten/

#DyslexiaEvaluation, #LanguageComprehension, #SpeechLanguagePathologist, #SpeechLanguageSpecialist, #dyslexiaassessmenttest, #dyslexia, #dyslexiatesting, #educationalassessments, #languagedisorder, #readingcomprehension, #readingdisorder,

Ok, I can figure out the discrepancies (or at least know when to ask questions), typos, and broken links. I can put 2.5 and 2.5 together and get 5. But if the average user is of the very low intelligence that this material is written for (a SIX MINUTE VIDEO on logging in and menu navigation?!), they're only going to get 4.

#actually-autistic #actuallyautistic #always-proofreading #systems #training #reading-comprehension #relay-of-information #communication #accuracy

What Is the Reading Rope? | Language Comprehension

When a child struggles with reading and language comprehension, it can often feel like a tangled, complex problem.

https://educationalinspiration.com/what-is-the-reading-rope/

#LanguageComprehension,#SpeechLanguagePathologist, #SpeechLanguageSpecialist, #dyslexiaassessmenttest, #dyslexia, #dyslexiatesting, #educationalassessments, #languagedisorder, #readingcomprehension, #readingdisorder,

# bad line created a write lock dont ever use it
#"-drive file=/home/xameer/clone/dot/thinkpad.qcow2,if=virtio,cache=writeback,locking=on,discard=on"
this one of the rare scenes where i could ve saved 2d by just #rtfm , question remains , was that possible to read #qemu manual in <1.5d , has anyone done it?
WHat was your way to #readingcomprehension or it was just earlier exposure , which allowed you to figure everything out without trying it once
so yes , memory and processing power matters , but that itself doesn't account for decision making ability or even anaylising the situation right
mostly human memory , not raw machine one for #bigtech search or #ai
but then again it's humanly very hard to figure out what do you want to build

If we don't want to say and do horrible things accidentally, reading comprehension is very important.

Especially on the Internet, where we could have nuance if we ever chose to make any space whatsoever for it.

#AntiRacism #Racism #SocialJustice #ReadingComprehension #Nuance #OnlineDiscourse #Discourse

My daughter (12) is reading Moby Dick and asked my help understanding the themes.

I told her it’s about always chasing your dreams.

I’m expecting a call from her teacher any day.

#parenting #helpful #readingcomprehension

Note to self: remember to read the question CAREFULLY before answering.

:headache: :why: :holdthepain:

#math #ReadingCarefully #ReadingComprehension

Mailed a few people: “Please provide input for subject A in this document [link] and for subject B in this document [link] in our shared SwitchDrive folder” (Yes, everyone involved has access to it!)

Resulting in my inbox exploding with reply-to-alls mixing both subjects, commenting on some of the ideas mentioned, lengthy praising of each other, etc.

What’s wrong with people?

#AcademicChatter #ReadingComprehension