I will not be in class today - I had to leave school early to go to a conference in New York.
Today you will be trying out some analysis using the ideas about syntax I introduced yesterday. Here again is a link to the handout with an overview of what syntax means: Syntax handout
Take a few minutes to review it.
Next you will be reading a short story by Edgar Allan Poe: The Tell-Tale Heart (at the end of the file there is an instruction to write an essay - do not write that one - instead, write the one below)
While you are reading it, look for these aspects of syntax:
- Sentence Length - when is Poe using short (5 -10 words), medium (10 - 15 words), or long sentences (15+ words)? What is the effect of these different sentence lengths?
- Sentence Structures - when is Poe using repetition, or other forms that aren't typical?
- Different types of sentences: When does Poe use these?
- Declarative = makes a statement. EX: The king is sick.
- Imperative = gives a command. EX: Bow to the king.
- Interrogative = asks a question. EX: What’s the matter with the king?
- Exclamatory = makes an exclamation. The king is dead!
In a document on Google Drive that you share with me, write an analysis of the syntax of "The Tell-Tale Heart." Which different types of sentences does Poe use in the story? How do they affect your thoughts and feelings about the story and what happens in it? What effect do these different types of sentences have on the meaning of the story? Your essay should be 1-2 paragraphs - about a page of writing. Make sure to refer to specific parts of the story in your analysis, using quotations where they help make your point.
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