Self evaluation of seminar paper

1.         What text you used and why you felt that this offered a different perspective to studying literary texts.

“The Brook” is a wonderfully lyrical poem with beautiful poetic devices such as personification, alliteration, onomatopoeia, metaphors etc. I felt this poem offered a different perspective to studying literary texts.

It is a beautiful poem to read aloud, very well flowing and musical. The poet has used beautiful words to bring the different sounds of the brook as it flows: sometimes chattering, sometimes noisy like people bickering, sometimes bubbling and babbling, and sometimes gently murmuring.

2. How well you felt your paper prepared you for delivering the content of your seminar.

 When I prepared the poem to deliver, it gave me some kind of inner excitement and aspiration. I could feel it singing. I could feel it growing. I could feel it maturing.

3. How studying this text enhanced your learning about analysis and interpretation of texts.

The poem shows the permanent nature of the brook as against mortal existence of man. The poem leaves us a message to have a strong will-power and move forward crossing all our hurdles in life to achieve our ultimate ambition. It is a personification!! A beautiful parallelism drawn between life and the brook!  It teaches me to face the highs and the lows, ups and downs with equanimity. It reminds me that there are the twists and the turns in our journey.

4.         How this seminar has aided your colleagues in the seminar group to learn about your specific text or the use of analysis and interpretation.

My colleagues got a chance to experience the poem with exquisite imagery and perfect metaphor. Through the poem, my colleague could capture the beauty of the stream passing through the countryside and the sounds that connected to landscape.

They had learnt that there are ups and downs in the life of a brook and likewise we have. The brook is sometimes sad, happy and angry but accepts its life happily. Similarity, we should also do the same thing through difficulties to achieve our destination without being afraid of hardships.

5.         Evaluate the quality of the discussion that arose from your literary text

It is important to learn something from discussions for presenters and attendees. Through the quality of the discussion, all my colleagues have developed their understanding about the beauty of the poem and literature. My literary text explained about the brook to my college. It explained about the brook comes out from the mountains, its movement is very noisy and quick and it is in full vigour. It is in a hurry to reach its destination. This is similar to human beings in early age, when man is very energetic, lively, enthusiastic and full of vigour. In this poem, the poet has used personification. The idea that stands out is the permanence of the river. The brook says “Men may come and men may go. But I go on forever”. It compared to the life of man, the brook in ageless and timeless.

6.         Which area of text or discussion did you find controversial?

After discussion, we all agree that the poem is a very good one which was concise in conveying its intent and wonderful imaginary. The only controversial we found was when the poet, Alfred Lord Tennyson exactly wrote this poem.

Note taking and note making

Note-taking and Note-making linked to course work

Every student won’t be able to remember everything that the teacher says in the class; even though students has a great memory. Note-taking and note-making is a great way of helping students to identify important concepts or information delivered by teachers in class. It is a good idea to have a record of what students have covered so far in the class. Therefore, it is very important for the student, especially for the higher education student, as there are large amounts of reading and lengthy lecture session. Note-taking and note-making is the best way to cover the whole lecture effectively.

What is note-taking and note-making? Actually there is significant difference in quality between these two. Note-taking is you write down whatever you hear or read from teacher without thinking about the topics or subject. It could be described that copying from the original source and re-written in a similar format, covering most or all of the information given in the source materials. Therefore it is called a passive study technique.

However note-making is an active study technique. The student make notes on selective facts, finding one or two learning points rather than noting everything what teacher says. Therefore note-making technique requires concentration in order to select, analyses and summarises what you hear or read. Applying SQ3R method is the best active approach to lessons. The SQ3R strategy is comprised of surveying the topic, questioning the topic, reading the topic, reciting the answers to their questions and reviewing their questions and answers after class. Francis Pleasant Robinson mentioned this method in his book, Effective Study. There are different types of note-taking and note-making methods. The most popular methods are outlying method, diagrammatic method, spider diagram method, mapping method and sequential or linear method

I always take notes in the class, which provide me a record of summary of important information on the lecture. It helps my concentration and stimulates my own ideas and creativity. More importantly it is a very powerful tool to store and retrieve information efficiently. After class, it is easy to test my knowledge of course material by reading the cue words and trying to remember as much information as possible.

I prefer to use Sequential or linear notes techniques in the class. Good sequential notes include key words, headings and sub-headings to express the connections between key concepts, accompanied by extra information in brief. In addition to that inclusion of diagrams and flow charts at the place where necessary, enhance sequential notes and usually reduces the number of words. Furthermore, underlying and highlighting also enable me to find the important point quickly. It is very good for understanding, but there is big time consuming to write and read. After class, this set of notes helps me easy to review the whole lecture and enable to scan quickly the main points.

In some case, a combination of two or more methods is very good for me. In anatomy class, I used linear methods together with spider diagram or diagrammatic method. Either Spider Diagram method or Diagrammatic method is good for showing structure and organising the ideas and labelling. It is actually a mind-map and is good for making connection clear and visual. It is a good method to use for the subject with complex information. There are a number of advantages to using spider diagram method or Diagrammatic Method: It helps me not to ramble. It shows the main point straightaway. It keeps the main point grouped together and it clearly shows the ambiguity which needs more research. In order to make a Spider Diagram or Diagrammatic Method, put the main topic in the centre of A4 paper then radiating one branch per main point from the main topic to outwards. Further smaller branches could be radiated from the branch for details and examples.

There can be problems regarding notes-taking in the class. Note-taking can distract students from listening to teacher. Note-taking could put additional stress on student who does not write naturally. However this problem could be overcome by taking more effective note-taking practices.

Effective note-taking or note-making is an important practice to master the subjects at University or College. Note-taking is also a learning process in itself, helping student to process and understand the information received. It enables student to avoid unintentional plagiarism and could avoid using references and bibliographies. Before exam or assessment, it helps student to focus on what is important in what we are reading or hearing in the class. Moreover, it provides a personal record of what we have learnt and records of our questions and ideas.

In summary effective note-taking and note-making is quite important for the University or College student, as it helps the student to retrieve all the information delivered by teachers in the class. Furthermore, it could be records or storing notes which would be used as an effective tool in reviewing the subjects when the exam comes.

In conclusion, it is very important to make notes in the class rather than taking notes. Amongst different kind of note-taking and note-making method, choosing the right method for the right subject is crucial. It is suggested that a combination of one or two methods of note-making and note-taking is an effective way of study in the class.

References & Bibliographies

1. [Internet], Available from: <http://www.learningdevelopment.plymouth.ac.uk/LDstudyguides%5Cpdf/5Notemaking.pdf> [Assessed 12^th May 2013]
2. [Internet], Available from: http://www.redlands.edu/docs/StudentLife/1Five_Methods_of_Notetaking.docx_UPDATED_7-09.pdf [Assessed 12th May 2013]
3. [Internet], Available from: <http://www.indiana.edu/~l517/SQ3R.htm> [Assessed 12^th May 2013]

4.    Tom Burns & Sandra Sinfield. (2008) "Essential Study Skills" 1^st Edition. Sage Publication Ltd,1 Oliver’s  Yard, 55 City Road, London EC1Y 1SP.

5.    Tutor Nixton Charles’s Notes, Sociology, Access to Radiography Course, Chelsea and Kensington College, from 12^th Sept 2012 to 21^st September 2012

The Brook Seminar paper

Seminar Paper:

The Brook by Alfred Lord Tennyson

I have chosen the poem named “The Brook” for this seminar and I will explain why I love to recite this poem very much and how it touches my heart. Moreover I am prepared to ask some questions regarding this poem to my colleges.

This poem was written by Alfred Lord Tennyson around 1850. He talked about the small river of England’s countryside in Victorian time. He was born on 6^th August 1809 in Lincoln, England and was died on 6^th October 1892. He was fourth of twelve children of George and Elizabeth Tennyson. In 1850, he became the most popular poet of the Victorian era and still remains one of the most popular poets in the English literature.

The poet has personified the brook between the journeys of the brook with the life of a man. The brook narrates its history comprising from its origin, its meandering, uneven journey through forests, hills and open spaces until it joins the brimming river. The poet says that the child is very energetic and lively in his childhood. Likewise, the brook bears similarity to the child. In the early life of the brook, it is powerful and keeps flowing with a great rush and enthusiasm, embracing ups and downs through its journey, till reaching its destination, brimming river.

In the course of its journey, it falls from heights. It wanders around the wavy and stony path. It flows slowly on the plain. Like the brook, when a man approaches the end of his life, he becomes slow and his movement becomes dull. Ultimately he dies. But the brook flows forever. The brook takes itself in a form of human and talks about its journey. What is your opinion about this poem? How many of you have read this poem? How many of you think about the greatness of poet’s imagination and creativity?

What there are present in the poem?

The poet reveals that men have ups and downs throughout the life like “the Brook” flows from its origin to the river.

What do you make of the form and structure of the piece?

The form and structure of the poem is very rigid and very good to recite. Tennyson handled rhythm masterfully. He used the musical qualities of words to emphasis his rhythms and to prop his words dynamic.

What does this poem make you feel?

I found the philosophy of mortality and immortality between living things and nonliving things. I felt it as if I am watching a film portraying about a life story of a man from his birth to death.

What words particular stands out for you?

The most stands out verse in this poem for me are “For men may come and men may go, but I go on forever”. This verse reveals that men have a short life spam, but “the Brook” lives forever. During the course of life spam, I wonder why men are doing stupid things maliciously to each other rather than saving life by not creating wars. It gives me full of fascinating insights to do good deeds before the life is expired.

Now I would like to ask a question to some of you. Please share me your opinion regarding this question. The question is: How does Tennyson suggest sound in this verse?

“I chatter over stony ways

In little sharps and trebles.

I bubble into eddying bays,

I babble on the pebbles”

I would translate that verse like this. As the brook flows over a stony creek bed, it makes interesting and musical sound. When it flows into eddying bays, it splashed against pebbles and produced babbling sounds.

Please read the following verse.

Which verbs suggest the river is quiet at this point in its journey?

I steal by lawns and grassy plots,
I slide by hazel covers;
I move the sweet forget-me-nots
That grow for happy lovers.

The poet carefully selected the words for rhymes. His craftsmanship was wonderful.  He used the word “steal” to describe the river is quiet, slow, gentle, soft and calm during the course of its routes by the lawns, grassy plots and the plains covered with hazel and the foget-met-nots flowers.

One of my favourite verses in this poem is:

I slip, I slide, I gloom, I glance,
Among my skimming swallows;
I make the netted sunbeam dance
Against my sandy shallows.

Tennyson crafted this verse magnificently. He described how the brook has travelled through different terrain by using the words “slip, slide, gloom glance” harmoniously and rhythmically. The brook here slips through ridges, there it slides down the valley whilst the swallows fly over it, when the incident ray is reflected on the sandy bank.

In the following verses and you will see how “the Brook” set out its journey and how it travels through.

I come from haunts of coot and hern,
I make a sudden sally
And sparkle out among the fern,
To bicker down a valley.

The brook set out his journey suddenly from the mountains where the aquatic birds inhabit. It sparkles and shines because of the sun reflection from the fern, flowerless plants. The brook flows down a valley very quickly.

By thirty hills I hurry down,
Or slip between the ridges,
By twenty thorpes, a little town,
And half a hundred bridges.

The poet describes the pace of the brook. He flows through thirty hills, ridges, twenty villages, a little town and fifty bridges.

In conclusion, the poet has compared the mortality of man with the immortality of the brook. The poet has drawn a parallel between the two and has tried to depict the similarities between the two in the various stages of the journey of their lives. Tennyson reveals the richness of his grate imaginary and witchcraft in descriptive writing. “The Brook” shows Tennyson‘s exquisite craftsmanship.

References:

[Internet], Available from: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_brook_is_Alfred_Lord_Tennyson_talking_about_in_his_poem_song_of_the_brook#page2  [Assessed 5^th May 2013]

[Internet], Available from: http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/tennyson/tennybio.html[Assessed 5^th May 2013]