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| Group 1 winners in "The Juggler" Gallery Walk. |
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| Group 2 winners in "The Juggler" Gallery Walk. |
Bell Ringer Activity:
In yesterday's class, we did a "gallery walk" of thesis statements for "The Juggler" Question 1 essay (2016 AP English Literature exam). While there was much debate about how the speaker felt about his/her subject, we decided that these two vivid arguments were the best of the bunch.
For today, please select one thesis statement and argue why it is the best one for the Question 1 prompt (you may wish to consider your primary focus and your secondary focus). To help you answer, I have included the Question 1 prompt below.
2016 Question 1 Prompt, "The Juggler" by Richard Wilbur (original here):
"Read carefully the following poem by Richard Wilbur, first published in 1949. Then, write an essay in which you analyze how the speaker describes the juggler and what that description reveals about the speaker. You may wish to consider poetic elements such as imagery, figurative language, and tone."
Group 1:
"In Richard Wilbur's poem 'The Juggler,' the speaker describes the juggler as a crowd-pleasing act, expressing his amazement and excitement towards the show."
Group 2:
"The speaker describes the juggler as a positive force of change; this reveals that the speaker has a negative outlook on life until seeing the positive change the juggler demonstrates."
[ And, because I couldn't help myself...here is a picture of a juggler. ]
I think group 2's thesis was better than group one. It starts it off more like a conversation, which makes it easier for a reader to get into the essay. It also mentions both the negative and positive parts of the poem, whereas group 1's thesis only mentions the positive. Group 2's thesis mentions as well, that the juggler is more than a crowd-pleasing act, he is a positive force of change for those who have a negative outlook on life.
ReplyDeleteThis first thesis is the best option for this poem due to it’s broad statement. An AP essay will discuss multiple points of the poem, and this thesis sets up a tone that allows the juggler to be described, as well as reveal the thoughts of the speaker with multiple discussion points to follow. I feel that the second thesis lists points in in the poem, and a writer would have a harder time writing longer with this as a thesis. Also, a thesis is something that a reasonable person can disagree on, which Tyson did very well yesterday (September 22), saying how his thesis takes into account the negativity in the poem. Although, the second thesis lists both positives and negatives, which is difficult for any logical person to argue.
ReplyDeleteI believe the group 2 thesis is the best thesis because of the depth that it provides. The second thesis provides a deeper meaning to the poem by looking at key words within the poem and seeing what those words could possibly mean. One example of this is when in the poem the speaker states "...the earth falls so in our hearts from brilliance..." (3). This quote can be interpreted as the speaker no longer seeing the world in a brilliant light and possibly seeing it as a repetitive cycle lacking anything new. The second thesis also looks into what the description of the juggler could tell us about the speaker.
ReplyDeleteI believe that thesis 2 is the better choice because if you read the poem, you can tell that it has a very sad undertone until the juggler demonstrates his positive change. It is important to take note of the negative emotion in the poem as well as the positive because the poem arcs from sad to happy. Whereas thesis 1 describes it as being overall joyful.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, the best thesis statement is the second one. The first thesis seems a little too literal for the poem, while the second seems more general and shows that the poem itself is metaphorical. "In Richard Wilbur's poem 'The Juggler,' the speaker describes the juggler as a crowd-pleasing act, expressing his amazement and excitement towards the show." This thesis is definitely not wrong, however, it is merely saying that the poem is about a juggler with a good performance, which, literally translated, it is. The poem, however, is not meant to be literally translated, and the thesis, "The speaker describes the juggler as a positive force of change; this reveals that the speaker has a negative outlook on life until seeing the positive change the juggler demonstrates," shows how the poem is translated into something more meaningful.
ReplyDeleteThe second group's thesis in my opinion is the better thesis for this specific essay. It has the Primary Focus (what is revealed about the speaker based on his description of the juggler) and Secondary focus (the speaker's actual description of the juggler) which covers both positive and negative points they believe are present throughout the poem.
ReplyDeleteI believe Group 2's thesis was more affective than the thesis for Group 1. Group 2 explains how the juggler is significant to the narrator on an emotional level, and not simply describing the act.
ReplyDeleteI think that group two wrote a better thesis because they demonstrated what the poem revealed about the speaker clearly and confidently. Group two also analyzed how the speaker describes the juggler as a positive force of change. Within a sentence they were able to clearly analyze what the poem revealed about the speaker and how he or she describes the juggler.
ReplyDeleteI think that group 1 had the better thesis. I think this because it is able to say everything that is needed, in fewer words than the other, and in a positive way. I also believe that this thesis is better because it is easier for me to follow than the second group's. However, they are both strong theses and are good in their own ways.
ReplyDeleteThe reason I believe the class should choose my group's thesis statement is because we answer the questions the essay wants us to answer.We talk about the way the speaker and the crowd feels which is amazement with the act and obvious excitement.Lastly, the speaker talks about "The Juggler" and what he is doing and what happens after show which is like complete success.
ReplyDeleteGroup two's thesis has a much clearer description. and provides deeper meaning to the poem and the juggler himself. They use multiple points of the speaker, and include both negative and positive moods. The juggler indeed is described as a bringer of joy, and the negative mood disappears from the poem. Group 1's thesis is primarily positive, which leaves a gap in the juggler + speaker's mood.
ReplyDelete