Dialectical
Reading Journals
Your literary journal is not a
diary; it is rather an important means by which you will develop a better
understanding of the texts we read in class.
It is the place where you will incorporate the ideas we discuss in
class, your own ideas about literature and the specific texts we study, and
your personal relationship with those texts.
It will be invaluable to you when you prepare for examinations, papers,
informal class discussions, and seminars.
Dialectic means “the art or
practice of arriving at the truth by using conversation involving question and
answer.” This is what you must do in your journal—dialogue with yourself. In
your journal, have a conversation with the text and with yourself. Write down
your thoughts, questions, insights, and ideas while you read.
· Your journal should be a spiral-bound notebook with
perforated sheets. Loose-leaf paper will
lead to your downfall.
· You should use your journal for English class and for
English class alone. You need to be able to turn in your journal and leave it
with me without harassing me about your Spanish notes.
· You must have your journal in class EVERY DAY. They will be collected and graded at random,
and those who do not have their journals will receive zeroes. Sometimes, I may
check journals in lieu of giving a reading quiz. Or, I
may give a quiz and check journals. At any rate, if you do not have a journal
when it is requested, you will receive a zero (1/2 credit for 1 day late).
· Use double-entry form to examine the details of a
passage and paragraph form to synthesize your understanding of the details of
the texts. Write plot details, quotes,
etc. in the LEFT column; write thoughts, commentary, and questions in the RIGHT
column. You may write plot on the left page and thoughts on the right as long
as you are consistent and clear.
· Journaling is expected for
EVERYTHING WE READ: short stories, poems, novels, and plays. Use the same
journal format, regardless of the literature.
· I will grade journals in a variety of ways; I may spot
check for 5 or 10 points, or I may collect to read and grade thoroughly for
significantly more points. The grading criteria for the journal will remain the
same—only the points will be adjusted. See the back of
this page for the grade sheet.
THE VOICE YOU HEAR WHEN YOU READ
SILENTLY
is not silent, it
is a speaking-
out-loud voice in
your head: it is spoken,
a voice is
saying it
as you read. It's the writer's
words,
of course, in a
literary sense
his or her
"voice" but the sound
of that voice is
the sound of *your* voice.
Not the sound your friends know
or the sound of a
tape played back
but your voice
caught in the dark
cathedral
of your skull,
your voice heard
by an internal ear
informed by internal abstracts
and what you know
by feeling,
having felt. It is your voice
saying, for
example, the word "barn"
that the writer
wrote
but the
"barn" you say
is a barn you know
or knew. The voice
in your head, speaking as you read,
never says
anything neutrally- some people
hated the barn
they knew,
some people love
the barn they know
so you hear the
word loaded
and a sensory
constellation
is lit: horse-gnawed stalls,
hayloft, black
heat tape wrapping
a water pipe, a
slippery
spilled *chirr* of
oats from a split sack,
the bony, filthy
haunches of cows...
And
"barn" is only a noun- no verb
or subject has
entered into the sentence yet!
the voice you hear
when you read to yourself
is the clearest
voice: you speak it
speaking to you.
-Thomas Lux The New Yorker
July 14, 1997
A
|
·
Detailed,
meaningful passages, plot and quote selections ·
Thoughtful
interpretation and commentary about the text; Avoids clichés. ·
Includes comments about literary elements such as diction, imagery,
syntax, and how these elements contribute to the meaning of the text. ·
Makes
insightful personal connections and asks thought-provoking, insightful
questions ·
Coverage of
text is complete and thorough ·
Journal is
neat, organized and professional looking; student has followed directions in
the organization of journal |
|
B |
·
Less detailed,
but good plot and quote selections ·
Some
intelligent commentary; addresses some thematic connections ·
Includes some
literary elements, but less on how they contribute to the meaning ·
Some personal
connection; asks pertinent questions ·
Adequately
addresses all parts of reading assignment ·
Journal is neat
and readable; student has followed directions in the organization of journal |
|
C |
·
Few good
details from the text ·
Most of the
commentary is vague, unsupported, or plot summary/paraphrase ·
Some listing of
literary elements; virtually no discussion on meaning ·
Limited
personal connection; asks few, or obvious questions ·
Addresses most
of the reading assignment, but is not very long or thorough ·
Journal is
relatively neat, but may be difficult to read. Student has not followed all
directions in journal organization: loose-leaf, no columns, not in separate
notebook, etc. |
|
D or F |
·
Hardly any good
details from the text ·
All notes are
plot summary or paraphrase ·
Few literary
elements, virtually no discussion on meaning ·
Limited
personal connections, no good questions ·
Limited
coverage of the text: way too short ·
Did not follow
directions in organizing journal; difficult to read or follow |