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Home Summer Reading Assignment Students

Given the nature of the 2011 summer reading program, you had significant autonomy in selecting the books you would read. While you were responsible for completing a proposal, you were not given other assignments to complete over the summer. As indicated on your proposal form, you are required to write a letter to your 2011-12 Language Arts teacher that demonstrates your thoughtful reading of your book. We have chosen to break this down further into three focused "Power Paragraphs" for two reasons, one, to introduce you to the idea of a power paragraph, and two, to assist you in covering all aspects of the assignment.

__ Prompt for Paragraph One - A Reflection of Your Choice __ When I read Dante Alighieri’s // Inferno // this summer, I realized why this book stayed in print even after 600 years. I chose // Inferno // because it “… combine[d] the elements of poetic storytelling that I enjoyed in the epic poem Beowulf with ideologies and beliefs of Medieval Italy, a period I enjoyed learning about in Global History” (Kumar Reading Proposal). The book met my expectations at both of these levels; the ordered cantos describe Dante’s descent through the nine layers of Hell and the symbolism of each punishment using extensive imagery and flowery language that only poetry is capable of. Therefore, though Inferno may not be the most popular choice for one’s summer reading assignment, it is intriguing and well written, and can be appreciated by all. Make sure your topic sentence directly answers the prompt. You really could begin with your second sentence.

Alighieri, Dante. Inferno. Illus. Gustave Doré. Trans. Anthony Esolen. New York: Random, 2002. Print.

__ Prompt for Paragraph Two - A Discussion of What You Gained by Reading Your Book __ Dante colored my view of Medieval Italy in every shade of black and gray. His descriptions of the nine rings of hell made me relive through poetry everything that I had learnt in prose about the Dark Ages. When he wrote, “I am the way into the city of woe, I am the way into eternal pain, … abandon all hope you who enter here”, I truly understood the despair of those who were incarcerated by the church for their revolutionary thinking during the Middle Ages (Alighieri 24). This book added a new dimension – a more authentic one ­– to the understanding I had gained of Medieval Italy through Global History, increasing my appreciation for the time period and the culture.

__ Prompt for Paragraph Three - What to do With it... __ Despite its age, //Inferno// is a timeless classic because it discusses a question that we still puzzle over today: what comes after death? Though an obvious audience for this story is one who enjoys history, allegories, and poetry, it may also be appreciated by a reader who enjoys satire or a hoary, dark tale. Alighieri’s version of the afterlife is rich in detail, and because it describes an eternity, it is never “out of date”. Everyone can identify with at least one of the circles of Hell, for it describes nothing more than one's innermost fears.

Good work overall, just a few minor issues. // An outstanding response to the prompts will include the following: //
 * Scoring: Your three paragraphs will be given one overall grade, and the timeliness of your posts will be reflected in your "timeliness" grade. **
 * A strong topic sentence that clearly establishes the focus on the prompt
 * Evidence that clearly supports the topic sentence
 * Correct use of internal citations and a properly formatted MLA citation for your book (put this citation at the end of paragraph one)
 * Strict adherence to the Power Paragraph format
 * Mechanics are clean and do not detract from meaning