By Fan ZHENG

My Teaching Philosophy I have always tried to keep in mind Plutarch's saying that "The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled." My desires in becoming a teacher were somewhat unclear in their origin. I didnt remember being extremely interested in any subject during high school, and always considered teaching as a dull job. However, I would never forget the time when I sat in an American teacher, Mr. Shaws class. During my internship in the college, I once audited in his class of Critical Thinking and Creative Writing. He asked us to write from different things points of view, such as an old man, ants, a dolphin, etc. That was the first time I found writing such an amazing thing. Mr. Shaw lighted my writing fire henceforth and his ways of teaching sets a strong example for me in my journey to becoming a teacher and loving the career. In my future teaching, I will try my best to align the students goal to my teaching objectives, satisfy the needs of all different learning styles, and focus on all three domains of Blooms taxonomy, namely, cognitive, affective, and psychomotor goals. In achieving the cognitive goals, I will not only teach domain knowledge, but will also stimulate students higher thinking order according to Blooms revised version of the taxonomy as characterized by analyzing, evaluating and creating. Besides cognitive goals, my students will also be encouraged to accomplish affective and psychomotor goals. In my opinion, gaining the ability to communicate in oral and written form is necessary, but its even more crucial to gain an interest in studying the language and culture as a life-long learning activity. Whats more, imitating, following instructions and integrating new skills to previous learnt ones, students will also be encourage to do all these under another kind of language-Chinese. To sum up, all three goals are essential in my Chinese teaching in order to light the fire. These beliefs will be reflected in my future classes. Before delivering the class, I will give students a needs analysis, asking what they have learnt, what they want to learn and how

they want to be taught. The reasons for doing this is that students might be combined of different levels, from different cultural backgrounds, of diverse learning styles and have different attitude, motivation or preference towards Chinese learning. By doing so, its most possible for me to find a balance between my teaching goals and the students own learning objectives. I agree with Dr. Fu, a high school Chinese teacher, her opinion upon language teaching: language tasks should be from the students, so that the students would have lots of control in the process and be interested in the tasks they chose. Then I will develop lessons that will be interested in the needs and desires of my students as well as the connection between the language as it is taught in my class and as it used outside the classroom. In order to do so, I will use communicative teaching approach a lot, for example activities are role play, interviews, information gap, games, survey, pair/group work, learning by teaching, etc. Moreover, materials must be carefully selected and as authentic as possible. To ensure that students are making proper progress in their learning, its vital to use assessments timely. Two types of assessments are commonly used: summative and formative. Summative assessments are used only to evaluate while formative assessments are used to elicit feedback and to facilitate learning, so I will spend more portions on formative ones, such as group project, individual write-up, role-play, presentation, etc. Before grading any assignments and exam papers, rubric will be always provided to ensure that grading process is consistent and fair. With the rubrics, students will know what to follow and how to improve after the assessment. In conclusion, I found great responsibility to be a teacher, and everything I do, I do it for my students, to emerge them in a learning environment that is enlightening and motivating where they feel free and happy to learn, practice, ask, and think.

By Fan ZHENG
Social Context in Tower High School Though the person in my school district never replied my email with the specific questions I posed, I still found many useful and practical resources on the website of the school, school district, and county. The following is what I have found out: Teaching Schedule I will be teaching in Tower High School of Warren Woods Public School District from next semester, and I will have my own classroom to start teaching in the second period of the class at 8:30 in the morning. Reason to Open the Course and Graduating Policy Warren city is located in Macomb County. Last year, Macomb County's delegation visited China for the first time, hoping to build relationships, create partnerships and bring home jobs to Macomb County. . The trade mission was the first major initiative of a new nonprofit group called the Macomb Cultural and Economic Partnership. The MCEP is also seeking to establish more student exchange programs. It has been said in the article that Miller, who helped organize the trade mission, said Macomb officials hope to develop new relationships with an emphasis on education, including a potential link between Shanghai University and Wayne State University, Macomb Community College or Baker College. The delegation visited Shanghai University, which offers more than 200 degree programs, on Friday. (Chad Selweski, 2009) As a result, its urgent to prepare students in Macomb County, including Tower high school for the future.

Thus, now the policy for the students to graduate successfully from the school, its mandatory for them to obtain 2 credits in the foreign Language Department. Students receive one-half (1/2) credit for each course successfully completed each semester. Teaching Support I dont know whether I will have a mentor or not, but there will be four times one and a half hours professional development and 3 times half day professional Development for all teachers. I can improve my teaching by attending the professional development. Expectation from the School I will teach both Mandarin class of both level 1 and level 2. According to Instructional Program Course Descriptions of Tower High School (2010-2011), the following is the goal for my Chinese teaching: Mandarin is a critical world language. For both levels, I should engage students in the development of listening, speaking, reading, writing of Mandarin. Students will learn to use the Mandarin language to communicate. For level one students, focus will be on oral communications. For level 2 students, they will use the language in oral and written form, to communicate orally and in writing including electronic communications, present reports, retell stories, etc. More focus will be placed on written communications. Besides, both levels will learn the cultural and social aspects of China though the language learning. Moreover, Students may have the opportunity to earn .5 language credit through a summer travel experience to a Chinesespeaking country. Levels of Students

By Fan ZHENG
I will be teaching both level one and level two mandarin Chinese classes. For level one students, they have no or very limited previous knowledge of mandarin Chinese, while level two students has spent a whole school year studying Chinese, five times a week and one hour for each time. Teaching Content and Grading Policy Since its only the second year for opening of Mandarin course, there is still no curriculum for me. For both levels, I will develop my own course syllabus according a Mandarin Chinese Pacing Guide provided by school, together with the guidance of World Language standards and state standards. Besides, there is no funding for the student textbook. Therefore, I can design lessons and assign homework accordingly. Every week or every two weeks, they will take an exam. Later, their grades will be reported to parents according to the frequency parents selected in PowerParent. Thus, I can just follow the reporting format provided by PowerParent. As for the assessment of special needs students, I need to consult with the special education paraprofessional in the school when I get to school. At the end of the semester, all students in grades 9-11 must be given an exam in all classes. Seniors will be excused from taking the finals in May if they have an "A" or "B" for the third and fourth quarters and have no unverified absences second semester. Students who are absent from a final exam with a doctor's note are excused, but must make up this exam within two-weeks following the end of the school year. All other exams must be made up by June 17. Parent Communication For communicating with parents face to face, there will be an open house at 7:00 PM on September 16, 2010, and parent-teacher conferences from 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM on March 11, 2011. During the other days of the school year, there is an access called PowerParent on the

school website, which gives parents access to real-time information including attendance, grades and detailed assignment descriptions, school bulletins, and input messages or newsletters for parents there. Parents are able to participate more fully in their student's progress, and I can use my gradebook to make decisions on what information I want to share with parents and students. Resources For books, I can either check with the school library or check the books which were donated by Hanban and Confucius Institute for reference. Also, there is a software called Blackboard Learning which is not only for student learning after class, but also for teachers to deliver organized and effective instruction, to share and manage teaching content across the district, monitor activity and progress of the students. Technological support There will be three people in charge of technology. I might need to ask which one to help me then. Questions: There are still questions that I found no answers on the website or any other ways. I have taken notes and will talk to teachers or other staffs face to face when I have chance. I find it crucial to know the social context in my school district. By finishing this homework, I am more prepared to be a professional teacher and know how to find things in the internet before asking for help.

By Fan ZHENG
My Reflective Essay I received my Bachelor of Arts degree from the University in 2003 and then I worked at Fuzhou Napier College as a full- time English teacher. Before taking on the position, I completed a short in-house teacher training course which introduced the basic concepts and techniques of communicative language teaching. During the third year of teaching, I earned a TEFL certificate from the University of Arizona because I thought I need further education to better teach my students. In the fifth teaching year, I decided to try something else, so I took a position as international trade manager in a small manufacturing company. However, I found myself more interested in teaching rather than sitting in the office facing the computer all day. Still, I wanted to try teaching in other areas other than English. Thats why I am here now! In my previous teaching experience, I was always told what/how to do something. For instance, I was taught to teach in a student-centered way, to use communicative approach, to design a lesson basing on the step of warming-up, modeling, guided practice, independent practice, assessment, to always ask questions instead of giving statements, etc., however, I always wondered the purpose of all those. By taking Amys class, I see things more clearly now and be more prepared to teach in my particular social context. To be successfully adapt myself to the American teaching setting, the first step is to notice the ideological differences between Chinese and American curricula, and the different roles Chinese and American teachers play under their own curricula and schools. In China, there is a national curriculum. Schools all follow the instructions of the same education department and they have no right to decide what to teach, which should be taught first, or even the starting day of the school year. The result is that all the students study the same thing without addressing the need of individuals. There are fixed important courses and non-

important courses because of the major social mobility goal among all the peopleto pass
NUEE which assess the important ones, then graduate from the university (especially a

prestigious one), finally earn a better career with security and higher income. The carelessness on every step of their learning experience will affect their further education. For the students, they China focus more on standards and rankings and expect teacher giving the answers to everything. Therefore, the schools are under great pressure in helping students to gain high grades in important subjects. Then the major role for teachers is to help the students achieving high scores. Provide by a national curriculum and textbooks, he/she less likely to consider how to adapt her teaching to the real classroom situation and meet the special need to students. For example, in my high school learning experience, all my teachers had done was just help me memorize the knowledge by practices, and past the exam. Generally speaking, students in this class would tend to be obedient and diligent, but end up lacking in leadership and creativity. While in US, there is no unified national curriculum from the fundamental to higher education. Every state and most major US cities are developing their own curriculum frameworks to satisfy the need of people from different background and countries. School districts can choose the courses to offer to student. In addition, except the compulsory subjects, the choice of electives varies dramatically. For example, in the high school I am going to teach, it has more than40 courses for students to choose from, and our school open those courses according to factors like social demand, historical tradition, philosophical and political influences, funding and resources issues. Whats more, the courses are designed to help students explore/find the answers in the new field themselves, think critically, encourage the creativity and appraise their every attempt. One the one hand, students have the right and freedom on choosing the elective course, on the other hand, they have to be responsible for their own choices.

By Fan ZHENG
Under the above circumstance, teachers in American play a very different role compared to teachers in China. There are many roles other than just one. First, there is no textbook, teachers need to choose materials and teach in a way that most likely to meet the students learning objectives. In Amys class, she developed her lessons to meet the real need of our Chinese teachers. The reading materials she listed were not from one book, but from all kinds of resources, e.g. journals, internet, etc. Secondly, He/she is less likely to teach but to facilitate the learning process, and to ready to help instead of telling students what to do directly. For example, while we, students from China, all expected Amy, to give us the correct answer, she tended to guide us to find out the answers first. And even she gave the answer, it might only be one of the possible answers. Secondly, teachers encourage the diversity, respect individuality and never give a negative response to students thinking. For instance, in the class, we gave opinions upon the way that the song should be used in Chinese teaching. Her role is more likely to be stimulation to our sharing and if we presented one belief, she tended to give an answer of yes, encouraging us to try it out ourselves. Moreover, she tends to teach us in multiple ways in order to address our different intelligence, such as in the group presentation and demo part. In conclusion, she delivers a class that encourages individualism under guidance, give us the responsibility and opportunity to learn and explore things by ourselves. In Amys class, I not only benefit from finding out the differences, but also benefit a lot from her teaching strategy and the way I am going to think about teaching. Right in the first day, I experienced a culture shock, that is: not giving the answers or solution! The following picture showed how she presented the lesson, and how I am going to find out the answers in the future:

The next table is one of the treasure I explored by myself. When I searched in the internet, there are verbs for cognitive domain of blooms taxonomy, for each level, and each level can have more than twenty verbs. There are also verbs for the other two domains. It really makes me easier when I am going to writing objectives. Knowledge Count, Recall Recite Write Comprehend Explain Summarize Identify Classify Apply Change Interview prepare Role-play Analyze Compare Contrast Distinguish examine Synthesize Design Plan Rewrite Make Evaluate Argue Prove Judge Conclude

I can use so many practice things I learnt in this class. The following is one of the pictures I am going to stick on my wall, one of the reminders in my lesson planning:

Overall, I am not only thankful for the practical things she taught us, but more thankful for her effort in showing us the way to explore the knowledge ocean ourselves. Whats more, she set a good example for me of what a high school teacher should be, such as, questioning, listening, serious on every work or opinion from the students, etc.

By Fan ZHENG

Title of Activity or Lesson:

Estimated Time Required: 130 mins Rationale:

Symbols and feelings

Grade Level(s)/Course: High school-Mandarin Level 2

Students have learnt symbolism in 8th grade, so I am reinforce their previous learnt knowledge in Chinese. The moon is the most common symbol in Chinese culture. They will have better understanding on Chinese language and culture by exploring the symbolism of the moon.

Resources & Materials:

What resources or materials will students need in order to complete the tasks in this lesson?

Song Mp3 and lyrics Moon Represents My Heart Anna's Soccer Game. The Raven-By Edgar Allan Poe Three Tang Dynasty era Chinese poets to different groups: a. Group 1:Birdsong Brook By Wei Wang (701 762) b. Group 2: In the Quiet Night By Bai Li (701 761) c. Group 3: Moonlit Night By Fu Du (712 770) StandardsCognitive: based Students will be able to recall the words for feeling expression. Objective(s) Students will be able to identify the feelings in the poems provided. Students will be able to analyze the use of symbols in both Chinese and What do you want students to be able American languages, especially in poems. Besides, they will identify the symbol of to do as a result of death, the moon as a symbol and as a vehicle in the works of three Tang Dynasty this activity? era Chinese poets. Students will illustrate a Chinese poem by pictures showing their understanding of the poems. Affective: Students will gain their enthusiasm about reading Chinese poems and writing Chinese poems using with symbolism. The following is the standards from GLCEs and 5Cs. R.NT.08.04 analyze authors craft including symbolism, imagery, and consistency to develop credible narrators, rising and falling actions, and minor characters. .CM.08.01 connect personal knowledge, experiences, and understanding of the world to themes and perspectives in text through oral and written responses. R.MT.08.01 self-monitor comprehension when reading or listening to text by automatically applying and discussing the strategies used by mature readers to increase comprehension including: predicting, constructing mental images, visually representing ideas in text, questioning, rereading or listening again if uncertain about meaning, inferring, summarizing, and engaging in interpretive discussions. Reading Attitude R.AT.08. Use audio, visual, and/or print materials available only in the target language to acquire information 5Cs-communication Present songs, poems or stories in the target language. 1. 2. 3. 4.

Tasks
What tasks will help students learn and how will you scaffold their learning during those tasks?

CONTENT What will students do while working with the technology and/or reading, listening to, or viewing the texts?

PROCESS How will you group students? How will you structure the task to help students work together to complete it successfully?

TIME LIMITS How much time will you allot for each segment?

Focus Activity
How will you capture students attention?

Song- Moon represents my heart 1. Listen to the song 2. Sing the song

Divide students into 11 pairs Play the song once. Students work in pairs asking each other what they feel after listen to the song. Share the feeling with other students. Given out the lyrics (in Chinese and with Pinyin) (Worksheet 1) Play the song again and students sing the song together. (Mp3)

20 mins

Pre-learning Activity
How will you activate students prior knowledge in ways that prepare them to successfully complete the next task? (Conceptual or cultural content, language, skills, strategies, structures, vocabulary)

1. Review different kinds of feeling expressions they learnt in the previous year.(in Chinese) 2. Elicit the symbolism and the symbolism of the moon in the song. (Review)

Share the feeling of the song listening 10 mins in the whole class (review previous learnt feelings), and write them on the board. Work in pairs discussing what the moon in the lyrics represents/symbolizes and what symbolism is. Share the answers with other students

By Fan ZHENG
Modeling
How will you show students what they are supposed to do?

1. Analyze the poem by Edgar Allan poe 2. Identify the common symbols in western poems. 3. Match the symbols in western culture with their symbolism respectively.

Write the following words(in 25 mins English) on the board and ask the students to describe the feelings(in Chinese) that come to mind after reading them. Dreary;Bleak;Ghost;Lost;Sorrow;Ter rors;Darkness;Melancholy;Stern;Dirg es;Grave;Stillness share the answer with his/her partner Discuss within the whole class Possible answers: sad, afraid, hopeless, lonely, Giving out the work of the Raven. (in English) (Worksheet 3) Discussion the following questions in pairs: a. What are the symbols in the poem? b. What does raven symbolize in the poem? c. What are other symbols that symbolize death? Brainstorming Ask students what kind of symbols Western poet might have used in their poems? Match the image with the symbols

Check for Understanding: Time of the day:

10 mins

Illustration of the poemRaven

Draw a picture expressing the feeling after the reading of the poem- Raven

Homework

Individual write up

Find the difference symbolism of the moon in Chinese culture by searching the internet.

Continued--- the following session

Focus Activity
How will you capture students attention?

1. Song- Moon represents my heart (Review)

Students sing together to review the song Review the symbols in Chinese and Western poems.

10 mins

Pre-learning Activity
How will you activate students prior knowledge in ways that prepare them to successfully complete the next task? (Conceptual or cultural content, language, skills, strategies, structures, vocabulary)

1.

Review different kinds of feeling expressions by a reading activity.

Review the feeling by reading the story about Anna's Soccer Game.

10 mins

By Fan ZHENG

Guided Practice
How will you encourage students to actively engage with the technology or text?
Ask questions Communicate with peers Create connections Find patterns Make & check predictions Organize information Represent understanding

1. Brainstorming Ask students what kind of symbols Western poet might have used in their poems? 2. Match the image with the symbols

How will you support learners' understanding while they work?

Divide students into 3 groups. And give out different poems by three Tang Dynasty era Chinese poets to different groups: d. Group 1:Birdsong Brook By Wei Wang (701 762) e. Group 2: In the Quiet Night By Bai Li (701 761) f. Group 3: Moonlit Night By Fu Du (712 770) Read aloud Students in each group work together to check the meaning and pronunciation of the words in the poem. Then they read the poem together in the group.

40 mins

3. Identify the scenes and discuss what feeling each author was trying to impart with the image. 4. Discuss in groups the symbols and feelings in three Chinese poems respectively

Questions to discuss a. How do you feel after you read the poem? b. What do you think was the feeling of the writer when he wrote the poem? c. What does the moon symbolize in the poem? d. How would the scene feel different if it was bathed in the light of the sun rather than e. the moon? Discuss the main idea of the poem in each group.

Check for understanding:

Main idea of the poems

Debrief
How will you check students' comprehension and provide them with feedback on their performance?

check the main idea with each group

Hand in answers to the questions

One student in each group is going to write down the answers for each groupthe feelings after reading, and the general idea of the poem.

(Standards-based Extensions) What kinds of activities could you use to re-teach, enrich, or extend students' learning after they have completed this activity?

Post-learning Activities

Venn Diagram

Students draw a Venn Diagram about the symbolism of the moon in Chinese and American poetry

Assessment/Evaluation
How will you help students determine whether or not they learned anything from the activity? How will you use this information to decide what students need to do next? How will you provide students with feedback on their performance?

1. Students from each groups do presentations of three poems.

Homework
What will students do at home to reinforce or practice what they have learned?

1. Search by internet 2. Present the poem

There will be a presentation from each group three days after the class. They are going to show the poster (in which they draw the picture for the scene of the poem), read the poems (in Chinese) and explain the poems (in English) to other two groups students. Students of each group will be given a brief comment of their performance from the teacher Students in each group look into their poet in depth, exploring the authors personal life and poetry, using the internet as a resource. Discuss in a group about how to draw a picture of the scene. (Each group will be provided with a poster) Draw the scene base on authors life and the poem which they are going to present (act it out) and explain it in Chinese three days later.
Students are going to write a reflective essay in what they have learnt in these two classes.

Three days later 21 mins

Closure
How will you help students to: Summarize & Organize Reflect Connect Extend Preview

1. Reflective paper

What levels of Blooms taxonomy did this lesson target? Cognitive: Remembering, Understanding, Analyzing, Evaluating, Creating Affective: Valuing Which of Gardners Multiple Intelligences did you tap? Linguistic, Interpersonal, Visual, Musical, Kinesthetic

By Fan ZHENG Reference

. . .

yuliang dibio w de xn n wn w i n yu du shn w i n yu j fn w de qng y zhn, w de i y zhn yuliang dibio w de xn n wn w i n yu du shn w i n yu j fn w de qng by, w de i bbin yuliang dibio w de xn qngqng de yg wn yjng ddng w de xn shnshn de ydun qng jio w snin do rjn n wn w i n yu du shn w i n yu j fn n q xing y xing, n q kn y kn yuliang dibio w de xn

Moon Represents My Heart You ask how deep I have love for you, How much I have love for you My affection is real. My love is real. The moon represents my heart. You ask how deep I have love for you, How much I have love for you My affection does not waver, My love will not change. The moon represents my heart. Just one soft kiss is enough to move my heart. such deep feeling, makes me miss you now. You ask how deep I have love for you, How much I have love for you Go and think. Go and see, The moon represents my heart.

Anna's Soccer Game.

After each little situation - you will give two feelings to your students and one of them is the right one. Let's read 1. Before big soccer game - Anna thinks she's going to play better than the last game. Does she feel WORRIED or PROUD? 2. During the game - the ball goes between Anna's legs - and the other team laughs at her. Does she feel SNEAKY or EMBARRASSED? 3. "Ok - I had enough" - says Anna " I know how to win this game!" Does she feel BORED or DETERMINED? 4. Anna distracts the other team by yelling and making different sounds. Does she feel SILLY or BORED? 5. Anna scores the goal. Does she feel SCARED or EXCITED?

By Fan ZHENG The Raven Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weakry. Over many a quint and curious volume of forgotten lore. While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, As of some one rapping, rapping at my chamber door. "'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door-Only this, and nothing more." Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December, And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor. Eagerly I wished the morrow; -vainly I had tried to borrow From my books surcease of sorrow(1)-sorrow for the lost LenoreFor the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name LenoreNameless here for evermore And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain Thrilled me-filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before; So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating " ' Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber doorSome late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door;This it is and nothing more. Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer, "Sir," said I, "or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore; But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping, And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door, That I scarce was sure I heard you"--here I opened wide the door; Darkness there, and nothing more. Deep into that: darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before; But the silence was unbroken, and the darkness gave no token, And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, "Lenore!" This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, " Lenore! " Merely this, and nothing more. Then into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning, Soon I heard again a tapping somewhat louder than before. "Surely," said I, "surely that is something at my window lattice; Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery exploreLet my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore; 'Tis the wind, and nothing more! Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter. In there stepped a stately raven of the saintly days of yore;

Not the least obeisance made he; not an instant stopped or stayed he; But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber doorPerched upon a bust of Pallas(2) just above my chamber doorPerched, and sat, and nothing more. Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling, By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore, "Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou," I said, "art sure no craven, Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the Nightly shoreTell me what thy lordly name is on the Night ' s Plutonian shore! (3) " Quoth the raven, "Nevermore. " Much I marveled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly, Though its answer little meaning-little relevancy hore; For we cannot help agreeing that no sublunary being (4) Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber doorBird or beast upon the sculptured bust above I us chamber door, With such mime as "Nevermore. But the raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only That one word, as if his soul in that ill~ word he did outpour. Nothing farther then he uttered-not a feather then he flutteredTill I scarcely more than muttered, "Other friends have flown beforeOn the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before. " Quoth the raven, "Nevermore. " Wondering at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken, "Doubtless," said I, "what it utters is its only stock and store(5)," Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster Followed fast and followed fastel-so, when Hope he would adjure, Stern Despair returned, instead of the sweet Hope he dared adjureThat sad answer, "Nevermore!" But the raven still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling, Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird, and bust, and door; Then upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yoreWhat this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore Meant in croaking "Nevermore. " This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core; This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamplight gloated o'er, But whose velvet violet lining with the lamplight gloating o'er, She shall press, ah, nevermore!

By Fan ZHENG

Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer Swung by angels whose faint foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor. "Wretch," I cried, "thy God hath lent thee-by these angels he hath sent thee Respite-respite and Nepenthe(6) from thy memories of Lenore! Let me quaff this kind Nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!" Quoth the raven, "Nevermore. " "Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil! -prophet still, if bird or devil! Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore, Desolate, yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchantedOn this home by Horror haunted-tell me truly, I imploreIs there-is there balm in Gilead?(7)-tell me-tell me, I implore!" Quoth the raven, "Nevermore. " "Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil! -prophet still, if bird or devil! By that Heaven that bends above us-by that God we both adoreTell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn (8), It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name LenoreClasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore. Quoth the raven, "Nevermore. " "Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!" I shrieked, upstarting"Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's plutonian shore! Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken! Leave my loneliness unbroken! -quit the bust above my door! Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door! " Quoth the raven, "Nevermore. "

And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door; And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon that is dreaming, And the lamp-light o' er him streaming throve his shadow on the floor; And my soul from out chat shadow that lies floating on the floor Shall be lifted-nevermore!

Birdsong Brook Idly I watch cassia flowers fall. Still is the night, empty the hill in Spring. Up comes the moon, startling the mountain birds. Once in a while in the Spring brook they sing. -Wei Wang (701 762) Vocabulary Cassia: Small tree with bright orangish yellow flowers; also known as Chinese Cinnamon. The bark is aromatic and smells like cinnamon. Brook: A stream. In the Quiet Night The floor before my bed is bright; Moonlightlike hoarfrostin my room. I lift my head and watch the moon. I drop my head and think of home. -Bai Li (701 761) Vocabulary Hoarfrost: The frost that collects on the grass, tree branches and various other surfaces early in the morning. Basically frozen dew. Known for melting once the sun is fully risen. Moonlit Night In Fuzhou, far away, my wife is watching The moon alone tonight, and my thoughts fill With sadness for my children, who cant think Of me here in Changan; theyre too young still. Her cloud-soft hair is moist with fragrant mist. In the clear light her white arms sense the chill. When will we feel the moonlight dry our tears, Leaning together on our window-sill? -Fu Du (712 770) Vocabulary Changan: Capital city of the Tang Dynasty. Fuzhou: The home city of Du Fu.