- The poem takes place in the middle of the war. The author uses the word "phial", "bottled," and "test tube" as he is describing what he sees after the Iraqi soldier spoke to him about the Americans sperm banking. He connects war and birth and death by showing the image of this soldier, obviously dying, and allowing his last words to be ones of sperm and birth.
- When I first read this poem, I thought that all the references to the Americans sperm banking was was portraying the idea of leaving behind a legacy. I thought the Iraqi was jealous because the Americans could afford and were able to safeguard that they would still be able to have children and give their wives the kids they wanted, even if they died in battle. The poem says, "So if their fate was to be gassed at least they thought their name would last." However, now that we discussed it in class and read the articles on DU, I see how there could be a deeper meaning than that. The Iraqi is not necessarily bitter because he can't ensure that he will still have a child no matter what happens to him, but because this ability to sperm bank, which seems so affordable and easy for these Americans, allows the Americans to always have more children. The Iraqis are losing men and running out of people to fight. The Americans would not have this problem because they can just keep procreating. The soldier says, "On Saddam;s pay we can't afford to get our semen stored" and he goes on to include statistics of how many Iraqis died in comparison to the sperm count in one ejaculation.
- The poet is significant because journalists are supposed to tell the facts. If it were a journalist, he would have had to describe the scene as he saw it and provide factual information. The poet however, is supposed to lie for the soldier. He is supposed to be able to find words that a journalist couldn't in order to describe "this frightening mask." The Iraqi tells the poet "That's your job, poet, to pretend I want my foe to be my friend." He is supposed to show what is not really there and mask the truth.
Friday, April 18, 2008
"A Cold Coming"
Thursday, April 17, 2008
4/17
Lion- very large animal in the feline family; fierce predator; has a mane; golden brown fur; large, sharp teeth and claws; loud roar
lioness- female lion; not as large; lacks a mane, but still has golden colored fur; paws and claws; still very fierce animal
I did not get this impression from the story. In fact, I thought that even though the woma was getting rid of each animal's names, she was still stereotyping each animal by describing the different ways the groups reacted. The person who wrote this response felt it was good that she was taking away their names because it took away the stereotypes, when I don't think it did this at all.
I did get from the story that Eve (although I wasn't sure it was Eve) wanted to feel closer and as one with the animals, and that she acheieved this by removing their names as well as her own. She was somewhat successful in making a point that names are often just labels or stereotypes, however, I do not agree with how the author of this story sees names. I think giving a more endearing pet name to an animal actually makes it a more intimate, personal relationship, I don't think it takes away from the "metaphysical" nature of the real name.
lioness- female lion; not as large; lacks a mane, but still has golden colored fur; paws and claws; still very fierce animal
I did not get this impression from the story. In fact, I thought that even though the woma was getting rid of each animal's names, she was still stereotyping each animal by describing the different ways the groups reacted. The person who wrote this response felt it was good that she was taking away their names because it took away the stereotypes, when I don't think it did this at all.
I did get from the story that Eve (although I wasn't sure it was Eve) wanted to feel closer and as one with the animals, and that she acheieved this by removing their names as well as her own. She was somewhat successful in making a point that names are often just labels or stereotypes, however, I do not agree with how the author of this story sees names. I think giving a more endearing pet name to an animal actually makes it a more intimate, personal relationship, I don't think it takes away from the "metaphysical" nature of the real name.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Readings for 4/15
She Unnames Them
I am not sure I fully understand the meaning of this story. I liked how each animal's stereotypical personality was brought through when describing their reactions to letting go of their names. Cats are often thought of as thoughtful and mysterious animals, as birds are thought of as smart and talkative. Yaks had a very stubborn and loud personality in this story and fish just were very silent and indifferent. I didn't really get the part about the man and the woman though.
Journey of the Magi
I am not religious so I am not sure I fully grasped everything this poem had to offer. I liked the way it was written and thought it was filled with great detail and imagery. I think it is about Christ being born and the questions that arose because of this birth. I think it's interesting how death and birth are compared in this poem almost interchangeably. I believe the Magi are the Three Wise Men who came bearing gifts at the birth of Jesus, so this is telling of the struggles and encounters during their journey and what it was all worth, or if it was all worth it.
A Cold Coming
This is a very interesting poem. I found its format interesting and its rhyme scheme despite the topic of the poem. I would not have expected a topic like this to be in a poem structured quite this way. There was a lot of satire to this poem too. It was sad though, despite the sarcasm and attempt at comedy, because it is true. We are getting the perspective of the War in Iraq from a charred and bloody Iraqi soldier. He speaks of the importance of being able to carry on a name and a child and a legacy, a chance he will never get. He talks about his hatred and jealousy of the American soldiers but that the poet should transform this jealousy and make it seem like he was happy for them men who survived, unlike him. It was a weird poem but had a lot of truth and sadness behind it.
I am not sure I fully understand the meaning of this story. I liked how each animal's stereotypical personality was brought through when describing their reactions to letting go of their names. Cats are often thought of as thoughtful and mysterious animals, as birds are thought of as smart and talkative. Yaks had a very stubborn and loud personality in this story and fish just were very silent and indifferent. I didn't really get the part about the man and the woman though.
Journey of the Magi
I am not religious so I am not sure I fully grasped everything this poem had to offer. I liked the way it was written and thought it was filled with great detail and imagery. I think it is about Christ being born and the questions that arose because of this birth. I think it's interesting how death and birth are compared in this poem almost interchangeably. I believe the Magi are the Three Wise Men who came bearing gifts at the birth of Jesus, so this is telling of the struggles and encounters during their journey and what it was all worth, or if it was all worth it.
A Cold Coming
This is a very interesting poem. I found its format interesting and its rhyme scheme despite the topic of the poem. I would not have expected a topic like this to be in a poem structured quite this way. There was a lot of satire to this poem too. It was sad though, despite the sarcasm and attempt at comedy, because it is true. We are getting the perspective of the War in Iraq from a charred and bloody Iraqi soldier. He speaks of the importance of being able to carry on a name and a child and a legacy, a chance he will never get. He talks about his hatred and jealousy of the American soldiers but that the poet should transform this jealousy and make it seem like he was happy for them men who survived, unlike him. It was a weird poem but had a lot of truth and sadness behind it.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Greek Mythology
Siren Song
I really liked this poem. I have always enjoyed Greek Mythology and am familiar with the story of the sirens. They are half-bird and half-human sisters who sing and play a song that cannot be ignored by any passing sailor. These sailors see the dead corpses lying on the unpassable reefs upon which these creatures live, but they still are drawn in by this song. The interesting part is how no one knows what the song sounds like or is about because all who hear it die and everyone who has gotten passed these creatures, like Odysseus' crew, did not actually hear it, except Odysseus himself. I liked how the poem told a secret, which really ended up being the song that the Sirens sing to lure everyone in. This poem gave an interesting perspective on what the Siren's song could be that would entice the sailors so much despite them knowing the fate that lies ahead of them. Making the song be a call for help from these creatures made the sailors seem noble, not being able to turn away, yet it takes away the nobility of Odysseus in the myth where he saved his crew and had himslef tied to his ship's mast so he could not swim to shore.
Ulysses
Ulysses, or the Latin version of Odysseus is the hero in the story, The Odyssey. Ulysses is a very noble character. He derives a plan to save Helen of Troy, creating the famous Trojan Horse. He overcomes amazing mythical obstacles and creatures like Cyclops, the Sirens, Circe the sorceress, and more. In the poem, "Ulysses," he is recounting these past events. He has become an old man is rehashing the adventures he has lived through. I find this poem to be kind of sad. After all, his whole journey had been to make it back home to his now "aged wife" and his son who had become so different from he. I understand, though, how he would feel that he cannot just sit and "rest from travel." He has seen too much to know that there is so much more out there, and nothing will satisfy him until he has seen more and done more in the world. He invites his "mariners" to come with him, because surely he doesn't believe they could be happy doing nothing either. He knows he is getting old but he is still "strong in will to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."
Leda and the Swan
This is an interesting poem, because this myth is a particularly interesting one in Greek Mythology. It also has a lot of variation and controversy that accompanies it. Zeus came to Leda in the form of a swan and seduced her, which is what this poem is discussing. The myth concerning Leda mentions that Leda also slept with her husband, Tyndareus, the same night, and so there is a lot of confusion as to which of her children had which father. According to this poem, Leda was very reluctant but eventually did give in. This poem asks the question "did she put on his knowledge with his power before the indifferent beak could let her drop?" as if to say did she put up a fight, did he consider her or her feelings at all before she gave in and allowed Zeus to overpower her and have his way. The poem seems to be a retelling of this event because Agamemnon, who ended up marrying one of Leda's daughters, was obviously not dead yet like he was when the narrator was telling this story.
I really liked this poem. I have always enjoyed Greek Mythology and am familiar with the story of the sirens. They are half-bird and half-human sisters who sing and play a song that cannot be ignored by any passing sailor. These sailors see the dead corpses lying on the unpassable reefs upon which these creatures live, but they still are drawn in by this song. The interesting part is how no one knows what the song sounds like or is about because all who hear it die and everyone who has gotten passed these creatures, like Odysseus' crew, did not actually hear it, except Odysseus himself. I liked how the poem told a secret, which really ended up being the song that the Sirens sing to lure everyone in. This poem gave an interesting perspective on what the Siren's song could be that would entice the sailors so much despite them knowing the fate that lies ahead of them. Making the song be a call for help from these creatures made the sailors seem noble, not being able to turn away, yet it takes away the nobility of Odysseus in the myth where he saved his crew and had himslef tied to his ship's mast so he could not swim to shore.
Ulysses
Ulysses, or the Latin version of Odysseus is the hero in the story, The Odyssey. Ulysses is a very noble character. He derives a plan to save Helen of Troy, creating the famous Trojan Horse. He overcomes amazing mythical obstacles and creatures like Cyclops, the Sirens, Circe the sorceress, and more. In the poem, "Ulysses," he is recounting these past events. He has become an old man is rehashing the adventures he has lived through. I find this poem to be kind of sad. After all, his whole journey had been to make it back home to his now "aged wife" and his son who had become so different from he. I understand, though, how he would feel that he cannot just sit and "rest from travel." He has seen too much to know that there is so much more out there, and nothing will satisfy him until he has seen more and done more in the world. He invites his "mariners" to come with him, because surely he doesn't believe they could be happy doing nothing either. He knows he is getting old but he is still "strong in will to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."
Leda and the Swan
This is an interesting poem, because this myth is a particularly interesting one in Greek Mythology. It also has a lot of variation and controversy that accompanies it. Zeus came to Leda in the form of a swan and seduced her, which is what this poem is discussing. The myth concerning Leda mentions that Leda also slept with her husband, Tyndareus, the same night, and so there is a lot of confusion as to which of her children had which father. According to this poem, Leda was very reluctant but eventually did give in. This poem asks the question "did she put on his knowledge with his power before the indifferent beak could let her drop?" as if to say did she put up a fight, did he consider her or her feelings at all before she gave in and allowed Zeus to overpower her and have his way. The poem seems to be a retelling of this event because Agamemnon, who ended up marrying one of Leda's daughters, was obviously not dead yet like he was when the narrator was telling this story.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Intro Paragraph
Martin Luther King Jr. was a man who accomplished remarkable things. His name is known and respected nation-wide. Gwendolyn Brooks, simply using his name as the title of her poem, AMartin Luther King Jr.,@ describes this leader=s strong presence beautifully. In Brook=s poem, a main theme of timeless inspiration is noted. Brooks utilizes carefully chosen words to highlight this theme, but the time that she wrote this poem, in 1970, brings about even more depth to the theme of timeless inspiration, because King was dead when this poem was written. This piece of historical information, as well as many others regarding the events that occurred during the time this poem was written and throughout the years prior, are what makes the theme of Brooks=s poem so much more important and effective.
SWA #10
I have chosen to write about the poem, AMartin Luther King Jr.,@ by Gwendolyn Brooks for essay number three. This poem stood out to me because it is about a man whose name I learned at a very young age and who I have been taught about since my very early years in school. Martin Luther King Jr. was a very inspiring leader and I immediately saw a theme relating to that when I read this poem. This work is also written about a time period that I am somewhat familiar with, which should help me with the historical aspect of my paper.
I have discovered the historical connection that when the poem was written, Martin Luther King Jr. had actually already been killed. I found this to be very relevant to the theme I found relating to an inspiration that can last over time. I thought it was very important that Brooks had written such strong words about a man two years after his prominence had passed. Two years prior to the writing of this piece also marked the end of the true Civil Rights Movement. This historical information can also be used to connect my idea about the theme of the poem to when it was written and what was occurring during that time period.
I hope to reveal that the fact that Brooks wrote this poem two years following King=s death is what actually enhances the poem and the theme of the poem. I think it makes the theme, of an inspiration that can endure time, much stronger than if the poem had been written while King was still alive and preaching, because this reveals so much more clearly exactly how much of an inspiration King was that he could continue to be so respected and his words could be heeded even after his tragic death.
I do still need to find more specific information about Martin Luther King Jr. and his actions. I will look further into the Civil Rights Movement that was occurring while he was alive as well as what was happening two years after his death, when this poem was written. I think it might be hard to find as much information during these following years, but anything I can find I think will help my argument, because just having a piece written about King, that displays such respect for him and his beliefs as Brooks=s poem, shows in itself how important he was considered to be.
The thesis for my paper will probably go something as follows: The time that Brooks wrote AMartin Luther King Jr.,@ in 1970, creates more depth to the theme of timeless inspiration that can be found in this poem, because King was dead when this poem was written and the Civil Rights Movement had come to a halt, but his words and memory were still living on.
SWA #8-9
Barringer, Mark and Wells, Tom. AThe Anti-War Movement in the
These authors have written two different articles on the topic of the Anti-War Movement throughout the 1960's and 70's, both of which contain details on the trend of growing opposition, in
CBS News. ANation Honors MLK 40 Years After His Death.@
This CBS News article describes the scene in
Friedman, Michael. AMartin Luther King=s Dream Lives on 40 Years After His Death: Americans Remember the Days of Anger and Hope.@ 31 March 2008. America.Gov. 4 April 2008 http://www.america.gov/st/diversity‑english/2008/March/20080328113332zjsredba0.5366327.html.
Friedman=s article provides information about King=s assassination, as well as some events both preceding and following his death. He provides a significant quote from King=s last address, which may be useful in my paper, and he gives dates of when other important events occurred surrounding King=s death. This article gives me some extra insight into what was going on in terms of Civil Rights, besides the doings of Martin Luther King Jr., that I had not found much in other articles. Friedman also briefly touches on some of the effects King had on the future, which is important to include in my essay.
"King, Martin Luther, Jr.." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 4 Apr. 2008 http://www.britannica.com/eb/article‑3921.
This is a very informative article that also provides links to other topics and keywords having to do with Civil Rights. This specific article gives biographical information about Martin Luther King Jr.=s life and the many accomplishments of King. Contrary to several of the other sources I have found, this article also mentions some of King=s failed attempts as well as views of people who are critical of him, which is a new perspective. I can use the quotes that this article provides, in my paper also, as some of the details that the article mentions are about King=s effect on people after his death. I have had trouble finding a lot of information regarding what occurred and how people felt about King in the years following his death, and this article includes some of that information.
King, Martin Luther Jr. AI Have A Dream.@ Washington, D.C., 28 August 1963. YouTube 2008. 4 April 2008 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbUtL_0vAJk.
This is a video of Martin Luther King Jr.=s AI Have A Dream Speech,@ which he gave in the state capitol on August 28, 1963 at the March on Washington. This clip effectively shows the entirety of King=s speech that day, as well as the huge crowd that attended his speech and close-up images of individuals present. The video will assist me in writing my paper because it provides me with visual and auditory enhancements, so that I can get a feel for what King actually sounded like and the expressions people had on their faces while hearing him, as well as an idea of the amount of people who showed up to hear him speak. I had never seen the complete broadcast of King=s speech, and now that I have, I am more connected emotionally to the topic, and can use this video to quote King, himself, in my essay.
Paris, Peter J. AMartin Luther King Jr.=s Vision of America.@ Theology Today April 2008: 17-25. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Thomas Cooper Lib., U of South Carolina. 4 April 2008 https://pallas2.tcl.sc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com.
Paris gives his positive point of view about Martin Luther King Jr. and his beliefs through an in depth analysis of King=s AI Have A Dream@ speech. The article includes many direct quotations from King=s speech, as well as Paris= own interpretation of these words. This article will help me because it includes some very specific words and quotations from King=s most memorable speech that I had not considered before, and that will fit nicely into my paper. Paris also includes some of his own beliefs about how King=s words are still used today, which is what I am trying to emphasize in my paper.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
SWA #7
“Trifles,” the play, written by Susan Glaspell, is remarkably different from the short story version of the same story, called “A Jury of Her Peers,” also written by Glaspell. These two tellings contain the same plot, setting, characters, and almost the exact same dialogue, yet they differ greatly because of their different forms. This exemplifies how two texts telling the same story can be interpreted, perceived, and analyzed in very different manners.
The play version, “Trifles,” is about a woman who is being accused of murdering her husband. The sheriff of the town, the county attorney, and a neighboring farmer, who found this woman’s dead husband ,go to the scene of the crime, accompanied by the wives of the sheriff and of the farmer. The two women go to retrieve some of the woman’s belongings to bring to her in jail, while the men are there to hear the farmer, Mr. Hale, rehash his story of finding the dead man, and to look for any evidence or clues to help solve the case. While the men search the house, the women are deeply disturbed by the untidiness and unfinished state in which the accused woman, Minnie, had to leave her house. While gathering her personal items, they come across a damaged bird cage and a dead canary, whose death had been caused in a very similar fashion as to that of Minnie’s husband. The bird’s neck had been wrung. The two women unspokenly agree to keep this discovery to themselves, as they do not want to give the sheriff the only thing lacking in convicting Minnie- motive.
“A Jury of Her Peers” has essentially the same plot, only it is told very differently. The short story is a bit longer than the play and begins with an introduction that is not included in the play. The same characters are involved in this version and everyone is at Minnie’s house for the same reasons they are in the play version. The two women search for some material to wrap up Minnie’s belongings and look for some sewing materials like they did in the play, and stumble across the dead bird. The women hide this from the men who are searching for evidence just like what they have uncovered in order to prove that Minnie is guilty of killing her husband. The bird had a wrung neck and Minnie’s husband died of a rope tied around his in his sleep. This would have been the perfect clue to connect Minnie to the murder of her husband, but the women take the bird and say nothing about it. The story ands just as the play does.
Despite the fact that the summaries of both stories are almost identical, they provide the reader with two completely different interpretations. “Trifles,” is a play, which includes stage directions and specific details about the scene in which the story occurs. This is a disadvantage in that the flow of the story is interrupted but it does allow for the reader to really picture Minnie’s kitchen because the details are described in such a way that someone could reenact the story. This provides a unique imagery that “A Jury of Her Peers” does not have. However, the perspective that “A Jury of Her Peers” is told from is much more enlightening than just getting the stage directions and dialogue, like in “Trifles.” Instead, “A Jury of Her Peers” is told from Mrs. Hale’s point of view. It is written in the third person, but the reader gets Mrs. Hale’s thoughts and personal emotions throughout the story. This is not the case in the play form. This has a very big impact on the story because it gives each of the characters more personality.
Not much of the story has been removed from the short story, but the parts that have make a difference. The introduction that is skipped in “Trifles” describes just how Mrs. Hale feels about unfinished work by showing her at her own house. Her guilt of not going to see Minnie more often is portrayed much more clearly in the short story because we get to actually see how badly she feels when the passage states that “the picture of that girl, the fact that she had lived neighbor to that girl for twenty years, and had let her die for lack of life, was suddenly more than she could bear (Glaspell, A Jury of Her Peers).” Because we get Mrs. Hale’s perspective, the readers are able to get this extra insight that the play does not reveal. Mrs. Hale says the same words in the play as she does in the short story, but this extra bit about her feelings gives the story much more depth.
Another aspect that makes “A Jury of Her Peers” a more illuminating version is the name of the story itself. The fact that the two stories have different titles is very interesting. There must be a reason for this naming technique. “Trifles” is a word that was actually used in the story, in almost an insulting manner toward the women, which is what makes it a good title. There is irony at play by naming the story after such a simple object, like that of a little sewing box that ended up holding a huge secret. The men think of the women in such a low standard in both versions of this story, so to name the story trifles, like something the women would fuss over is ironic because what the men do not see is how the women in the story have a lot more wit and daring and intelligence than they give them credit for. However, “A Jury of Her Peers” is also an interesting title for this story.
Naming the short story “A Jury of Her Peers” is effective because Minnie’s peers in this story turn out to be Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters who actually do play a huge part in determining her fate. The two women silently judged Minnie from what they knew about her and the bird that they uncovered. Even though the women did not discuss it, they both attempted to hide the bird from the men. They both chose to withhold very important evidence, and in doing so, became Minnie’s jury, who decided that she should not be convicted. The fact that the short story was given this name, as opposed to the play, again, I think had a lot to do with the extra information we are provided with in “A Jury of Her Peers.” The looks the two women exchange throughout the story and their personalities are not revealed as well in the play, so their intentions and their unique mutual understanding and agreement about Minnie and the bird did not make as big of an impact in the play. They did not seem as much like a jury making a final decision as they did in the short story. The two names fit the versions in very different ways and would not have been as effective if they had been interchanged.
There seem to be more advantages to the short story version of this text. The fact that the reader gets an inside perspective in a “A Jury of Her Peers” instead of just dialogue makes most of the difference. It even plays a role in how the short story’s title is a little more effective and provides a different element than that of “Trifles.” Seeing Mrs. Hale’s thoughts also makes the short story version a little easier to relate to cultural and historical analysis as well. We get a full sense of how she feels she is being treated, and the thoughts that bring out her witty personality are revealed in the short story, but not the play. This allows the reader to identify how women were treated in this time period, but also just how unfair this treatment was because, as Mrs. Hale proves, these women had a lot more to offer than the men gave them credit for. Considering these two versions seem so alike, they can provide the reader with a lot of differing ideas.
The play version, “Trifles,” is about a woman who is being accused of murdering her husband. The sheriff of the town, the county attorney, and a neighboring farmer, who found this woman’s dead husband ,go to the scene of the crime, accompanied by the wives of the sheriff and of the farmer. The two women go to retrieve some of the woman’s belongings to bring to her in jail, while the men are there to hear the farmer, Mr. Hale, rehash his story of finding the dead man, and to look for any evidence or clues to help solve the case. While the men search the house, the women are deeply disturbed by the untidiness and unfinished state in which the accused woman, Minnie, had to leave her house. While gathering her personal items, they come across a damaged bird cage and a dead canary, whose death had been caused in a very similar fashion as to that of Minnie’s husband. The bird’s neck had been wrung. The two women unspokenly agree to keep this discovery to themselves, as they do not want to give the sheriff the only thing lacking in convicting Minnie- motive.
“A Jury of Her Peers” has essentially the same plot, only it is told very differently. The short story is a bit longer than the play and begins with an introduction that is not included in the play. The same characters are involved in this version and everyone is at Minnie’s house for the same reasons they are in the play version. The two women search for some material to wrap up Minnie’s belongings and look for some sewing materials like they did in the play, and stumble across the dead bird. The women hide this from the men who are searching for evidence just like what they have uncovered in order to prove that Minnie is guilty of killing her husband. The bird had a wrung neck and Minnie’s husband died of a rope tied around his in his sleep. This would have been the perfect clue to connect Minnie to the murder of her husband, but the women take the bird and say nothing about it. The story ands just as the play does.
Despite the fact that the summaries of both stories are almost identical, they provide the reader with two completely different interpretations. “Trifles,” is a play, which includes stage directions and specific details about the scene in which the story occurs. This is a disadvantage in that the flow of the story is interrupted but it does allow for the reader to really picture Minnie’s kitchen because the details are described in such a way that someone could reenact the story. This provides a unique imagery that “A Jury of Her Peers” does not have. However, the perspective that “A Jury of Her Peers” is told from is much more enlightening than just getting the stage directions and dialogue, like in “Trifles.” Instead, “A Jury of Her Peers” is told from Mrs. Hale’s point of view. It is written in the third person, but the reader gets Mrs. Hale’s thoughts and personal emotions throughout the story. This is not the case in the play form. This has a very big impact on the story because it gives each of the characters more personality.
Not much of the story has been removed from the short story, but the parts that have make a difference. The introduction that is skipped in “Trifles” describes just how Mrs. Hale feels about unfinished work by showing her at her own house. Her guilt of not going to see Minnie more often is portrayed much more clearly in the short story because we get to actually see how badly she feels when the passage states that “the picture of that girl, the fact that she had lived neighbor to that girl for twenty years, and had let her die for lack of life, was suddenly more than she could bear (Glaspell, A Jury of Her Peers).” Because we get Mrs. Hale’s perspective, the readers are able to get this extra insight that the play does not reveal. Mrs. Hale says the same words in the play as she does in the short story, but this extra bit about her feelings gives the story much more depth.
Another aspect that makes “A Jury of Her Peers” a more illuminating version is the name of the story itself. The fact that the two stories have different titles is very interesting. There must be a reason for this naming technique. “Trifles” is a word that was actually used in the story, in almost an insulting manner toward the women, which is what makes it a good title. There is irony at play by naming the story after such a simple object, like that of a little sewing box that ended up holding a huge secret. The men think of the women in such a low standard in both versions of this story, so to name the story trifles, like something the women would fuss over is ironic because what the men do not see is how the women in the story have a lot more wit and daring and intelligence than they give them credit for. However, “A Jury of Her Peers” is also an interesting title for this story.
Naming the short story “A Jury of Her Peers” is effective because Minnie’s peers in this story turn out to be Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters who actually do play a huge part in determining her fate. The two women silently judged Minnie from what they knew about her and the bird that they uncovered. Even though the women did not discuss it, they both attempted to hide the bird from the men. They both chose to withhold very important evidence, and in doing so, became Minnie’s jury, who decided that she should not be convicted. The fact that the short story was given this name, as opposed to the play, again, I think had a lot to do with the extra information we are provided with in “A Jury of Her Peers.” The looks the two women exchange throughout the story and their personalities are not revealed as well in the play, so their intentions and their unique mutual understanding and agreement about Minnie and the bird did not make as big of an impact in the play. They did not seem as much like a jury making a final decision as they did in the short story. The two names fit the versions in very different ways and would not have been as effective if they had been interchanged.
There seem to be more advantages to the short story version of this text. The fact that the reader gets an inside perspective in a “A Jury of Her Peers” instead of just dialogue makes most of the difference. It even plays a role in how the short story’s title is a little more effective and provides a different element than that of “Trifles.” Seeing Mrs. Hale’s thoughts also makes the short story version a little easier to relate to cultural and historical analysis as well. We get a full sense of how she feels she is being treated, and the thoughts that bring out her witty personality are revealed in the short story, but not the play. This allows the reader to identify how women were treated in this time period, but also just how unfair this treatment was because, as Mrs. Hale proves, these women had a lot more to offer than the men gave them credit for. Considering these two versions seem so alike, they can provide the reader with a lot of differing ideas.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Essay 3
I am considering the poem on page 330 of the Carolina Reader, "Martin Luther King Jr.," by Gwendolyn Brooks, for my historical analysis. This poem was written in 1970, two years after the Civil Rights Movement ended and two years after Martin Luther King Jr. died. I think the timing of when this poem was written greatly affects the overall theme present. The message here is that Martin Luther King Jr.'s words and actions were so strong and so necessary that they will continue to have an effect on people even years later.
The theme is inspiration and what the inspiration of a great leader can do for people. The fact that the poem was written after Martin Luther king Jr. died and the full swing of the Civil Rights Movement was over, just proves how strong King's influence was and still is at this time.
The cultural and historical context of this poem is one filled with hard times and inequality, especially for black people. This took place in America after the Civil War when slavery had been abolished but blacks were still being treated unfairly and were fighting desperately to change this. I am somewhat familiar with these times because of history classes I have taken touching on the Civil War and Civil Rights. Unfortunately, I don't know as much as I could and will have to look deeper into this time period and the events occurring specifically at the time the poem was written as well as the time when Martin Luther King Jr. was alive.
Key words like "Justice" and "Dream" are important because of Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I Have A Dream..." Speech and because he preached about justice and fairness. These words relate back to the historical context of the time where blacks were not considered equal. The last lines of the poem are especially important "So it shall be spoken. So it shall be done" because they show the confidence the author has in King's words and the idea that his dreams and goals will continue to be carried out even though he is gone.
The theme is inspiration and what the inspiration of a great leader can do for people. The fact that the poem was written after Martin Luther king Jr. died and the full swing of the Civil Rights Movement was over, just proves how strong King's influence was and still is at this time.
The cultural and historical context of this poem is one filled with hard times and inequality, especially for black people. This took place in America after the Civil War when slavery had been abolished but blacks were still being treated unfairly and were fighting desperately to change this. I am somewhat familiar with these times because of history classes I have taken touching on the Civil War and Civil Rights. Unfortunately, I don't know as much as I could and will have to look deeper into this time period and the events occurring specifically at the time the poem was written as well as the time when Martin Luther King Jr. was alive.
Key words like "Justice" and "Dream" are important because of Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I Have A Dream..." Speech and because he preached about justice and fairness. These words relate back to the historical context of the time where blacks were not considered equal. The last lines of the poem are especially important "So it shall be spoken. So it shall be done" because they show the confidence the author has in King's words and the idea that his dreams and goals will continue to be carried out even though he is gone.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Themes
"No Name Woman"
I think the main theme of this story is collectivism and the effects of the pressures accompanying this societal idea. This woman became a "ghost" in her own family, her own village, and even in her own mind due to the peer pressure that she felt and had to endure. Her village and family looked at her as a disgrace and would treat her like one forever. They stormed her house and destroyed her belongings all because she had strayed from the cultural boundaries that these people base their lives on. She had gotten pregnant by a man who was not her husband and as if this would be hard enough to deal with on her own, she had no one to turn to and no one that would even look at her. She would have to go on living with these people who treated her as if she was not there and should not be there. This is where the roles of setting and point of view come into play.
This story took place in China, which is known for its collectivist ideas. It is a place where people are taught to sacrifice for the good of the group and to give up individual wants or selfish desires in order to benefit the society as a whole. The way this society is, and the way this particular village is, is what drove the people to attack her house and treat this woman as a ghost. The village was in need of food and this added to the already strict ideas that China enforces. Because she had a child who should not have been born, she would be taking food from a child who should have been, and this was not accepted. The timing of this story just made it all the worse for this woman.
The point of view from which this story is told also creates an interesting impact relating to the theme. The niece of this "no name woman" is narrating the story when she is an adult herself. She is looking back on how her mother recalled this story to her as a child. Her mother spoke to her of this event only as a warning to show what could happen if the girl was not careful. She spoke of this woman as a disgraceful, tainted woman and because the narrator was young when she heard the story, her mother's words influenced her. She did not even care to try to hear more about this woman because her mother said she should not be spoken of. This young girl was brought up by her mother with similar collectivist ideas and so she was trained to believe that this "no name woman" was the disgrace her mother described. However, as an adult narrating this memory, she has come up with some of her own ideas. She lives in America now, where collectivism is certainly not a strong societal theme. She has lived and experienced a completely different world filled with people who have completely different ideas on matters of life. This changed her opinion of her unspoken aunt and led her to write about her, despite the fact that she was never supposed to repeat the story. These different points of views and changes in settings are connected in creating this theme of collectivism, but also create an underlying theme of different societal values, not just collectivism.
"Becky"
The central theme that can be found in this story is fear of difference or defiant change. The people in this story, both black and white, were united in this fear of a woman who had strayed from the social norm and had twice committed such an act. She was a white woman who dared to have two sons of a black man. The time this story was written was 1923, which was not a time when interracial relationships was tolerated. This story takes place in an area with both black and white inhabitants, but neither race connected or associated with each other. They both had very similar ideas about how they felt about Becky though, and dealt with her presence in the same way. "Folks from the town took turns, unknown, of course, to each other, in bringing corn and meat and sweet potatoes." They both provided a place for Becky to live without fully acknowledging that she did in fact reside there, but they would never speak of who provided her with these means. The people in this story all had the same fear which stems from the time and place in which they lived. The idea of mixing races was unheard of, unspoken, and unacceptable. This fact was true for both races. The fact that the narrator's race is not revealed is important in this story, because this again shows, how similarly the two races' reactions were. It would not have mattered if this narrator was black or white because the narrator still provided the reader with the specific words and behaviors of both the white people and black people in the town when they were dealing with Becky. Also, it is told from the person in the story who actually saw Becky's house collapsed. This narrator actually was able to describe his fear at this very moment. This fear of Becky was really just a fear of what she represented- defiance, change, nonacceptance of societal norms and beliefs.
I think the main theme of this story is collectivism and the effects of the pressures accompanying this societal idea. This woman became a "ghost" in her own family, her own village, and even in her own mind due to the peer pressure that she felt and had to endure. Her village and family looked at her as a disgrace and would treat her like one forever. They stormed her house and destroyed her belongings all because she had strayed from the cultural boundaries that these people base their lives on. She had gotten pregnant by a man who was not her husband and as if this would be hard enough to deal with on her own, she had no one to turn to and no one that would even look at her. She would have to go on living with these people who treated her as if she was not there and should not be there. This is where the roles of setting and point of view come into play.
This story took place in China, which is known for its collectivist ideas. It is a place where people are taught to sacrifice for the good of the group and to give up individual wants or selfish desires in order to benefit the society as a whole. The way this society is, and the way this particular village is, is what drove the people to attack her house and treat this woman as a ghost. The village was in need of food and this added to the already strict ideas that China enforces. Because she had a child who should not have been born, she would be taking food from a child who should have been, and this was not accepted. The timing of this story just made it all the worse for this woman.
The point of view from which this story is told also creates an interesting impact relating to the theme. The niece of this "no name woman" is narrating the story when she is an adult herself. She is looking back on how her mother recalled this story to her as a child. Her mother spoke to her of this event only as a warning to show what could happen if the girl was not careful. She spoke of this woman as a disgraceful, tainted woman and because the narrator was young when she heard the story, her mother's words influenced her. She did not even care to try to hear more about this woman because her mother said she should not be spoken of. This young girl was brought up by her mother with similar collectivist ideas and so she was trained to believe that this "no name woman" was the disgrace her mother described. However, as an adult narrating this memory, she has come up with some of her own ideas. She lives in America now, where collectivism is certainly not a strong societal theme. She has lived and experienced a completely different world filled with people who have completely different ideas on matters of life. This changed her opinion of her unspoken aunt and led her to write about her, despite the fact that she was never supposed to repeat the story. These different points of views and changes in settings are connected in creating this theme of collectivism, but also create an underlying theme of different societal values, not just collectivism.
"Becky"
The central theme that can be found in this story is fear of difference or defiant change. The people in this story, both black and white, were united in this fear of a woman who had strayed from the social norm and had twice committed such an act. She was a white woman who dared to have two sons of a black man. The time this story was written was 1923, which was not a time when interracial relationships was tolerated. This story takes place in an area with both black and white inhabitants, but neither race connected or associated with each other. They both had very similar ideas about how they felt about Becky though, and dealt with her presence in the same way. "Folks from the town took turns, unknown, of course, to each other, in bringing corn and meat and sweet potatoes." They both provided a place for Becky to live without fully acknowledging that she did in fact reside there, but they would never speak of who provided her with these means. The people in this story all had the same fear which stems from the time and place in which they lived. The idea of mixing races was unheard of, unspoken, and unacceptable. This fact was true for both races. The fact that the narrator's race is not revealed is important in this story, because this again shows, how similarly the two races' reactions were. It would not have mattered if this narrator was black or white because the narrator still provided the reader with the specific words and behaviors of both the white people and black people in the town when they were dealing with Becky. Also, it is told from the person in the story who actually saw Becky's house collapsed. This narrator actually was able to describe his fear at this very moment. This fear of Becky was really just a fear of what she represented- defiance, change, nonacceptance of societal norms and beliefs.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Readings for 3/25
How to Date a Browngirl, Blackgirl, Whitegirl, or Halfie
This is an extremely prejudiced story. It is filled with racial stereotypes. This young boy thinks he knows every girl so well just by their race or background, that he feels he can even predict their exact words in a conversation he would have with them. He plans out all his actions accordingly for what color the girl is that he is meeting.
Battle Royal
I found this poem to be both strange and repulsive. It is disgusting to envision how these men were treated in this story and how they felt the need to just go along with it all. The author of this story went through all the torture the men put him through just to try to gain their respect, which would never happen. He thought the whole time, of his speech, and how he would look during it. I couldn't believe how none of them would work together- how they all just felt that they had to do what these men told them. They fought each other and laughed "embarrassedly" as they were being electrocuted and shocked. They did all that for money that was not even of real value. The narrator tried to get his opponent to end the fight by offering him more money, yet he could just as well have fallen down and ended it, but he wanted to win, to prove himself. The narrator humiliated himself in front of the men while giving his speech and did not even realize it. He just felt he had to prove himself worthy to these people. And for what? he got his education and broke his grandfather's curse, which he completely misinterpreted.
No Name Woman
This story, as well, shows how brutally people who are different or who are considered disgraceful to one's society can be treated, even by their own race or village. This story focused on some very interesting elements of Chinese culture- like the no-speaking rule at meals and the way the women have to fix their hair. It is terrible that there is such an image that has to be fulfilled so precisely in order to be accepted. One of the worst parts of this story that I found was the fact that the Aunt finally decided to kill her baby for the sole reason that it would not have a name. It would not know its history or heritage, so it would be haunted forever. This shows how terribly important something like a name is for this culture, and that no one ever said her name again also emphasizes this. It is terrible that a woman who made a mistake, or maybe was forced into making one had to be treated this way.
Becky
This was an interesting story in that it shows how fearful people are of abnormality. This old woman terrified the townspeople just because she was different. People would not go near her house or even believe that she still lived, all because they could not bring themselves to accept someone like her. I liked this strength that Becky held over them. She did stay isolated, like they wanted, but she scared the people into giving her food and things that probably allowed her and her kids to survive. Her two boys made a statement when they left, and so did she, when she died, crumpled beneath the bricks of a fireplace believed to be haunted. She made a statement by having a second black child, which showed that she did not regret her actions and would not give in to the public's jeering.
America
I thought that was a strange way of describing this country, especially after how big and powerful it became in such a short time. However, the line "I love this cultured hell that tests my youth" reveals that the author does have passion for this country. The following lines suggest that the author is thinking of the potential that America holds in becoming very large and strong and unbroken by time. This shows the author's belief that America has promise and is worth standing for.
If We Must Die
I like this poem. I found it to be very powerful. The author is very strong and shows no fear, only resilience and determination. He is saying that they know they have to die, so they might as well die fighting, die trying to provide opportunity for others, and die trying to make a difference and a statement. This is very noble and courageous and causes me to respect the narrator.
This is an extremely prejudiced story. It is filled with racial stereotypes. This young boy thinks he knows every girl so well just by their race or background, that he feels he can even predict their exact words in a conversation he would have with them. He plans out all his actions accordingly for what color the girl is that he is meeting.
Battle Royal
I found this poem to be both strange and repulsive. It is disgusting to envision how these men were treated in this story and how they felt the need to just go along with it all. The author of this story went through all the torture the men put him through just to try to gain their respect, which would never happen. He thought the whole time, of his speech, and how he would look during it. I couldn't believe how none of them would work together- how they all just felt that they had to do what these men told them. They fought each other and laughed "embarrassedly" as they were being electrocuted and shocked. They did all that for money that was not even of real value. The narrator tried to get his opponent to end the fight by offering him more money, yet he could just as well have fallen down and ended it, but he wanted to win, to prove himself. The narrator humiliated himself in front of the men while giving his speech and did not even realize it. He just felt he had to prove himself worthy to these people. And for what? he got his education and broke his grandfather's curse, which he completely misinterpreted.
No Name Woman
This story, as well, shows how brutally people who are different or who are considered disgraceful to one's society can be treated, even by their own race or village. This story focused on some very interesting elements of Chinese culture- like the no-speaking rule at meals and the way the women have to fix their hair. It is terrible that there is such an image that has to be fulfilled so precisely in order to be accepted. One of the worst parts of this story that I found was the fact that the Aunt finally decided to kill her baby for the sole reason that it would not have a name. It would not know its history or heritage, so it would be haunted forever. This shows how terribly important something like a name is for this culture, and that no one ever said her name again also emphasizes this. It is terrible that a woman who made a mistake, or maybe was forced into making one had to be treated this way.
Becky
This was an interesting story in that it shows how fearful people are of abnormality. This old woman terrified the townspeople just because she was different. People would not go near her house or even believe that she still lived, all because they could not bring themselves to accept someone like her. I liked this strength that Becky held over them. She did stay isolated, like they wanted, but she scared the people into giving her food and things that probably allowed her and her kids to survive. Her two boys made a statement when they left, and so did she, when she died, crumpled beneath the bricks of a fireplace believed to be haunted. She made a statement by having a second black child, which showed that she did not regret her actions and would not give in to the public's jeering.
America
I thought that was a strange way of describing this country, especially after how big and powerful it became in such a short time. However, the line "I love this cultured hell that tests my youth" reveals that the author does have passion for this country. The following lines suggest that the author is thinking of the potential that America holds in becoming very large and strong and unbroken by time. This shows the author's belief that America has promise and is worth standing for.
If We Must Die
I like this poem. I found it to be very powerful. The author is very strong and shows no fear, only resilience and determination. He is saying that they know they have to die, so they might as well die fighting, die trying to provide opportunity for others, and die trying to make a difference and a statement. This is very noble and courageous and causes me to respect the narrator.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Class freewrite
I.
a)
- war- red, bloody, loud noises, gunshots, shouting, dirt, mud, weapons, death, struggle, wounds
- gunner- green/brown (fatiques), sneaky, waiting, confident, focused, steady
- attack- loud, sudden, gruesome, bloody, red, sweat, dirt, pain
b) long, atomic bomb, destructive, life-changing/ world-changing, debt
II.
I still don't fully understand the first line of this poem. Seeing the ball turrets, however, did give me a much better visual. I understand now how the author would desribe him as "hunched" and "six miles from earth." He must feel so alone back there all cramped and by himself in such a small little compartment. He must have felt so helpless too, being stuck in that little ball while he was being fired at. The last line of the poem is very striking and now I can see why this would be necessary because of the little space he had inside the turret.
Randall Jarrel enlisted in the US Army Air Corps but failed to fly. He then worked as a control tower operator instead. After having a very successful teaching career at many different schools in the nation, he was hit by a car and died. He had been treated for mental illness and a previous suicide attempt prior to his sudden death.
This information is interesting because when I was reading the poem the first time, I figured it must have been produced by someone who was very familiar with having been in a ball turret and would know what it really felt like. However, Jarrel never made it in the Air Corps, so he does not have the inside background that I had expected from such a unique poem's author.
I don't think that the personal information about Jarrel would really help me write about this poem. I don't think it gives me any more incite to what the poem is actually about at all. I think the information on the ball turret and historical background would help a lot more.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Comments on Readings for 3/20/08
p.147-154
I agree that there are no "absolute truths" in history. I can see why this passage says that we have to be careful to research very thoroughly in order to provide enough evidence to prove or disprove a claim. It is precisely that reason, though, that I do not think we can ever disprove or prove something written just based on more historical writing. Maybe the majority of people working as slave laborers in Nazi camps did not suffer a great deal, but maybe one particular person who wrote a story did suffer. We would never know this about that one specific person just based on what we could find in historical documents. I am not a big fan of history because we never actually know what is accurate and what is not, so I do not think I will like reading passages that we have to research and put a lot of historical background into to understand.
For me, just reading the White House raises questions not of historical context, but of what the writer is feeling. I have never really liked analyzing poetry because I think it takes the beauty away from it and often times even though people think they have found the "hidden meaning", it really may not even be close to what the writer was really thinking or feeling at the time. I think if we really had to know the historical background behind a poem or story, the author should provide the information we know with it, rather than have to research it on our own.
p.11-20
"The Holocaust Party" was an interesting story. I found it amusing that up until the part about Jews having thin blood, the narrator actually believed the story. I do not think there is any need to even research any historical data in order to tell that this story was fake. The narrator says it as well. I don't see how actually having historical information on the Holocaust would enhance the meaning of this story at all.
p.404
"The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner" is a depressing short poem. I feel bad for the man just by the way he says "when I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose." I do not really have any historical background as to what this poem is about, yet I still get an effect from it. It may change my opinion or feeling toward the poem if I was given more information besides what the footnote tells me. But, from that i can tell that this man was extremely brave and the way the poem makes it so that we are hearing the man who died retell his own death gives it a very unique effect.
I agree that there are no "absolute truths" in history. I can see why this passage says that we have to be careful to research very thoroughly in order to provide enough evidence to prove or disprove a claim. It is precisely that reason, though, that I do not think we can ever disprove or prove something written just based on more historical writing. Maybe the majority of people working as slave laborers in Nazi camps did not suffer a great deal, but maybe one particular person who wrote a story did suffer. We would never know this about that one specific person just based on what we could find in historical documents. I am not a big fan of history because we never actually know what is accurate and what is not, so I do not think I will like reading passages that we have to research and put a lot of historical background into to understand.
For me, just reading the White House raises questions not of historical context, but of what the writer is feeling. I have never really liked analyzing poetry because I think it takes the beauty away from it and often times even though people think they have found the "hidden meaning", it really may not even be close to what the writer was really thinking or feeling at the time. I think if we really had to know the historical background behind a poem or story, the author should provide the information we know with it, rather than have to research it on our own.
p.11-20
"The Holocaust Party" was an interesting story. I found it amusing that up until the part about Jews having thin blood, the narrator actually believed the story. I do not think there is any need to even research any historical data in order to tell that this story was fake. The narrator says it as well. I don't see how actually having historical information on the Holocaust would enhance the meaning of this story at all.
p.404
"The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner" is a depressing short poem. I feel bad for the man just by the way he says "when I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose." I do not really have any historical background as to what this poem is about, yet I still get an effect from it. It may change my opinion or feeling toward the poem if I was given more information besides what the footnote tells me. But, from that i can tell that this man was extremely brave and the way the poem makes it so that we are hearing the man who died retell his own death gives it a very unique effect.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Readings for 3/18
p.100
I think it is true that culture has a great deal to do with fully understanding many texts. What I occurring in the world or where the author is in the world or where he/she is writing about can give the piece of text a whole new perspective. I have read passages before where we were not told the race of the author or the gender and I had a whole different view of the meaning of the piece then when I reread it knowing those pieces of information. Where and when something is happening can completely change the message behind the writing.
p.327
The poem, The Soldier, was written in 1915. This tiny piece of information allows the reader to realize that the soldier of this poem was most likely fighting in the Great War. Just knowing which particular war this soldier is referring to as he writes so passionately is an important detail because it allows the reader to picture this young man. We can research that war and actually get a feel for what this soldier was heading into. Knowing who he was fighting with and against as well as the reason for the particular war being written about can provide a much clearer image of this man and the reason behind his emotions.
p. 429
Again, this poem takes place during World War I as well, at least that is if 1917 is the correct year it was written. The fact that there is a question mark following the date makes me wonder if someone interpreted this poem's descriptions and words and assumed it was about the Great War. This interests me because that is showing how knowing just a simple cultural fact like when the piece was written can give someone a new perspective. Perhaps this poem was written about a different war. Maybe that would change whoever came up with this date's mind about the whole poem.
p.430
I looked up "Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori" and found the translation "It is a sweet and glorious thing to die for one's country." This poem was very sad and really made me visualize a war with poison gas and people dying. I liked how preceding the last line are the words "To children ardent for some desperate glory, the old lie." It shows how all the old people know it is not a sweet or glorious thing to die the sort of way people do in wars, yet they continue to tell the young kids that it is because that is what they need to hear. These kids are still naive and innocent and dream to be war heroes, without really knowing what it is like and how traumatic the experience actually is. I think the fact that we don't know who the men are fighting for in this poem makes the effect even better. All wars are brutal, no matter what side one is fighting for. They all experience this kind of violence and emotional torture.
p.445
Again, this poem was written about World War I and mentions both British troops as well as a German mother whose son's face "is trodden [deep] in the mud." This provides us with some cultural background again. It gives us some historical information so that in order to get the full effect of this poem, one is able to research the different sides of the war taking place in 1918 and can get different perspectives. I thought the image of the mother knitting socks for her son who will no longer need them was a sad one and was a strong line to end the poem on to illustrate the death and sadness of war despite all the glory and attention people give to their war heroes.
I think it is true that culture has a great deal to do with fully understanding many texts. What I occurring in the world or where the author is in the world or where he/she is writing about can give the piece of text a whole new perspective. I have read passages before where we were not told the race of the author or the gender and I had a whole different view of the meaning of the piece then when I reread it knowing those pieces of information. Where and when something is happening can completely change the message behind the writing.
p.327
The poem, The Soldier, was written in 1915. This tiny piece of information allows the reader to realize that the soldier of this poem was most likely fighting in the Great War. Just knowing which particular war this soldier is referring to as he writes so passionately is an important detail because it allows the reader to picture this young man. We can research that war and actually get a feel for what this soldier was heading into. Knowing who he was fighting with and against as well as the reason for the particular war being written about can provide a much clearer image of this man and the reason behind his emotions.
p. 429
Again, this poem takes place during World War I as well, at least that is if 1917 is the correct year it was written. The fact that there is a question mark following the date makes me wonder if someone interpreted this poem's descriptions and words and assumed it was about the Great War. This interests me because that is showing how knowing just a simple cultural fact like when the piece was written can give someone a new perspective. Perhaps this poem was written about a different war. Maybe that would change whoever came up with this date's mind about the whole poem.
p.430
I looked up "Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori" and found the translation "It is a sweet and glorious thing to die for one's country." This poem was very sad and really made me visualize a war with poison gas and people dying. I liked how preceding the last line are the words "To children ardent for some desperate glory, the old lie." It shows how all the old people know it is not a sweet or glorious thing to die the sort of way people do in wars, yet they continue to tell the young kids that it is because that is what they need to hear. These kids are still naive and innocent and dream to be war heroes, without really knowing what it is like and how traumatic the experience actually is. I think the fact that we don't know who the men are fighting for in this poem makes the effect even better. All wars are brutal, no matter what side one is fighting for. They all experience this kind of violence and emotional torture.
p.445
Again, this poem was written about World War I and mentions both British troops as well as a German mother whose son's face "is trodden [deep] in the mud." This provides us with some cultural background again. It gives us some historical information so that in order to get the full effect of this poem, one is able to research the different sides of the war taking place in 1918 and can get different perspectives. I thought the image of the mother knitting socks for her son who will no longer need them was a sad one and was a strong line to end the poem on to illustrate the death and sadness of war despite all the glory and attention people give to their war heroes.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Paper
1.) Did I focus enough on my pillow as opposed to other pillows?
2.) Do I need to describe my pillow in more detail?
3.) Did the order of everything work?
2.) Do I need to describe my pillow in more detail?
3.) Did the order of everything work?
Poster
The imperative message of my poster is to diet and go about losing weight in a healthy way and do not mistake anorexia as a solution for weight loss because it is actually a very serious disease.
I chose this issue because I think it is something that everyone needs to be more aware of. I know of actually several people who have had anorexia or some kind of eating disorder and I have seen what it can do to those people and what drove those people to become anorexic. It is a much more serious matter than I think a lot of people realize and awareness may help prevent it. I want to become a personal trainer so I am very pro-health and I love fitness and helping people try to find healthy ways to get in shape. Seeing people go about this is in such a bad manner concerns me and I would like to do something about it.
I chose very gruesome pictures purposely to reveal the dangers of anorexia and not eating. Some people think it is okay to not eat and will do whatever that takes to become skinny. People see these skinny beautiful models and want to look like them, but they do not realize how sever it can really become. I hoped these pictures and the message of "Do not feed the model" would really open people's eyes. I chose dark lettering and I was kind of harsh in saying that when you are dieting you are still supposed to be eating. I wanted this to be blunt and to the point because people need reality checks about how to lose weight without destroying their bodies.
I would obviously make this poster a lot bigger and show very sharp images that enhance the details of the skinniness of the women in the pictures and how awful they actually look. The details of seeing all of one women's ribcage and the bones in the other women is very important for getting my point across. I do realize, however, that this poster could be rather offensive to some people and it would not be able to go anywhere. I would suggest putting it in teen magazines or fashion magazines as a preventive measure and to show awareness because this is the audience I would be trying to target most specifically - young women who want to be skinny ,try to look perfect all the time, and who are easily influenced. Maybe they will be influenced by this ad instead.
I chose this issue because I think it is something that everyone needs to be more aware of. I know of actually several people who have had anorexia or some kind of eating disorder and I have seen what it can do to those people and what drove those people to become anorexic. It is a much more serious matter than I think a lot of people realize and awareness may help prevent it. I want to become a personal trainer so I am very pro-health and I love fitness and helping people try to find healthy ways to get in shape. Seeing people go about this is in such a bad manner concerns me and I would like to do something about it.
I chose very gruesome pictures purposely to reveal the dangers of anorexia and not eating. Some people think it is okay to not eat and will do whatever that takes to become skinny. People see these skinny beautiful models and want to look like them, but they do not realize how sever it can really become. I hoped these pictures and the message of "Do not feed the model" would really open people's eyes. I chose dark lettering and I was kind of harsh in saying that when you are dieting you are still supposed to be eating. I wanted this to be blunt and to the point because people need reality checks about how to lose weight without destroying their bodies.
I would obviously make this poster a lot bigger and show very sharp images that enhance the details of the skinniness of the women in the pictures and how awful they actually look. The details of seeing all of one women's ribcage and the bones in the other women is very important for getting my point across. I do realize, however, that this poster could be rather offensive to some people and it would not be able to go anywhere. I would suggest putting it in teen magazines or fashion magazines as a preventive measure and to show awareness because this is the audience I would be trying to target most specifically - young women who want to be skinny ,try to look perfect all the time, and who are easily influenced. Maybe they will be influenced by this ad instead.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
SWA #5
1.) I have chosen the pillow as my text.
2.) The pillow’s main purpose is to comfort and provide a comfortable sleeping or resting surface.
3.) Examining the pillow more closely, one can find many purposes that the pillow serves which may be taken for granted in every day life. Pillows can be used to relieve stress, elevate, cushion, and support. If one looks very closely at the type, style, or number of pillows a person chooses, it may even tell something about that person and, particularly, what kind of sleeper they are.
4.) The features I will mainly be focusing on include the simplicity of the pillow, the way it is made and the different types of designs that can be found. When I analyze each of these features, I am hoping to find that the different kinds of pillows, like fluffy ones or firm ones, will lead to a discovery of much more than just that of the make of the pillow. I intend to show that a lot of times, the specific kind of pillow, color, or size, actually tell a lot about what kind of sleeper a person is or what one looks for when they think of sleep.
5.) The designer does not necessarily go for looks all that much in a pillow because pillows are intended to be covered. The designer can, however, focus on the inside of the pillow. Since the pillow’s main job is to provide comfort, the inside must be filled with the right amount of hard and soft material to make the pillow comfortable. Also, it can have down feathers, or cotton, or a number of different materials that one may prefer. Designers want the pillow to seem comfortable just by the way it is puffed up or squishes in when one touches it. Feel is a very important aspect of this form of design. The way a pillow is sold can also provide an image of softness or comfort. For instance, if it has a picture of a person sleeping peacefully, it may attract the consumer. Size also matters when it comes to choosing a pillow. There are many different sized pillows, made for different purposes. But, I would say touch is the most important aspect because regardless of the size or the picture on the front, the buyer will most likely press on the pillow or lay one’s head on it to test it and decide if it is right for them. However, name brands like Tempur-Pedic have become popular, and may sway someone into choosing their product over another. But, they have become so famous because of the uniqueness of their pillows. Their pillows are made of different material than a lot of regular pillows, and they are said to mold to one’s head. This strategy of providing consumers with a new and different kind of pillow is just another way designers try to attract pillow buyers.
6.) The audience is just about everyone for this particular text. Just about everyone in America has at least one pillow or has slept on one at one time. This is the audience the pillow is aiming at- everyone who wants to sleep well- which makes up just about the entire population. I fit into this category as a busy student and tired kid who wants to lay down and have a good night’s sleep every night. I look to my pillow to provide me with this, as do most people.
Thesis: Upon deeper analysis, the pillow, in all its simplicity, provides much more than it is given credit for, including stress relief and fung-shui, as well as an idea as to what kind of sleeper each pillow owner is and how this basic object can affect people every day and every night.
2.) The pillow’s main purpose is to comfort and provide a comfortable sleeping or resting surface.
3.) Examining the pillow more closely, one can find many purposes that the pillow serves which may be taken for granted in every day life. Pillows can be used to relieve stress, elevate, cushion, and support. If one looks very closely at the type, style, or number of pillows a person chooses, it may even tell something about that person and, particularly, what kind of sleeper they are.
4.) The features I will mainly be focusing on include the simplicity of the pillow, the way it is made and the different types of designs that can be found. When I analyze each of these features, I am hoping to find that the different kinds of pillows, like fluffy ones or firm ones, will lead to a discovery of much more than just that of the make of the pillow. I intend to show that a lot of times, the specific kind of pillow, color, or size, actually tell a lot about what kind of sleeper a person is or what one looks for when they think of sleep.
5.) The designer does not necessarily go for looks all that much in a pillow because pillows are intended to be covered. The designer can, however, focus on the inside of the pillow. Since the pillow’s main job is to provide comfort, the inside must be filled with the right amount of hard and soft material to make the pillow comfortable. Also, it can have down feathers, or cotton, or a number of different materials that one may prefer. Designers want the pillow to seem comfortable just by the way it is puffed up or squishes in when one touches it. Feel is a very important aspect of this form of design. The way a pillow is sold can also provide an image of softness or comfort. For instance, if it has a picture of a person sleeping peacefully, it may attract the consumer. Size also matters when it comes to choosing a pillow. There are many different sized pillows, made for different purposes. But, I would say touch is the most important aspect because regardless of the size or the picture on the front, the buyer will most likely press on the pillow or lay one’s head on it to test it and decide if it is right for them. However, name brands like Tempur-Pedic have become popular, and may sway someone into choosing their product over another. But, they have become so famous because of the uniqueness of their pillows. Their pillows are made of different material than a lot of regular pillows, and they are said to mold to one’s head. This strategy of providing consumers with a new and different kind of pillow is just another way designers try to attract pillow buyers.
6.) The audience is just about everyone for this particular text. Just about everyone in America has at least one pillow or has slept on one at one time. This is the audience the pillow is aiming at- everyone who wants to sleep well- which makes up just about the entire population. I fit into this category as a busy student and tired kid who wants to lay down and have a good night’s sleep every night. I look to my pillow to provide me with this, as do most people.
Thesis: Upon deeper analysis, the pillow, in all its simplicity, provides much more than it is given credit for, including stress relief and fung-shui, as well as an idea as to what kind of sleeper each pillow owner is and how this basic object can affect people every day and every night.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Class Questions
I think that the idea that the message itself is what matters and not how it is portrayed is a good one, but not necessarily the case in our society today, unfortunately. There is a reason that so mnay products mentioned in the articles we read are popular and sold despite their terrible gas mileage, or expensive prices, or history with sweat shops. People like products and are influenced highly by the images the products give off and the messages we retain from the way the products or ideas are presented.
There is a poster I remember seeing in my anatomy classroom in high school that had a dead girl's corpse laying on a slab in a morgue. She was all discolored and gross looking. The message had something to do with smoking. It was saying she smoked to be skinny and look cool or something to that affect, does she look cool now, is she pretty? It was something like that. Now, this message is a good one. It's telling kids not to smoke and I would understand that message probably no matter how it was written or portrayed. the poster could have been white with black writing saying SMOKING IS BAD. This is a true statement, and seeing the girl isn't going to make me less apt to smoke than I would be anyway, but it stuck. I do still remember this poster and we use to notice it every day when we walked into class because it was so gruesome looking and stuck out even though we saw it everyday. That does show that for someone who may be considering smoking, maybe this ad would have made a difference. Maybe seeing the girl and being reminded in that way every day could make a difference. It sticks out much more than just the words smoking is bad. It provides an image and makes you think about it more. Attracting one's attention is half the battle of getting a message across, and this is what design and advertising does.
There is a poster I remember seeing in my anatomy classroom in high school that had a dead girl's corpse laying on a slab in a morgue. She was all discolored and gross looking. The message had something to do with smoking. It was saying she smoked to be skinny and look cool or something to that affect, does she look cool now, is she pretty? It was something like that. Now, this message is a good one. It's telling kids not to smoke and I would understand that message probably no matter how it was written or portrayed. the poster could have been white with black writing saying SMOKING IS BAD. This is a true statement, and seeing the girl isn't going to make me less apt to smoke than I would be anyway, but it stuck. I do still remember this poster and we use to notice it every day when we walked into class because it was so gruesome looking and stuck out even though we saw it everyday. That does show that for someone who may be considering smoking, maybe this ad would have made a difference. Maybe seeing the girl and being reminded in that way every day could make a difference. It sticks out much more than just the words smoking is bad. It provides an image and makes you think about it more. Attracting one's attention is half the battle of getting a message across, and this is what design and advertising does.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Design Readings
First Things First Manifesto 2000
Until I read this article I really had never considered the difference between design and advertisement. I'm still not sure I see exactly what the difference is supposed to be. I guess that is what this article is saying is the problem in today's society. I do think that today, we are overwhelmed by commercials and ads about everything, but I don't really see that as a reason to blame designers. I think they make advertising an art, rather than just a scheme, which is precisely why there is so much competition with advertising.
Hysteria
Again, I feel that in this article, as well, designers are being blamed for something that is not entirely their fault. Advertising has become a way of life and although, it is not necessarily the greatest achievement our society has made, it is not going away any time soon. If all the designers in the world were to stop helping make ads, people would still buy products based more on how they are sold and their reputation rather than the actual product. This will not go away. I don't think is a fault of the designer or advertiser, but the fault of ourselves for buying into such elaborate scheming. Designers are just providing the public with what they are demanding. One of the biggest parts of the Superbowl for some people are the advertisements. this says something about the public more than the person creating the ad.
Light unto the Wealth of Nations
This article I thought contradicted the first two. The way the writer describes how easy it has become and how important it has become to buy Christmas lights and make huge displays shows how design can be a good thing. Yes, there are some houses and some families who go way over the top when it comes to decorating for the holidays. I think hiring someone to put lights up on your house is a bit ridiculous, but this is a different form of design. It is not so much advertising, as it is a tradition, or neighborhood competition. It is fun. It shouldn't be looked upon as a bad thing. This shows how important design really is in our culture.
Salon.com asks "Are you ready for some 'unswooshing'"?
The idea of creating the Blackspot sneaker to teach Nike a lesson, I think it a pretty ridiculous one. For one thing, I definitely do not think it will work. Nike has made a name for itself that I do not think can be so readily crushed. For another thing, I think the idea is kind of hypocritical. The article says that they will sell each pair for about $65. This is not much cheaper than other sneakers out there today, like Nikes. The article quotes Lasn, "One of the many reasons I really love this campaign, is that we are selling a product, not an idea or advocacy." This is completely untrue. They are trying to get air-time and appear on CNN to promote this new shoe. They are not selling this product for no reason. They are selling it to try to create a movement against Nike. They have an even bigger advocacy or idea than Nike does itself. Also, this shoe, is very ugly. It is supposed to be a replicate of the old Converse but the reason people still buy the old Converse shoe is because of the name and reputation it has. People buy that shoe so they can have the retro-style Converse shoe like in the old days. They don't want a shoe like that because of its looks, and they're not going to buy an "old Converse" that isn't Converse. I think these people are attacking their cause in the wrong way.
Girl Power Gone Wrong
This shows a little better, I think, what our assignment is actually supposed to be about, but it will be hard to turn such an ordinary object into a statement. I never really thought about a simple shirt in such a complex way. I guess I never really thought that much about inanimate objects to find such a hidden meaning. This sample paper was interesting, though, and will hopefully help me get an idea of what I will write for my paper.
Until I read this article I really had never considered the difference between design and advertisement. I'm still not sure I see exactly what the difference is supposed to be. I guess that is what this article is saying is the problem in today's society. I do think that today, we are overwhelmed by commercials and ads about everything, but I don't really see that as a reason to blame designers. I think they make advertising an art, rather than just a scheme, which is precisely why there is so much competition with advertising.
Hysteria
Again, I feel that in this article, as well, designers are being blamed for something that is not entirely their fault. Advertising has become a way of life and although, it is not necessarily the greatest achievement our society has made, it is not going away any time soon. If all the designers in the world were to stop helping make ads, people would still buy products based more on how they are sold and their reputation rather than the actual product. This will not go away. I don't think is a fault of the designer or advertiser, but the fault of ourselves for buying into such elaborate scheming. Designers are just providing the public with what they are demanding. One of the biggest parts of the Superbowl for some people are the advertisements. this says something about the public more than the person creating the ad.
Light unto the Wealth of Nations
This article I thought contradicted the first two. The way the writer describes how easy it has become and how important it has become to buy Christmas lights and make huge displays shows how design can be a good thing. Yes, there are some houses and some families who go way over the top when it comes to decorating for the holidays. I think hiring someone to put lights up on your house is a bit ridiculous, but this is a different form of design. It is not so much advertising, as it is a tradition, or neighborhood competition. It is fun. It shouldn't be looked upon as a bad thing. This shows how important design really is in our culture.
Salon.com asks "Are you ready for some 'unswooshing'"?
The idea of creating the Blackspot sneaker to teach Nike a lesson, I think it a pretty ridiculous one. For one thing, I definitely do not think it will work. Nike has made a name for itself that I do not think can be so readily crushed. For another thing, I think the idea is kind of hypocritical. The article says that they will sell each pair for about $65. This is not much cheaper than other sneakers out there today, like Nikes. The article quotes Lasn, "One of the many reasons I really love this campaign, is that we are selling a product, not an idea or advocacy." This is completely untrue. They are trying to get air-time and appear on CNN to promote this new shoe. They are not selling this product for no reason. They are selling it to try to create a movement against Nike. They have an even bigger advocacy or idea than Nike does itself. Also, this shoe, is very ugly. It is supposed to be a replicate of the old Converse but the reason people still buy the old Converse shoe is because of the name and reputation it has. People buy that shoe so they can have the retro-style Converse shoe like in the old days. They don't want a shoe like that because of its looks, and they're not going to buy an "old Converse" that isn't Converse. I think these people are attacking their cause in the wrong way.
Girl Power Gone Wrong
This shows a little better, I think, what our assignment is actually supposed to be about, but it will be hard to turn such an ordinary object into a statement. I never really thought about a simple shirt in such a complex way. I guess I never really thought that much about inanimate objects to find such a hidden meaning. This sample paper was interesting, though, and will hopefully help me get an idea of what I will write for my paper.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Car Culture
A Prius-Hummer War Divides Oscarville
It was kind of interesting to see how many celebrities were driving cars like the Prius as opposed to Hummer's or stretch limos. However, the fact that this article mentioned that most of the stars driving these cars were driving loaners due to a campaign for an environmental group. that shows that, most likely, these celebrities wouldn't be driving these cars to the Vanity Fair party normally, and since they didn't own the vehicles, they didn't really care that much about the environmental cause to begin with.
Women Giving the Directions: Now, It's Time for Female Designers
I was unaware that more women were consumers of cars than men. The idea, however, to try to sell pink cars and include little parasols and such with them to make women interested was a pretty stupid idea. It didn't work, but it surprised me to think that the market thought it would. If women are already the top consumers, clearly they are happy buying the cars that sell the most, which probably don't include pink, female cars. In fact, the article says that most women get the final say in what comes into their driveway, so they are not necessarily buying these cars for themselves. They are trying to decide what is best for their family as a whole. This is why the idea of the YCC is just as stupid as pink cars, and yes, sexist. Although it includes some features that would be pretty useful to myself, and other women, I would not buy a car because of those features. Women can handle driving in heels, they don't NEED special features to do this. If they're buying a car for their family, this would not be the one they would choose, and this would limit the market to only women, because no man would buy a car like this.
Car Makers Aim for the 'Love It Or Hate It' Category
I found this article interesting because I am always astounded by the amount of hideous cars I see on the road. I always wonder what possesses people to make, and especially, buy those cars. I think PT Cruisers are so ugly, as wells as the Scion xB shown in the article. The article, though, explained an interesting point. Apparently enough of our society today is focused on standing out, being different, or rebelling from the norm so that polarizing the car-buying population actually works. I guess it makes since, in a weird way.
My Life, My Cadillac Escalade EXT
I was surprised that this girl wanted the EXT. She talks about how all her girlfriends want trucks and how the guys think it's cool. This is definitely not how it is where I come from. None of my girl friends drive trucks or have any interest in doing so. I don't even like the looks of the EXT. I think they're huge and ugly and would definitely not choose this if I got to pick any car I wanted.
It was kind of interesting to see how many celebrities were driving cars like the Prius as opposed to Hummer's or stretch limos. However, the fact that this article mentioned that most of the stars driving these cars were driving loaners due to a campaign for an environmental group. that shows that, most likely, these celebrities wouldn't be driving these cars to the Vanity Fair party normally, and since they didn't own the vehicles, they didn't really care that much about the environmental cause to begin with.
Women Giving the Directions: Now, It's Time for Female Designers
I was unaware that more women were consumers of cars than men. The idea, however, to try to sell pink cars and include little parasols and such with them to make women interested was a pretty stupid idea. It didn't work, but it surprised me to think that the market thought it would. If women are already the top consumers, clearly they are happy buying the cars that sell the most, which probably don't include pink, female cars. In fact, the article says that most women get the final say in what comes into their driveway, so they are not necessarily buying these cars for themselves. They are trying to decide what is best for their family as a whole. This is why the idea of the YCC is just as stupid as pink cars, and yes, sexist. Although it includes some features that would be pretty useful to myself, and other women, I would not buy a car because of those features. Women can handle driving in heels, they don't NEED special features to do this. If they're buying a car for their family, this would not be the one they would choose, and this would limit the market to only women, because no man would buy a car like this.
Car Makers Aim for the 'Love It Or Hate It' Category
I found this article interesting because I am always astounded by the amount of hideous cars I see on the road. I always wonder what possesses people to make, and especially, buy those cars. I think PT Cruisers are so ugly, as wells as the Scion xB shown in the article. The article, though, explained an interesting point. Apparently enough of our society today is focused on standing out, being different, or rebelling from the norm so that polarizing the car-buying population actually works. I guess it makes since, in a weird way.
My Life, My Cadillac Escalade EXT
I was surprised that this girl wanted the EXT. She talks about how all her girlfriends want trucks and how the guys think it's cool. This is definitely not how it is where I come from. None of my girl friends drive trucks or have any interest in doing so. I don't even like the looks of the EXT. I think they're huge and ugly and would definitely not choose this if I got to pick any car I wanted.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Mac vs. PC
I like PCs much better than Macs. I grew up with PCs and am used to and more familiar with their functions and aspects. I have only used a Mac a few times since they became very popular and I had trouble figuring out how to use it because it was so different from my normal PC. Although the Mac has a different look to it that may be more appealing to some people, I prefer the standard functions and appeal that PCs have. I find them much easier to navigate.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Quote
"That that don't kill you only makes you stronger, and the will to succeed will only feed the hunger." -Nelly "N Dey Say"
This song is a remake of an older song, but besides the chorus and tune, most of the song is a lot different. I always liked this song by Nelly because it's not really his typical type of song. It seemed different and the overall song has a good message. It talks about failure and trying to keep going with life. I like this one line because the saying "That which doesn't kill you only makes you stronger," is a very common one which I have always believed in. I do think that the struggles people go through make the person who they are, and although it may bring out the worst in some people, I think if you look deep enough, you will find how, in some way, it did make that person stronger. This version of that saying kind of rhymes and has flow, and I think of this song and this particular line whenever I hear that kind of message.
This song is a remake of an older song, but besides the chorus and tune, most of the song is a lot different. I always liked this song by Nelly because it's not really his typical type of song. It seemed different and the overall song has a good message. It talks about failure and trying to keep going with life. I like this one line because the saying "That which doesn't kill you only makes you stronger," is a very common one which I have always believed in. I do think that the struggles people go through make the person who they are, and although it may bring out the worst in some people, I think if you look deep enough, you will find how, in some way, it did make that person stronger. This version of that saying kind of rhymes and has flow, and I think of this song and this particular line whenever I hear that kind of message.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Intro Paragraph
In “Ducks on a Pond,” by Mark Sibley-Jones, Baxter, the narrator, shows the readers through his own eyes what is occurring and how he feels about each instance in the story. There is some dialogue in this story, but many aspects are captured and analyzed specifically by Baxter, which reveals his emotions and many of his own personal experiences. A particular passage in this story demonstrated this technique especially well. In this passage, Baxter is remembering a time in his past that ended up dictating much of his present life. He exhibits feelings of stubbornness, determination, and blind ambition because of his father’s crushed dreams and because of polio. Baxter tried to become what he always thought his father wanted, and this passage highlights the pain and difficulty he went through to try to achieve this. Through the use of contradiction and the way that Sibley-Jones constructs the sentences and allows the readers to get inside the narrator's head, the underlying theme of sacrificing pride, regret, and blame in order to find forgiveness and happiness is revealed, which is a vital and often overlooked concept of life.
Short Writing Assignment #1
1.) "Ducks on a Pond."
2.) Living with regret and blaming people for what went wrong or different in your life is no way to go about living. One has to let go of the past, forgive, and look forward to new things. Pride is nothing in comparison to living and doing what is right and good.
3.) page 258: the last full paragraph
4.) This paragraph is full of statements reflecting a regretful and blaming tone. "Although polio didn't cripple me, it did its damage" is one of these sentences. There is an implied meaning behind the words in this sentence as well. I think the damage is supposed to portray not only physical damage, but also emotional, mental, and spiritual damage. Also, the way the paragraph begins with the narrator saying, "But I knew better" was an important choice of diction and punctuation. The sentence was brief and very to the point, which showed how strongly the narrator felt and how he absolutely thought that he knew what he was doing.
5.) This passage does not have much rhyme, rhythm, or alliteration. It is a story and not a poem, so it does not really follow a certain flow, but the sentence where it says "his speed, his agility, his athletic grace" does show some repetition that I think was purposeful on the author's part. I think it was to emphasize how the narrator is constantly comparing himself to his father.
6.) These different aspects of the passage, like the diction used, the implied meanings, and the way certain sentences are constructed all relate somehow to the main ideas of the story. They all can be analyzed in a way that brings me back to the themes of pride not being enough, regret, and blame encompassing one's life. Although, this passage actually contradicts those themes in many ways, but I think this paragraph was supposed to do this to show that the narrator has not come to terms with or has not fully accepted the themes of this story; at least not yet.
Thesis:
Through the use of contradiction and the way that Mark Sibley-Jones, in "Ducks on a Pond," constructs the sentences and allows the readers to get inside the narrator's head to discover his own feelings in this passage, the underlying theme encompassing the idea of sacrificing pride, regret, and blame in order to find forgiveness and happiness is revealed, which is a vital and often overlooked concept of life.
2.) Living with regret and blaming people for what went wrong or different in your life is no way to go about living. One has to let go of the past, forgive, and look forward to new things. Pride is nothing in comparison to living and doing what is right and good.
3.) page 258: the last full paragraph
4.) This paragraph is full of statements reflecting a regretful and blaming tone. "Although polio didn't cripple me, it did its damage" is one of these sentences. There is an implied meaning behind the words in this sentence as well. I think the damage is supposed to portray not only physical damage, but also emotional, mental, and spiritual damage. Also, the way the paragraph begins with the narrator saying, "But I knew better" was an important choice of diction and punctuation. The sentence was brief and very to the point, which showed how strongly the narrator felt and how he absolutely thought that he knew what he was doing.
5.) This passage does not have much rhyme, rhythm, or alliteration. It is a story and not a poem, so it does not really follow a certain flow, but the sentence where it says "his speed, his agility, his athletic grace" does show some repetition that I think was purposeful on the author's part. I think it was to emphasize how the narrator is constantly comparing himself to his father.
6.) These different aspects of the passage, like the diction used, the implied meanings, and the way certain sentences are constructed all relate somehow to the main ideas of the story. They all can be analyzed in a way that brings me back to the themes of pride not being enough, regret, and blame encompassing one's life. Although, this passage actually contradicts those themes in many ways, but I think this paragraph was supposed to do this to show that the narrator has not come to terms with or has not fully accepted the themes of this story; at least not yet.
Thesis:
Through the use of contradiction and the way that Mark Sibley-Jones, in "Ducks on a Pond," constructs the sentences and allows the readers to get inside the narrator's head to discover his own feelings in this passage, the underlying theme encompassing the idea of sacrificing pride, regret, and blame in order to find forgiveness and happiness is revealed, which is a vital and often overlooked concept of life.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
"Child" in Sonny's Blues
The words "child" or "kids"are not used as much as the word "boys" in this story. Every time the word "boys" is used, it seems to be describing something cynical. The narrator compared Sonny to the boys in his classes or to boys he saw in the story. Every time he did this, it was like he was realizing that these boys were going through everything that he went through at that age and everything Sonny was going through. The narrator was thinking of Sonny and how he thought "he hadn't ever turned hard or evil or disrespectful, the way kids can go, so quick (17)." Every image of the boys in this story were ones of troubled boys who had no future and were filled with rage. Even when the narrator heard the boys in his school laughing, he heard it as "mocking and insular" laughing, instead of "joyous(18)."
He said that "these boys, now, were living as we'd been living then, they were growing up with a rush and their heads bumped abruptly against the low ceiling of their actual possibilities (18)." This shows what little expectations people have for the kids growing up in Harlem, and how, sadly, they are very true. Sonny's mother said "It ain't only the the bad ones, nor yet the dumb ones that gets sucked under (24)." The kids at the playground were "most popular with the children who don't play jacks, or skip rope, or roller skate, or swing, and they can be found in it after dark (22)."
This image of children in this story says a lot about the setting, which is Harlem, where these kids do not know a good life, and do not have much of a chance for a good future. It defines the mood- very dark and sad and cynical. As for plot, these kids are a reflection of what Sonny became, so it has a lot to do with the plot and how common Sonny's character is in this kind of life.
He said that "these boys, now, were living as we'd been living then, they were growing up with a rush and their heads bumped abruptly against the low ceiling of their actual possibilities (18)." This shows what little expectations people have for the kids growing up in Harlem, and how, sadly, they are very true. Sonny's mother said "It ain't only the the bad ones, nor yet the dumb ones that gets sucked under (24)." The kids at the playground were "most popular with the children who don't play jacks, or skip rope, or roller skate, or swing, and they can be found in it after dark (22)."
This image of children in this story says a lot about the setting, which is Harlem, where these kids do not know a good life, and do not have much of a chance for a good future. It defines the mood- very dark and sad and cynical. As for plot, these kids are a reflection of what Sonny became, so it has a lot to do with the plot and how common Sonny's character is in this kind of life.
Close Reading Handout 3 Exercise
1.)
Character
by Taslima Nasrim
You're a girl
and you'd better not forget
that when you step over the threshold of your house
men will look askance at you.
When you keep walking down the lane
men will follow you and whistle.
When you cross the lane and step onto the main road
men will revile you and call you a loose woman.
If you've got no character
you'll turn back,
and if not
you'll keep going
as you're going now.
2.) I think this poem sends a strong message to women. It is warning women of the hardships and struggles they will encounter when they try to make it on their own. It is telling women that people- men- will not immediately, or ever, respect them, especially if women flaunt their confidence or act independently. However, instead of just warning women of the whistles and disrespect that they will most likely come across, it is encouraging women to keep going. It strikes a nerve when the poem reads, "If you've got no character, you'll turn back." This is really trying to get women to see that they have got to stick it out. They want character and in order to have it, they must prevail and disregard what others might think of them. If they have character, they will keep plugging along, trying to make a difference, just like they started to and just like they are doing now. It is a message telling women not to give up. They have made a difference by trying to become more than expected, but they have to keep going.
3.) Girls who try to pave their own path and act independently will get sideways glances, whistles, and snide comments thrown their way. This will happen every step of the way and every time a woman acts strong and differently from what men expect of women. However, these girls must not let this stop them from attacking their dreams and making history; they have to keep on going without taking any mind of what men think of them while they are doing it.
4.) The narrator is a woman, probably an elderly woman who made some kind of difference in the world for women. I think this poem was maybe written a long time ago, when women didn't have many rights. She is probably someone who has been through a lot to make a name for herself and for all women. She is talking to any young girls, maybe in their twenties, whether she knows them personally or not. It could be directly spoken to her granddaughter or a daughter, but the message is for all young women.
5.) I think the poem means that women, no matter how they are looked at by men, should not take any of their opinions into account. Women should be able to be independent and live freely just like men, but in order for this to happen, they have to keep going without hesitating. they have to show that they have no fear, and eventually people, even men, will respect them for it.
Character
by Taslima Nasrim
You're a girl
and you'd better not forget
that when you step over the threshold of your house
men will look askance at you.
When you keep walking down the lane
men will follow you and whistle.
When you cross the lane and step onto the main road
men will revile you and call you a loose woman.
If you've got no character
you'll turn back,
and if not
you'll keep going
as you're going now.
2.) I think this poem sends a strong message to women. It is warning women of the hardships and struggles they will encounter when they try to make it on their own. It is telling women that people- men- will not immediately, or ever, respect them, especially if women flaunt their confidence or act independently. However, instead of just warning women of the whistles and disrespect that they will most likely come across, it is encouraging women to keep going. It strikes a nerve when the poem reads, "If you've got no character, you'll turn back." This is really trying to get women to see that they have got to stick it out. They want character and in order to have it, they must prevail and disregard what others might think of them. If they have character, they will keep plugging along, trying to make a difference, just like they started to and just like they are doing now. It is a message telling women not to give up. They have made a difference by trying to become more than expected, but they have to keep going.
3.) Girls who try to pave their own path and act independently will get sideways glances, whistles, and snide comments thrown their way. This will happen every step of the way and every time a woman acts strong and differently from what men expect of women. However, these girls must not let this stop them from attacking their dreams and making history; they have to keep on going without taking any mind of what men think of them while they are doing it.
4.) The narrator is a woman, probably an elderly woman who made some kind of difference in the world for women. I think this poem was maybe written a long time ago, when women didn't have many rights. She is probably someone who has been through a lot to make a name for herself and for all women. She is talking to any young girls, maybe in their twenties, whether she knows them personally or not. It could be directly spoken to her granddaughter or a daughter, but the message is for all young women.
5.) I think the poem means that women, no matter how they are looked at by men, should not take any of their opinions into account. Women should be able to be independent and live freely just like men, but in order for this to happen, they have to keep going without hesitating. they have to show that they have no fear, and eventually people, even men, will respect them for it.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Lost in the Funhouse
I did not like this story, nor did I understand it. I think it was supposed to be about a boy who was dealing with normal adolescent problems and how he reacted to these issues. It revealed his many insecurities and confused emotions. The funhouse, I think, was supposed to be the part in his childhood when he really saw himself for who he was. He saw Magda having fun with his little brother, and saw them not missing him when he was gone. He saw himself in all the mirrors and was afraid of what he was and what he would become.
I really didn't like how the author made of mockery of most writing techniques. Although it is very true that many writers use italics only in certain, defined situations, and similes and imagery only in particular circumstances to provide a certain reaction for readers, but the way this author kept interrupting the text with what seemed like sarcastic, mocking comments was very distracting. I found myself very confused by the story, as if I was missing what was really trying to be said and it was because it jumped around so much and was constantly interrupted by the author's little comments.
I really didn't like how the author made of mockery of most writing techniques. Although it is very true that many writers use italics only in certain, defined situations, and similes and imagery only in particular circumstances to provide a certain reaction for readers, but the way this author kept interrupting the text with what seemed like sarcastic, mocking comments was very distracting. I found myself very confused by the story, as if I was missing what was really trying to be said and it was because it jumped around so much and was constantly interrupted by the author's little comments.
Videotape
This story really made me think. I find it so strange how things can happen so coincidentally. This little girl, just playing, exploring, innocently learning, with a camera taping a complete stranger, who appears to be nice and innocent, just happens to end up videotaping a drive-by murder. Just thinking about that seems to hard to believe. It shows how much violence is really out in the world. What were the chances, that this little girl would end up videotaping some crazy killer's act of murder? The scary thing is... it happened, so the odds must be greater than I would have thought.
This story also revealed how much people swarm to tragedy. I have seen this many times before. Thousands of kids going to a funeral for a boy they probably never even saw once in their life, but because he went to their school they feel that they are a part of his death somehow. Or, kids acting like they are best friends with a girl who becomes diagnosed with cancer who never even spoke to her or did not care for her before this traumatic event occurred. People love tragedy. They are innately drawn to it. And this is sad. Think of how traffic gets backed up on a highway when there is an accident, not because the wrecked car is in the way, but because everyone driving by has to slow down and look to see what happened and how bad it was. This is, unfortunately, human nature. We all have this curiosity that only seems to be quenched when we are viewing someone else's torture, death, or misfortune. It is sad, but true, and this story and the way the narrator explains his feelings while seeing this video over and over and over again exemplify this truth.
This story also revealed how much people swarm to tragedy. I have seen this many times before. Thousands of kids going to a funeral for a boy they probably never even saw once in their life, but because he went to their school they feel that they are a part of his death somehow. Or, kids acting like they are best friends with a girl who becomes diagnosed with cancer who never even spoke to her or did not care for her before this traumatic event occurred. People love tragedy. They are innately drawn to it. And this is sad. Think of how traffic gets backed up on a highway when there is an accident, not because the wrecked car is in the way, but because everyone driving by has to slow down and look to see what happened and how bad it was. This is, unfortunately, human nature. We all have this curiosity that only seems to be quenched when we are viewing someone else's torture, death, or misfortune. It is sad, but true, and this story and the way the narrator explains his feelings while seeing this video over and over and over again exemplify this truth.
Sonny's Blues
I really liked this story. I thought that it held many different messages and different aspects of life. It told the story of two men, related, but who knew virtually nothing about each other. Two men who met each other truly, for the first time, years after they had known one another. They met each other through music. A music that meant so much more than the tune that it played. It meant life- Sonny's life- and finally allowed his brother to see him and see his struggles. I thought it was interesting how the narrator did not understand Sonny's dream to play music and how he felt that it was below Sonny, when in the end, Sonny's music is what made everything clear to him.
Another part of this story I liked was the fact that the two brothers were separated so far by age. My brother is seven years older than me, which helped me relate to certain points of the story, like how Sonny tried so hard to get him to understand that he had grown up. When Sonny said, "I just wanted to see if I'd have the courage to smoke in front of you," it reminded me of how awkward it is when my brother realizes that I have gone through everything he went through as a kid too. The older brother seems so scared and taken aback by all of Sonny's actions. He says things like "I had never really noticed before" when he finally really sees his younger brother's face and realizes that there is age there, and struggle, and experience. My brother often says to me how weird it is to him that I am in college and that I will be starting my own career and will not always be home like I was when we were kids. I can see the same realization in Sonny's brother when Sonny talks about his dreams and plans for the future.
The part about Sonny and his drug addiction was especially illuminating. He really tried to explain to his brother the reason he did it and how it made him feel. Reading someone's explanation for something like that is very interesting, because it shows how hard it is for people to stop once they become addicted, and how lost people must have felt in order to start a habit like heroin.
The man at the beginning of the story, who came to tell Sonny's brother the news of Sonny, was an important part, despite his small role in the rest of the story. He was showing Sonny's brother that he felt guilt for what happened. He showed Sonny's brother that Sonny was not a bad kid, he was just lost and needed someone to help him. It revealed another person who was just trying to escape. "It might be said, perhaps, that I had escaped, after all, I was a school teacher; or that Sonny had, he hasn't lived in Harlem for years," was a real strong point. It was interesting that the brother considered Sonny's addiction and the fact that he had to be taken away for a while an escape. After all, that was all Sonny was trying to accomplish. He was just trying to escape. But leaving Harlem to get rid of an addiction he would have to fight with for the rest of his life was not really an escape at all. Like the narrator said, "those who got out, always left something of themselves behind." For Sonny, maybe it would be his music and the impression he made on those people who listened to him and treated him like "royal blood."
Another part of this story I liked was the fact that the two brothers were separated so far by age. My brother is seven years older than me, which helped me relate to certain points of the story, like how Sonny tried so hard to get him to understand that he had grown up. When Sonny said, "I just wanted to see if I'd have the courage to smoke in front of you," it reminded me of how awkward it is when my brother realizes that I have gone through everything he went through as a kid too. The older brother seems so scared and taken aback by all of Sonny's actions. He says things like "I had never really noticed before" when he finally really sees his younger brother's face and realizes that there is age there, and struggle, and experience. My brother often says to me how weird it is to him that I am in college and that I will be starting my own career and will not always be home like I was when we were kids. I can see the same realization in Sonny's brother when Sonny talks about his dreams and plans for the future.
The part about Sonny and his drug addiction was especially illuminating. He really tried to explain to his brother the reason he did it and how it made him feel. Reading someone's explanation for something like that is very interesting, because it shows how hard it is for people to stop once they become addicted, and how lost people must have felt in order to start a habit like heroin.
The man at the beginning of the story, who came to tell Sonny's brother the news of Sonny, was an important part, despite his small role in the rest of the story. He was showing Sonny's brother that he felt guilt for what happened. He showed Sonny's brother that Sonny was not a bad kid, he was just lost and needed someone to help him. It revealed another person who was just trying to escape. "It might be said, perhaps, that I had escaped, after all, I was a school teacher; or that Sonny had, he hasn't lived in Harlem for years," was a real strong point. It was interesting that the brother considered Sonny's addiction and the fact that he had to be taken away for a while an escape. After all, that was all Sonny was trying to accomplish. He was just trying to escape. But leaving Harlem to get rid of an addiction he would have to fight with for the rest of his life was not really an escape at all. Like the narrator said, "those who got out, always left something of themselves behind." For Sonny, maybe it would be his music and the impression he made on those people who listened to him and treated him like "royal blood."
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Mood Free-write
My mood this morning was groggy, stressed, cold, a little rushed, and overwhelmed.
If I were to paint this mood, I would probably use a dark color. It would probably be a mix of dark reds and brownish colors, kind of swirled unevenly together. The color would not be a very pleasant one.
If I were to paint this mood, I would probably use a dark color. It would probably be a mix of dark reds and brownish colors, kind of swirled unevenly together. The color would not be a very pleasant one.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Questions
Hills Like White Elephants
2.) Thirty-five minutes passed during the course of this story. I think there was silence in a couple of spots, one being on page 126 when "the girl looked across the hills." I think during this time, the girl was thinking about the abortion, and whether or not it was the right decision. I think during this same time, the American was wondering what the girl was thinking about the operation and trying to come up with ways to convince her to go through with it and a way to approach the subject.
Later, when "the girl stood up and walked to the end of the station," I think some more time passes. I think she stays there for a while considering what had just been discussed. She stares off into the scenery and weighs her options. During this time, I believe the man is worrying that she might change her mind, which is why he agrees with her when she starts off again by saying "And we could have all this."
Girl
3.) I think the point of the primary speaker saying so much is to show how bombarded and overwhelmed the girl feels by hearing it all. It's all just one long string of things to do or things not to do. The fact that the girl says so little, though, seems to create an even bigger effect. the couple things she does say are important. When she says that she doesn't sing benna, it shows that her mother does not even hear her. Since she makes this remark a few lines after her mother even mentioned benna, shows, that the girl is not even really listening to the true meaning of what her mother is telling her. She seems to speak very quietly and does not expect her words to be heard. When she asks what happens if the baker doesn't let her squeeze the bread, she is essentially asking, what will happen if all of these things that her mother just told her fail her or if she is unable or unwilling to do them. It kind of shows that no matter what her mother says to her, and how little she has to say about at the time, she can still choose her own path and it maynot be the one her mother expects or is warning her about.
The Lone Ranger and Taunto Fistfight in Heaven
3.) The fact that the store worker might think the "dark skin and long, black hair" of the narrator might be dangerous may not really have anything to do with the actual physical appearance of the man. It is true, that possibly some of the people that robbed the narrator in his own experience looked similar ot him, so he may have this idea in his head, but I think the real reason the store worker might expect him to be dangerous is because of his behavior. He is out, by himself, late at night. He is acting suspicious, purposefully, although the store worker is unaware of this game at first. He is scanning the aisles and pretending to be dangerous. Why the narrator says it is his appearance that might make him seem dangerous is only because he seems to feel very discriminated and sorry for himself due to his background and race. He does not appear to very proud of his race. However, the cop stopped him in a nice neighborhood because of his description, so maybe he was used to being discriminated against. But, this late shift worker may have had no reason to suspect him, other than because of his sneaky behavior.
2.) Thirty-five minutes passed during the course of this story. I think there was silence in a couple of spots, one being on page 126 when "the girl looked across the hills." I think during this time, the girl was thinking about the abortion, and whether or not it was the right decision. I think during this same time, the American was wondering what the girl was thinking about the operation and trying to come up with ways to convince her to go through with it and a way to approach the subject.
Later, when "the girl stood up and walked to the end of the station," I think some more time passes. I think she stays there for a while considering what had just been discussed. She stares off into the scenery and weighs her options. During this time, I believe the man is worrying that she might change her mind, which is why he agrees with her when she starts off again by saying "And we could have all this."
Girl
3.) I think the point of the primary speaker saying so much is to show how bombarded and overwhelmed the girl feels by hearing it all. It's all just one long string of things to do or things not to do. The fact that the girl says so little, though, seems to create an even bigger effect. the couple things she does say are important. When she says that she doesn't sing benna, it shows that her mother does not even hear her. Since she makes this remark a few lines after her mother even mentioned benna, shows, that the girl is not even really listening to the true meaning of what her mother is telling her. She seems to speak very quietly and does not expect her words to be heard. When she asks what happens if the baker doesn't let her squeeze the bread, she is essentially asking, what will happen if all of these things that her mother just told her fail her or if she is unable or unwilling to do them. It kind of shows that no matter what her mother says to her, and how little she has to say about at the time, she can still choose her own path and it maynot be the one her mother expects or is warning her about.
The Lone Ranger and Taunto Fistfight in Heaven
3.) The fact that the store worker might think the "dark skin and long, black hair" of the narrator might be dangerous may not really have anything to do with the actual physical appearance of the man. It is true, that possibly some of the people that robbed the narrator in his own experience looked similar ot him, so he may have this idea in his head, but I think the real reason the store worker might expect him to be dangerous is because of his behavior. He is out, by himself, late at night. He is acting suspicious, purposefully, although the store worker is unaware of this game at first. He is scanning the aisles and pretending to be dangerous. Why the narrator says it is his appearance that might make him seem dangerous is only because he seems to feel very discriminated and sorry for himself due to his background and race. He does not appear to very proud of his race. However, the cop stopped him in a nice neighborhood because of his description, so maybe he was used to being discriminated against. But, this late shift worker may have had no reason to suspect him, other than because of his sneaky behavior.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Girl
Girl, by Jamaica Kincaid is an interesting passage. I think it shows the dialogue between a young girl and her mother, as she learns how she is supposed to behave. The girl has little say in the matter, as Kincaid reveals when the girl says she does not sing benna in Sunday school, but her mother disregards her response. This story is clearly very old fashioned and shows a time when women have a particular way of behaving and that is it. I think that is the overall message behind this passage. After all her mother has preached to the girl, the girl still thinks the baker won't let her squeeze the bread. Her mother's surprise at this question shows how ridiculous her whole spiel was. The girl might follow of these demands of her mother, but that still does not mean that she will become the woman her mother is telling her to be. Her mother shows no faith in her daughter and insists that her daughter will become a slut, despite all of the tips she is giving her.
The Lone Ranger and Taunto Fistfight in Heaven
I like the name of this story. I think it shows the two sides of the man in this passage, or at least the two different ways that he sees himself. Instead of seeing him just as Taunto fighting the white ranger, I think he represents both of them. The Lone Ranger is the side of the man that we see in the story as he describes his graveyard shift and his lost love. He is very lonely. Taunto is the side that we see when he describes his physical appearance, and the way the cops told him he was making people nervous. It is the side of him we see that makes him feel like a disappointment. He was supposed to "rise above the rest of the reservation." I think he feels like he has let down his family and because of his heritage, has gotten stuck behind and lost all his dreams. However, the Lone Ranger is the one breaking lamps and avoiding getting jobs. The two sides of him are battling each other and the title, as well as his response about his dreams, seem to suggest that those two sides may never find peace. He, as Taunto, may never feel like he fits in because of his race, which will lead him, as the Lone Ranger, to forever feel inferior and lonely. This ongoing friction and fighting cause him sadness and anger, which is why he fought so much with his girlfriend, which just made him more lonely.
Poem Comparison
I think the first translation in better in a poetic sense. However, I think the second translation is easier to read and is more modern. As for which one I think is better, I would have to say neither one is better than the other. They both are two different translations that have many of the same aspects, but they also express their words in very different ways. I think this, even though they are so closely related, makes it too hard to compare one to the other in terms of which is better.
I thought the first translation provided better imagery. I could actually see a "golden grove" with silent cranes flying overhead. I also thought that this translation was referring to death. I thought that it was saying that everyone dies eventually, but one should live without regret. Death happens to everyone, so we should take it peacefully, and not worry about what we have or have not done up to this point.
The second translation, seemed a bit more bitter. Although it still says the same kind of thing, I couldn't picture it as well as I could the first. The second translation uses the word "mournful" as opposed to "pensive," in the first. It says "I find nothing I would relive today," while the first translation says, "There's nothing I regret."
Both versions, I found to be kind of sad, even though, I think the point was to find happiness and peace, instead of regret. The whole picture of someone standing alone in a silent, dying field, however, did not give me the feeling of being at peace before death or before leaving. They spoke of no regrets and how everything will continue to grow on, die, and grow back again, but also gave me the sense that is was trying to say no one would really be remembered once they are gone.
I thought the first translation provided better imagery. I could actually see a "golden grove" with silent cranes flying overhead. I also thought that this translation was referring to death. I thought that it was saying that everyone dies eventually, but one should live without regret. Death happens to everyone, so we should take it peacefully, and not worry about what we have or have not done up to this point.
The second translation, seemed a bit more bitter. Although it still says the same kind of thing, I couldn't picture it as well as I could the first. The second translation uses the word "mournful" as opposed to "pensive," in the first. It says "I find nothing I would relive today," while the first translation says, "There's nothing I regret."
Both versions, I found to be kind of sad, even though, I think the point was to find happiness and peace, instead of regret. The whole picture of someone standing alone in a silent, dying field, however, did not give me the feeling of being at peace before death or before leaving. They spoke of no regrets and how everything will continue to grow on, die, and grow back again, but also gave me the sense that is was trying to say no one would really be remembered once they are gone.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Warm-Up & Freewrite
1.) Close reading is the act of analyzing a text very closely and trying to interpret hidden meanings or discovering how the text makes one feel or respond. It is the act of looking deeper at each word to find true meanings or meanings that are to be implied, and might otherwise go unnoticed if one were to skim or read quickly. It is something one usually does for an academic purpose, rather than while reading for pleasure.
2.) I think pastoral means fatherly in a spirtiual sense, like a pastor. I think it is a way someone would be described who is good at guiding, helping, or comforting someone. OED defines pastoral as an adjective as "relating to the tending of livestock" and as a noun as "a person or thing associated with spiritual care." it comes from the Latin word, pastoralis, referring to tending to livestock or relating to a pastor or minister.
Mistress, to me, has two meanings. I think it can be defined as a young lady, maybe who a man is trying to pursue, or what a man would call the woman they are in love with. On the other hand, mistress presently can refer to a woman who a married man is having an affair with. She could be more presently known as "the other woman." OED defines this word as a noun as "A woman having control or authority" and it comes from the Anglo-Norman and Middle French words maistresse, mestresse and also post-classical Latin magistrissa .
Shepherd- peaceful, quiet, calm, tender, caring, lonely, feeding flocks, canes, old men, pensive
Desert- dy, hot, sand, vast, vacant, red sky, silent
Universe- open, vast, spacious, stars, huge, all-encompassing, sky, dark blues and blacks, celestial, silent, wondrous
2.) I think pastoral means fatherly in a spirtiual sense, like a pastor. I think it is a way someone would be described who is good at guiding, helping, or comforting someone. OED defines pastoral as an adjective as "relating to the tending of livestock" and as a noun as "a person or thing associated with spiritual care." it comes from the Latin word, pastoralis, referring to tending to livestock or relating to a pastor or minister.
Mistress, to me, has two meanings. I think it can be defined as a young lady, maybe who a man is trying to pursue, or what a man would call the woman they are in love with. On the other hand, mistress presently can refer to a woman who a married man is having an affair with. She could be more presently known as "the other woman." OED defines this word as a noun as "A woman having control or authority" and it comes from the Anglo-Norman and Middle French words maistresse, mestresse and also post-classical Latin magistrissa .
Shepherd- peaceful, quiet, calm, tender, caring, lonely, feeding flocks, canes, old men, pensive
Desert- dy, hot, sand, vast, vacant, red sky, silent
Universe- open, vast, spacious, stars, huge, all-encompassing, sky, dark blues and blacks, celestial, silent, wondrous
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Poem Responses
The Passionate Shepherd to His Love
This poem describes a man's attempt to seduce his love by promising her all that the world's beauty has to offer. He describes how they "will sit upon the rocks, seeing the shepherds feed their flocks" (424). He paints a picture for her filled with fragrant smells, beautiful scenery and flowers, warm and gorgeous clothing made from lamb's wool, and other of nature's finest gifts. He describes this scene in the beautiful and plentiful month of May when these flowers will be at full bloom. He says "If these delights thy mind may move, then live with me and be my love" to swoon her (425).
Although this shepherd's words seem to be sincere and the poem is dedicated to "his love" I can't help but notice that all of his promises involve wealth and materialistic things. He asks her if she is delighted by these things that he has promised, and if she is, will she live with him. But, despite the beauty described in his words, he is still trying to buy his love.
The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd
This poem show a whole new point of view to the first poem. The Nymph is not fooled by the Shepherd's empty promises, though, she would love him if she thought it could last. She says,"But could youth last and love still breed, had no joys no date nor age no need, then these delights my mind might move to live with thee and be thy love" (439). She is not swept off her feet by the Shepherd's poetic words, but instead, keeps her head and points out the reality of the dream he has created for the two of them. Instead of describing May, like the Shepherd, she points out "a honey tongue, a heart of gall, is fancy's spring, but sorrow's fall" (438), revealing the truth of the death and ruin of nature that accompanies the change of seasons.
I found it interesting that these two poems were written by different poets. I think they show a glass half-empty, glass half-full kind of comparison, in which the Shepherd really does mean every word he says, but he does not think of the reality of his dream. The flowers will not flourish forever, the world does not stay young, healthy, and abundant every day of every year. The Shepherd is not taking into account the struggles and troubles the two lovers would have to go through while loving each other. The Nymph, however pessimistic or cynical she may appear, is being realistic. She is seeing beyond the promises of her love to realize that if all he can offer her is wealth and a bunch of broken promises, their love would not be able to withstand or survive a change in tides.
Personally, I found The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd to be the better of the two poems. I did not think it was necessarily better written, because I thought Marlowe's version was beautifully composed and created amazing imagery. However, I call myself a realist, so I relate more to the Nymph's side. She is level-headed and realizes the potential heartbreak and strife she will have to go through if she gets caught up in the life the Shepherd has described.
To His Coy Mistress
I enjoyed reading this poem. I took the words at the beginning of the poem to be those of one who is truly in love. Later on, however, I discovered that I believe the poet to be in lust rather than in love. He described every inch of the lady's body and and described something called "vegetable love" which I have never heard. However, he then talks about aging and "time's winged chariot hurrying near" (427). These lines made me believe that he would not love this woman as much once she began to lose her beauty due to the onset of time. "Thy beauty shall no more be found" (427) reveals these thoughts. He focuses on how they will be rotting in the ground and how "worms shall try that long preserved virginity" (427). I think the poem, although, somewhat disappointing reveals remarkable honesty and for that it is something to take note of.
This poem describes a man's attempt to seduce his love by promising her all that the world's beauty has to offer. He describes how they "will sit upon the rocks, seeing the shepherds feed their flocks" (424). He paints a picture for her filled with fragrant smells, beautiful scenery and flowers, warm and gorgeous clothing made from lamb's wool, and other of nature's finest gifts. He describes this scene in the beautiful and plentiful month of May when these flowers will be at full bloom. He says "If these delights thy mind may move, then live with me and be my love" to swoon her (425).
Although this shepherd's words seem to be sincere and the poem is dedicated to "his love" I can't help but notice that all of his promises involve wealth and materialistic things. He asks her if she is delighted by these things that he has promised, and if she is, will she live with him. But, despite the beauty described in his words, he is still trying to buy his love.
The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd
This poem show a whole new point of view to the first poem. The Nymph is not fooled by the Shepherd's empty promises, though, she would love him if she thought it could last. She says,"But could youth last and love still breed, had no joys no date nor age no need, then these delights my mind might move to live with thee and be thy love" (439). She is not swept off her feet by the Shepherd's poetic words, but instead, keeps her head and points out the reality of the dream he has created for the two of them. Instead of describing May, like the Shepherd, she points out "a honey tongue, a heart of gall, is fancy's spring, but sorrow's fall" (438), revealing the truth of the death and ruin of nature that accompanies the change of seasons.
I found it interesting that these two poems were written by different poets. I think they show a glass half-empty, glass half-full kind of comparison, in which the Shepherd really does mean every word he says, but he does not think of the reality of his dream. The flowers will not flourish forever, the world does not stay young, healthy, and abundant every day of every year. The Shepherd is not taking into account the struggles and troubles the two lovers would have to go through while loving each other. The Nymph, however pessimistic or cynical she may appear, is being realistic. She is seeing beyond the promises of her love to realize that if all he can offer her is wealth and a bunch of broken promises, their love would not be able to withstand or survive a change in tides.
Personally, I found The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd to be the better of the two poems. I did not think it was necessarily better written, because I thought Marlowe's version was beautifully composed and created amazing imagery. However, I call myself a realist, so I relate more to the Nymph's side. She is level-headed and realizes the potential heartbreak and strife she will have to go through if she gets caught up in the life the Shepherd has described.
To His Coy Mistress
I enjoyed reading this poem. I took the words at the beginning of the poem to be those of one who is truly in love. Later on, however, I discovered that I believe the poet to be in lust rather than in love. He described every inch of the lady's body and and described something called "vegetable love" which I have never heard. However, he then talks about aging and "time's winged chariot hurrying near" (427). These lines made me believe that he would not love this woman as much once she began to lose her beauty due to the onset of time. "Thy beauty shall no more be found" (427) reveals these thoughts. He focuses on how they will be rotting in the ground and how "worms shall try that long preserved virginity" (427). I think the poem, although, somewhat disappointing reveals remarkable honesty and for that it is something to take note of.
Practice 6-E p.135
My experiences lead me to envision a sweet, kind, and caring old woman whenever I hear the word grandmother. I smell blueberry muffins and apple pies. I think of doing puzzles at the kitchen table and reading books. In fact, like the poem "Ethics" mentions, kitchens are one of the first images that come to mind when I picture either one of my grandmothers. They both spent a lot of time in their kitchens and always cooked me delicious snacks- ones that cannot be duplicated by anyone else.
Strangely, however, when I read the poem "Ethics," neither of my grandmother's faces or kitchens popped into my head when I read the words "Sometimes the woman borrowed my grandmother's face leaving her usual kitchen to wander some drafty, half-imagined museum (121/8-12)." I thought it a bit odd that, instead, I pictured a complete stranger. However, the lines of this poem still created an image of a kind elderly woman's face, just not one that I had seen before. I'm not sure why this is, but the imagery, though, did still provide the mental picture that I think Linda Pastan was shooting for.
Strangely, however, when I read the poem "Ethics," neither of my grandmother's faces or kitchens popped into my head when I read the words "Sometimes the woman borrowed my grandmother's face leaving her usual kitchen to wander some drafty, half-imagined museum (121/8-12)." I thought it a bit odd that, instead, I pictured a complete stranger. However, the lines of this poem still created an image of a kind elderly woman's face, just not one that I had seen before. I'm not sure why this is, but the imagery, though, did still provide the mental picture that I think Linda Pastan was shooting for.
Practice 6-D p.134
I think Black Elvis is a metaphor for pride and the meaning behind this word. Pride is definitely a relevant theme in this passage due to the strife and struggle that Black Elvis has seemed to have endured. The people around him - Juanita and the two boys he runs into at the beginning - all seem to live in a world without a lot of money or happiness. In order to maintain a healthy, worthy life, they have to be proud of what they do and what they accomplish each day.
Black Elvis maintains two jobs just to ensure that he will have some extra pocket money and some emergency cash. However, when the two boys ask him for money he shows his pride and decides that he has enough to sacrifice some for them. In fact, the whole passage reveals the pride that Black Elvis feels. "He was Black Elvis. He had a show to put on" (69). He considers himself to be important and strives to entertain and succeed. He proudly keeps his picture from the newspaper on the wall next to his bed. Black Elvis, at first, seems a little disappointed that a new man might be taking his spot, but before getting upset he decides that "that [is] negative thinking. You couldn't let yourself fall into that" (70). He plays a song that no one expects and awes everyone. He does not even know exactly how to play "Amazing Grace" but he stands up there and acts like he does. He shows his pride and because of that, Butch and his audience are proud of him too.
The name in itself- Black Elvis- is a show of pride. Elvis was legendary and to imitate him successfully would be hard for anyone, especially someone who looks nothing like him. As the name states, Black Elvis had this to his disadvantage. He dressed like Elvis, but in order to convince anyone that he was worthy enough to try to imitate "The King," Black Elvis had to perform even greater than an imitator who looked like Elvis. This name represents difference and change, but also the pride that has to accompany these concepts in order for any good to come of them.
Black Elvis maintains two jobs just to ensure that he will have some extra pocket money and some emergency cash. However, when the two boys ask him for money he shows his pride and decides that he has enough to sacrifice some for them. In fact, the whole passage reveals the pride that Black Elvis feels. "He was Black Elvis. He had a show to put on" (69). He considers himself to be important and strives to entertain and succeed. He proudly keeps his picture from the newspaper on the wall next to his bed. Black Elvis, at first, seems a little disappointed that a new man might be taking his spot, but before getting upset he decides that "that [is] negative thinking. You couldn't let yourself fall into that" (70). He plays a song that no one expects and awes everyone. He does not even know exactly how to play "Amazing Grace" but he stands up there and acts like he does. He shows his pride and because of that, Butch and his audience are proud of him too.
The name in itself- Black Elvis- is a show of pride. Elvis was legendary and to imitate him successfully would be hard for anyone, especially someone who looks nothing like him. As the name states, Black Elvis had this to his disadvantage. He dressed like Elvis, but in order to convince anyone that he was worthy enough to try to imitate "The King," Black Elvis had to perform even greater than an imitator who looked like Elvis. This name represents difference and change, but also the pride that has to accompany these concepts in order for any good to come of them.
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