6/27/07
1)Significance of Caliban?
-anagram of cannibal
2)Why do we enjoy scapegoats?
-Expulsion, makes us feel better about ourselves.
3)How do you kill Prospero?
-Take his books, then he is nothing and has no power.
4)What does Miranda's name mean?
-Miracle or Wonder
5)Auden-"How we know what we think until we see what we say?"
-Words speak louder than actions, we need to write things down if we want them to live forever.
6)Significance of "Little more kin, less than kind."
-Pun on kin/kind
7) Symbol of innocence of experience in Tempest
-Miranda
8) Hamlet- what color are his clothes?
-black
9)Alchemy is thought of as transformation of metals to gold.
-Fraud: materialistic "money"
-True: philosophical-perfecting the human creature
10)Hamlet-Who are dumb and dumber? (spelled correctly)
-Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
11)What is message of Gertrude talks back?
-see page 1334 for answer
12)Father forbids daughter from being with the man she loves.
-Senex
13)The Night Sea Journey
-story being told: journey of sperm to egg.
14)What real person is Prospero a metaphor for?
-Shakespeare himself
15)Master magician insists upon
-Disillusionment
-it's all just a dream/story
16)Name of Airy spirit in Tempest
-Ariel
17)Most question marks, Tempest/Hamlet?
-Hamlet
18)Tempest-Shakespeare's farewell play
-retelling of all other plays he wrote.
19)Theme of Hamlet?
-"The readiness is all"
20)Title Tempest is ironic why?
-There was no tempest, it was only their imagination.
21)Fishmonger
-a pimp
22)Playton says "our shoulders itch"-Onomnasius
-Remembrance/recollection of our winged state in beginnings (city of angels)
Thursday, June 28, 2007
In-class Notes
6/27/07
*Hamlet
-2 endings
*Metaphor:
1)Fencing match: life, you are going to get cut down eventually.
2)1000 shocks: if it hasn't happened to you yet, it will.
3)The stage: you never leave it. The world is a stage and the people are just actors.
-You must go for the risk instead of withdrawing from it.
-One's death makes you pay attention.
*we take things for granted
*Don't see the little things until the person we care about is gone.
*Hamlet
-2 endings
*Metaphor:
1)Fencing match: life, you are going to get cut down eventually.
2)1000 shocks: if it hasn't happened to you yet, it will.
3)The stage: you never leave it. The world is a stage and the people are just actors.
-You must go for the risk instead of withdrawing from it.
-One's death makes you pay attention.
*we take things for granted
*Don't see the little things until the person we care about is gone.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
In-class Presentations
While listening to my classmates read their poetry I was happy to see the wide variety of poems chosen. I like how Dr. Sexson choose poems that he felt each person would like, and that they reflected each of us in some way. These poems were all so different, yet they had one thing in common.
All of these poems were presented in a way that I really wanted to read more. I eventually did go back through and read some of the poems on my own. I realized that because it had been so long since the poems were presented to me, I saw them in a new light. I was reading through them and found that I had many different ideas of what they meant to me than what my classmates suggested. This did not surprise me because of the different ways that people read into poetry. When I looked back on my notes of the presentations I found that my ideas were not too different from theirs, and the more I read them, the more I agreed with them.
I think that having an idea of what a poem is about is a good idea when reading poetry so that you know what direction to go in terms of making sense of it. Many of my classmates had quite the job to do, as many of the poems that were presented were very complex and difficult for me to read. I really enjoyed this assignment, despite what I may have thought about it to being with. I think that it really opened my eyes to the different interpretations of poetry, as well as the poets behind this work.
All of these poems were presented in a way that I really wanted to read more. I eventually did go back through and read some of the poems on my own. I realized that because it had been so long since the poems were presented to me, I saw them in a new light. I was reading through them and found that I had many different ideas of what they meant to me than what my classmates suggested. This did not surprise me because of the different ways that people read into poetry. When I looked back on my notes of the presentations I found that my ideas were not too different from theirs, and the more I read them, the more I agreed with them.
I think that having an idea of what a poem is about is a good idea when reading poetry so that you know what direction to go in terms of making sense of it. Many of my classmates had quite the job to do, as many of the poems that were presented were very complex and difficult for me to read. I really enjoyed this assignment, despite what I may have thought about it to being with. I think that it really opened my eyes to the different interpretations of poetry, as well as the poets behind this work.
The first time that I read a piece of literature I tend to skim through it, not really paying any specific detail to the little things that I should. I like to begin by reading something simply as it is, rather than picking it apart piece by piece and "decoding" what it really is trying to tell me. Throughout this class we are taught how to really get into a story or poem, and how to make it work for us. This advice will be very helpful for us in the long run, but I don't necessarily think that this is always the best idea.
Literature is meant to be enjoyed. But what is really enjoyable about stretching something so thin the the point of not being able to recognize it? I came across the problem when I was researching and decoding my poem that I presented to the class. I read the Poem Shall I compare thee to a summers day? by Shakespeare. This poem was something that I instantly enjoyed, but the more I tried to look deeper into it, the more I disliked it. I wondered, is there a point of reading so much into a piece of literature that it is no longer enjoyable to you, and that it no longer makes much sense? These questions really make me think about how much one should read into poetry. Take the story of Little Red Riding Hood for instance. This is a normal kids story that is meant for enjoyment and a life lesson at the end. But after we picked through it so much, I'm not so sure it is something I will be able to enjoy again.
I remember my psychology class in high school got on a discussion about Winnie the Pooh one day and I was shocked at what I had heard. My teacher was telling me how some of his friends really started to analyze this show and make it into something that it is not. He went on to say how all of the characters really had something wrong withe them. Eore was depressed, Tigger was ADHD, The kangaroo had an attachment disorder from her baby, Christopher (the child who has the stuffed animals) is suffering from disillusions, and Winnie had an obsessive compulsive disorder that made him eat all of the time. I found this funny at first, then I thought about it and realized that it was kind of sad. This is a show meant to entertain children, and a group of adults decide that they will watch it and analyze every aspect of it so that it makes parents second guess showing their children them? I realize that this is going to happen no matter what, there just seems to be a line that was crossed when it comes to this scenario.
I realize that everyone is going to have their own interpretation of these shows, and it is up to each person how much they want to rely on other people's views in relation to their own. This does not change how I feel about Winnie the Pooh or literature in general, but it really makes me think twice before I take someones word. In this case I think that being your own person and making your own decisions is the best option one has.
Literature is meant to be enjoyed. But what is really enjoyable about stretching something so thin the the point of not being able to recognize it? I came across the problem when I was researching and decoding my poem that I presented to the class. I read the Poem Shall I compare thee to a summers day? by Shakespeare. This poem was something that I instantly enjoyed, but the more I tried to look deeper into it, the more I disliked it. I wondered, is there a point of reading so much into a piece of literature that it is no longer enjoyable to you, and that it no longer makes much sense? These questions really make me think about how much one should read into poetry. Take the story of Little Red Riding Hood for instance. This is a normal kids story that is meant for enjoyment and a life lesson at the end. But after we picked through it so much, I'm not so sure it is something I will be able to enjoy again.
I remember my psychology class in high school got on a discussion about Winnie the Pooh one day and I was shocked at what I had heard. My teacher was telling me how some of his friends really started to analyze this show and make it into something that it is not. He went on to say how all of the characters really had something wrong withe them. Eore was depressed, Tigger was ADHD, The kangaroo had an attachment disorder from her baby, Christopher (the child who has the stuffed animals) is suffering from disillusions, and Winnie had an obsessive compulsive disorder that made him eat all of the time. I found this funny at first, then I thought about it and realized that it was kind of sad. This is a show meant to entertain children, and a group of adults decide that they will watch it and analyze every aspect of it so that it makes parents second guess showing their children them? I realize that this is going to happen no matter what, there just seems to be a line that was crossed when it comes to this scenario.
I realize that everyone is going to have their own interpretation of these shows, and it is up to each person how much they want to rely on other people's views in relation to their own. This does not change how I feel about Winnie the Pooh or literature in general, but it really makes me think twice before I take someones word. In this case I think that being your own person and making your own decisions is the best option one has.
Writing Poetry
As I was reading through Retellings I decided to look into some of the authors a little bit more. I noticed that many of them had one thing in common, they let somewhat tragic lives. There stories may not have all ended the same, but they seemed to be headed down the same path. This leads me to my question: in order to create such beautiful poetry does one need to be depressed?
I came across an article where one poet was arguing the issue saying that he was nowhere near depressed, in fact he was impressed. Dennis Domrzalski took offense when people would say that the only good poetry comes from depressed individual. He seemed to think that humor in poetry is something to be just as familiar with. He writes about the fact that he is in a good place in his life, and that not all poetry needs to be so intense. There is no telling what one will be inspired by. What moves one person can have no effect on another. For me I think that some of the "depressing" poetry that I read doesn't do much for me. I find myself looking for something positive in it so that I can focus on something other than the reality that the poet is bringing to the poem. I think that there are some things better left unsaid, and some poetry crosses that line for me. This is not to say that all poetry and all poetry is depressing though.
I have read a number of poems that have a positive aspect brought to them. These poems still have something about them that catches my attention and really makes me think. They put me at ease by bringing me to a place in my life where I am really happy, and where I am free from distractions. I like to read all forms of poetry, because I like to shine my own light on some of the things that I take out of the poem that maybe not everyone else can see. I really think that to really enjoy a poem one must make it their own, and take away from it something that will make them happy.
I came across an article where one poet was arguing the issue saying that he was nowhere near depressed, in fact he was impressed. Dennis Domrzalski took offense when people would say that the only good poetry comes from depressed individual. He seemed to think that humor in poetry is something to be just as familiar with. He writes about the fact that he is in a good place in his life, and that not all poetry needs to be so intense. There is no telling what one will be inspired by. What moves one person can have no effect on another. For me I think that some of the "depressing" poetry that I read doesn't do much for me. I find myself looking for something positive in it so that I can focus on something other than the reality that the poet is bringing to the poem. I think that there are some things better left unsaid, and some poetry crosses that line for me. This is not to say that all poetry and all poetry is depressing though.
I have read a number of poems that have a positive aspect brought to them. These poems still have something about them that catches my attention and really makes me think. They put me at ease by bringing me to a place in my life where I am really happy, and where I am free from distractions. I like to read all forms of poetry, because I like to shine my own light on some of the things that I take out of the poem that maybe not everyone else can see. I really think that to really enjoy a poem one must make it their own, and take away from it something that will make them happy.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Expect the unexpected
6/25/07
Something we were discussing in class the idea of our daily lives the question came up on how unpredictable they can be. We were asked this question:
"If you knew how your day was going to end up, would you even get out of bed?"
Many times I am walking home at the end of the day and I think, I should have stayed home today. Life can be full of so many surprises, some good and some bad, and you never knew how things are going to end up. I would say that I am a very organized person, and I like to knew where I am going at all times. I feel the need to play everything, something I am pretty sure I inherited from my mother. Down to the smallest detail, I like to know where things are going. More often than not, something always changes, making all of my plans useless, leaving me to go with the flow. It is in these times that I find myself having the most fun! I don't have to worry about sticking to what was planned and making sure that there is time to do everything that was planned.
As much as I enjoy these moments when all plans are thrown out the window, I find myself back to planning the next adventure in my life. I think that deep down I know that my efforts will go unnoticed, as things are bound to change, but the feeling of being in control, even if for a second, so something that I need to do. I think that in life, there is a time for having a schedule and sticking to is, and there is a time to let loose and just do it! Finding the difference between these two and being able to tell which one you are supposed to do at the moment is hard to do, and it is something that will always be a challenge for me.
Literature has a way of keeping us guessing. To instantly read a poem you could think that it is so depressing, or that it is insulting in a way. But to take a second glance at it, you see that the words in front of you mean something completely opposite of what you initially thought. So I ask myself this, would I like to know what a poem is really about before I read it. I would have to say no, mostly because working through a poem and deciding what it means to me is what makes me love even more.
To sum it up, I don't really think that the question of weather to get out of bed really exists in the end. I also don't think that I would benefit from knowing where my day was going, and knowing everything, both good and bad, that will happen on an "average" day for me. I like to be surprised throughout the day, and I wouldn't have it any different. Ultimately, I would decide to always get up and get on with my day; because in the end, the things that make or break my day are the things that I live for.
Something we were discussing in class the idea of our daily lives the question came up on how unpredictable they can be. We were asked this question:
"If you knew how your day was going to end up, would you even get out of bed?"
Many times I am walking home at the end of the day and I think, I should have stayed home today. Life can be full of so many surprises, some good and some bad, and you never knew how things are going to end up. I would say that I am a very organized person, and I like to knew where I am going at all times. I feel the need to play everything, something I am pretty sure I inherited from my mother. Down to the smallest detail, I like to know where things are going. More often than not, something always changes, making all of my plans useless, leaving me to go with the flow. It is in these times that I find myself having the most fun! I don't have to worry about sticking to what was planned and making sure that there is time to do everything that was planned.
As much as I enjoy these moments when all plans are thrown out the window, I find myself back to planning the next adventure in my life. I think that deep down I know that my efforts will go unnoticed, as things are bound to change, but the feeling of being in control, even if for a second, so something that I need to do. I think that in life, there is a time for having a schedule and sticking to is, and there is a time to let loose and just do it! Finding the difference between these two and being able to tell which one you are supposed to do at the moment is hard to do, and it is something that will always be a challenge for me.
Literature has a way of keeping us guessing. To instantly read a poem you could think that it is so depressing, or that it is insulting in a way. But to take a second glance at it, you see that the words in front of you mean something completely opposite of what you initially thought. So I ask myself this, would I like to know what a poem is really about before I read it. I would have to say no, mostly because working through a poem and deciding what it means to me is what makes me love even more.
To sum it up, I don't really think that the question of weather to get out of bed really exists in the end. I also don't think that I would benefit from knowing where my day was going, and knowing everything, both good and bad, that will happen on an "average" day for me. I like to be surprised throughout the day, and I wouldn't have it any different. Ultimately, I would decide to always get up and get on with my day; because in the end, the things that make or break my day are the things that I live for.
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