Blog Post 11

The poems “Sir Patrick Spens” and Dudley Randall’s “Ballad of Birmingham” have a lot in common with each other despite the fact that they were written in different times and places. For starters the form of the stanzas in each poem is ABCB. If looking at the surface of each poem the content is very different, one is talking about a captain of a ship in fifteenth century Scotland and the other is about an African American child in Alabama in 1963. When looking at these poems deeper, the similarities start to stand out. In each poem it tells the story of the deaths of the main characters of the poem.

 Each poem shows the outcome of a wicked man’s deeds. In “Sir Patrick Spens” the king is the wicked man (650):

                                    The king has written a braid letter

                                          And signed it wi’ his hand,

And sent is to Sir Patrick Spens,

                                          Was walking on the sands

“O who is this has done this deed,

                                          This ill deed done to me,

To send me out this time o’ the year,

                                          To sail upon the sea?

Then in Randall’s “Ballad of Birmingham” the explosion at the end of the poem kills the child, which implies that someone must have set up the church to explode.

            The big similarities are related to the women in each story.   In “Sir Patrick Spens” it says, “O long, long may the ladies stand/ Wi’ their gold combs in their hair,” (650), then in “Ballad of Birmingham” it says, “She has combed and brushed her night-dark hair,” (956). Showing that in both situations the women in the poems are waiting for someone while they are doing something the usually do daily, like brushing their hair. These women are waiting for someone that will never come again. This is seen in “Sir Patrick Spens” when it says, “Waiting for their own dear lords/ For they’ll see them no more.” (650), and then in Randall’s poem it says (957),

                                                But that smile was the last smile

                                                To come upon her face …

                                                Calling for her child …

                                                “Oh, here’s the shoe my baby wore,

                                                But, baby, where are you?

The people close to these women are never returning, which causes these women to constantly be waiting and wishing that their loved ones will come home.

            When looking at both poems it can be seen that no matter the time or place, wicked people and their choices can have devastating outcomes that not only affect a single person, but all those around.       

Blog 10 Wilfred Owen

In the poem “Dulce et Decorum Est”, Wilfred Owen provides contrasting ideas about what war is. The title itself hints at one of the ideas of what war is like, which is “good”. The primary idea of what war is like is what the poem mostly talks about. The poem talks about the “bad” of war or the true nature of war.

            

            Owen paints a very clear and horrific picture of what war really is. He talks about how the soldiers are like the homeless and the elderly. The poem gives the idea that the soldiers were like a sick and old homeless person using a sack as shelter. They are in a situation that no human should be in.  At one point it says, “Men marched asleep.” (829), which indicates that the men were there physically but at some point the emotional part had “fallen asleep”. These soldiers were just shells of who they use to be. The poem also provides the horrific side of war. It talks about the gruesomeness of the gas they had to face. The poem describes it as, “a green sea,”(829). Owen follows this up by saying (829):

                        His hanging face, like a devil’s sick of sin;

                        If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood

                        Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,

                        Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud

This describes not only the pain cause by the gas but also shows just how much of an effect seeing this happen has on a soldier. The pain of watching someone dying a slow agonizing death would have been so bad that at some point the emotional state of each soldier would have to have been “shut off” to some point.

            

            The contrasting view of war was that it was the big glorious battles. That being a soldier was honorable and the greatest joy that a person could have. Owen says (830):

                        My friend, you would not tell with such high zest

                        To children ardent for some desperate glory,

                        The old lie: Dulce et decorum est

Pro patria mori.

Here he is saying that the view people have of war is that it is honorable and glorious. That war has been built up and exaggerated by soldiers to glorify themselves. There is also a sense that the soldiers do not want to relive the bad things that happened by telling them to other people so they exaggerate the “good” parts of the war.  

Tyger vs. the Lamb blog 9

William Blake’s two poems, “The Lamb” and “The Tyger”, are both interesting and simple to read. While they are very similar to each other they have their differences. First off, “The Lamb” has a very happy and light mood, while “The Tyger” has an aggressive and heavy mood. Blake uses very similar techniques in each poem that provide a clearer understanding of the poem. It is amazing to see the ways that Blake uses to describe the creator between these two poems.

With “The Lamb” Blake created a very positive, caring and loving view of the creator. The diction level, use of repetition, questions and imagery help establish this view. The words that Blake uses establish the creator as powerful and caring. Blake writes, “Gave thee life & bid thee feed … Gave thee clothing of delight,” (682).  This shows that the creator has the power to give life yet caring enough to take care of the life he has created.  It is also interesting when he asks questions like, “Dost thou know who made thee? … Little Lamb who made thee?”(682). Hinting that there is a certain amount of uncertainty in who the creator is exactly. Blake’s use of imagery in describing the creator helps to answer the questions earlier in the poem. “He is called by thy name,/ For he calls himself a Lamb/…He became a little child” (683). These give a view that the creator is gentle and calm in nature.

 With “The Tyger” Blake created a very strong and amazing view of the creator. The diction level, use of repetition, questions and imagery help establish this view. The words that Blake uses establish the creator as strong, and like “The Lamb”, powerful. “What immortal hand or eye/ Could frame they fearful symmetry?” (796). This establishes that the creator is an immortal being and provide a view of a creator that is  bigger, stronger, and more amazing than what is seen in “The Lamb”. Also saying ‘fearful symmetry’ shows that there is an equal amount of fear towards Tygers from the other forms of creation. One of the most interesting questions Blake asks is, “Did he who made the Lamb make thee?” (797). Showing a certain amount of amazement that the creator not only made the lamb but made the Tyger as well. He is essentially asking, ‘How can the creator who created this Tyger also create the Lamb?’. This strong and amazing creator that created Tygers who are feared by most, also created a gentle and soft lamb that is the furthest from being feared.

So while these poems have contrasting views of the creator, when read together create a more complete view of the creator. 

Blog 8 Collins and Jarrell

Poems can be a challenge to not only understand, but also to enjoy. Poems need to flow and have a good purpose behind them. The ability to understand poems comes from our ability to relate to what is being talked about in some way. Randall Jarrell’s poem “The Death of a Ball Turret Gunner” is a very interesting and sad poem. Jarrell’s use of language and the tone help make the poem enjoyable to read. When looking at Billy Collins’ poem “Schoolsville” it seems plain and simple. His use of language as well as the tone makes the poem difficult to pull you in. Its lack of rhyme scheme also makes the poem boring.  

Randall Jarrell’s poem is a poem that may not have a rhyme scheme for flow like a typical poem, but is a poem that can be understood by most. The poem is about exactly what the title states. It recounts the death of soldier in the ball turret of an aircraft during World War II. The unique thing with this poem is that the narrator is the soldier that has died. This is seen in the first line of the poem, “From my mother’s sleep I fell into the State,” (658). His language helps make the poem interesting. In the poem it says, “And I hunched in its belly till my wet fur froze.” (658). This language is more descriptive and creative than just saying “I was in the bottom of the airplane and it was really cold”. Jarrell is relating the aspects of flight in a bomber during World War II to more common ideas that help draw the reader into the poem. The ending of the poem can be a little abrupt to some people, but it really helps complete the poem. It presents the outcomes that most soldiers faced that were ball turret gunners.

Billy Collins’   poem “Schoolsville” is a poem that seems simple to the point of almost not being a poem. It flowed more like someone just talking about what he sees around town in poorly structured sentences. He does not draw out any emotions from the readers. The purpose behind this poem is lacking. It is just about a man observing his town and the people that he has taught. The language and the tone of this poem do not pull the reader into the story like Jarrell’s poem does. Collins’ writes, “Wherever they go, they form a big circle.” (643). The language of this line from the poem is not complicated, but seems random. It is as if the narrator throughout the play is going “Oh yeah they also do this” which leads to choppiness when reading.

Poems are frustrating at times to understand and enjoy and the lack of purpose some poems have can lead people to avoid them. No one wants to read something that they find pointless. The poem that shows a purpose or evokes some sort of emotion within the first few lines will grab the reader and lead them to continue to read and enjoy the poem. 

Blog 7 Fences

August Wilson named the play Fences because it revolves around not only physical fences but also the “fences” in the character’s lives. There are many different ways that fences are used symbolically, such as symbolizing protection, structure or division. Each character has their own set of fences. Troy has the most fences surrounding him throughout the play. Rose, Cory and Lyons each have a fence the lies between them and Troy.

            The amount of fences that Troy has made is ridiculous. He has been building a fence for  Rose for a really long time. Cory says, “He been saying that the last four or five Saturdays, and then he don’t never do nothing,” (1.3.3-4). This suggests that Rose had been asking him for quite some time to build a fence. It is later seen that his lack of effort and commitment on the fence can parallel his lack of effort and commitment with his marriage. Troy says, “I can sit up in her house and laugh… I can laugh out loud … and it feels good.” (2.1.100-101). When comparing the building of the fence to his marriage he finds it too much of a pain at times and wants to relax a little.

            Rose is a different character in that the fences that surround her can be viewed in a more positive light. The first fence that surrounds Rose is Jesus. “[sings.] Jesus, be a fence all around me every day. Jesus, I want you to protect me,” (1.2.pg 1710). Jesus is the fence put in place to protect Rose. This fence makes her special in that the fence she has around her is for protection. Rose also asks Troy to build a fence showing she wanted that same protection surrounding her family. Bono tells Troy, “Some people build fences to keep people out …and other people build fences to keep people in. Rose wants to hold on to you all. She loves you.” (2.1.28-29). Rose had such a strong mama bear mentality in regards to her family.

            Two really evident fences in the story are between Troy and his two sons. The fence that separates Troy and Lyons is Lyon’s desire to pursue music. Troy says, “You too lazy to work,” (1.1.136), as well as saying, “I don’t like that Chinese Music. All that noise.” (4.1.82). Showing that Troy feels that Lyons needs to stop fawning over music and go get a “real” job. The fence between Troy and his son Cory is huge. This fence is the fact that Cory wants to play football but his dad wants him to work. “The white man ain’t gonna let you get nowhere with the football noway.” (1.3.74-75). Troy’s severe view of white people in sports continually comes between him and Cory. He feels that he should give up and get a job since he will fail anyways.  The fences between Troy and his sons are separating them from each other.

            The way that August Wilson used fences throughout the play was quite intriguing. Each fence helped get a better understanding of each character. The fences added great amounts of depth to each person in the play so that their actions made more sense.

Blog 6 Hamlet

Claudius is like most people when he truly desires to have something no matter what. He was not purely evil, but he was not just merely a flawed person. To say he was purely evil would mean that there would be not a single ounce or hint of good. Also, to say that someone is not a flawed person is saying that they are perfect and above everyone else. Claudius was a flawed person, but he was more than just flawed. It is also possible to call the story “The Tragedy of Claudius, King of Denmark”, but that puts too much focus on Claudius.

Claudius was an evil man, but like most evil men he was not purely evil. “Thanks, dear my lord. O my offence is rank, it smells to heaven, It hath the primal eldest curse upon’t, a brother’s murder. Pray can I not, through inclination be as sharp as will” (3.3.35-39). This shows that there was a certain amount of regret for what it did. He was praying as hard and with the same determination that he did when he killed his brother. He was praying with fear because he wanted to still go to heaven so he was trying to cleanse himself of his crimes.

            On the opposite side, Claudius was not merely a flawed individual. Typically, “merely” flawed people share flaws with other people that are things that must be constantly battled to overcome. An example of this is when Claudius finds out that Hamlet killed Polonius. Claudius said, “O heavy deed! … Alas, how shall this bloody deed be answered? It will be laid to us, whose providence should have kept short, restrained, and out, of haunt” (4.2.13, 16-18). This shows that Claudius was more concerned about himself than Hamlet’s mental state. He was more concerned that he might get blamed for Hamlet’s deeds. This is not exactly the way the “merely” flawed people think through situations involving family.

If the title of this play had been changed to “The Tragedy of Claudius, King of Denmark”, it would indicate a greater focus on what the king goes through. While the king plays a huge role in the play, he does not deal with the same struggles Hamlet goes through.  While talking with the queen Hamlet said, “You are the queen, your husband’s brother’s wife, and would it were not so, you are my mother” (3.4.14-16). Hamlet essentially summarized what has caused all his suffering and hardship. Claudius was the cause of Hamlet’s suffering. Naming the play “The Tragedy of Claudius” would indicate that Claudius is the victim rather than the starting point of all the suffering. 

Blog 5 Hamlet

            In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Hamlet faces many struggles that accompanied his return to Denmark. He had to deal with the death of his father, which is difficult for anybody. Hamlet also had to deal with the burden that comes with finding out that your father did not just die but was murdered. Furthermore, he had to deal with the irregular way his mother behaved after the death of her husband and king. All of these events and more cause his mental state to deteriorate. 

Hamlet’s initial response to his father’s death was like anyone who lost a parent, he was sad and upset. Not only did his father die but his uncle took the throne and married his mother. Hamlet said, “A little more than kin, and less than kind” (1.2.67). Showing that Hamlet really did not like that his uncle was now king and his stepfather. Hamlet was also upset because his uncle took the throne from him after his father passed.

Hamlet already had a certain amount of hate for is uncle, but one thing solidified his hatred. Hamlet learned that his father was murdered. “The serpent that did sting thy father’s life now wears his crown” (1.5.39-40). So not only did his father die but he was murdered by his uncle. “Ay, that incestuous, that adulterate beast, with witchcraft of his wit, with traitorous gifts”(1.5.42-3).  So after learning that his father was killed over the throne Hamlet becomes really angry. “O all you host of heaven! O earth! What else? And shall I couple hell? And thy commandment all alone shall I live within the book and volume of my brain,” (1.5.92-3). Hamlet is saying that he is going to kill his uncle for what he has done. His decision to murder his uncle is all for the love he had for his father. This is evident when he says, “And what so poor a man as Hamlet is, may do t’ express his love and friending to you god willing shall not lack”(1.5.184-6). Hamlet most likely felt the best way to show that his love for his father was not lacking was to avenge him.

Anger and a sense of disbelief came up out of Hamlet when he saw his mother’s behavior. “O God, a beast that wants discourse of reason would have mourned longer – married with my uncle,” (1.2.150-1). Hamlet was furious that his mother hardly mourned the death of her husband, but instead went and married her husband’s brother. “She married. O most wicked speed, to post with such dexterity to incestuous sheets” (1.2.156-7). This incestuous act also saddened Hamlet, “It is not, nor it cannot come to good, but break my heart, for I must hold my tongue” (1.2.158-9). As much as he was angry with his mother he was also saddened with the fact that she did this and that he really could not say anything about it.

The mental state of Hamlet started in a bad place after only knowing his father died but gets worse as he learns more. “How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable seem to me all the uses of this world” (1.2.133-4). Hamlet felt there was nothing worth living for after his father’s death. He then felt that the only purpose to live now would be to avenge his father and kill his uncle. “Prompted to revenge by heaven and hell” (2.2.559). Hamlet felt horrible that he was now just the son of a murdered father aiming for revenge. His mind was in a state of I am weak but I have to do this no matter what.  

Blog 4 Carver, Steinbeck

If you were to read Cathedral by Raymond Carver and The Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck without a preset mindset of looking for or expecting symbols these short stories could be very confusing. Each story ends in such a way that the reader has to really think about what they just read and how everything fits together. In Cathedral, Raymond Carver uses symbols in his story, such as blindness and the cathedral at the end of the story. In The Chrysanthemums, John Steinbeck also uses symbols, such as Elisa’s gardening costume and the chrysanthemums. Both of these stories use of symbols helps to add depth and give a better understanding of the story as a whole.

Carver wrote in such a way that the reader did not gain a full understanding of the symbols until the stories end. When looking at the blindness of Richard throughout the story, it is easy to assume that it is a symbol. This is seen in the first sentence of the story when it says, “This blind man, an old friend of my wife’s, he was on his way to spend the night.”(174). The issue is that you are unable to understand what it is a symbol for until the end of the story. It is seen that blindness symbolizes that just because you can see does not mean you have sight. It is sight that does not use the eyes but goes beyond the visual.  

Blindness ties in well with the next symbol, which is the cathedral. The cathedral symbolizes the process of realizing a lack of sight and then gaining true sight. The narrator tells Richard, “You’ll have to forgive me … But I can’t tell you what a cathedral looks like. It just isn’t in me to do it. I can’t do any more than I’ve done…The truth is, cathedrals don’t mean anything special to me. Nothing.”(182). This shows that physically seeing something or someone does not lead to understanding. The cathedral representing true sight and understanding can be seen in the last few lines of the story when the narrator says, “My eyes were still closed. I was in my home. I knew that. But I didn’t feel like I was inside anything. ‘It’s really something,’” (183).

John Steinbeck’s use of symbols in The Chrysanthemums was easily identifiable. The first symbol was Elisa’s gardening costume. The costume showed Elisa was a very strong woman. All of the clothing Elisa was wearing was masculine and illustrates a lack of feminine qualities. One part of her costume that is used a lot were her gloves, “She wore heavy leather gloves to protect her hands…” (416). Later Elisa, “…took off a glove…pulled on the gardening glove again.” (416-17). Her feminine side comes out when she starts to take parts of the costume off, gloves and the hat. Another symbol was the chrysanthemums themselves. They represented all that Elisa has joy and happiness in. When the tinker brings up the chrysanthemums, “The irritation and resistance melted from Elisa’s face…Elisa’s eyes grew alert and eager…”(418-19). These symbolized what Elisa truly wanted her life to be full of.

These stories would lose a lot of the strength behind their meanings without the symbols. The stories could not leave as much of an impact on the readers if they did not have the symbols. They would have been like reading stories in a newspaper with no deep meanings behind them.

Blog 3 Joyce, Chopin, Poe

        James Joyce, Kate Chopin, and Edgar Allan Poe give many examples of an author using setting to reveal things about characters as well as foreshadow events. In James Joyce’s Araby, setting is used to foreshadow events in the story, while in Kate Chopin’s The Story of an Hour setting is used to show the aspects of the main character. Edgar Allan Poe’s The Cask of Amontillado is a great example of how setting shows the emotions and attitudes of the main character as well as foreshadowing events.

Joyce uses a consistent setting that foreshadowed events. A good example of this is when the narrator describes the places around his home, saying, “…dark dripping gardens… dark odorous stables… hid in the shadow…” (246). Throughout the beginning of the story, Joyce uses this dark setting to hint that the ending will involve a form of darkness. “… fearing that the bazaar would be closed, I passed in quickly through a turnstile, handing a shilling to a weary-looking man… Nearly all the stalls were closed and the greater part of the hall was in darkness” (248). The story starts in the dark and ends in the dark. Another example of this is the very last sentence of the story, “Gazing up into the darkness I saw myself as a creature driven and derided by vanity; and my eyes burned with anguish and anger.” (249). 

In Chopin’s story it is clearly seen how setting is used to describe the main character, Josephine Mallard. “There stood facing the open window, a comfortable roomy armchair…” (337). This alluding to the fact that Josephine feels she has space and is free. “She could see in the open square before her house the tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life.” (337). Since happiness and joy are associated with spring, readers can see that Josephine has a certain happiness or Joy despite the circumstances she is in. This is alluded to in more detail when Chopin writes, “There were patches of blue sky showing here and there through the clouds…” (338). There was a storm that had just passed. The death of Josephine’s husband and the sorrow she was in can be viewed as the storm. Now the clouds are dispersing letting the blue sky show, which can suggest Josephine is happy.

Edgar Allen Poe uses setting really well in The Cask of Amontillado. “It was about dusk, one evening during the supreme madness of the carnival season…” (525). This one description shows the attitudes and emotions of the main character, Montresor, as well as foreshadowing events. To start, carnivals can be crazy and weird. They are also viewed as “dark events” or as the quote says “supreme madness”. This sets the mood of the story to be weird and dark. It also alludes to the fact that the way  Montresor  kills Fortunato is crazy and dark. While at the same time this suggests that  Montresor  is very crazy and mad. Another obvious one is when they- walk down into the crypt. This instantly hints at a death to come.

Blog 2 How to Become a Writer

The point of view Lorrie Moore uses in How to Become a Writer gives the story a very sporadic read. The point of view that is used creates an uncommon tension. The tension that is created is between the narrator, Francie, and the other people in the story. The story would also be completely different if another point of view was used. The story may have flowed better but the story would have become dull.

            The narrator is telling the reader about her life and experiences. With this point of view the story becomes more personal and relatable. The narrator talks in such a way as if she is talking directly to the reader. She uses phrases like, “In your high school…” or “Your mother will come visit you…” (148). With a quick read it can be seen that the narrator is talk another person about their experiences, when in reality she is talking about herself in a sarcastic tone.

            The tension that is seen in the story because of this point of view is between the narrator and her classmates/teachers, herself and her mother. In multiple parts throughout the story, it is seen that the narrator’s classmates and teachers either disapprove or don’t care for how she writes. Francie turns a report into her teacher and this is his response, “Some of your images are quite nice, but you have no sense of plot.” (148). Later while she was at college her classmates responded similarly to her high school teacher. The classmates would say, “Much of your writing is smooth and energetic. You have, however, a ludicrous notion of plot.” The students respond in “its good but not”. In one case the narrator said, “After class someone asks you if you are crazy.” (149). After this, the narrator says, “Decide that perhaps you should stick to comedies.”(149). This shows that the narrator was being affected by all the comments she received about her writing making her question herself. There was even tension between Francie and her mother. Her mother tells her, “Francie Francie, remember when you were going to be a child psychology major?” (151). Her own mother was slightly disappointed that she was so focused on writing. However this didn’t stop Francie from continuing her writing.

     The story would have been a complete opposite if it was written in the perspective of the common disconnected narrator. The story would have turned into a biography about the struggles Francie faced to be a writer. The story would have definitely flowed much smoother and would not be as random and sporadic. This point of view keeps you reading because it is like a bunch of shorter stories in the short story.

Blog Entry One, "The Worn Path"

           The short story “The Worn Path” written by Eudora Welty is a great example of an author using description of appearance and environment to tell us about the character’s traits. Welty also uses actions and speech to reveal what the main character is like. Toward the end of the story, we see how other people talk to the main character, which helps to better understand her.

            Eudora Welty starts the story off with a lengthy description of the main character, Phoenix Jackson, and the setting around her. The story starts with a description of Phoenix Jackson that paint a clear picture in your head of what this woman looked like and the life she has lived. Jackson is described as such, “…an old Negro woman with her head tied in a red rag…She was very old and small and she walked slowly in the dark pine shadows, moving a little from side to side in her steps…She carried a thin small cane made from an umbrella, and with this she kept tapping the frozen earth in front of her.” (314). It goes on to give a full description of what she is wearing and how her face looked. This description shows that she had a rough life and that she is not in the best economic standing. It shows that this rough life that she had lived molded her into the woman she is today.

Welty’s use of actions and speech really help establish a better understanding of Phoenix. Around the middle of the story, Phoenix comes into contact with a hunter and his dog. While the hunter and his dog were scaring another dog away, a very detailed description was given of what Phoenix was doing “…she was slowly bending forward by that time, further and further forward, the lids stretched down over her eyes, as if she were doing this in her sleep. Her chin was lowered almost to her knees. The yellow palm of her hand came out from the fold of her apron…Then she slowly straightened up, she stood erect, and the nickel was in her apron pocket.” (317). This shows that Phoenix had the mentality of being willing to do what was needed in order to survive, even if it was stealing a nickel from a man helping her. Right after this the hunter came back and pointed his gun at Phoenix and asked why she was not afraid of the gun. Phoenix says, “No sir. I seen plenty go off closer by, in my day, and for less than what I done…” (317). The reader can clearly see that Phoenix is a very tough and brave woman. However, it also shows that she is very well educated just by looking at the way she talked.

Eudora Welty shows Phoenix’s character through her interactions with other people. The hunter called her granny when he first saw her. When Phoenix got into town and asked for help the lady that helped her called her grandma. This shows that she had a loving grandma personality, which caused people to want to help her. Near the end of the story, we see her conversations with the doctor about her grandson and why she truly headed into town. These conversations reveal that she regularly came into town to get her grandson medicine. Welty uses this conversation and her path into town to show Phoenix’s deep love for her grandson despite the challenging life she has had.