Eve will always think of Ally,
As the girl who ruined the fifth grade.
Ally told Eve she was glad,
Eve was moving away.
Eve wondered why Ally hated her,
How someone could be so cruel.
They hadn't exchanged words before,
Because Eve was shy,
And Ally was a popular girl.
Eve asked her friend, Heather.
She said Ally told her,
Eve was a bitch.
Rumors fly like feathers
It's better not to have poisoned lips
People say. . .
Revenge is sweetly paid
When Eve returned to Cincinnati,
For her high school years.
Her eyes no longer cried tears,
With soul and a smile,
A little bit faker,
Making new friends,
But none of them had forgotten.
Ally saying,
Eve was a bitch.
Rumors fly like feathers
It's better not to have poisoned lips
People say. . .
Revenge is sweetly paid
Eve slipped a note into Ally's locker.
One from her crush, Luke,
Asking her to go to prom.
Luke told Ally, he didn't write her,
He said he didn't even know her.
Eve felt even, returning the favor.
Rumors fly like feathers
It's better not to have poisoned lips
People say. . .
Revenge is sweetly paid
Eve will always think of Ally,
As the girl who ruined the fifth grade.
Eve will always think of Ally,
As the girl she wanted to make pay.
*** Synopsis: Song about how rumors can ruin both the gossiper and the victim's life.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
The Poetry of Paul Muldoon
"Our Lady of Ardboe"
Our Lady of Ardboe by Paul Muldoon is a poem about man questioning our relationship as humans with God and also wondering if God exists at all. He uses the alliteration, "knows what's knowable" and repeats "Virgin" and "Mother" through out two of the stanzas. He uses the assonance of "farmer's youngest daughter," and "amiable" and "admirable" in line twenty two. Muldoon uses different rhyme schemes in each stanza and twenty six lines.
The stanzas each consist of two, three, or four lines, almost like Muldoon kept changing his mind about writing down his spirituality, with the changes of stanzas and rhyming in the poem. The stanzas with three lines seem to ask the most questions, which could be a reference to the Holy Trinity.
Muldoon wants to know how humans could be so close to spirit, without being perfect or some of the world's most sophisticated, when he says, we are unraveling "the road to Christ's navel." He makes two references to feeding, such as "Milk from the Virgin Mother's breast" and "The winding road to Christ's navel," to reference the nourishment we receive from his faith of them.
He describes the setting of a stable as a humble yet holy place, because it is the birthplace of Jesus. In its presence, the girl had to "kneel" in prayer, because of the symbolism, which most Christians would think of when they saw one. Muldoon seems to be questioning the humble beginnings of the savior, but also seems to say it could have been any stable in the world that Jesus could have born in.
Muldoon seems to be questioning if we made up God as a "simple wish for there being more to life," as way to deal with stress that comes from "a job, a car, a house, a wife," having to earn money so we can have "running water." He names several objects such as colorful flowers and weeds found in nature, and "arms as long as the other," as his biology, to make it seem like he doesn't believe these things are just coincidences or just science, but they are made from God.
"Anonymous: Myself and Prague"
Muldoon's poem, Anonymous: Myself and Prague, is about the working relationship of a man and his cat. Muldoon uses an AABB rhyme pattern and all of the stanzas have four lines. He uses enjambment by separating full sentences into two different stanzas, dragging out his points, trying to really make us pause to see the connections between the cat and the man. He uses alliterations such as, "lose its luster" and "while away our whiles." He uses the assonance of "snagging" and "naggingly" in middle of lines fifteen and sixteen.
He tells he and his cat are the "same," even if they are not even from the same species. While Muldoon's goal is to get "lost to fame", he wonders if he would be content living a cat's life, as his cat seems "perfectly content" with hunting and sleeping all day. He compares his writing to his cat's catching of a mouse, saying they both require "skill" to hunt their preys, whether it be a mouse or a piece of paper. He believes animals and man can live in harmony together, "never cramping each other's styles," because we recognize we have similar interests and respect for each other's craft.
Our Lady of Ardboe by Paul Muldoon is a poem about man questioning our relationship as humans with God and also wondering if God exists at all. He uses the alliteration, "knows what's knowable" and repeats "Virgin" and "Mother" through out two of the stanzas. He uses the assonance of "farmer's youngest daughter," and "amiable" and "admirable" in line twenty two. Muldoon uses different rhyme schemes in each stanza and twenty six lines.
The stanzas each consist of two, three, or four lines, almost like Muldoon kept changing his mind about writing down his spirituality, with the changes of stanzas and rhyming in the poem. The stanzas with three lines seem to ask the most questions, which could be a reference to the Holy Trinity.
Muldoon wants to know how humans could be so close to spirit, without being perfect or some of the world's most sophisticated, when he says, we are unraveling "the road to Christ's navel." He makes two references to feeding, such as "Milk from the Virgin Mother's breast" and "The winding road to Christ's navel," to reference the nourishment we receive from his faith of them.
He describes the setting of a stable as a humble yet holy place, because it is the birthplace of Jesus. In its presence, the girl had to "kneel" in prayer, because of the symbolism, which most Christians would think of when they saw one. Muldoon seems to be questioning the humble beginnings of the savior, but also seems to say it could have been any stable in the world that Jesus could have born in.
Muldoon seems to be questioning if we made up God as a "simple wish for there being more to life," as way to deal with stress that comes from "a job, a car, a house, a wife," having to earn money so we can have "running water." He names several objects such as colorful flowers and weeds found in nature, and "arms as long as the other," as his biology, to make it seem like he doesn't believe these things are just coincidences or just science, but they are made from God.
"Anonymous: Myself and Prague"
Muldoon's poem, Anonymous: Myself and Prague, is about the working relationship of a man and his cat. Muldoon uses an AABB rhyme pattern and all of the stanzas have four lines. He uses enjambment by separating full sentences into two different stanzas, dragging out his points, trying to really make us pause to see the connections between the cat and the man. He uses alliterations such as, "lose its luster" and "while away our whiles." He uses the assonance of "snagging" and "naggingly" in middle of lines fifteen and sixteen.
He tells he and his cat are the "same," even if they are not even from the same species. While Muldoon's goal is to get "lost to fame", he wonders if he would be content living a cat's life, as his cat seems "perfectly content" with hunting and sleeping all day. He compares his writing to his cat's catching of a mouse, saying they both require "skill" to hunt their preys, whether it be a mouse or a piece of paper. He believes animals and man can live in harmony together, "never cramping each other's styles," because we recognize we have similar interests and respect for each other's craft.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Stealing Headlines
Ours was the only showmance,
Where you spent money to make.
In this city of collagen and silicone,
You were the only thing truly fake.
You were in a race for stardom.
With me as your true leading lady,
Your thirst for fame licked you,
And poisoned me.
You wanted to publically fight,
About everyone and everything.
Why can't we have a quiet life,
Without wasting ink in a magazine?
Why do we have to talk in spotlights,
Using tabloid as messengers?
Can't we just move on,
Without stealing headlines?
You couldn't deal with reality,
Dumping me on page twenty three.
You stomped my name in dirt,
With the camera eye hovering.
Chorus
Grimacing every time your face is plastered,
On the bus or taxi that comes my way.
The only time I hear from you is on TV,
When you're releasing my tapes and letters.
Just stand there with your frozen smile,
Inn red carpet photographs,
Canoodling you new arm candy,
You pretend not to miss me,
But you know they're thinking of me.
Chorus
*** Synopsis: A song about a celebrity couple breakup, dragged out in the press.
Where you spent money to make.
In this city of collagen and silicone,
You were the only thing truly fake.
You were in a race for stardom.
With me as your true leading lady,
Your thirst for fame licked you,
And poisoned me.
You wanted to publically fight,
About everyone and everything.
Why can't we have a quiet life,
Without wasting ink in a magazine?
Why do we have to talk in spotlights,
Using tabloid as messengers?
Can't we just move on,
Without stealing headlines?
You couldn't deal with reality,
Dumping me on page twenty three.
You stomped my name in dirt,
With the camera eye hovering.
Chorus
Grimacing every time your face is plastered,
On the bus or taxi that comes my way.
The only time I hear from you is on TV,
When you're releasing my tapes and letters.
Just stand there with your frozen smile,
Inn red carpet photographs,
Canoodling you new arm candy,
You pretend not to miss me,
But you know they're thinking of me.
Chorus
*** Synopsis: A song about a celebrity couple breakup, dragged out in the press.
Salman Rushdie's Is Nothing Sacred?
Salman Rushdie is defending literature as both sacred and necessary, which I completely agree with. I've heard of Rushdie before this class, because of his controversial writing conflict with Iran. Rushdie is an atheist, coming from a Muslim society, where there is a bounty on his head for his writing of The Satanic Verses. At first I was puzzled as to why an atheist would think literature was sacred, but the way he describes his theories, makes me believe an atheist can have a religion where they worship other things than God, such as literature. Clearly Rushdie stands up for his beliefs in a way that would make most of us quiet, for fear of our lives. I think if he is taking such risks, we should think about what he says.
I understand when he describes literature as his "first love," since I've loved to reading and writing since I was very young. Rushdie describes how he feels about non-readers, saying "it has always been a shock to meet people for whom books simply do not matter and people who are scornful of the act of reading, let alone writing." It seems like people either love literature or don't have time for it, because they would rather be outside and active, because they believe reading is boring. I've always been puzzled as to why people don't want to read, but figure it's just their loss. Rushdie seems to take the same opinion, saying, "I have been obliged to accept" that people don't value books.
Rushdie states that this essay is to "restate what is most precious about the art of literature- to answer the attack, not by an attack, but by a declaration of love." He implies he will not attack people for their lack of reading or their faith in God, saying he will not be an attacker or as extreme as "true believers." He describes forceful "true believers" as being like the extremists who have tried to force him into believing in their religion in his home country and are trying to punish him for his non-beliefs, by trying to assassinate him. He is very accepting of non-readers and faithful people, saying, "Love need not be blind. Faith must, ultimately, be a leap in the dark." He is simply letting us know what he thinks and letting us make up our minds about it, hoping we will agree with him based on the facts he lays out, like other writers do when they publish their works.
Rushdie also describes literatures as a sanctuary, saying it is "the one place in any society where, within the secrecy of our own heads, we can hear the voices taking about everything in every possible way." I believe literature is also a safe place, we can live in, without having societal backlash. To read literature, we must have an open mind and lots of questions. The writings are supposed to make us think and reflect on what we can do to change ourselves in a way we would want to.
I thought his references to Herbert Read's theories of the monkey tribes in Japan, where one tribes washes the bananas and one doesn't. For the past couple of weeks, I have been studying monkeys and chimpanzees' similarities to humans for my Biological Anthropology class, and there is only a 2% difference in our DNA and several similarities in our cultures and how we interact with each other. In our society, people are like the monkeys, with one tribe as readers and the other non-readers.
I understand when he describes literature as his "first love," since I've loved to reading and writing since I was very young. Rushdie describes how he feels about non-readers, saying "it has always been a shock to meet people for whom books simply do not matter and people who are scornful of the act of reading, let alone writing." It seems like people either love literature or don't have time for it, because they would rather be outside and active, because they believe reading is boring. I've always been puzzled as to why people don't want to read, but figure it's just their loss. Rushdie seems to take the same opinion, saying, "I have been obliged to accept" that people don't value books.
Rushdie states that this essay is to "restate what is most precious about the art of literature- to answer the attack, not by an attack, but by a declaration of love." He implies he will not attack people for their lack of reading or their faith in God, saying he will not be an attacker or as extreme as "true believers." He describes forceful "true believers" as being like the extremists who have tried to force him into believing in their religion in his home country and are trying to punish him for his non-beliefs, by trying to assassinate him. He is very accepting of non-readers and faithful people, saying, "Love need not be blind. Faith must, ultimately, be a leap in the dark." He is simply letting us know what he thinks and letting us make up our minds about it, hoping we will agree with him based on the facts he lays out, like other writers do when they publish their works.
Rushdie also describes literatures as a sanctuary, saying it is "the one place in any society where, within the secrecy of our own heads, we can hear the voices taking about everything in every possible way." I believe literature is also a safe place, we can live in, without having societal backlash. To read literature, we must have an open mind and lots of questions. The writings are supposed to make us think and reflect on what we can do to change ourselves in a way we would want to.
I thought his references to Herbert Read's theories of the monkey tribes in Japan, where one tribes washes the bananas and one doesn't. For the past couple of weeks, I have been studying monkeys and chimpanzees' similarities to humans for my Biological Anthropology class, and there is only a 2% difference in our DNA and several similarities in our cultures and how we interact with each other. In our society, people are like the monkeys, with one tribe as readers and the other non-readers.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Borna Virus
Zimmer, Carl. "Hunting Fossil Viruses in Human DNA". The New York Times January 11 2010.
In this article, Carl Zimmer talks about a disease called the Borna Virus, which scientists are trying to discover what genes belonging "to a kind of virus that has never been found in the human genome before," that causes it to show up in most animal species such as horses and humans. Zimmer describes the Borna Virus as "obscure and grotesque," and can "alter human behavior, playing a role in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder."
He argues, "The virus infected our monkey-like ancestors 40 million years ago, and its genes have been passed down ever since," and scientists are studying fossils to see if there are traces of the virus in the bones of our ancestors. I wouldn't guess that the virus would live on, thinking it would die once the fossil reached the air. I didn't factor in the DNA residue. Scientists in this study, first study human genome and moved on to other fossils to study the mammal genome to see how big the virus has spread, which makes sense because we would want to figure out what species it originated in. He also tells us, "Scientists have found about 100,000 elements of human DNA that probably came from viruses."
Zimmer talks about how retroviruses pass and "mutate" through our DNA, which we learned about in class. I thought it was interesting that he talks about H.I.V. being passed down from Chimpanzees to humans. He says, "H.I.V. evolved about a century ago from a chimpanzee virus known as simian immunodeficiency virus, or S.I.V." I've never heard of S.I.V., but it doesn't surprise me that Chimpanzees would have a similar disease, since we are so close to them with our DNA.
In this article, Carl Zimmer talks about a disease called the Borna Virus, which scientists are trying to discover what genes belonging "to a kind of virus that has never been found in the human genome before," that causes it to show up in most animal species such as horses and humans. Zimmer describes the Borna Virus as "obscure and grotesque," and can "alter human behavior, playing a role in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder."
He argues, "The virus infected our monkey-like ancestors 40 million years ago, and its genes have been passed down ever since," and scientists are studying fossils to see if there are traces of the virus in the bones of our ancestors. I wouldn't guess that the virus would live on, thinking it would die once the fossil reached the air. I didn't factor in the DNA residue. Scientists in this study, first study human genome and moved on to other fossils to study the mammal genome to see how big the virus has spread, which makes sense because we would want to figure out what species it originated in. He also tells us, "Scientists have found about 100,000 elements of human DNA that probably came from viruses."
Zimmer talks about how retroviruses pass and "mutate" through our DNA, which we learned about in class. I thought it was interesting that he talks about H.I.V. being passed down from Chimpanzees to humans. He says, "H.I.V. evolved about a century ago from a chimpanzee virus known as simian immunodeficiency virus, or S.I.V." I've never heard of S.I.V., but it doesn't surprise me that Chimpanzees would have a similar disease, since we are so close to them with our DNA.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
A Name to a Face
I heard about a boy I didn't know.
I heard about a boy I didn't know.
A boy missing from the back row.
An empty chair belonged to him.
An empty chair belonged to him.
Now it's bare because of a gun.
A shallow glance down the hall,
To strangers who I will never meet.
I wonder if he ever passed me in haste,
With me never knowing who he was,
Until the day he died.
I wish I could picture, a name to a face
Was he was reckless, expecting luck to last?
Was he was reckless, expecting luck to last?
If there's no risk, hunting would be a blast.
When he died, nobody was there to see.
When he died, nobody was there to see.
They found him in a field, under a tree.
Chorus
I heard about a boy I didn't know.
I heard about a boy I didn't know.
A boy missing from the back row.
This stranger's death to insist life is not to waste.
This stranger's death to insist life is not to waste.
I wish I could picture, a name to a face
Chorus
*** Synopsis: This song is about a boy who died when I was in high school.
I heard about a boy I didn't know.
A boy missing from the back row.
An empty chair belonged to him.
An empty chair belonged to him.
Now it's bare because of a gun.
A shallow glance down the hall,
To strangers who I will never meet.
I wonder if he ever passed me in haste,
With me never knowing who he was,
Until the day he died.
I wish I could picture, a name to a face
Was he was reckless, expecting luck to last?
Was he was reckless, expecting luck to last?
If there's no risk, hunting would be a blast.
When he died, nobody was there to see.
When he died, nobody was there to see.
They found him in a field, under a tree.
Chorus
I heard about a boy I didn't know.
I heard about a boy I didn't know.
A boy missing from the back row.
This stranger's death to insist life is not to waste.
This stranger's death to insist life is not to waste.
I wish I could picture, a name to a face
Chorus
*** Synopsis: This song is about a boy who died when I was in high school.
At Layton Park
Layton Park
Watching my brother play baseball.
Swinging on the playground,
Every spin and every fall.
Walking down the trails
To feed the ducks.
Sitting on the waterfall benches,
Skimming the rocks.
For the fifteen years, I lived in town.
From recreation to education,
To every laughter and every fight,
I spent almost everyday at Layton Park
Driving around with my family,
At night in the snowstorms.
Dinosaur, bear, and fish forms,
An array of bright Christmas lights.
Right next to my school, Layton High.
Crossing the street,
Walking over to the library,
On my lunch break.
Chorus
I had class and field trips.
Collecting leaves for science.
Making art projects,
From the roses and sticks.
Lots of picture taking.
Family reunions and graduation.
The last time I visited you,
Was before I moved.
Chorus
*** Synopsis: A song about my hometown park in Layton, Utah.
Watching my brother play baseball.
Swinging on the playground,
Every spin and every fall.
Walking down the trails
To feed the ducks.
Sitting on the waterfall benches,
Skimming the rocks.
For the fifteen years, I lived in town.
From recreation to education,
To every laughter and every fight,
I spent almost everyday at Layton Park
Driving around with my family,
At night in the snowstorms.
Dinosaur, bear, and fish forms,
An array of bright Christmas lights.
Right next to my school, Layton High.
Crossing the street,
Walking over to the library,
On my lunch break.
Chorus
I had class and field trips.
Collecting leaves for science.
Making art projects,
From the roses and sticks.
Lots of picture taking.
Family reunions and graduation.
The last time I visited you,
Was before I moved.
Chorus
*** Synopsis: A song about my hometown park in Layton, Utah.
Stage
On the July night, I drove to town,
From my uncle's Island Park cabin.
I stood in line with anticipation,
To see the Joseph and his coat.
I came in during the pre-show,
As the red curtain was opening.
The crowded stage was lined with mirrors,
Around three sets of chair bleachers.
A theatre stage who first spotlighted you,
Where your comedic talent was grown,
Where you no longer perform.
You debuted on stage right,
Wearing an orange vest, sparkling bright.
Reminding me of someone I used to like,
In my past before I saw you on stage.
I came back on an August weekend,
To see you, Annie, and her gun.
You flirted with me, but I didn't catch on.
I shook your hand in line, when it was done.
Chorus
The stage was set the next summer.
Seeing three plays with you in three days,
With man-eating plants, devils, and men in plaid.
I didn't know this summer would be our swan song
I came back to find you, but you were gone,
Off this stage to find bigger laughs.
It's been nine years since our last act.
Your stage is now a back lot.
I see your face in commercials in my home state.
I haven't seen any of your films yet.
Chorus
** Synopsis: A song about a guy I saw on a stage at a community theatre who is now a famous actor.
From my uncle's Island Park cabin.
I stood in line with anticipation,
To see the Joseph and his coat.
I came in during the pre-show,
As the red curtain was opening.
The crowded stage was lined with mirrors,
Around three sets of chair bleachers.
A theatre stage who first spotlighted you,
Where your comedic talent was grown,
Where you no longer perform.
You debuted on stage right,
Wearing an orange vest, sparkling bright.
Reminding me of someone I used to like,
In my past before I saw you on stage.
I came back on an August weekend,
To see you, Annie, and her gun.
You flirted with me, but I didn't catch on.
I shook your hand in line, when it was done.
Chorus
The stage was set the next summer.
Seeing three plays with you in three days,
With man-eating plants, devils, and men in plaid.
I didn't know this summer would be our swan song
I came back to find you, but you were gone,
Off this stage to find bigger laughs.
It's been nine years since our last act.
Your stage is now a back lot.
I see your face in commercials in my home state.
I haven't seen any of your films yet.
Chorus
** Synopsis: A song about a guy I saw on a stage at a community theatre who is now a famous actor.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
John Cleese and Graham Chapman
I thought the jokes in the sketches from Monty Python's Flying Circus in the book were silly, making me smile but not laugh. The characters were more funny than the jokes, because I'm familiar with John Cleese from his work outside of Monty Python. The characters all seemed like outrageous and unique beings. I saw the movie, Monty Python and the Holy Grail about five years ago, I thought it was pretty funny. I hear people all the time quoting from the movie and sketches and I wondered why they think it is so hysterical. Maybe I'm just not getting that type of humor. It just seems silly to me.
I'm sure for the 1970's this type of dry humor was new and exciting. If I hadn't seen the same bits over and over on other shows like Madtv or Saturday Night Live, I might have found them funny and appreciated them more. I think there was a generational gap between me and the show, because the jokes seems to be dated and old to me.
My favorite sketch was "Dirty Hungarian Phrasebook," because I could relate to the Hungarian Man trying to learn English. I have traveled to Mexico and not knowing Spanish. In the past year, I took all my Spanish credits at Weber and had a difficult time learning the conjugations and phrases. I thought that sketch was most creative and clever because of the phrases they came up with for the confused Hungarian.
After I read all of the sketches, I watched them on YouTube. Reading the words on the page is nothing compared to seeing the actual sketch performed by the actors, in the manner they wanted. It is ten times better seeing how the actors deliver the jokes with their accents, body language, and facial expressions. The actors and the directors make the jokes seem more in depth and clever, rather than just flat on the page. I think these are the types of jokes that are meant to be see in three dimensions, using more sense than my eyes. I though the "Spam" sketch was more annoying with the song in the video than on the page.
There are several pokes at the country and culture of England. Some of the jabs I got and some of them I didn't. The most references were in the "Dead Parrot sketch." Praline says to the audience and the guy at the complaint department, "That's Inner-City Rail for you," and "If you want to get anything done in this country you've got to complain till you're blue in the mouth," which are relatable to American culture.
They poke fun at English language and its sayings in The Dirty Hungarian Phrasebook, which I think would be a difficult language to learn because of its formality and catch phrases. I wondered if Spam is a traditional dish in England, like it is in Hawaii. I also wonder what was with the references to the Vikings, if they are look down upon in England. I would think in order to get the references, I would have to know the history of Britain a bit more.
I'm sure for the 1970's this type of dry humor was new and exciting. If I hadn't seen the same bits over and over on other shows like Madtv or Saturday Night Live, I might have found them funny and appreciated them more. I think there was a generational gap between me and the show, because the jokes seems to be dated and old to me.
My favorite sketch was "Dirty Hungarian Phrasebook," because I could relate to the Hungarian Man trying to learn English. I have traveled to Mexico and not knowing Spanish. In the past year, I took all my Spanish credits at Weber and had a difficult time learning the conjugations and phrases. I thought that sketch was most creative and clever because of the phrases they came up with for the confused Hungarian.
After I read all of the sketches, I watched them on YouTube. Reading the words on the page is nothing compared to seeing the actual sketch performed by the actors, in the manner they wanted. It is ten times better seeing how the actors deliver the jokes with their accents, body language, and facial expressions. The actors and the directors make the jokes seem more in depth and clever, rather than just flat on the page. I think these are the types of jokes that are meant to be see in three dimensions, using more sense than my eyes. I though the "Spam" sketch was more annoying with the song in the video than on the page.
There are several pokes at the country and culture of England. Some of the jabs I got and some of them I didn't. The most references were in the "Dead Parrot sketch." Praline says to the audience and the guy at the complaint department, "That's Inner-City Rail for you," and "If you want to get anything done in this country you've got to complain till you're blue in the mouth," which are relatable to American culture.
They poke fun at English language and its sayings in The Dirty Hungarian Phrasebook, which I think would be a difficult language to learn because of its formality and catch phrases. I wondered if Spam is a traditional dish in England, like it is in Hawaii. I also wonder what was with the references to the Vikings, if they are look down upon in England. I would think in order to get the references, I would have to know the history of Britain a bit more.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Why Do I Have to Pass Out the Candy?
All Hallow's evening, I'm stuck inside,
Trying to watch a scary movie.
My basket is full, my doorbell ringing.
Goodbye to my eight dollar candy.
When I was a kid, Halloween was exciting.
Dressing like witches, vampires, and robots.
Along with pumpkins, parades, and apple bobs,
Candy was deliciously free.
When did Halloween become boring?
Why am I the grown up here?
When did I become the homebody?
Why do I have to pass out the candy?
Turning off the lights, my pumpkin smashed.
It's the same year after year,
I feel I'm being treated to a trick.
I can't believe in the magic anymore.
Wish I could recapture my spark,
But my candle has no wick.
I tell the kids leaving my door,
Enjoy candy till you can't anymore.
*** Synopsis: A grown up wishes she was still a kid during Halloween.
Trying to watch a scary movie.
My basket is full, my doorbell ringing.
Goodbye to my eight dollar candy.
When I was a kid, Halloween was exciting.
Dressing like witches, vampires, and robots.
Along with pumpkins, parades, and apple bobs,
Candy was deliciously free.
When did Halloween become boring?
Why am I the grown up here?
When did I become the homebody?
Why do I have to pass out the candy?
Turning off the lights, my pumpkin smashed.
It's the same year after year,
I feel I'm being treated to a trick.
I can't believe in the magic anymore.
Wish I could recapture my spark,
But my candle has no wick.
I tell the kids leaving my door,
Enjoy candy till you can't anymore.
*** Synopsis: A grown up wishes she was still a kid during Halloween.
The Writings of Seamus Heaney
"Digging"
"Digging" by Seamus Heaney is a poem about writer who comes from a family of potato farmers and doesn't want to follow in his father or grandfather's footsteps. The title refers to the narrator trying to discover what he wants to do with writing, now he's realized he doesn't want to be a potato farmer like his family. This poem is an argument that writing is just as important as farming and takes a lot of work as well. The narrator tells us, "I've got no spade to follow men like them," and he wants to "dig" with his way into the world with his pen rather than a shovel to make a name for himself. He compares the planting of potatoes to his own writing process.
Heaney uses many alliterations such as, "spade sinks into gravelly ground" and "tall tops," "sloppily with paper," "buried the bright edge deep," and "down and down." He uses "nicking and slicing" as an assonance, describing what his family does to potatoes and what he does in his writing process. Some of the verses rhyme and some are free verse, possibly a nod to the formality of the farming he wants to break away from.
"Englands of the Mind"
In Seamus Heaney's essay, "Englands of the Mind," Heaney describes three steps writers such as Ted Hughes and Philip Larkin need to have in order to be successful writers in his mind. As writers, according to Heaney, must represent a true portrayal of their country, culture, and language of England.
As a setting for their writing, England is very important as a realistic foundation of the writer's own history and culture to describe through language. Heaney says they "treat England as a region- or rather treat their region as England in different and complementary ways." Hughes describes England as "a primeval landscape" and Larkin describes England as a reflection "from the period that his language is hived off." It seems like Hughes's England is more focused on the natural aspects of the country while Larkin is more realistic. They have a lot of previous generations of writers and poets to live up to.
Each writer is measured by the difficulty and creativeness of their language with their message getting through to their readers. Heaney argues that both Hughes and Larkin as writers have "the auditory imagination," using metaphors and figurative language to describe England and their individual images of nature and reality. Hughes is "the rightful heir to alliterative traditions," using figurative language for animals, nature, and Christian stories. Larkin's language has a "bright sense of words worn clean in literate conversation," but is considerably different from Hughes.
Hughes "attempts to make vocal the inner life, the simple being-thereness," trying to tap into the narrator's inner dialogue and natural surroundings in his poems. Larkin's narrations are about "a real man in a real place," making him a realist not trying to sugarcoat his messages to us. Larkin is blunt and uses profanity through out his writings, which is very different from Hughes, who hints at similar topics but through the art of storytelling. Heaney seems to believe each author's writings are greatly executed, no matter what their style and uses of language are, as well as giving an accurate description of England.
"Digging" by Seamus Heaney is a poem about writer who comes from a family of potato farmers and doesn't want to follow in his father or grandfather's footsteps. The title refers to the narrator trying to discover what he wants to do with writing, now he's realized he doesn't want to be a potato farmer like his family. This poem is an argument that writing is just as important as farming and takes a lot of work as well. The narrator tells us, "I've got no spade to follow men like them," and he wants to "dig" with his way into the world with his pen rather than a shovel to make a name for himself. He compares the planting of potatoes to his own writing process.
Heaney uses many alliterations such as, "spade sinks into gravelly ground" and "tall tops," "sloppily with paper," "buried the bright edge deep," and "down and down." He uses "nicking and slicing" as an assonance, describing what his family does to potatoes and what he does in his writing process. Some of the verses rhyme and some are free verse, possibly a nod to the formality of the farming he wants to break away from.
"Englands of the Mind"
In Seamus Heaney's essay, "Englands of the Mind," Heaney describes three steps writers such as Ted Hughes and Philip Larkin need to have in order to be successful writers in his mind. As writers, according to Heaney, must represent a true portrayal of their country, culture, and language of England.
As a setting for their writing, England is very important as a realistic foundation of the writer's own history and culture to describe through language. Heaney says they "treat England as a region- or rather treat their region as England in different and complementary ways." Hughes describes England as "a primeval landscape" and Larkin describes England as a reflection "from the period that his language is hived off." It seems like Hughes's England is more focused on the natural aspects of the country while Larkin is more realistic. They have a lot of previous generations of writers and poets to live up to.
Each writer is measured by the difficulty and creativeness of their language with their message getting through to their readers. Heaney argues that both Hughes and Larkin as writers have "the auditory imagination," using metaphors and figurative language to describe England and their individual images of nature and reality. Hughes is "the rightful heir to alliterative traditions," using figurative language for animals, nature, and Christian stories. Larkin's language has a "bright sense of words worn clean in literate conversation," but is considerably different from Hughes.
Hughes "attempts to make vocal the inner life, the simple being-thereness," trying to tap into the narrator's inner dialogue and natural surroundings in his poems. Larkin's narrations are about "a real man in a real place," making him a realist not trying to sugarcoat his messages to us. Larkin is blunt and uses profanity through out his writings, which is very different from Hughes, who hints at similar topics but through the art of storytelling. Heaney seems to believe each author's writings are greatly executed, no matter what their style and uses of language are, as well as giving an accurate description of England.
I Have No Voice in My Throat
My lips never sink ships.
My mouth is always shut.
Over my words, my tongue trips,
I have no confidence in my gut.
Maybe it's an anxiety crisis,
Causing my vocal chords to quiver.
My opinion is in pieces,
And I'm afraid I'll stutter.
If I spoke, would anyone listen?
If I spoke, would you even understand?
If I wrote my thoughts on paper,
Would anyone even read them?
Being a human in critical demand,
I have no voice in my throat.
Don't call on me in class,
If I don't raise my hand.
When I have something of value,
I'll speak, but only with a pen.
If I build up enough thoughts,
And I'm finally able to speak,
People start talking over me,
I wonder if I was too quiet.
Chorus
*** Synopsis: A song about a pet peeve for not being able to express my thoughts in my classes as well I'm able to write them down.
My mouth is always shut.
Over my words, my tongue trips,
I have no confidence in my gut.
Maybe it's an anxiety crisis,
Causing my vocal chords to quiver.
My opinion is in pieces,
And I'm afraid I'll stutter.
If I spoke, would anyone listen?
If I spoke, would you even understand?
If I wrote my thoughts on paper,
Would anyone even read them?
Being a human in critical demand,
I have no voice in my throat.
Don't call on me in class,
If I don't raise my hand.
When I have something of value,
I'll speak, but only with a pen.
If I build up enough thoughts,
And I'm finally able to speak,
People start talking over me,
I wonder if I was too quiet.
Chorus
*** Synopsis: A song about a pet peeve for not being able to express my thoughts in my classes as well I'm able to write them down.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
The Poems of Ted Hughes
"The Thought-Fox"
"The Thought-Fox" by Ted Hughes is a poem about writer narrating his story of a fox searching for prey walking through the forest on a winter's night. While the fox tries quietly to sneak up on his prey, the prey and the writer being paranoid about what lurks on the path. The poem is twenty four lines and the rhyme pattern of the six stanzas switch from ABBA to AABB to ABAA, which makes us take a long walk through the forest with the characters and the writer as he writes the story. With his rhyme pattern switching, it makes it seem like the writer is trying to make up his mind where the fox should eventually go or even catch his prey.
There are no caesuras except for a "-" in the title, which I don't know if that counts as a caesura or not. Hughes uses assonances, such as, "more near" and "widening deepening," to describe the path's end which the writer is writing with his excitement. The poems has many naturalistic alliterations, including, "midnight moment's . . .," "deeper with darkness," "touches twig," "body that is bold," "starless still," "page is printed."
Hughes repeats the word "now" four times in lines eleven and twelve, to create intensity and to put emphasis that we are reading this story while he is writing it. These alliterations describe the time, atmosphere, and the mood of the setting and tells us the narrator is a writer. Hughes also mentions "clock," "snow," "dark," and "fox" twice throughout the poem, which are key players. Hughes includes an onomatopoeia, "clock ticks," in line twenty three, so we know time is running out for this night and the prey and we know his being outsmarted by the fox is inevitable.
"Theology"
"Theology" by Ted Hughes is a poem that defends the serpent's actions of tempting Eve to eat the apple in the garden of Eden and the title is perfect because the imagery of the word "theology" could mean we could interpreting the Bible story the right or the wrong way. It depends of the point of view. This poem is told from the serpent's perspective which makes him look the good guy.
The poem also makes references to Adam, Eve, and God, who are key characters in the original story. In this poem they seem like the villains who are trying to stop the serpent from doing his job. The poem is only twelve lines long and a simple poem, but has a lot of story and smooth beat packed into it. "Theology" is very rhythmical for a poem that has no set rhyme pattern, with only rhyming words in the second stanza. It reminds me of a children's nursery rhyme.
Hughes breaks off complete sentence into two lines using enjambment and there's an alliteration in line five, "Adam ate the apple," implying the importance of Adam's transgression as well as Eve's. Hughes uses an assonance with a repeated, "Eve ate Adam" and "The serpent ate Eve." The assonances emphasizes that Eve is both the martyr and the villain, like the serpent. There is a caesura in line ten and eleven, "Sleeps his meal off in Paradise- Smiling to hear God's querulous calling." These lines make it seem like the serpent is waiting for his reward or is happy he took down God's mortals by himself.
"The Thought-Fox" by Ted Hughes is a poem about writer narrating his story of a fox searching for prey walking through the forest on a winter's night. While the fox tries quietly to sneak up on his prey, the prey and the writer being paranoid about what lurks on the path. The poem is twenty four lines and the rhyme pattern of the six stanzas switch from ABBA to AABB to ABAA, which makes us take a long walk through the forest with the characters and the writer as he writes the story. With his rhyme pattern switching, it makes it seem like the writer is trying to make up his mind where the fox should eventually go or even catch his prey.
There are no caesuras except for a "-" in the title, which I don't know if that counts as a caesura or not. Hughes uses assonances, such as, "more near" and "widening deepening," to describe the path's end which the writer is writing with his excitement. The poems has many naturalistic alliterations, including, "midnight moment's . . .," "deeper with darkness," "touches twig," "body that is bold," "starless still," "page is printed."
Hughes repeats the word "now" four times in lines eleven and twelve, to create intensity and to put emphasis that we are reading this story while he is writing it. These alliterations describe the time, atmosphere, and the mood of the setting and tells us the narrator is a writer. Hughes also mentions "clock," "snow," "dark," and "fox" twice throughout the poem, which are key players. Hughes includes an onomatopoeia, "clock ticks," in line twenty three, so we know time is running out for this night and the prey and we know his being outsmarted by the fox is inevitable.
"Theology"
"Theology" by Ted Hughes is a poem that defends the serpent's actions of tempting Eve to eat the apple in the garden of Eden and the title is perfect because the imagery of the word "theology" could mean we could interpreting the Bible story the right or the wrong way. It depends of the point of view. This poem is told from the serpent's perspective which makes him look the good guy.
The poem also makes references to Adam, Eve, and God, who are key characters in the original story. In this poem they seem like the villains who are trying to stop the serpent from doing his job. The poem is only twelve lines long and a simple poem, but has a lot of story and smooth beat packed into it. "Theology" is very rhythmical for a poem that has no set rhyme pattern, with only rhyming words in the second stanza. It reminds me of a children's nursery rhyme.
Hughes breaks off complete sentence into two lines using enjambment and there's an alliteration in line five, "Adam ate the apple," implying the importance of Adam's transgression as well as Eve's. Hughes uses an assonance with a repeated, "Eve ate Adam" and "The serpent ate Eve." The assonances emphasizes that Eve is both the martyr and the villain, like the serpent. There is a caesura in line ten and eleven, "Sleeps his meal off in Paradise- Smiling to hear God's querulous calling." These lines make it seem like the serpent is waiting for his reward or is happy he took down God's mortals by himself.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Cat's Lullaby
Hush little Shadow, time to sleep.
You'll get to be a wildcat tomorrow.
My alarm is about to beep.
Lay down in your box of paper.
Put your head on my doll's pillow.
You can hold my arm or my stuffed bunny.
Cover your eyes if the moonlight glows,
With one of your paws, my little funny.
Feathers, hair elastics, and balls
Your toys will have to wait
Stay in my room, don't run in the halls
It's getting really late.
I know the night hours are long.
Don't meow, don't sigh.
I have written a soothing song.
This is my cat's lullaby.
*** Synopsis: This is a lullaby for a cat to quit being so wild and to go to sleep.
You'll get to be a wildcat tomorrow.
My alarm is about to beep.
Lay down in your box of paper.
Put your head on my doll's pillow.
You can hold my arm or my stuffed bunny.
Cover your eyes if the moonlight glows,
With one of your paws, my little funny.
Feathers, hair elastics, and balls
Your toys will have to wait
Stay in my room, don't run in the halls
It's getting really late.
I know the night hours are long.
Don't meow, don't sigh.
I have written a soothing song.
This is my cat's lullaby.
*** Synopsis: This is a lullaby for a cat to quit being so wild and to go to sleep.
Duck Pond
There's a duck pond in Ogden where birds eat.
They chase my torn bread crumbs trapping them with their mustard feet.
There's a duck pond in Ogden I visited yesterday.
With my little brother and my grandparents before they flew away.
I'm a grown up now in school and I stroll past the pond.
Trying to reminisce often.
I hope when the birds fly north again, they will bring my grandparents,
To laugh with me again.
There's a duck pond in Ogden where people pass the track
People pass near the duck pond but are in the back
How come we as living people never see the pond for the ducks?
***Synopsis: This song is about the duck pond at Weber, where I visited as a child, and now walk pass everyday I have school.
They chase my torn bread crumbs trapping them with their mustard feet.
There's a duck pond in Ogden I visited yesterday.
With my little brother and my grandparents before they flew away.
I'm a grown up now in school and I stroll past the pond.
Trying to reminisce often.
I hope when the birds fly north again, they will bring my grandparents,
To laugh with me again.
There's a duck pond in Ogden where people pass the track
People pass near the duck pond but are in the back
How come we as living people never see the pond for the ducks?
***Synopsis: This song is about the duck pond at Weber, where I visited as a child, and now walk pass everyday I have school.
Are You Being Served?
I thought the episode of Are You Being Served? that we watched was hilarious. I hadn't seen the show before and I liked it because of its setting and plot. I think the British accents added to the humor. The humor was dry, not slapstick. They made jokes about sexuality, class, and toilet humor. Each of the characters represented a different stereotype such as a dumb blonde, a gay guy, the wise cracking employees, and the elderly. The characters were funny through their personalities, trying to play on the stereotypes they represent. They also made fun of the queen, which I assume is a staple of British comedy. It had some risqué humor which was rare for the 1970's.
It was very relatable and current to today's society. It showed us realistically how it would be to work in a department store and trouble people have getting along with their boss and coworkers. While watching, I noticed themes of sexuality, stereotypes, class, and workplace behavior. If sitcoms should have happy endings, then this one ended perfectly with a song and a dance. I would probably watch another episode.
It was very relatable and current to today's society. It showed us realistically how it would be to work in a department store and trouble people have getting along with their boss and coworkers. While watching, I noticed themes of sexuality, stereotypes, class, and workplace behavior. If sitcoms should have happy endings, then this one ended perfectly with a song and a dance. I would probably watch another episode.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Clay Eggs and Class Videos
For Biological Anthropology, we watched a documentary on the Yanomamo tribe in Africa and we read about skin cancer and genes that might lead to homosexuality.
For British Lit: Contemporary, we read My Son the Fanatic by Kureishi and watched the British sitcom, Are You Being Served? in class. I thought it was funny.
For Design 3D, I made an egg out of clay. We watched Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision in class.
For song lyrics, I wrote a country song and had to come up with 15 original metaphors.
I read Anne of Avonlea on the bus.
For British Lit: Contemporary, we read My Son the Fanatic by Kureishi and watched the British sitcom, Are You Being Served? in class. I thought it was funny.
For Design 3D, I made an egg out of clay. We watched Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision in class.
For song lyrics, I wrote a country song and had to come up with 15 original metaphors.
I read Anne of Avonlea on the bus.
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