Beginning with a beautiful image of a fall day, "That Time of Year" by William Shakespeare it is actually the changing of the seasons that represents the theme of death. Though the images are beautiful, there is definitely a shift in mood with the line, "Which by and by black night doth take away". Death does take life away, that is not news. However, the mention of love at the end gives the poem some sort of a theme. Death makes us mortal, but love is eternal, and can make us strong- if we allow it.
What really makes this poem so potent is the mood. The distraught, sad mood gives us the sense of darkness that we need to truly understand the poem. Death is inevitable as the person lies on his deathbed. But he still has a lesson to learn: life and love cannot be taken for granted because we never know how much time we are really going to have. Death does not wait for us, so why should we wait for death to start living?
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Fear No Evil- Crossing the Bar
Death does not always have to be grotesque, gory, or gloomy, and this is greatly conveyed through Alfred Lord Tennyson's Crossing the Bar. Death seems like less of a dreadful thing when the poet uses words like "sunset and evening star" (Line 1) and "twilight and evening bell" (Line 9). The diction and imagery definitely eases the pain off of the topic of death. Also, towards the end, when he mentions "seeing the Pilot face to face" it gives the readers a sense of hope. He portrays that there is something greater that is waiting for us beyond this life, and that fact is also comforting.
The symbolism comes into play with the details of the night. Death for the character is upcoming and at night, which means that there is hope for light at the end of the tunnel. There is a bridge- a division- between life and death and he will soon cross it.The adventure has only begun.
The symbolism comes into play with the details of the night. Death for the character is upcoming and at night, which means that there is hope for light at the end of the tunnel. There is a bridge- a division- between life and death and he will soon cross it.The adventure has only begun.
Letting Go- A Rose for Emily
With a story so jumbled and mixed up, it is difficult to come up with a series of events that help us to understand and identify with our main character, Emily, in A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner. The reason the story does not have much of a timeline is the point of view and narrator(s). The story is told by her town, so the story is based off of rumors because not many people were close to her.
Even so, we can gather some information on Emily, just based on these rumors. She had a difficult time letting things go. We see several examples of this throughout the story. When her father died, it was written that, "She told them that her father was not dead". Emily did not want to believe that he was gone, so she refused to. Although we do not get the same direct information as that, we can also assume that it was the same way with Homer Barron. It was said that he liked men, which made him not able to marry or have a relationship with Emily. Instead of letting him go, she gets poison, and at the end of the story, we come to know and understand that she killed Homer, and had kept his body in a room that she visited often. What we can tell from both of these examples is that she was holding on to what little she had. Her father and Homer were the only people she was even remotely close to, which eventually drove her to insanity.
Even so, we can gather some information on Emily, just based on these rumors. She had a difficult time letting things go. We see several examples of this throughout the story. When her father died, it was written that, "She told them that her father was not dead". Emily did not want to believe that he was gone, so she refused to. Although we do not get the same direct information as that, we can also assume that it was the same way with Homer Barron. It was said that he liked men, which made him not able to marry or have a relationship with Emily. Instead of letting him go, she gets poison, and at the end of the story, we come to know and understand that she killed Homer, and had kept his body in a room that she visited often. What we can tell from both of these examples is that she was holding on to what little she had. Her father and Homer were the only people she was even remotely close to, which eventually drove her to insanity.
Tradition? The Lottery- Questions 1 & 4
The Lottery by Shirley Jackson is not quite as it seems. Most people would think of a lottery as some sort of reward that one is lucky to win. This is not the case for this short story as we are soon introduced to a wicked twist on that word. However, if one does not pick up on the clues, there is quite the surprise waiting for Mrs. Hutchinson at the end. In just the second paragraph, Jackson writes, "Bobby Martin had already stuffed his pockets full of stones". This is a subtle hint that this lottery is different than what we may have originally thought. Also, the fact that no on is excited, but just kind of there waiting for things to start up as we see when Jackson states, "their jokes were quiet and they smiled rather than laughed". There is a certain tense feeling in the town.
Though the tradition is clearly an important part of the town- seeing that no one has cared to stop it over the years- we must try to understand how something as crazy as a human sacrifice might have come about. The answer is in paragraph 32 when we hear Old Man Warner say, "'Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon'". They had started this tradition years back when they believed that a human sacrifice would help the harvest. Now, we see that the tradition probably won't be ending anytime soon.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Death, Be Not Proud- Questions 2 & 3
John Donne writes in "Death, be not proud" saying that death should not be proud because it is not awful and dreadful. Death, according to the author is not capable of killing. This type of language is hard to imagine. The most contradictory line in the entire poem comes near the end, "Death, thou shalt die." (Donne, Line 14). I feel like the author is trying to deeply convey that death can be a blessing in disguise. This is especially true as it mentions the waking eternally which implies that there is something to look forward to beyond our years. We can dread the future knowing that we are not immortal, or instead we can accept it, embrace it, and move forward with it.
The author's reasons are incredibly persuasive because instead of ending with a line where a lot of negative images can be formed, instead, the last four lines provide hope in the shadows of the darkness of death. However, the arguments are not consistent because in line 10, the author mentions death from poison, war, and sickness which are evil ways to die, while in the next line, the author says that poppies and charms can be the peaceful cause of death. The tone of the poem is also evident as faithful. The author strongly believes that death is more of an obstacle in life, not something to be feared- "a short sleep" he calls it.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
All Good Things Must Come to an End- Glass Menagerie Blog 5
All in all, I remain with a pretty positive outlook on the play, The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams. I am not usually one for unhappy endings, but in this case, I was not at all surprised by anything that happened. I honestly never expected Laura to even come as far as she did, so I was pleasantly surprised by that. She had a serious conversation with Jim that brought her out of her protective shell; he even got her to dance! Williams writes, "He executes some sweeping turns by himself then holds his arms toward Laura," (Williams 1281). Having her build some self-confidence was a reason the ending was actually not too disappointing.
Also, because of all the foreshadowing in earlier scenes, I expected and wanted Tom to leave- so I was glad that he did in the end. For Tom, he needed to let his dreams and adventurous side out, and he could not do so while trapped in his home. He may have left Laura behind, but she will do okay on her own, I believe. I also maintain that his mother is the primary reason for his leaving. Tom worked an awful job everyday day to support the ladies, and he even tried to set up Laura with someone that he knew she was fond of. Selfless is a word to describe Tom, not selfish as his mother did so many times. However, in the end anyone could see that his dreams were bigger than his home could provide for him- he had to escape or go crazy.
Also, because of all the foreshadowing in earlier scenes, I expected and wanted Tom to leave- so I was glad that he did in the end. For Tom, he needed to let his dreams and adventurous side out, and he could not do so while trapped in his home. He may have left Laura behind, but she will do okay on her own, I believe. I also maintain that his mother is the primary reason for his leaving. Tom worked an awful job everyday day to support the ladies, and he even tried to set up Laura with someone that he knew she was fond of. Selfless is a word to describe Tom, not selfish as his mother did so many times. However, in the end anyone could see that his dreams were bigger than his home could provide for him- he had to escape or go crazy.
It's not what you say, it's how you say it!- Glass Menagerie Blog 3
The way The Glass Menagerie is written, by Tennessee Williams, is strange and unusual- even foreign to some readers. Not only do we have a dream within a play, but we have stage directions with as much importance as the dialogue, and diction that says everything!
As it pertains to stage directions, we see them play a huge role especially with Laura. During Laura and Jim's time together, we see Laura's protective walls slowly come down, but not with what she says, but how she acts. For example, the stage directions read, "Laura stares at him, even her shyness eclipsed in absolute wonder,"(Williams 1280). We can tell by this alone that she is beginning to be more comfortable around him, her shyness is not painful, it is just as entranced as the rest of her.
In regard to diction, Williams does a fabulous job picking the right words in the right situations. This quality is expressed throughout the play. We see her write: "ducks jauntily out," (Williams 1287) to describe the manner in which Jim left, "salmon loaf- with Durkees dressing!" (1258) to illustrate the dinner for the caller that will be elaborate, and "honest warehouse worker by day, by night a dynamic czar of the underworld..." (1246) which describes how stressed out and stretched thin Tom has become. With all the descriptions, we as readers are more keen on those important details that make the play what is.
As it pertains to stage directions, we see them play a huge role especially with Laura. During Laura and Jim's time together, we see Laura's protective walls slowly come down, but not with what she says, but how she acts. For example, the stage directions read, "Laura stares at him, even her shyness eclipsed in absolute wonder,"(Williams 1280). We can tell by this alone that she is beginning to be more comfortable around him, her shyness is not painful, it is just as entranced as the rest of her.
In regard to diction, Williams does a fabulous job picking the right words in the right situations. This quality is expressed throughout the play. We see her write: "ducks jauntily out," (Williams 1287) to describe the manner in which Jim left, "salmon loaf- with Durkees dressing!" (1258) to illustrate the dinner for the caller that will be elaborate, and "honest warehouse worker by day, by night a dynamic czar of the underworld..." (1246) which describes how stressed out and stretched thin Tom has become. With all the descriptions, we as readers are more keen on those important details that make the play what is.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
I Dreamed a Dream-Glass Menagerie Blog 3
Keeping in mind that the entire concept of Tennessee William's The Glass Menagerie is that it is a dream, I have been trying to get a sense of the character that this dream belongs to. The answer I am foreshadowing is that this dream is Tom's. I believe that this is Tom's dream because he seems to me like the only character that would make sense that he could have this dream, this memory, after he has left the family.
It is no secret that Tom is considering leaving the family just as his father did. We see some proof of this during a few of the beginning scenes. In scene four, Laura is trying to get Tom to make up with his mother after their dispute. Tom says, "It don't take much intelligence to get yourself nailed up in a coffin. But who in the hell ever got himself out of one without removing a nail?" (Williams 1249). Well, his father did just that. We see that Tom is stressed, overworked, feeling neglected, and still craves adventure. With these things in mind, I can infer that there is a good possibility that he might go away later on, and be in make-up dream about this critical time in his lifeLastly, it is with great thought, that I foreshadow Tom's leaving the house.
It is no secret that Tom is considering leaving the family just as his father did. We see some proof of this during a few of the beginning scenes. In scene four, Laura is trying to get Tom to make up with his mother after their dispute. Tom says, "It don't take much intelligence to get yourself nailed up in a coffin. But who in the hell ever got himself out of one without removing a nail?" (Williams 1249). Well, his father did just that. We see that Tom is stressed, overworked, feeling neglected, and still craves adventure. With these things in mind, I can infer that there is a good possibility that he might go away later on, and be in make-up dream about this critical time in his lifeLastly, it is with great thought, that I foreshadow Tom's leaving the house.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Mother Knows Best- Glass Menagerie Blog 2
As scene 4 opens of The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, Mother and Tom are not on speaking terms, and Laura worries a great deal about this. However, after Laura leaves, Amanda and Tom end up both apologizing to each other about the things they'd said. This discussion actually leads us readers to characterize Amanda more closely and accurately. At first, to me, she seemed to be an overbearing mother to Tom and Laura- accusing Tom of going out to much and Laura for not being good enough to stay in school. Really, however, she is just a concerned mother who wants what is best for her children. Amanda confides in Tom, telling him how much she truly worries about Laura. She worries because Laura has cried over Tom's absence at home, Laura is no longer in school, and because Laura is not yet married. She tells Tom all of this and also gives him a few valuable words of advice, "'Try and you will succeed!'"(Williams 1251). Hopefully, as we dive more into the play, Amanda will stick to her own words of advice and let Tom take care of himself a bit more by letting him make his own choices and mistakes. Keeping a close eye on her, we will continue to see how she grows and reveals more about herself and the other characters as well.
The Music- Glass Menagerie Blog 1
Music in the background is a small, but significant detail in The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams. Later on in the play, it could even represent an important symbol. I would do anything to hear the music as it was throughout the play after all the scenes where it is played. From what I can tell now, it is the kind of music that plays at the perfect time every time. I believe it is used to bring attention to certain scenes as a way to show that an important action just took place. Also, I believe that it helps the tone and mood to change in favor of the characters. For example, after Amanda found out that Laura had dropped out of school, the two had a huge fight. The way it ended was with Laura yelling that she is crippled, and her mother responds with, "'When people have some slight disadvantage like that, they cultivate other things to make up for it...'"(Williams 1244). With such a tense feeling after the emotions came out in that scene, the music helps to calm it down a bit. Lastly, the music also begins to draw some attention to the glass that Laura makes, and how that will clearly play a larger role as the play goes on.
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