Death, Be Not Proud
John Donne p. 972
The speaker in the poem seems to have a mindset that death is not the end, and that death does not win. Though death thinks it has the last say, the last word in a person's life, it is not the end. The speaker addresses death directly, saying, "death, thou shalt die", because death is only a short sleep before arising in eternity (Donne, 972). I find it both fascinating and a relief that death is described only as a vessel to eternity, rather than the means by why the soul is going there. It is "fate, kings, desperate men... poison, war and sickness" that kills, and death is merely a slave, stricken with the responsibility of transporting souls to presumably heaven. I also find that the speaker mocks death. Instead of "mighty and dreadful", death is a "poppy or charm", a lighthearted interpretation of it's seemingly important job.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night (4/5)
Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night
Dylan Thomas
This poem seems a great deal like the phrase, "go out with a bang". At first glance, I thought the poem was encouraging men to not accept the inevitable, that they should not accept death as a natural consequence with growing old. Instead, I see the poem not as encouragement to pursue longevity, but rather to disown the sadness of death. Death should not guide man's hand into the inevitable, but man should live with confidence up until the last day. "Rage, rage against the dying of the light", is a epithet that encourages the denial of dying while still alive. Man should not accept death, but instead, rage against the dying of the light, and refuse to allow it to consume him before death takes his body. To me, the poem alludes to the importance of going out with a bang, and not feeling defeated when it comes time that night will close in and the light will be over.
Dylan Thomas
This poem seems a great deal like the phrase, "go out with a bang". At first glance, I thought the poem was encouraging men to not accept the inevitable, that they should not accept death as a natural consequence with growing old. Instead, I see the poem not as encouragement to pursue longevity, but rather to disown the sadness of death. Death should not guide man's hand into the inevitable, but man should live with confidence up until the last day. "Rage, rage against the dying of the light", is a epithet that encourages the denial of dying while still alive. Man should not accept death, but instead, rage against the dying of the light, and refuse to allow it to consume him before death takes his body. To me, the poem alludes to the importance of going out with a bang, and not feeling defeated when it comes time that night will close in and the light will be over.
Crossing the Bar (3/5)
Crossing the Bar
Alfred, Lord Tennyson
This poem to me doesn't seem to carry the typical aura that writings of the topic of death usually hold. It seems to reveal imagery symbolizing freedom: "one clear call for me!", and "may there be no sadness of farewell when I embark". I really enjoyed this poem actually, it illuminates the peace in death rather than pain or turmoil or disclosure. Oftentimes I think many faiths emphasize the pain in dying, and the immorality of allowing someone to die without a fight. I understand that all life is precious, and certainly valued, but through my experience with cancer and disease and dying, I have learned to understand death in terms of peace, rather than evil. There comes some point that death should become a vessel that "turns again home (Tennyson, 886)".
Alfred, Lord Tennyson
This poem to me doesn't seem to carry the typical aura that writings of the topic of death usually hold. It seems to reveal imagery symbolizing freedom: "one clear call for me!", and "may there be no sadness of farewell when I embark". I really enjoyed this poem actually, it illuminates the peace in death rather than pain or turmoil or disclosure. Oftentimes I think many faiths emphasize the pain in dying, and the immorality of allowing someone to die without a fight. I understand that all life is precious, and certainly valued, but through my experience with cancer and disease and dying, I have learned to understand death in terms of peace, rather than evil. There comes some point that death should become a vessel that "turns again home (Tennyson, 886)".
A Rose for Emily (2/5)
A Rose for Emily
William Faulkner
It's safe to say that Miss Emily is mentally ill. She suffers from the delusion that she is not "alone", that she has a boyfriend to snuggle up to each night. In fact, her fragile state of mind tricks her into believing that the actual corpse decomposing on her bed is in fact alive and real, laying beside her breathing as she does. The story is presented in fragments of a whole, dispersed with no chronological structure. The audience gains knowledge of Miss Emily's background as the pages turn, and one crucial occurrence that led to Emily's mental instability was likely the death of her father. In fact, when her father died, she kept his body in her house for three days before someone intervened to arrange a proper burial. Also, through progressing onward through the story, it is revealed that a man Emily once thought she was going to marry left her, likely contributing to her addiction to constant companionship. It is fascinating, yet troubling to think of the corruption abandonment has elicited in Emily, and I can't help but refer back to my Psychology class from last year and the depth of the pain she had to have felt in her previous experiences with men to have the need to sleep with a decomposing corpse to keep her company.
William Faulkner
It's safe to say that Miss Emily is mentally ill. She suffers from the delusion that she is not "alone", that she has a boyfriend to snuggle up to each night. In fact, her fragile state of mind tricks her into believing that the actual corpse decomposing on her bed is in fact alive and real, laying beside her breathing as she does. The story is presented in fragments of a whole, dispersed with no chronological structure. The audience gains knowledge of Miss Emily's background as the pages turn, and one crucial occurrence that led to Emily's mental instability was likely the death of her father. In fact, when her father died, she kept his body in her house for three days before someone intervened to arrange a proper burial. Also, through progressing onward through the story, it is revealed that a man Emily once thought she was going to marry left her, likely contributing to her addiction to constant companionship. It is fascinating, yet troubling to think of the corruption abandonment has elicited in Emily, and I can't help but refer back to my Psychology class from last year and the depth of the pain she had to have felt in her previous experiences with men to have the need to sleep with a decomposing corpse to keep her company.
The Lottery (1/5)
The Lottery
Shirley Jackson
The work begins on a warm summer day, in fact, "the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green (Jackson, 263)." The perfect day for a lucky winner to receive their lottery prize. Following the story however, the audience grows to understand the miserable irony that this "lucky" day signifies. An initial trigger that this community's lottery is unlike a traditional lottery is the pile of stones laying around in a pile. Why such the emphasis on the pile of stones? Something is obviously askew. Also, by all means, "Mr. Graves" seems like an awfully lucid name for a character with a job as a lottery official, supposedly bringing "luck" to the town. What makes the story interesting and terribly confusing at the same time is the juxtaposition of dark and light imagery. The warm summer day, the feeling of newness the children feel just being released from school for summer break, the joy of Mrs. Hutchinson in her arrival to the drawing of lottery tickets all seem to reveal some kind of jubilant occasion in which one lucky winner will be chosen to receive a great prize. On the opposite end, the character "Mr. Graves", and what his name signifies, and the praise of a young man for his bravery in entering for his family in the lottery, don't seem to match up to the setting. It all makes (horrible) sense in the end when the audience learns of the great "prize" of winning, death by stoning, executed for tradition's sake.
Shirley Jackson
The work begins on a warm summer day, in fact, "the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green (Jackson, 263)." The perfect day for a lucky winner to receive their lottery prize. Following the story however, the audience grows to understand the miserable irony that this "lucky" day signifies. An initial trigger that this community's lottery is unlike a traditional lottery is the pile of stones laying around in a pile. Why such the emphasis on the pile of stones? Something is obviously askew. Also, by all means, "Mr. Graves" seems like an awfully lucid name for a character with a job as a lottery official, supposedly bringing "luck" to the town. What makes the story interesting and terribly confusing at the same time is the juxtaposition of dark and light imagery. The warm summer day, the feeling of newness the children feel just being released from school for summer break, the joy of Mrs. Hutchinson in her arrival to the drawing of lottery tickets all seem to reveal some kind of jubilant occasion in which one lucky winner will be chosen to receive a great prize. On the opposite end, the character "Mr. Graves", and what his name signifies, and the praise of a young man for his bravery in entering for his family in the lottery, don't seem to match up to the setting. It all makes (horrible) sense in the end when the audience learns of the great "prize" of winning, death by stoning, executed for tradition's sake.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
5. The Glass Menagerie
The Glass Menagerie
Tennessee Williams
Amanda is selfish. She elicits many times this image of a caring, worrisome, mother, but in fact, all of her concerns for her children reveal her inner need to control their lives in order to make herself feel adequate. Tom, for instance, longs for intellectual stimulation, which in turn could also provide financial stability, but Amanda, in her constant worrying about money, can't seem to process that maybe it's worth Tom's happiness to make a change in their current lifestyle. It also seems to be obvious that Amanda wants desperately for her daughter to have a gentlemen caller. On the outside, the audience certainly sees a concerned mother, wanting her daughter to be well taken care of. When looking into Amanda's past, it is certainly obvious that she had an array of gentlemen callers to choose from, and she wishes that fortune upon her daughter. Amanda, however, doesn't simply want the best for her daughter, but she refuses to accept the handicaps of her daughter, and wants that she is identical to her, a rather selfish reason to want her daughter to find a husband.
Tennessee Williams
Amanda is selfish. She elicits many times this image of a caring, worrisome, mother, but in fact, all of her concerns for her children reveal her inner need to control their lives in order to make herself feel adequate. Tom, for instance, longs for intellectual stimulation, which in turn could also provide financial stability, but Amanda, in her constant worrying about money, can't seem to process that maybe it's worth Tom's happiness to make a change in their current lifestyle. It also seems to be obvious that Amanda wants desperately for her daughter to have a gentlemen caller. On the outside, the audience certainly sees a concerned mother, wanting her daughter to be well taken care of. When looking into Amanda's past, it is certainly obvious that she had an array of gentlemen callers to choose from, and she wishes that fortune upon her daughter. Amanda, however, doesn't simply want the best for her daughter, but she refuses to accept the handicaps of her daughter, and wants that she is identical to her, a rather selfish reason to want her daughter to find a husband.
4. The Glass Menagerie
The Glass Menagerie
Tennessee Williams
I find Laura an interesting character. While she does nothing financially to support the family, she seems to be the glue that holds the three together emotionally. She doesn't take part in an petty arguments between Tom and Amanda, which is a piece in creating her role as the one in need in the family. She is like a child. Tom is told by his mother that Laura needs him there, as a financial provider, and as someone to look after her and find her a gentleman caller. Without Laura, the family would likely drift apart. She serves to the “slow and implacable fires” by standing in as a mediator. I find it very ironic that she trips over the fire escape when leaving the apartment. She mends the fires, and has no choice but to stay there. Her handicap has created her to be somewhat passive, but her character keeps the two aggressive personalities stuck together.
Tennessee Williams
I find Laura an interesting character. While she does nothing financially to support the family, she seems to be the glue that holds the three together emotionally. She doesn't take part in an petty arguments between Tom and Amanda, which is a piece in creating her role as the one in need in the family. She is like a child. Tom is told by his mother that Laura needs him there, as a financial provider, and as someone to look after her and find her a gentleman caller. Without Laura, the family would likely drift apart. She serves to the “slow and implacable fires” by standing in as a mediator. I find it very ironic that she trips over the fire escape when leaving the apartment. She mends the fires, and has no choice but to stay there. Her handicap has created her to be somewhat passive, but her character keeps the two aggressive personalities stuck together.
3. The Glass Menagerie
The Glass Menagerie
Tennessee Williams
I addressed the leaving of Mr. Wingfield in the previous post briefly, but what I wanted to point out is the importance of the absent father in the play. The mere fact that a picture of the father is hung over everything that occurs on stage is a sure indicator that he still has great influence over everything that occurs in the Wingfield home. Tom, when his father left, took on the role of the provider in the home, a tiresome position, especially while working at the warehouse, where he is miserable. He acknowledges his need to free himself from the situation, and recognizes that he may turn out like his father, "'You know it don't take much intelligence to get yourself into a nailed-up coffin, Laura. But who in hell ever got himself out of one without removing the nail?' (As if in answer, the father's grinning photograph lights up)" (Williams, 1249). He undeniably identifies with his father, even after the pain he caused his mother.
Tennessee Williams
I addressed the leaving of Mr. Wingfield in the previous post briefly, but what I wanted to point out is the importance of the absent father in the play. The mere fact that a picture of the father is hung over everything that occurs on stage is a sure indicator that he still has great influence over everything that occurs in the Wingfield home. Tom, when his father left, took on the role of the provider in the home, a tiresome position, especially while working at the warehouse, where he is miserable. He acknowledges his need to free himself from the situation, and recognizes that he may turn out like his father, "'You know it don't take much intelligence to get yourself into a nailed-up coffin, Laura. But who in hell ever got himself out of one without removing the nail?' (As if in answer, the father's grinning photograph lights up)" (Williams, 1249). He undeniably identifies with his father, even after the pain he caused his mother.
2. The Glass Menagerie
The Glass Menagerie
Tennessee Williams
Nearing the end of Scene 3, it is apparent the internal conflicts of each of the main characters. Each is struggling with their own inner demons, and for Amanda, it appears to be nostalgia, and a yearning for the betterment of her family. For Laura, her physical and social handicaps are the primary causes for her stuggles, and Tom, who seemingly is the most conflicted, struggles with the nagging of his mother about working a job that he hates, but also he fights his urge to leave and grasp the fringes of adventure. Amanda struggles with controlling his desires, and seems to wound both of her children when trying to push them to be what she expects of them. Tom rebels, and says to her, "Man is by instinct a lover, a hunter, a fighter, and none of those instincts are given much play at the warehouse!"(Williams, 1253). His rebellion reveals no sort of relief for the two children, and they continue their bickering with their demanding mother. Even though Amanda is unbearingly pushy, and oftentimes suffocates her children with her endless requests, I still feel a pang of sympathy for her, a single mother, wanting what's best for her children with an absent father. I don't know if I blame her, her husband leaving is stress enough to cause her to go crazy with worries and demands.
Tennessee Williams
Nearing the end of Scene 3, it is apparent the internal conflicts of each of the main characters. Each is struggling with their own inner demons, and for Amanda, it appears to be nostalgia, and a yearning for the betterment of her family. For Laura, her physical and social handicaps are the primary causes for her stuggles, and Tom, who seemingly is the most conflicted, struggles with the nagging of his mother about working a job that he hates, but also he fights his urge to leave and grasp the fringes of adventure. Amanda struggles with controlling his desires, and seems to wound both of her children when trying to push them to be what she expects of them. Tom rebels, and says to her, "Man is by instinct a lover, a hunter, a fighter, and none of those instincts are given much play at the warehouse!"(Williams, 1253). His rebellion reveals no sort of relief for the two children, and they continue their bickering with their demanding mother. Even though Amanda is unbearingly pushy, and oftentimes suffocates her children with her endless requests, I still feel a pang of sympathy for her, a single mother, wanting what's best for her children with an absent father. I don't know if I blame her, her husband leaving is stress enough to cause her to go crazy with worries and demands.
1. The Glass Menagerie
The Glass Menagerie
Tennessee Williams
What strikes me as interesting, is the way Tom addresses the audience directly. I was surprised with his brutal honesty. By addressing the stage direction, the violinist backstage, and his appearance playing the role of Tom, and the narrator, it is obvious that he has nothing to hide. "I give you truth in the pleasant disguise of illusion" (Williams, 1236). Tom, and the author seemingly have nothing to hide. This structure and insight into Tom makes me feel like I know him, like we're good pals, and like I know something that Amanda and Laura don't. Also, I find it pleasantly truthful that he addresses his bias, as he informs the audience that they are his memories that are being replayed. Another observation I made within the first pages, was his "weakness for symbols", he outlines the symbols in the play from the beginning, specifically the symbolism of the gentleman caller. This is an interesting way to open a play.
Tennessee Williams
What strikes me as interesting, is the way Tom addresses the audience directly. I was surprised with his brutal honesty. By addressing the stage direction, the violinist backstage, and his appearance playing the role of Tom, and the narrator, it is obvious that he has nothing to hide. "I give you truth in the pleasant disguise of illusion" (Williams, 1236). Tom, and the author seemingly have nothing to hide. This structure and insight into Tom makes me feel like I know him, like we're good pals, and like I know something that Amanda and Laura don't. Also, I find it pleasantly truthful that he addresses his bias, as he informs the audience that they are his memories that are being replayed. Another observation I made within the first pages, was his "weakness for symbols", he outlines the symbols in the play from the beginning, specifically the symbolism of the gentleman caller. This is an interesting way to open a play.
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