Dear Friend,
I have recently started the book Rome and Juliet by Shakespeare. It is difficult to read because they use language that is so different from today. The way they live is nothing like the way we do. They exist in a foreign world, one I am just learning about. In their world they battle, and women are looked down on when it comes to power. Love is potent, but in a way I find it to be shallow there.
From the beginning of the book, you get the feeling that they live in a different time period. There is a strong hate between the two families, the Montagues and the Capulets. I find it ironic, knowing that these two families hate each other while also knowing that Romeo and Juliet fall in love. However, while they do not know each other Romeo is in love with Rosaline. I find this odd, since she does not feel the same way, that he still has the "deep" love for her. They don't seem close which makes me imagine that the love in their world is not based on emotion but on looks and appearance.
This book is odd so far, and very different from what I had expected. It is difficult, but I am beginning to understand it better, and although I have certain feeling about the way they live, I am also starting to understand it the more I read.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Dreams Deffered in Harlem
The poem Harlem by Langston Hughes, is one that I really like. It talks about what happens when people don't follow their dreams by using an intricate writing style. This writing style is one that includes both the meaningful message and many writing techniques that help the poem flow when it is being read. The writing techniques used also help emphasize the message the author is trying to send.
In the poem Harlem, Langston Hughes very deliberately uses a certain format for his poem. Starting on the second line, Hughes uses contrast in his poem in every line. He asks if it drys up or if it gets bigger, if it is like rotten meat or sweet sugar, if it sags or explodes. He compares different things that are either 'good' or 'bad'.
This contrasting method he uses is how he sends his message to us. By using two opposite possibilities to describe possible outcomes of a dream deffered Hughes is saying that either can happen. He is saying that anything can happen, and that the only was to figure out is by following that dream an living it. The dream can die, but it can also explode and change life in a good way. He is showing us through this poem that we have to take that chance if we want great things in life.
In the poem Harlem, Langston Hughes very deliberately uses a certain format for his poem. Starting on the second line, Hughes uses contrast in his poem in every line. He asks if it drys up or if it gets bigger, if it is like rotten meat or sweet sugar, if it sags or explodes. He compares different things that are either 'good' or 'bad'.
This contrasting method he uses is how he sends his message to us. By using two opposite possibilities to describe possible outcomes of a dream deffered Hughes is saying that either can happen. He is saying that anything can happen, and that the only was to figure out is by following that dream an living it. The dream can die, but it can also explode and change life in a good way. He is showing us through this poem that we have to take that chance if we want great things in life.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Sonnet: Light in a Jar
Light in a Jar
By Stephanie Aquino
There it is, effortlessly floating on.
Nothing but air. But my hands can't grasp it.
My aching legs run me across the lawn.
It lands on a flower, fragile wings quit.
It's mine, struggling against my hand with force.
Yet it feels so soft. I bring it inside.
Gently into the jar without remorse.
My eyes peek through the glass, it wants to hide.
But I see shimmering wings, delicate.
As if one touch could destroy that perfect
Harmony of something so intricate.
Wishing forever mine, I overstepped.
If I were that creature or it was me
I know all I'd want was to be set free.
By Stephanie Aquino
There it is, effortlessly floating on.
Nothing but air. But my hands can't grasp it.
My aching legs run me across the lawn.
It lands on a flower, fragile wings quit.
It's mine, struggling against my hand with force.
Yet it feels so soft. I bring it inside.
Gently into the jar without remorse.
My eyes peek through the glass, it wants to hide.
But I see shimmering wings, delicate.
As if one touch could destroy that perfect
Harmony of something so intricate.
Wishing forever mine, I overstepped.
If I were that creature or it was me
I know all I'd want was to be set free.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Collection of 90 New York Fugue Poems (If that makes sense.)
Page 90
one by one
they slowly
fall off
on page 90
they drift
delicately
across
the page 90
as time
goes on
the sway
across
and then
they're gone.
one by one
they slowly
fall off
on page 90
they drift
delicately
across
the page 90
as time
goes on
the sway
across
and then
they're gone.
Fugue in Writing
Thump
It hits once
Boom
It hits twice
Pow
It beats like a drum
Thump
It hits once
Boom
It hits twice
Pow
It beats like a drum
New York
What happens to a hasty life?
One rushed across the city lights
running on the city streets
every step a brand new treat.
But how about when the cars pass by?
You better not blink an eye
with them going oh so fast
I'd say make this moment last.
What happens to a hasty life?
One rushed across the city lights
running on the city streets
every step a brand new treat.
But how about when the cars pass by?
You better not blink an eye
with them going oh so fast
I'd say make this moment last.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Fugue In Writing
Fugue In Red by Paul Kleefugue /fyo͞og/ Noun: A contrapuntal composition in which a short melody or phrase (the subject) is introduced by one part and successively taken up by others...
Paul Klee had to choose between art and music. He had made his choice on his trips to Tunisia, and Africa. The vibrant colors he saw made him want to paint, and he chose to make artwork for his living. When I first saw this painting, before I had read the title or read about Paul Klee's past, I was instantly reminded about music, and about rhythm and beats. He has a couple of painting that follow this trend of giving sound to his artwork, and although those are alike, they stand out from the rest of his artwork, which falls flat in comparison.
As an art student, I admire this painting so much. Although I enjoy trying to do paintings like these, it is something I find very hard to do, and I think that Klee did it in an amazing way. By paintings like these, I mean painting that have something intangible made tangible. In this painting, I can really visualize sound, and I feel like I can almost touch it even. It has a sense of things that are 3 dimensional and real, yet it looks so abstract and unreal.
This painting I would imagine is one that was almost personal to Paul Klee. Having to choose between two careers you love, would be a hard choice. In this painting Klee was able to bring two things that gave him joy together. That translated as a message for me, that when you commit yourself to one thing such as a career, you shouldn't have to let everything else go entirely.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Reading Between The Line, That is Between The Other Line
The more poems I read, the more I start to think about smaller details. One of the poems I interpreted this week was Mother to Son by Langston Hughes. The reason I chose to read this poem this week, was because it is one I have read many times in school, and have discussed that it seemed like I knew it well enough. While analyzing it, I noticed certain lines that showed how it was more than just a mother telling her son about how hard life has been for her, which usually seems to be the general idea. It went deeper than that, which is what I loved about it.
The line "And sometimes goin' in the dark, where there ain't been no light" is one that grabbed my attention. While reading the poem, it had always looked like a hard life was just given to her, and she just went towards the light the whole time, meaning going to positive places. In this line, she is going to the badness, to the dark. While I read this, I noticed a message she was trying to say. She was showing that sometimes to get where you need to be in life, you have to stop and acknowledge everything, including dark places that you might not want to go to. And whatever that 'dark place' is for someone, they have to deal with it, in order to move forward.
One line that I hadn't noticed till this week, was the "Don't you set down on the steps. 'Cause you finds it's kinder hard." It had never occurred to me, that the author didn't need to climb at all, that they had the choice to just stay in one place. This line show, though, that they do have that option, but here the mother is telling the boy that he shouldn't do that because it is harder than climbing. The way I interpreted that line, was that sometimes its hard to live with the decisions you have made, but that you can always do something about it. You can, and should always aim higher to end up on top.
This poem is one that I find super inspirational. I think that although the idea has become somewhat cliche and cheesy, the poem speaks it in such a honest and true way that it makes it much more easy to relate.
Mother to Son
By Langston Hughes
Well, son, I'll tell you:
Life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
It's had tacks in it,
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor—
Bare.
But all the time
I'se been a-climbin' on,
And reachin' landin's,
And turnin' corners,
And sometimes goin' in the dark
Where there ain't been no light.
So, boy, don't you turn back.
Don't you set down on the steps.
'Cause you finds it's kinder hard.
Don't you fall now—
For I'se still goin', honey,
I'se still climbin',
And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
The line "And sometimes goin' in the dark, where there ain't been no light" is one that grabbed my attention. While reading the poem, it had always looked like a hard life was just given to her, and she just went towards the light the whole time, meaning going to positive places. In this line, she is going to the badness, to the dark. While I read this, I noticed a message she was trying to say. She was showing that sometimes to get where you need to be in life, you have to stop and acknowledge everything, including dark places that you might not want to go to. And whatever that 'dark place' is for someone, they have to deal with it, in order to move forward.
One line that I hadn't noticed till this week, was the "Don't you set down on the steps. 'Cause you finds it's kinder hard." It had never occurred to me, that the author didn't need to climb at all, that they had the choice to just stay in one place. This line show, though, that they do have that option, but here the mother is telling the boy that he shouldn't do that because it is harder than climbing. The way I interpreted that line, was that sometimes its hard to live with the decisions you have made, but that you can always do something about it. You can, and should always aim higher to end up on top.
This poem is one that I find super inspirational. I think that although the idea has become somewhat cliche and cheesy, the poem speaks it in such a honest and true way that it makes it much more easy to relate.
Mother to Son
By Langston Hughes
Well, son, I'll tell you:
Life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
It's had tacks in it,
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor—
Bare.
But all the time
I'se been a-climbin' on,
And reachin' landin's,
And turnin' corners,
And sometimes goin' in the dark
Where there ain't been no light.
So, boy, don't you turn back.
Don't you set down on the steps.
'Cause you finds it's kinder hard.
Don't you fall now—
For I'se still goin', honey,
I'se still climbin',
And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Cause Love is Bad and Hate is Good.
As I decide where to continue from my reading plan, I have chosen to read several poems this week. One that I chose was Fire and Ice by Robert Frost. The main idea in this poem, is the idea of love verses hate. The author says that he agrees with those who prefer fire first, but then continues to say that if the world had to end a second time ice would be just as great as fire. When translated, he is saying how hate and love are similar and how they can both destroy us.
When I read this poem for the very first time, I didn't know what the author was trying to say when he said ice was just as great as fire. I kept asking myself how love could in any way be bad. Then rereading it this week, I stopped on the line "from what I've tasted of desire, I hold with those who favor fire". When you desire something, you really want it, because it is something you don't already have. Sometimes when we want something, we don't stop to consider the affects of our actions and we just go for what we want. That is just as bad as being mean when it hurts others, and is sometimes worse because we usually do it for ourselves, making us selfish.
The second half of the poem has always been my favorite part. The author puts the idea of hatred into a positive perspective. It made me think if hate could be good, just as love could be bad. When hate exists in an environment, it is natural to think to bring it down. Having hate exist, however, can help drive people to stand up to it. In the sentence "to say that for destruction ice, is also great" shows how the poem focuses on the destruction from ice, but I this poem helped me see that although, yes, it can be destructive it can also help in such a good way.
Something I have always loved from this poem, and that I had never thought of until this moment, is the deeper meaning that it gives. It almost says how you can choose how you want to end your life, emotionally. In fire or in ice, in love or in hate. Normally you would think love would be the best way, but this poem shows how it might not always be.
Fire and Ice
By Robert Frost
Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.
When I read this poem for the very first time, I didn't know what the author was trying to say when he said ice was just as great as fire. I kept asking myself how love could in any way be bad. Then rereading it this week, I stopped on the line "from what I've tasted of desire, I hold with those who favor fire". When you desire something, you really want it, because it is something you don't already have. Sometimes when we want something, we don't stop to consider the affects of our actions and we just go for what we want. That is just as bad as being mean when it hurts others, and is sometimes worse because we usually do it for ourselves, making us selfish.
The second half of the poem has always been my favorite part. The author puts the idea of hatred into a positive perspective. It made me think if hate could be good, just as love could be bad. When hate exists in an environment, it is natural to think to bring it down. Having hate exist, however, can help drive people to stand up to it. In the sentence "to say that for destruction ice, is also great" shows how the poem focuses on the destruction from ice, but I this poem helped me see that although, yes, it can be destructive it can also help in such a good way.
Something I have always loved from this poem, and that I had never thought of until this moment, is the deeper meaning that it gives. It almost says how you can choose how you want to end your life, emotionally. In fire or in ice, in love or in hate. Normally you would think love would be the best way, but this poem shows how it might not always be.
Fire and Ice
By Robert Frost
Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.
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