English Essay #6
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Poetry Essay #4
Fourth and last essay of the weekend.
Analyze two conflicting sides of a character and explain how this conflict illuminates the meaning of the work as a whole.
Book chosen: Hamlet
Forks in the road offer up unique opportunities to show values held by individuals. These decisions help reveal themes within a story, and paint a picture of the author's intended message. In Shakespeare's Hamlet, the protagonist goes mental agony throughout the book. His decision on life or death drives the story, and is summarized in his famous soliloquy To Be or Not to Be. This inner conflict of whether to live or die allows Shakespeare to share his message of internal struggle and revenge's folly to his audiences and readers.
The choice that Hamlet must make is one based on internal conflict. He struggles with the pain related to the death of his father, and the cruelty of life, and faces the decision of whether to face his trouble, or to end it in one fatal sweep of a knife. Shakespeare explicitly magnifies this conflict in Hamlet's self reflection. On one hand, Hamlet wonders if he should face his troubles and deal with his inner emotions. On the other he wonders whether he should just end them and his life. This shows that Hamlet doesn't have a handle on his inner emotions, and his passion driven actions are clouded in misdirection, and this leads to tragic revenge.
One choice Hamlet ponders is that of ending his life. To make his own suffering end in an instant. This particular choice reveals the struggle that he faces. The harshness of life and the desire to just make your challenges go away in a blink of an eye. This highlights internal struggle, and Hamlet's inability to think straight. His other option is that of facing his issues. He takes this route, but due to his struggle, he follows the path of revenge, and ends up paying the price for his actions.
Analyze two conflicting sides of a character and explain how this conflict illuminates the meaning of the work as a whole.
Book chosen: Hamlet
Forks in the road offer up unique opportunities to show values held by individuals. These decisions help reveal themes within a story, and paint a picture of the author's intended message. In Shakespeare's Hamlet, the protagonist goes mental agony throughout the book. His decision on life or death drives the story, and is summarized in his famous soliloquy To Be or Not to Be. This inner conflict of whether to live or die allows Shakespeare to share his message of internal struggle and revenge's folly to his audiences and readers.
The choice that Hamlet must make is one based on internal conflict. He struggles with the pain related to the death of his father, and the cruelty of life, and faces the decision of whether to face his trouble, or to end it in one fatal sweep of a knife. Shakespeare explicitly magnifies this conflict in Hamlet's self reflection. On one hand, Hamlet wonders if he should face his troubles and deal with his inner emotions. On the other he wonders whether he should just end them and his life. This shows that Hamlet doesn't have a handle on his inner emotions, and his passion driven actions are clouded in misdirection, and this leads to tragic revenge.
One choice Hamlet ponders is that of ending his life. To make his own suffering end in an instant. This particular choice reveals the struggle that he faces. The harshness of life and the desire to just make your challenges go away in a blink of an eye. This highlights internal struggle, and Hamlet's inability to think straight. His other option is that of facing his issues. He takes this route, but due to his struggle, he follows the path of revenge, and ends up paying the price for his actions.
Poetry Essay #3
Show how McCarthy's techniques convey the impact of the experience on the main character.
Dramatic experiences must be felt, and relived by a reader. McCarthy does just this is his novel The Crossing, retelling the chilling story of a man trying to put to rest the life of a wolf in the wild. He brings the author to the scene with vivid imagery, relives the action play-by-play, and takes the reader with him. The struggle with death can also be seen allegorically through the smoldering fire, and the nature that encompasses him. Through his action-to-thought structure, symbolic imagery, and his third person writing style, McCarthy conveys the main character's psychological struggle, and their connection to nature that they gain through the experience.
This insert in the essay is structured so that the reader goes through the actions in the main character's eyes without pause, then hear his inner thoughts. This form serves a two pronged purpose. The first half of the insert allows the reader to tell real time, through indirect characterization, how the main character was impacted by the experience first hand. His very careful and delicate proceedings with the wolf show his care of the animal. In doing this, you get a raw feel of the emotional connection that the main character has with the wolf. The second half of the insert has to deal with the inner workings of the character's thoughts. His self reflection on nature shares how he feels part of it, and how even a vicious creature is an integral part of the world how we know it, as are we.
The author uses very powerful, symbolic imagery throughout to help tell the story. A smoldering fire helped represent the struggle to stay alive. A wolf running through fresh morning grass before the rise of the sun showed the fresh and innocent view on life. Blood running from the wolf showed its life was whisked away from it. This was able to share the character's inner thoughts without explicitly saying the feelings that they had. It allowed for a more free flowing, action oriented text, with still conveying the significant impact the experience had on the main character.
In writing in third person, the author is able to gain a third person perspective on the character. By doing this he was able to share the characters perceptive in a different manner. He allowed the character's actions to speak for themselves, and for his inner thoughts to paint a picture fore the reader. By objectively peering into his inner imagery and thoughts, a general view on how the character changes through the experience can be made.
Dramatic experiences must be felt, and relived by a reader. McCarthy does just this is his novel The Crossing, retelling the chilling story of a man trying to put to rest the life of a wolf in the wild. He brings the author to the scene with vivid imagery, relives the action play-by-play, and takes the reader with him. The struggle with death can also be seen allegorically through the smoldering fire, and the nature that encompasses him. Through his action-to-thought structure, symbolic imagery, and his third person writing style, McCarthy conveys the main character's psychological struggle, and their connection to nature that they gain through the experience.
This insert in the essay is structured so that the reader goes through the actions in the main character's eyes without pause, then hear his inner thoughts. This form serves a two pronged purpose. The first half of the insert allows the reader to tell real time, through indirect characterization, how the main character was impacted by the experience first hand. His very careful and delicate proceedings with the wolf show his care of the animal. In doing this, you get a raw feel of the emotional connection that the main character has with the wolf. The second half of the insert has to deal with the inner workings of the character's thoughts. His self reflection on nature shares how he feels part of it, and how even a vicious creature is an integral part of the world how we know it, as are we.
The author uses very powerful, symbolic imagery throughout to help tell the story. A smoldering fire helped represent the struggle to stay alive. A wolf running through fresh morning grass before the rise of the sun showed the fresh and innocent view on life. Blood running from the wolf showed its life was whisked away from it. This was able to share the character's inner thoughts without explicitly saying the feelings that they had. It allowed for a more free flowing, action oriented text, with still conveying the significant impact the experience had on the main character.
In writing in third person, the author is able to gain a third person perspective on the character. By doing this he was able to share the characters perceptive in a different manner. He allowed the character's actions to speak for themselves, and for his inner thoughts to paint a picture fore the reader. By objectively peering into his inner imagery and thoughts, a general view on how the character changes through the experience can be made.
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Poetry Essay #2
Poetry Essay #2:
In June, amid the golden fields,
I saw a groundhog lying dead.
Dead lay he; my senses shook,
And mind outshot our naked frailty.
There lowly in the vigorous summer
His form began its senseless change,
And made my senses waver dim
Seeing nature ferocious in him.
Inspecting close maggots' might
And seething cauldron of his being,
Half with loathing, half with a strange love,
I poked him with an angry stick.
The fever arose, became a flame
And Vigour circumscribed the skies,
Immense energy in the sun,
And through my frame a sunless trembling.
My stick had done nor good nor harm.
Then stood I silent in the day
Watching the object, as before;
And kept my reverence for knowledge
Trying for control, to be still,
To quell the passion of the blood;
Until I had bent down on my knees
Praying for joy in the sight of decay.
And so I left; and I returned
In Autumn strict of eye, to see
The sap gone out of the groundhog,
But the bony sodden hulk remained
But the year had lost its meaning,
And in intellectual chains
I lost both love and loathing,
Mured up in the wall of wisdom.
Another summer took the fields again
Massive and burning, full of life,
But when I chanced upon the spot
There was only a little hair left,
And bones bleaching in the sunlight
Beautiful as architecture;
I watched them like a geometer,
And cut a walking stick from a birch.
It has been three years, now.
There is no sign of the groundhog.
I stood there in the whirling summer,
My hand capped a withered heart,
And thought of China and of Greece,
Of Alexander in his tent;
Of Montaigne in his tower,
Of Saint Theresa in her wild lament.
In June, amid the golden fields,
I saw a groundhog lying dead.
Dead lay he; my senses shook,
And mind outshot our naked frailty.
There lowly in the vigorous summer
His form began its senseless change,
And made my senses waver dim
Seeing nature ferocious in him.
Inspecting close maggots' might
And seething cauldron of his being,
Half with loathing, half with a strange love,
I poked him with an angry stick.
The fever arose, became a flame
And Vigour circumscribed the skies,
Immense energy in the sun,
And through my frame a sunless trembling.
My stick had done nor good nor harm.
Then stood I silent in the day
Watching the object, as before;
And kept my reverence for knowledge
Trying for control, to be still,
To quell the passion of the blood;
Until I had bent down on my knees
Praying for joy in the sight of decay.
And so I left; and I returned
In Autumn strict of eye, to see
The sap gone out of the groundhog,
But the bony sodden hulk remained
But the year had lost its meaning,
And in intellectual chains
I lost both love and loathing,
Mured up in the wall of wisdom.
Another summer took the fields again
Massive and burning, full of life,
But when I chanced upon the spot
There was only a little hair left,
And bones bleaching in the sunlight
Beautiful as architecture;
I watched them like a geometer,
And cut a walking stick from a birch.
It has been three years, now.
There is no sign of the groundhog.
I stood there in the whirling summer,
My hand capped a withered heart,
And thought of China and of Greece,
Of Alexander in his tent;
Of Montaigne in his tower,
Of Saint Theresa in her wild lament.
1982 Poem: “The Groundhog” (Richard Eberhart)
Prompt:
Write an essay in which you analyze how the language of the poem
reflects the changing perceptions and emotions of the speaker as he
considers the metamorphosis of the dead groundhog. Develop your essay
with specific references to the text of the poem.
Poetry Essay #2
Transitional shifts in tone and perspective are very necessary to the power of poetry. In the poem "The Groundhog" by Richard Eberhart, the shift can be found through the speaker's mental and physical transition in the middle of the poem. The groundhog, once seen as rotten and disturbing, is now seen as in the vast circle of life. Peace is found through the years that the poem sifts through, and this can be seen through the language difference before and after the shift in the poem. The poem starts off very somber with grotesque and unsure language, jumps to self reflection right before the shiftt with a pause, and then shifts to a very free flowing second half which embraces nature for what it is.
The poem's language starts off very uneasy and fearful. The imagery in the first few stanzas paints a bleak picture with words such as "dead", "frailty", and "maggots". This shows the first reaction to seeing the dead groundhog. The narrator becomes unable to think clearly, emphasizing on his or her system shock. They tell every emotion concretely, and do not let their thoughts flow at this point. The uneasiness can be seen through the use of the words "naked", "senseless", and "trembling". These points of uncertainty and fear set the stage for changing emotions, and this emotional stage for the narrator sets the stage for the theme of the poem to shine through.
Right before the shift in the narrator's perspective, he enters a brief period of deep thought. This period starts at the line "My stick had done nor good nor harm." and ends with "Mured up in the wall of wisdom." Sadness turns to indifference in this time, with the second viewing of the groundhog. Here the diction changes to using very calm words and adjectives for the tone. The words "quell", "control", and "wisdom" all convey this new perspective. The middle of the road attitude is also seen through the use of antonyms when his feelings are described, such as, "I lost both love and loathing.". This leads up to the shift in which the speaker changes their perspective once more.
At the shift, the narrator's attitude drastically changes from indifferent to accepting and joyful. The dead groundhog is all but gone, and in its place is a beautifully described scene. In juxtaposition with the previously dead groundhog corpse, the setting is now "Massive and burning, full of life". The use of the word life contrasts with the the use of the word dead in the first stanza, and shows a concrete change in viewpoint. Instead of emotions being described, the narrator focuses on the scene before him, showing his acceptance of nature, and his inner peace.
The groundhog offered a medium that the narrator's change in mentality could be shared through. The tone, diction, and psychology of the situation changed throughout the poem in accordance with the narrator. The narrator's final peace can be seen through the allusions used in the last stanza. It relates each individual to where they found their peace at, and the narrator found theirs in nature.
Poetry Essay #1
Pre-write
Body Paragraphs:
Paragraph 1: Fundamental Differences in Speakers.
To Helen: Speaker views statue as beautiful, glorious, a sight to behold. Once which brings both joy and comfort. Yet is distant to the narrator himself. Uses allusion to Rome.
Helen: Speaker sees the statue as a destructive becon. One which signifies the downfall of roam. It's fault lies in its perfect beauty. Hatred comes from its larger than life persona
Paragraph 2: Imagery/tone
To Helen: Describes beauty, welcoming in contrast to the lonely seas. Tone is calm, longing.
Helen: Very harsh tone, using the word hate on multiple occasions. Describes a statue that is too perfect, almost mocking. White, juxtaposition between the two.
Paragraph 3: Diction and Form
To Helen: Alliteration, Anaphora, iteration. Uses Greek references making the statue feel in place. Beauty, longing, Admiring
Helen: Hate, Past Ills, and wish for future destruction. Clear diction, no olden or cosmopolitan language.
Body Paragraphs:
Paragraph 1: Fundamental Differences in Speakers.
To Helen: Speaker views statue as beautiful, glorious, a sight to behold. Once which brings both joy and comfort. Yet is distant to the narrator himself. Uses allusion to Rome.
Helen: Speaker sees the statue as a destructive becon. One which signifies the downfall of roam. It's fault lies in its perfect beauty. Hatred comes from its larger than life persona
Paragraph 2: Imagery/tone
To Helen: Describes beauty, welcoming in contrast to the lonely seas. Tone is calm, longing.
Helen: Very harsh tone, using the word hate on multiple occasions. Describes a statue that is too perfect, almost mocking. White, juxtaposition between the two.
Paragraph 3: Diction and Form
To Helen: Alliteration, Anaphora, iteration. Uses Greek references making the statue feel in place. Beauty, longing, Admiring
Helen: Hate, Past Ills, and wish for future destruction. Clear diction, no olden or cosmopolitan language.
Essay #1
Objects of great beauty often are met with contradicting views, such as Helen in the poems To Helen by Edgar Allan Poe, and Helen, by H.D. In Edgar Allan Poe's Helen, the speaker sees Helen as a beautiful, welcoming, caring figure. He gets lost in his words, and is found in the poem through Helen. She is described through long, flowing sentences, with very complimentary words. In H.D.'s Helen, the speaker views Helen with great contempt. She is seen as the beauty which brought down their society, and sees her as perfect to the point of flaw. She is painted as a purely white figure whom caused disaster for Greece, and these descriptions are accompanied with vindictive words. These drastically conflicting views of Helen can be seen through the speaker's tone, imagery, diction, and form in which they delivered their viewpoints.
The speakers in the two have two different stories about Helen. In Poe's version, the speaker tells of a beauty across a lost sea. Of someone who brings great comfort and homage to those whom allow it. Troy is seen as home to the speaker, and Helen a motherly figure. In contrast, in H.D's version the speaker viewed Helen with great enmity. As the single factor whom destroyed their beloved Greece with her beauty. This beauty has brought great distress to Greece, and the speaker shares this side of Helen. The two sides from which the story of Helen is told lays the foundation for the speaker's viewpoints of her.
In accordance to these views, each speaker uses unique imagery to describe Helen, and in conflicting tones. To Helen's describes a the contrast between the lonely ocean waves, and the relaxed beauty of Helen. The speaker uses a very calm tone to describe the comfort they feel when viewing Helen. In Helen, the speaker has a very harsh tone, using the word hate on multiple occasions. They describes a statue that is too perfect, almost mocking.The imagery of a perfect white statue is used in juxtaposition with the tone used.
The different views on Helen can also be seen through the narrator's word choice, and how they put their story together. One speaker gets lost in their words, often repeating and emphasizing their comfort in Helen through both an alliteration and an anaphora. Their story is one of longing, and solace through Helen. In the other poem, the narrator uses very harsh words in very short lines to describe their hate of Helen. They describe their current hate, why they hate her, and their desire to be rid of the beautiful figure.
Both speakers acknowledge the beauty of Helen, but one sees it in comfort, while the other through hate. Comfort is seen through a very calm, easy tone, which describes the lonely seas. Through long mellifluous sentences which ooze harmony with the statue. The other has a hatred of Helen, and is very clear of this through harsh words, and viewing the beauty as flawed.
Friday, April 26, 2013
Poetry Analysis
Title
of poem means |
|
Paraphrase
parts of the Poem |
|
Connotation
of some of the words – changing literal meaning to implied or associated values |
|
Attitude
What is the attitude of the author, characters or yourself? |
|
Shift
At first we think or feel one way – then there is a shift: identify the shifts and explain them |
|
Title revisited
Any new insights on meaning or significance of title? |
|
Theme
(Your soul is the key to your freedom)
|
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