“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, 5
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

 

So this defiantly is not the longest poem but man does it pack a punch. I originally wasn’t going to write about this because it was so short but it kept popping into my head, especially with all the end of the world talk lately.

I have never really been real big on poetry. I enjoy it but I don’t go home after school a read it for fun. When I read The Road Not Taken and I realized how much I loved that poem, I looked up more of Frost’s poems. I read the Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening and After Apple-Picking and Home Burial and although I liked them all, my mind kept being drawn back to Fire and Ice. The title itself invokes so much imagery.

I was taken away by the form of this poem. It seems so simple at first but at the same time is complex and clearly thought out. Each line ends with either a –ire, -ice, or –ate rhyme and contains either four or eight syllables. The lines are written in the seeming natural iambic, but this is not strictly followed through all of the lines. A strong enjambment in line seven is placed there by Frost to enforce a desired effect. (Which will be explained laterJ )

I simply love the say that Frost eludes the truth by putting forth an aphorism and leaving the question unanswered and the trust once again remains ambiguous. I think most of this poem’s effect comes from the contrast between the simple clipped accuracy of the vocabulary and the vague significance of the subject.

However, I have to say, the greatest asset to this poem, its greatest triumph is its form. Throughout its entirety the language remains simple, but the overwhelming, rising anticlimax of the final two lines is lost. These final lines draw their soft-kill power from the form: the rhymes, the juxtaposition of their short length and their hard-hitting punch. The final blow is the enjambment in line seven, which builds the necessary tension needed for the perfect letdown. Frost seamlessly pulls off an offhanded comment about the end of the world, which is one thing, but he accomplishes this feat masterfully by making it poetry.

“The Road Not Taken”  By Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth; 5

Then took the other, as just as fair
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same, 10

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back. 15

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference. 20

I had never read this poem before now. Now that I have, I realize that many, like myself, have misunderstood it. Most, probably by not reading but simply seeing the title. This poem is not about taking the road less traveled. It is, however, as the title and the poem states, a tale of man who comes to a fork in the road and must choose one way or the other. Both are equally traveled and equally covered with leaves. The speaker chooses one and tells himself that one day he take the other, thought he knows that it is unlikely he ever will have the chance to do so. He states that someday in the future when he is telling this story to others he will say he took the road less traveled, which will add a slight twist and a little drama to this somewhat everyday story.

Forks in roads and paths in woods have been symbols and metaphors of life and lifeline since ancient times. They hold crises and decisions. The fork in this poem is identical on either size, symbolizing the nexus of fate and free will. Because each side is the same, we are free to choose but we don’t know what we are choosing between. Therefore our decision is determine by the culmination choice and chance. I personally love this poem because it does not advise. It doesn’t say “take the left” “take the right” “take the road less traveled”. Like life, the man must decide on his own and the reader never knows which he chooses.

  The title also lead me to think that in the future the man may even regret the decision he made. Not because of the outcome but because of what he may have loss by not taking the other road. This is one of those poems that every person should read and I believe every person will have a different view of it. Many views may be similar but each person has to relate the poem to their own lives and so each view will be, should be, slightly different.

Are We An Island?

          In British Literature last year, as a class we read “No man is an Island” by John Donne. While looking for classic short stories to read for these blogging assignments, I came across this piece and reread it. I realized that I had a whole new look on the meaning behind these words. I couldn’t find the short essay I had written about it last year, but I feel my thoughts on this topic have changed enough for me to write them out. So here I go

I wish the quote “no man is an island” could be accurate for this century, but I think it only accounts for half of our world. I think the world has more good but the bad is louder. The purely good at heart can never be “islands”, because they have God. Anyone who has a loving supportive family also can never be an “island”. Though, if you were to look at the media only, one could easily form the idea that every man is for himself. Newspapers, magazines, TV shows, movies, action news and music, they all shout the evil in the world. The good is hardly ever seen.  How are people supposed to learn how to do good for others if they never see it being done? There are thousands and thousands of amazing people achieving amazing accomplishments each day, but they don’t get put on the cover of the news or shown on the 6 o’clock news.

Personally, I see the quote “no man is an island” as meaning that no one needs or is left to stand alone, but sadly in today’s world people do have to stand alone. Just in the United States, there are so many problems. We boast about being so united, together. We are the United States but are we really. Do each of us really care about the people we pass on the streets or in the grocery store or even in the halls of our schools? I think today’s quote is “see no island, hear no island, speak no island”. How many people walk past a homeless person and see a cold hungry person down on their luck and in need of a helping hand, or do they just see an dirty man who needs a haircut? Do you hear a person being bullies by someone else and really hear what is happening? Can you hear the pain being inflicted on that person by a human being just like them? Are problems like these ever talked about enough and taken seriously by enough people? So many people in today’s world don’t even realize how much they don’t see and hear each day. The world could be so much better if more people were aware of the problems and took time to help improve them.

I do realize that there are many, many people in the world today fighting to make it a better place. I am just saying that to succeed in making the world better, more people need to be aware and to care about what is happening to others around the world. To ensure that no person is ever an island, everyone needs to think and care for others. If every person is caring and working to help others and not just themselves, then in the end everyone will be cared for. Then, and only then, will no one have to stand alone.

 

 

Minimalist or not Minimalist

                I read the short story “In The Place Where Al Jolson is Buried” by Amy Hempel.  I had been trying to figure out what I wanted to write about this story. I finally just decided to write about minimalist. The factors that make up the qualities of the minimalistic fiction piece are fairly straightforward yet deciding if a piece of writing is minimalist is not always easy. Minimalist stick to short words, short sentences and short paragraphs; in this circumstance it leads to a short story. These stories are usually filled with simple, easy to understand vocabulary, with equally simple sentence structures. There is little figurative language, meaning very small amounts of symbolism and allegories. More often than not, there is minimal description of the characters, major and minor, and minimal setting description. The imagery used is short and to the point and any background information is sparse. Only the absolutely necessary background information is shared. Brand names are usually used to quickly describe objects or characterize a person. In most minimalist stories, there is very little action and the stories are often written in the present tense. Most progress with a nihilistic tone and the stories often end with no resolution.

                “In The Place Where Al Jolson is Buried” by Amy Hempel is difficult to place in one category of writing; however , there are many qualities that her story contains that match the style of a minimalist.  For example, the first paragraph of the second section contains both short sentences with simple structures and easy vocabulary. This trend continues throughout the story. The story also provides very little background information. How did the friends meet? What is causing Al to die? Another clue that this story is minimalist is that there is very, very, very little action. The narrator is mostly sitting with Al and talking, she has some minor flashbacks but that’s about all the action seen. The story does have a nihilistic tone throughout the entire piece. The final hint that this is a minimalist story is that fact that there is no resolution.

                There are many different types of minimalist writers. Another minimalist writer is Ann Beattie. I have had a few people tell me she should be on my “to read list”. Her most recent work is titled Mrs. Nixon: A Novelist Imagines a Life. Critics called it “narcissistic”, “self-indulgent” and “splendidly tricky”. An excerpt from this story showed short sentences with simple structure and vocabulary. It contained almost no figurative language and only small pieces of character description. Another critic said that "Nothing in Mrs. Nixon is perfectly clear, and that is the source of its power."

So I’m a little wary of writing in first person because I’ve always been told to never write anything for school in first person. It’s like the golden rule for teachers, but I have decided it’s time. This blog will be shorter than my others which could be a good or bad thing depending on how you look at it. So here it is, my first blog written in first person! Enjoy!

 Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston is often renowned for Hurston’s distinctive use of language, predominantly her mastery of rural Southern black dialect. She uses a remarkable narrative structure throughout the novel. She splits the presentation of the story between extraordinary literary narration and native dialogue. Her long passages of dialogue celebrate the traditionally rich black voices of Janie’s world. These voices are matchless in American literature and their distinctive vocabulary, grammar and tone mark their individuality.

Janie’s quest to find her voice parallels that of Hurston’s use of language. This novel deals greatly with find one’s voice. Jody suppresses Janie’ speech when he stops her from talking after he was named mayor. I believe her hatred for him comes from him silencing her individuality. On the other hand, Tea Cake welcomes her speech by talking with her and putting each of them on equal terms. Her love for him stems from his respect for her individuality. Tea Cake and Jody are similar in that they both have strong personalities and I believe both loved her but in different ways for different reasons. Tea Cake’s love for her build her up, gave her confidence and the foundation to find her true self, whereas Judy knocked her down, keeping her quiet and constantly in his shadow. She was never alone be her own person with Judy, Tea Cake picked her up and set her on level ground with himself.

Now that she has regained her self-worth, she discovers her ability to define herself through her speech and communication with others. She also finds that silence can be a source of empowerment and she learns to control her voice instead of others being in control. I think this concept is best seen when the both the narrator and Janie are silent, neither revealing why Janie isn’t upset with Tea Cake’s actions at the trail. Throughout this whole novel, Hurston lays a massive amount of emphasis on the control of language as a source of identity and empowerment.

Corruption of Power Through Unchecked Ambition

The play begins with a fleeting appearance of three witches and then jumps to a military camp, where King Duncan of Scotland is informed that his generals, Macbeth and Banquo, have conquered two separate invading armies. Following their battle with these enemy forces, Macbeth and Banquo come across the witches. The witches prophesize that Macbeth will become the thane of Cawdor and later the King of Scotland. The witches also foretell that Banquo will never be king himself but one day his heir will be and a line of Scottish kings will be created. The witches quickly vanish leaving the two men confused and skeptical. Then some of King Doncan’s men come to show gratitude to the generals for their victories and to inform Macbeth that he has been named to new thane of Cawdor after the last one betrayed the king and allied himself with the enemy.  Macbeth, now interested in the possible truth of the rest of the witches’ prophecy,  goes to King Duncan and they plan to have dinner together that night at Macbeth’s castle, Inverness. Macbeth writes to his wife, Lady Macbeth, and informs her of his good news.

Lady Macbeth is instantly driven by the desire for power. She craves the kingship for her husband and decides that he should murder Duncan to speed up the process. When Macbeth comes home, she convinces him that he must kill the king that night. They plan to get the chamberlains so drunk they won’t be able to remember that night, and then they can be blamed for the murder of the king. That night while Duncan is asleep, Macbeth stabs him to death. The next morning when the King’s death is “discovered”, Macbeth kills the chamberlain; supposedly out of rage at their crime. Macbeth then easily assumes the throne. Doncan’s sons escape to England and Ireland, fearing their deaths could be next.

Macbeth soon remembers the witches’ prophecy about Banquo and he hires hit men to kill Banquo and his son, Fleance. Banquo is murdered but Fleance is able to escape. Macbeth is furious because as long as Fleance is alive, Macbeth’s place on the throne is not secure. At a feast that night, Macbeth is visited by Banquo’s ghost. Macbeth babbles fearfully, which later leads to a greater increase in the nobles and subjects’ resistance against him and his rule. Lady Macbeth tries to do damage control, but Macbeth is so frightened that he goes to the witches’ cavern. They tell him to beware of Macduff, a Scottish nobleman who was against Macbeth’s ascension to the throne. However, Macbeth is also told that he cannot be harmed by any man born of a woman and he will be safe until the Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane Castle. Macbeth is relieved and confident that he is secure.  When Macebth learns that Macduff has left for England to join Malcom, he orders Macduff’s castle to be seized and Lady Macduff and her children to be killed.

Macduff is tormented with grief and promises revenge. Prince Malcolm, Duncan’s son, and Macduff ride to Scotland with their army to challenge Macbeth’s forces. Meanwhile, Lady Macbeth has become hunted with the idea that she has bloodstains on her hands. Right before the arrival of Macbeth’s adversaries, he is informed that his wife, Lady Macbeth, has taken her own life. Macbeth is crushed and sinks into despair. He holds on the certainty in the witches’ prophecies that guaranteed his invincibility that is until he sees English army is shielded with boughs cut from the Birnam Wood. The Birnam Wood has come to the castle and the witches’ predictions are coming true again.

In the battle, Macbeth fights viciously but it’s not enough; he and his army are overcome. On the field Macbeth encounters Macduff, who declares that he is not “of woman born” but was ripped from his mother’s womb (cesarean section). Macbeth realizes he is doomed, but continues to fight until Macduff kills and beheads him.

One of the main themes of Macbeth is the destruction formed when ambition goes unrestricted by moral limitations. It is clearly expressed through the play’s two main characters.  Macbeth is a courageous general who would not normally commit evil deeds; however he deeply craves power and advancement. His wife convinces him to kill Duncan and against his better judgment and he does. Afterwards, he is trapped in guilt and paranoia. Throughout the play, he makes more and more choices in favor of his desire for power but each is farther for any type of moral constriction. At the end of the play, he has descended into an agitated, big-headed madness.    Lady Macbeth, in contrast, goes after her goals with more determination, but she is less adept to withstand the outcomes of her corrupt acts. She is one of Shakespeare’s most forcefully drawn female characters; she provokes her husband ruthlessly to kill Duncan and then urges his to be resilient in the murders aftermath but she is ultimately driven to her own death as a result of Macbeth’s constant bloodshed on her conscience.   In each circumstance, ambition – though helped by the damaging prophecies from the witches – is what motivates the couple toward more and more appalling atrocities. The lesson to be learned here is that once one decides to use violence to promote one’s search for power, it is nearly impossible to stop.                                       

The American Dream

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald gives a behind the scenes look into the lives of a small group of people living the 1920’s. Fitzgerald tells the story through a young man named Nick Carraway. Nick moves to New York in the summer of 1922. He rents a house in the West Egg district of Long Island. This area is populated by the “new rich”, a group who have made their money too recently to have built social connections. These people are prone to to show garish displays of wealth. Nick’s neighbor is a man named Jay Gatsby. He is very mysterious and lives in a huge Gothic mansion, in which every Saturday he throws an extravagant party.

Unlike the other people of West Egg, Nick attended Yale and has social connections in East Egg, a more classy area of Long Island home to the conventional upper class. Nicks goes to East Egg to have dinner with his cousin, Daisy Buchanan and her husband, Tom, who was a classmate of Nick’s at Yale. Tom and Daisy introduce Nick to Jordan Baker, a beautiful young woman.  They begin a romantic relationship. Soon Nick learns from Jordan that Tom has a lover, Myrtle Wilson. She lives in the Valley of Ashes, which is an industrial dumping ground between West Egg and New York City. Not long after this discovery Nick travels to New York with Tom and Myrtle, where Tom keeps an apartment there specifically for the affair.  While there at the apartment, Myrtle begins to taunt tom about Daisy. Tom losses it and breaks her nose.                                                                                                                                

Later into the summer, Nick is invited to one of Gatsby famous parties. When he meets Gatsby, Nick is surprised to see a charming young man with an English accent, who calls everyone “old sport”. Nick learns through Jordan that Gatsby knew Daisy in Louisville and fell deeply in love with her and still is in love with her. Nick is asked by Gatsby to arrange a meeting so he and Daisy can reconnect. After what started to be an awkward reunion, they reestablished their connection and their affair began.

After only a short time, Tom becomes increasingly suspicious of Daisy and Gatsby’s relationship. At a luncheon, Tom realizes that Gatsby loves Daisy. He is deeply outraged even though, he too is involved in an affair of his own.  He forces that whole group to take a drive into New York City. Tom confronts Gatsby in a suite at the Plaza and then tells his wife that Gatsby is a criminal; his self-made fortune having come from  bootlegging alcohol and other illegal activities.  Daisy chooses Tom over Gatsby but then Tom forces Daisy to drive home with Gatsby, possibly attempting to prove that Gatsby can’t hurt him.

When Tom, Nick and Jordan drive through the valley of ashes on their way home, they discover that Gatsby’s car has hit and killed Myrtle. They rush back to Long Island and Nick learns from Gatsby that Daisy had been driving when Myrtle was hit. Gatsby loves Daisy so much; he intends to take to blame. The next day Tom tells George, Myrtle’s husband, that Gatsby was driving the car. George concludes that whoever was driving the car must have been Daisy’s lover. He goes to Gatsby’s house and finds Gatsby in his pool. George fatally shoots Gatsby, and then turns the gun on himself.

Nick holds a small funeral for Gatsby. He then ends his relationship with Jordan and moves back to the Midwest to escape the disgust he feels for the people who surrounded Gatsby’s life and the repulsion he feels for the emptiness and decay of all morals in the lives of the wealthy. Nick reveals that just as Gatsby’s dream of loving Daisy was corrupted by money and dishonestly, so has the American dream been corrupted by the pursuit of wealth. Even though Gatsby was able to transform his dream into reality, the era of dreaming, both Gatsby’s and the American dream, is over.

The American dream was all about discovery, individualism and the pursuit of happiness. However, in this novel, it is corrupted by easy money and the absence of social values. Gatsby’s dream of loving Daisy was first ruined by their differing social classes. He then resorts to crime to make enough money to elevate his social standings to impress her.

Americans give meaning to America through their dreams. Similarly, Gatsby infuses Daisy with an idealized perfection that she neither possesses nor really reserves. Gatsby’s dream is dashed by the unworthiness of its object, just as the American dream is ruined but the unworthiness of its object, which would be the pleasure and money. Gatsby longs to re-create the past- his time with Daisy in Louisville- but just as the 1920s Americans fruitlessly seek an era in which their dreams still have value, he is incapable of doing so. When Gatsby’s dream collapses and he is killed, all Nick can do is move back to Minnesota where American values have not been lost.