Putting Chaos in His Place

Tyger Tyger

In reflection on poetry that has impacted me, I looked way back to a television show I

 watched as a junior in high school, The Mentalist.  In this television show the Protagonist, Patrick Jane, is on the hunt for the serial killer known as Red John who killed his wife and daughter. He enlists as a consultant for the California Bureau of Investigation as he seeks at all cost to chase down this murderer. In his search (spoiler) he discovers an undercover illegal association among the justice system of California known as the Blake Association. Red John being the leader of this association has created the name of the association from the poem “The Tyger” by William Blake. As the series continues Jane runs into many in this association that feed him a single clue, the words, “Tyger, Tyger.” On one occasion while tied up with ropes Jane meets a masked Red John face to mask and Red John recites for him the first stanza of the poem.

Tyger Tyger, burning bright,

In the forests of the night;

What Immortal hand or eye,

Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

Upon reflection of this poem as a clue for Jane and his team, they discuss the meaning of the poem; that of opposites, light and darkness, life and death, the lamb and the tiger. In the show, this theme and symbolism makes sense as Red John fits the portrayal of the tiger while Jane fills that of the lamb. This made for an exciting series and gave a Ying/Yang stifle that I still enjoy watching. However, as I have reflected on this poem and analyzed it, its meaning has changed and developed in a different atmosphere for my own life.

From Empty Shelfs to Libraries

My growth in analyzing and critiquing literature this semester can be
compared to the building of a library. Each book is assembled and read one at a time. It may start with just a few books, but eventually grow to be a large library. In similar fashion I believe I started this semester with a very thin book shelf of knowledge. Maybe a couple of dusty copies of Dr. Seuss and Narnia filled the shelf but since it has grown to a more established shelf that is ready for more.

As the semester began and we started to watch plays I was interested to see the purpose. I felt that for an introduction to English studies it was odd to see blogs and dramatic performances take the front end of the semester. However, I can see from looking back at my analysis of "The Death of a Salesman" that allow though I noticed some things such as theme, lighting, and music I didn't truly understand how to analyze a play with respect to costuming, where the play is being performed, and the different types of vocal performances that place a profound influence on how a line in a production is received.

I also had new experiences this semester as I attended the play "Romeo y Julieta" and participated in the English Student Symposium. From the play on the campus of BYU I was fascinated at the ability they have to paint a story while having limited technology and funding. They were able to demonstrate the imagination I need in my writing and analysis even when I don't have much to work with. From the English Student Symposium, I learned that whatever my argument may be I must have absolute passion for what I am arguing. Without the passion for their topics I watched some students struggle to defend their position when critics asked hard questions, and with the passion for their topics I watched other students nobly stand for their argument with solid evidence and conviction. Any solid thesis statement must not only have the evidence to back it up, but the rigorous conviction of the writer.

Possibly most important, in regard to what I have learned and how my writing and literary analysis has developed from blogging in this class this semester, is the worth of being myself. As I read through blog teammates such as Mya's and Allie's post I found that the most impactful posts were the ones where I could hear their voices as I read their words

Martin Luther King once taught:

Human Progress is neither automatic nor inevitable... Every step toward the goal... requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.

I am not even close to having a full bookshelf full of skills and knowledge in analyzing and writing about literature. Yet, from this class and blog I have felt small steps toward a distant goal. It's required some sacrifice, struggle and yes even some suffering but I do feel that I have expanded my bookshelf and it's open for more.

Darwinism in Literat- Oh wait, no, that's not quite what this is.

When I did literary analysis in the past, it always revolved around a couple distinct things: character, plot, theme, figurative language, and symbolism. That's it. I honestly had no idea what "new criticism" "Marxism" or "structuralism" meant. Although I undoubtedly used some of those approaches in past analysis, it's not the same thing as truly knowing them. Perhaps this is a crude comparison, but it's like the difference between knowing how to throw a punch in a fight and knowing exactly ho to hit someone to knock them out. In the first scenario, you can fight, sure, and you can perhaps get a knock out because in general you know to throw punches at people's heads, but in the second scenario you're going to fare much better because you know exactly where in the head to hit, how hard, and how to create appropriate openings in order to get there. It's all about refinement and knowledge of technique. This is like making an analysis because now I know more than a general "this is what you do to write a literary analysis". Now I know how to look at how the specific plot structure synthesizes with the metaphors and diction to create meaning. Now I know to look for tropes that combine with the setting to add emphasis to particular points.

This is how my literary analysis has evolved. I also learned a great deal about reader-response-ism. I felt like most of what we did in class focused on this type of literary criticism, and I think it is the most important, because, in the end, it doesn't matter how a piece of literature was intended or crafted, it matters how it was received (I don't mean favorably/unfavorably, I mean the definition of reader-response. How it makes us feel, think, etc.). I am learning to synthesize all these different types of analysis into one great whole. I did this the best on my Literary Analysis essay, where I was able to successfully synthesize many aspects of the story "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings", such as title, setting, plot structure, diction, and tropes, character, extended metaphors, and symbols, to produce a viable argument for what I thought the piece meant. The Personal Literary Essay was also helpful, but more in reading other pieces than making my own, and seeing how others were able to successfully capture the true purpose of literature in their own analysis of how it affected them. 

I'd say that from now on my way of analyzing literature is changed. I am more skilled and have more tools on my belt than ever before, and that's going to be a gift that keeps on giving.   

Links, for those who are interested, to the most influential analysis for me:

Mommy Blogger in the Making

From where I started to where I went with my blogging has evolved.

A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings: A Very Strange Tale Most Definitely Not for Children

I am analyzing Gabriel Garcia Marquez's short story "A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings: A Tale for Children".

Thesis/Intro:
This is a story about an old man with vulture's wings who appears in a small village off the coast sometime in the mid 20th century. It is a story about how the people of this small town assume that he is an angel and that he can perform miracles, and how they use him. My working thesis on the paper is this: "Though Marquez claims that this is a story for children, it is really a story about the absurdity of human nature, and is quite unfit in various ways for a child audience." I think this is true, although I am unsure because he may just be giving it that title to fool with people.

Section one:
So this part of the paper i explain the story and it's interpretation. basically, each person in the story represents a distinct form of human absurdity, and i will show this through a character and plot analysis.

Section 2:
Just having some character analysis wont be enough. so i will also delve into how the old man is actually a metaphor for Jesus Christ in the story, and how it parallels how people treated him. this will further support my thesis. This is the town reaction, on my paper, because they are the ones who give the biggest impression of this link between the old man and Christ.

Section 3:
Now I need to delve even deeper. lets talk about the story structure, how the symbols (like the wings, a typical symbol of power, are given to a weak old man), contrasts, and everything else sets up a greater structure that mirrors human absurdity.

On the Beauty of Poetry and it’s Overall Importance

Annotations of Ars Poetica by Archibald MacLeish

Claims:
Policy: Archibald Macleish’s poem should not be read literally, as most of it is metaphoric.
Definition: The poem is saying that although to have meaning is important, a poem cannot transcend unless it is beautiful too.
Comparison: The unorthodox structure of the poem is like how poetry should feel to us: unique and timeless.
Evaluation: It is good for us to give poetry meaning, but it should be beautiful too.
Casual: Reading the poem figuratively evokes many beautiful images that are unstated about what poetry truly is.

Ars Poetica: Poems shouldn't mean anything at all!

8 Steps to Follow and Questions to Ask

Ars Poetica by Archibald Macleish

1. Listening or reading the poem out loud without over-analyzing is a great way to start!

A poem should be palpable and mute 

As a globed fruit, 

Dumb

As old medallions to the thumb,

Silent as the sleeve-worn stone

Of casement ledges where the moss has grown- 

A poem should be wordless

As the flight of birds.

A poem should be motionless in time

As the moon climbs.

Leaving, as the moon releases

Twig by twig the night-entangled trees, 

Leaving, as the moon behind winter leaves,

Memory by memory the mind- 

A poem should be motionless in time

As the moon climbs

A poem should be equal to:

Not true.

For all the history of grief

An empty doorway and a maple leaf.

For love

The leaning grasses and two lights above the sea-

A poem should not mean

But be. 

2. Articulating expectations for the poem allows the reader to go into detail about how, where, or when the poem frustrates or fulfills your expectations 

The title suggests to me that the poem will be about poetry itself, although I don’t really know what an Ars Poetica is, it seems to me to suggest some kind of list or description. Indeed, the poem details what a poem should be in ideal terms. 

3. Analyzing the syntax of a poem allows the reader to truly understand what is being said. 
The author uses plenty of metaphors and figurative language, and uses interesting stanza structure, where each thought is broken into two lines and one stanza, the first line being almost always shorter than the second. This creates an added emphasis to the more important thoughts.

4. Consulting reference works for anything the poemmay mention that you do not understand.
Ars Poetica means  a poem that explains the "art of poetry" or a meditation on poetry using forms and techniques of a poem, etc.

5. Understanding who, where, when, and what happens is easier after you've come to a literal understanding of each sentence.
Who: Nobody but the reader and the author
Where: No particular location
When: No time frame is given, except to say that this poem (and all poetry that's good) is essentially timeless.
What: a description of what poetry really is, it's most important and complex attributes, what makes it special.

6. Addressing those questions allows us to ponder the bigger picture questions such as why does the poem matter and what does it mean?
The poem is important because it displays an authors view on what poetry really is. it is interesting because the poem says that a poem should not mean anything, but that it should be. I think, paradoxically, that this poem does mean something, and that is that all poetry should transcend meaning, because it should also be a work of art, and just as art is hollow without purpose, it is also not art without beauty.

7. How does the form of the poem contribute to it's effect and meaning?
The most powerful part of the poem to me is the ninth stanza because of how the lines in the individual stanzas are weighted. Normally, the first line is shorter than the last one, or of comparable length. But in this stanza that order is reversed, which adds a punch to the line: Not true. This is powerful stuff because it accentuates that poetry isn't as simple and math and other parts of the world, it is abstract and detailed and flexible and can be many things at once without equaling anything at all.

8. Consider the ways in which the poem both uses and departs from poetic conventions, especially those related to form and sub-genre. 
The poem doesn't have a regular meter that is the same length for every line. it changes, even though there is a pattern. Yet the poem does adhere to a rather strict rhyme scheme, giving it some form of structure. The punctuation is a tad different than normal, with long, drawn out sentences mostly comprising of commas and such to showcase the winding and rhythmic pace of poetry in general.

On the Other Hand... Maybe Darkness Is Just too Boring

In my other post about this clip of Hamlet, I discussed how the darkness of the stage and the general lack of props can enhance the viewers experience by focusing all attention on Hamlet himself as he gives his crucial soliloquy. But, on the. Other hand, the darkness of the stage and the lack of good props and symbols could be detracting from the overall performance. Cumberbatch is a phenomenal actor, and he certainly delivers a moving performance, however that’s not to say that it couldn’t be improved were the atmosphere to include more symbolism, more than just a noose in a dark room. Either way, his performance is fantastic. But just like how apples are great alone yet many people consider them to be even better with peanut butter, this play could maybe use a bit more extravagance in the stage.

Benedict Cumberbatch in Hamlet

The production ofHamlet in which stars Benedict Cumberbatch is incredibly interesting, and not only because he is an excellent actor. The lighting of the stage is very focused: all is dark except Hamlet himself. This is interesting because in most productions of Hamlet that I have seen, there arre other things on stage, objects that are themes and symbols. In this case all is focused on him, and the noose that he has tethered about his neck. This, combined with the darkness of the stage, lends a certain power and focus to the play that is not present in many other renditions. Watching, you can see how the darkness of the stage not only lends these qualities, but also an increase in tension, as the darkness is somewhat symbolic of the death and unknown that Hamletis wrestling with in this moment. What an excellent production!

Perspective and Untapped Potential

Just shortly after World War 1 the United States went through a period of self-reflection. With 16 million dead this self-reflection included thoughts on religion and God. In 1925 religion was even put on trial in the John Scopes 'Monkey Trial' of Dayton, Tennessee. As people tried to cope with the destruction and trials they had faced they wondered about this man named Jesus and whether or not religion was actually making a change in their lives or in the world. It was during this time that Myra Brooks Welch wrote a poem that has deeply impacted my life since reading it and has increased my understanding of my Savior. The Touch of the Master’s Hand was published on February 26, 1921 in The Gospel Messenger. It beautifully describes something that metaphorically the Master, Jesus Christ, has amplified to it's true potential and made it more valuable. As we examine the poem we see that Welch has given us imagery that helps us understand this attribute of what the Savior can do for us.

We begin in an auction with an auctioneer that doesn't have much faith in an old violin:

’Twas battered and scarred, and the auctioneer

Thought it scarcely worth his while

To waste much time on the old violin,

But held it up with a smile:

“What am I bidden, good folks,” he cried,

“Who’ll start the bidding for me?”

“A dollar, a dollar”; then, “Two!” “Only two?

Two dollars, and who’ll make it three?

Three dollars, once; three dollars, twice;

Going for three—” But no,

The End Draws Near

I learned a lot through this blog, putting myself out there and writing in an informal way again, helped me to gain confidence in myself and my writing. I had already had a lot of experience with looking at text and drawing out devices and techniques. I've done a lot with talking about their affect, but actually getting into particular critical approaches was the next step for me. Not only looking at literature in those different ways, but on this blog I have been able to see how different people perceive works of literature. Ideas and angles I would have never been inclined to think of were eye-opening to me and helped me recognize my own biases and preferences. Just as I am able to recognize the biases and limitations of different approaches, I can see them in myself and others. This seems to be not just a literature skill but a life skill as well.
I think one of the most important lessons I learned here was that analyzing literature in thoughtful and valid ways isn't confined to formal analysis. I can express similar ideas in a blog post as I do in a formal paper, and have just as much fun and passion with both. When we analyzed a piece of poetry, my first thought was to do something normal, like a Yeats poem. Not that his poetry isn't brilliant, but I realized I didn't need to be confined to what is generally considered "poetry." I found that scripture can be considered literature, and I've been trying to find new ways of studying the scriptures, and looking at them through the lens of literary analysis may provide new insights. At the very least it would be an interesting activity. This has also made me more invigorated to read on my own time again. Life is crazy and busy, but I've realized how important it is for me to read, think, and share ideas that I have discovered. This is the only class where I haven't dreaded group work, maybe it's the people, but my love of discussion and analysis has been able to shine. This has been a good time, thank you all<3

Show & Tell

As I was rereading Antigone, I got to the part when she committed suicide and I was shocked. I was sad because of how much happened after she died, and how many people she hurt because of it. I was mad because she was so close to her goal, and she gave up. I went home and asked my friends what they thought the most noble act they could do for those they love, and they all answered to die for them. And then I started thinking about how often this happens in tragedies. People commiting suicide in vain, because they think it will make a difference and help the world, or because their own pain is too much. Dying for those we love doesn't accomplish anything. The same thing happend 441 BC, 1596, and 2016. I'm going to analyze all of these from a historical criticism, and what suicide meant in that time era, and how we need to stop romanticising death for those we love. 

Show and Tell feat.Terrible Doodles!

I have decided to continue the analysis of Elizabeth Alexander's "Ars Poetica #100: I Believe" and now I get to tell you want I want to talk about specifically.

My working thesis is: Despite the perception that Elizabeth Alexander's poem is rambling and almost ranting, she actually is able to argue her point that poetry is important in an assertive and clever way by using structure, imagery, and metaphor.

• Starting off with the acknowledgement of authorial intent and the fact that this poem is of the genre that are poems about poetry (this explanation may or may not stay in the intro). She is addressing her audience that appears to be her students as she is explaining what she would tell them about poetry, she is trying to be persuasive and that is seen in the emphasis in certain areas of the poem. The pacing is quick with the couplets and is meant to keep attention, but important points are emphasized rather than skimmed or rambled through.

• Tension is built in the poem along with the pace and this is why this poem may be seen as rant, but Alexander acknowledges the tension building showing self-awareness that strengthens her control in the poem. As she is using poetic devices she slowly escalates showing even more control and balances her passion with her argument.

• Lastly she supports her argument through the use of imagery and metaphors as a way of introducing ideas into the reader/listener's mind. The images work to potentially inspire or enlighten and work as Alexander's evidence. Like a teacher engaging her students she tries to make this lessen applicable them so that they care and she ends in a classic teacher-like way, with a question.

The Possibility of Poetry

Annotations of Emily Dickinson's poem, "I Dwell in Possibility"

Claims:
Policy: Emily Dickinson’s poem should be read by all to understand the importance of poetry

Definition: The poem is a metaphor for the wonders of imagination
Comparison: The change in the meter is like the change in our minds and how we process life
Evaluation claim: It is better to be on a quest for knowledge than to quit at the first hard test.
Casual: Dickinson uses her religious background frequently throughout her writing.

Meta Poetica Part II

Writing out and annotating a poem is an excellent way to really pull apart and understand a poem. From this we can really start to form different kinds of claims to talk about the poem:

Policy Claim: Elizabeth Alexander's poem should be read out loud because of how it is paced, the tone, and tension she builds.
Definition Claim: This poem is about the poet's belief that poetry is inspired by happenstance occurrences in human lives, she expresses this through metaphor and questions.
Comparison Claim: Elizabeth Alexander's poem claims that poetry is like the small details and inspirations in a humans life through this poem with metaphors and an assertive tone.
Evaluation Claim: "Ars Poetica: #100: I believe" is best understood as a plea to young people to take poetry seriously and as a way to connect to others by using understandable metaphors and a passionate tone.
Causal Claim: Elizabeth Alexander causes the the reader to reflect on their relationship with poetry, and by extension how it connects them to the world around them by using personal metaphors and asking questions to instigate personal reflection.

Things Left Unsaid

 
             




Much like books, poems, and film life happens in transitions. Books have chapters to mark the start of a new segment. Poems have breaks or verses to indicate the start of a new thought. Films use scenes and various other techniques to indicate the change happening in film. Life happens in the same way with the tags that are put on in the phases of an individual's life. These tags can be identified as newborn, toddlers, teenagers, adults, pre - school, kindergarten, elementary school, high school, college and within the various school phases there are grades to indicate process. With these transitions comes new hardships, trials, challenges, choices, responsibility, opportunities and so on. I'd like to focus on the transition I had from high school to college with a song by one of my favorite artists I discovered in the 7th grade.

Poet & I Didn't Even Know It

8 Steps to Follow and Questions to Ask

1.   Listening or reading the poem out loud without over analyzing it is a great way to start!

 

BY EMILY DICKINSON

I dwell in Possibility –

A fairer House than Prose –

More numerous of Windows –

Superior – for Doors –

Of Chambers as the Cedars –

Impregnable of Eye –

And for an everlasting Roof

The Gambrels of the Sky –

Of Visitors – the fairest –

For Occupation – This –

The spreading wide my narrow Hands

To gather Paradise –

2.   Articulating expectations for the poem allows readers to go into detail about where, when, and how the poem fulfills or frustrates your expectations.

I am a romantic, and I come by it honestly. When looking at Emily Dickinson's title, "I Dwell In Possibility" it excites me. I love nothing more than a possibility, because it has a positive connotation, it means anything could happen- it's possible. I think it's going to be about something she hopes for or something she wants, we know she's talking about poetry even though she never says poetry. 

3.   Analyzing the syntax of a poem allows the reader to truly understand what is being said. 

I had to look up a few different renditions of the poem to understand what exactly Dickinson was trying to accomplish. I looked up the word Prose, and I noticed when she capitalized words to turn them into a proper noun. She capitalizes the end of almost every phrase making it stand out and almost to add emphasis on the terms. 

4.   Consulting reference works for anything the poem may mention that you do not understand.

After a simple google search, I found that Emily Dickinson lived in Amherst, Massachusetts in the mid-1800's. Although part of a prominent family with strong ties to its community, Dickinson lived much of her life in reclusive isolation.

5.   Understanding who, where, when, and what happens is easier after you've come to a literal understanding of each sentence. 

Who: A poet who seeks the possibility

Where: In a house where there are grand visitors 

When: As soon as possible

What: Living a life where poetry is apart of how we live and interact

6.   Addressing those questions allows us to ponder the bigger picture questions such as why does the poem matter and what does it mean?

I think Dickinson's poem matters because she longs for this world where people connect and interact through poetry. Misunderstood herself, she longed to be heard, understood, and for people to respect her writings. 

7. How does the form of a poem contribute to its effect and meaning?

Her form is three tidy quatrains, I think it was symbolic that while it may look like a normal poem that follows all the rules, it ends up getting wild within the meters, and she is making a statement. She isn't a poet you can just put on the shelf, but she is a powerhouse who knows what she wants and how she is going to get it. 

8. Consider ways the poem both uses and departs from poetic conventions, especially those related to form and sub-genre.

Dickinson doesn't follow the generic form that was used within these types of poems, but rather uses different lengths of imab to get her point across. It's a piece about the limitless power of poetry that can awaken human imagination, so why would she write it in a constricting meter? She knows what she's doing and she does it to make a point. There is no right or wrong in poetry, but rather its as far as the imagination can percieve it to be. 

photo  credit: https://quotefancy.com/quote/7429/Emily-Dickinson-I-dwell-in-possibility

Learning to Love Poetry

8 Steps to Follow and Questions to Ask

1.   Listening or reading the poem out loud without over analyzing it is a great way to start!

Ars Poetica #100: I believe by Elizabeth Alexander

Poetry, I tell my students,
is idiosyncratic. Poetry

is where we are ourselves
(though Sterling Brown said

"every 'I' is a dramatic 'I'"),
digging in the clam flats

for the shell that snaps,
emptying the proverbial pocketbook.

Poetry is what you find
in the dirt in the corner,

overhear on the bus, God
in the details, the only way

to get from here to there.
Poetry (and now my voice is rising)

is not all love, love, love,
and I'm sorry the dog died.

Poetry (here I hear myself loudest)
is the human voice,

and are we not of interest to each other?


2.   Articulating expectations for the poem allows readers to go into detail about where, when, and how the poem fulfills or frustrates your expectations.

Not once is the phrase "I Believe" written in the poem, but as the author described what poetry is to her students I figured toward the end of the poem that the description she was giving of poetry was "her belief" of what poetry is. The poem was split into couplets so when the final line came about I was not surprised it was a single line with a question added for effect. The free verse really allowed the poem to have the flow required for the ending effect.


3.   Analyzing the syntax of a poem allows the reader to truly understand what is being said. 

Every sentence begins with the word poetry, which is to add effect or meaning to the poem that what is being read is a poem about poetry. Sentences are elongated through the use of couplets and commas. The authors use of modern prose eliminates ambiguities and the need to reorder sentences.


4.   Consulting reference works for anything the poem may mention that you do not understand.

Sterling Brown was an African American poet and literary critic who lived form 1901 - 1989.


5.   Understanding who, where, when, and what happens is easier after you've come to a literal understanding of each sentence. 

Who: A teacher and a the students and the reader.
Where: No specific setting other than references made by the speaker (ex. in the corner, on the bus)
When: No setting, but the speaker being a teacher may imply a classroom.
What: Describing what poetry is and why it matters.


6.   Addressing those questions allows us to ponder the bigger picture questions such as why does the poem matter and what does it mean?

This poem about poetry is important for understanding what poetry can be and how it can function in our lives. It is a form of expression that can be seen as an art of various forms. It can be as loose as this free verse that is being examined or even more complex such as a sonnet. Poetry can serve to respond to the life around us, express feelings, tell stories or anything in between.


7. How does the form of a poem contribute to its effect and meaning?

The use of couplets and elongated sentences through commas allows me to believe that this poem could be in the mind of the speaker. Perhaps it is a reflection or a retelling to the reader by the teacher. I could also see it as a flow of thought.


8. Consider ways the poem both uses and departs from poetic conventions, especially those related to form and sub genre.

The poem uses poetic conventions through its use of couplets and free verse, but departs from the couplets at the end of the poem with the final line standing alone. The use of free verse contributes to the idea that poetry can be whatever it needs to be regardless of structure and complexity. Ultimately poetry is a form of expression that is as diverse as it can be deep.

Meta Poetica

8 steps to responding to your poem (especially if it's a poem about poetry):

1) Reading the poem out loud is a good way to start, go ahead!

Ars Poetica #100: I Believe
by, Elizabeth Alexander


Poetry, I tell my students,
is idiosyncratic. Poetry

is where we are ourselves
(though Sterling Brown said

“Every ‘I’ is a dramatic ‘I’”),
digging in the clam flats

for the shell that snaps,
emptying the proverbial pocketbook.

Poetry is what you find
in the dirt in the corner,

overhear on the bus, God
in the details, the only way

to get from here to there.
Poetry (and now my voice is rising)

is not all love, love, love,
and I’m sorry the dog died.

Poetry (here I hear myself loudest)
is the human voice,

and are we not of interest to each other?

Appearances and Redemption

Aragorn's appearance isn't much, but he sure is a lot more than he appears.

I cannot say that I have ever read a piece of poetry that truly changed me in one distinct moment. I do have a deep love for literature, however, most of that is made up by a conglomerate of stories that i have read or were read to me by my mother. My deepest affection for literature lies with the fantastical, the wonderfully unreal; the things so different and so amazing, that they become completely foreign to this life, like visiting another world. It should come as no surprise, then, that the most personally moving work of poetry that I have ever read wasn’t written by Robert Frost or William Shakespeare, but by J.R.R. Tolkien.

For All the "If"s in Life

If there was one phrase, to sum up how my parents felt about my age maturity in my youth,
it would be both of them saying, "Allie is three going on thirty". They weren't wrong. I constantly preferred hanging out with older kids, talking to adults, and discussing topics most would deem “out of my age realm”. My soul has just always craved the wisdom that only age and time have permitted. When talking one on one with someone who is my superior, I always ask, “What’s the advice you wish you were given at my age?” and while I’ve been given great and knowledgeable answers, Rudyard Kipling’s poem “If” was best. I stumbled upon his knowledgeable words earlier this year while preparing a poem for my public speaking class, and have since committed it to memory. He wrote the best advice for his son to live the happiest life imaginable, and I too have found much-needed wisdom in his words.

Something When You Thought There Was Nothing

This past year I have finally gotten into a piece of media that I had seen on people’s t-shirts in high school. After listening to just the first episode I was ready to drown myself in fan art, shipping, Pinterest boards, cosplay, fan theories, etc. Welcome to Night Vale is a podcast that started in 2012 and in written by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor, the person who is the main voice is Cecil Baldwin and I could happily listen to his voice for an eternity. The show is in the form of a radio broadcast that tells the surrealist, horrifying, beautiful, mysterious, and absurd tales of a town called Night Vale. For me, these genres are all I could ever ask for. The first lines give a perfect description of this quirky town, “a friendly desert community, where the sun is hot, the moon is beautiful, and mysterious lights pass overhead while we all pretend to sleep… welcome to Night Vale.”

Myriad Emotions of Video Poetry

There are so many different emotions that are summoned to me when I watch videos of poetry. It’s amazing all the different possible interpretations. In the Simpsons adaptation of “The Raven” I find myself laughing at the sardonic, mocking tone, yet when read by Christopher Lee I find myself shivering because, man, that crap is creepy! So much more than words goes into a performance of video poetry. Depending on how it’s read, what is playing on the screen, and if there is music/what the music is like, any poem can be beautiful or haunting, dazzling or just plain boring. My favorite rendering of video poetry so far is Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 (Shall I Compare Thee to a Summers Day?) sung by David Gilmore. It is a phenomenal rendering that allows one to get lost in the true meaning of the poem, with the music and Gilmore’s voice complimenting the somewhat magical nature of the poem, allowing us to truely FEEL more easily what the poem is trying to tell us. The scenery helps also, showing us a beautiful summer’s day on a lakeshore, helping us to not only see how a summer’s day looks, but also understand truly how beautiful the woman of the poem is.

POETRY SLAM

My skin prickles as I look around the room, feeling a slight chill. I have
my buzzer waiting for my grilled chicken sandwich, and see the wall
workers fumbling with the mics ready to begin. Not my usual crowd or
spot of choice for a Saturday night, but cést la vie, the lights dim and
they begin. Everyone was animated, honest, and real in this room.
The presenters had courage, confidence, and something interesting
to say in a way that works with their minds. I just did a speech for my
public speaking class about the importance of stretching our creative
muscles, and this is the correct way to do so. It was warm, kind, and
a forgiving group of people open and receptive to everyone around
them. I liked the “buzz” of being in a room where energy was
flowing so freely and openly.

One of my favorite poets was a girl who got up there and really bore
her soul. She made reference to her family and her friends. I
resonated with her and her struggles and I felt like she was someone
who was real, and honest, and just a genuinely good person. I liked the
way she lit up the stage and gave herself her own personal spotlight.
She used ABAB rhyme style and it was compelling, witty, and
interesting. She was my favorite for the night.

All in all, it was something that I would go back to. The Wall creates
this great atmosphere where everyone feels welcome and valued. A
rare scenario to behold in a cliquey campus. I thoroughly enjoyed
the night.

Invasion of the Mind

All the different genres of poetry that I looked at, with the text was written, spoken, or both. They all showed me how alive poetry if, and how it has always been a source of expression. Whether it is a personal expression of feelings to share out loud with the world. Or in film talking about personal, but relate-able experiences with the time and culture. In the films where poetry was performed in clubs, not only was that an example of the performance nature of poetry that has continued, but mixing that with instrumentals gives it new life and vitality. With videos that put the text on the screen and/or mix it with images also give new ways to experience poetry which is really cool and caters to a changing, digitally oriented audience. This is also effective in the music adaptations, they give way to entertaining new ways of performance, and the chance for the artists to express the poetry in new ways. With new poetry (and some old) seeing it read aloud by their authors is also neat, although I've seen it be not as great for the poem, but it can also be very inspiring to hear the author's emotions or how they imagined it to be read. I admire all these different forms of presentation, and I love to see the passion and time that people put in to the performance and creation of this art.

Something When You Thought There Was Nothing (Draft)

This past year I have finally gotten into a piece of media that I had seen on people’s t-shirts in high school. Welcome to Night Vale is a podcast that started in 2012 and in written by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor, the person who is the main voice is Cecil Baldwin and I could happily listen to his voice for an eternity. The show is in the form of a radio broadcast that tells the surrealist, horrifying, beautiful, and absurd tales of a town called Night Vale. The first lines give a perfect description of this quirky town, “a friendly desert community, where the sun is hot, the moon is beautiful, and mysterious lights pass overhead while we all pretend to sleep… welcome to Night Vale.”

The format of this work, in addition to the media is very unique, as it is all auditory and has to paint a picture in the listener’s mind. In addition to the fun day to day reports on the terrifying and fascinating things that go on in the town, Cecil will often go into very gorgeous and deep monologues, some with obvious purposes, some that leave you confused and stunned for a good hour after listening. They do an excellent job of balancing the humor and the absurd, with the deep and meaningful. What I will be analyzing is a perfect example of this.

This poem (and I believe it to be poetry, fight me) is from the second episode of the show, when it was just finding it’s footing and voice. When I first listened to it, it moved me just as other great writing I’ve read. Every sentence was its own story, commanding your mind to go somewhere, to wonder its purpose, and the implications of what you find. I would suggest listening to it before you read the rest of my post, since part of what characterizes it is how Cecil reads it. Takes place 17:45-19:10

Even if you chose not to listen, part of this media and community around Welcome to Night Vale is the fan art. It may limit the work since you are now perceiving it through someone else’s imagination, but I also think it reflects a shared experience that is an integral part of this medium.

There is no context given as to why he is listing these things, or what exactly these “things” are. It starts off very powerfully as it makes the listener think of the emotions they feel when viewing a sunset, and why they wouldn’t understand them. It catches the listener off-guard, and addresses us directly. The listener is put into a state of confusion, but then the list continues with no answers.

Not only is there an instant change in subject, but the wording is strange and provoking. What does it mean for a pet to be unfound? What are the implications? The illustration certainly has ideas, but why are we talking about pets? I loved the power that 6 well placed words can have.

Remember the absurdity I was talking about? The suspense that was built by the unfound pets is just destroyed by this idea. Your confusion about what came before is distracted by this weird and funny idea.

This portion seems to play into different forms of paranoia to create an unsettling feeling. Playing into people’s fears of dark forests and unwanted listeners. Whatever your feelings are about space, nothingness, vastness, to have something large and mysterious have thought, how can that not be frightening?

More terrifying images presented with no context. The feelings it produces are so tangible, I just eat it right up as a shiver is sent down my spine. Of course, we then break character, unless you don’t know what they are, it’s hard to have spooky feelings about sandwiches. With how it is read by the narrator, the hands are not reaching for the sandwiches either, they are simply a part of this list.

I like the images that this artist used to depict this portion, because the drawings don’t convey sound or the lack thereof.

Continuing with the juxtaposition of situations, but this one seems very personal, it has been awhile since “you” were addressed. This imagery seems almost tactile as the poem plays very real human feelings very real human feelings.

The random objects, the repetition of such a strange word as “sheets,” to me it is just as funny as it is confusing. A common tactic in this piece and other narratives in Welcome to Night Vale is putting random, modern, material objects into places where they don’t quite make sense.

Single words end this poem, and they are very much concluding words as following this they episode finishes. However, the questions it provokes do not end. Is this simply the end of list? Or do these words indicate some sort of ending that we don’t understand? Now that the list is done we must process what we have listened to or read.








Some people might discard it as just a weird little thing that a teenager posted. Or maybe people have a response similar to mine where I sit back and think on all the feelings that just ran their course in my body in a manner of seconds. It is obvious that authorial intent was to get you to feel something as they worked so hard to bring up things that elicit a response from the listener. Having it in text does lose some of the intonations and pacing of when it was originally spoken and the music that accompanies it, I think that adds to the nature of poetry being oral. However, the imagery still manages to paint a picture whether they're reading or listening. What I think is even more special is that their are mediums by which those who experience poetry like this can share their feelings, such as fan art in this case, it is truly wonderful.

All Hail the Glow Cloud!

We Are More Than We Appear

I cannot say that I have ever read a piece of poetry that truly changed me in one distinct moment. I do have a deep love for literature, however, most of that is made up by a conglomerate of stories that i have read or were read to me by my mother. My deepest affection for literature lies with the fantastical, the wonderfully unreal; the things so different and so amazing, that they become completely foreign to this life, like visiting another world. It should come as no surprise, then, that the most personally moving work of poetry that I have ever read wasn’t written by Robert Frost or William Shakespeare, but by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Tolkien describes Aragorn, the heir to the kingdom of Gondor, with a special poem that really has two names: The Riddle of Strider or All That Is Gold Does Not Glitter. This poem is presented to the protagonist, Frodo Baggins, by the wizard Gandalf, in order for Frodo to be able to recognize who the true Aragorn was. The themes that the poem presents are themes that I feel are universal to all people, and that is why it touched me more deeply than most. The first line:

All that is gold does not glitter, 

is obviously a twist on the phrase “not all that glitters is gold,” and yet I do not find it to be cliche, rather original, because it sets the tone for the entire poem. It also introduces us to Aragorn, who is heir to the mightiest kingdom in middle earth, yet dressed as nothing more than a vagabond. The second line:

Not all those who wander are lost.

Touches me even more deeply than the first. It makes reference to Aragorn’s personal struggles with his identity and his origin. What is powerful about it, however, is not that he is wandering, but the idea that just because he wanders does not mean that he is lost. The story of Aragorn is in great part his coming to terms with who he is and accepting his role as king, returning from the wanderings of his youth, in this case being both physical travel and wandering from his destiny. The last two lines of the first stanza:

The old that is strong does not wither,

Deep roots are not touched by the frost.

These lines also deal with the question of identity and origin, but in a different way, in this case referring to his lineage, with the reference to “roots” and “the old that is strong”, because Aragorn comes from a line of kings, the strongest possible bloodline that a person can have in terms of earthly powers.

Taken as a whole, I find this first stanza so appealing because of how well I have always felt like it applies to me and others concerning our identities. When viewed from my religious perspective, this poem resonates with truth. Many of us here on this earth are not glittery, sparkly, or flashy. We may not appear to be worth much at face value. But, as the poem says, “all that is gold does not glitter”, and likewise, our personal worth is made up of much more than what others can see on the outside, and we are all gold, though we may not look it at first, just like Aragorn. It also applies to us because, though man of us may wander down different paths than what our heavenly destinies require, that does not mean that we are lost forever, and that theme of redemption is echoed in the second stanza of the poem. The last lines of the poem strike me so powerfully because they too instill a truth: hardships and challenges will not defeat us. This is also a testament to our origin because if we consider that we are all children of God, then rely on someone who is both old and strong past the point of withering, and by our very natures we have the deepest roots that there ever were: relation to deity. That relation cannot be changed, no matter how many trials or “frost”, piles up above us. I love this first stanza of the poem for that reason: it echoes so much truth to me and that makes me find it very beautiful.

The second stanza is just as powerful to me as the first, but it is ruined a tad because every time I read it I do so with Arwen’s voice in my head, reciting it from the third movie. I still find it plenty powerful, however. the first two lines are like this:

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,

A light from the shadows shall spring:

Here comes that beautiful theme of redemption again, the first line evoking the imagery of a phoenix, both lines indicating life and goodness from things that are dead and wasted. The third and fourth lines of the final stanza drive this point home even harder:

Renewed shall be blade that was broken, 

The crownless again shall be king. 

The blade discussed here is the blade of Aragorn's forefather Isildur, the last king of Gondor and a fallen man on account for failing to destroy the ring. Much of Aragorn's struggle is to become the man that Isildur never was, in being able to resist the temptations of the ring. This gives added context to the first two lines of this stanza, indicating that even though part of his heritage may be that weakness that Isildur had, he will have to overcome it.

Once again I find this stanza perfect in it's echoes of truth. We all have demons in our pasts, be they our earthly heritage or situations, or our own misdeeds and failures. What is so amazing about this poem is the hopeful way in which it confronts these issues, as if it is our destiny to triumph, to rise above those things that hold us back. I think this is most perfectly embodied by the last two lines of the final stanza: the sword that represents Aragorn's kingship will be fixed, and though he has no crown, that wont stop him from inheriting his rightful place as heir. Much the same way, in a gospel sense, we are promised that is we do things right our broken things will be restored and even though we don't have crowns, we'll still inherit all we were ever meant to. That's what I find so beautiful about this poem. 

Aragon's appearance isn't much, but he sure is worth a lot more than what he looks like.