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.