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. 

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.

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

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.

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.

Asking Myself "If" draft

My parents always said that I was born as a 30-year-old. I always preferred hanging out

with older kids, talking to adults, and discussing topics most would deem “out of my

age realm”. I think 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 wise words earlier this year, and I have committed it to the

depths of my memory. He wrote the best advice for his son to live the happiest life

imaginable, and I too have found solace in his syntax.

If you can keep your head when all about you   

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,   

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

But make allowance for their doubting too;   

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,

Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,

And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

This past year has been a year of growth for me. Not in the length from which my

waist meets my toes, but rather where my heart meets my mind, and my mind meets

my mouth. I learned the way words can grow kindness as water and sunlight can grow

a seed to a flower. Kipling’s first stanza directly addresses the importance of being

confident in the decisions we make-- and taking responsibility for those decisions.

Granting wise counsel that if others, who can’t take responsibility for themselves

react negatively to your decisions, to be patient with them. Kipling notes the importance

of not coming to their level by telling lies or dealing with hate. I’ve made a lot of

decisions in this last year. What to major in, who to invest time in, who to formulate

ideas with, and it shapes and paves the road for what is to come.

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;   

If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;   

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

And treat those two impostors just the same;   

If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken

Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,

And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:

I have these grandiose dreams and ideas, and I push and I work at them until the only

the thing I can hear is my heart beating in my chest blocking out the noise from the outside

world. This next stanza notes the importance of being a “dreamer”, but not letting

these dreams control your life. Looking at this from a Marxist point of view, we can’t
let our place in life take over and our lust to climb the ranks that aren’t meant for us
to climb. I think it’s easy to become infatuated with the degrees of glory, and as
Kipling notes- it’s important to have dreams, but not let them control our lives.
I have been far too guilty of letting what looks good on paper be fuel in my
life plans until I realized, that I didn’t actually like what I was doing. For

example, I come from a long line of lawyers and it’s my dad’s dream for me to go to

Law school. I entertained the idea for about 8 months and convinced myself that it

was my life calling. I can now say with assurance that it’s not, but I still have yet to break
the news to my dad. While now I don’t think it is, it’s hard to realize what we want to
do with our lives isn’t what our parents think is best for us.

I am also known for being an incredibly passionate person, developing a swift opinion

on just about everything I do-- deeming it either triumph or disaster. Kipling tells his

readers that they will experience both in their lives, but the critical importance is to

not take them seriously because they are not the substance of life-- but rather

the extremes.

If you can make one heap of all your winnings

And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings

And never breathe a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone,   

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

Except for the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’

There is something about loss that makes people think about where their life is going.

I have found that every time I have suffered from a “loss” the gain I acquired far

exceeded the struggle and heartache that preceded it. And while it may be a vile

pill to swallow, sometimes it’s exactly what the doctor ordered. My own hardest

loss was when I tore my ACL, MCL, and meniscus my sophomore year of college.

I was on crutches for two months, and couldn’t walk for about five. I went home

for the semester to heal, and I learned more about empathy and the love of Christ

than I could have ever imagined. When we feel like our life is in shambles, is really

the rubble from where we can find the blocks to turn ourselves into a mosaic.

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,   

Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,

If all men count with you, but none too much;

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,   

Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,   

And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

This was the point that I realized that this poem was going to be the turning point
in how I chose to live my life. It’s necessary to be able to talk to large groups of
people and yet, not let them influence your belief in what is right, wrong, moral,
or immoral. To stick our courage to the sticking place and to choose for ourselves.
To love people, but not let their return of love be the commander happiness. And if
we learn to do all these things and abide by Kipling’s rules, everything in the world
can be ours.

A Silent Child with Loud Parents

Throughout the 20 minutes of The Silent Child, I was left shocked, heartbroken, and ready to advocate for a cause I had no clue about what so ever. The first thing that struck me about this movie was the casting. A white, middle class, nice family, who give off the look that nothing is wrong. They seem almost, "perfect".  Good looking, smart, a few kids, and what it looks like from the first glace were two loving and doting parents. The viewer learns through time that the issues lie deeper as one understands the family dynamic. The one actor that shot me was the older woman sitting out in the car when the tutor came out to talk to her. She was shocked when Joanne was talking about how smart Libby was and how she could do anything she wanted to, insinuating that everyone thinks that Libby was slow or dumb because she couldn't hear.
Another film element I really loved about this movie was the setting. Set in the idyllic English countryside- it was picturesque and seemed as if nothing could go wrong. This ended up being ironic because the family situation was neglectful and dark. I also thought the scene shot in the kitchen where they were all eating was interesting. It's been said that the kitchen is the heart of the home and where most families spend their time together. This is where Libby was left to not hear or understand her family dynamic. Or when Joanne was sitting at the gate at school, a place where Libby probably feels most alone, reaching out to her through the gates only to have Libby walk away from her.
A Silent Child is not a usual tension building movie through yelling or violence, but rather through a bad family dynamic and child neglect in a way different than a social norm. It was interesting, insightful, and brought an issue most don't realize is an issue to the light.

Vive La Education

Whilst attending the two English seminars this last Friday, I attended both Children's Literature & Film and British Literature and Social Change, I have to admit that my expectations were exceedingly low. I'm happy to announce that my expectations were wrong beyond measure. I found the seminars interesting, enlightening, and thought-provoking. The first speaker I heard, Meagan Andrus, spoke about the taboo religion in YA literature. I never thought of it as so. The books we read shape who we are, how we think, the way we act, and how to handle social situations. None of which are done so with a religious mindset, or with a character who turns to God or Christ in search of solace, and if they do, it's rare. Meagan brought up this point that we emulate what we read, and that we need to take the taboo of religion and use it in books. I liked it a lot. Another paper that stood out to me was by Elizabeth Smith talking about British Literature and Social Change. She talked about this girl whose beauty was found in her hair and her looks, in comparison who's friend and her beauty was found in her merit. We had a conversation after about the poems, talking about if we think the social norm has changed. I think this is a question that plagued 18th century Britain and there is still some residue in the 21st century America. With education and advances for women socially, luckily, there is more of a chance for women to establish their eligibility for more than just their looks. Overall, the papers and conversations were interesting, stimulating, and fun to think about. I also think that as a school there should be more of an emphasis placed on visiting other majors and seeing the fruits of their labors so that we appreciate more the work that others are doing. I know I can say that I was blown away.

Romeo, Romeo, where fort art thou, Romeo

"Two households both alike in dignity” the iconic words to one of the best-known plays which have swept over the world. Last night I attended the play Romeo Y Julietta, which was a bilingual adaption on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. As a die-hard romantic and possessing an affinity for Shakespeare, this was right up my alley. I’m happy to say I was immensely impressed. The mixed two things that only a few understand, Shakespeare and Spanish-  and made it so children could comprehend the story. I argue that how they portrayed Romeo and Juliet made more sense, because at least when they died it was because a language barrier was between them. I have always loved the scheme of the star-crossed lovers. Everyone in this show as on their game and ready to perform. One instance that I thought was particularly great was when Mercutio and Benvolio were hassling Romeo about going to the party, and how he falls in love so quickly that no one can keep up with him. Two girls played his friends, and yet they pulled it off so well, that no one would have known the difference. They all also added their own sound effects and noises, which added another element to the play. While I am a traditionalist and a purist in most situations, it was refreshing to see something that usually would have never piqued my interest. I was impressed by how easy it was to understand even if my Spanish only leads to "Hola" and "Como Estas". There was something warm and genuine about all the cast members and how they interacted with the guests. All in all, it was an honor being amongst all the talent in the room. Mercutio, Tybalt, Benvolio, the nurse, and of course Romeo and Julietta. There is no one I could praise more than the other and it made strides for both the artistic and theatre community. Well done, BYU Young Theatre.

Two Roads Diverged in a Yellow Wood, and Norma Jean flexed

This story is pretty sad, but I was enraptured the entire time.

One of the main elements I picked up from the story was the gender roles, and the role reversal of the two main characters. Norma Jean works out, learns in school, and is constantly looking for the new and available. Whereas Leroy is sensitive, sentimental, and he grieves more openly. 
This couple went through an awful trial at a young age, losing their young child. Now, at 34, they are just now learning that this wasn't the only way they think differently. There was a lot of unhappiness within their marriage, and I think it was because there wasn't the affection or the love that comes. I can only imagine that Norma Jean grew bitter as she was the one who became the bred winner and the one who is active.

I thought the characters were crucial to the story line. Obviously, but even more so in this story because there was so much depth and thinking about their issues and the problems in their marriage. The reader got to psychoanalyze what they liked, thought about, and what was going to happen. And for someone who lives for psychoanalyzing relationship drama (hello bachelor nation), I think I enjoyed this a little too much.

#teamNormaJane

I think one of the overarching themes in this story is how when tragedy occurs some people grow and some people die. Everyone grieves differently, and this is how the two adjusted. Just from learning that Leroy was out of work and coming in on Norma Jean working out, there was just this tension that spread throughout the story. I thought the author did a great job illustrating the strain of the marriage without giving it away of just how unhappy Norma Jean was.

I also thought that it was biased in the 3rd person perspective of Leroy, but it gave the reader better clarity to the way he thought and how he was so feminine.

Did he speak his lines with conviction? Now that's the question.

I decided to watch the first adaptation from high schoolers again. In my first analysis, I focused on their age and costume, but this time I decided to focus on how they said their lines and their music choices. These kids were well rehearsed, and ready to go. They said their lines confidently and with conviction. They also made the play fun by adding music from other shows that also coincided with the play Hamlet- like the Pirates of the Caribbean music. They did a great job with their play!