I saw an article on Yahoo.com that really caught my eye. It's a lawmaker making an amazing argument while speaking about gay peoples right to wed. He talks about nature vs. nurture, and do we choose who we are or are we born a certain way. Take a look and I promise you won't be disappointed.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Response 3: Poetry Lessons
The only thing I can say is that I wasn't the biggest fan of poetry before walking into Professor Brady's class. While I still struggle with being able to write a poem without sounding like a kindergartner, I find myself having a little bit more respect for poetry this time around. I found that if I relate poetry to music, it becomes easier for me to flow ideas. I am proud to say that poetry is no longer my enemy and I had a great time listening and reading my classmates poetry!
Response 2: Sympathy vs. Empathy
I really enjoyed this lesson because I’ve always felt strongly about this subject. Sympathy is the ability to recognize pain, but not truly understand the full hurt of the situation because it has never been experienced. Empathy is a far greater understanding of the word pain. When a person shows empathy, they not only recognize pain, they also have a connection with the pain and have felt a similar sting. I can empathize with someone who’s had a father they has had a heart attack because I’ve been in those shoes. I’ve felt what it is like to be in that situation. I can only sympathize with someone who has lost a father due to a heart attack because I have never had to deal with that yet. It’s hard during a time of hurt when someone tells you they know how you feel, when in actuality they haven’t got the slightest clue what’s really going on inside.
Class Response 1: Class Poem
Even though it was the last class lecture of the semester, I really enjoyed the class poem that was created by everyone submitting a few lines about their culture/family. It really brought home the idea that we are what our relatives were. While there may be some variation in ideals, we are what God and our parents have given us. It’s hard to stray from the normal existence that we were raised to acknowledge and follow. Instantly, I thought of deer following the same paths, nearly to the exact point’s everyday for their entire lives. We to, are creatures of habit. The paths that we take in our life will not only define us, but will give direction to those who come long after.
My Reflection
This class was a great experience for me. I think I improved substantially as a writer this year. Not only do I find myself revising my papers for English more than once, but in all my other classes as well. I see more grammatical and sentence structure mistakes more than I used to. I’ve also progressed in speaking to a group of people. While before this class I was a well spoken individual I feel a sense of extra confidence now while I speak my mind. I feel as if the words just flow out of my mind a lot better.
If I had to choose something that I liked most about the class it would most likely be the group work. I feel that sometimes we tend to hide in our shells. The group work forces everyone to go a little outside their comfort zone and meet new people. It’s especially important to me because for the most part all my other classes nobody speaks and it tends to be difficult to sit through class. I have met some really great people this year, and it’s all because of the class setting.
There is one thing that I will take away from this class and it’s the confidence of writing a good essay. I feel as if I now have the tools to write a perfect essay when I put effort in it. Corrections seem to be easier to recognize and appear to less frequent. Since beginning this class I see myself writing a better paper in general.
If I had to choose something that I liked most about the class it would most likely be the group work. I feel that sometimes we tend to hide in our shells. The group work forces everyone to go a little outside their comfort zone and meet new people. It’s especially important to me because for the most part all my other classes nobody speaks and it tends to be difficult to sit through class. I have met some really great people this year, and it’s all because of the class setting.
There is one thing that I will take away from this class and it’s the confidence of writing a good essay. I feel as if I now have the tools to write a perfect essay when I put effort in it. Corrections seem to be easier to recognize and appear to less frequent. Since beginning this class I see myself writing a better paper in general.
Essay 3
Rick Gramazio
Professor Brady
English 102
4/22/11
“Stricken With Grief”
Even though music has instruments, it’s still considered to be a form of poetry. In the poems “Stop all the clocks cut off the telephone” written by W. H. Auden, “Time Does Not Bring Relief” written by Edna St. Vincent Millay as well as the song “I’ll be missing you,” Written by P-Diddy, similarities are evident. In each of the works presented there are intertwining themes and tones. Although the time period or the reason for why the poem or song was written is varied the feeling of grief and the effect of time is clear. When compared, each piece of work has the similar themes as well as the tones.
In the poem “Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,” the setting takes places just after the speaker has lost a loved one. He/She presents feelings of emptiness and a loss of everything that was good in his/her life. The speaker no longer posses his/her sense of direction in life and now feels as if they are lost. “He was my north, my south, my east, my west” (Auden 9). The death of the lover has caused the speaker a large amount of what seems to be anger. “Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone, Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone” (Auden 1-2). It appears as if the speaker wants everybody to feel her pain. This can be viewed as selfish to some. An obvious theme of the poem is grief. The speaker has a deep and compassionate relationship with the deceased. The tone of the poem can be interpreted to be a dark or Gothic. Because of the deep love the speaker has for the man, they feel as if their world as they know it is over.
In the second poem “Time does not bring relief; you all have lied” written by Edna St. Vincent Millay the setting takes place a long time after the speaker losses her lover. He/She shows feelings of grief as well as fatigue. The speaker is still feeling the effects of her loved ones death which is presented to be a long time ago. He/She still sees his/her lover everywhere they go and they even fear going anywhere because the feelings may creep up again. “Heaped on my heart, and my old thoughts abide. There are a hundred places where I fear to go,—so with his memory they brim” (Millay 8-10). Possible themes for the poem are escaping the past and grief. The speaker shows she misses her lover however she is ready to move on. It seems as though she just wants to be at peace and live her life. “And entering with relief some quiet place, where never fell his foot or shone his face, I say, “There is no memory of him here!”(Millay 11-13). The tone of the poem can be interpreted as dark. The speaker almost feels as if their lover is haunting them with his presence in a way that makes them stricken with grief all the time.
In both poems presented, not only do the themes and tones represent similar feelings, but the titles do as well. “Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,” is a clear message to the reader that the speaker is not only grieving but they are also angry. The title is saying stop everything because nothing matters anymore. In the title “Time does not bring relief; you all have lied,” another instant emotion detected is anger. Though in the first title anger is projected at everyone in this title the anger seems to be centered to people trying to reassure the speaker that time heals all wounds. The speaker shows that he/she is still grieving even though it has been quite some time since the loss of the loved one. Both poems show the common theme of grief. Both the poets show the pain of losing a loved one. This is the emotion behind the works that show why the tones are the same.
Just like the two poems, the song “Missing You” written by P-Diddy is about coping with the loss of a loved one. Although in the song the loved one is a friend, while the two poems is about losing a husband, the theme is the same. The speaker is grieving, and is expressing how much they miss being around his friend. The tone is also the same as the two poems. “In Missing You,” the dark memory of how his friend passed away causes a Gothic tone. The night they took my friend, Try to black it out but it plays again, When it's real feelings' hard to conceal, Can't imagine all the pain I feel” (P-Diddy 16-19). The common occurrences in all three works are the progression of time. While different amounts of time has passed between all here speakers they all seem to still be feeling the same way they did at the time of the loss. In “Stop all the clocks,” the death of the speakers loved one seems to have just happened, while the other poem “Time does not bring relief: You all have lied,” the death occurred a long time before. The song “Missing You” is written somewhere in the middle, where the death is not recent, however it’s not been a long time since being written.
In the each respective work, there are identical themes and tones present. While the stories differ the messages behind the story reoccur. Each speaker has chosen different ways to express the same emotions, whether that it’s in a poem or song form. Not only are they presenting their pain but they are trying to communicate the ideas and leave a similar effect on the reader/listener. “There's nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein” ( Walter Wellesley "Red" Smith).
Professor Brady
English 102
4/22/11
“Stricken With Grief”
Even though music has instruments, it’s still considered to be a form of poetry. In the poems “Stop all the clocks cut off the telephone” written by W. H. Auden, “Time Does Not Bring Relief” written by Edna St. Vincent Millay as well as the song “I’ll be missing you,” Written by P-Diddy, similarities are evident. In each of the works presented there are intertwining themes and tones. Although the time period or the reason for why the poem or song was written is varied the feeling of grief and the effect of time is clear. When compared, each piece of work has the similar themes as well as the tones.
In the poem “Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,” the setting takes places just after the speaker has lost a loved one. He/She presents feelings of emptiness and a loss of everything that was good in his/her life. The speaker no longer posses his/her sense of direction in life and now feels as if they are lost. “He was my north, my south, my east, my west” (Auden 9). The death of the lover has caused the speaker a large amount of what seems to be anger. “Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone, Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone” (Auden 1-2). It appears as if the speaker wants everybody to feel her pain. This can be viewed as selfish to some. An obvious theme of the poem is grief. The speaker has a deep and compassionate relationship with the deceased. The tone of the poem can be interpreted to be a dark or Gothic. Because of the deep love the speaker has for the man, they feel as if their world as they know it is over.
In the second poem “Time does not bring relief; you all have lied” written by Edna St. Vincent Millay the setting takes place a long time after the speaker losses her lover. He/She shows feelings of grief as well as fatigue. The speaker is still feeling the effects of her loved ones death which is presented to be a long time ago. He/She still sees his/her lover everywhere they go and they even fear going anywhere because the feelings may creep up again. “Heaped on my heart, and my old thoughts abide. There are a hundred places where I fear to go,—so with his memory they brim” (Millay 8-10). Possible themes for the poem are escaping the past and grief. The speaker shows she misses her lover however she is ready to move on. It seems as though she just wants to be at peace and live her life. “And entering with relief some quiet place, where never fell his foot or shone his face, I say, “There is no memory of him here!”(Millay 11-13). The tone of the poem can be interpreted as dark. The speaker almost feels as if their lover is haunting them with his presence in a way that makes them stricken with grief all the time.
In both poems presented, not only do the themes and tones represent similar feelings, but the titles do as well. “Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,” is a clear message to the reader that the speaker is not only grieving but they are also angry. The title is saying stop everything because nothing matters anymore. In the title “Time does not bring relief; you all have lied,” another instant emotion detected is anger. Though in the first title anger is projected at everyone in this title the anger seems to be centered to people trying to reassure the speaker that time heals all wounds. The speaker shows that he/she is still grieving even though it has been quite some time since the loss of the loved one. Both poems show the common theme of grief. Both the poets show the pain of losing a loved one. This is the emotion behind the works that show why the tones are the same.
Just like the two poems, the song “Missing You” written by P-Diddy is about coping with the loss of a loved one. Although in the song the loved one is a friend, while the two poems is about losing a husband, the theme is the same. The speaker is grieving, and is expressing how much they miss being around his friend. The tone is also the same as the two poems. “In Missing You,” the dark memory of how his friend passed away causes a Gothic tone. The night they took my friend, Try to black it out but it plays again, When it's real feelings' hard to conceal, Can't imagine all the pain I feel” (P-Diddy 16-19). The common occurrences in all three works are the progression of time. While different amounts of time has passed between all here speakers they all seem to still be feeling the same way they did at the time of the loss. In “Stop all the clocks,” the death of the speakers loved one seems to have just happened, while the other poem “Time does not bring relief: You all have lied,” the death occurred a long time before. The song “Missing You” is written somewhere in the middle, where the death is not recent, however it’s not been a long time since being written.
In the each respective work, there are identical themes and tones present. While the stories differ the messages behind the story reoccur. Each speaker has chosen different ways to express the same emotions, whether that it’s in a poem or song form. Not only are they presenting their pain but they are trying to communicate the ideas and leave a similar effect on the reader/listener. “There's nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein” ( Walter Wellesley "Red" Smith).
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Essay 2
Rick Gramazio
Professor Brady
English 102
March 16, 2011
“Identities in Crisis”
Identity crisis can best be defined as distress and disorientation resulting from conflicting pressures and uncertainty about one's self and one's role in society. In both works of literature “Hills Like White Elephants”, written by Ernest Hemingway , “The Storm” written by Kate Chopin and the film “Shawshank Redemption”, written and directed by Frank Darabont, characters face situations which drive them to question or ignore their own identities. This identity crisis causes potential tension for themselves and other characters in the story. The characters show a common disability when identifying or finding a sense of belonging in terms of themselves compared to civilization.
In “Hills Like White Elephants”, The American and his partner Jig have conflicting identities. While Jig identifies with the thought of being a mother and setting down with the American, the American clearly identifies himself as being a free soul without any real responsibilities. “The girl stood up and walked to the end of the station. Across, on the other side, were fields of grain and trees along the banks of the Ebro. Far away, beyond the river, were mountains. The shadow of a cloud moved across the field of grain and she saw the river through the trees. ‘And we could have all this,’ she said. ‘And we could have everything and every day we make it more impossible” (Hemingway). Jig while she is in love with the American, is having a tough time agreeing with him on getting rid of the baby. She wants to have a family with him but not if it means him losing his love for her and their former freedom. She is clearly trying to show him that they could still be happy even with the baby in their life. “I’ll go with you and I’ll stay with you all the time. They just let the air in and then it’s all perfectly natural. "Then what will we do afterwards?’‘We’ll be fine afterwards. Just like we were before. ‘What makes you think so?’‘That’s the only thing that bothers us. It’s the only thing that’s made us unhappy"(Hemingway). The American is desperately trying to get Jig to have an abortion. He uses a friendly child like approach to try and convince Jig that this is the best for their relationship. It is obvious that the American cannot identify himself with being a father and a husband.
In “The Storm”, While Calixta is married to her husband Bobinot she is having trouble seeing herself as a house wife and mother. She needs more excitement in her life so she continues to see and have sexual encounters with Alcee a man whom Calixta has been with before. This is evident when she is juggling doing house chores and accompanying Alcee during the rainstorm. “Calixta put her hands to her eyes, and with a cry, staggered backward. Alcee’s arm encircled her, and for an instant he drew her close and spasmodically to him… He looked down into her eyes and there was nothing for him to do but to gather her lips in a kiss” (Chopin). Calixta shows that she is not ready to settle down with her husband yet. She still has feelings for her former lover Alcee in an almost immature way. “Oh, Bobinot! You back! My! but I was uneasy. W’ere you been during the rain? An’ Bibi? he ain’t wet? he ain’t hurt?” She had clasped Bibi and was kissing him effusively” (Chopin). Even when Bobinot comes back she clinches him and shows his affection even after her sexual encounter with Alcee. She is not set on where she wants to be in life. She has conflicted identities with both her husband and Alcee.
In Shawshank Redemption a character in the movie by the name of brooks was an older gentleman who had been in prison nearly his whole adult life. Finally after being released he was having difficulty identifying himself as a functioning member of society. He was not used to the invention of cars and other technologies. Also, the faster pace of society in that time period was also mentioned. This ultimately forces brooks to commit suicide just a few weeks after being released. In a note to his friends in prison, Brooks writes, “Dear fellas, I can't believe how fast things move on the outside. I saw an automobile once when I was a kid, but now they're everywhere. The world went and got itself in a big damn hurry.”… “Maybe I should get me a gun and rob the Foodway so they'd send me home. I could shoot the manager while I was at it, sort of like a bonus. I guess I'm too old for that sort of nonsense any more” (Shawshank Redemption). Brooks can’t find his niche in society. He is considering committing a crime to get back to prison which he now calls home. After being confined by the prison wall for so long he lost the ability to identify himself as a free human being. “I don't like it here. I'm tired of being afraid all the time. I've decided not to stay. I doubt they'll kick up any fuss. Not for an old crook like me” (Shawshank Redemption) Brooks can’t find his true identity. He has lost his sense of social skills. His failure to identify himself with the free world is almost forcing him to commit suicide, instead of dealing with his problem.
The characters highlighted in each work have shown traits of identity crisis. Their actions or lack thereof, presents to us a certain weakness. In some cases Identity crisis was shown by one individual who couldn’t decide between two identities, or like in “Hills like White Elephants”, where the conflicted identities was not just for one person but two peoples identities clashing in a relationship. Also, in Shawshank redemption Brooks wants to identify himself with being a free man however he can’t seem to break from his prison state of mind. Every character has their own unique sense of crisis.
Essay 1
Rick Gramazio
Professor Brady
English 102
2/28/11
Before the women’s rights movement occurred around the world, women were held to a certain expectation by men. Whether it be the early 1900’s or 441 B.C, the everyday life of women was neither of power nor respect. In both the stories Antigone written by Sophocles, and A Street Car Named Desire written by Tennessee Williams, we are given concrete examples of how women were viewed and thought of in society. Their opinions and feelings were not valued and were often ignored by the men in their lives. Women were not equal to men and whenever they tried to go against the grain and act on their own beliefs and emotions, they were often punished.
In Antigone, the time period takes place in an ancient Greek empire where a small kingdom has just fought a civil war between two brothers vowing for rights to the kingship. The daughter of the former King, named Antigone finds herself in a moral dilemma. She had lost both of her brothers in the battle for divine rights, and now wishes to mourn the death of her fallen brothers. However, the next in line to the throne Creon, who was also her uncle, forbid the burying or mourning of her rebel brother Polynices. Women in these times were to oblige men no matter how they felt about what was going on in their lives. They were to have preselected husbands, cook, and do the dirty work for the family. The gender inequality is very straight forward and obvious in this passage from the story. “Ismene to Antigone: But the unhappy corpse of Polyneices he has proclaimed to all citizens, they say, no man may hide in a grave nor mourn in funeral but leave unwept, unburied, a dainty proclaimed treasure for the birds that see him”(Sophocles 1131). The fear in Ismene’s words are obvious. Not only is she scared of defying the orders of her king, but also the orders of a man.
Segregation between men and women in a patriarchy is clearly defined during the poker night. “Poker shouldn’t be played in a house with women.” This reflects the social norms and the dominant belief that woman should be disassociated from masculine activities. This form of masculine bonding completely excludes Stella and Blanche,and their early return wreaks havoc in the house. Stanley is unable to prevent Mitch’s desertion of the game, and is left virtually powerless. His violent outbursts are desperate attempts to exert his dominance. “Stanley gives a loud whack of his hand on her thigh.” It becomes apparent that Stanley’s threatening words are not enough, and he begins to use violence as a physical means of controlling Stella, and frightening Blanche.
Segregation between men and women in a patriarchy is clearly defined during the poker night. “Poker shouldn’t be played in a house with women.” This reflects the social norms and the dominant belief that woman should be disassociated from masculine activities. This form of masculine bonding completely excludes Stella and Blanche. Their early return wreaks havoc in the house. Stanley is unable to prevent Mitch’s desertion of the game, and is left virtually powerless. His violent outbursts are desperate attempts to exert his dominance. “Stanley gives a loud whack of his hand on her thigh.” It becomes apparent that Stanley’s threatening words are not enough, and he begins to use violence as a physical means of controlling Stella, and frightening Blanche.
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