"Invictus"--W.E. Henley (Favorite Poem Project)

Here I leave the link to my YouTube video review of "Invictus" by William Ernest Henley. I really enjoyed the poem and making the video too, hope you like it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9hrIjywOEg

Comparison “We Real Cool” and “Dance with the Devil”

     The poem “We Real Cool”, by Gwendolyn Brooks, and the song “Dance with the Devil”, by Immortal Technique, both tell the stories of Young, promising men who, to appear ‘cool’ and ‘evil’, took a bad route. In the case of the song this route eventually leads to the disastrous death of the protagonist, Billy, while in the poem, it’s just foreshadowing this yet avoidable destiny of a hedonistic and illicit lifestyle. In the poem, Brooks shows this desire to be cool by explicitly writing “We real cool. We / Left school. We”. In the song’s case, Immortal Technique sings “so hel felt the need (Billy) to prove to everyone he was evil” and “dropped out of school to sell weed” proving that Billy was no more than a kid.

     Another topic which both the poem and the song discuss is appearances and façades. Though they appear to be dangerous thugs, these men are just a bunch of soft cowards, pretending to be something they’re not. In the poem the men are playing pool during school time, meaning they either dropped out school or are skipping classes, but then the author adds the verse “we thin gin. We” (they put water to soften the taste of Gin) which remarks that these men are not truly ‘cool’ or ‘tough’. In the song Billy tries to join a gang of so called ‘tough men’, but to do so he needs to rape a woman. Forcing a woman, who is no match (physically) for a gang of men, is not acting like tough men, but rather as coward, and arrogant. A true man would match against other men, and not against defenseless individuals. The singer emphasizes this aspect of lack of manhood by singing “and crying out to the sky (Billy) cause he was lonely and scared”, which demonstrates that in the end, Billy is just a pretender, trying to look evil and tough, though he is just a kid.

• Another similarity I found interesting, but that it’s not worth a whole paragraph, is that both the 7 men in the poem and Billy dropped out or left school.

The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus--TPCASTT

The New Colossus

By Emma Lazarus

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,

With conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she

With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

TP-CASTT

T	Title	Before reading the poem, the title makes me think of a huge statue of some sort, most likely built recently, and which could replace an older version.
P	Paraphrase	In the poem we read about the Statue of Liberty (at least how I see it). The author compares “her” with ancient Greek statues, but states that the “Mother of Exiles” is not a war sign, but a welcome sign for immigrants arriving at NYC.
C	Connotation	The word-choice of the author is inspiring towards immigrants, as the words selected are encouraging and hopeful. Also the use of direct speech from the protagonist helps emphasize the message being transmitted.
A	Attitude	The speakers attitude is positive and encouraging towards immigrants. We can support this claim by looking at the words employed referring to arriving immigrants: Mother of Exiles, beacon-hand, world-wide welcome, mild eyes, etc.
S	Shifts	Though there isn’t a major shift in the author’s attitude, she begins the poem by describing an ancient war colossus, but then she describes the “Mother of Exiles”, opposite from war.
T	Title	After reading the poem I feel like the title doesn’t capture the whole essence of the poem, maybe a reference to exiles or immigrants would help with that purpose.
T	Theme	The subject being addressed by the author is the massive arrival of immigrants to New York City, most likely in the 20th Century. This immigrants were usually minorities in their home countries, were poor, suffered of discrimination, or just needed a fresh start.

"Fox" by Alice Oswald--Why did I like it?

"Fox"

By Alice Oswald

I heard a cough

as if a thief was there

outside my sleep

a sharp intake of air

a fox in her fox-fur

stepping across

the grass in her black gloves

barked at my house

just so abrupt and odd

the way she went

hungrily asking

in the heart's thick accent

in such serious sleepless

trespass she came

a woman with a man's voice

but no name

as if to say: it's midnight

and my life

is laid beneath my children

like gold leaf.

______________________

I was browsing the "Poetry Foundation" website when I came across this poem about a fox who wakes up a sleeping woman while looking for food on her yard. I found the poem very interesting and illustrating for its reduced length. I loved the detail with which Alice Oswald described the different actions, for example the fox walking across the yard, or the moment the woman wakes up. I also liked the similes the author utilized to give the fox a more human look, to the point where the woman can actually think of what the fox might be thinking or trying to say. One last thing I liked about this poem was its rhythm. By continuing one sentence in the next verse or even paragraph, Oswald speeds up the rhythm of the poem, and, combined with the repeating rhymes, creates musicality. I was surprised when I noticed this musicality once I read the poem out loud, but I hadn't noticed before.

After reading the poem I looked at the author's profile and I have to say that I was impressed by her resume. I was also intrigued by one of her works, "Memorial", which is a rework of Homer's Iliad approached from a new perspective. 

AP Essay "The Stranger" by Albert Camus--Blog Post #6

Use a character from The Stranger by Albert Camus to respond to the AP prompt below: 

Choose a complex and important character in a novel or a play of recognized literary merit who might - on the basis of the character's actions alone - be considered evil or immoral. In a well-organized essay, explain both how and why the full presentation of the character in the work makes us react more sympathetically than we otherwise might. Avoid plot summary.
Meursault, the protagonist of The Stranger by Albert Camus, is a very controversial character developed throughout the whole work. Meursault is a very peculiar character, and while Camus presents him as likable, his actions take away a lot from that likeability. While Meursault actions certainly make him look evil or immoral, we perceive him more sympathetically because he is the narrator of the story and views the world from a unique indifferent perspective, and sometimes he doesn’t understand the gravity of his actions in the society he lives in.

When reading The Stranger the readers feel closer to Meursault, and therefore like him more, because he is the narrator of the story and we see the development of the plot from his perspective. Seeing the plot and his actions from his own indifferent perspective allows us to comprehend his reasoning and why he does what he does. Sometimes his actions aren’t pertinent, or correct, but his reasoning and way of thinking make them looks as fair, pragmatic ones.

Meursault’s indifference leads to his inability, or he just doesn’t care, to understand other’s perceptions of him and his actions. For example, when he shoots the Arab on the beach it is not because he was being threatened, but rather because the heat was making him tired, and a reflection of the sun was blinding him, so he just shot him, as it was the more pragmatic solution. Meursault doesn’t see this action as something grave, but rather as unimportant, and doesn’t understand why he is put on jail. Another example, which is probably clearer, is when he doesn’t cry at his mother’s funeral. Everyone who attended expected him to cry, but he didn’t, he was just there because it was what was ‘right’ to do. He didn’t even want to go to his mother’s funeral in the first place, as the journey from his home was ‘tiring’. Both examples illustrate Meursault’s indifference towards society, and his inability for empathy, which lead to other’s labeling him as suffering from some kind of psychological condition, and eventually leads to his imprisonment.

Meursault’s actions in The Stranger are indisputably out of the norm, and label him as evil or immoral. However by showing the readers Meursault’s perspective and indifference, Camus creates a feeling of sympathy towards Meursault in the readers.

Rapunzel Analyzed Through Archetypal Lens-Blog Post #5

Please select a fairy tale that you were not familiar with before this class and select a critical lens to use in an examination of the story.  Using your chosen critical lens, provide a thorough interpretation of the fairy tale in a well-organized blog post.  
Rapunzel Fairy Tale

“Rapunzel” Through The Archetypal Lens

Before reaching this unit in the course I had heard of the Rapunzel tale before, I knew it was about a woman with very long hair who lived in a tower, but I didn´t know anything else. After reading and analyzing it I found it to be very interesting, and also dark at some points. Rapunzel, analyzed through the archetypal lens is quite similar to other tales because of its common kinds of characters, development of the plot, and resolution.

All of the characters in Rapunzel represent some archetype: the neighbor, owner of the Rapunzel plant, represents evil; the mother represents a capricious, delicate character, who will die if not given the necessary item; the father, a good man is a caring character, willing to do whatever it takes to save his wife’s life; Rapunzel represents the typical values perceived about women, beautiful, delicate, and depending on men, and the Prince is the character who saves the woman from her misery.

The plot develops in a predictable way. First there is a problem, the couple isn’t able to conceive a child, and turns to an outside force in order to be able to. Then the helper asks for something in return of the help, and the gravity of the problem increases. Later the problem is gradually resolved until a sudden turn of events leads to misery for one, or more, of the characters. And finally, the happy ending, typical of most fairy tales.

The resolution, or ending, of the Rapunzel tale is the “Happy Ending”, extremely popular and common in fairy tales. When the prince finds his loved one again they reunite, the Prince’s blindness is magically cured, both go back to the Prince’s Kingdom, and live happily ever after.

Rapunzel, examined through the archetypal lens, is filled with common preconceptions about characters, values, and the feminine gender. Its plot and resolution also are a derivation of the standard plot for fairy tales.

Continue The Story, Bernard. BNW. Blog Post #4

Blog Post #4

Alternate Ending: Huxley's ending in Brave New World leaves the fate of several characters unclear.  Select one of the following characters and write the end of the story (and beyond) from their POV.  This piece of writing is narrative in form, NOT an essay!  Plan and write accordingly.

Bernard

              Bernard finally escaped the system which he had always criticized and never been fond of. While on the plane towards an unknown island destination he gazed out the narrow window and reflected on the last few weeks. They were the most intense of his life. He felt melancholic for a little while, and even thought of ingesting one of the last few Soma pills he had left, but decided not to, as he would be succumbing to the World State once again. He felt sorry for John, who he had heard, committed suicide after an incident with a group of on-lookers at his lighthouse. He wished they had been closer and that he hadn’t used John as a way to gain popularity. He thought of Lenina as well, but wasn’t too worried about her, as she would go on with her dull, vapid lifestyle back in the World State. Helmholtz didn’t worry him either, Bernard knew that he would enjoy his new life away from the manipulating, controlling government of the World State.

              Still on the plane Bernard wondered what his new life would be like, he questioned whether he would like his new companion, whether he could survive in this island, or even if he would have to live as a Savage. What worried him the most was the latter aspect. All this wondering got him anxious, feeling like he couldn’t breathe. Soon, two flight assistants came to restrain him, put two Soma pills in his mouth, and forced him to swallow. Instants later Bernard was in the process of falling asleep while hallucinating.

              About two hours later Bernard woke up, confused and still dozy, he walked towards the plane’s door. As soon as he stepped outside he felt a hot, humid breeze hit his face, it looked like he was in some tropical island. He took a look around, but he couldn’t see anything but the landing track and thick tropical forest. A few seconds later an agent from the World State appeared from the front of the plane and asked Bernard to please start walking towards the forest. Bernard couldn’t hide his suspiciousness, he didn’t think that a civilization would be in the middle of a forest, but he kept on walking, with the World State agent a few feet behind him. They reached a thicker part of the forest, where light could barely reach the ground. The agent asked Bernard to take a break, sit, relax and hydrate for a while. He extended his arm to Bernard, and in his hand was a bottle of water. Bernard kept gazing around, marveled by such an exotic nature. He grabbed the bottle form the agent’s hand and drank a small sip, then he quickly drank the rest of the bottle. A few seconds later Bernard started to feel dozy again, with blurred vision he looked at the agent, who was walking away. In a matter of seconds Bernard was lying on the ground, with cold, pale skin, motionless, and not breathing.

Brave New World's Tone. Blog Post #3

What is the tone of Brave New World so far?  What does Huxley think of the World State?  Be explicit and provide direct evidence from the text in your analysis.
The tone of Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World” can be described as critical because the author depicts a dehumanized society in which citizens have no sense of freedom, live by the government's rules and standards, and Huxley infers his opinion about this society to the reader through some of the characters' roles and actions.

Right since the beginning of the book we observe the cold and scientific process by which humans are ‘manufactured’. Here, humans are raised right from birth up to adulthood as mere puppets of the government. If the love and sense of trust from a mother and a father is missing right from the start of the citizens’ lives, and the only organization they can trust in is the World State, the government, then they will always be obedient to their orders without opposing, judging, or questioning them.

Aldous Huxley criticizes the World State and the nation it governs through characters like Bernard, Helmholtz, John, and Linda. These characters can be labeled as the rebels of the bunch who oppose the regime’s criteria for ruling, in comparison to other characters as Lenina, who accept it. Huxley’s opposition of the World State can be clearly observed when John “The Savage” is introduced to this society and takes a tour through the “Fordian Factory”, where children are born and raised, he is deeply disgusted by this way of living, to the point in which he decides to not leave his room anymore to avoid further disgust.

James Clavell's "The Children's Story"

Blog Post #2: Explain how The Children’s Story is an example of a dystopia.  Outline your interpretation of James Clavell’s message

When we read the first couple pages of Clavell's book we can see a dystopian society forming, in which a new, younger teacher is replacing the older one, who is sent to the Principal's office. As the new teacher introduces herself to the class we see that she is trying to gain control over the children's minds by challenging their beliefs and implanting new ones onto them. The teacher first asks the children what the 'Pledge of Alliance' really means, but they can't answer and just say that they are taught to just say it, without understanding the meaning. The new teacher then proceeds to explain the children that the pledge is a way of expressing their loyalty to the flag, a symbol of their country.

The teacher then continues by suggesting the children, including the rebel one (Johnny), to wear the new school's uniform, saying "...you'll all be the same." Johnny refuses to ever wear the uniform, to which the teacher responds passively, almost convincing Johnny that it's okay not to wear the uniform if he doesn't want to. Then the class starts to pray to God for candy, lead by the teacher, who suggests that they call God, 'Our Leader' instead (pretty suspicious). While the children are praying with their eyes closed the teacher puts candy on their desks, but Johnny sees her do this and blows the teacher's cover. The teacher responds to this by accepting that she put the candy and then makes Johnny the class monitor. Johnny is then happy and starts liking his new teacher.

The main idea of the book is that the new teacher is erasing the children's old preconceptions, implanting new ones and sort of 'buying out' those who resist, like Johnny. This clearly resembles the dystopian societies of other books, for example '1984's. *SPOILER ALERT* At the end of 1984 Winston is apprehended and tortured, eliminating his rebel thoughts and replacing them with positive ones towards the Party, here in Clavell's book the new teacher is giving Johnny, the rebel kid, different rewards in order for him to like her and accept her ideas.

Clavell's book critiques a society in which kids are 'brainwashed' to do things without knowing the meaning of them (the Pledge of Alliance for example), which prepares them to later accept the government's decisions obediently.

My Reasoning Behind Taking AP Lit. & Comp.

Why are you taking AP Literature & Composition?  Why are you interested in literature?  What are some of the areas you are most interested in?  What do you hope to get out of this class?  

I have decided to take AP Literature & Composition because I believe it will be of great help to improve my use of the English language. I am interested in literature because there is almost infinite knowledge in it, and it can also be entertaining. The areas of literature I am most interested in are novels. I enjoy reading comedy, history, and adventure novels because they get me engaged into the book as if I was just another character in the story.

Last year, when I signed into AP English for 11th graders I expected to learn plenty of new vocabulary, the structures of the different types of essays, and how to write a pretty good essay by the end of the year. I can say I accomplished both of my goals, at least to a certain degree, and, though I wish I would have learned a little more last year, I can't complain too much about it. My expectations for this year are almost the same as those for last year, to improve my use of the English language, and to finish the year being able to write an almost college-level essay. But this year I am adding one more objective: I want to increase my reading speed. With a higher reading speed I hope to be able to read more books, and therefore gain more knowledge that will be of great use later on.