In “As I Lay Dying” by William Faulkner Darl is one of the main characters and has nineteen narrations throughout the story. Darl’s character in the story is more intellectual than emotional. Even though Darl is the second oldest child, his role and narration in the story makes him sometimes seem like the eldest yet his actions and feelings in the story make him seem careless. Darl’s narration has more in depth analysis or description in the story and his voice becomes the guiding narration in the story with lots of internal thoughts.
Darl’s relationships with his brothers are not good even though Darl seems like the most reasonable or intellectual. For example Darl says “Jewel,” I say, “do you know that Addie Bundren is going to die?” (Faulkner pg.40). Darl says this to Jewel multiple times in this narration because Jewel is in disbelief that Addie is going to die. This also shows that Darl doesn’t care about his mother dying. Darl calls his mother by her name and he repeats several times that she is going to die and he doesn’t seem to care.
We also know that Darl’s narration is one of the most significant because he is very observant or perceptive in containing information. Darl knows about Dewey Dell’s pregnancy, without speaking to her and learn that his mother died in his narration. Darl is clearly different from the rest of the family and he separates himself with his own higher intellect above the family. Darl also has a lot of interior monologues which shows what he thinks about other characters and how he perceives them.
Through the story Darl seems distant or doesn’t seem to agree with the family’s mission in burying Addie Bundren in Jefferson. Darl seems too careless when he abandons his mother’s coffin during the horrific river crossing. Overall I think Faulkner wants us to know that Darl is very different from the rest of his family and characters which isolates him from his family.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Siren Song (Commentary)
Siren Song
This is the one song everyone
would like to learn: the song
that is irresistible:
the song that forces men
to leap overboard in squadrons
even though they see beached skulls
the song nobody knows
because anyone who had heard it
is dead, and the others can’t remember.
Shall I tell you the secret
and if I do, will you get me
out of this bird suit?
I don’t enjoy it here
squatting on this island
looking picturesque and mythical
with these two feathery maniacs,
I don’t enjoy singing
this trio, fatal and valuable.
I will tell the secret to you,
to you, only to you.
Come closer. This song
is a cry for help:
Help me!Only you, only you can,
you are unique
at last. Alas
it is a boring song
but it works every time.
Maraget Atwood
In the poem "Siren Song" by Margaret Atwood she uses the Sirens from the
"Odyssey" and gives them reversal roles. In the "Odyssey", Homer portrays the Sirens as dangerous and very deceptive. Margaret Atwood however, shows the Sirens in danger or vulnerable, and extreme desperation. In the third amd fifth stanzas it explains the desperation the Sirens have. It says "get me out of this bird suit?" and "Help me" (Atwood Line 12, 22). The woman showing that they need help or liberation shows Atwood's frequent use of weak
feminine roles.
In 'Siren Song" there are six stanzas with each stanza having three lines except
for the third stanza which has 12 lines. Also throughout the poem, the Sirens are reduced to a single, female entity. It also seems as if thr Sirens are playing a game because it's evident in the Siren's tone and rheterical strategy used throughout the poem. In the six stanza it mentions that "it is a boring song" (Atwood Line 26). The entire event of the "boring song" is just a game set up for a trap. (Atwood Line 27) This line says "it works every time" which gives you a feeling that someone is being tricked or trapped.
Basically Atwood uses the Sirens in her poem to show women who are trying to escape from the female stereotype. Overall I think Atwood is trying to say that women want to be saved from this stereotype and gender roles which is why Atwood switches the roles of the Sirens in her poem as opposed to the oringinal "Odyssey" story.
This is the one song everyone
would like to learn: the song
that is irresistible:
the song that forces men
to leap overboard in squadrons
even though they see beached skulls
the song nobody knows
because anyone who had heard it
is dead, and the others can’t remember.
Shall I tell you the secret
and if I do, will you get me
out of this bird suit?
I don’t enjoy it here
squatting on this island
looking picturesque and mythical
with these two feathery maniacs,
I don’t enjoy singing
this trio, fatal and valuable.
I will tell the secret to you,
to you, only to you.
Come closer. This song
is a cry for help:
Help me!Only you, only you can,
you are unique
at last. Alas
it is a boring song
but it works every time.
Maraget Atwood
In the poem "Siren Song" by Margaret Atwood she uses the Sirens from the
"Odyssey" and gives them reversal roles. In the "Odyssey", Homer portrays the Sirens as dangerous and very deceptive. Margaret Atwood however, shows the Sirens in danger or vulnerable, and extreme desperation. In the third amd fifth stanzas it explains the desperation the Sirens have. It says "get me out of this bird suit?" and "Help me" (Atwood Line 12, 22). The woman showing that they need help or liberation shows Atwood's frequent use of weak
feminine roles.
In 'Siren Song" there are six stanzas with each stanza having three lines except
for the third stanza which has 12 lines. Also throughout the poem, the Sirens are reduced to a single, female entity. It also seems as if thr Sirens are playing a game because it's evident in the Siren's tone and rheterical strategy used throughout the poem. In the six stanza it mentions that "it is a boring song" (Atwood Line 26). The entire event of the "boring song" is just a game set up for a trap. (Atwood Line 27) This line says "it works every time" which gives you a feeling that someone is being tricked or trapped.
Basically Atwood uses the Sirens in her poem to show women who are trying to escape from the female stereotype. Overall I think Atwood is trying to say that women want to be saved from this stereotype and gender roles which is why Atwood switches the roles of the Sirens in her poem as opposed to the oringinal "Odyssey" story.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Follower (Commentary)
In the poem “Follower” by Seamus Heaney he uses imagery of following to show the admiration of his father and the change of roles that occurs between the speaker and father. Heaney creates a certain image in the beginning of the poem when he describes his father work in the field. The speaker is speaking as a young boy in the poem and he remembers himself following his father as he goes about his work and, like most young men, he looks up to his dad as a hero and he admires him.
The poem is structured in six stanzas, each stanza containing four lines and the rhyme scheme of the poem is ABAB. Heaney makes several nautical references in the poem. These include “The father's shoulders are like the billowing sail of a ship. The “sod” rolls over “without breaking” (like a wave) (Heaney 2-3). “Mapping the furrow” is like navigating a ship (Heaney 12). The nautical imagery in the poem explains that his dad was a hard worker. He compares his dad with the nautical imagery in comparison with a sailor because they do physical ‘expert’ work. Also the nautical imagery could relate to movement because the dad ends up following the son at the end of the poem.
In the last stanza the roles of father and son seem to switch because the son is now older. “I was a nuisance, tripping, falling, yapping always. But today it is my father who keeps stumbling behind me, and will not go away.” The father has taken the follower child-like role that the speaker once had. It’s ironic because the father was once viewed as a powerful heroic figure to the son, but now the father is looking up to someone who use to look up to him.
The poem is structured in six stanzas, each stanza containing four lines and the rhyme scheme of the poem is ABAB. Heaney makes several nautical references in the poem. These include “The father's shoulders are like the billowing sail of a ship. The “sod” rolls over “without breaking” (like a wave) (Heaney 2-3). “Mapping the furrow” is like navigating a ship (Heaney 12). The nautical imagery in the poem explains that his dad was a hard worker. He compares his dad with the nautical imagery in comparison with a sailor because they do physical ‘expert’ work. Also the nautical imagery could relate to movement because the dad ends up following the son at the end of the poem.
In the last stanza the roles of father and son seem to switch because the son is now older. “I was a nuisance, tripping, falling, yapping always. But today it is my father who keeps stumbling behind me, and will not go away.” The father has taken the follower child-like role that the speaker once had. It’s ironic because the father was once viewed as a powerful heroic figure to the son, but now the father is looking up to someone who use to look up to him.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Punishment (Commentary)
In the poem “Punishment” by Seamus Heaney he uses the image of Irish troubles by drawing a parallel between the young woman killed and events around the speaker in Northern Ireland. The poem compares the Windeby girl with Catholic girls in Northern Ireland, which Heaney mentions in the poem, is her "betraying sisters" (38), who were punished for associating with British soldiers. Heaney seems to write with pity of the girl’s humiliation and final pain, when she had only the ring-like band around her eyes to remind her of love's memories (20-22).
The structure of this poem is broken up into eleven stanzas with four lines in every stanza. Heaney seems to have structured the poem in two halves; the first half describes with intense imagery the significant events leading to the woman’s death. Heaney then uses enjambment as a technique to establish a bridge allowing the poem to flow naturally to the second part. The second part of the poem seems to have switch perspectives allowing us to see through the women’s eyes. The naked exposure of the girl in the first stanza shows the girl’s weakness which symbolizes the loss of innocence which connects with her death. Heaney uses the female body as a metaphor in the poem to describe the cultural conflict between Ireland and England symbolically at a personal level for Heaney to show the vulnerability the Irish have.
Heaney uses “Punishment” to draw a comparison with women from the Catholic community who were associated with British soldiers and were extremely punished for it. I think Heaney wants to show that they are powerless to stop the abuse and conflict that spreads throughout Irish Culture.
The structure of this poem is broken up into eleven stanzas with four lines in every stanza. Heaney seems to have structured the poem in two halves; the first half describes with intense imagery the significant events leading to the woman’s death. Heaney then uses enjambment as a technique to establish a bridge allowing the poem to flow naturally to the second part. The second part of the poem seems to have switch perspectives allowing us to see through the women’s eyes. The naked exposure of the girl in the first stanza shows the girl’s weakness which symbolizes the loss of innocence which connects with her death. Heaney uses the female body as a metaphor in the poem to describe the cultural conflict between Ireland and England symbolically at a personal level for Heaney to show the vulnerability the Irish have.
Heaney uses “Punishment” to draw a comparison with women from the Catholic community who were associated with British soldiers and were extremely punished for it. I think Heaney wants to show that they are powerless to stop the abuse and conflict that spreads throughout Irish Culture.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Death Be Not Proud (Commentary)
DEATH be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadfull, for, thou art not so,
For, those, whom thou think'st, thou dost overthrow,
Die not, poore death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
From rest and sleepe, which but thy pictures bee,
Much pleasure, then from thee, much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee doe goe,
Rest of their bones, and soules deliverie.
Thou art slave to Fate, Chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poison, warre, and sicknesse dwell,
And poppie, or charmes can make us sleepe as well,
And better then thy stroake; why swell'st thou then;
One short sleepe past, wee wake eternally,
And death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die.
By: John Donne
In the poem “Death Be Not Proud” by John Donne death is personified and is used as a metaphor in which death is compared to a person. Throughout the poem the personification of death creates a feeling that death is less powerful than we think. Donne degrades and undermines death when he says “Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so; For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow Die not, poor death, nor yet canst thou kill me” (Donne Lines 2-4). Death is placed as an inferior being when he calls him “poor death”. Basically by making death appear human, he makes it less intimidating then it really is.
This poem consists of just one stanza which could mean that Donne wanted to list or rant on about how powerless death is. The rhyme scheme of “Death Be Not Proud” is ABBA, ABBA, CDDC, EE. Donne says “And soonest our best men with thee do go” (Donne Line 7). Donne is saying that the good die young, as if death is a form of reward. After this Donne makes a metaphor between a slave and death. He says “says death is a slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men” (Donne Line 9). Donne takes away deaths power considerably, as a slave has no power or control of his own.
In being personified into a slave that has many masters, death is extremely bound to its own faith. Death’s lack of freedom in choosing victims takes away any reason to be fearful of death. At the end of the poem Donne says “One short sleep past, we wake eternally, And death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die (Donne Lines 13-14). Knowing that Donne is Christian he mentions that death is just one short phase until eternal life. Donne ends the poem with paradox and irony when he says “death shalt die” (Donne 14).
Mighty and dreadfull, for, thou art not so,
For, those, whom thou think'st, thou dost overthrow,
Die not, poore death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
From rest and sleepe, which but thy pictures bee,
Much pleasure, then from thee, much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee doe goe,
Rest of their bones, and soules deliverie.
Thou art slave to Fate, Chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poison, warre, and sicknesse dwell,
And poppie, or charmes can make us sleepe as well,
And better then thy stroake; why swell'st thou then;
One short sleepe past, wee wake eternally,
And death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die.
By: John Donne
In the poem “Death Be Not Proud” by John Donne death is personified and is used as a metaphor in which death is compared to a person. Throughout the poem the personification of death creates a feeling that death is less powerful than we think. Donne degrades and undermines death when he says “Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so; For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow Die not, poor death, nor yet canst thou kill me” (Donne Lines 2-4). Death is placed as an inferior being when he calls him “poor death”. Basically by making death appear human, he makes it less intimidating then it really is.
This poem consists of just one stanza which could mean that Donne wanted to list or rant on about how powerless death is. The rhyme scheme of “Death Be Not Proud” is ABBA, ABBA, CDDC, EE. Donne says “And soonest our best men with thee do go” (Donne Line 7). Donne is saying that the good die young, as if death is a form of reward. After this Donne makes a metaphor between a slave and death. He says “says death is a slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men” (Donne Line 9). Donne takes away deaths power considerably, as a slave has no power or control of his own.
In being personified into a slave that has many masters, death is extremely bound to its own faith. Death’s lack of freedom in choosing victims takes away any reason to be fearful of death. At the end of the poem Donne says “One short sleep past, we wake eternally, And death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die (Donne Lines 13-14). Knowing that Donne is Christian he mentions that death is just one short phase until eternal life. Donne ends the poem with paradox and irony when he says “death shalt die” (Donne 14).
Thursday, January 22, 2009
The Good-Morrow (Commentary)
In the poem “The Good-Morrow” by John Donne he uses his experiences with love to express his love and by using diction to set the tone. Donne’s subject in this poem is love, and is viewed from past experiences which isolate the lovers from reality. Love gives them an awareness of how much they love each other and don’t remember or life seems like a dream before they met. The poem is divided into three stanzas with a specific rhyme scheme.
Donne often uses alliteration in his poems and there are multiple examples of it in “The Good-Morrow”. “Or snorted we in the Seven Sleepers’ den” (Donne line 4)? Here alliteration appears in two words related to sleep, “snorted” and “sleepers”, which helps underline the sense. Donne also uses specific word choice and repetition to express his love in this poem. Words such as “beauty”, “desired”, and “loved” are used to express his point. The words “love and “worlds” are seen often in the second stanza where Donne is speaking about his love in the present rather than past or future.
The metaphors used in “The Good-Morrow” helps give the poem more imagery. “Were we not weaned till then? But sucked on country pleasures, childishly” (Donne lines 2-3)? This metaphor explains the state of the lovers before falling in love with one another is identified with childhood. For example the metaphor would be placed with “we were babies before we loved”. The third stanza closes the poem, but explains their love in the future. The third stanza basically shows sincerity of both lovers, and it adds hope for the future.
Donne often uses alliteration in his poems and there are multiple examples of it in “The Good-Morrow”. “Or snorted we in the Seven Sleepers’ den” (Donne line 4)? Here alliteration appears in two words related to sleep, “snorted” and “sleepers”, which helps underline the sense. Donne also uses specific word choice and repetition to express his love in this poem. Words such as “beauty”, “desired”, and “loved” are used to express his point. The words “love and “worlds” are seen often in the second stanza where Donne is speaking about his love in the present rather than past or future.
The metaphors used in “The Good-Morrow” helps give the poem more imagery. “Were we not weaned till then? But sucked on country pleasures, childishly” (Donne lines 2-3)? This metaphor explains the state of the lovers before falling in love with one another is identified with childhood. For example the metaphor would be placed with “we were babies before we loved”. The third stanza closes the poem, but explains their love in the future. The third stanza basically shows sincerity of both lovers, and it adds hope for the future.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Act of Resistance
For my act of Resistance I decided that I would help out in the community during Thanksgiving. I helped my grandmother organize and serve food from her church, but the idea was to get younger people involved with the community. There were a lot of older people helping out and usually the older people always help out every year with no help from the young people in the community. Basically on Thanksgiving we had to eat earlier than usual to help out in the church and then go around the community looking for volunteers from young people, but mainly adolescents.
After setting up the church, I and some of my family members went into the neighborhood looking for some volunteers. It was difficult finding people because everyone is with their families on Thanksgiving and not to mention the work involve serving people food. However we did come across some young teens willing to help for a good amount of time. We did end up paying some of them for their service, but I think you shouldn’t have to pay people to help their community.
Overall I think it was good experience because we got young teens involved in the community even on a holiday so the turn out could have been even better if it was on a different day. If I had to do this again I probably would, but I would choose a different act of resistance because getting people to volunteer was difficult.
After setting up the church, I and some of my family members went into the neighborhood looking for some volunteers. It was difficult finding people because everyone is with their families on Thanksgiving and not to mention the work involve serving people food. However we did come across some young teens willing to help for a good amount of time. We did end up paying some of them for their service, but I think you shouldn’t have to pay people to help their community.
Overall I think it was good experience because we got young teens involved in the community even on a holiday so the turn out could have been even better if it was on a different day. If I had to do this again I probably would, but I would choose a different act of resistance because getting people to volunteer was difficult.
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