A little bit of everything.....

“Howl” is probably one of the most interesting pieces of work I have read thus far. I enjoyed Allen Ginsberg’s style and thought it was interesting how he used some real life experience within “Howl”. The fact that Ginsberg was in an asylum didn’t shock me. I thought it made total sense when reading what he wrote. He certainly strikes me as being a little crazy.

I also enjoyed Gary Snyder’s “Axe Handles”. It was a pretty straightforward poem, unlike many that have been covered so far. In class, we talked about how it defined culture on a more intimate level. Culture is what we produce as we shape the next generation. This definition of culture isn’t the “norm”, but I think it is more realistic and is more applicable in real-life.

Flannery O’Connor told an interesting story. I literally laughed out-loud when the name Hulga came into play. There is just something about this name that gives me an image of an overweight, unattractive woman with a big mole on her face. I’m not sure why, but that is the image I get. The whole story was full of interesting things. A wooden leg? What made O’Connor think of that? The whole idea of the story would have been greatly altered if there wasn’t this wooden leg, but I question what made her decide to put it in there. I liked how there were two contrasting sides to the phrase “good country people”. For me, I naturally put a good connotation behind it. This quickly changed, and I was forced to challenge my thoughts on who really are “good country people”.

I think the best thing a writer can do is make the reader question their thoughts and feelings during and after reading their work.

My daughter's heavier

I quite enjoyed John Berryman’s writing. I found the poem titled #385 to be my favorite of what we read from him. Berryman was able to do something that other writers like him are unable to do. Even though he skipped around from idea to idea, he kept me interested. Normally, I will either stop reading or read without really paying attention when an author does this. Berryman was able to jump around and not cause me to lose interest.

I thought the notion of the daughter was interesting. My take on it may have been a bit different than others, but it worked for me. I thought he was trying to say that she was weighed down and not able to go for her “dreams”. This is something that I can relate to. I sometimes get so weighed down with reality and obligations that I forget to really go for what I want. I think it can be easy for people to get tied down and not remember their dreams. I know it is definitely easy for me to do.

All in all, I really liked Berryman and plan to read more of his work!

The Battle Begins...

I LOVED the chapter from Battle Royal. I will admit, I did not expect to like it at all or even as much as I do. I can’t even pinpoint what it is that I like in this story, but something drew me in at the beginning and kept me entertained all the way through.  I would like to read the entire story one day.

A classmate described it as being “realistic yet over-exaggerated”. I would have to agree. Everything seemed so real and I could picture it as I went along. However, some things may have been over-developed and over the top. I wouldn’t say that this is a bad thing. I would say it is what makes the story so powerful.

Battle Royal is a gruesome story. The battle that takes place shows no mercy and Ralph Ellison spares no detail in his writing. I really enjoyed the main character and thought Ellison developed him really well. The boy wanted to keep his reputation with the White men and looked for their approval. It seemed as if his natural instinct was to go against the battle, but he had to withstand it in order to reach his goal of giving the speech. I was a little saddened when he said that he saw himself as a future Booker T. Washington. He also had this idea that it would be better to make peace where they were rather than fight for their rights.

Ellison also incorporates the treatment of women in his story. The blonde woman is an example of someone being taken advantage of and mistreated. I thought the narrator’s internal struggle with the woman was quite intriguing. He hated her and loved her at the same time. This shows that part of him knew what was right, but the other part of him followed society.

Battle Royal really struck me and I hope to one day find the time to enjoy the rest of Ellison’s work.

Fish, Fish, Fish

I really enjoyed reading Elizabeth Bishop and Robert Lowell. Their relationship of writing a poem for one another reminds me of elementary school days where kids pass love notes. I preferred Bishop over Lowell, but they are both great.

“The Fish” was my favorite poem of our selections. Bishop’s detail for the fish made it realistic and more imaginable. She used the five hooks to show how many obstacles this one fish had to overcome and also incorporates metaphors/similes. Despite my preconceived notion of fish, Bishop made this particular fish sound beautiful. I have never been a big fan of fish and their looks; however, I do enjoy fishing. Bishop was able to take something that I think of as “gross” and turn my perspective into something else.

The speaker/fisherman played an important role in this poem. I liked the ending, in which the fisherman lets the fish go. It is as if he recognizes what this fish had been through and respected it. I’m not sure how someone can have respect for a fish, but if they did, I imagine this is what it would be like.

Bishop seems to be challenging the other stories in literature dealing with fishing. In her poem, there wasn’t an epic struggle that is often present in other stories. She puts a new spin on catching fish and veneration. The fish in Bishop’s poem “wins” and the fisherman is honored and takes pride in having had caught it.

Carnival Post

Edwin Arlington Robinson:

Dannika’s Blog discusses her interest in Edwin Arlington Robinson. Her description of him is “romantically morbid” and she makes comparisons to Robinson, Dickinson, and Plath. Dannika even suggests that Robinson and Dickinson would have made a good couple. Despite the depressing nature of Robinson’s poems, Dannika felt uplifted by his writing. This would be a great place to go if you are interested in seeing how one can be uplifted by such poetry.

Naomi’s Blog talks about her reaction to Robinson and her leeriness toward poetry. Robinson helped her overcome this, and Naomi was able to find a couple poems she enjoyed. Her discussion of “Richard Cory” and “Mr. Flood’s Party” is one worth looking at!

Nate’s Blog is where Nate dives into “Richard Cory” and his like for “Luke Havergal”. He goes quite in depth with “Luke Havergal” and specifically looks at the theology within it. With this aspect, there is also a darker side to the poem. If you liked “Luke Havergal” or any of Robinson’s poems, this is the place to go!

Robert Frost:

Nikki’s Blog is where you can find her discussing her thoughts she developed about Robert Frost when she was in the 8^th grade. Here, she talks about how she didn’t like how Frost wrote “The Road Not Taken” and her ideas about what he was saying might have been off. After reading it this time around, she no longer feels Frost should be “held in contempt”. This is a great place to go if you want to see how someone’s perspective can change the second time around.

Dannika’s Blog takes a look at “The Road Not Taken” and “Mending Wall”. She says that she usually has a hard time understanding poetry, but when she takes the time, Dannika is able to understand most of what Frost says. She is learning to look deeper into poems. If you are interested in the “misconceptions” that Frost addresses in his poems, this blog is worth checking out!

Naomi’s Blog also discusses Robert Frost. She looks at the difference between neighbors in a small town and those in a larger city. She was really interested in the notion of “good fences make good neighbors” and talks about it here.

Nate’s Blog is where he expresses his dislike for “The Road Not Taken” and his somewhat like for “Birches”. Nate wasn’t sure if he grasped the whole of what Frost was writing. He liked the rhythms and rhymes. If you often get confused with poetry, you might relate well to Nate.

Wallace Stevens:

Dannika’s Blog talks about her feelings towards Stevens. She didn’t find Stevens to be as understandable as Frost. She found a liking for “Sunday Morning” after discussion in class. Dannika discusses the modernism and theme of theology. If you found yourself disagreeing with the views of Stevens but also having an appreciation for what he said, this is the place to be!

Naomi’s Blog also talks about the theme of Christianity. She liked that this poem went against tradition and expressed a new view on death. Here, Naomi reflects on the idea that “death is the mother of beauty”. Her feelings on this are really interesting.

Nate’s Blog expresses his confusion with Stevens. He talks about “Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird” and his interpretation that the bird was life. His analysis of this is quite intriguing. This blog is great if you don’t understand Stevens or other poets. Nate is a good reminder that if you were confused…you are NOT alone!

T.S. Eliot:

Dannika’s Blog discusses the tension between two people. After class discussion, she looked deeper into the poem “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”. She breaks down important lines of the poem including her favorite portion. A part she had the most trouble understanding ended up becoming one of her favorite. This is a great place to go if you are interested in breaking down the poem and its meaning.

Naomi’s Blog is where she talks about what is going on with Prufrock from an internal point of view. She liked how T.S. Eliot makes the poem detailed. Naomi addresses the notion of “you” and “I” in the poem. This was one of her favorite poems in the class so far, and her like for it is clear.

William Faulkner:

Nate’s Blog is very honest about his feelings toward William Faulkner’s “Barn Burning”. He stated that he read the beginning, skimmed the middle, and read the end. This did not help him out very much when it came to class discussion. After re-reading it, he came to enjoy the story. He enjoyed Faulkner’s descriptions and discusses them here.

Naomi’s Blog talks about how she may have missed the point of this story. Here, she discusses the theme of family and loyalty present in the South. She uses Faulkner to compare the ideas in Old and New South. If the notion of family loyalty and the ideas of the South interest you, this is a great blog to read.

Dannika’s Blog is another blog where someone talks about missing the meaning of “Barn Burning”. She did not have a full understanding of what the father was doing. Dannika talks about the son and his growth through the short story. Her discussion of the boy is worth looking at!

Ernest Hemingway:

Naomi’s Blog looks at the relationship between the man and his wife in Ernest Hemingway’s “The Snows of Kilimanjaro”. She is quoted saying, “This was one of the weirdest things I’ve ever read (and not in a bad way…)”. Naomi like how Hemingway doesn’t make everything obvious to the reader. Her discussion of the man and wife helps with the understanding of what Hemmingway was getting at.

Dannika’s Blog is a great blog to look at to get a deeper understanding of who Hemmingway is. She found him to be depressing. Dannika talks about the man’s hate for himself and his lack of accomplishment.

Nate’s Blog also discusses the depressing nature of this short story. His feelings towards this story and his uninterest are easy to relate to. Nate was somewhat intrigued by Hemmingway but not enough to have really enjoyed this story.

Glenda’s Blog talks about her interests in the relationship between the man and wife. She couldn’t imagine being in one such as theirs. Glenda takes time to pinpoint what may have caused the man to feel so worthless at the end of his life. Her discussion on the relationship and character flaws is great insight!

Zora Neale Hurston:

“Their Eyes Were Watching God” was the topic of much discussion for blogging. Nikki’s Blog talks about her comparison to the characters in Hurston’s novel and “The Snows of Kilimanjaro”. She also finds a reference to Booker T. Washington and a piece we had read earlier. Dannika loved this book and discusses Janie’s character. Unlike others, she did not find Janie to be self-centered. Dannika saw her as honest. Glenda’s Blog holds a discussion of her connection with Janie. Glenda talks about the judgment placed on Janie and how it is quite similar to the judgments present in a small town. She also takes a look at them men in Janie’s life. Brian’s Blog breaks the novel down into ideas/ themes. His discussion of the recurring theme of the tree is quite interesting. He also draws connections between actors and athletes. Naomi’s Blog breaks the book down into sections of chapters. She expressed her feeling of boredom until the hurricane. This is a great place to check out Naomi’s view of Janie’s voice throughout the book. Nate uses the words “Depressing, Brilliant, Poetic, and Enjoyable” to describe Hurston’s novel. He goes into further description for why he would describe it using those particular words. This blog is great for grasping the overall feel for “Their Eyes Were Watching God”.

Langston Hughes:

Naomi’s Blog talks about her feelings towards Langston Hughes. She found that he had a recurring theme of freedom. Naomi found Hughes to be inspiring by his optimistic writing. Her discussion of this optimism and relationship amongst Hughes poems is worth reading!

Dannika’s Blog also shows a liking for Hughes. “His writing expresses exhaustion and frustration while maintain a sense of calm”. Her thoughts on Hughes and Booker T. Washington are quite interesting.

Richard Wright:

Dannika’s Blog talks about how she was unsatisfied with the ending of “The Man Who Was Almost a Man”. She described the character to be childlike. She found herself feeling sorry for him, as other readers might too. She even finds a way to tie in Huck Finn! J

Nikki’s Blog holds a discussion of Dave and his actions. She talks about the contradiction he places on himself. Nikki also found the ending relatable to Huck Finn and “Barn Burning”. Her entry on Wright’s story is great for understanding and taking a look at the main character, Dave.

Naomi’s Blog sheds a different light on the story. She thought she may have missed the point. Naomi was also not satisfied with the ending. She ended up having questions that were not answered.