Blog 11

“Sir Patrick Spens” and Dudley Randall’s “Ballad of Birmingham” are two poems that many similarities. In “Ballad of Birmingham” the little girl remains faithful to her mother. But she ends up dying despite her mother’s efforts. In “Sir Patrick Spens” the sailor remains faithful to the King and ends up dying at sea as he attempted to do what the King told him too. The two main characters remain loyal and faithful but in the end it results in their death. Another similarity that I noticed was both the poems are similar in structure. Both poems have four lined stanzas and have a rhyme scheme of the second and fourth lines rhyme together. The pomes also share imagery. In “Sir Patrick Spens”, it says “Its fifty fathom deep,/ And there lies good Sir Patrick Spens,/ Wi’ the Scots lords at his feet” (42-44. 650). And in “Ballad of Birmingham, “She has combed and brushed her night-dark hair,/and bathed rose petal sweet,/ And drawn white gloves on her small brown hands,/ And white shoes on her feet.” (17-20. 956) This shows the vivid imagery. It gives us as readers a good picture of what is going on between both of the poems. Another similarity that I noticed between both of the poems is at the end of both of them they both set a gloomy mood leading up to the tragic outcome. And when the lines are revealed about the tragic such as in “Ballad of Birmingham” when it says “For when she heard the explosion,/ Her eyes grew wet and wild./ She raced through the streets of Birmingham/ calling for her child.” (26-28. 957) she knew in what had happened. And in “Sir Patrick Spens” O long, long their ladies sit… O long, long may the ladies stand,/ Wi’ their gold combs in their hair,/ Waiting for their own dear lords,/ For they’ll see them no more.” (33-36. 650) And the reason why I think that is important because, it was all leading up to the tragic outcome of the poems.

Blog 10

In the poem “My Papa’s Waltz” written by Theodore Roethke, this poem can be taken in two different ways abuse or the actual waltz. At first I thought the poem was about abuse, in the poem he says “The whisky on your breath/ Could make a small boy dizzy;/ But I hung on like death:/ Such waltzing was not easy”. This poem can lead to a person’s interpretation of abuse or a memorable dance. The mother is also brought up and how she is upset at the boy’s behavior “My mother’s countenance/ Could not unfrown itself” Which means by the look on his mother’s face lets the boy know that she is upset.

Blog #9

I chose “The Lamb” and “The Tyger” written by William Blake because I liked both of the poems the most. A similarity that I saw between both of the poems is that both of the titles have an animal in it. That was the first thing I noticed about them. Another thing that I noticed about them is the rhyme scheme and the way both of the poems start out with questions, like who created them? “The Tyger” creates a darker image compared to “The Lamb” which seemed completely harmless and the exact opposite of the tiger. Both poems are asking a question, who created thee? Who created such an intimidating/ powerful animal and who created such a gentle animal? They both purpose one common question, if the creator who made the lamb, also created the tiger as well. The diction is similar in both of the poems and both of them are easy to read and simple. I enjoyed reading both of the poems and how they compared to each other.

Blog #8

Out of the poems the one I liked the best was “Here a Pretty Baby Lies”, written by Robert Herrick the reason why I liked the poem was because it was simple. The diction in the poem is easy, and the rhyme scheme is basic. The reason why I liked the poem the best is because of how one line at the end of the poem can change everything. That one line at the end can make you think totally different. From the last line of the poem we find out that the baby that the author gave us a visual of is in a grave. The poem has deep meaning and I like it because its straight forward and gets right to the point.

The poem that I least cared for was “Schoolsville” written by Billy Collins. One of the reasons why is I thought it was boring nothing really was going on. It seemed like a boring town. There was no surprise ending compared to the poem “Here a Pretty Baby Lies”, it just did not keep my attention and therefore I did not care for it.

Blog 7

The title “Fences” represents the story very well. Fences are both used symbolically and literally in the story, from the fences he builds between the relationships with people and the actual fence that is built in the main character Troy’s yard. The author August Wilson symbolically uses fences to represent the walls between the characters in the story. Troy has a fence up which is like his guard in every relationship he has with a person. Troy wants to keep out the things that he separates himself from but it does him more harm than good.

The reason why Rose wants a fence and the reason why it is symbolic is because, Rose loves her family and she wants to keep everyone together. “Some people build fences to keep people out...and other people build fences to keep people in.”  (Act 2 Scene 1 Line 26) she builds it to keep everyone together as a family. She attempts to keep her family inside the home. Troy, on the other hand, builds different symbolic fences of responsibility, and expects his sons to do so much and his expectations are so high that all these fences do is push people away.

Troy clearly builds the fence as a dividing line between him and his son an actual, physical barrier that separates them when in the story Cory says "Tell Mama I'll be back for my things” and then Troy says “They’ll be on the other side of the fence”. (Act 2 Scene 4 Lines 110-111)   By winning the fight with Cory, Troy in my opinion is trying to show him that he's still the and always will be the alpha male. While the fence is now a literal barrier between the two, it also is representing the emotional strain that Troy places between them.

Blog 6

Claudius: is he purely evil or is he merely a flawed human being?  I believe he is purely evil.  Claudius is a man who knows what he wants and he is not going to stop until he gets what he wants and is completely satisfied with it. In order to get what he wants he is willing to murder someone and to betray and deceive his own family and lie to his own country just to get what he wants, to be king of Denmark. Claudius has no remorse whatsoever about his actions with killing his own brother. I believe he is pure evil because he planned to kill his brother, he knew what he was doing. And he knew in order to become King of Denmark he must marry the Queen so that’s what he did. All for the title of King. He lied to everyone. He must have had everything all planned out and thought through which really shows how evil he is. And another way that he showed his pure evilness is when he said to Hamlet “In filial obligation for some term to do obstinate condolement, is a course of impious stubbornness, ‘tis unmanly grief, it shows a will most incorrect to heaven” (Act 1 Scene 2 Lines 91-950). He is telling Hamlet to stop mourning of his own father’s death and to get over it. Claudius has no feelings; he does not care about who he hurts. Claudius is a man who will go to great length and will risk everything to get what he wants.

Blog #5

Hamlet is upset for many reasons. Hamlet is angry and searching for revenge. He became very disturbed when he came to find out about his fathers death. He could not come to terms with it and he could not come out of the grief of his fathers death. His fathers death was a big shock to him and affected him a great deal. He was also upset at his mother and how quickly she became remarried, he could not accept that his mother married his uncle which further increases his problems and sadness."Like Niobe, all tears;- why she, even she,- O God, a beast that wants discourse of reason,Would have mourned longer,-married with my uncle, My father’s brother; but no more like my father Than I to Hercules: within a month; Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tearsHad left the flushing in her galled eyes, She married. O most wicked speed, to post With such dexterity to incestuous sheets It is not, nor it cannot come to good, But break my heart,- for I must hold my tongue." (Act 1 Scene 2 Lines 149-158) This quote is very significant because it describes the causes of Hamlet's pain, how much he is unhappy with the intense disgust at his mother’s marriage. It broke his heart to know of his mothers new marriage.