For my second
journal, I have decided to write about one of my all-time favorite poems; Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening
by Robert Frost. This poem especially appeals to me now, because it is very
calming. The speaker is weary, and wishes he could fall asleep, giving the poem
a sleepy and dreamy quality. I find it interesting how you can almost feel the
heaviness of the snow, and how noise is muted because of the oppressive blanket.
My favorite lines at are at the conclusion of the poem-“and miles to go before
I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep.” Upon initial reading, the speaker
just seems to be exhausted and weary of his journey and day. But, with closer
inspection, Robert Frost’s dark poetic nature is revealed. The narrator is
truly tired of his life, and he is all alone in a dark thicket of snowy woods.
This sight, although very beautiful, reminds the speaker that he is tired of
his obligations in life. Despite this dark and horrible thought, the speaker is
able to stop and enjoy the lovely, dark, and deep woods. Another aspect I look
for in poetry I read in rhyme scheme. Stopping
by the Woods on a Snowy Evening has a consistent and strong scheme. It is
AABA, CCDC, etc. I have always had a preference towards poems that rhyme
because I pay closer attention to the lines and connect with the poet more than
I would in most other poems.
Friday, March 21, 2014
Divergent Pt. 2
As a Dauntless transfer from Abnegation, Beatrice Prior was
immediately forced into change because the abnegation and dauntless are
virtually opposites of each other. The transition was immediate and harsh; she
changed her name, her appearance, and her personality just to survive the
conditions of the severe faction. Beatrice, now know by the name Tris, was
stripped of her old self, allowing for a new, brave woman to break her girlish
history. Tris tattoos her collarbone with three birds, one for each member of
the family she left behind. This is the only reminder she allows herself, and
although Tris misses her parents and brother, Caleb, she powers through to
survive. Armed with these new, ‘tough’ tattoos, Tris begins to dress in the
faction-sanctioned color- black. This change of identity is swift, and no one
supports, or holds Tris’ hand during the process. Against all odds, Tris
survives the first week. Her journey would only get harder, however. Tris
begins training week- fighting her new roommates and friends to keep her new
home. Falling out of place, falling to last
place, means becoming faction less. Homeless and starving, the faction less
people of the world wander around and beg for food, money, anything to help
them survive in the unforgiving world of Divergent.
Needless to say, Tris was desperate, and day in and day out allowed her body to
be beaten and basically tortured, all in favor of keeping her new ‘family’.
Tris never questioned her faction choice, and although she may not have been
the strongest, smartest new Dauntless member, she proved herself to be the
bravest. She stood up for her new friends, quite literally, when she placed
herself in front of an amateur knife-thrower, just to save her friend from the
perilous Chasm. Eventually, Tris finds her niche. She starts to enjoy herself
in Dauntless, learning the ropes and soon finding thrill in impossibly
dangerous events. Tris is joyful when presented with life-threatening and hazardous
opportunities- she even begins to seek the feeling of chaos and instability. Tris
is, in fact, the only person from Dauntless who can deny and suppress her fear
long enough to climb an old, rusted Ferris wheel during an intense game of
capture the flag. Perhaps the most interesting characteristic about Tris is
that, although she was not even born into Dauntless, she hates showing any type
of weakness, and this quality transformers her into a true Dauntless- although
time will tell if she will succumb to her true Divergent nature.
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Divergent
Beatrice Prior lives in a future
version of Chicago where there are five distinct factions. Each faction molds
the lifestyle of its community surrounding the ideals of one particular virtue.
The faction system exists because people were corrupt in the past and by
following a faction lifestyle people are bettering themselves. Each faction
believes that the virtue they devote themselves to, is the most vital.
Dauntless believe in bravery and courage, the Erudite obsess over knowledge,
Abnegation promotes selfless acts, Amity focuses on friendship, and Candor
believes in the truth. Beatrice grew up in an Abnegation family and on her
sixteenth birthday she took a test to discover what faction she should join for
the rest of her life. Her results came back inconclusive and her proctor told
her she was “divergent” because she could be an erudite, a dauntless, or
abnegation. She was told that being divergent was a bad thing and that she
would be putting herself in danger if she told anyone, including her family, what
she was. She made the drastic decision
to change factions and at the choosing ceremony she became the second
abnegation member to ever become a dauntless initiate.
I like how the author writes and
uses imagery in her writing style to depict each scene with enough detail that
you can picture everything happening. I am excited for the movie that is coming
out soon because I want to compare how I expected the scenes to look to how
they actually turn out. She makes the main character’s life so dramatic and it
definitely appeals to the reader’s senses and makes them feel the same emotions
that Beatrice is going through. Also the book was great in general and I would
highly recommend it for all readers. It is the first book of an addicting
trilogy and I had a hard time putting it down.
Monday, March 17, 2014
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon - What values do the Wudan masters teach their pupils?
The values that the Wudan masters teach their pupils are passed down from generation to generation. They are to respect your master and others, to act justly and do things for the right reasons, to be determined and fight passionately, to be true to one's inner self, and lastly to uphold the responsibilities one has to his or her master. To honor his or her master the student must embrace and follow these principles. The Wudan masters instruct their pupils to consistently respect their master and always be courteous to their elders and all people. They teach the pupils to always fight with passion otherwise their hard work becomes useless. Each student has their own obligations and beliefs that they must uphold. They have to honor their master. For example, in the movie, Li Mu Bai was an honorable student and after Jade Fox murdered his master, he felt he had the responsibility of avenging his master’s death. The masters also teach their pupils to always be true to themselves and do what will be best for them. To never let outside events or people influence their actions.
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