tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35335104764518299102024-02-08T05:49:42.011-08:00World Literature in Translation 2008Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comBlogger212125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3533510476451829910.post-46082823088899829622008-04-29T08:54:00.001-07:002008-04-29T08:54:53.542-07:00Conversation with a stone<p class="MsoNormal">The stone is prudent and persistent or is this just the adjectives that I gave to a stone. The conversation examines the idea objects have the characteristics that we give them. However the stone is different because stones seem to be symbols of patience or a burden. Yet these descriptions that I just assigned to a stone are created by me not part of the essential nature of the stone. It seems that the stone in the poem only responds in the way it can, by turning in to sand and displaying no emotion.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Arturohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12111078717933006189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3533510476451829910.post-61582720780995572822008-04-29T08:53:00.000-07:002008-04-29T08:54:14.758-07:00Anna Swir Woman Unborn<p class="MsoNormal">The poet’s contemplation of time allows for multiple perspectives to be examined and it is not limited to one level of time. Within this poem the poet takes us through her life, her ancestry, and past a time that cannot be imagined. This contemplation offered by the poet examines the greater affect of living within time. This may seem strange because we are always living in time but the idea that I identify here is the effect on history by one individual. The poem seems sober because of its conclusion with relation to time. However the poet examines her life beyond her time and at that level the effects of an individual are minute. Perhaps the poet is humbling herself to understand a part of human existence and its mortality. </p>Arturohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12111078717933006189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3533510476451829910.post-69245350787569480732008-04-29T08:52:00.004-07:002008-04-29T08:53:00.547-07:00Ladies and Gentlemen to the Gas Chamber:<p class="MsoNormal">The tone for this writing makes me uncomfortable. The nonchalant attitude displayed is unexpected for the situation. The description of the daily events does not seem to affect the narrator. The level of desensitizing seems more that can be imagined. The narrator goes about his day as if he were in any other place the worries of acquiring possessions. The sarcasm also brings the reading to a further understanding of the level of desensitizing that the inhabitants experience. This reading seems to be evidence of the horror that affected millions and the means with which to cope it.</p>Arturohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12111078717933006189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3533510476451829910.post-53521157145006068852008-04-29T08:52:00.003-07:002008-04-29T08:52:33.890-07:00A Short Film about killing<p class="MsoNormal">At the beginning of the film I was doubtful of its ability to be effective. The connections between the characters seemed to be forced. As the story continued the connection between the characters is revealed and I was attentive to the story. The acts of violence are stark and brutal. The first act of violence in which the cab driver is killed startled me because he remained alive for sometime. The cab driver died while asking for a message to be delivered to his wife. This scene allows for little comfort. The question of justice comes in to play. The life of one man was taken so another should also be taken in order for justice to be restored. I do not believe that capital punishment is an acceptable form of justice. It does not replace the life taken by a murderer. The film also seems to agree with my position because the execution scene of the murderer is strong and seems inhumane. Two acts of violence, or rather two murders, do not restore justice. </p>Arturohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12111078717933006189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3533510476451829910.post-29182720962480047592008-04-29T08:52:00.001-07:002008-04-29T08:52:13.000-07:00Diary of a Madman<p class="MsoNormal">The story is a strange one that exhibits cannibalism that is difficult to interpret. The paranoia present in the story makes the reader doubt the events and perspective of the main character. </p>Arturohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12111078717933006189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3533510476451829910.post-4563265541746019922008-04-29T08:51:00.001-07:002008-04-29T08:51:45.033-07:00To Barrack Obama<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">January 25, 2008</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">The Honorable Barrack Obama </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">United States</st1:place></st1:country-region> Senate </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Washington</st1:City>, <st1:state st="on">D.C.</st1:State></st1:place><span style=""> </span>20510 </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Dear Senator Obama, </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;">I am following your campaign efforts through the primary elections and believe that your message of change through hope, as well as action by the voter, is the best one presented by any of the candidates. As your constituent I would like to call your attention to the human rights issue that is occurring in <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Guantanamo</st1:PlaceName> <st1:placetype st="on">Bay</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>. It is my hope that you would be able to bring this to the attention of voters and congress because <st1:placename st="on">Guantanamo</st1:PlaceName> <st1:placetype st="on">Bay</st1:PlaceType> is a human rights issue that affects us all through the denial of universal human rights to those held captive in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Guantanamo</st1:place></st1:City>. Perhaps your actions may provoke a change in the treatment and rights of the individuals in <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Guantanamo</st1:PlaceName> <st1:placetype st="on">Bay</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;">The lack of legal rights of the detainees needs to be corrected because it does not comply with universal human rights or our nation’s traditions of an individual’s rights. Amnesty International tells us of the inadequate acknowledgement of prisoner’s rights, “These include secretly transferring suspects to locations where they have faced torture and other ill-treatment, enforced disappearances and indefinite detention without charge.” All of these allegations have been in the media but have not been represented in a widely and ardently by a politician. It is in representing this issue that I ask you to take action in hope of improving the situation. These individuals who are tortured and held with no charge require their basic rights through the Geneva Convention and this country’s own initiative. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;">Several media reports, through different sources, exist on the conditions and legal situations of the detainees in <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Guantanamo</st1:PlaceName> <st1:placetype st="on">Bay</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>. National Public Radio’s program <i style="">This American Life</i> has featured the issues concerning <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Guantanamo</st1:PlaceName> <st1:placetype st="on">Bay</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> in one of its episodes. The episode of <i style="">This American Life </i>concentrates on the legal right of habeas corpus that the detainees are entitled to but have been denied. This basic right is briefly explained by <i style="">This American Life,”</i> <span class="text">The right of habeas corpus has been a part of our country's legal tradition longer than we've actually been a country. It means that our government has to explain why it's holding a person in custody.” The denial of this right needs to be rectified in order for the detainees to know what law they have broken. The episode also concludes with an interview of a former detainee who explains the torture that he experienced. This is a human issue that should be brought to the attention of all. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;"><span class="text">It is my hope that bringing the denial of human rights and the torture of detainees to the attention of the country through the campaign and support of politicians will produce a change for the detainees and the representation of human rights by our country. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;"><span class="text"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;"><span class="text"><span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Thank you for your time and effort, </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Arturo Medina,</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Wabash</st1:PlaceName> <st1:placetype st="on">College</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> ’09. </p>Arturohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12111078717933006189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3533510476451829910.post-89678823642028205372008-04-29T08:50:00.002-07:002008-04-29T08:51:10.362-07:00Pablo Neruda Tonight I Can Write…<p class="MsoNormal">Reading Neruda’s poem brings the loss of a lover into poetic form. I can’t help put notice the tactile interactions that Neruda highlights through the poem. The poem also explains what seems to be a shifting relationship. Love coming and going between the partners seems to happen often. This shifting relationship also seems to work. The poetic voice is sad at the loss of his lover while attempting to maintain the fleeting memories between them. The constant possibility of loving her and not loving her seem to affect the poet but he does not resolve to change the situation. It seems that this poem is dedicated to her and their shared experiences. </p>Arturohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12111078717933006189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3533510476451829910.post-65034493968337305912008-04-29T08:50:00.001-07:002008-04-29T08:50:43.142-07:00Exile<p class="MsoNormal">Through reading about exile and its many forms I can’t help but put examine my own situation and experiences. I left <st1:city st="on">Chicago</st1:City> to go to a boarding school in northern <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Indiana</st1:place></st1:State> and the change of environment was at first shocking. I still remember the first night in which I had difficulty sleeping and could hear the crickets chirping. It made for a difficult night’s sleep. However, the geography and rural nature was not the only changes that made me feel as if I was in a new land. The differences from going to <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Chicago</st1:City></st1:place> and my neighborhood, that is predominantly Hispanic, were vast. The culture shock I experienced took time to adjust to. Now here at Wabash I experience another version of <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Indiana</st1:place></st1:State> that also seems different to me. The political climate seems more aggressive and it also seems to affect our social interactions. I hope that with these experiences I can understand the differences that people undergo in changing location and its effect to perspective. </p>Arturohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12111078717933006189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3533510476451829910.post-29921989284268204032008-04-29T08:49:00.002-07:002008-04-29T08:50:21.866-07:00Notebook of a Return to the Native Land<p class="MsoNormal">The text is a confrontation with the situation that Senegalese individuals, among others face. It is a sobering experience to read it. The aggressive language of violence and the need for justice are common themes through the entire text. The text is difficult to comprehend because of the style but with the themes one is able to make connections through the text. The themes and language seem more apt especially considering that Césaire was an initiator of the Negritude movement and would later influence other writers. <span style=""> </span></p>Arturohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12111078717933006189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3533510476451829910.post-4620187956039600912008-04-29T08:49:00.001-07:002008-04-29T08:49:54.844-07:00The Wind that shakes the barley<p class="MsoNormal">The film began with a clear enemy to the Irish people, the British Black and Tans. The violent scene that ends with a life of an Irishman by the hands of the Black and Tans for speaking Gaelic is discomforting. The film sets you up to join the Irish side alongside the story. The battle against the Black and Tans seems justified because of their extreme repression especially against the Irish using their native Gaelic. As a viewer I felt engrossed with the story when Damien decides to join Teddy in the guerrilla warfare. This idealist struggle comes to an end with the signing of the treaty that creates a new dilemma. This clearly brings to light the difficulty of fighting for something better if all members of one group do not and perhaps cannot, agree on the same terms. The film ends with the painful scene of brother executing another brother, Teddy executing Damien. It is difficult to believe that the ideals that they were struggling for were worth the death of another family member. The acts of violence through war, or other wise, seem even more horrendous.</p>Arturohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12111078717933006189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3533510476451829910.post-52454705839621430032008-04-29T06:47:00.000-07:002008-04-29T06:58:29.745-07:00Neruda: "Tonight I can Write..."After reading several of Pablo Neruda's poems and studying his personal life for my presentation, I truly appreciate the beauty of this poem. I don't know when this was written, but I do know that Neruda had several wives and mistresses. I don't think this happened because he was a bad person and couldn't keep a committment (although the committment argument can't be thrown out completely, only temporarily for the sake of my argument :) I think he was one of the few who could find beauty in everything and everyone. The way he describes the stars and the sky is as passionate as when he describes the "nights like this one I held in her arms". <br /><br />I also find this poem interesting because of how he describes his love for his former lover, and specifically how this love changed over time. In line 9, he says, "...sometimes I loved her too." If you only "sometimes" love someone, it is strange that he is writing a poem with the "saddest lines" about someone he has lost. In line 23, he says, "I no longer love her, that's certain, but how I loved her." Again, it is strange that he is writing this poem to her despite the "certain" (imagine me making quotation marks with my hands) fact that he no longer loves her. If this poem was written to a former mistress, and his wife were to read this, I think Neruda would be busted!Patrick Maguirehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18371055033041586042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3533510476451829910.post-10831705274280763142008-04-29T06:28:00.000-07:002008-04-29T06:45:37.013-07:00"...To the Gas Chamber"This was a very interesting reading, and, as many other of my classmates have pointed out, Borowski's tone was not expected by most of us. After reading this, I went back and looked at the title itself. I think the title could have been a clear giveaway about the tone of the reading. "Ladies and Gentlemen, to the Gas Chamber" to me reads like an announcer of a boxing match or the person that says "Drivers, start your engines" at the start of the Indy 500 (this person has a specific title, but I can't remember what it is!). A passage in the reading ties in nicely with this interpretation, and it could be the basis for Borowski's sarcastic and almost carefree tone: (2779) "There is the law of the camp that people going to their death must be deceived at the last moment. It is the only permissible form of pity." This passage to me seems like Borowski may not be exaggerating the carefree nature of the prisoners. Since their death was imminent, their only way to escape the thought of the gas chambers was to try to restore as much as the attitude and mental well-being of their previous life as possible. The narrator can only escape from the true horror of the concentration camp for so long. On 2783, a girl asks him, "Listen, tell me, where are they taking us?". The narrator thinks to himself, "I looked at her. Here, before me, stood a girl with beautiful blond hair, wonderful breasts in an organdy summer blouse, her look wise and mature. Here she stood looking straight into my face and waited. Here, the gas chamber: mass death." The narrator can no longer dodge the question, and, through his hesitation, the girl discovers where they are going.Patrick Maguirehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18371055033041586042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3533510476451829910.post-45904109337005925362008-04-29T06:14:00.000-07:002008-04-29T07:01:09.446-07:00A Short Film About KillingI thought this was a very powerful and haunting film. At first, I didn't expect the main character, the murderer, to actually be a killer. He just seemed like an awkward man without any direction. I still don't understand his motivation for killing the taxi driver. I thought it was interesting too how the director set up the character of the taxi driver. Through the driver's actions early in the film, I almost expected him to the killer in the upcoming scenes because of his questionable actions, disregard for others (by driving away when someone needed a taxi), and his gazing at the woman. The embedded scenes with the lawyer in his examination/meeting I believe were effective by setting up another "murder" that was to take place: the execution. The lawyer is clearly torn with the idea of capital punishment. The execution itself was as intense and gruesome as the murder of the taxi driver. The execution chambers were dark and dirty, and all of the guards showed no signs of hesitation or remorse before, during, or after the prisoner was murdered. This could be attributed to how capital punishment was carried out at that time in Poland, but I thought it was interesting how the murderer carried out his act with the same material he was killed with: rope. This could be a statement by the filmmakers about how policymakers draw the very fine line between what is murder, as capital punishment pushes the very edge of that line.Patrick Maguirehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18371055033041586042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3533510476451829910.post-56706579766329033312008-04-29T06:08:00.001-07:002008-04-29T07:02:00.599-07:00ExileA time when I felt like I was in exile was when I chose to attend a high school on the north side of Indianapolis. This might not seem like much, but for my age at the time, it was significant. I lived on the south side of Indianapolis, just 2 miles away from the north side school's bitter rival. The grade school I attended was on the campus of the south side high school. There was an intense rivalry between the two schools, so you can imagine what my friends said when I told them I was heading north. I left all of my friends I had gone to school with and played sports with for 8 years to a completely different environment. While I quickly made friends at the north side school, it was different because I was still looked upon as an outsider most of the time. I thought this was a good example of "exile" (while not that intense) because it shows how just a 30 minute drive in the same city can remove you from your known environment to one where you are on the outside looking in.Patrick Maguirehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18371055033041586042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3533510476451829910.post-52931298554279135892008-04-29T02:47:00.001-07:002008-04-29T02:54:42.147-07:00"Tonight I Can Write..."When reading this poem by Pablo Neruda I was reminded of an experience a close friend of mine is going through at the moment. The narrator of the poem speaks about his lost love in the same tone of voice that my friend uses when he thinks/talks about his recently-made ex-girlfriend. The narrator solemnly and sorrowfully reports that he can now write the saddest lines, signaling to the reader the devastation that the loss of his woman has caused. As we read on, the narrator seems to be talking to himself (obviously) and attempting to convince himself that he no longer loves her, that he no longer needs her, while at the same time reminiscing about "her voice. Her bright body. Her infinite eyes," (2443). He tries to say "what does it matter that my love could not keep her. The night is shattered and she is not with me, " but repeatedly desires her to be near or with him. I think this poem is a great portrayal of the emotions felt by a man when he has recently lossed a girl that he truly cared about. In the absense of everyone else he is able to reveal his sadness, but as a man his ego continues to pop up and attempts to convince himself that he is not hurt.Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08797049660505950207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3533510476451829910.post-51654696932226846912008-04-29T02:37:00.000-07:002008-04-29T02:44:49.333-07:00ExileI think my most significant experience with the feeling of exile would have to be a more literal one. My most memorable moment of exile would have to have taken place over summer vacation between my sophomore and junior year here at Wabash. My family back home was going through some rough times and I had no want or reason to go home and deal with the drama, so I decided to stay on campus to work over break. While it was alright in the beginning, with plenty of other students in town and on campus also working and doing internships, when August approached and everyone was finishing up their summer jobs and returning home for a short time, I was stuck on campus with just about NO ONE around. I swear I had to have gone about five straight days without talking to or seeing anyone. I was living in one of the small rooms in Morris Hall, so claustrophobia also began to set in. Some might see the more metaphorical sense of exile, as exhibited in "The Belly of the Atlantic," as a more influential or emotional experience (which at one point I would've also agreed), the fact is that literally being alone can make you go crazy. I usually am not a very chatty person and am perfectly fine being alone, but being alone without having any other choice presents a completely different feeling that I would never again like to experience.Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08797049660505950207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3533510476451829910.post-50830714579889705372008-04-28T22:48:00.000-07:002008-04-28T23:06:08.197-07:00Pablo Neruda "Tonight I Can Write..."This poem by Neruda is very interesting, particularly because it is very easy for the reader to relate to the feelings he is expressing. Right from the beginning of the poem, it is easy to understand that this poem is about a woman, and more specifically a lost love. In the beginning I believed that the woman in his poem had died, but as the poem progressed I became aware that they had simply parted ways and broke apart their relationship. Neruda does a very good job of writing this poem in a way that almost every reader can assimilate themselves to its values. We've all been in situations were relationships end and our will is tested, which Neruda captures most vividly in lines 29-30 "Because through nights like this one I held her in my arms; my soul is not satisfied that it has lost her." Throughout the poem he focuses on the pain that he feels from this failed relationship, but in the end he realizes that it may actually be the better path by insinuating the relationship had not been all good, and that his girlfriend or wife had caused him pain even in their relationship, "Though this be the last pain that she makes me suffer..." Possibly the reason why I like this poem so much is its ability to relate to such a broad audience; anyone who has experienced a breakup has experienced similar feelings and Neruda is able to pinpoint those feelings almost exactly with his descriptions in this poem.arnolddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00470835829317173529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3533510476451829910.post-59720437337683370402008-04-28T22:34:00.000-07:002008-04-28T22:48:23.166-07:00My Time in ExileLooking back over the course of my life I can think of more than just one time I have felt exiled similar to what we have seen in <em>The Poor Mouth</em> as well as <em>Belly of The Atlantic.</em> Being in exile is certainly not something to take lightly, but fortunately I have never been put in a situation as serious as those that we have witnessed through Bonaparte and Salie. One case in which I have felt exiled though would be the beginning of this, my freshman year at Wabash. Going away to college is like no other experience many young adults have ever felt before in their lives. For me, leaving home was a much awaited getaway, but it was also very nerve wracking. Moving into a house where I knew absolutely nobody was an experience I hadn't felt since my first day of pre-school. Also, in just the first few weeks of classes at Wabash I realized just how tough this year was really going to be; no more coasting through classes, I really had to buckle down. Fortunately though, this time of exile was short-lived and in just a short period of time I felt right at home. When I moved into my house I didn't know a single person, but now I have 40 people I would consider my close friends. As for classes, they haven't gotten any easier, but my interest in learning and education has grown tremendously; no longer do I feel overwhelmed, but extremely interested in the course material.arnolddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00470835829317173529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3533510476451829910.post-14330518198866196562008-04-28T22:31:00.000-07:002008-04-28T22:34:34.918-07:00Violation of Human RightsDan Arnold<br />English 109<br />Human Rights Response<br /><br />Dear Senator Bayh,<br /><br /><br />I am writing this letter in hopes to raise awareness of the tragedies that are currently taking place in the African country of Kenya. The social upheaval occurring there is a direct response to the presidential elections that were held approximately one month ago. In these elections future President elect, Mwai Kibaki won a much disputed vote to overtake the head of the government. After the votes were tallied and the results were released, Kenyan citizens immediately began to question their legitimacy and have since been displaying their frustrations with public protests and in some cases, rioting. In a country that has long been considered the most stable of all African nations, the possible demise of its once reliable democracy will have devastating effects world-wide. <br /> The disputes currently taking place are already threatening to tear apart tribal and political lines that have taken nearly a decade to build and have been vital to Kenya’s stability in recent years. Early implications show that the public is refuting the elections because of past corruption and scandals linked to both Kibaki and several members of his cabinet. However, Kibaki’s troubled past is quickly becoming the least of Kenyan’s worries right now, as rogue political officials and police have amassed hundreds of documented cases of human rights violations against themselves since the election. Many of the cases in question directly link Kibaki’s officials to authorizing the murders and rapes of innocent civilians. Reports dating as far back as March of 2007 also link them to government ordered attacks on media studios and individual journalists in an effort to control the media and prevent reports of their scandals from reaching the public. Current figures linked to the political crisis place the death toll around 700 civilians with estimates that another 250,000 people have been forced to leave their homes and villages in response to the ethnic tensions that have been re-flared. Police brutality at many of the protests seems to only be strengthening the public’s cause and making for more distrust between the people and Kibaki. <br /> I believe that it is our civil duty to come to the aid of these unfortunate civilians that have been caught up in a whirlwind of political violence and oppression. The government of Kenya is moving backwards and its officials are seemingly condoning the harassment of civil rights. Kenyan police not only seem to be disregarding their civil responsibilities to uphold the law and order in this time of crisis, but many times they are just multiplying the problems by exacting their own revenge and carrying out personal vendettas. I believe it is not only our right, but our duty to ensure the safety and well being of Kenyan citizens and the government that have fallen into this recent crisis. For years the Kenyan’s have set the example for other African nations to follow, and now in this time of need, we must rally to support liberty and justice for the suppressed citizens that are now fighting for their rights. I believe the first action taken should be to offer a peaceful coup d’état, and if this fails then the United Nations needs to organize a military effort to remove Kibaki from office and allow the Kenyan citizens to organize another election. I appreciate your time, and can only hope that you will help in the efforts to find a peaceful resolution to this unfortunate situation.<br /><br />Sincerely,<br />Dan Arnoldarnolddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00470835829317173529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3533510476451829910.post-76267831213879234962008-04-28T18:46:00.000-07:002008-04-28T18:47:45.270-07:00Happiness poemI found some of the transitions interesting in the poem. The poet starts by feeling good about herself being happy, and mentions her hair and skin exhibiting happiness. However in the second stanza, the poet almost feels arrogant that she’s too happy about herself. She says, “I breathe happiness instead of air.” Then, she becomes sad, and says “Tears roll down my face… I forget I still have a face.” Then, in the third stanza, she feels really sad. She writes, “I feel time’s duration as it felt in the hour of death.” Later in the fourth stanza, she tries to do something about it i.e. scream. She has confused emotions, “Yet one dies from such screaming, thus I am dying from happiness.” I think the poem ends with resignation, she says, “I do not shiver any longer. I do not breathe any longer.” This poem starts talking about happiness, and ends up asking questions as to what is a real happiness. Does happiness even exist?sabirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07563565955840794646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3533510476451829910.post-42402341483656894542008-04-28T18:44:00.000-07:002008-04-28T18:46:21.645-07:00In ExileWhen I try to remember, the first real feeling of exile stuck my mind when I was departing Nepal for US for the first time. Basically, departing from Kathmandu airport, I had three transits on the way. The first one was at Dubai airport, the next one was at Heathrow, and the final one was at Atlanta, before I reached my sister’s place in Boston. With every transit going away from Kathmandu, I felt like I would not be getting back for a long time. I could see some similarity between Dubai and Kathmandu, but the weather in Dubai was totally different. However, at Heathrow and Atlanta airport, I could no longer draw any connection between the people and culture from those places and home. I felt like I was really getting further away, and I realized that I would need some time to get used to the atmosphere.sabirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07563565955840794646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3533510476451829910.post-28075770960974726802008-04-25T09:59:00.000-07:002008-04-25T10:02:55.511-07:00Hitler's First PhotographIn Wislowa Szymborska's poem, "Hitler's First Photograph" she use the image of Hitler as a baby to portray the innocent nature of a child. One of the most striking features of the poem is Szymborska's usage of "baby talk." It is difficult to imagine Hitler's mother talking to him like any other baby, since we know he will grow up and lead the Nazis in carrying out the many atrocities. This poem really reminds us that everyone, even Hitler, was once an innocent child needing the same love and care that any infant requires.Drewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04815878316300966072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3533510476451829910.post-23586803452330999532008-04-25T07:46:00.001-07:002008-04-25T07:58:35.269-07:00My favorite poem was "Evaluation of an Unwritten Poem". This was completely different than any other poem we read by Szymborska, and it was completely different than any other poem I have read in the past. In many poems, we receive insight into what the poet is thinking and also expressing through her/his writings. "Evaluation", however, provided insight into the thoughts of one poet through the perspective of another. The narrating poet (the one writing this poem) is clearly critical of the "authoress" she is talking about in the poem. In the second stanza, she says, "That's poetry for you." I interpreted this as clear sarcasm, where the narrator is criticizing the thoughts of the authoress. The last stanza provides even clearer evidence that the narrator is critical: "Her fundamentally unpersuasive thesis/ combined with her lackadaisical style/ forces the question: Whom might this piece convince?/ The answer can only be: No one." Our discussion in class confirmed my initial thoughts when reading this poem that the "authoress" being criticized could in fact be the narrator, or Szymborska herself. When writing papers or poetry (which I will admit is a rare occurrance compared to writing papers), I often doubt my arguments, and I constantly change my sentence structure. I have undergone this same critical response to my own writing. Overall, this was a very unique poem that shows the struggle of the poet to create their own work that is acceptable not just to others, but also to herself.Patrick Maguirehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18371055033041586042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3533510476451829910.post-86662695691977585162008-04-25T07:25:00.000-07:002008-04-25T07:35:42.523-07:00POEMI found Wislawa Szymborska's poem "The Suicide's Room" room to be her most interesting work in this collection. Although the act of suicide is never directly mentioned in the verses, there is an allusion to the fact that something bad may have taken place in the room. Szymborska comments on numerous signs that often indicate a suicide: open window, glasses sitting on the table, an empty envelope. She also mentions that a buzzing fly is the only thing that is "still alive" in the room. Finally, she also addresses a number of great leaders who have all already died, thus proving that this piece may be a tribute of some sort to the deceased.Dantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12040714951438657703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3533510476451829910.post-4462715202702420872008-04-25T07:21:00.000-07:002008-04-25T07:27:06.397-07:00Onion is a funny wordMy favorite poem of the group was "The Onion." No, not just because of the hilarious alternative newspaper, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Onion</span>, but because it outright abused the word "onion." There are other reasons, too. The poem does have some interesting ideas about self-awareness and perfection of make-up.<br /> As the poem states, as one takes apart the layers of an onion, there is only more onion, or as the poem says, "Inside it, there's a smaller one/of undiminished worth." As the last stanza reminds us, humans are not like onions. We hold different things in our bodies, like "veins, nerves, and fat,/secretions' secret secretions."<br /> There is also the self-awareness issue. One has to have a little extra knowledge of the poems outside of "The Onion," but taken with "View from a Grain of Sand," one can see that, this poem, too, has a theme of the onion being perfect without being aware of its perfection. There seems to be some quality of self-unawareness that is beautiful and grand. People, as I'm sure we all know, are all too aware of themselves and what we are, and only strive to find out more. Onions and sand do not do this, and thus are favored by Mother Nature.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0