Blog 20

14. Alphabet Poem

And beggars come daring
Erasing fearful genocidal heretics
Indifferently justifying kicking loiterers
Maliciously, narcissistically obstructing peace

Quenching relentlessly sustained tyranny
Unanimously verifying warmongering existentially
Yeomen zoophile'd.





Zealots yearning xenagogue's wayward
Ventripotent ultimately, tired & sleepy
Releasing quietly & peacefully over napping
Mainly lamenting kakistocratic jerks

I hate guessing favor
Even dead caveat beguiled
Aristocrats.

Prose Poem

Fields of rolling hills, countless kernels of grain flow like the
scripts of an ancient hieroglyph. The strong breath of the bitter
wind attack the crops, as they recoil in defense; successive like
a game of dominoes.
I look upon these fields with great envy, for they flow so naturally
with nature, as they morph together and become one unified force.
I am lesser than them, although they would not tell you so; I long
to let go and be one with nature.
The farmer cultivates them, but he need not worry; for the force
of nature is far greater than that of any standing army.

Blog 18

Lying in my soft, warm bed
Second door on the left
Isolated from the and tucked away
Her head rests upon my chest
It is my best friend in the world
And at times my biggest foe
I feed her in the morning
And also again at night
I play with her during the day
As wrestle turns into fight
Sometimes I become angry
But never do I regret
For I know she will never leave my side
Or love me any less
She counts on me for food and such
But I count on her for so much more
An unrecognized level of mutual respect
Her fur is white, he ears our brown
And her long tail steady beats
Her paws are soft, but her nails are worn
From running through the street
I wouldn't trade her for a crown
Or even a million dollars
I look forward to healthy years with Lilly.

Does Poetry Matter?

I think that Dana Gioia makes a pretty logical and accurate case for the roll of poetry in modern society.  While I believe poetry has become more prevalent, in the form that it's become a huge part of social media, I think a lot of the originality has been destroyed. Because of this, poetry has less influence than it used to, despite it's frequency. For example, I had seen two or three of the films that we watched clips of in class, but I never realized a poem (generally a famous one) was being read. If I would have watched the movie the day before class it wouldn't have resonated with me, and if I watch it in a year I anticipate the same will happen. Poetry simply does not resonate with me. I took this same literature class in high school, but neglected to take it for credit. Through two years of the course, there's only one problem that I can recite, or could even name if I saw it on paper. The only reason I can recite that play (Nothing Gold Can Stay) is because my teach made us memorize it for credit. I can recognize that I probably hear poetry, or references to it, on a weekly basis; when I hear these things, however, I fail to recognize them.

Iambic Monologue

Roomate: Are you going to make dinner?
Me: I thought you were going to make that pizza tonight.
Roomate: Nah, decided not to.
Me: Oh ok, too hard?
Roomate: Ha ha. No. Just don't want to get fat.
Me: It happens to all of us one day.
Roomate: Yeah, but I'd rather wait till 60 to be nasty.
Me: Isn't that a sad fact of life? We'll all get fat and nasty one day.
Roomate: Yeah. Pretty sad. Let's not talk about that.
Me: Okay.
Roomate: What movie should we watch.
Me: Something about old people getting fat and nasty.
Roomate: That's really specific.
Me: Ask and you shall receive.

This does come off as a sort of iambic pentameter to me. Because we use simple words to communicate socially as human beings, often times we follow the iambic pattern. If I was talking about what I needed to know for my coming political science test, the conversation would not have followed the same pattern.

The Big White Comfy Bed

Swallow me in your perfectly inviting warmth.
Please don't let me go.

Sonnet

It is dark and the sun has left the sky
The moon is but a small crescent
Far off in the distance, and far from my eye
It offers my room not luminescent

My eyes gain weigh each and every second
And my mind drifts into the abyss
Sleep calls to my mind and beckons
As my dreams drift off into deep bliss

I am quickly woken from my slumber
By a loud noise off in the distance
I open my phone and read the numbers
The time reads 3:05, sleep comes with resistance

Another night like this, I know it all too well
I can't seem to escape insomnia's grip
Sometimes I feel like I'm living in hell
A cold and lonely trip

Sestina

In life you must make yourself Happy
It will keep your mind Free
It is how you stay Young
It is ours to Create
It is ours to Live
This incredible Journey


We find ourselves in this Journey
Figure out what makes us Happy
If we can't find happiness, then happiness we Create
It doesn't matter if you're old or Young
Freedom isn't Free
But it's the price we pay to Live


We fight, scratch, claw and bite to Live
So that when we reach the end of our Journey
We can be Happy
Then offspring we Create
So innocent and Young
We fight so they can be Free


They will try to keep us caged, they fear when we are Free
They don't want to see us Live
They stifle our Journey
They oppress our Happy
They don't let us Create
They keep us from being Young


But we are Young
We are Free
We are Happy
We take the Journey
We Live
And we Create


Because when we Create
We feel Young
And Free
We don't take for granted the opportunity to Live
This is our Journey
And we will live it Happy


I'm Happy because I Create
I'm Free and I am Young
I will successfully Live this sweet Journey

Ode to Dictionary

Oh, dictionary sweet dictionary
You teach us how to spell
You standardized our language
And save us from certain hell

From apple to zebra
You keep us all connected
Too often we read on Facebook
People that don't respect it

We use you for spelling
We use you for speech
We use you for definition
These are the important things you teach

From Webster to Oxford
And all those in between
Online or in print
Whichever way you lean

You're used by the rich
But also the poor
No matter the income
All types can adore

From country to country
You spread your noble roots
From America to China
Saving folks from literary abuse

From Shakespeare to Rowling
From Washington to me
You unify us all
And keep us trouble free

Feminist Criticism of A & P

The story gives off a tone of male superiority from the very beginning, not from the words of the characters but by the descriptive words are used in the story. The women are immediately seen as lacking morals and dignity, and the men are clearly looking down upon them. Even the fact that a good portion of the story is spent describing the girls attire and looks shows the women as objects that aren't given attention for anything but their bodies. The entire store seems to be completely focused on these women. If a man were to walk into a store shirtless, it wouldn't be an issue. He would walk in, get his items, and be checked out casually. Because these women are good looking, they cause an enormous amount of disruption without even doing anything extreme to cause it.

The dialogue in the story is also very telling. I think the most obvious example of this is when the states that Queenie 'remembered her place.' This is often a phrase men use to put women down when they are showing their supposed inferiority. Another example of offensive dialogue is how the store worker, Sammy, describes the Queenie's breasts. Obviously this is extremely offensive, and objectives her. He then acts like the other girls are pieces of meat, not even thinking about them because they aren't as attractive.

I think Updike writes this story to show societies oppression of women. I wouldn't go as far as to say he's promoting feminism, I just think he's pointing out a societal flaw. Over the course of the story he displays the men as what some would call 'pigs.' They are obsessed with the girls looks and attire, and show no respect for the women as fellow human beings.

Louise Mallard's Facebook

http://sisterhoodofwidows.com

Job Orientation

There are a few things we need to get you oriented with before you begin. First, here is your login ID and password for the computer system. You'll want to make sure you write that down in a safe place, as we are not allowed to give it out to you unless we see each other in person. Next you want to familiarize yourself with the printer. This will fill all your needs from prints, to copies, to faxes. This is our primary source of communication between the various branches of our company. The third thing you need to familiarize yourself with is our accounting systems. This will definitely be the most important part of your job. After each transaction you make, you must know how to enter the codes, prices, and dates. Without these we will have no permanent recordings of our sales and we could be sued as a company, so obviously this is a huge responsibility and one you must take very seriously. Those are the important things to remember, our on shift manager will cover the specifics with out. If you need me, here's my business card. I'm very busy but I generally respond to texts and e-mails fairly quickly.

Now, before I leave I'll give you a few pointers. First off, watch out for Becky. If she hasn't had her morning coffee, and she doesn't always have time, she can get pretty irritable. If she yells at you don't feel bad, everyone's been through it. She's been working here for 17 years and she knows this company through and through, so learn from her even when it's tough. We have a team of tech support here when you have problems, but I would personally advise you to request Rob each time. He's always been the smartest and fastest from my experience. Oh, and with the purchase sales sheets I was telling you earlier, it's easiest to put them in Excel and then just transfer them over. Our standard program here is made for very advanced users, and Excel will make things a lot easier for you. I hired someone for your position about 3 years ago that quit after the first week, because they just couldn't figure out the program and didn't think they were cut out for the job. It's only as difficult as you make it.

Anyways, I have a big meeting I need to get to, but if you ever need advice call me. I really want to see you succeed and be an asset to this company, and I've been in your shoes before. It will seem difficult and fast paced at first, but if you just relax and deal with one problem at a time you will do just fine. After a while it might even become kind of fun for you. Good luck!

Southern Grotesque

       A Good Man Is Hard to Find is definitely a prime example of grotesque Southern literature. The first thing I noticed about the stories incongruous characteristics was the grandmother of the family. She is a professional manipulator, and the author focuses on that flaw from the beginning. She rarely has any dialogue in the story that comes without some self-profiting motivation. It becomes more than just a trait, we quickly identify her solely by that personality flaw and it is very annoying and frustrating to the reader. Secondly, you get the sense that they are driving through small towns. The grandmother talks about the mountain formations and the plantations she sees, never is any type of urban setting mentioned. This gives the reader a scene of a stereotypical Southern rural area. I believe what the author is trying to do in the story is depict the grandma as a flaw that the South has with religion. The entire story, the grandmother ignores God. She is very disrespectful to people, demanding of her family, and she is definitely only concerned with her own wants and desires. At the end of the story, when she is facing her demise, she finally calls out to Jesus to save her. I believe the author is trying to symbolize the hypocrisy of many people in the South, who constantly preach their faith, but their actions aren't conducive to a good relationship with God. The author has probably witnessed many people of strong Christian faith who live lives full of sin and then call on God when things go wrong for them.

Winning the Lottery

Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" concerns itself with concepts of magic and superstition and their place in society. In the story, a close knit town gathers in the local square for the town lottery. The villagers act as if it is another casual day as a fellow neighbor is selected for the lottery, and then publicly stoned to death. This display of a superstitious ritual has been around since the beginning of human history. The Mayans sacrificed lives and body parts B.C.E, and they have been a part of numerous societies since. Today, as we become more civilized and gain institutions which protect brutal acts like death or loss of limb, we don't still perform sacrifices as part of our ritual. That being said, our society is littered with examples of superstition. We watch baseball players who have a specific way they get ready for an at bat, we expect a kiss if we wind up under the misteltoe on Christmas; even prayer is an example of a superstitious ritual with the hopes that things will get better, and prayer has always been very prominent through modern and historical societies.

Girl --> Boy

Tuck your shirt in. Keep your hair a respectable length. Never swing the first punch. Stay humble. Fight for what you believe in. Respect your elders. Respect women. Use protection. Do your homework before you play your video games. Your curfew is midnight. Make your free throws. Hit low when you tackle. Keep your glove down. Focus on your studies, they will take you far. But I want to play college sports. I understand your desire, but an education will take you much farther than sports.  Tell your mother you love her as often as possible. You aren't promised tomorrow. Call me if you ever need a ride, never drive drunk! Respect others, and you will earn respect back. Some people are mean to me, and don't deserve my respect. It's easy to be mean, but you'll gain more if you are the better person. Always be confident, but never cocky. Take chances, but be wise. Experience life. Get outside, don't sit and watch TV all day. Take a job whenever you get the opportunity. Be savvy with your money. Talk to me about things before you make assumptions. Never go to bed angry.

5 Descriptive Photos About Me

Trevor's Introduction Lit. 150

My friends will tell you that I am always a good time.

One thing most people don't know about me is I was born in Los Angeles, California.

Five years from now, I will be attending graduate school.

A famous person I admire is LeBron James because he's an icon on the basketball court.

I have trouble dealing with people who lack empathy.

I appreciate it when teachers allow students to learn, rather than teaching by repetitious lectures.

I really need to maintain a high GPA.

When I am sad I play basketball and listen to music.

The most stressful thing in my life is school as of right now.

The most influential person in my life is my grandpa because he sets a great example.

It was easy to learn history, political science and economics.

It is difficult to learn math.

I have no regrets about my childhood. 

A friend once showed me how to Dougie.

My favorite color is red.

One dish I can cook well is Top Ramen.

My favorite place on earth is probably undiscovered.

When I am 60, I will complete all of my unfinished dreams.

I am an expert on sleep.

My favorite class is political science or history because of their social relevance and importance.