5th Post: Poem Analysis

Shakespeare's Sonnet XII

1. When I do count the clock that tells the time,
2. And see the brave day sunk in hideous night;
3. When I behold the violet past prime,
4. And sable curls, all silvered o'er with white;
5. When lofty trees I see barren of leaves,
6. Which erst from heat did canopy the herd,
7. And summer's green all girded up in sheaves,
8. Borne on the bier with white and bristly beard,
9. Then of thy beauty do I question make,
10. That thou among the wastes of time must go,
11. Since sweets and beauties do themselves forsake
12. And die as fast as they see others grow;
13. And nothing 'gainst Time's scythe can make defence
14. Save breed, to brave him when he takes thee hence.

I know, I know... you all think I'm lame for choosing a poem by Shakespeare, but I just have to say... I am in love with this poem! I memorized this poem last year for english with Mama Wang (good times) and had it as an option for the blog post in the back of my head. I decided to choose a different poem, but kept going back to this one. I eventually gave in to my initial desire, and selected Sonnet XII to analyze. I had to first look up several words from the poem before I could fully analyze it, and thought that you as well might like to know what some of the words mean. "Sable"- dark colored, "erst"- used to or previously, "girded"- to be bound with rope, "sheaves"- a bundle of wheat or barley after being harvested, "borne"- to be held up or supported, "bier"- cart or wagon typically used to carry coffins, "forsake"- to abandon, "scythe"- a long curved blade used for harvesting crops as well as the Grimm Reaper's blade of death. With these definitions in mind, I encourage you to re-read the sonnet to better understand its meaning and message (I probably read this poem six times before I started typing).

The sonnet reveals the ever constant battle against time. With each tick-tick of the clock, we all get older and thus closer to death. Life itself is at a never ending war with time. Shakespeare states that no matter what one does, time will always win. No one can be freed of time's grip on life, is the statement Shakespeare makes while writing, "And nothing 'gainst Time's scythe can make defence" (13). Through this line, William S. shows the idea that time is in control of life, thus the ultamate ruler of society. No one can run away from time nor their own fate. In the final line, Shakespear concludes that one must keep on living in order to bravely face the end of their time. The line says, "Save breed to brave him as he takes thee hence" (14). The poem shows the harsh reality of existance. Every life must die, and only time itself marches on. The passage of time is everyone's ultimate conqueror.

5th Post: Reflection of 1st Quarter

Wow, this quarter was really long, yet it flew past in a flash. I only hope second quarter doesn't fly too fast and thus give me a bad grade. First quarter was alot harder than i'd expected, it seems I plunged right into the thick of things. And I did in a sense, the very first few weeks I was struggling to get my first analytical essay of the year under my belt. After the MLA citation test, I realized that Ms. Froehlich was no lenient grader. After coming to terms with the fact that I might actually get a poor grade in this class, I was then genuinely surprised when getting a B on my ELIC essay. My ELIC essay then gave me hope that with hard work and determination, I might be able to come out of this class succesful. Though my success in this class is still limited, I hold out hope for the future, maybe second quarter will bring good fortune with its new opportunities.

I'll have to work my butt off during second quarter if I want to recieve a sufficent semester grade. I also understand that missing class is much more severe to my grade and performance than it was last year. After missing three days of school simultaniously, I became dangerously behind in my school work which still tarnishes my grade. Over all, my first quarter performance was less than what I'd expected of myself. As Ms. Froehlich said, first quarter is just the bar being set, you can now only improve.
Which is exactly what I intend to do.

Outside Reading - post #5...Done!

After answering all of the required questions for my outside reading blog posts, I am going to write my fith and final blog post about my favorite parts of the novel, Halfway House. The very first few sentences of the book start out as, “Nights, the girl came and stood at the edge of the yard. From inside his unlit kitchen Pieter Voorster could just make out her dark shape, bulky in a parka, beneath the oak. A car passed, a sweep of headlights. Hoarfrost covered the grass, and for a moment the girl flared into relief, dark against the silver lawn like the negative of a photograph” (1). Just with those few lines, I already have a clearly detailed image in my mind and a beginning sense of the book’s mood. The first scene of the book also ties in with the last scene of the book which ties up all the loose ends in the novel. Everything is as it should be.

In the last scene, Luke is outside the house taking a moment to reflect, “He stood motionless under the oak, trying to see his house as a stranger might: solid and unremarkable, small squares of lights where a man and a woman separately began the day. He wanted to hold on to the feeling of suspension; there was something he almost understood, seeing his life from the outside like this” (365). In the beginning scene of the book, a random girl is standing outside the house looking up into Luke’s second-floor window. The girl has an obsessively mad crush on Luke and stalks his every move. In the end of the book, it’s as if Luke is seeing his life for that brief moment through the eyes of Kristen, the crazed stalker. From begining to end, the characters make a full circle and end up where they started much more prepared for what life has in store for them in the “circle of life” (The Lion King).

Outside Reading - post #4

In the novel Halfway House, the main characters are motivated by others. Pieter, the husband, is inspired by his wife Jordana. He lives his life unknowingly according to Jordana. Only when Jordana leaves, does Pieter realize just how much he depends on her everyday presence. Pieter is constantly thinking of his absent wife, “Without Jordana, Pieter found himself imagining what she would notice or say. He couldn’t turn it off, which meant he walked around flayed, open to all stimuli” (310). Jordana was Pieter’s light at the end of his dark tunnel which consits of Angie’s illness and his lackluster career. Now that Jordana is gone, Pieter doesn't know what to do with himself.

Pieter’s son also finds motivation in another human being. Luke’s girlfriend and future wife, Wendy, is the typical girl-next-door. No one, including Luke’s parents, expects him to fall in love with such an ordinary girl. Jordana eventually understands that Wendy inspires Luke:

Why had Luke chosen her? Wendy was pretty and apparently she was smart-Jordana knew she’d graduated summa cum laude-but she was so self-contained that no personality leaked through. Maybe she was different when they were alone. Luke’s other girlfriends had been drastic and messy-sexy girls who got their clothes at thrift stores and called Luke in the middle of the night, drunk and apologizing but could they talk to Luke please? With them, Luke had always seemed to be sitting back, lazy and contented as a cat, while with Wendy he was forcused, touching her constantly: her hair, her knee (299).

Unlike other girls Luke has dated, Wendy keeps him focused and attentive. Luke deeply cares for Wendy and is motivated to do his best when in a relationship with her. Having someone as a source of motivation is inspiring and uplifting as long as the inspiration doesn't turn obsessive.

Outside Reading - post #3

The novel Halfway House is similar to the film The 400 Blows. The director of The 400 Blows, Francois Truffaut, states that one must lose the innocence of childhood in order to fing one’s self- identity. This same theme is true for my outside reading novel. While Antoine loses his youth by stealing a type writer, Angie, the main character of Halfway House, loses her youth when she becomes a slut. During one of Angie’s manic stages, she hooked up with guys on the streets in hopes that would help her figure out where she belonged. Looking back on those dark moments, Angie views herself as completely different, “Manic, her skirts got shorter, make-up brighter, heels higher. But she knew that only from photographs and fleeting memories of feeling charming and irresistible, filled with wit and power. She’d felt more in touch, saner, than at any other time in her life” (320).

In the end of the novel, Angie is at most with herself when living with four other roomates. Growing up and moving out of the house is a natural way of losing one’s childhood innocence. Dealing with her insanity in the real world has lead to Angie’s personal growth. Angie has a hard time accepting the idea that her roomates have such an easy time with life, “When she’d lived at halfway houses, everyone had battled demons just to get breakfast or get dressed. Angie had usually been the most together person there, her functionality a source of wonder. These housemates were the first friends outside the System that Angie’s had since highschool, and they stunned her a little, how easily they accepted the world” (292). Antoine and Angie start their life journey of self discovery after completely losing their innocences, but finding their identities will be just as hard as losing their childhoods.

Outside Reading - post #2

In the novel Halfway House, the Voorster family struggles mainly with Angie's sanity. Although, each member has his/her own inner or outer conflict as well. The wife, Jordana, struggles to find happiness in her worried day to day life. With Angie's manic highs and depressing lows, Jordana stumbles along trying to hold on brefore she becomes as overwhelmed as Angie. Jordana finally realizes that her only chance at happiness is through leaving her stressfull environment behind. Jordana leaves her husband Pieter and moves out into the country for fresh air and clear thinking. Jordana can now handle Angie's dilema more easily as well as find enjoyment in simple activities. Jordana becomes more in touch with herself after she left, "She'd never enjoyed cooking before. Now she found herself admiring her hands as she lifted apples from their bowl, as she sliced bread, as she lifted a glass of wine. She'd changed in other ways, too, these six months she'd lived alone. She slepts better, and therefore less" (296).

With his wife gone, Pieter now appreciates the presence she had at home. Pieter doesn't realize how much he loves Jordana until she is gone. While alone at home, Pieter often catches himself thinking of his wayward wife, "He felt weak with wanting her back...He needed to find a piece of her...Finally he found a shoe under the bed. Lying on his side, he pulled it out from among the gray dustballs: a pump, black, something Jordana wore resentfully and only when she felt she had to...He pressed his fingers against the shoe lining, the ghostly imprint of his wife's foot" (307-8). Pieter struggles to not obsessivley mourn her absence. Pieter becomes relentless in wanting Jordana back. Every night, he drives to her house and watches her through the front window while hiding in the bushes. Pieter finally realizes, through desperation, that he needs to live with others in order to be at ease. Pieter thus invites his son Luke and fiance, Wendy, to live with him. Through the family's struggles, they can become more in touch with themselves. No one said coming to terms with yourself was easy, especially for the Voorster family.

4th Post: Photo Analysis

I took this picture in Ashley's front yard with her digital camera. I'm not sure if I should write down the photo's camera angle, distance, and lighting. I should probably leave that up to you! (I placed the flower in the photo on purpose!) I hope this picture has enough depth for you to analyze!