Diving into the Wreck

I really enjoyed "Diving into the Wreck," especially since to me the treasure is knowledge. This goes back sort of to my reoccurring theme about discovering the truths of literature and that it really is to each their own, that everyone finds within it, their own treasure, kind of like diving into the wreck. The treasure is knowledge, gaining new information or insight. I make it my goal to learn at least one new thing a day, and I take a well rounded education seriously, I believe the more you know the more value you hold, this goes without saying you can't have the social skills of a fascist dictator, but certainly if you are a well rounded individual, knowledge is going to take up some percent of this well roundness. When you achieve knowledge, you achieve power, the ability to know. It is in itself a key that can unlock everything, you can use knowledge for prediction, to solve problems, or to even help as a defense. Knowledge, is what helps us evolve as a species, and to someone who is knowledgeable, or even those who are not, had they read this, if the decipher it will gain knowledge, it is also symbolic however for those who can't decipher it, to them, things are not as clear, it goes right back to seeing instead of looking. For these reasons, with it's beautiful dreamlike imagery, when finding the knowledge, it makes it that much more magical.

Cathedral-sight to the otherwise literary blind

The main idea of looking and seeking in "Cathedral" is one that when I read I thought applies to the overall idea of what is literature? We discussed what we thought literature was at the beginning of the semester and a lot of people listed authors and books and popular and classic stories, and I mentioned that I thought it could be anything, so long as it fulfills some need. A grocery list, a reciept, an agenda, they each have their own personal meaning (see more on this in my previous post) this is what it means to seek and not just look. When you look at something you see it as it exists, when you seek it, you look into it, and what it's existance means. This is a difficult concept to understand for some, but I think it potentially could also help others who don't understand some poetry or have difficulty understanding it.  When you seek the true meaning of the poem, then you understand it, the thing is, the meaning is not concrete to everyone it provides something new, it fulfills new needs, this is what makes it literature, and this is the difference between looking and seeking. When looking at a poem, you see it as lines, sometimes words that don't make sense, maybe they don't belong together. However, when you seek a poem, you seek to understand it, to look into it's eyes and know it's soul, and what it holds and hopes to provide to it's reader, and when you seek it you recieve this new sense, this new outlook and the poem is revealed to the reader, and you gain a connection with it, a new sight, you see, instead of look.

"Song of Myself"

I really enjoyed this poem, Walt Whitman is one of my favorite writers. I especially take this poem to heart because like any song I believe it is an expression, and it is about himself, and I feel as though when I read it, that it connects to me, it is a celebration of his life and how he feels in his prime and this is how i feel right now in my life, I am at a crossroads and this summer is an oppurtunity to cease what could be one of my last summers where I can just cease it and not worry about co-ops or full time jobs. This poem to me as an epic of one's self, and sometimes the best way to explore one's self or to even write poetry is to sit back and watch with the minds eye the comings and goings of thoughts like ships at sea, some quickly come and go, others linger, some are prominant, some are rare, these thoughts that run through one's mind and the writing of them allows for a deeper more natural poem almost as if the way we were meant to speak naturally was the way our mind speaks, but our tongues can not keep up with it so they have a hard time deciding what is important to say and what is better left unsaid, and when emotion takes over it can almost be impossible to find any words at all or to stop one's self from getting carried away with words. This poem, though most say a picture is worth a thousand words, paints images in itself and allows the reader, even those who may otherwise not be able to invision the imagery within the text, the trip through a colorful vivd world.

"Give me an "F"!"

http://youtu.be/nXspsfoPX50

This song to me that we played in class really got me going. Up until I heard this song I thought I took the side of most who were against the Vietnam war, mind you I still am, but this song sticks it straight to the man, which I dont mind, but i feel it's borderline offensive to those who have fought who decided not to runaway from the draft, those who ran away had balls too but mind you it is harder to live then it is to die, take that how you will it can have to meanings. Anyways the way that he says "Be the first one on your block to have your son come home in a box." makes my heart break for the ones who died and those who experienced loss. My grandfathers bestfriend died, and I think had I been in his situation if I heard him even singing sarcastically about glorifying the war I'd be down right perterbed and distraught. It's not like any of them wanted to die let alone see their loved ones die, it was a tough time those drafted were caught between a rock and a hard place, your "damned if you do it, damned if you don't." You were a coward if you followed the draft order, you were a coward if you ran. I agree however with the overall message of the song and the point he's getting a cross i'm just not sure personally how I feel about the lyrics, but i think it's because a loved one went through that, I think to those who had no idea and still have no idea, that message will put it very plainly to them in a way that they won't forget, it will have shock value.

Soundtrack to A Streetcar Named Desire

http://pl.st/p/23881200395

This is my playlist for A Street Car Named Desire, I decided to make a playlist of songs I though would mesh well with the story line.

The first song is "Feel Good Inc." by The Gorillaz, this song basically goes about singing about making ones self feel good despite whatever may be going on. to me this describes Blanche to a T. "Stairway to Heaven" I liked not only because it has a magical quality to it that reminded me of Blanches love of enchantment , but because even the first line seems to describe her "There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold, and she's buying a stairway to heaven." Blanche thinks that by telling something different from the truth that it can become reality, that by speaking about something glittery as being gold, it can be gold. Next "(I can't get no) Satisfaction" seems to describe everyones situation, Blanche can't make her lies reality, Stanley can't get rid of Blanche, Mitch was deceived, everyone starts to realize that the shortcomings of their lives no matter the amount of will can not seem to take a turn for the better. Next I chose "Drunk" because I think this can apply to almost any of the characters when they are down, but Blanche and her situation especially coincide with this song, she gets drunk to blur her reality, it's the physical coping method that she uses along with her lying to "change" her reality. "Love the Way you Lie" by Rihanna and Eminem I feel like applies very much to Stanley and Stella he loves her, but unfortunately he can't keep his hands to himself and he always snaps at Stella, and she still comes back and loves him, and I think sometimes this makes him feel guilty, not forever but I think it makes him devastated and when she is back in his arms it's like reset, he claims he won't ever do it again, but he forgets and his angry side gets the better of him, and she still loves him. The song "Try" by Pink sums up things for Mitch and Blanche I think, however I think in this case Mitch takes the role of Pink and he wants to try where as Blanche was in that role but she is no longer trying, and has turned into the very character the lyrics go on to describe. "I Only have eyes for You" is I thought a more romantic take on things between Stella and Stanley, Stella is so truly in love with Stanley and is blind to anyone else and can only see the good in him and only wants to please him and be with him. "It's only a Paper Moon" is not only a good song to some up Blanche's fantasies but it is also major symbolism and contributes largely to the theme of fantasy versus reality, the fact that the song even comes into the story through Blanche singing it provides irony and emphasis on her dreaming. "Try A little Tenderness" reminds me of Blanche, she is looking for that little bit of tenderness, and she acts as though she were a young girl needing to be loved, and I think that Blanche would say that this was a song that described exactly what she needed even though in reality she has the love of her sister and Mitch but it isn't enough and she keeps them waiting for the next time she has another mood switch-up. "A Kiss to build a Dream on" to me could have been played as the music to a montage of Mitch's and Blanche's date, feeling the magic of the moment, she is the object of his fancies and he just wants a kiss to get him through, something to express his feelings , something he can take home, to send him over the moon. "Lights", though a weird way to end the playlist I think sums up Blanche, it both contrasts how she feels and sums it up, she needs strength to move on, but she stays away from the light because it takes her back to her true self and the reality of her past, and she just wants to be this newer better person that people. "You show the lights that stop me turn to stone You shine it when I'm alone And so I tell myself that I'll be strong And dreaming when they're gone"