Oh, the Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss

As my senior year comes to a close, I know many of us will need a boost of confidence no matter what's ahead for us. This book is perfect! This morning as Mrs. Reitz my Psychology teacher read this book, flood of memories rushed through my head.

“Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” was the last children’s picture book Dr. Seuss wrote and illustrated. This book is Dr. Seuss’s point of view of life and the circumstances of life. It is an inspirational book that is great for giving to an upcoming graduate just like all of us graduating high school. This book is filled with unique illustrations and rhyme. It tells us that we can be things we want to be and with a little work and power we’ll get there! This book encourages the other to go and make things happen! It says that “bang- ups and hang- ups can happen to you,” but in the end “you’ll move mountains.” The theme in this book is that everyone is going to run into problems. The idea is that no matter what downfalls you face you will be able to pick up and shake it all off and move forward with life. Though the book represents having good morals, it has poor representations of the world. Why does it have to be a white male? If the character were to be a female or different race how would that make the story different?  Regardless of someone’s color, sex, gender, ethnicity everyone goes through a bad time and this book encourages you to press on and not simply sit around waiting for something to happen to you.

“I’m sorry to say so
but, sadly, it’s true
that Bang- ups
and Han- ups
can happen to you.”

This part of the book has a unique rhyme scheme to it. ABCCB. It suggests life will have its up’s and down’s because life has to balance out.

'...for people just waiting
Waiting for a train to go
Or a bus to come, or a plane to go
Or the mail to come, or the rain to go
Or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
Or the waiting around for a Yes or No
Or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.”

The most destructive thing smart people do is spend their lives waiting. This part of the book suggests people with lofty dreams and imaginations get distracted with ordinary events. Waiting is so much easier for a person to do because it’s easy to walk off from your goals and completely enter the waiting place. I am saying I’ve been in this waiting place before. But through that I’ve learned to rationalize and continue with life fulfilling a goal I want to accomplish. As I continue to fight I hope to do something in my life that will impact people.

And I end my blog with this to all of us upcoming graduates of 2013,

“CONGRATULATIONS!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!”

Some of the Motifs in the Awakening by Kate Chopin

Throughout the Awakening, Edna’s sense of music and understanding help the reader employ she is different than the other characters in the book. The symbols of art and music represent freedom and flourish. Mademoiselle Reisz is the only character that secludes her from the world. She lives her life independent from everybody else which is symbolized in the music in her life. The difference Edna detects between the piano playing of Mademoiselle Reisz and Adele Ratignole affect her emotional growth. As the novel unfolds we see that Edna reaches a point in her awakening in which she is able to hear what the music tells her rather than just randomly inventing pictures in her head.

“She liked the dabbling.. She handled her brushes with a certain ease and freedom… The picture completed bore no resemblance to Madame Ratignolle.” Edna loves painting but is not good at it. She uses painting as a sort of escape from the outside world. She wants to be free. Though she is not good at painting, Edna does not possess a spirit strong enough to be independent.

Another important motif in the novel is children. What are the first things that come to mind when you see children? Playful, Excited, Fun, Loving, and Curious. Right? Well Edna is metaphorically related to a child throughout the novel. She undergoes an emotional growth from youth to maturity. Her childlike self becomes self-absorbed and she starts to disobey. She doesn’t think of the future nor does she fail to think realistically. Edna’s children represent an obligation that no matter what society will always rule and mess with their minds. That increases her chances of wanting to kill herself.

Houses in the Awakening symbolize Edna’s Awakening. She stays in the cottages on Grand Isle, Madame Antoine’s home on the Cheniere Caminada, and her “pigeon” house. Each of these houses helps the reader underline every house is a different stage in Edna’s growth. At the Grand Isle, Edna is expected to be mother like and be a respectful mother. While she slips with Robert at the Cheniere Caminada tranquilizes her. She finds herself romantic and passionate with the foreign world and Robert. After that encounter she moves into the “pigeon” home where Edna allows it to be both a home and independent. That expectation resembles hope that is later turned into death. The house allows her to progress in her sexual awakening but she feels isolated and tormented living along. It is important to realize that this was her last house. After feeling exile, she thought the only way out was through suicide.

 think Edna’s awakening had a lot to do with the people in her life and the society. In terms of the nature of Edna’s awakening, it comes after she realizes she is a human being and not a toy people can play with. Edna defined happiness by the way the Creole society defined it to be. She begins to realize happiness is something more than that and she has all the right to do whatever she wants to get it.

"The Nurse's Song" by William Blake Analysis

"The Nurse's Song"
When the voices of children are heard
on the green
My heart is at rest within my breast
And everything else is still

Then come home my children, the sun
is gone down 
And the dews of night arise
Come come leave off play, and let us away
Till the morning appears in the skies

No no let us play, for it is yet day
And we cannot go to sleep
Besides in the sky, the little birds fly 
And the hills are all cover'd with sheep

Well well go and play till the light fades
away
And then go home to bed
The little ones leaped and shouted and 
laugh'd
And all the hills ecchoed.

The poem "Nurse's Song" by William Blake features a group of children playing outside in the hills. A nurse is watching her children play out in the fields. She calls for them and they protest just like any other kid. They want more time to play even though its dangerous to be outside late at night. She lets them stay longer though.
The form of the poem has four quatrains, rhymes ABCB and contains an internal rhyme in third line of each verse. This poem does not suggest any sort of alienation. The nurse feels that she wasted her youth and calls the children home and that they are wasting their time playing and should be sleeping. Since the sun is in twilight it suggest the youth have already become sexually active and will now reap the consequences envisioned by the nurse. This nurse is cynical. Upon hearing the voices of children she "turns green and pure" on image. This reflects her missed pleasures back in her youth and she becomes very aware of it.
At every quatrain Blake makes emphasis on "Come come", "Well well", and "No no" to sound like a mother like figure to the children. The children's playing brings her peace.her tranquility resonates to the natures stillness and perhaps that is why she had to give them another chance to stay outside and play. 

Poetry Analysis on If You Forget Me by Pablo Neruda

   





If You Forget Me by Pablo Neruda Analysis

This poem was translated from the Spanish version. It is about Pablo's exile from his native country, Chile. This is one of the most famous poems by Pablo Neruda. "If You Forget Me" has many related themes about passion and love. Many people think this poem is thought to be a love poem dedicated to his wife Maltide Urrutia. This is a mistake.
The poem is seven unequal length stanzas. The first stanza initiates eagerness to read the rest of the poem.
"I want you to know one thing."
These are called stark lines. This in itself already grasps the reader's attention and indicates that whatever it is that he wants to be known has some kind of importance. In his second stanza a list of objects follows. "Crystal moon", "Red Branch", and "Slow Autumn". It brings a sense of peace and unity to the reader. His word choice of "impalpable ash", and "fire" evoke something strong and passionate. He explains that while he leaves in peace or in danger there there is always something that takes him back to his homeland, Chile. The "aromas, lights, metals, were little boats that sail" all "carries me to you", he says. Pablo has served his country well between the years of 1927- 1935. He took numerous government tasks that requires him to travel. Pablo was a member of the Chilean community party and he actively opposed President Gonzalez Videla. He was forced to live in hiding. He explains those feelings and emotions in the last line of the second stanza. Now for the best part,
"Well, now
if little by little you stop loving me
I shall stop loving you little by little
If suddenly
you forget me
do not look for me,
for I shall already have forgotten you."
The rhyming of his tone suddenly changes. He repeats the word "if". If makes the speaker seem like he is very unsure of what the country thinks of him now. He is like "IF little by little you stop loving me, I shall stop you little by little" which makes him sound a little stubborn and going for revenge maybe? This stanza seems to describe wishful thinking. I like it though. It is in his fifth stanza that Pablo starts talking about his exile. He says he might as well have left his cherished land. Pablo managed to escape Chile in 1949. He also explains in this stanza that his country has gone from the most amazing country to the most dangerous country. He says,
"I shall life my arms and my roots will set off to another land",
 which suggest though he was born in Chile he knows the roots were planted in the Old Chile not the New Chile. Therefore he chooses to plant his new roots elsewhere.
The last stanza talks about him returning to Chile. It is emphasized in
"But if each day,
each hour,
you feel that you are destined for me
with implacable sweetnes,
if each day a flower
climbs up to your lips to seek me,
ah my love, ah my own,
in me all that fire is repeated,
in me nothing is extinguished or forgotten,
my love feeds on your love, beloved,
and as long as you live it will be in your arms
without leaving mine."
After reading this poem my first time, I'd think it were to be about a relationship and how he doesn't want it to end. But after reading it my second time I realized it had to do something with an object, place or thing. So in that case, many people might take this poem in many different ways. Everyone reads things in different perspectives.

Handmaid's Tale- Qupte in Chapter 28

This is the beginning of the chapter when Offred is having second thoughts about what Moira would think about the Commander.
"What would she tell me, about the Commander, if she were here? Probably she'd disapprove. She disapproved of Luke, back then. Not of Luke but of the fact that he was married. She said I was poaching, on another woman's ground."
Whose side should we be on here? Should we be on Moira's side or Offred's side? Because they are both being very rational here. Since the book is in first person we seek more to Offred's side but because they both disagree on this point they both end up in the Woman's Center and at Jezebel's. So their new differences don't seem to matter in this new world. We see that Moira doesn't like rejects female- male relationships and interactions. Moira is the only character in the novel that stands up authority. This symbolizes her rejection of Gilead's attempt to define her identity. I think Moira is a very high spirited lady that Offred looks up to so she can escape but later finds out that she doesn't want to leave anymore. Moira represents courage and hope for the narrator. At the Center, Moira had a voice and reason.

The Narrator- Offred in the Handmaid's Tale

Offred is the narrator and the protagonist of the Handmaid's Tale. As of now we've seen Offred holds her own individuality. She's not a crybaby like Janine or no an out and out rebel like Moira. She is strictly manipulating her world in the little ways she can for example, when she was out shopping and she makes eye contact with the Guardian even though Guardians are stricly forbidden from looking at Handmaid's. Also when she's playing Scrabble with the Commander and she knows it is not the right thing. We see right away that every character in the Handmaid's Tale does not follow by the rules and so we ask ourselves why do they set rules in the first place if they aren't being used the right way.
Some facts to Offred for example her age, hair color, height are mentioned in the book but she doesn't mention her eye color. Weird huh? In the end, eye color can't mean the same thing to everyone. It is based on your personal experience and on your past. For example if Luke's eyes were to be brown Offred would look at someone else's brown eyes and be able to associate them with that time of sweet, innocent, carefree.

Nick in The Handmaid's Tale

Offred is immediately attracted to Nick.
Offred thinks of him as a suspicious character in the beginning of the novel.
This suggests she is attracted to Nick for many reasons. We witness him stepping on her foot at the ceremony in Chapter 14 of the book. He keeps flirting with her and making her feel paranoid.
"He's too casual, he's not servile enough. It may be stupidity, but I don't think so. Smells fishy, they used to say; or, I smell a rat" she says.
In this quote, Offred describes how Nick keeps putting his foot next to hers. She describes this with great detail. Nick is always trying to interact with Offred, one way or another. Offred describes it as a warm and soft feeling in her foot. By the end of Chapter 17 Nick sneaks into her room and they kiss violently. They both know how dangerous this can be for both of them so they don't go too far. I think Offred has a little something towards Nick that by the end she will completely loose herself and completely ignore the laws. That is my thinking. But I also know she suggest that she can be rebel as well. Offred's awkward affair with Nick is an odd development.
Being with Nick is entirely different than playing Scrabble with the Commander. I can see they gain power within themselves.

Handmaid's Tale Quote from Chapter 10

"Sterile. There is no such thing as a sterile man anymore, not officially. There are only women who are fruitful and women who are barren, that's the law."
The problem is that they put steribility on woman and that it is there fault all of the time, never the man. Aside from that, there are even worse circumstances to this. Death is literal if you don't have at least one kid in the Republic. But it is hard for the girls though! Some men are sterile and it is not there fault. The childless woman won't just suffer, they can die.
Another quote,
"The stains on the mattress. Like dried flower petals. Not recent. Old love; there's no other kind of love in this room now."
This quote is very relevant to Chapter 10 because there are signs of depression Offred shows. The sign og love depresses her because she will never love again. Very sexually maybe?
This suggests she is very careful she might see something that can give her hope things will change. Imagery is important in this quote as well. This quote offered a metaphor that compares how there were stains from long ago sex which took place nowadays not evern a bond between two individuals.

The Handmaid's Tale Important Objects/Places

           The Handmaid's outfit is all red which I think symbolizes energy, desire, and love. People generally are attracted to red clothing. For example we see this with Offred when Luke stares and winks at her. It might symbolize attraction and want. Their outfit is very significant to this story because it suggest uniform and a dystopian society. It also suggests the blood of the menstrual cycle and childbirth. Within Chapter 5-8 we are introduced to the Wall a very symbolic object where dissidents are executed and hung up on outer walls of the university as a warning to people in Gilead what their actions can cause. There daily duties are the same every day. They serve their commander and follow rules. The Handmaids are very similar to the flowers Offred describes several times in the book. She emphasizes how a Handmaid is like a flower where they have been cut of  from the sexual influences of the world. Like when Offred cuts of the sexual organs of the flower. In Chapter 5 we have a lady who is pregnant that makes all the girls very jealous. Offred cannot help but stare at this heavily pregnant lady.
I find interesting that people in this society have everything hidden and don't show there real selves. Woman get jealous like every human does. Woman here also find it very hard to control themselves and their feelings. Many just want to turn against woman. Handmaid's social function is to bear children for Wives.

Reflection of Chapters 1-4 in The Handmaid's Tale

   
 Through out the Chapters 1-4 the lives of woman are strictly ruled and we find out later in the chapter that the narrators name is Offred. Woman are not allowed to talk to each other but they communicate through whispering and body languages. Two woman in authority of them are Aunt Elizabeth and Sara. Marthas wear green uniforms and Wives wear blue uniforms and the woman in red are handmaids.  Strange huh? This all goes back to the term we discussed in class called dystopia. A dystopia is a community that is frightnening and undesirable like this society for example.
The story starts out with unfamiliar names such as Angels, Commanders, and Handmaid. Woman hear there names and are reminded that they are no more than a company. Offred no longer has a family nor kids. She has flashbacks to and from the past. Offren works as a handmaid at the household of the Commander and Serena Joy where in chapter 3 where Offren looks around for the Commander's Wife and does not see her but she notices the garden. She uses tons of imagery to emphasize her feelings towards it. She wonders if scarves ever get used. Why do Wives do so much knitting?
I found interesting that men in this society like Luke for example don't go by the rules. He winks at Offred therefore disobeying the rules to not talking to woman. Offred also does what she is not supposed to and flirts with some young Guardians by making eye contact and cherishing his body language. Also we see the word "Handmaid" used in Chapter 4 for the first time.

Miranda in Act 4 of the Tempest

Prospero in Act 4 is very fatherly like. He is too over protective. Nevertheless he issues them a warning. If Ferdinand takes Miranda's virginity before their ceremony, their union would be cursed. Ferdinand, of course, swears he won't do anything not until the day of their ceremony. Prospero calls upon Ariel to perform one of his last acts of magic. Prospero's decision to let Ferdinand and Miranda marry was made even before Ferdinand came into the island. Miranda's virginity is very important. Why? Back in their time, a woman's virginity was so golden that it was important it gained a great deal of power throughout her reign. So Prospero tried his best to keep Miranda well informed of her importance. Prospero suggest that while he keeps Miranda's virginity he will be able to get back to Italy and gain back his power. If Miranda's virginity is thrown away, then Prospero's greatest hope of regaining his position is gone too so he is very careful with Miranda. Don't you see? He keeps her hidden. She has no idea there are more people out there in the world than Ferdinand and her father. Prospero keeps Ferdinand warned as to the consequences to his actions.
Prospero uses a metaphor to compare his daughter to something "rich" to exchange. Prospero's metaphors could be meant to distract Ferdinand from what Prospero and Miranda are getting in the bargain.

Reflections on Act 5 of the Tempest

Prospero has everything under control! He wanted revenge right? Well, he really doesn't give that.
I think Prospero's actions in the final act reveal his true character. Prospero actually forgives. He makes up his mind about revenge and makes a speech that signifies his formal rejection of magic. Prospero charges Alonso for throwing Prospero and his daughter out of Italy, and Sebastian and Antonio for being part of this crime. Prospero announces Ariel's freedom and Ariel sings a song out of joy. Prospero's judgement on his enemies generally have been justified. Gonzalo was always a honorouable man. Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo are too drunk to even get punished. But Prospero's character is changed in the last act so much he forgives those that gave him wrong. Caliban apoligizes Prospero for taking Stephano's foolishness and Prospero acknowledges Caliban and takes him as his own.
Prospero's first words suggest a metaphor, the words "gather to a head" suggest things coming to a cimax.
There are also a ton of allusions Prospero puts in his speech such as "green sour ringlets". These ringlets are small circles of sour grass caused by the roots of toadstools, made by fairies dancing.
When Prospero at last confronts Alonso and his brothers, he uses another metaphor to demonstrate the gradual process of Prospero's spell fading from them. Prospero gives up his magic something ironic in this act. A major theme running though the entire work is forgiveness versus vengeance.