Looking Back

My favorite activity we did this semester was writing the Hamlet movie essay.  It was very entertaining to see the different performance choices actors made, and observe how the smallest details impact the performance.  We watched the scenes so many times that the character's lines were practically drilled into our heads.  This experience has also exposed me to the more analytical side of watching movies, which is unlike anything I have done before.  I realize how many varying interpretations can come forth when Hamlet is moved from the text to the big screen.

Dec 7 Blog

In Prufrock's Poem "The Love Song," the narrator seems to romantically woe a woman.  However, the narrator is actually lost and confused in a chaotic world.  This can explain why Prufrock decided to allude to Hamlet since Hamlet is also lost and confused, and seamlessly rambles about ludicrous ideas.  The narrator also displays many other characteristics similar to Hamlet, such as his unanswerable questions.  The narrator states, "Do I dare/Disturb the universe?" (45-46).  Prufrock mimicked Shakespeare's original use of unanswerable questions, which made Hamlet seem crazy, to show that his narrator is also insane (most likely by the disorder in the world).  

Diction, Phrases, and Words

1) "Graveyard": Shakespeare uses the word "graveyard" in his final act to foreshadow death.  This word perfectly fits the context because it creates a gloomy atmosphere, which sets the stage for the death of Hamlet, Laertes, and King Claudius.


2) "The play's the thing": Shakespeare uses the play "The Murder of Gonzago," to reveal Claudius' evil deed.  While Claudius is watching the play, which has a very similar story line to "Hamlet", Hamlet takes note of how Claudius reacts.  Hamlet realizes that the King is greedy, power hungry dictator, and feels uneasy when watching the play.  These words should be spoken in delight because it reveals the truth to Hamlet.


3) "To be, or not to be": In Hamlet's soliloquy, Hamlet is disheartened by the sudden death of his father.  In this speech, Hamlet contemplates on weather he should live and "be" or commit suicide and "not be".  These words should be said with a little bit of caution/nervousness since it is a matter of life or death.  

4) "Give me some light": In this scene, King Claudius demands to be alone.  However, this phrase brings light to the fact that the Claudius is human and begs for forgiveness for his sins.  Consciously, Claudius wishes to live the rest of his life in peace, but his committing of one sin has forced him to do another, and Claudius is forever cursed to live shrouded in evil and darkness. These word should be said in a begging tone since Claudius' corrupt and blackened soul is hopelessly searching for light. 

5) "Loose" and "fishmonger":  These two words refer to how Polonius sees and treats her daughter.  Polonius almost has complete control of her, like a "monger",  and almost like an animal, releases her, or let "loose", into flirting with Hamlet.

Imagery and Figurative Language

Imagery is when a verbal expressions appeals to any of the five senses.  By appealing to the five senses, imagery can help readers obtain a clear image of the surrounding. Figurative language, also known as metaphorical, explains or expands on ideas by comparing them to something else.  Figurative language can be further broken down into metaphor, simile, personification, analogy, hyperbole, understatement, paradox, and irony.  Metaphors make implied comparisons. Similes explicitly makes comparisons using like or as.  Personification is when an object or animal is given human characteristics.  Analogy is a figure of speech that helps explain something strange or complex by comparing it to something familiar or simple.  Hyperbole is when something is exaggerated, as opposed to an understatement.  A paradox is a statement that seems contradictory, but reveals a truth.  Lastly, irony is when a speaker says one thing, but actually means something else.  In Robert Frost's "Out, Out--," Frost personifies the buzz-saw, which transforms the simple tool to a monstrous, uncontrollable beast.  

Claudius: The Mind Controller

Claudius is slyly plotting to kill Hamlet, so his illegitimate ascension to the throne will never be exposed.  Through the use of language, Claudius masterfully uses deceit to try trick people to carry out his will.   This is a very advantageous skill for Claudius because it allows him not to be directly involved in the murder.  Laertes is very susceptible to King Claudius' trap because he is emotionally unstable, due to the recent deaths in his family.  Claudius' clever use of diction and his soft tone seems to comfort Laertes, while fueling his hatred towards Hamlet.  Claudius' deceitfulness is evident in how he deals with the sons of fathers who have just passed, Hamlet and Laertes.  When Hamlet is mourning the death of his father, Claudius claims it to be "unmanly grief" and tells Hamlet to move on.  The motive for this statement can be found in Claudius' desire for Hamlet to not snoop around in the past, which may expose Claudius' evil deed.  As opposed to Claudius' stance when dealing with Laertes, where he questions Laertes love for his father by stating, "Laertes, was your father dear to you?/Or are you like the painting of a sorrow,/A face without a heart," (IV.VII. 105-107).  Claudius wants to convince Laertes he must show his love for his father by taking action and getting vengeance on Hamlet.

Click Clack: Sound

Literary devices such as rhyme, meter, alliteration, enjambment, and caesura help to create sound in a poem.  Sound is often used to set the mood and tone of a poem.  Rhyme is when words have sounds that correspond to one another, and it helps create melody.  Meter counts the measure, stressed and unstressed syllables, in a line, and represents how words are supposed to be pronounced.  Alliteration is the repetition of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent words, and also adds melody.  Enjambment is the continuation from one line to another without a pause, and creates a rushed feeling.  Lastly, caesura is a pause in a sentence, and slows down the tempo of a poem.  In Hamlet, Shakespeare uses iambic pentameter to define natural speech for the characters.  In "Out, Out" Frost personifies the buzz-saw through sound, and makes it come to life as a vicious animal. Finally, in Pope's "Sound and Sense" Pope uses couplets to create a light melody to the poem.

Symbols and Themes

Themes are the main messages in literature works, which are carried throughout the writing.  An example in Hamlet is the air of lies and deceit that run through the castle.  Hamlet, is trying to plot his revenge for his father, while trying not to get caught, and King Claudius is trying to cover his tracks.  

Symbols are an integral to many literary works.  Symbols are either objects, places, or people that represent an ideal.  Symbols are used to help the reader possess a deeper understanding of the text by bringing the context of the entire work together.  In The Second Coming, Yeat's choice of using the word "revelation," (9) alludes the reader to the new testament Book of Revelations. This connection represents that the world is coming to an end and chaos will ensue.  The "shape with lion body and head of a man," (14) that emerges is supposed to represent Christ.  However, holy and sacred image correlated with Christ is shattered with the monstrous figure that appears before the narrator.  The hideous creature adds to the image of the doomed fate of the world.

1st Body Paragraph: Hamlet

Speech is used to convey one's feelings, emotions, and intentions. Shakespeare's word choice for each character's speech, in "Hamlet," not only reflects the personalities of the characters, but also helps the reader obtain a deeper understanding of the plot.   By recognizing the characteristic of each character, the reader can comprehend the situation of each character, in relation to the plot, and understand the motive for their actions and responses.    In "Hamlet," the Ghost and King Claudius can be seen as foils, through their language and diction.  The Ghost, who feels betrayed by his brother, speaks to Hamlet in a very direct and decisive manner, demanding righteous vengeance for his death.  King Claudius, on the other hand, is very sly and elusive, trying to hide his sin of murdering his brother and speaking in convoluted sentences.  However, Claudius, being the King, tends to still be direct in his speech by eventually stating his point after talking in a roundabout manner.  Therefore, through speech and diction, Shakespeare is able to convey the tension and motives for his character's actions, such as the Ghost and King Claudius.

Despite the fact that King Claudius and the Ghost are brothers, they have different speech patterns according to their situation. While King Claudius speaks in a convoluted manner as he attempts to hide his evil sin of murdering his brother, the Ghost, rushed by the short time he has time roam the earth, speaks with a sense of urgency.  The Ghost also has more emotion when speaking because unlike his brother, who has tainted his soul with murder, the Ghost seeks rightful vengeance.  King Claudius speaks in a uncongenial manner where he mixes the grief in his brother’s recent death with the joy in his new marriage: “Have we as ‘twere with the defeated joy, with an  auspicious and a dropping eye, with mirth in funeral and with dirge in marriage, in equal scale weighing delight and dole taken to wife” (1.2. 10-15).  King Claudius’s strange manner of speech can be explained by his twisted soul, which no longer has any humanity.  The Ghost, unlike King Claudius, speaks in a firm and direct manner, plotting his plan to get revenge on Claudius. 

Furthermore, it is made obvious that Claudius has done something very wrong because the ghost uses such strong language in order to describe Claudius’s actions 

Setting Blog

Setting indicates the time and place of an event.  It also creates the atmosphere and mood of a scene.  Therefore, by noting the characteristics of the setting, the reader is able to understand the intended tone of the author. For example, during the ball scene in "Pride and Prejudice," the grandioseness of the environment called for the characters to act formally.  Settings in a play differ from settings in a fictional book because the settings of a play must be realistic so they can be produced for an on stage performance.  Therefore, the settings of a fictional book can often relay more meaning since it is not bound by the physical limitations of man.  

Rough Intro Paragraph For: Hamlet

Speech is used to convey one's feelings, emotions, and intentions. Shakespeare's word choice for each character's speech, in "Hamlet," not only reflects the personalities of the characters, but also helps the reader obtain a deeper understanding of the plot.  By recognizing the characteristic of each character, the reader can comprehend the situation of each character, in relation to the plot, and understand the motive for their actions and responses.    In "Hamlet," the Ghost and King Claudius can be seen as foils, through their language and diction.  The Ghost, who feels betrayed by his brother, speaks to Hamlet in a very direct and decisive manner, demeaning righteous vengeance for his death.  King Claudius, on the other hand, is very sly and elusive, trying to hide his sin of murdering his brother, and speaks in convoluted sentences.  However, Claudius, being the King, tends to still be direct in his speech by eventually stating his point after talking in a round about manner.  Therefore, through speech and diction, Shakespeare is able to convey the tension and motives for his character's actions, such as the Ghost and King Claudius.

Clash of the Titans: The Ghost vs the Serpent

Both the Ghost and Claudius can be identified as suspicious and sly characters.  The Ghost claims that Claudius had murdered him, which puts Claudius in the spotlight as the murder of the past king.  However, why would the Ghost urge Hamlet to commit a sin, by murdering Claudius, while he is in purgatory, a place where sins must be washed away before one can go to heaven.  Despite this suspicious behavior, the two character's speech severely contrast one another.  The Ghost is very frank when speaking, and tells Hamlet exactly who murdered him “the serpent that did sting they fathers life now wears his crown” (742).  Conversely, while Claudius is also quite literal in his speech, he speaks in a roundabout way and uses a lot of "fluff" words before stating his point.  In his main speech addressing the death of his brother, the previous king, Claudius hints towards his marrying of Gertrude, but does not directly address it until the end of his speech.

Character Blog

Characters can be defined as people, animals, or even objects, in a play. The plot of a play is usually structured by the conflicts between the characters, in the play.  Conflicts can either be described as internal or external.  In Hamlet, there is a a external conflict between Hamlet and King Claudius for the right to the throne and justice for his Hamlet's father's death.   In Huckleberry Finn, Huck has an internal conflict when dealing with Jim because he does not know weather to follow the ideals at the time, and turn Jim in, or do what he sees as justice, and let him be free.  Characters are usually developed through indirect or direct characterization to help create a connection between the characters and the audience.  These connections, help the audience understand the motives and actions of the characters, which helps create depth and complexity in the play.  

Hamlet vs Claudius

In "Hamlet," Shakespeare uses different types of speech to indirectly portray the characteristics of each character, to the audience.  Throughout the first Act, Hamlet is mournful due to the loss of his father.  In order to display Hamlet's emotional state, Hamlet's speeches are mainly in verses.  If one were to have a closer examination of Hamlet's speeches, one may realize that Hamlet is a intelligent, deep, and emotional character.  On the contrary, King Claudius' speeches are mainly in prose, and he seems unemotional and detached when addressing the death of his brother.  King Claudius is also very literal when speaking.

Hirsch vs Komunyakaa: Two views of Basketball

Although the two poems focus on basketball, they hold different perspectives on how the game should be treated and how they portray their view.  If I were writing a compare and contrast essay, I would write the first paragraph on talking about the similar and different perspective the two poems have.  While Hirsch views basketball as a graceful sport, Komunyakaa views the sport as a vicious battle where action is spontaneous and instant.  In the second paragraph, I would describe how the two poets structure their poem to convey their view through their use of diction.

"Pride & Prejudice" vs "The Great Expectation"

Both Charles Dicken's "The Great Expectation" and Jane Austen's "Pride & Prejudice" central theme focuses on marriage and social status.  The protagonists, in both novels, stand low on the social scale, however, they interact with people that have a much higher standing in the social world and are given the opportunity to rise in the social scale.  In "Pride & Prejudice," Elizabeth has frequent confrontations with Darcy, a wealthy gentleman, but she despises him for his pompousness.   As the story goes on, Elizabeth begins to realize that Darcy, is in fact, a honest and kind man, and by the end of the novel, she marries him and they live happily ever after. The plot of "The Great Expectation, " is quite similar.  Pip, the protagonist in the novel, is a low working class boy that is invited to entertain Miss Havisham, a very wealthy widow.  One day, Pip is informed that a benefactor has given him a large fortune, and he believes that his benefactor is Miss Havisham because she is trying to raise him to become worthy enough to marry Estella.  Pip tries extremely hard to become an intellectual. Unlike "Pride & Prejudice," there is a gigantic twist and Pip is shocked to find out that his benefactor is the criminal from the beginning of the story, and that Miss Havisham had no intention of molding Pip to marry Estella.  Pip is heartbroken and finds out that Miss Havisham was simply toying with his heart and shaping Estella to break men's hearts.  Pip begins to face reality and starts to care for Magwitch, his benefactor, forgives Miss Havisham, and accepts that he will not be marrying Estella, since she is already married to another wealthy man.  In the end, Pip meets Estella and Estella's husband is now dead.  The novel ends with the two holding hands and the two never parted from one another again.

The Death of Animals: Two rationals, one result

Kumin's "Woodchucks," and Stafford's "Traveling through the Dark," are both centered around the theme of the death of an animal.  However, the two poems differ in that while the narrator of "Woodchucks," feels distant from the animals, the narrator in "Traveling through the Dark," feels more sympathy towards the animals.  The narrator of "Woodchucks," feels a "righteous thrill" as the "murder inside [him] rose."  The narrator's does not care for the gofers and indiscriminately annihilates each one he sees. One can compare him to a "Nazi," who feels no sympathy for his/her victim and will not rest until his prey is dead.  The narrator in "Traveling through the Dark" feels sympathetic towards animals and hesitates tossing the doe to the side of the road, once he realizes it is pregnant.  He feels more connected to the nature and "hears the wilderness listen."  However, despite knowing that the doe is pregnant, the narrator takes human life to more importance and ends up tossing the doe aside and continuing his journey.

D.W. Harding: Agree and Disagree

Disagree: "Austen as satirist is misleading; she has none of the underlying didactic intention ordinarily attributed to the satirist."

• I believe that characterizing Austen as a satirist is right, even when considering D.W. Harding's definition a satirist.  Austen's novel, Pride and Prejudice, uses satire to comically poke fun at the faults of society.  There is much to learn from the novel, such as weather one should act based on individual motives or by social norms, that can be applied to modern day times.

Agree:"Caricature served Jane Austen's purpose perfectly. Under her treatment one can never say where caricature leaves off and the claim to serious portraiture begins"

• I believe that Austen's use of "caricature" and "portaiture" is perfectly used in the novel to clearly emphasize the characteristics of a character, which helps the reader connect characters to people they know in real life.  This connection that is created with the reader and the book not only creates comedy, but also helps the reader understand Austen's perception of people that contain similar qualities with characters in her book.  Austen's use of caricature also helps the reader clearly identify conflicts that arise in the novel because most characters are so black and white that it is clear when a conflict will arise and why the outcome was so.

How to improve my Individual vs. Society Essay

1st paragraph: Try to come up with a less cliché thesis and make sure I integrate it with my body paragraphs.

2nd paragraph: I need to add more quotes and expand on Elizabeth and how one should follow the middle path.

3rd paragraph: Needs to be integrated better with the rest of my essay by also including the Bennet's marriage.  Also need to get rid of the background information of Dr. King and go straight into the analysis.

4th paragraph: Need to create one (Possibly about Jane)

Individual vs Society: Intro + Body Paragraph

  Throughout history, man has come together to create societies for the betterment of life.  By creating societies, man has inadvertently created social norms that the people should follow in order to create social stability.  In society today, people are faced with challenges that they can either approach based on their individual motives or by society's norms.  There are both beneficial and detrimental effects that people must face by acting either by individual motives or society's influences.  While people who act based on their individual motives are more likely to end up living a happier life, they must suffer the consequence of being isolated from the majority of society. People who act based on society's influences achieve the opposite result and are more likely to be accepted by society and enjoy a stable lifestyle.  However, these people risk the possibility of not acquiring true happiness.  However, in order for society to function properly, both individuals and people who are dependent of society must coexist.  Individuals shed new light on subjects and create changes by challenging the norms of society.  This leads to change and ultimately forward progression for society.  People who follow the norms of society are also needed so that chaos is avoided and order is maintained in society.   Although I believe that keeping true to oneself and attaining happiness is the most important principle one should follow, people should try to take a middle path, like Jane, and keep their individuality while not being completely isolated from society.

             Marriage is idealized as a harmonious, lasting bond between two lovers.  In Pride and Prejudice, Austen uses miserable marriages such as the Bennett's to show that the idealized concepts associated with marriage is not always present.  Through marriages, Austen is able to reveal whether a character acts upon his/her own interest or by normative pressures of society.  Elizabeth is an example of a character that repeatedly emphasizes the importance of people's individuality and acts based on her own motives.  When faced with a proposal of marriage by Mr. Collins, Elizabeth respectively declines since she wishes to marry for love and happiness, not for social stability/money.  (Mr. Collins quote).  Elizabeth's strong character demonstrates a positive aspect of being an individual, and allows her to pursue her own interests without falling under pressure by the norms of society. This rebellious act was seen as being very unusual during the early 19th century, and people often responded negatively.  As a result, Elizabeth is looked down upon as being rebellious, odd and ultimately disassociated with society, by people in society who regard social customs highly.  (quote about judging peoples character)/(quote about Miss Bingley or Lady Catherine belittling her).  Due to Elizabeth's strong independence, she is labeled as a crazy woman and is tossed aside by society.  Despite this negative affect, without strong, independent women like Elizabeth, women would not have challenged norms that were established in the 19th century and would not have gained the rights they have today.  

          I

Rubric Rankings

A for Alfi - B-/C+
                 Thesis: Lacks development and simply states the two examples the writer is going to talk about                in his body paragraphs.
                  Structure & Style: Repeatedly uses incorrect grammar, and tries to use vocabulary but obviously misuses it.  Has a decent logical flow to it.
                  Sources & Evidence: Does not effectively analyze the quotes and simply places them to reaffirm his statement.

B for Beatrice - B-/B
                 Thesis: Long and confusing, distracts the reader from the main point of the essay
                 Structure & Style: Standard 5 body paragraph compare and contrast essay. Often becomes repetitive by reusing words.  However, the essay is written logically and is solid.
                 Sources & Evidence: Has a solid amount of quotes, however, she sometimes does not fully analyze some of her quotes.

C for Cecilia - B+/A-
                 Thesis: A little unclear, but answers the prompt
                 Structure & Style: The essay flowed logically, and her diction choice was great.
                 Sources & Evidence: The quotes were well placed and analyzed effectively.

Individual vs. Society: Intro Paragraph

Marriage is idealized as a harmonious, lasting bond between two lovers.  In Pride and Prejudice, Austen uses miserable marriages such as the Bennett's to question weather this idealized concept of marriage truly exists in society.  Through marriages, Austen is able to reveal weather a character acts upon his/her own interest, or by normative pressures of society.  There are both beneficial and detrimental effects that people must face by acting either by individual motives or society's influences.  While people who act based on their individual motives are more likely to end up living a happier life, they must suffer the consequence of being isolated from the majority of society. People who act based on society's influences achieve the opposite result and are more likely to be accepted by society and have a stable lifestyle, but they risk the possibility of not acquiring happiness.  Although I believe that keeping true to oneself and attaining happiness is the most important principle one should follow, people should try to take a middle path, like Jane, and keep their individuality while not being completely isolated from society.

Sep 8 Blog: "To His Coy Mistress"

The Speaker of "To His Coy Mistress" tries to use reason to convince his lover to have sex.  The speaker begins his first paragraph with uses of vivd imagery and allusions to describe his endless, idyllic love for his mistress.  In doing so, the speaker attempts to woe his mistress by stating everything he would do with her if time was endless. However, as the speaker moves into his second paragraph he shifts the poem into an exaggerated state of reality by stating that time is very limited and they will soon die.  The speaker uses fear tactic in the second paragraph by creating the imagery of worms eating away at his mistress' purity.  This fear tactic is used to create a sense of urgency in the mistress' mind so she will agree to the speakers demand.  The speaker concludes his argument by stating that the two lovers should seize the day, carpe diem, and viciously make love with one another, since their time on earth is so little.

Sep 7 Blog

The book I would like to read outside of the class this year is "Ender's Game." My older brother recommended the book to me and said it is one of his favorite books.  I have read the blurb in the back of the book and it seems like a very interesting book that can be entertaining since it is movie-like.

Billy Collins: "Introduction to Poetry"

Poetry is often seen as a mysterious assortment of words that contain a deeper meaning.  Most students who study poetry try to force the deeper meaning of the poem to reveal itself.  By doing this, students ultimately lose the beauty and natural fluidity of a poem.  Most students treat the poem as if it were a mathematical problem where one's only goal is to find the answer.  People should treat poems as if they were pieces of art,  examining the beauty of each word.  By doing this, people will not only be able to truly enjoy the elegance of the poem, but will naturally stumble upon the true meaning of the poem.

Welcome!

Heyyyyyyy mannnnn.  My name is Thomas Cho and I like the band Ratatat.  Ratatat plays alternative/electronic music.  This music is not only relaxing, but also contains an energetic mood.  I was only recently introduced to the band; however, they have quickly and easily become one of my favorite bands.