Macbeth

   

     Conflicting forces drive the plot of most works of literature. There may be the need to do what is right but the character needing to do what they want is also an option or maybe there is the choice between doing one thing but losing either way or maybe wining both ways. There are many combinations of choices characters in works of literature can be designed by the writer to take. In Macbeth Shakespeare gives Macbeth to paths form which to choose form and the path he ends up choosing is only chosen because of outside influence.
     Macbeth way an honorable soldier up until he was given a choice. Of course, the outside influence was only a biased addition to his choice and the very base of it. Lady Macbeth influenced Macbeth's decision to kill King Duncan who had already promised to make Macbeth Thane of Cawdor. Lady Macbeth's ambition and insecurity as well as her evil nature pushed her into forcing Macbeth to kill King Duncan. She never physically forced him but did threaten his manhood and on more than one occasion made him view himself as weak and unworthy of power. And, so Macbeth made his tragic choice which only led to more tragedy and dead as is often seen in Shakespeare's plays.
     Macbeth's fatal decision made the play the tragedy it was intended to be. His decision and the influence of Lady Macbeth gave the play its' entire meaning. Killing Duncan made a paranoid man of Macbeth. Slowly all men began to fall. Banquo, whom he had triumphed in war with, was killed and the killings went on until the masterminds of the massacre fell as well. Macbeth was a stupid and gullible victim but a victim nonetheless. Lady Macbeth was the disturbed antagonist.
     Macbeth was torn between losing his place as a man in his marriage and Killing the King who was about to give him all he could dream of having. He had to have it all and with Lady Macbeth's help he killed the Duncan. He was given choices and the choice he picked helped give the entire play its' tragic theme.
 
   

"Clocks and Lovers"

1983 Poem: “Clocks and Lovers” (W. H. Auden)

Prompt: Write a well-organized essay in which you contrast the attitude of the clocks with that of the lover. Through careful analysis of the language and imagery, show how this contrast is important to the meaning of the poem.

    

     As when two different poets may contrast their thoughts on a subject, a single poet can contrast ideas in one work. Opposition to love and hope in the same is seen in W. H. Auden's poem "Clocks and Lovers". In the poem he gives insight into both sides of love, the fantasy romance love and the limited and stressful love. He accomplishes this contrast through his use of language and imagery throughout the poem. 

     Auden begins by praising love and the wonders it brings with it, "Love had no ending." He finds "love" and is instantly hypnotized. He had a feeling of invisibility and continues describing his feelings, "I'll love you till the ocean is folded and hung up to dry, And the seven stars go squeaking, Like geese about the sky." AT this point all that is discussed is how magnificent and everlasting love is. He feels he controls time and he is the one who decided how long he will love.

     There is a sudden shift in the poem where time becomes the foe. Time becomes the enemy. A quiet one. One that "watches from the shadows, And coughs when you would kiss." Time is now threatening his love and love is no longer as wonderful as it used to be. In the end love is lost for the clocks have ticked and time has gone yet all remains the same and the river continues to flow. There is resignation yet still a trace of frustration in his tone. He has just gone from thinking love lasts forever to being hit by reality and realizing love, like all else, will end.

      Contrast of main ideas in poetry give those contrasting ideas more value and help give the audience a greater understanding of both. In the poem "Clocks and Lovers" by W. H. Auden we see two contrasting views on love using both love and time in the form of clocks. Auden's use of language and imagery helps make the comparison possible. 

"To Helen" and "Helen"

     Contrasting views on the the same subject bring a greater understanding of that same subject. While one source of literature may emphasize the virtues of the subject the other may makes these same descriptions stronger through contrast views. It't similar to their having to be evil for there to be good and there must be white for there to be black. The contrast in the works often help make each other stronger such as in the comparison of Helen in Edgar Allen Poe's "To Helen" and H.D.'s "Helen." These two poems use elements such as speaker, imagery and tone to help give different view points on the same subject, Helen of Troy.
     Right form the beginning the audience can see a difference in the titles of both works. Poe's is directly written "for Helen" while H.D. talks to a larger audience. Poe is intimate and romantic while H.D. is full of disgust and blames Helen for the Trojan War. The speaker in the "To Helen" praises Helen, "How statue-like I see thee stand." The speaker in "Helen" is all but soft on Helen, "the wan face when she smiles, hating it deeper still."
     The imagery in "To Helen" is gentle and filled with love. The images are soft and appeal to the senses, "That gently, o'er a perfumed sea." The imagery in "To Helen" makes her a victim to the Trojan War but in "Helen" she is the enemy. H.D. sees her as the cause of their grief which is why he takes on such a hateful tone. Poe is sweet and romantic. He uses a calm and thoughtful tone when he speaks of Helen because he is trying to make the audience feel that same appreciation for her. Helen is perceived as both the problem and the victim. This contrast help the audience understand to different view points on both Helen and her involvement in the Trojan War.
     A contrast in works of literature, both in them and between them, helps give the subject greater depth and meaning. In Poe's "To Helen" and H.D.'s "Helen" Helen is viewed form two different angles. In one she is praised and in the other she is despised but this is only possible with the help of supporting literary elements.

Girdlock

Title :
Annabele Lee is the name of the lost love.

Paraphrase:
A long time ago in a kingdom by the sea lived Anabel Lee. A woman I loved and a woman who loved me

We were young and we loved each other with a passion that was envied by the heavens

Because we loved each other she became sick and her brother came and took her away form our kingdom by the sea

The Angles themselves killed Annabel Lee for they were jealous of the love she had for me

Our love was stronger and not even the angles could keep us apart

I see her at night in the stars and I lay by her tomb there by the sea

Connotations:
When referring to the  angels he was actually generalizing. He new the angels had not actually killed her but her relatives didn't want them apart. the angels were actually all those that opposed their love.

Attitudes:
This is definitely a tragic love poem. It's a poem about lost love that is gained once again only through death. Death was the only answer and the only way the two lovers could be happy. I love this poem. It's dark yet holds so much passion and love.

Shift:
At the beginning of the poem the poet is upset at his recent lost. He is angered at the jealousy of the angles and how his love was selfishly taken away from him. He begins to fell better toward the middle off the poem and is resolved at the end. He is happy that at least he gets to stay with his love in death.

Title Revised:
The title remains the same. It is just the name of the lost love although at the end we see how tragic her life ended up being.

Theme:
Resignation. It is about love but it's the tragic side of love. It's learning to settle with what you are able to keep of that person who owns your heart even if all that you can keep is their tomb.

Seventh Reading

We grow accustomed to the Dark by Emily Dickinson

We grow accustomed to the Dark --
When light is put away --
As when the Neighbor holds the Lamp
To witness her Goodbye --

A Moment -- We uncertain step
For newness of the night --
Then -- fit our Vision to the Dark --
And meet the Road -- erect --

And so of larger -- Darkness --
Those Evenings of the Brain --
When not a Moon disclose a sign --
Or Star -- come out -- within --

The Bravest -- grope a little --
And sometimes hit a Tree
Directly in the Forehead --
But as they learn to see --

Either the Darkness alters --
Or something in the sight
Adjusts itself to Midnight --
And Life steps almost straight.

Group Poems

Annabel Lee

It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of ANNABEL LEE;
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
Than to love and be loved by me.

I was a child and she was a child,
In this kingdom by the sea;
But we loved with a love that was more than love-
I and my Annabel Lee;
With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven
Coveted her and me.

And this was the reason that, long ago,
In this kingdom by the sea,
A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling
My beautiful Annabel Lee;
So that her highborn kinsman came
And bore her away from me,
To shut her up in a sepulchre
In this kingdom by the sea.

The angels, not half so happy in heaven,
Went envying her and me-
Yes!- that was the reason (as all men know,
In this kingdom by the sea)
That the wind came out of the cloud by night,
Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.

But our love it was stronger by far than the love
Of those who were older than we-
Of many far wiser than we-
And neither the angels in heaven above,
Nor the demons down under the sea,
Can ever dissever my soul from the soul
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee.

For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side
Of my darling- my darling- my life and my bride,
In the sepulchre there by the sea,
In her tomb by the sounding sea. 

Edgar Allan Poe

A Song Of Life

by Ella Wheeler Wilcox

In the rapture of life and of living,
I lift up my head and rejoice,
And I thank the great Giver for giving
The soul of my gladness a voice.
In the glow of the glorious weather,
In the sweet-scented, sensuous air,
My burdens seem light as a feather
They are nothing to bear.

In the strength and the glory of power,
In the pride and the pleasure of wealth
(For who dares dispute me my dower
Of talents and youth-time and health?) ,
I can laugh at the world and its sages
I am greater than seers who are sad,
For he is most wise in all ages
Who knows how to be glad.

I lift up my eyes to Apollo,
The god of the beautiful days,
And my spirit soars off like a swallow,
And is lost in the light of its rays.
Are tou troubled and sad? I beseech you
Come out of the shadows of strife
Come out in the sun while I teach you
The secret of life.

Come out of the world – come above it
Up over its crosses and graves,
Though the green earth is fair and I love it,
We must love it as masters, not slaves.
Come up where the dust never rises
But only the perfume of flowers
And your life shall be glad with surprises
Of beautiful hours.
Come up where the rare golden wine is
Apollo distills in my sight,
And your life shall be happy as mine is,
And as full of delight.

We grow accustomed to the Dark by Emily Dickinson

We grow accustomed to the Dark --
When light is put away --
As when the Neighbor holds the Lamp
To witness her Goodbye --

A Moment -- We uncertain step
For newness of the night --
Then -- fit our Vision to the Dark --
And meet the Road -- erect --

And so of larger -- Darkness --
Those Evenings of the Brain --
When not a Moon disclose a sign --
Or Star -- come out -- within --

The Bravest -- grope a little --
And sometimes hit a Tree
Directly in the Forehead --
But as they learn to see --

Either the Darkness alters --
Or something in the sight
Adjusts itself to Midnight --
And Life steps almost straight.

Stephen King's Carrie - Prose Essay Prompts

Novel: Carrie

Author: Stephen King

Year: 1974

Prompt 1:

American horror writer Stephen King is known for his ghastly novels most of which are filled with gore, outcasts and eventual tragedy. His novel, Carrie is no different with its vengeful teenage girl who at one point explodes and creates havoc in the town of Chamberlin. Analyze how King uses imagery and diction in order to make such a vivid horror story come to life in his audience’s mind and how his theme in Carrie helps maintain that sense of horror and suspense throughout the novel.

Prompt 2: 

"People don't get better, they just get smarter. When you get smarter you don't stop pulling the wings off flies, you just think of better reasons for doing it."

- Stephen King, Carrie

This quote reflects Stephen King’s cynical views on the mentality and nature of humans. Analyze how the concept behind this quote is played out in the King’s novel Carrie (1974).