1.) "Sonnet 130" by William Shakespeare
Though a person may not hold an immense amount of beauty, with a closer look one can see that this is not all that matters in a relationship.
2.) "The Passionate Shepard to His Love" by Christopher Marlowe
Love often drives a person to strive to provide the one they love with all that they can.
3.) "Death Be Not Proud" by John Donne
Death is not something to be feared, but rather, something to be combated.
4.) "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time" by Robert Herrick
An individual's youth not only allows them to enjoy the present, but also gives them an opportunity to secure a happy future.
5.) "The Author to Her Book" by Anne Bradstreet
Sometimes, trying to change what does not need to be tampered with only results in no success whatsoever.
6.) "To His Coy Mistress" by Andrew Marvell
Living in the moment and for the moment is what will help a person to find happiness in the future.
7.) "Sound and Sense" by Alexander Pope
A writer's true talent is the ability to turn what they see in the world around them into works of art that speak to human nature.
8.) "The World Is Too Much With Us" by William Wordsworth
If people took the time to recognize the beauty and complexity that nature holds, the world would be a much different place.
9.) "She Walks in Beauty" by George Gordon, Lord Byron
When a person is truly content and at peace with themself, it is seen through their demeanor.
10.) "Ozymandias" by Percy Bysshe Shelley
A person's legacy can be very important to them.
11.) "When I Have Fears That I May Cease To Be" by John Keats
It gives people a sense of security to know what to expect, so not knowing what the future holds can be a very difficult thing to deal with.
12.) "The Children's Hour" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Children help to evoke a sense of youthfulness and adventure in people.
14.) "Annabel Lee" by Edgar Allen Poe
When love is strong, not even death can destroy a person's connection to another.
15.) "O Captain, My Captain" by Walt Whitman
The success one has achieved should not be muddled by unfortunate events.
16.) "I Heard a Fly Buzz When I Died" by Emily Dickinson
There is symbolic nature in everything in the world that can be seen when one takes a closer look.
17.) "Dover Beach" by Matthew Arnold
In a world full of ignorance and struggle, it is only natural that people seek out the serenity and happiness that surrounds them because it provides an escape from reality.
18.) "Dulce et Decorum Est" by Wilfred Owen
It is easy for people on the outside who are merely sympathetic to a person's hardships to say that they are respectable for doing what they did, but only those who are empathetic to a person's hardships can truly understand the difficult nature of these actions.
19.) "Mending Wall" by Robert Frost
Things that seperate people are unecessary, and do nothing more than invite conflict.
20.) "Mirro"r by Sylvia Plath
The things in this world that force us to see the truth are responsible for keeping us in touch with reality.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Grapes of Wrath Action Project
For this project, I chose to contact the American Cancer Society. I was interested in this because my mom was diagnosed with lung cancer a few years ago. She has never smoked a day in her life, and does not have previous family history to support the diagnosis. The cause of her cancer is said to be unknown. Luckily, she is doing well. I wanted to contact the American Cancer Society to learn more about lung cancer and hear what they had to say on the subject.
In particular, I wanted to know why more was not being done to make people aware of the less obvious causes of lung cancer. Up until my mom was diagnosed, I assumed that lung cancer really only developed if one smoked. I could not believe that even as a teenager, I was oblivious to the fact that lung cancer could be caused by things other than smoking. I also sometimes encounter this when I tell people that my mom has lung cancer. I tell them she has never smoked, and they can’t quite believe it; they say “Are you sure?” I am sure, and the fact that there is such a misunderstanding leads me to believe that not enough is being done to ensure that people are aware of the causes of lung cancer aside from smoking. I attribute this lack of understanding in part to the media, who does a very good job of encouraging people not to smoke because it will lead to cancer, but offers no other information as to how to prevent the disease. This misunderstanding has really affected me, so I was, of course, curious to contact a group who knew a lot about the topic.
I emailed the American Cancer Society on Tuesday. It was quite simple; I simply went to the website, and found the 'Contact Us' section. I filled out the form, and selected my purpose as 'Student Homework'. In it, I described the project that we are doing and my personal reasons for wanting to contact the ACS. I asked them why more is not being done to make people aware of the causes of lung cancer. I also asked them why, if lung cancer can be caused by things other than smoking, this is not made clear to people. I knew that the ACS was not the group responsible for this misguidance, but I knew that they would be able to provide me with the most worthwhile information, so I chose to contact them. I received an email the next day thanking me for contacting the ACS and telling me that my question would be answered in 2-3 business days. I was impressed at this because I wasn’t sure I’d get a response! Sure enough, two days later, I received an email. In it, a woman named Mary explained some things to me:
"Thank you for your interest in the fight against cancer. Your point that lung cancer is found in those who have never smoked is well taken; however, the American Cancer Society focuses on, and places such a great importance on educating people on the hazards of tobacco use in relation to cancer because tobacco use causes nearly one in five deaths in the United States...Because smoking is the most preventable cause of death in our society, the American Cancer Society feels a strong obligation to provide the public, particularly children and adolescents, with the facts about tobacco use. Tobacco control is a priority for the American Cancer Society, and we are committed to doing everything possible to reduce the terrible toll smoking exacts on the American public...You may wish to review our publication "Second Hand Smoke” which states that second hand smoke has been linked to lung cancer in non-smokers, in fact about 3,400 nonsmoking adults die of lung cancer as a result of breathing second hand smoke..."
After reading this information, I felt almost as if this part of the email was copied and pasted from a document about what lung cancer is, rather than written. For example, I said in my email that secondhand smoke was not the cause, and Mary proceeded to tell me that I should read the article "Secondhand Smoke". I was pleased, however, that towards the end of the email Mary answered my request of giving me the names of other people I could contact if she couldn't provide me with information. She did both, providing me with information and the names of other groups to contact. I feel that this shows that this part of my email was read and taken into consideration. Most importantly, she answered my question. I understand now that the reason why ACS focuses so strongly on tobacco prevention is because it is of utmost importance to them.
It was not until I real who Mary was that I felt that I hadn't been very successful. All the while, I had assumed that Mary was some official from the American Cancer Society. This was not the case. Under her name read "Online Cancer Information Specialist". I had contacted the ACS in hopes of reaching a high ranking official in power. Instead, I was given an overview of lung cancer and some helpful links on the subject from an online specialist.
Though I wish I had been able to dig deeper into the subject, I think I learned more about why we were assigned this project by not being as successful, if that makes sense. I understand why Mr. Currin assigned this action project now that I have completed it. Trying to contact the head of an important group proved to be very difficult. It reminds me of the situation that the Joads and their fellow Okies find themselves in. The jobs and therefore the lives of these people are being consumed by the East. They travel all over California, and encounter so many people along the way, from people just like them to individuals who hold power above them. None of these people can explain why things are turning out how they are. Like the people in the novel, the individuals in our class are simply trying to find out why certain situations are how they are. Perhaps part of the reason why some of these questions cannot be answered is because the people being asked don’t quite know how to answer them. This project is, therefore, the perfect example of the plight one endures in trying to discover why things are the way they are. It also shows that things really haven’t changed over the years. We are very similar to the Joads in that we want reasons for the circumstances that we experience. Though we may not always find the answers that we search for, we must remember that we are still gaining something out of the situation by asking.
In particular, I wanted to know why more was not being done to make people aware of the less obvious causes of lung cancer. Up until my mom was diagnosed, I assumed that lung cancer really only developed if one smoked. I could not believe that even as a teenager, I was oblivious to the fact that lung cancer could be caused by things other than smoking. I also sometimes encounter this when I tell people that my mom has lung cancer. I tell them she has never smoked, and they can’t quite believe it; they say “Are you sure?” I am sure, and the fact that there is such a misunderstanding leads me to believe that not enough is being done to ensure that people are aware of the causes of lung cancer aside from smoking. I attribute this lack of understanding in part to the media, who does a very good job of encouraging people not to smoke because it will lead to cancer, but offers no other information as to how to prevent the disease. This misunderstanding has really affected me, so I was, of course, curious to contact a group who knew a lot about the topic.
I emailed the American Cancer Society on Tuesday. It was quite simple; I simply went to the website, and found the 'Contact Us' section. I filled out the form, and selected my purpose as 'Student Homework'. In it, I described the project that we are doing and my personal reasons for wanting to contact the ACS. I asked them why more is not being done to make people aware of the causes of lung cancer. I also asked them why, if lung cancer can be caused by things other than smoking, this is not made clear to people. I knew that the ACS was not the group responsible for this misguidance, but I knew that they would be able to provide me with the most worthwhile information, so I chose to contact them. I received an email the next day thanking me for contacting the ACS and telling me that my question would be answered in 2-3 business days. I was impressed at this because I wasn’t sure I’d get a response! Sure enough, two days later, I received an email. In it, a woman named Mary explained some things to me:
"Thank you for your interest in the fight against cancer. Your point that lung cancer is found in those who have never smoked is well taken; however, the American Cancer Society focuses on, and places such a great importance on educating people on the hazards of tobacco use in relation to cancer because tobacco use causes nearly one in five deaths in the United States...Because smoking is the most preventable cause of death in our society, the American Cancer Society feels a strong obligation to provide the public, particularly children and adolescents, with the facts about tobacco use. Tobacco control is a priority for the American Cancer Society, and we are committed to doing everything possible to reduce the terrible toll smoking exacts on the American public...You may wish to review our publication "Second Hand Smoke” which states that second hand smoke has been linked to lung cancer in non-smokers, in fact about 3,400 nonsmoking adults die of lung cancer as a result of breathing second hand smoke..."
After reading this information, I felt almost as if this part of the email was copied and pasted from a document about what lung cancer is, rather than written. For example, I said in my email that secondhand smoke was not the cause, and Mary proceeded to tell me that I should read the article "Secondhand Smoke". I was pleased, however, that towards the end of the email Mary answered my request of giving me the names of other people I could contact if she couldn't provide me with information. She did both, providing me with information and the names of other groups to contact. I feel that this shows that this part of my email was read and taken into consideration. Most importantly, she answered my question. I understand now that the reason why ACS focuses so strongly on tobacco prevention is because it is of utmost importance to them.
It was not until I real who Mary was that I felt that I hadn't been very successful. All the while, I had assumed that Mary was some official from the American Cancer Society. This was not the case. Under her name read "Online Cancer Information Specialist". I had contacted the ACS in hopes of reaching a high ranking official in power. Instead, I was given an overview of lung cancer and some helpful links on the subject from an online specialist.
Though I wish I had been able to dig deeper into the subject, I think I learned more about why we were assigned this project by not being as successful, if that makes sense. I understand why Mr. Currin assigned this action project now that I have completed it. Trying to contact the head of an important group proved to be very difficult. It reminds me of the situation that the Joads and their fellow Okies find themselves in. The jobs and therefore the lives of these people are being consumed by the East. They travel all over California, and encounter so many people along the way, from people just like them to individuals who hold power above them. None of these people can explain why things are turning out how they are. Like the people in the novel, the individuals in our class are simply trying to find out why certain situations are how they are. Perhaps part of the reason why some of these questions cannot be answered is because the people being asked don’t quite know how to answer them. This project is, therefore, the perfect example of the plight one endures in trying to discover why things are the way they are. It also shows that things really haven’t changed over the years. We are very similar to the Joads in that we want reasons for the circumstances that we experience. Though we may not always find the answers that we search for, we must remember that we are still gaining something out of the situation by asking.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Reflections of Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" In Relation to Chinua Achebe's "Things Fall Apart"
In this article, Chinua Achebe criticizes Joseph Conrad’s acclaimed novel Heart of Darkness. What I found particularly interesting about this article is how Achebe presents his argument, and how he supports it. In particular, he says that Conrad likes things being in their place. To Achebe, this means that Conrad prefers to acknowledge the stereotypical viewpoint of the culture, rather than something less traditional. For example, at one point Achebe says that the reason why the African woman is characterized as being “…savage and superb, wild-eyed and magnificent…” is because in this description she is “in her place”. However, can Conrad really be condemned for this? No, calling someone savage is not something that can be justified, but I think it is also important to consider that when Heart of Darkness was written, and even Things Fall Apart, for that matter, people held much more traditional views over certain issues than they do today. This is supported by the content of both novels. It is also displayed in the ever-changing demographic of our nation. Taking this just a step further, as the years progress and as times change, what was once considered deviant and “taboo”, in a sense, is no longer so. This being said, my thoughts after reading this are that Achebe cannot necessarily criticize Conrad’s Heart of Darkness as racist, because when Conrad wrote it, times were much different. However, in contrast, I think we must also consider the audience for which the novel was written. In this aspect, I myself do criticize Conrad. When Conrad wrote the novel, I understand that he was probably trying to appeal to a certain crowd; most likely, the white population. Perhaps Conrad simply believed that “white” culture was superior to the Africans’ way of living, or perhaps he wholeheartedly believed that things would never change and that other cultures much different than his would never become a part of civilized society. Whatever the case, I don’t think he considered how things might change in the future, and I think if he had his novel would’ve been drastically different. Whatever the case, whether Conrad’s novel is or is not racist is completely subjective. I, personally, do not believe either work to be racist, because each novel provides a glimpse into a different culture, and I really think that the fact that they are successfully able to do this is enough. And, if we are still talking about these novels years and years later, their authors must have done something right. After all, isn’t one important aim of literature to spark discussion amongst all peoples, regardless of their culture or beliefs?
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Reflection on "The Second Coming of Aphrodite: Kate Chopin's Fantasy of Desire" by Sandra M. Gilbert
In this article, Sandra M. Gilbert explores the novel The Awakening by Kate Chopin by viewing it in a feministic and fantastical light. Gilbert’s purpose for writing this essay is to shed a new light on the novel by viewing it through a literary lens that we might not have considered before, in hopes that it will help to explain parts of the novel that have often been questioned and misunderstood. To support her argument, Gilbert claims that the story’s writing, though intended to be realistic, is in actuality more fantastical and mythical than anything else. She mentions mythical figures, like Aphrodite, and uses this to support her belief that The Awakening is a feminist novel. A Greek myth states that Aphrodite herself emerged from the sea. Therefore, the sea embodies femininity and helps to awaken Edna to the world around her. In addition, Gilbert coins maternal longing as the reason for why Edna acts as she does. It has been said that the absence of a strong female figure in Edna’s life causes her to end up in the relationship she does. Daughters look up to their fathers their entire lives, so it only makes sense that often women end up marrying men that emulate their paternal figures. Edna’s father is very controlling and powerful, so it should come as no surprise that Edna marries a man who possesses the same qualities. Did, perhaps, the absence of a strong maternal figure seal Edna’s fate from the beginning? Her search for femininity and independence could be the result of the unhappy relationship she found herself in. Gilbert presents her argument well. She is persuasive in how she states and supports her argument. I do agree with what Gilbert says about the novel being fantastical. Though Edna searches through the entire novel for freedom, she never truly experiences the complete liberation she strives for. Therefore, the things she wants she cannot even grasp, because they don’t exist. The novel, in this sense, is very fantastical and theoretical. So, because I agree that the novel’s tone is abstract, I do not think that all the characters’ motives and actions can be fully described, as Gilbert strives to do throughout the essay. I disagree with some of that points she makes, because I feel that they are a bit far-fetched. Some of the characters’ actions simply cannot be understood, and I think it just needs to be left at that.
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