Journal 22 - Hamlet

                William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” is a tragedy in the sense that there is no happy ending and that you are meant to feel remorse for the characters. Although the play was written in the sixteen hundreds Shakespeare did a wonderful job of writing the play to be set in the medieval period of Denmark. This play is a classic because of the way Shakespeare was so far ahead of his time and the subject and themes of his plays are universal and timeless.

                The play follows Prince Hamlet after his father has “died” and his mother is remarrying. Claudius, who is Queen Gertrude’s new husband and brother-in-law, is now the reigning King of Denmark. Hamlet discovers from his father’s spirit that Claudius murdered him and, as the king’s eldest born son, Hamlet is responsible for avenging his father so that the late King Hamlet may rest in peace.

                In order to obey his father’s spirit Hamlet decides to play crazy. He takes it far enough so that his “girlfriend?”, Ophelia, believes it and fears him. While Hamlet is pretending to have gone mad he uses a traveling player group to act out a play because ”the play’s the thing wherein I’ll [Hamlet] catch the conscience of the king” (Hamlet, 1739, ll.534-535). Hamlet succeeds, but when given the opportunity to kill Claudius after the play he finds him praying for forgiveness. Hamlet decides that he cannot kill him now or he will go to heaven and that is the exact opposite of what Hamlet wants.

                Hamlet then goes to speak with his mother and during this time feels he is being spied upon and stabs through a curtain. Hamlet believes at first that he has killed the king, but discovers that instead he has killed Polonius, Ophelia’s father and the advisor to the king. Hamlet then tries to hide the body and is caught by the King’s men. King Claudius sends Hamlet to England with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and with them sends sealed letters for Hamlet’s arrest and death.

                Claudius’ plan fails and Hamlet makes it back to Denmark. Upon his return he discovers that in his absence Ophelia went crazy and killed herself. When Hamlet sees Laertes jump into Ophelia’s grave it outrages him. Laertes then challenges Hamlet to a duel and Hamlet accepts. Hamlet does not know that Claudius and Laertes have teamed up to achieve Hamlet’s demise by planting a poisoned goblet and a poison-tipped rapier at the duel.

                At the duel Claudius tells Hamlet that if he wins there is a glass of wine with his name on it and a pearl of fortune inside. In fact, Hamlet took the lead and is winning the duel for the most part. In the excitement Queen Gertrude drinks the poisoned wine that was meant for Hamlet. Laertes takes the opportunity of Hamlet’s distraction of his mother to slice him with the poisoned sword. Hamlet puts two and two together, takes Laertes sword and cuts him so that the poison is within him as well. Hamlet also slices open Claudius’ hand with the sword and makes Claudius finish the poisoned wine, just to be sure of his death.

At the end, the entire royal family dies, and there is no longer anyone to rule over Denmark. All of the trouble of killing the King, and then the attempted and achieved murder of the Prince, ended everyone’s right to the throne. All of this is just to show that the desire for power and revenge will never end well.

Shakespeare, William.“Hamlet”. The Norton Introduction To Literature. 10^th ed. Ed. Alison Booth and Kelly J. Mays. New York: Norton, 2010.1701-1794). Print

Journal 17 - The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd

In Sir Walter Raleigh’s poem, “The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd”, Raleigh brings the reality into the poem originally written by Christopher Marlowe. In Marlowe’s poem “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love” it seems that the only thing the shepherd wants is someone beautiful to live with and he’ll give her anything to keep her with him as a trophy. It is possible that the shepherd truly loves this girl, but if it is true love he shouldn’t have to act like he’s trying to buy her to stay with him.

 In Raleigh’s “reply” the Nymph, as Raleigh has chosen to characterize the girl, tells the shepherd that “These pretty pleasures might me move/ To live with thee and be thy love”, but that these things are not enough to keep love alive (1224, ll. 3-4”). The nymph continues with this logic, saying, “The flowers do fade, and wanton fields/ To wayward winter reckoning yields” explaining that wilted flowers and dead fields do not appeal to anyone, nonetheless someone who has been given “These pretty pleasures” (ll. 9-10).

The story is the same as any girl, anywhere. We want to be loved for what is inside us, not how young and beautiful we are. We don’t cost as much as men make us out to, but only want true love and a place to call our home. And many times, home is in the person we love.

Raleigh, Sir Walter “The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd”. The Norton Introduction To Literature. 10^th ed. Ed. Alison Booth and Kelly J. Mays. New York: Norton, 2010. 1224. Print

Journal 16 - She dealt her pretty words like Blades-

In Emily Dickinson’s poem “She dealt her pretty words like Blades-“ you think back to the old saying “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” and realize how untrue the saying is. In this poem Dickinson explores how bullying can hurt someone more than ever intended, and that we should all think before we speak.

The poem speaks of a girl who is very quick with her sharp words and “How glittering they shone-“ (1164, l. 2). The first two lines can lead one to think that this girl is probably writing letters to someone and using a broad vocabulary. The next two lines explain that every word that this woman produces breaks nerves and hits the bone of the person hearing, or perhaps reading, these words.

In the next stanza we are told that this woman never meant to hurt anyone with her words. As well, that it was never her place to say those words that may have hurt. These words shown on this girl like “A vulgar grimace in the Flesh” making her ugly to all who saw her (l. 7).

In the last stanza we are told how we should react to such behavior. We are told to brush it off and not let it show that we are hurt, “To Ache is human-not polite-“, and that mortality is as sure as the tears in our eyes (l. 9). The last two lines of the poem, “Mortality’s old Custom-/Just locking up-to Die”, tells us that although it is our instinct to run away and hide from our problems, doing so will only slowly kill us (ll. 11-12). Rather, we should brave the world that may intentionally, or unintentionally, hurt us, and that surviving anything the world throws at us will only make us stronger.

Dickinson, Emily “[She dealt her pretty words like Blades]”. The Norton Introduction To Literature. 10^th ed. Ed. Alison Booth and Kelly J. Mays. New York: Norton, 2010. 1164. Print

Journal 14 - [l(a)[

In E. E. Cummings’ poem, [l(a)], Cummings chooses to inflict an emotion in the reader. In his poem of nine lines, yet only four words, he does an exceptional job. The physical structure actually resembles what the words are saying.

                The whole poem tells us that the speaker is lonely and is watching a leaf fall from a tree. The loneliness that the speaker is feeling is what has drawn him to nature, trying to find anything to satisfy his loneliness with companionship. The speaker looks around him and watches a leaf fall from a tree.

                Many people would say that this poem represents that the reader’s lonliness was only worsened by watching this one leaf fall, but I disagree. I believe that Cummings was trying to tell us that looking at nature can bring us out of our loneliness, perhaps even help us realize that we are not the only thing in the world that matters. When a person is lonely, we can find companionship in our neighborhoods or even in our pets. But when a leaf falls from a tree, drifting alone on the wind, it is separated forever from it’s home, it’s life.

When we are separated from others we do not wither and die as leaves do, but can live and end our loneliness later. But the leaf that fell, it will die alone on the ground without a chance for survival. We can be strong in loneliness and by realizing that there are other things worse off than ourselves often helps us be even stronger.

Cummings, E. E.“[l(a)]”. The Norton Introduction To Literature. 10^th ed. Ed. Alison Booth and Kelly J. Mays. New York: Norton, 2010. 1035-1036. Print

Journal 13 - Sir Patrick Spens

The poem “Sir Patrick Spens” was written by an unknown author in the 13^th century who knew what he was doing. While reading this poem your mind wanders to the place where you first read “Beowulf” or “The Epic of Gilgamesh” because this poem isn’t an ode, or a lymric, but it’s an entire story, in just a page and a half. This poem gives you a feeling that you are getting the whole story, not just bits and pieces like other poems can tend to do.

                At the beginning of the poem the king is speaking to one of his knights asking him, “O whar will I get guid sailor, to sail this ship of mine?” (Sir Patrick Spens, 1035, ll. 3-4). This knight tells the king that Sir Patrick Spens is the best sailor he can think of. The king then writes a letter to Spens telling him that he has been chosen to sail the king’s ship. Sir Patrick Spens is upset with this, “the next line that Sir Patrick read, The tear blinded his ee”, and asked himself, “O wha is this has done this deed, This il deed done to me”, for the seas were tormented with horrible weather (1035, ll. 15-18).

                Nevertheless, Sir Patrick makes the journey despite his own judgement, and takes with him the best crew he can manage. One of the crewmen is brave enough to tell Sir Patrick that he wishes not to take the journey because he fears a vengeful storm will bring them harm.  The rest of the crew rebels, saying that they do not wish to get their expensive shoes wet.

                The last few stanzas tell the story of the sailors deaths, how they drowned and “their hats they swam aboon (above them)” and the families they left behind to mourn for them (1036, l. 32).  The last stanza tells us where Sir Patrick lies, “It’s fifty fadom deep, And there lies guid Sir Patrick Spens/ Wi’ the Scots lords at his feet” (1036, ll. 42-44).

“Sir Patrick Spens”. The Norton Introduction To Literature. 10^th ed. Ed. Alison Booth and Kelly J. Mays. New York: Norton, 2010. 1035-1036. Print

Journal 15 - In The Kitchen

In the kitchen

They are opposites

The woman preferring to stick with a recipe

While the man wants to create something new.

She wants perfect order

He wants spontaneity.

When she cooks, she desires not to be disturbed.

He, such a trouble maker, wants to distract her all together.

Sometimes succeeding, other times slapped

Both man and woman know the outcome.

For in the bedroom they are one

One body, one breathe, one love

Four hands, four lips,

 A multitude of sweet nothings.

All of the woman’s rules are broken

All thoughts of inhibitions thrown to the wind.

The man is now careful, gentle, and hesitant

Knowing he must control every step of this journey.

Who knew that two people could change so much,

From the first room to the latter.

The hallway forming the only barrier

Between two people and one love.

Journal 21 - Bright Star

The movie “Bright Star” is a movie about the short life of John Keats, his poetry, and the love he shared with Fanny Braun. The casting director decided to go with a very tall actor to play John Keats, who in real life was only about 5’ 3” or so.  Other characters that were important in the movie were Mr. Brown who was Keats’ best friend, Fanny’s siblings, and Fanny’s mother.

                The beginning of the movie gives us background information about Keats and Brown. Keats is staying with Brown because his published poetry is not selling and he cannot afford to rent his own place. Keats was a doctor but he gave up that life to pursue a life of creativity and poetry. We also discover that Keats is the primary caregiver to his eighteen year old brother who is slowly dying of tuberculosis. Fanny, who comes from a well off family, takes interest in Keats and begins finding excuses to spend time with him.

                After taking poetry lessons, visiting Keats’ brother, and spending Christmas night with Keats, Fanny and Keats cannot help but fall in love. The love that these two share continues to grow even after Mrs. Braun and Mr. Brown have expressed their concerns. When Keats’ plans his leave he does not tell Fanny at first. Fanny believes that Keats is untrustworthy because of his secrets. This is where their relationship goes through it’s first test. Throughout the summer Keats and Fanny write to each other and their relationship flourishes, until Fanny believes that short letters mean a short lived fairy tale.

                When Keats returns their love is almost instantly rekindled and Keats gives Fanny a “friendship” ring which later becomes an official engagement ring. This does not happen until the winter after Keats’ return when his own tuberculosis starts showing symptoms. Throughout the battle with the illness, Keats and Fanny only grow deeper in love and Keats wrote the best poetry he had ever written. When Keats died Fanny would read his poems, the poems he wrote for her, especially “Bright Star”.