Shantayh BLOG

THE BODY

-“purgatoried their torsos night after night”

-”waving genitals and manu-scripts”

-”who let themselves be fucked in the ass by saintly motorcyclists”

-”fifty more shocks will never return your soul to its body”

-”who burned cigarette holes in their arms protesting narcotic tabacco haze of Capitalism”

In the poem it appears that the body is only referred to for the use of either pain or pleasure. Although these are suppose to be opposite emotions, in this poem they are both portrayed in disturbing indicent ways. When the body does experience pleasure for example while ejaculating it is done “in rose gardens and the grass of public parks and cemeteries…” I think Ginsburg wants to show the carelessness some people actually have for there bodies and how the end result will be death. Although pain and pleasure are suppose to be opposites i think they meet eachother half way sometimes depending on the situation and the way they are prtrayed in the poem shows this. The title alone can be an example of this. A person can “howl” while experiencing both pain and pleasure.

Loyalty means alot in “A view from the bridge.” Eddie believes strongly in loyalty and strongly dislikes people who are not loyal. When he is betrayed by Marco and Rodolpho Eddie still has the nerve to be mad at them for not helping him even though he had had previously betrayed them. How can someone with so much pride and seld loyalty feel as Eddie did at that moment? I think those two conditions are contradicting each other.

Having loyalty in the blue collar community is very important. I think it creates that system of “its not what you know but who you know.” You can get far in your career just by being friendly and loyal to another worker. If that person is promaoted they might take you with them or on the worse case fire you for previous disloyalies to them. It is a gamble and it is better to be safe then sorry.

During the 1950′s loyalty was also very important due to the Red Scare. Communism was trying to spread across Ameroica so loyalty to ones country became a primary.

I liked liked short story “Hills Like white elephants” better than “Indian Camp.” I like the emotion in “Hill like white elephants.” I think it is some what like a mystery because you are not fully aware of what the american and his campaion, Jig, are talking about. You know that Jig is getting some kind operation but it is never stated what kind of operation. There whole conversation is just back and forth about an operation but its never stated what it was. I found this interesting because it allows the readers imagination to run wild. All you are fully aware of is the fact that whatever operation Jig is getting it is suppose to make them happy. Which poses many questions like why does she need an operation? Why will it make them happy? Would not getting the operation cause them to be unhappy and dislaike eachother? Are they a married couple? These are all question that make the short story interesting because I can make up my own answers to them.  

TELL THE TRUTH BUT TELL IT SLANT

Success in Curcuit lies

-the people who accomplish success only do so by lying. No one wants to hear the truth so this is why it remains a curcuit

Too bright for our infirm Delight

-the truth is unbearable. We are happy the way we are so why change anything

The Truth’s superb surprise

-Society would be shocked by the truth. It would catch everyone off guard because they never hear it. The might even believe that the lies they hear are the truth and thats all they know

As Lightning to the Chidren ease

-Children are the one people who actually are aware of the truth. The burden of carrying the truth around is becoming lighter because people are becoming more aware of what is true and what is a lie.

With explanation kind

-It is necessary for the truth to be explained or it will not be fully understood.

The truth must dazzle gradually

-Everything must come to the light but slowly. It might be to much to handle if everyone is informed about some much information at one time. The truth will be presented slowly but surely

Or every man be blind

-If the truth does not come out everyone will be living a life of lies that they are unaware they are living because they have no conscious of what truth really is

What I liked about the assignment.

1. I liked that we were able to see the other images that other classmates chose. I think it easier for ne to chose an image.
2.  I also liked reading peoples interpretations of the same section of the poem as mine and comparing our views on the same phrase

What I didnt like about the assignment.

1. I think everything was set up nice. The direction were very easy to follow and understand. The only complaint that I have is that my image did not appear on my page and im not sure if I did something wrong.

What new things did I learn?

1. I learned that there is no one interpretation of poetry. Alot of poeple that chose the same line or phrase from the poem thought differently about it. I think with poetry there is no right or worng answer and this project helped me realize that.

Changes or addition

1. I dont think the assignment should be changed in any way. It was simple and a good way to understand the poem better with the help of fellow classmates

The phrase that I chose from Walt Whitmans’s “Song of Myself” is “I loafe and invite my soul”

The image I chose depicts a young nude woman relaxing with the bottom half of her body connected as one with a body of water. I think this connects with the line i chose because the woman appears to be care free and connected with herself and nature. When i think of the word “loafe” the first thing that comes to my mind is a person with no worries and that is the immpression i get from the women in the image i chose. This section of the poem appears to be about a persons connection with the out doors/ nature and the women in the image is connecting with the water.

I chose this phrase and image because sometimes I think people worry to much and work to hard. The thought of being a loafer is percieved as being a bad thing I think its exactly what some people need to do. I think it can relieve stress and when people are stressed they loose thereselves. When Whitman says “invite my soul” i think it relates to a person who obviously has lost it or never had one. And i think the image I chose is someone reconnecting with thereselves and nature for the first time.

Almost all of the pieces present in the Armory show where modern. They actually appear to be ahead of their time. Many of the pieces where highly criticized simply because of the time period they were painted or sculted in. For example, Abastenia St. Eberle’s sculpture White Slave in Gallery A is a beautiful depiction of the behavior of a fallen women but was criticized. In todays society I think such art would be get more praise because we are more open minded to the reality of such things as prostitution.

Many of the pieces seem to have deeper meanings than what is odvious just by looking over them witha quick glance. In my opinion Silence in Gallery J appears to be more than a person trying to keep quiet. The figure (man or woman) looks very sad in the eyes. Maybe they are not trying to be quiet but keeping an unbareable secret. It is this mysterious appearance that I think makes this piece modern.

I think the best painting of them all was Robert Henri’s Figure in Motion in Gallery N. It is more than just a nude woman. It is the way that she stands with confidence that makes the paints modern. She does not appear to be shaken by being nude but bold.

I liked the Armory show i think the mater pices present all resemble paintings and sculpures artist are making now. If the show was to be put on agin today with the same painting it would be impossible to tell that these painting are over 90 years old. They are still unique to the modern eye and I think thats a huge part of great art.

This excerpt is seen through the narrators eyes. I know this perspective belongs to the narrator because he is explaining what is going on with Carrie and Hurstwood. The narrators voice is describing the characters and some actions. He also describes how the character feels and gives his own opinions on things. He appears to be a wise and intelligent man. He seems to know alot about life and its trial and tribulations. His opinions on the characters and their actions give me the impression that he is some one close to them. I think his role in this excerpt was to help the reader understand how Carrie was feeling and why she was feeling that way.

I think that the differences I vs. tired and I vs. crowd pose a problem for Whitman because they are restricting him from connecting with everyone and everything, nature. Im not sure he appreciates the journey until he is able to connect with everyone which he does at the end. He begins to see that they are all seperate pieces made up of one whole and connections with other generartions in his position. I think Whitman becomes one with the crowd and nature. In my opinion this transition allowed him to become more relaxed and see more clearly

When Emerson says “Colleges and books only copy the language which the field and the work-yard made” I think he means that college and books just mimic things. They just teach you things that other people have already thought of. They dont teach you how to think for yourself or in Emersons words it isnt “Man Thinking.” Books are simply just written “by men of talent” it doesnt necessary mean that that person is right and that you should study their views. That is why he thinks that poeple must be creative thinkers not just take in what they read as the truth. You must see behind the lines and actually get something from what you read and maybe even question it or create your own theories from it.