I think self-reflection is important, but not exactly necessary. It is good to look back on your accomplishments, or failures, and think about what you've done. You can learn a lot from your mistakes. You could reflect back on that car you bought ten years ago that ran really badly, and now that you're thinking of buying a new car, you know what not to buy. Once again, that example is really ridiculous, but it is also good advice. Self-reflection could help you go a long way in life down a path of success. I think it could also make you more wise. I also think self-reflection is something that people should do maybe once they get out of high school. They could reflect back on their experiences and laugh about the memories. Or at least that's what I would do. I think it is important to reflect back on all of the important aspects of your life because not only do you learn from them, it will also help you to never forget them.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Journal #20
This blog is about the importance of self-reflection and taking a break from society. I am going to discuss taking a break from society first. I think that it is probably good for you to take a break from society once in a while. I think if a person spends too much time in society, they start to subconsciously conform to what others want, and I do not like that. Taking a break from society is like refreshing your mind. I think you become more independent and more like your true self. You could go camping in the woods to get away from society. You could build a tree house in the giant oak tree in your front yard that you think is s beautiful, and you wish you could be one with the tree because the tree is not influenced by society. That example was a little ridiculous, but I would do it.
Journal #19
I do not really like the idea of having a Utopian United States. I am okay with United States the way it is now. I mean, a few things could change, but they would probably be really small things like saving the homeless or having less homework in school. I am going to describe MY ideal United States, not the ideal United States or everybody else because I think that would be more fun for me so there could actually be a possibility for me liking this blog.
In my ideal United States, there would be no poverty! I do not know how I would pull that off. I don't mean like a socialist government. I mean homeless people can get off the streets, and people that are having trouble with money can feel financially secure! People who make an obnoxious amount of money would continue to make there current salary, though.
I would also force every Taco Bell to undergo a health check every week. Yesterday Brandon opened up his potato taco from Taco Bell and there was a dead ant in it. I am now extremely afraid of eating at Taco Bell. So yeah, health checks to make sure there are no more ants because that's disgusting.
In my ideal United States, everyone would obey four way stop signs.
In my ideal United States, bluray movies wouldn't cost thirty dollars.
In my ideal United States, the economy would be ten times better than it is right now, and our relations with other countries would improve, and we would magically keep out all of the terrorists, or as Obama says, "Religious extremists" or something really dumb like that.
In my ideal United States, there would be a park in every city or town.
In my ideal United States, when someone ran for a political position, they wouldn't create stupid commercials that put down the other candidates that play on tv every single minute.
In my ideal United States, all WalMarts would become classier.
That's pretty much all I can think of.
In my ideal United States, there would be no poverty! I do not know how I would pull that off. I don't mean like a socialist government. I mean homeless people can get off the streets, and people that are having trouble with money can feel financially secure! People who make an obnoxious amount of money would continue to make there current salary, though.
I would also force every Taco Bell to undergo a health check every week. Yesterday Brandon opened up his potato taco from Taco Bell and there was a dead ant in it. I am now extremely afraid of eating at Taco Bell. So yeah, health checks to make sure there are no more ants because that's disgusting.
In my ideal United States, everyone would obey four way stop signs.
In my ideal United States, bluray movies wouldn't cost thirty dollars.
In my ideal United States, the economy would be ten times better than it is right now, and our relations with other countries would improve, and we would magically keep out all of the terrorists, or as Obama says, "Religious extremists" or something really dumb like that.
In my ideal United States, there would be a park in every city or town.
In my ideal United States, when someone ran for a political position, they wouldn't create stupid commercials that put down the other candidates that play on tv every single minute.
In my ideal United States, all WalMarts would become classier.
That's pretty much all I can think of.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
The Last Leaf by Oliver Wendall Holmes
The poem is very easy to understand literally. It is written in plain English with not a lot of big words or phrases. Basically, the poem is talking about a very old man. He passes by the door of the narrator twice while hobbling with his cane. When he was younger it is said that he used to be the best man in town. But now he just wanders the streets alone and seems to mourn about all of the people he used to know who are gone. The people that he loved have long since been buried. The narrator’s grandmother, who is dead, told him that long ago the man had a Roman nose and bright red cheeks. However, now he has a thin nose and a crack in his back and his voice cracks when he laughs. And the narrator knows that it is wrong to laugh at him but he can’t help himself because the way the old man dresses is so strange. The narrator ends by saying if he lives to be the last leaf upon the tree he will be fine if the youth laugh, as he is laughing now, at the silly branch that he clings to.
There are a few similes used in the poem. They say that his cheek used to be like a rose in the snow, and they say that his nose now sits on his face like a staff. The only other poetic device used is likening the old man to the last leaf on a tree because he is the last one left where many used to be, and they liken his style and mannerism and the way they are thought of as weird by the youth to the way an old bough on a tree looks strange when it has only one leaf left on it.
The hidden meaning is that the old man is like the last leaf hanging from the bough of a tree. All the other leaves that have fallen off already are the people that he loved who have already died and been buried. The bough is old and outdated and so to outside observers it looks strange, which means that the old man is old and outdated and those around him who see him think that his mannerisms and dress are strange, so they laugh at him.
There are a few similes used in the poem. They say that his cheek used to be like a rose in the snow, and they say that his nose now sits on his face like a staff. The only other poetic device used is likening the old man to the last leaf on a tree because he is the last one left where many used to be, and they liken his style and mannerism and the way they are thought of as weird by the youth to the way an old bough on a tree looks strange when it has only one leaf left on it.
The hidden meaning is that the old man is like the last leaf hanging from the bough of a tree. All the other leaves that have fallen off already are the people that he loved who have already died and been buried. The bough is old and outdated and so to outside observers it looks strange, which means that the old man is old and outdated and those around him who see him think that his mannerisms and dress are strange, so they laugh at him.
Journal #18
I really don't know how to write poetry, but here goes!
All around me leaves fall to the ground,
Falling softly, they don't make a sound.
I wish I could be just like a tree in fall,
Colorful, bold, and oh so tall.
The colors range from brown to red,
The leaves all dance above my head.
The leaves all fall dead by the end of the day,
I look forward to the new leaves sprouting next May.
All around me leaves fall to the ground,
Falling softly, they don't make a sound.
I wish I could be just like a tree in fall,
Colorful, bold, and oh so tall.
The colors range from brown to red,
The leaves all dance above my head.
The leaves all fall dead by the end of the day,
I look forward to the new leaves sprouting next May.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Thanatopsis Analysis
Literal Meaning:
Nature talks to nature lover and steals his/her thoughts
When you’re feeling sad, go into nature and follow it’s teachings
Nature will reach out to you
You will not die alone because nature will be with you
All people are buried in the same earth
Nature decorates the earth where people are buried.
The sun makes the earth jovial.
One person is only a small part of the population
Seclude yourself- the dead are also there.
If you withdraw from the living, you are with the dead
Everybody living will die at some point.
Life goes on after you die
Everybody will join the dead at some point.
When death comes, relax and accept it
Poetic Devices:
There are many poetic devices which are used in William Cullen Bryant's Thanatopsis, One that sticks out a lot to me is Imagery. There is a ton of imagery in this poem regarding the heavens, nature, and then a large portion about death. It wants you to think death as a peaceful thing and so it refers to beautiful things that surround us our whole life.
There are also metaphors within this poem. They are a little rare, but they do reside within the poem. Bryant compares the last thought of death to a bad omen over your soul in the first stanza for an example. Bryant uses metaphors to put forward an easier way to read, and a recurring thought of death with his metaphors within Thanatopsis.
I do believe that William Cullen Bryant uses a small amount of personification within his writing like when he mentions the valleys and the brook, he says they are respectable and they stretch in silence, which they cannot do.
Bryant uses many similes within this poem. It occurs many times throughout the poem like when he says,"the hills rock ribb'd and ancient like the sun," or, "When thoughts of the last bitter hour come like a blight over thy spirit."
There are also three stanzas within this poem as they all reflect it seems to be different stages of accepting your death.
Figural Meaning:
The meaning of Thanatopsis is very deep. It says that you should accept your death. You should not be afraid because whatever you did on earth is forgotten once you die; you are just another part of the earth like past kings or thieves. Nature will embrace you once you are dead no matter what you have done in your life. So live peacefully and do not think about death.
There are many poetic devices which are used in William Cullen Bryant's Thanatopsis, One that sticks out a lot to me is Imagery. There is a ton of imagery in this poem regarding the heavens, nature, and then a large portion about death. It wants you to think death as a peaceful thing and so it refers to beautiful things that surround us our whole life.
There are also metaphors within this poem. They are a little rare, but they do reside within the poem. Bryant compares the last thought of death to a bad omen over your soul in the first stanza for an example. Bryant uses metaphors to put forward an easier way to read, and a recurring thought of death with his metaphors within Thanatopsis.
I do believe that William Cullen Bryant uses a small amount of personification within his writing like when he mentions the valleys and the brook, he says they are respectable and they stretch in silence, which they cannot do.
Bryant uses many similes within this poem. It occurs many times throughout the poem like when he says,"the hills rock ribb'd and ancient like the sun," or, "When thoughts of the last bitter hour come like a blight over thy spirit."
There are also three stanzas within this poem as they all reflect it seems to be different stages of accepting your death.
Figural Meaning:
The meaning of Thanatopsis is very deep. It says that you should accept your death. You should not be afraid because whatever you did on earth is forgotten once you die; you are just another part of the earth like past kings or thieves. Nature will embrace you once you are dead no matter what you have done in your life. So live peacefully and do not think about death.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Journal #17
I do not think I have ever really bonded with nature. I have done things IN nature, like camping and stuff, but I have never done a rain dance or anything like that before. I have never run through the woods butt naked and worshiped a tree or something like that. I do not really know what to type now. I guess I will just talk about how much I loved being outside in nature when I was young. I am not going to make up a story about bonding with nature, my sick sinuses are distracting me too much, and they are blocking my creativity.
Anyway, when I was younger I loooved to go outside. I would go outside as often as possible. I do not know if that's because my family did not have cable or internet, or if it was because I just loved being outside. Well we had cable but we only had like twenty channels, and only one of them had cartoons, and those cartoons only played on Saturday mornings. And we did have internet, but it was dial up so we never used it. Anyway, I'd always be outside. I remember making a Teepee out of big sticks with my neighbor, Amie. It was an awesome teepee. It was real tall and stuff and we used leaves to make it more sheltered. I also used to love climbing tress. I would always climb the one in my front yard, then nestle myself in between these two huge branches with a book and start reading. I suppose that was inadvertently bonding with nature since I was in that tree for a long time. I would also hide out in this "secret" fort that was in between my house and my neighbor's house. I say "secret" because it really wasn't secret at all because it was extremely easy to see. I do not spend as much time outside as I used to. The only time I'm ever outside now is when I wash my car or when I go for walks. I have too many other things to do.
Anyway, when I was younger I loooved to go outside. I would go outside as often as possible. I do not know if that's because my family did not have cable or internet, or if it was because I just loved being outside. Well we had cable but we only had like twenty channels, and only one of them had cartoons, and those cartoons only played on Saturday mornings. And we did have internet, but it was dial up so we never used it. Anyway, I'd always be outside. I remember making a Teepee out of big sticks with my neighbor, Amie. It was an awesome teepee. It was real tall and stuff and we used leaves to make it more sheltered. I also used to love climbing tress. I would always climb the one in my front yard, then nestle myself in between these two huge branches with a book and start reading. I suppose that was inadvertently bonding with nature since I was in that tree for a long time. I would also hide out in this "secret" fort that was in between my house and my neighbor's house. I say "secret" because it really wasn't secret at all because it was extremely easy to see. I do not spend as much time outside as I used to. The only time I'm ever outside now is when I wash my car or when I go for walks. I have too many other things to do.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Journal #16
I am going to write about my favorite TV shows. I can't just talk about one TV show that I like because I like far too many. I'll try to narrow down all of them.
I think my mooost favorite has to be Top Gear. The only bad thing about Top Gear is that if it's a rerun, it's really boring. All of the episode are kind of "one and done" sort of dealios. Anyways. Top Gear is a British show about cars. It's not just about cars, though. They do a lot of ridiculous tests to test which car is best out of a certain group, and they also have different challenges that they have to complete, among other car related things like races and lap time. One of my favorite episodes is where they hollow out the inside of a sedan and turn it into a living room. They put down concrete to even out the floor, then they put in little floor boards. They gave it a WORKING chimney and bookshelves. They even fit a wingback chair in there. They then proceeded to see how fast they could drive it, while there was a fire in the fireplace. There are a lot of other silly episodes, but that's a good one.
I also really like the show House. I really enjoy Hugh Laurey, if that's how you spell his name. I already forgot. My mom doesn't like it because it can get a little graphic at times. I am interested in medical things though so I like watching it. I don't understand a single medical thing they say, but I like it.
The last show I am going to mention is Courage the Cowardly Dog. I loved that show as a child, and I will continue to love it forever. It used to scare me so bad when I was little, but I'd watch it anyway. Now that I'm older I just enjoy watching the really odd art style that whoever created the show uses. The creatures are delightfully odd.
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