Dualism of Mind and Body notes:
"distant fingers caressing the deck, tears of release streaking his face" (52). shows he is praising escape from the flesh, contempt for flesh
"he began to feel the passivity of the situation irritating." (55), showing he even hates simstim, he wants to be in the matrix with his own thoughts (mind).
“her body language was disorienting, her style foreign… she slid a hand into her jacket, a fingertip circling a nipple under warm silk. The sensation made him catch his breath,” (56). Even though Case is in Simstim, he feels bodily pleasures.
“the recoil almost broke his wrist. The muzzle-flash lit the office like a flashbulb. With his ears ringing, he started at the jagged hole in the front of the desk.” (119) this is when Case flatlines but his mind still functions with the use of his senses.
“He’d cry for it, cry in his sleep, and wake alone in the dark, curled in his capsule in some coffin hotel, his hands clawed into the bed slab, temperfoam bunched between his fingers, trying to reach the console that wasn’t there” (5), suggesting Case wants to be in cyberspace, he wants to escape flesh. could also be why he uses drugs?
"He’d go straight to the deck, not bothering to dress, and jack in. He was cutting it. He was working. He lost track of days,” (59). Case denies his body for cyberspace
‘I saw th’ screen, EEG readin’ dead. Nothin’ movin’, forty second,’ (121). Case was dead, but still experiencing hallucination.
"deranged experiment in social Darwinism, designed by a bored researcher who kept one thumb permanently on the fast-forward button." Shows how humans are evolutionarily significant, and maybe how the body is designed as near-perfect for humans.
Night City was not there for its "inhabitants, but as a deliberately unsupervised playground for technology itself." (11) Shows power of the mind, and the realm of possibility there.
Overall, I think Gibson argues over the mind being more important than the flesh, but places emphasis on the mind requiring the body in order to function at optimum levels. Gibson uses the five sense throughout Neuromancer to convey a point about the power of the mind -- sometimes he even uses two senses (suggesting a bit of synesthesia, a mental phenomenon in which the stimulation of one sense automatically stimulates another sense) to show the brilliance of the mind.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Monday, May 4, 2009
I do not have a soft spot (or any) for science fiction, but one quality I admire is prophetic narrations and seemingly 'apocalyptic' type books such as Neuromancer. Starting in Japan, one of the technologically advanced countries of today, the "sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel." William Gibson does not mention any color, but from today we know that the static in television sets is gray, or some shade of darkness. Throughout the Chapter One William Gibson refers to dark figures in dark places, with dark dialogue. The "black clinics" of Chiba and the corners that Case had "cut in Night City," the "East European steel and brown decay" of Ratz and the unknown areas of "the Sprawl" all add to the ambiguity of the novel. A tone of desperation is noted in Case. If you have ever seen movies such as The Matrix, Fight Club, or other dark movies (maybe even the new Batman with Joker), these are the images that Gibson integrates to his writing -- life seems very hopeless and alone in dystopic settings, as if people have accepted the fact of an end of the world through corruption, greed aided by technology.
Night City was like a "deranged experiment in social Darwinism, designed by a bored researcher who kept one thumb permanently on the fast-forward button." Survival of the fittest implies a very rugged future society, and very 'hard' and harsh dialogues as Gibson capitalizes on. He spends an equal amount of time with dialogue and description, but all the dialogues are curt and all the descriptions are very polluted and shady, like a pall overcast each individual character and dialogue. Gibson goes on to use very creature-like words such as Night city being there not for its "inhabitants, but as a deliberately unsupervised playground for technology itself." Inhabitants and playground both suggest primitive and animalistic portrayals of humans. "Darwinism" and evolution may link these ideas together as well.
As said before, I like novels that are eerily prophetic in the way they are told. Neuromancer was written in 1984 -- far before iPods, the internet, even an idea of cyberspace, or this laptop was capable of being dreamt. The brilliance of this novel is the entire other world that Gibson was able to create before his time (much like Gary Snyder being the proto-hippie of his time). I guess Gibson is the proto-cyberpunk of his time. I don't know how accurate his predictions were, but just the idea that this man thought of an entire other virtual world also adds to the depth of darkness in Neuromancer. He uses exceptional texture and vision to --possibly--accurately foreshadow human civilization, and how so much advancement may push them to lose control of their own destination. There is some dark lurking truth to Neuromancer that I refuse to believe, but can't help and think is true:
"Stop hustling and you sank without a trace, but move a little too swiftly and you'd break the fragile surface tension of the black market; either way, you were gone, with nothing left of you but some vague memory in the mind of a fixture."
Night City was like a "deranged experiment in social Darwinism, designed by a bored researcher who kept one thumb permanently on the fast-forward button." Survival of the fittest implies a very rugged future society, and very 'hard' and harsh dialogues as Gibson capitalizes on. He spends an equal amount of time with dialogue and description, but all the dialogues are curt and all the descriptions are very polluted and shady, like a pall overcast each individual character and dialogue. Gibson goes on to use very creature-like words such as Night city being there not for its "inhabitants, but as a deliberately unsupervised playground for technology itself." Inhabitants and playground both suggest primitive and animalistic portrayals of humans. "Darwinism" and evolution may link these ideas together as well.
As said before, I like novels that are eerily prophetic in the way they are told. Neuromancer was written in 1984 -- far before iPods, the internet, even an idea of cyberspace, or this laptop was capable of being dreamt. The brilliance of this novel is the entire other world that Gibson was able to create before his time (much like Gary Snyder being the proto-hippie of his time). I guess Gibson is the proto-cyberpunk of his time. I don't know how accurate his predictions were, but just the idea that this man thought of an entire other virtual world also adds to the depth of darkness in Neuromancer. He uses exceptional texture and vision to --possibly--accurately foreshadow human civilization, and how so much advancement may push them to lose control of their own destination. There is some dark lurking truth to Neuromancer that I refuse to believe, but can't help and think is true:
"Stop hustling and you sank without a trace, but move a little too swiftly and you'd break the fragile surface tension of the black market; either way, you were gone, with nothing left of you but some vague memory in the mind of a fixture."
Monday, April 27, 2009
Gender roles in American society are very distinct. Perceived behavioral ‘norms’ associated with males and females and attitudes and behaviors classifying a person’s stereotypical identity are evident (i.e. men go out to work to earn money, women stay at home to cook and clean). Adhering to these rigid roles is different. Pushing fine lines between maleness and femaleness are becoming more evident in America in the 21st century. Adrienne Rich's "Diving Into The Wreck" and William Wordsworth's "Nuns Fret Not At Their Convent's Narrow Room" both discuss recurring issues of gender roles in society, and contain points of agreement and disagreement as to what traditional 'gender roles' in society are.
Wordsworth's "Nuns Fret Not At Their Convent's Narrow Room" is written in Italian sonnet form, or Petrarchal. The general idea of Wordsworth’s poem says that too much freedom frustrates people because there are too many possibilities at the reach of an individual. In his case, he obtains writer's block when beginning to write because he does not know where to start. To cope, Wordsworth says in his poem he prefers to be “bound within the Sonnet’s scanty plot of ground” when writing, meaning he prefers structure and form to organize his ideas as an author. In perspective of gender roles, he indirectly (or interpretively, as I like to put it) says that women and men should stick within their gender roles with little flexibility. Staying within boundaries could be beneficial and more productive thus. One then questions oneself: Has one ever felt the weight of too much liberty? Perhaps an expectation to live up to gender roles helps Americans define their place in society and help them adjust to their ‘natural’ lifestyle. What happens when people fail to fit in with their God-given roles? Sometimes people may not be as happy as the nuns or hermits contented with their lifestyle. Adrienne Rich offers an opposing view in “Diving Into The Wreck.” The poem shows her journey as a girl transitioning into a feminist idealist. The general idea shows a young woman growing up, having to take a ‘dive’ into the ‘wreck’ of society – society being very corrupted, perverse, wrecked – as opposed to being continually naïve. Using symbolic imagery and spatiality, Rich conveys images that go from being on the surface of the water unto the dark depths of the ocean, ultimately emerging as a “mermaid whose dark hair streams black” and a “merman in his armored body.” In essence, she is saying she has emerged as a strong feminist mixed with the best qualities (whatever they may be) of males and females. In contrast with Wordsworth’s “Nuns Fret Not” poem, Rich’s “Diving” poem stretches the boundaries of constraints and promotes a free-thinking mentality. Rich challenges Wordsworth’s ideals on basic gender roles and uses the mermaids to signify that she is better off with the best attributes of men and women. Her proposal is for a little bit more androgynous rather than definite gender roles, and this serves to be better and more realistic.
William Wordsworth writes his poem in strict 14-line sonnet rhymed iambic pentameter, whereas Adrienne Rich writes in free-flow. Wordsworth’s style of writing adds to his message of liberty within constraint. His poem was written in 1806 and reflects the thinking of that era of English Romanticism. Also note the title of the poem and its reference to a woman figure – “Nuns Fret Not At Their Convent’s Narrow Room.” He titles and begins the poem referring to a very obedient and ‘comfortable-in-their-own-convent’ figure to begin the message of staying within gender roles. Also, a reference to “maids at the wheel” implies women working at some sort of wheel (assumingly a spinning wheel because later Wordsworth follows the line with a “weaver working at his loom”). The Weaver is the man working at the machinery, and the maid is the woman working at her spinning wheel – both very distinct roles of traditional homes even in America up to the mid 20th century. Yet, both are happy with their positions. Adrienne Rich writes her poem in a free-flowing manner that transitions from ideas to the next, and contains an element of time, or progression, within her writing. She talks about a journey and uses descriptive imagery while submerging to show her slow descend into the wreck – very different to how Wordsworth describes his poetry. Adrienne Rich says she “goes down rung after rung and still the oxygen immerses me” to show her transition, then goes on to say “I go down. My flippers cripple me, I crawl like an insect down the ladder” to show that her transition is progressive and slow. Among her line breaks and vivid word choices in "Diving Into The Wreck," Rich pays particular attention on creating a struggling journey in her poem, showing a gradual realization that she has to dive into the wreck to come out as a better individual. Her message of gradual change and writing style is reflective of perspectives of gender roles, especially of women. In the 20th century, women’s rights took storm in America and Adrienne was part of a women’s movement. Her writing style is free and without boundaries, much as how she feels about gender roles in society – a woman should be able to do just as much as a man can. But she is realistic too: the journey to that equality will be long and tedious.
Both Wordsworth and Rich were ahead of their time when writing these poems. To some degree, Wordsworth and Rich’s poems are applicable to the 21st century styles of thinking in the United States, thus I thought of their poems both very relative – a “theory of relativity” if you will. Given the economic recession, both genders are experiencing a shift in social roles as both men and women are losing more jobs. Wordsworth and Rich could be commenting on possibilities and the “what ifs” of today. Freedom to roam far from home and go out to work has been possible with human transportation and inventions, yet despite these advances the economy may restrict mobility (fathers have to stay at home, or work closer to home than far away or overseas, or women may have to go out to find jobs also). Men and women are transitioning from far-away jobs to home, and from domesticity to the work force. Perhaps Wordsworth argues a potential return to our natural planted ground and finding delight in that (natural planted ground being the ‘normal’ assumed gender roles). Yet, on the other hand, supporter of Rich’s poem calls to feminists who interpret this statement as an attempt to stifle them into homes, and maybe see this economic downturn as an even-more vital opportunity to speak out. Reacquainting or Resisting, there is very little hard evidence to say which one prevails over the other.
Wordsworth's "Nuns Fret Not At Their Convent's Narrow Room" is written in Italian sonnet form, or Petrarchal. The general idea of Wordsworth’s poem says that too much freedom frustrates people because there are too many possibilities at the reach of an individual. In his case, he obtains writer's block when beginning to write because he does not know where to start. To cope, Wordsworth says in his poem he prefers to be “bound within the Sonnet’s scanty plot of ground” when writing, meaning he prefers structure and form to organize his ideas as an author. In perspective of gender roles, he indirectly (or interpretively, as I like to put it) says that women and men should stick within their gender roles with little flexibility. Staying within boundaries could be beneficial and more productive thus. One then questions oneself: Has one ever felt the weight of too much liberty? Perhaps an expectation to live up to gender roles helps Americans define their place in society and help them adjust to their ‘natural’ lifestyle. What happens when people fail to fit in with their God-given roles? Sometimes people may not be as happy as the nuns or hermits contented with their lifestyle. Adrienne Rich offers an opposing view in “Diving Into The Wreck.” The poem shows her journey as a girl transitioning into a feminist idealist. The general idea shows a young woman growing up, having to take a ‘dive’ into the ‘wreck’ of society – society being very corrupted, perverse, wrecked – as opposed to being continually naïve. Using symbolic imagery and spatiality, Rich conveys images that go from being on the surface of the water unto the dark depths of the ocean, ultimately emerging as a “mermaid whose dark hair streams black” and a “merman in his armored body.” In essence, she is saying she has emerged as a strong feminist mixed with the best qualities (whatever they may be) of males and females. In contrast with Wordsworth’s “Nuns Fret Not” poem, Rich’s “Diving” poem stretches the boundaries of constraints and promotes a free-thinking mentality. Rich challenges Wordsworth’s ideals on basic gender roles and uses the mermaids to signify that she is better off with the best attributes of men and women. Her proposal is for a little bit more androgynous rather than definite gender roles, and this serves to be better and more realistic.
William Wordsworth writes his poem in strict 14-line sonnet rhymed iambic pentameter, whereas Adrienne Rich writes in free-flow. Wordsworth’s style of writing adds to his message of liberty within constraint. His poem was written in 1806 and reflects the thinking of that era of English Romanticism. Also note the title of the poem and its reference to a woman figure – “Nuns Fret Not At Their Convent’s Narrow Room.” He titles and begins the poem referring to a very obedient and ‘comfortable-in-their-own-convent’ figure to begin the message of staying within gender roles. Also, a reference to “maids at the wheel” implies women working at some sort of wheel (assumingly a spinning wheel because later Wordsworth follows the line with a “weaver working at his loom”). The Weaver is the man working at the machinery, and the maid is the woman working at her spinning wheel – both very distinct roles of traditional homes even in America up to the mid 20th century. Yet, both are happy with their positions. Adrienne Rich writes her poem in a free-flowing manner that transitions from ideas to the next, and contains an element of time, or progression, within her writing. She talks about a journey and uses descriptive imagery while submerging to show her slow descend into the wreck – very different to how Wordsworth describes his poetry. Adrienne Rich says she “goes down rung after rung and still the oxygen immerses me” to show her transition, then goes on to say “I go down. My flippers cripple me, I crawl like an insect down the ladder” to show that her transition is progressive and slow. Among her line breaks and vivid word choices in "Diving Into The Wreck," Rich pays particular attention on creating a struggling journey in her poem, showing a gradual realization that she has to dive into the wreck to come out as a better individual. Her message of gradual change and writing style is reflective of perspectives of gender roles, especially of women. In the 20th century, women’s rights took storm in America and Adrienne was part of a women’s movement. Her writing style is free and without boundaries, much as how she feels about gender roles in society – a woman should be able to do just as much as a man can. But she is realistic too: the journey to that equality will be long and tedious.
Both Wordsworth and Rich were ahead of their time when writing these poems. To some degree, Wordsworth and Rich’s poems are applicable to the 21st century styles of thinking in the United States, thus I thought of their poems both very relative – a “theory of relativity” if you will. Given the economic recession, both genders are experiencing a shift in social roles as both men and women are losing more jobs. Wordsworth and Rich could be commenting on possibilities and the “what ifs” of today. Freedom to roam far from home and go out to work has been possible with human transportation and inventions, yet despite these advances the economy may restrict mobility (fathers have to stay at home, or work closer to home than far away or overseas, or women may have to go out to find jobs also). Men and women are transitioning from far-away jobs to home, and from domesticity to the work force. Perhaps Wordsworth argues a potential return to our natural planted ground and finding delight in that (natural planted ground being the ‘normal’ assumed gender roles). Yet, on the other hand, supporter of Rich’s poem calls to feminists who interpret this statement as an attempt to stifle them into homes, and maybe see this economic downturn as an even-more vital opportunity to speak out. Reacquainting or Resisting, there is very little hard evidence to say which one prevails over the other.
Monday, April 20, 2009
The Weight of Too Much Liberty?
Adrienne Rich's "Diving Into The Wreck" and William Wordsworth's "Nuns Fret Not At Their Convent's Narrow Room" both discuss recurring issues of gender roles in society, and contain points of agreement and disagreement as to what traditional 'gender roles' in society are. To define gender roles: perceived behavioral 'norms' associated with males and females; attitudes and behaviors that classify a person's stereotypical identity (i.e. men go out to work, women stay at home to cook/clean). Both of these poems challenge the limited roles of women and combat the stereotypical roles of men, but in different styles and with different arguments.
The General Ideas:
Wordworth's "Nuns Fret Not At Their Convent's Narrow Room" is written in a sonnet form. The general idea of the poem says that too much freedom could lead to frustration or in his case, writer's block. In perspective of gender roles, he could be saying that women and men should stick within their gender roles because there is a "freedom in limitation" -- that is, working within 'societal assigned' gender roles could be beneficial. One must ask him/herself: Has s/he ever felt the weight of too much liberty? Perhaps an expectation to live up to gender roles even, and what happens when people fail to do so?
Rich, on the other hand, uses symbolic imagery in "Diving Into The Wreck" to show her journey as a girl transitioning into a feminist idealist. The general idea shows a young woman growing up, having to take a 'dive' into the 'wreck' of society (society being very corrupt, very perverse and seen as a wreck) as opposed to continuation in her naive world. Spatially, Adrienne Rich conveys images that go from her on the surface of the water until she gets to the very dark depths, ultimately emerging as a "mermaid whose dark hair streams black" and a "merman in his armored body." Essentially, she is saying she has emerged as a strong feminist with both the qualities of males and females.
Now in contrast with Wordsworth's "Nuns Fret Not.." poem, Rich's "Diving.." poem stretches the boundaries of constraints and promotes liberty in thinking. Rich challenges Wordsworth's ideals on basic gender roles and says that she is better off with the best attributes of men and women, as noted by the mermaid. Then, her final idea is this: a little androgyny rather than definite gender roles may surpass as a bit more realistic, or maybe even better.
Writing Styles:
William Wordsworth writes his poem in a strict 14-line sonnet rhymed in iambic pentameter (?). The style of writing adds to his message of liberty within constraint. Also note the title of the poem and its reference to a female figure -- "Nuns Fret Not At Their Convent's Narrow Room." Also, a reference to maids is suggested too working on a wheel -- could be a spinning wheel, machine wheel, or a pottery wheel. However, he goes to mention that the weaver is working at his loom, suggesting a man working at a machine. Yet, they are both described as happy with their positions.
Adrienne Rich writes her poem in a free-flowing manner that flows from ideas to the next, and contains an element of time within her writing. She talks about a journey and uses descriptive imagery while submerging to show her slow descend into the wreck - much different than how Wordsworth describes his poetry. Among her line breaks in "Diving Into The Wreck," Rich pays particular attention on creating a struggling journey in her poem, showing a gradual realization that she has to dive into the wreck to come out as a better individual.
a "Theory of Relativity:"
--I'm not sure if we're allowed to stretch the meaning of poems this far, so I'm including this part as a tentative paragraph until I can get Andrew's permission. --
To some degree, Wordsworth and Rich's poems are applicable to the 21st century styles of thinking in the United States. Given the economic downturn, both sexes are experiencing a shift in social roles as both men and women are losing more jobs, and I feel that Wordsworth and Rich are also commenting on possibilities and the "what ifs" of today. Freedom to roam far from home and go out to work may be restricted, and men and women are going to have to make a transition from a far-away job from home to domesticity. Perhaps Wordsworth argues a potential return to our natural planted ground and finding delight in that (natural planted ground being the 'normal' assumed gender roles). Yet, on the other hand, supporter of Rich's poem calls to snide feminists who interpret this statement as a try to stifle them into homes, and perhaps interpret this as an even more vital opportunity to speak out. So, reacquaint or resist?
The General Ideas:
Wordworth's "Nuns Fret Not At Their Convent's Narrow Room" is written in a sonnet form. The general idea of the poem says that too much freedom could lead to frustration or in his case, writer's block. In perspective of gender roles, he could be saying that women and men should stick within their gender roles because there is a "freedom in limitation" -- that is, working within 'societal assigned' gender roles could be beneficial. One must ask him/herself: Has s/he ever felt the weight of too much liberty? Perhaps an expectation to live up to gender roles even, and what happens when people fail to do so?
Rich, on the other hand, uses symbolic imagery in "Diving Into The Wreck" to show her journey as a girl transitioning into a feminist idealist. The general idea shows a young woman growing up, having to take a 'dive' into the 'wreck' of society (society being very corrupt, very perverse and seen as a wreck) as opposed to continuation in her naive world. Spatially, Adrienne Rich conveys images that go from her on the surface of the water until she gets to the very dark depths, ultimately emerging as a "mermaid whose dark hair streams black" and a "merman in his armored body." Essentially, she is saying she has emerged as a strong feminist with both the qualities of males and females.
Now in contrast with Wordsworth's "Nuns Fret Not.." poem, Rich's "Diving.." poem stretches the boundaries of constraints and promotes liberty in thinking. Rich challenges Wordsworth's ideals on basic gender roles and says that she is better off with the best attributes of men and women, as noted by the mermaid. Then, her final idea is this: a little androgyny rather than definite gender roles may surpass as a bit more realistic, or maybe even better.
Writing Styles:
William Wordsworth writes his poem in a strict 14-line sonnet rhymed in iambic pentameter (?). The style of writing adds to his message of liberty within constraint. Also note the title of the poem and its reference to a female figure -- "Nuns Fret Not At Their Convent's Narrow Room." Also, a reference to maids is suggested too working on a wheel -- could be a spinning wheel, machine wheel, or a pottery wheel. However, he goes to mention that the weaver is working at his loom, suggesting a man working at a machine. Yet, they are both described as happy with their positions.
Adrienne Rich writes her poem in a free-flowing manner that flows from ideas to the next, and contains an element of time within her writing. She talks about a journey and uses descriptive imagery while submerging to show her slow descend into the wreck - much different than how Wordsworth describes his poetry. Among her line breaks in "Diving Into The Wreck," Rich pays particular attention on creating a struggling journey in her poem, showing a gradual realization that she has to dive into the wreck to come out as a better individual.
a "Theory of Relativity:"
--I'm not sure if we're allowed to stretch the meaning of poems this far, so I'm including this part as a tentative paragraph until I can get Andrew's permission. --
To some degree, Wordsworth and Rich's poems are applicable to the 21st century styles of thinking in the United States. Given the economic downturn, both sexes are experiencing a shift in social roles as both men and women are losing more jobs, and I feel that Wordsworth and Rich are also commenting on possibilities and the "what ifs" of today. Freedom to roam far from home and go out to work may be restricted, and men and women are going to have to make a transition from a far-away job from home to domesticity. Perhaps Wordsworth argues a potential return to our natural planted ground and finding delight in that (natural planted ground being the 'normal' assumed gender roles). Yet, on the other hand, supporter of Rich's poem calls to snide feminists who interpret this statement as a try to stifle them into homes, and perhaps interpret this as an even more vital opportunity to speak out. So, reacquaint or resist?
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Bruce Wayne, and my "Villain"elle
Part 1
The use of Bruce Wayne for “The Other Universe of Bruce Wayne” immediately makes the story relatable to readers – kind of like an attention-getting mechanism. As Batman, his known alias, people conjure up an image as to what batman is: villains’ worst nightmare, a symbol of justice, a dark figure, and coolness. Using a popular culture figure gives people an idea as to what they are going to read about, but present this from a different angle. The opening line in the story states how Bruce Wayne, in this poem, will be poor and unlucky in love.
The use of Bruce Wayne for “The Other Universe of Bruce Wayne” immediately makes the story relatable to readers – kind of like an attention-getting mechanism. As Batman, his known alias, people conjure up an image as to what batman is: villains’ worst nightmare, a symbol of justice, a dark figure, and coolness. Using a popular culture figure gives people an idea as to what they are going to read about, but present this from a different angle. The opening line in the story states how Bruce Wayne, in this poem, will be poor and unlucky in love.
These different angles challenge the reader to think of other aspects of Bruce Wayne’s life, as opposed to the superhero glamour that floods media today. Perhaps Bruce Wayne is actually very messed up and psychologically impaired as he seems in this story. The imagery is immense when he is shown alcoholic, lonely. When readers read about a hero they have thought to be cool, dark, mysterious and tough, hearing the ‘other universe’ of Bruce Wayne makes them realize that Bruce Wayne is even more relatable to people. He also has problems of his own – such as being dumped by a girlfriend, or not having his “sh-- together.”
When I first heard the poem title, the title seemed interesting because I like Batman, and I wanted to hear this author’s interpretation on a possible other universe where Batman exists. Apparently, the other universe is his internal human body, but the idea still sounded cool because it was about Batman. But the idea of a world without Batman was interesting. Bucky Sinister mentioned how a world without Batman has “no crime-fighting, no hot vigilante action, no pensive brooding on the rooftops of
Writing this poem in paragraphs (at first I thought this wasn’t a poem, just a short story) rather than stanzas and strophes allows me to be drawn into the story more. With strophe-poetry, sometimes analyzing the meaning takes longer to do because it is less direct. Also, poetry is highly interpretive and can be taken many different ways. Not to say a story can’t, but In this storylike-poem, automatically I am drawn to reading it because it’s not written in standard poetry form, and directly challenges the way I think about certain pop-culture figures -- the main character just happens to be a cinema-superhero. Or so I thought. The man is completely in the worst condition both physically and emotionally, and I can’t stop but question: why is he like this? Is he really always like this, just not when he goes out to fight crime? Is superhero-ism a way to escape from reality (as noted in the last couple of paragraphs)?
Lastly, who is “I” in the story? Who is Bruce Wayne talking to? A good friend? Or perhaps, maybe even a villain?
Part 2
So, I decided to take the idea of Bucky Sinister's "The Other Universe of Bruce Wayne" and write about a popular figure from the not-so-mainstream opinion:
But much of this world I’ve yet to see
From my currant eyes, thus I jumped to run,
Exploring the world -- you can’t catch me!
Though life I was given by daddy and mommy
And decorated nice, with cherries as buttons
But much of this world I’ve yet to see
From a distance afar, along comes piggy
And horsey, and cow, chasing the gingerbread son
Exploring the world – you can’t catch me!
No match for me, I celebrate, I’m free!
My rigorous competition has been outdone
But much of this world I’ve yet to see.
But, ho! The cunning fox in disagree
Why must he stop me, on my quest of fun?
Exploring the world – you can’t catch me.
To me, my life, no guarantee
From the day I popped out of that oven
But much of this world I’ve yet to see.
Exploring the world – you can’t catch me.
This is the real story of the gingerbread man. Not running away to escape here.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
I Dwell in Possibility
I took the poem "I Dwell in Possibility" by strophes to reach my conclusion of the "dashes."
For Occupation--This--
The spreading wide my narrow Hands
To gather Paradise--
Emily then takes in everything (The spreading wide my narrow Hands), and she mentions visitors that all come to see her in this imaginary world, her world of "possibility."
These em-dashes are reflective of Emily's meaning of the poem. Possibility is the theme of the poem, and here in the poem she is referring to her imaginative power in poetry to write differently. Of course, when a reader views this poem, he or she will notice the dashes placed in random spots. Near the end of a line where indenting the next line almost substitutes as a dash, Emily still includes one. Often, she breaks thought between lines also to dramatically emphasize how maybe the poem is read or felt. The picture is much more vivid, but the style of writing the poem introduces the possibilities of writing poetry -- it is not bound by period, commas, semicolons.
I dwell in Possibility--
A fairer House than Prose--
More numerous of Windows--
Superior--for Doors--
In this strophe I feel that Emily Dickinson is using the dashes to link together the idea of the "Possibilities." The dash almost serves as a list, or elaboration to the topic of possibilities. Usually in writing, people use commas to elaborate (or parenthesis, such as I am now) on an idea. Sometimes commas (in my opinion) can be replaced by dashes or parenthesis to still get the same desired effect. In this strophe, she is making a list of the possibilities and comparing those to a grand house as opposed to a "Prose" -- a boring, mundane life. Windows and doors are significant of possibilities as well, because they can be ajar, closed, walked through, seen through... etc. If I were to replace this with commas, the ideas would still link.
Of Chambers as the Cedars--
Impregnable of Eye--
And for an Everlasting Roof
The Gambrels of the Sky--
I had to look up "the Cedars" to get a better reference to this, and the internet came up with cedar being a nice kind of wood. I'll take the entire first line of this strophe as very lavish chambers. The sky is her limit, or the everlasting roof, and anything she imagines is greater what the eye can see. Again, adding to the possibilities. The dashes here all connect the ideas of her imagination being vivid and limitless.
For Occupation--This--
The spreading wide my narrow Hands
To gather Paradise--
Emily then takes in everything (The spreading wide my narrow Hands), and she mentions visitors that all come to see her in this imaginary world, her world of "possibility."
These em-dashes are reflective of Emily's meaning of the poem. Possibility is the theme of the poem, and here in the poem she is referring to her imaginative power in poetry to write differently. Of course, when a reader views this poem, he or she will notice the dashes placed in random spots. Near the end of a line where indenting the next line almost substitutes as a dash, Emily still includes one. Often, she breaks thought between lines also to dramatically emphasize how maybe the poem is read or felt. The picture is much more vivid, but the style of writing the poem introduces the possibilities of writing poetry -- it is not bound by period, commas, semicolons.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Submerge!
Adrienne Rich writes “Diving Into The Wreck” and parallels growing up and encountering real world to diving into a black, unknown oceanic world. Although the poem is significantly about (at least on the surface) diving into an ocean, I chose a set of pictures that symbolized my innocence and naivety and the transition towards what we call “the Real World.” Reflecting on baby pictures, I think, gives me insight as to how I was as a person compared to who I am now. Often I cannot think of myself as changing, nor can I see my day-to-day or month-to-month physical change, but seeing things from the third-person allows further insight. Whenever a third party insights on my life, there are certain things I can discover. Viewing past photographs allows me to be the third party, and these images mirrored what Rich was writing about in “Diving Into The Wreck.” 
“The Book of Myths,” “The Camera,” The “Knife-blade and Body Armor” “Grave and Awkward Mask” in the first paragraphs talk about a childhood experience. I recently heard from a suite-mate of mine that his mom lost both his jobs due to the school district canceling music and art programs. I was taken aback, because although logically science, math, English are more core components to American education, I don’t agree with striking down creativity realms that children enter through art and music. Childhood myths – we each create our own “Book of Myths” – are a magical part to most children. Children cherish what they learned about themselves or others as a youth, and hold on to these things as they enter “the Real World.” As a child, my brother and I would go on space adventures in our red wagon, create our own games (including Ace of Spades, where we threw cards at each other and if you were hit by the ace of spades you died). Unfortunately, we don’t spend as much time anymore because we are busy doing our own things, but I can appreciate the time we spent together. In the poem, Rich is prepared for the transition, but puts on a “mask” signifying that she is hesitant about moving on, cautious of the dangers, not fully mature or comfortable in revealing herself. Likewise, I believe many kids hide themselves from their surrounding, but slowly transitions by little steps. Adrienne mentions a ladder and says, “I go down” once, then “I go down” another to show gradual movement.
After Rich submerges in the ocean she mentions how the ocean is so big and how she is overwhelmed by possibilities. The vastness and newness of the ‘new life’ causes her to be confused, while she sees the more accustomed and older folk are wise in the real world. She says although she is overwhelmed, she won’t simply submerge into the new world she is in. Her reasoning is because she is looking for the wreck, but I interpreted it as everyone enters the world fulfilling their own purpose. However long a person takes to find his/her ‘purpose,’ s/he can then see the world in a new light. “The damage that was done” and the outcome which is “permanent” both affect people in the long-run. I feel like this transitional period was mostly in Jr. High and High school for me. I always aspired to be something greater than what I had been taught to know. Wasn’t for a while until I realized I really wanted to achieve my dreams. Not my high school dreams, but childhood dreams. Almost seems like we have these dreams as kids, but as we get older the harsher reality of the world tells us that achieving the goals are more difficult if not impossible. The process which one achieves his/her childhood dreams is the “wreck” of the poem, but whatever happens in the end, the steps we took to get there are “permanent.”
That leaves the end of the poem, where Adrienne Rich removes the mask and is finally comfortable in the giant ocean. The mermaids signify different things: the female with streaming dark hair similar that echoes the darkness when she first entered, and the male with an “armored body” which she first entered the ocean with. Yet, the tone at the end says that she has experienced everything, and has come out overall better, and more realized of the world. I can’t say I’ve reached that point yet, but the last picture I chose showed me in a
Here am I in Kindergarten, visiting
Here in high school, trying to achieve the most I could and
Summer Before College:
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