farewell..

With the year coming to a close very quickly, I feel the need to say goodbye.

Goodbye college essays and excessive homework, I will not miss you.

So long Mike Mussina and Greg Maddux, your contributions to the great game have been phenomenal.

Farewell Uncle Iggy, you'll be missed greatly.

 Soon I will be saying bye to high school, which is bitter sweet. But I have time to do so. It need not be done by the end of 2008, which is greatly appreciated. 

~kd.

yup, still writing that essay

It's a good thing I have ADD when I try to write essays. Think of all the things I wouldn't get done if it weren't for essays. My room wouldn't get cleaned, my drawers would be left unorganized, and my pencil case would be full of useless junk. Not to mention the sudden motivation I have to do every other bit of homework I have. Honestly, I should consider myself lucky.

-mmr.

ugly sweater parties.

There have been 3 Ugly Sweater Parties going on this weekend, one of which was cancelled due to the weather and other unfortunate circumstances. At first, when I heard about the second two, I was just like "what the heck, people need to be more original with their party themes." Turns out, white people like ugly sweater parties. 

I was just reading a post from Stuff White People Like.. and their most recent was "UGLY SWEATER PARTIES." I almost died. 

Since one was cancelled, it is rescheduled for lunch tomorrow at school. I will be making a cake.. and it's going to be awesome.

~kd.

essay much?

Over the past 3 days I have written 4 essays, and started another 2. As soon as those other two are done, I will be DONE with my college applications. I know it's kind of late to be getting them out, but they'll be done before the deadline and that's really all that matters at this point. 

Beyond those 6 essays, I have yet another to do for Lit. Thank god it's due by next Tuesday. I would've gotten it done, but I don't think it would be as well written now that I have a bit more time to work on it. That's really no excuse though, since we've had the assignment since November. Whatev, I'm not complaining.

And, I'm not going to lie. I'm kind of excited about this paper. I know that sounds stupid, but Nigel said that my subject matter and set up is "sophisticated," so it makes me feel good. I hope I do well. 

~kd.

Lost in Translation?

Apparently not so much.

 Milan Kundera states, "Do I mean that to judge a novel one can do without a knowledge of its original language? Indeed, I do mean exactly that!" We were talking in class not too long ago about how the meaning of novels, stories, anecdotes can get lost in translation, but this author feels otherwise. Kundera later asks, "Is it not their very natural mission to study works in the context of world literature? Not a chance... They make a great point of identifying with the small--national--context of whichever literature they teach." 

Does this mean we should read through the perspective of citizenry? I mean, are we supposed to read it as is we were part of the society that the story takes place? It might give us different insight of the novel, but it changes our own perspective of it. 

~kd. 

Air

I get a little down on myself
But when you come around
My whole world feels new


Ok. So that isn't some deep, meaningful quote from literature, but just some catchy lyrics of a song. But as I was listening to this song and thinking about Crime and Punishment (cause that's what I do...sit and contemplate Russian literature) I realized the whole idea of a "new world" was brought up a lot in C&P, especially towards the end. Raskolinkov ponders it a bit in the beginning, when he starts to break out of his isolation and interact with society again: "After a whole month of concentrated melancholy and gloomy excitement, he was so weary he wanted to take breath in some other world, no matter what kind, and even if only for a moment. In spite of all the dirt around him, it was actually with pleasure he lingered in the saloon." A new world, new air to breathe -- a change.

And when the effect of his crime, the anxiety, the illness, starts to weigh on him, Raskolinkov is tempted to just run. More than once, he is tempted by the prospect of "air". "Every man needs air, air, air! . . . More than anything!"

Now, I know that's not really a major theme of the book, but I couldn't help noticing the recurrence. Especially since I know the feeling, with all the stress of everything and just being tired, I wanted something new. A change, fresh air. It seemed the perfect way to escape. Which is what Raskolinkov wanted; to escape and run away from his concience, the people who wouldn't let him forget, his life...everything.

At least, that's what I was thinking when I was reading.
--mr

Thanks, 2008.

In response to Nigel's post, here are my top 5 things (I can't think of 10) I'm thankful for this year.

1. High school is almost over, and with that so is the childish drama.

2. Being a part of the very intellectual 5th period lit class.

3. Bonfires bringing the Brigade together. HAHA.

4. My sister going off to college.

5. My job, and how much fun I have there.

~kd.

graded blog posts.

I am not a fan of graded blog posts. They have to be written on specific ideas which leads to many posts generally saying the same things. I liked at the beginning of the year when we were told that we just had to post at least twice a week regarding literature. It leaves a lot more wiggle room for new ideas and less generic, more authentic posts. Those are much more enjoyable to both write and read. 

~kd.

the power of the conscience

Search for motives in Crime and Punishment

In the time leading up to the murder, Raskolinkov was searching for reasons. Reasons for what he was about to do. He found them in coincidences that occurred: over hearing the students conversation relaying the same thoughts he was having, finding out the exact time the old woman would be alone, the ax; it all seemed to work out all too well. That must mean he was meant to kill the old woman. And so he did. But afterwards, it seems he was searching for his motives, to justify what he had done. The certainty he had going to the old woman's house was gone and the impact of what he had done was catching up to him and he need to find sound reasons to attain a peace of mind. In this case he used his own theory he had written as a student. "I merely suggested that that the 'extraordinary' man has the right...to permit his conscience to transgress...certain obstacles, but only if the...salvation of mankind demands it." (249) He believed eliminating the bitter old woman would help their society, and he believed he was superior enough to be the one to kill her. He kept telling himself this, though, but uneasiness would seep back into his head, making him delirious, angry, anxious, and ill, leading him to once again seek out logical reasons that supported his actions.

Raskolinkov is not alone in his search. Everyone wants justifiable reasons for their actions, to tell themselves they were right. The mind is not at ease if these reasons can't be found. The conscience is a powerful thing and controls and affects us, just as Raskolinkov's conscience affected him. Dostoyevsky shows us this powerful aspect human nature through Raskolinkov.

-mr

ironic beauty*

It is no wonder that Razumikhin is secretly (but not so subtly while under the influence) in love with Dunia.  Her beauty is so extreme as opposed to the normal surroundings of St. Petersburg. "She looked quite striking-- tall, wonderfully well built, strong, and self-confident in a way that expressed itself in her every gesture yet did not deprive her movements of their own characteristic softness and grace" (197). 

With being part of a poverty-stricken society, finding beauty is all but simple. Luhzin seems to have found it, however, in Dunia. Both Razumikhin and Raskolnikov aren't having that, though. Both disagree with the newly proposed Dunia/Luhzin marriage. They don't want the only sense of beauty to be lost and taken away from them (regardless of the fact that Dunia is Raskolnikov's sister). 

~kd.

November blues.

I don't like this cold weather.
And I miss the warmth and lazyness of summer.
And whyyyy are they playing Christmas music already?
It's not even Thanksgiving yet.
It gets earlier and earlier every year it seems.
Pretty soon it'll be summer vacation and they'll be like "oh, time for the Christmas music."
Don't get me wrong, I love Christmastime and its music.
But its cold and too early.
And I really miss summer.

-mr

"Forgive me if I look so lonely, it's not that bad"

Do you ever just want to get away? Just be around a new environment, new people, new everything? Just for a bit, to take a break. When it all gets to be too much, sometimes I just want something different. The image of just driving, anywhere, with the windows down and the music blaring, cliched as it may be, is what I think of when I think of just getting away. I don't know why...maybe because that image is synonymous with freedom and letting go of everything for a while, and just driving.

Maybe the stress of applying to college and the same-old, same-old that is high school has gotten to me today and I'm venting. Or maybe I'm just tired. Tired of a lot of things and just plain worn out. Whichever it is, just getting away sounds pretty good right about now.

-mr

ps. Maybe Dostoyevsky got it right when he talked about taking a breath in "some other world, no matter what kind, and even if only for a moment".

The Mill

I have never been so intrigued by poetry... EVER! Since I haven't been performing to my own expectations in the class, I decided to take a risk and tackle the one poem Nigel said would cause the most trouble while analyzing. I thought it would be both good for my grade and my self-esteem. To prove to myself that I could accomplish something that was at first described as a great difficulty, is the best feeling (for me anyways). 

The poem, not just the idea of it, is also very captivating. I'll be telling the class about it tomorrow in class, but I couldn't wait much longer to at least post about it. 

~kd.

BLOG DAMMIT!

I have decided to post on the fact that I'm very frustrated with the lack of blog posts for me to read. I understand that some people aren't as avid bloggers as people such as me, molly, and marc. But, I would really like it if I got to read posts from other people. I check Popsicle Stand at least twice a day, and I'll be lucky if I have one new post to look at. So some of you need to start posting more often (*cough*tylerandchris*cough*)

~kd.

..huh?

Why does it seem that everyone in Crime and Punishment has, like, two different names? Dunia, for example, is also referred to as Avodita Romanovna...??? Is Dunia a nickname, or is there something else I'm not getting?
And also, why does it seem everyone has the same name. I'm pretty sure more than one character has Ivanova as some part of their name.
It takes me a good 3 minutes and 4 re-readings, but I eventually figure everything out. Its a good thing I like this book or I may start to resent it for being so darn confusing. Actually, those things really aren't that confusing in the grand scheme of things. I just needed some clarification.


-mr

Literary Connections

I just made te connection of Hannah Arendt to Crime and Punishment. Arendt claimed that "the trouble is that if the mind is unable to bring peace and induce reconciliation, it finds itself immediately engages in its own kind of warfare" (Between Past and Future).

This is much like the state of Raskolnikov. He has gotten himself physically and mentally sick with the guilt of the murders he committed. 

Just a thought.

~kd

random question.

So I noticed something while reading, and it's probably pointless, but I figured I'd ask anyways.

"What an efficient and ... devoted young man!" (198)

why is there an ellipse in there?

~kd

Rangeley, Maine

I MISS THIS PLACE SO MUCH! I used to go up every summer, but I hadn't in the past five (or so) years. We stayed at in a cabin right on the lake (this picture is not of it, obviously). 

Our favorite pass time was to go "moosing" at night, which is when we travel to go see moose. Although it may not seem all that exciting, it is so much fun and relaxing. 

If you ever have the chance to spend a few weeks up Maine, and you don't mind being away from civilization for a considerable amount of time.. GO! It is gorgeous, and I promise you'll love it.

~kd

NEWSFLASH! (updated)

So I've decided on how I'm going to resolve my problem. I talked to Nigel, and he said that I should sparknote (or something of the sort) so I can catch up, thus not being chronically behind. I was originally trying to avoid this at all costs, because I want to be the one to read it, I don't want someone to tell me what happens. 

In compromise, I have decided that I will sparknote to keep up with the class,  and read at my own pace. That way, I still get to read and understand, but I don't get behind. 

I'm not sure if anyone else is having this problem, but I'd suggest it to others as well. Only if you're having the same problem though. I don't think this should keep you from actually reading though.

~kd

White Branches, Momo Lake

For a college essay, one topic was to write about something that has influenced you (i.e. music, person, art, etc.) I thought about this for a while, and since I really want to go into photography I thought about a photograph or photographer that had inspired me. Automatically, I thought of Ansel Adams. His works are powerful and moving, and I've always loved them. The way he captures landscapes along with everyday objects is ingenues and innovative. The power behind a photgraph of just a tree branch is amazing. It's great. Just great.

-mr

NEWSFLASH!

In case I haven't mentioned before, I read really slow. And when required to read dense Russian literature, my reading speed slows even more. I keep reading, but I'm far behind. And I don't want to skip the parts I haven't gotten to yet just to read the parts that are required for tomorrow. I feel like I'll miss the essense of the entire novel. 

So yet again, I will probably fail the reading quiz because I haven't read that far yet. Don't get me wrong, I AM READING! and I know that's befuddling within itself, since I already admitted to not reading any required books before this year. But believe me, I am doing my work.

~kd

Lear/Rivals

so here i am, trying to fix my paper. apparently, it had too much summary and not enough analysis the first time around. but every time i go to change the summary stuff, i end up putting it back in, in a different way with different wording. 

to me it sounds analytical. but obviously it's not. and i don't know how to fix it. i don't understand how you're supposed to analyze something without stating what it is you're analyzing. 

according to the critique from class the other day, my first three body paragraphs are all summary. but i'm not seeing the summary. so i don't understand what i'm trying to fix right now. 

this is so frustrating!

~kd

yet again

ugh! that's all i have to say. 

i finally finished my government project. but now, i have to go rewrite this lit paper. i'm so tired. and beyond that, i'm getting up at 5 tomorrow morning to go to the gym before school. i need to sleep. and i can't wait to be done with this week.

~kd.

it's been a long day.

My alarm went off at 6 o'clock this (which now is technically  yesterday)  morning with every intention to start my day. But then I decided that because it's a day off from school, I'll sleep in a little. So, I ended up waking up at 7:45. By the time I got myself upstairs, out of my room, it was 8. This is when my day really started. I got all my homework together and dug right in. From 8 until 1:30, when I needed to start getting ready for work, I worked on my government project (and I didn't even get half way through). It was just a four hour work day for me, but that few hours would've been nicely appreciated to use for homework. 

I got home around 6:30 and ate dinner. By 7, I was back to swimming in a deep sea of papers that I shouldn't have put off this long. I wrote my Lit paper and did my calculus homework. I finished that at about 1. I decided that I should probably go to bed. But once I got there, I got a second wind. So I decided that since my project is due on Thursday, I should probably work on it. 

I have now finished another part to my project. Just 2 left. It is 2:22 in the morning. And I don't feel the need to stop yet. So please don't mind me if I start drifting to sleep at school tomorrow.

OH! and to top it all off, I have to be to school early because I have interact club to go to, and I have a math meet at Kennebunk after school. So hopefully I get much more of this done now, because if not, it's going to be a long time before the next time I get to sleep again.

~kd

I'm such a procrastonator

My day so far:
finished, i mean, reviewed the rivals
refreshed on king lear
ate breakfast
tried to log onto that library thing, but couldnt
freaked out
texted kari
created a new account
went on facebook
checked the blog
found my two sources
went for a run
ate lunch
made brownies
wrote my name on my essay
stared at the computer screen
wrote the first paragraph
...and now here I am.

I'm not sure I'm ever going to finish.
-mr

ponder this.

if you try to fail and succeed, what have you done?

why is abbreviation such a long word?

if a hen and a half can lay an egg and a half in a day and a half, how long would it take a monkey with a wooden leg to kick the seeds out of a dill pickle? 

what do you plant to grow a seedless watermelon?

if it's zero degree outside today and it's supposed to be twice as cold tomorrow, how cold is it going to be?

have you ever imagined the world with no hypothetical situations?

if the world is round-- not flat-- then how can a person walk in a straight line?

why do people pay to go up a tall building and then put money in binoculars to look at things on the ground?

why do they put braille on the number pads of drive-through bank machines?

raspberry iced tea.

need i say more?

eating babies, killing old ladies

"Kill her, take her money, dedicate it to serving mankind, to the general welfare...For one life, thousands of lives saved from ruin and collapse" (Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and Punishment)
Sound familiar? I though so too. Isn't that exactly what Swift's "modest proposal" was? (replace the poor babies with a bitter old lady). As I was reading, I couldn't help but notice the striking similarity. The student in Crime and Punishment who suggested killing the old lady was asked if he would kill her himself. His response: "Of course not! I am for justice..." Swift also claimed he couldn't assist in his own plan either.

Just thought I'd point that out.

PS:
"She said nothing. She only looked at me in silence...Not as it is done here on earth, but there...where they sorrow over people, where they weep, and where they do not reproach, no they do not reproach! Yet it hurts worse, it hurts much worse, when they do not reproach..." (20)

-mr

I can't think of a clever name for this post so I'm just calling it "poetry"

If I remember correctly, Nigel/R-ski/You-know-who-you-are said we were going to be doing a poetry unit, or something of the likes. Just when I thought I was in the clear. Honestly, I don't know if I can handle it. Poetry is not my thing, right there with green vegetables and coffee. I didn't mind writing that one sonnet (and yes, it was about more than just the sea), but I think that's all the poetry I had in me. Deciphering the hidden meanings of a poem is like reading the directions written in Spanish on the back of my shampoo bottle. But don't fret -- I'll give it my best shot.

--mr

Trick or Treating

The interact club at school came up with the idea of a can drive for the holidays. The idea came up from one of the club members (Francesca) regarding trick-or-treating for cans. Although, it wasn't an interact club fundraiser. We just so happened to have thought about it in one of the meetings. The outcome was amazing. Between Aggie and Old Mill, we had more than 6 wagons filled with nonperishable food items. 

Sadly, some donaters didn't get the memo. With a giant can of Campbell's soup walking around with us, they still managed to think that we were asking for empty cans to redeem so that we could give money to local food pantries. Either way, it all went well.

We used the cans we collected to put in the senior box at the school's Halloween parade since it was a competition. Obviously, we won.

The can drive is still going on though. From now until the 12th.

I felt (and feel) so good about what we did because of how many people we are helping. Who ever said community service isn't self-satisfying? 

~kd

The New Swift?

This is going to make me sound like a loser, but I was just looking at bumperstickers on facebook. There's one that has a picture of John McCain and says "Eat the Poor." 

Naturally, I was just like "HOLY CRAP!" because we were just talking about eating poor babies in class. So I felt the need to post about it.

~kd

a retarded donkey

So I'm pretty sure that class today was the best thing that has ever happened to me. i have not laughed that hard in a long time. and I know I laugh at really obscure things sometimes, but even "Bob Saget" or "Nigel" was laughing intensely. When you see him massaging his cheeks because they hurt from laughing so hard, it must be pretty funny.

Between the comments about the Easter Bunny, the 60s, and "my little pony," I just about peed myself with hysteria. My eyes still hurt from crying (not because of the mocking insults but because of the jokes). I'd have to say, of the letters I've heard, Emma and Kyla have got to to be my favorite. 

That's all for now.

~kd

didn't we read this already?

I don't know if anyone else feels the same way, but I am getting an extreme The Trial vibes from Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment. I was talking to Kyla about it.. and she made a sweeping generalization by saying, "It's Russian literature; they're going to seem like that." (Sorry Kyla, if this post is offensive in any way.) As far as I know, it makes a lot of sense. But then again, I'm thinking those are the only two pieces of Russian lit that I've ever read. 

I like this a lot better than Kafka's The Trial. Crime is a lot more interesting and it doesn't seem as tedious to sit down and read it, even if it is just about 100000000 pages longer. 

~kd

Russian Literature and us

A Russian novel published in 1866 seems to be a bit more relative to today's society than first expected. 

:"And what scares people the most? It's a new step, an authentic new word, that's what..."

Experiencing anything new is always intimidating. No matter who's doing it or when it happens.

:"He soon plunged into deep thought, or rather, into a kind of oblivion."

We are so consumed with our own thoughts and lives that we never take the time to listen or pay attention to what anyone else is saying or doing.

:"There are some people who interest us immediately, at first glance, before a word is exchanged."

Today, we as a society are very materialistic and superficial. Love (or more like lust) at first sight is a plague that many of us are infected with. Why are we so interested in someone who intrigues us way before anything intellectual (or not) is said? What have we all come to? 

~kd

sometimes, a quote just sticks with you

"After a whole month of concentrated melancholy and gloomy excitment, he was so weary he wanted to take breath in some other world, no matter what kind, and even if only for a moment. In spite of all the dirt around him, it was actually with pleasure he lingered in the saloon."
--Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and Punishment


~mr

If you were stuck on an island...

what 5 books would you bring with you?

This conversation started up in class the other day and I wanted to ponder a bit. I know two books that I definitely would want to bring. Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin and Richard Wright's Black Boy. I am very into historical fiction, and those are my two favorite novels. I think that's all I'd bring for books I've already read though. I haven't read too many where I feel the need to reread them. Joshua Ferris' Then We Came to the End was awesome though. That just may be one of my 5. 

I feel like I just got a new TMobile phone where I have to pick my Fav 5. There are wayy too many books to choose from. I would want to bring with me Tuesdays with Morrie. I heard it was not only phenomenal but also life altering. I love books like that. Since The Godfather is my favorite movie, I'm thinking I would want to bring that novel along with me too. It is very long, too long maybe. But if I were stuck on an island all by myself, I would have more than enough time to read it. 

So that's it. There's my 5. 

~kd

satire and chairlift

Wow, I haven't posted in awhile. I know you're thinking how I possibly could go so long without blogging, it being my faaaavorite thing since sliced bread. I'm not sure myself. However, I don't really know what to write about. I just thought I was due and since I had some time to kill, voila: a post. I'll start with what we have just finished reading, Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal". Swift's proposal set out to cure Ireland of it's poverty and suffering -- by eating babies. Ok..Who in their right mind would think that would solve any problems? But throughout the essay, I couldn't help but picking up on a tone of sarcasm. Sarcasms great.it makes life humorous. Especially the kind that's not blatantly obvious. Which is why I'm looking forward to this satire business.
I guess I did have something to write about. And it's been awhile since I've posted on something non-literature related, so I'm going to take this time to impart some music knowledge to you all. Listen to this: "Brusies" by Chairlift. You'll be glad you read this here post and found out about such a good song.

~mr

World Series Preview

So many of you may know that I'm an extreme baseball fan. The Yanks are my team, but since they didn't make playoffs this year, my next favorite has gotten my loud and obnoxious cheering. 

The Tampa Bay Rays (formerly the Devil Rays) have been my favorite team since the 7th grade(ish). That's when I really got into the wonderful game of baseball. And I'm sure many of you Redsox fans are going to say "you just like who wins." That's so not true. Not only have the Yankees not won in the most recent of year, but also the Rays haven't won much of anything beside the title of worst team in the mlb before this year. 

The Series starts tonight. And I'm hoping that the Rays win (obviously). However, Sportscenter analysts predict the Phillies will come away with the championship ring because of their offense and relief pitching. The only argument I have against that is: Tampa has a better starting rotation, thus their bullpen isn't going to be as important unless someone doesn't live up to their expectations/obligations.

We'll just see who's going to crack under pressure first. The young Rays team with little experience or the not-as-young Phillies who have a bit more experience. This should be interesting.

Hold the phone...

You can't say that there's no poetic justice at all in Shakespeare's King Lear. True, he wasn't a firm believer in happy endings, yet it wasn't like Martin Scorsese's film The Departed where literally everyone dies at the end. However, Shakespeare did deal out some poetic justice. Goneril and Regan, for example, who manipulated their father and his disintegrating state of mind and body for their own gain, both died in the end. Isn't that poetic justice? They got what they deserved, didn't they?
And then there's Lear himself. He chose Goneril and Regan, who lied and showered him with false flattery, over Cordelia, who was honest and true. Then, ironically, the two daughters betrayed their father and banished him from his own kingdom. (Well, Lear, that's what you get.) But this betrayal by two of his daughters led to the reconciliation with his other daughter. For a while, we all thought there might be a happy ending -- but that, of course wasn't the case. And thats what KD meant about no poetic justice.
And then there's Edmund. He set out to be evil because he believed it was his destiny, and he did his best to fulfill his destiny. He pitted his father against his own brother, Goneril against her own sister Regan, and was the reason Cordelia and Lear didn't have their happy ending. But in true poetic justic fashion, in the end, Edmund dies too.
Shakespeare wasn't a fairy tale writer -- at least not in King Lear. There's no happily ever after, but there is poetic justice. It might not be as relevant as all the unfairness and cruelty that goes on, but it is still there.


~mr

Poetic Justice?

In relation to King Lear, how might you respond to the following statement: "It is a mark of Shakespeare's uncompromising view of reality that there is no simple application of poetic justice to reward the good and punish the wicked"?

Shakespeare's uncompromising view of reality is that it isn't always sunny in life. There are some days where it's going to rain, and there's no way you can change or fix that. It is in the case of Cordelia where this is most apparent.
Cordelia was one of the very few wholesome characters in the play. Under no conviction was there any poetic justice used in her favor. After not lathering her father with copious amounts of flattery, she was exiled from the kingdom. Her sisters, on the other hand, foolishly praised their father just for the possession of his kingdom. It worked for them though. Although they were insincere with their appraisal, they were the ones that Lear believed.
Lear realized he lost his daughter after a long trudge through a storm where he finally understood himself. He came to obtain the knowledge that he is human, not just a king. He wanted his once-favorite daughter back in his life. As soon as Lear and Cordelia reconciled their relationship, Cordelia was sentenced to death by Edmund.
It was Shakespeare's uncompromising view of reality that shaped the plot line of Cordelia. She never caught a break, which is exactly what Shakespeare thinks of reality. This play depicts the struggles that still go on today, which means they are real life problems, and it's not just a fairytale gone wrong.

~kd

no footnotes!

I already like Richard Brinsley Sheridan's The Rivals, and I haven't even started it yet. The reason I'm not dreading reading yet another play is because I opened the book, looked directly to the bottom of the page, and was overjoyed not to see any footnotes! No fancy pants language that needed modernized translation; no going back and forth between reading the actual text and trying to find the number at the bottom of the page that corresponds with the crazy foreign language being spoken above. Already a major improvement over the last play we read.

That was kind of mean...so I guess its a good thing Shakespeare's not alive to hear my criticism, because I'm sure any harsh words from me would really dent his ego.

But I really am looking forward to reading The Rivals. But mostly because I think I'll be able to understand it, and therefore enjoy it more, instead of wanting to throw it out the window and drive over it with my car.


~mr

Hannah Arendt is brilliant!

So I'm getting ready to write my essay on "Between Past and Future" and I'm going through all my highlighted quotes and making sure I didn't miss anything. I came across this quote:

"The trouble is that if the mind is unable to bring peace and to induce reconciliation, it finds itself immediately engages in its own kind of warfare."

I would never have been able to put words together in this sequence to make such an ingenious statement; but it's so true. Anyone who has to ponder about the consequences of a decision always goes through either the reconciliation or warfare Arendt speaks of. If we find our decisions to be positive, we have a sense of reconciliation where we are at peace with ourselves. However, if we find our decisions to be negative, we beat ourselves up about it and we don't let it rest for a period of time until another decision is needed to be made.

Even if you don't have to write the essay, and you were planning on just going to class without reading this.. I seriously discourage that. This piece is moving. Read it, you'll know what I'm talking about when you finish.

~kd

College...

..is so stressful, and I'm not even there yet.

This whole application process with deadlines and all this nonsense is stressing me out to the max. 

I want to go to a good school. I don't care how much it's going to cost me. But it requires a lot from me other than the money. That's the part that's stressing me out. Between school, work, and my social life, this is definitely the last thing I want to be doing. But I (like everyone else planning on going to college) have to do it. UGH!

That's all I have to say.

~kd

"thou wouldst hit that"

yet another one of those somewhat intellectual comments made in class.

So I realize I have a lot of catching up to do. And I have a lot to say, but I'll give the abridged version because all of you that know me would say that the abridged version is much more effective in the end. 

So reading King Lear is confusing, tedious, and frustrating. Watching the movie makes it a bit less difficult. I, as a concrete learner, am having a much easier time understanding what is going on. I now can recognize who's saying and doing what. 

As nice is it is to see this after reading, and as awful reading was, the movie is absolutely ridiculous. I find reading more entertaining than watching the movie. And that's saying something if I'd rather read. The movie makes comprehending much easier, but it doesn't do the play justice. 

I realize that my previous statements seem contradictory, so I'll clear that up. The play has a good plot line-- it's fairly interesting. The reading of the play is tedious because of the language it is written in-- it's hard to understand. The movie is horrible, with dreadful acting and costumes, but it makes easier to fathom. I hope that clears that up.

~kd

..and on and on

James H. Kavanagh likes long sentences. And most of the time they do not enlighten the reader, but only confuse them. Its hard to keep focused on the point when a sentence runs on for half a paragraph. Yet, I'm more than half way through his essay Ideology, and I'm still not sure on the true definition of ideology. This is troublesome since I eagerly signed up to write an essay on it. Woo. Anyways, just taking a break from the reading and getting all my frustration out about Jimmy K and his run-on-and-on sentences before heading back to the world of Ideology....

~mr

There's no recovery for the broken heart..

At least not in Shakespear's King Lear. Lear, who exiled his own daughter because she did not profess her love for him to his liking, was overcome with grief when she died. So overcome with grief that he died, too. His frail and weakened body also contributed to his death; but, as Shakespeare told it, his weakened heart was what really killed him. Ever since that time he banished his favorite daughter, he was distraught and disheartened. Over time, it took a toll on his mentality and emotions, leading to his demise.
You could say that Lear deserved the pain and suffering that eventually led to his death. He disowned his own daughter because she didn't shower him with praise and false flattery. But then again, he had realized the error in his ways and begged Cordelia's forgiveness, and all was well between them. Then they both die. Shakespeare wasn't in the mood for a happy ending, obviously, because Lear and Cordelia weren't the only ones who didn't make it through to the end. Edmund, Goneril, and Regan also died. But you could say they deserved it too.
But what about Cordelia? She didn't deserve to be killed; she was honest and good, yet she was banished and murdered. There wasn't a happy ending for her, and there can't be much closure if everyone is dead. However, that was a theme throughout the book: everything doesn't always work out like it should, and sometimes there is no recovering from grief.

~MR

Interpretation

"When I think back on all the crap I learned

 in high school,

It's a wonder I can think at all.

The lack of education hasn't hurt me none. 

I can read all the writing on the wall.

--Paul Simon, 'Kodachrome'

Reading words on walls. Explicating poems in classrooms. Making sense of treaties in Congress. Reading, explicating, making sense: these are the three names given to the activity of 'interpretation,' the topic of..." high school.  So this is partially how the essay starts, with the exception of the last two words. Steven Mailloux's Interpretation... obviously it's about the act of interpreting. But, in the essence of irony, I decided to interpret it in my own way. 

The beginning of the essay got me into it. (I know! Me getting interested in a reading assignment... what's up with that?) I got interested because that's what I, along with most other high school students, must go through. Day in, and day out. Reading words, explicating poems, making sense of things. That's the point of high school. But how much fun is that really? Even Simon says education isn't all that important. 

I understand education is important; it's essential in today's society. How much wall-reading, poem-explicating, and sense-making of treaties do we really need after high school, though? If you go onto college to master in something of the sort, that's understandable. But if you don't, isn't that just a waste of time?

Furthermore, when reading the essay, I realized that all this interpreting nonsense wasn't written very well. It's kind of a common theme of the paper apparently. This is where this "lack of education hasn't hurt me none" comment is evident in the writing. "All these strategies-- historicizing, allegorizing, punning, and using etymologies-- can be restated as rules for correct interpretation." Aren't high school students always criticized in writing when we don't use parallel sentence structure? I'm pretty sure it's kind of a big deal. Especially since it's part of the SATs. It should be " --historicizing, allegorizing, etymologizing, and punning--," shouldn't it? 

Also, how can there be a correct way of interpreting something? Isn't it all opinion in the end? Isn't it how each individual understands the text? Is there really a right way to do it?

~KD

Let me not to the marriage of true minds

Although I have no idea what the title means, I really liked Shakespeare's poem, also known as "Sonnet 16". It was about love, and how if it truly is love, it can withstand time and survive whatever challenges it has to endure, while never changing and always being steadfast. The tone of the poem was uplifting and almost admiring -- admiring love. It was a total opposite of the last Shakespeare poem we read, about loss and regret. But I got to hand it to Shakespeare, I really liked this poem. Basically, it just made me happy.

~MR

Jones Soda = Love

I love Jones Soda. I really do. If there was one drink I had to choose to live off of for the rest of eternity, it would be Jones Soda. Fufu Berry, of course. Or Berry Lemonade or M.F. Grape (M.F? I never got that). And the only reason I'm writing this is because I want one SO BAD right now. I'm so thirsty. And we talked about blogging in class so I was in the mood to write a post, and this is what I decided it should be on. But seriously, if you haven't ever tasted the amazingness that is Jones Soda you are missing out completely and your life is meaningless. Plus, with every bottle you get a fortune in the bottle cap, and every bottle has a different picture. It's pretty much the best thing since sliced bread, and that's all I have to say about it.

~MR

Is it irony?

On the cover of the copy of King Lear that we were handed, it says NEWLY REVISED EDITION highlighted in gold. Sure it may have been newly revised, but I'm thinking that it should be translated into today's language. Screw Shakespeare and his own language. If I'm supposed to know what it's talking about and it's in a completely different dialect, how do you think that's going to go? Maybe Rosinski's wicked "brainy students" will be able to figure it out. But apparently, when it comes to understanding Shakespeare, I am not one of those "brainy students." Sorry. 

~KD

"My Lord of Burgundy..."

With seeing the title of this post, one would think I have something intelligent to say about where it came from. That's not true. I have to admit, I'm a little behind on the reading of Shakespeare's King Lear, but no matter how long it takes me to read it, that doesn't mean I'm comprehending what's going on. Every time I go to open the book and read, I start to drift off. That's how exciting this monumental play of modernity is. 

The only thing I find somewhat amusing about this classic is the whole Burgundy character. The only thing I think of is Anchorman. And what's not amusing about that movie? Every line that says "My Lord of Burgundy," or something of the sort, makes me imagine Brick, Champ, or Brian yelling to Ron. I know it's a far stretch, but that's the only thing that's keeping me reading the actual play and not the Sparknotes. 

With that said, I have every intention on reading every word. The problem with that is, I am not that far into it and have no idea what is going on. That can't be a good thing considering there are many more Acts to read. I'm hoping that reading it and attempting to remember it, along with paying attention to class discussions will help me understand what's going on. I don't think reading alone will do it for me though. 

~KD

oh, Shakespeare...

As I was reading Act 1 and 2 of King Lear yesterday, they have these nifty little notations, I guess you could call them, at the bottom of the page that kind of translate all the fancy-pants Shakespearean speak used. And I thought, Now why can't they just say that. But then it wouldn't be Shakespeare. And to add to the stress of barely understanding what's going on, Mr. Rosinski gave a nice little pop quiz on the reading. Thank you for that...
But one thing that was clear was Cordelia's genuine statement when King Lear asked his three daughters how much they loved them. Cordelia was the only one who was honest yet all she received was her father's disapproval. Her other sisters, who showered the king with hollow statements of love, however, won his approval and part of his kingdom. I can see the vanity displayed by King Lear's may be a theme throughout the book. He was too vain to see the genuineness of Cordelia's love, compared to her two sisters false flattery.
Another instance of vanity I picked up on, and I may have interpreted wrong, was the relationship between Edmund and his brother, Edgar. Edmund attempted to make Edgar out to be evil to get all of their father's approval, love, and inheritance. I'm really not sure if that was what happened, but if so Edmund's vanity, like King Lear's, made someone who was good and honest out to be inauspicious.
So far, I can definitely tell that King Lear is no Aesop's Fable. Good doesn't always triumph over evil, everything doesn't always work out in the end, and being fair and honest won't win your father's love or any of part of his kingdom.

~MR

"OBVIOUSLY...

...I'm wearing rubber pants."
"Like diction, as in word, so it's like a wordinary?"

You would think that in an AP Lit class, the conversation would be a bit more intellectual. When we blabber about literature and current events, we get on tangents that would never be expected. It's stuff like this that makes the class so much fun. Getting away from unexplainable poetry and modernity related literature is a nice break every once in a while. It doesn't keep us from learning though.
Trying to get ahead of the class, I decided to start Shakespeare's "King Lear" earlier than the rest of the class. Before I left with the play in hand, I should've asked which part I should start at. Thinking I would be required to read the overview and introduction, I started there. The next day in class, however, I learned that I didn't need to read the part that I spent two hours on the night prior. Although it wasn't required, I'm satisfied with reading the preface. It gives me a little background on Shakespeare and what I should expect from the play. As I was reading, I got to thinking... We just read Barthe's The Death of the Author. We analyzed this theory for three days and came to the conclusion that Barthe was trying to say that the background of an author shouldn't be taken into consideration while reading a piece of literature. Since we haven't spent much time on Shakespeare in high school, I wouldn't have known Shakespeare's style of writing. So no offense to Barthe, but in order to understand such dense pieces of literature, it sometimes helps to know what to expect beforehand.

~KD

all the small things

Adam Zagajewski's "Try to Praise the Mutilated World" was published in the New Yorker shortly after September 11th, 2001, but it's not certain if it was written about or in response to 9/11. However, the poem can be interperted in a way that reflects on that day. The tone of the poem is not of anger or hatred, but reflection on the good things, the small things, the things that mean the most. And after 9/11 I think that's what everyone did; they realized all the small and beautiful things that make life worth while instead of focusing on and getting lost in the hatred and anger.

~MR

senior pants

It finally hit me that I'm a senior. It wasn't being the oldest walking down the halls, it wasn't everyone asking what it's like to be a senior, it was taking part of a Marshwood tradition. Ever since freshman year, I couldn't wait to make my "senior pants." It doesn't sound all that exciting, it's just decorating pants for pep rally and the homecoming game. But that's not all the pants represent. It's that we finally made it; we made it all the way through high school. This is the beginning of the last chapter of our childhood. After this, we all have to grow up. There's no more decorating pants or playing childish games. We won't be children anymore. It's the pants that made me realize, it's time to grow up. Whether I want to or not. It's time. 

~KD

Is It an M or an N?

"Its an M, as in 'Come over here and check out this M.'"

It's stuff like this that makes AP Lit so entertaining, not that discussing The Death of the Author isn't riveting. Our first assignment was to make this here blog. This ties in very well with our blathering (not blabbering) about Modernity.

Basically, this blog will be all about our Lit class, what we're reading, and anything else we feel the need to post. It's going to be scattered, but definitely specific.