Batter My Heart!!!!

This Holy sonnet by John Donne is obviously a very religious poem pertaining to God. “Batter My Heart” is in my opinion very prayer-like. I feel that the subject of the poem is praying to the heavens asking for help. This poem is also a confession to God praising Him and stating what he understands his life to be, as a sinner. John Donne has used metaphors, similes and contrasting ideas to artistically and poetically express his feelings for the trinity.

The first line of the poem starts out in a very reverent manner, “Batter my heart, three personed-God.” This submissive tone sets the mood for a prayer-like fashion. And as in any prayer, one is usually asking for help, forgiveness, or giving praise; which this poem has all three. “Divorce me, untie or break that knot again;” is directed to God asking to not be “betrothed” to His enemy. “Again” shows that this is not the first time the subject is asking for help to not sin.

Lines 1 to 4 are nothing but giving praise. The subject of the poem first acknowledges the Trinity, “the three personed-God.” Then tells God He is in total control. God can help the subject rise and be able to stand firmly throughout life, and can bring down the subject, “o’erthrow me.” The subject of the poem understands God has the power to break, blow, burn, and also make him new. The all mighty God has all the power according to the subject of the poem.

Lines 5 to 8 suggest the idea of faith and the subject’s duty to push forward the word of God. The word labor, to mean hard work, emphasizes the subject’s effort to believe in God. He asks God in line 7 to reason his inner faith to defend or testify God is true. Yet, in line 8 the subject confesses his faith is weak or is untrue; both weak and untrue can be taken for their literal meaning. The subject confesses his faith is not strong enough to know God. He asks for help to know God exists.

Lines 9 and 10 are also a sincere confession. The subject uses the word love to show strong emotion. Then, the subject says he would fain, meaning gladly, love God, but he is engaged or betrothed to Satan, God’s enemy. This confession shows the subject’s acceptance as a sinner.

Finally lines 11 to 14 are his pleas. The subject desires whole heartedly to be taken to God’s presence. Using such strong words as imprison, enthrall and ravish, Donne effectively shows the desire of the subject to be faithful and to be with God. With Donne’s use of the meanings of enthrall and ravish to mean the opposite, I see their use in the poem as a way to more fully express the extent of his desire to be faithful.

One attribute of John Donne’s style of poetry is his use of antonyms. In the third line of the poem “that I may rise and stand, o’erthrow me,” rise and stand do not usually flow with the idea of being overthrown. Also in line 4 Donne uses the words break, blow, burn and the line make me new. The first three words have devastating effects and make me new is God’s helpful quality all attributing to God’s power. Also in lines 9 and 10, the subject opened his heart to God using the word love then confesses he is betrothed, meaning engaged, to His enemy; two words having similar meanings but confessing two ideas. In lines 11 and 12, the subject says to divorce him, yet the very next line he says to imprison him. The last lines of the poem have words such as imprison, enthrall and ravish. We can take these words literally, but we all know that poets, such as John Donne, never write a poem for face value. In this poem we see that Donne likes to talk in metaphors and in opposites. So I believe the poem is about giving himself totally to God.

John Donne uses his word choice to effectively show his true feelings. Words that usually have negative connotations, as we see can have very positive meanings to show one’s love and desire.(714)

sorry for the tardiness-NATIVE SON

Richard Wright’s Native Son portrays the life of Blacks during the 1940’s. The reader gets a first hand look at the lives of Blacks. We see the problems they face, the decisions that are needed, and most of all, the effect of the rich-white race has on Blacks. With in the first sixty-nine pages we the reader can easily see and feel the effect of the whites on the blacks. Richard Wright’s style of writing is not very profound and elegant, but more colloquial and easy to read.

In the opening scene of the novel with the huge rat, we see the conditions of living that many blacks endure. The rat emphasizes the poverty in which Bigger and his family are living. It would seem that only in third world countries families would live with rats, but the novel takes place in the United States of America. Richard Wright successfully portrayed the living conditions of blacks during his time.

Bigger and his friends are a very close bunch. They do just about everything together, when it comes to watching movies, talking about girls, and most of all getting into trouble. The gang plans to rob. They have robbed many times before but, something is different this time. The owner of the store is a white man. The effect the white man has on the black population is tremendous. It scares the gang, to know that the white man is in total control. And to rob one, is just calling for death.

We can also see the effect of the white man, when Bigger goes to the job which Mr. Dalton, a white millionaire, gave Bigger. Before Bigger even enters the house, he has a certain amount of respect for the white man. Knowing all along, he his life could be taken. From years and years of persecution, the rituals and expectations of the white man were still alive. An example would be Bigger’s dilemma of whether he should enter from the front or the back. This sign of respect and unwritten rule by the white man effects Bigger’s life. Throughout the entire visit Bigger had with the Mr. Dalton, he had to think about every little move, thought and decision. Whether he should make eye contact, or should he think about the teenage girl. We see a totally different side of Bigger while he is at the Dalton house, compared to how he acted around his neighborhood and friends.

With his friends, Bigger is the main man. He is not scared of no one. He will stand up to anyone and anything of his own race. But when it comes to the white man, tough guy attitude goes out the window. Bigger does not know how to act around white people. This shows the effect of the white man that was very much alive during the 1940’s.

The first few pages of the novel have kept me interested and have given me an insight to the lifestyle of Blacks during the Richard Wright’s time.

As for the style of the author, it has made the novel an easy read. There are no big extravagant words needing to be looked up. The language is pretty casual, but still upholds the art of writing a novel. The words and ideas flow easily form idea to idea. (554)

Hamlet, Act III Scene IV

SCENE IV. The Queen's closet.

Enter QUEEN Gertrude and POLONIUS

LORD POLONIUS

He will come straight. Look you lay home to him:
Tell him his pranks have been too broad to bear with,
And that your grace hath screen'd and stood between
Much heat and him. I'll sconce me even here.
Pray you, be round with him.

(Say secretly, as if making a secret plan.)

HAMLET

[Within] Mother, mother, mother!

QUEEN GERTRUDE

I'll warrant you,
Fear me not: withdraw, I hear him coming.

(Say surprisingly, and fearfully.)

POLONIUS hides behind the arras

Enter HAMLET

HAMLET

Now, mother, what's the matter?

(Sincerely.)

QUEEN GERTRUDE

Hamlet, thou hast thy father much offended.

HAMLET

Mother, you have my father much offended.

(Say angrily, as if he was chastising his mother.)

QUEEN GERTRUDE

Come, come, you answer with an idle tongue.

(Waiver her hand to gesture Hamlet to sit down, and talk.)

HAMLET

Go, go, you question with a wicked tongue.

(Say with force and anger.)

QUEEN GERTRUDE

Why, how now, Hamlet!

HAMLET

What's the matter now?

(Say As if in Awe.)

QUEEN GERTRUDE

Have you forgot me?

HAMLET

No, by the rood, not so:
You are the queen, your husband's brother's wife;
And--would it were not so!--you are my mother.

(Say angrily, while looking deep into his mother’s eyes.)

QUEEN GERTRUDE

Nay, then, I'll set those to you that can speak.

HAMLET

Come, come, and sit you down; you shall not budge;
You go not till I set you up a glass
Where you may see the inmost part of you.

(throw the Queen in the arm chair, while having her trapped, with both arms on each side of her, just staring at her eyes. Much Anger.)

QUEEN GERTRUDE

What wilt thou do? thou wilt not murder me?
Help, help, ho!

(Say with great fear, fear for her life.)

LORD POLONIUS

[Behind] What, ho! help, help, help!

(comes to see, and is shocked with what Hamlet looks as if he is going to kill his mother.)

HAMLET

[Drawing] How now! a rat? Dead, for a ducat, dead!

(Say surprisingly, then with anger, draw sword.)

Makes a pass through the arras

(Hamlet stabs Polonius in the stomach, while he stares him in the eyes.)

LORD POLONIUS

[Behind] O, I am slain!

Falls and dies

QUEEN GERTRUDE

O me, what hast thou done?

(Scared to death, hands over her mouth, can only mutter these words.)

HAMLET

Nay, I know not:
Is it the king?

(Say with confidence, and no regret.)

QUEEN GERTRUDE

O, what a rash and bloody deed is this!

HAMLET

A bloody deed! almost as bad, good mother,
As kill a king, and marry with his brother.

QUEEN GERTRUDE

As kill a king!

HAMLET

Ay, lady, 'twas my word.

Lifts up the array and discovers POLONIUS

(Hamlet is pacing back and forth in front of his mother.)

Thou wretched, rash, intruding fool, farewell!
I took thee for thy better: take thy fortune;
Thou find'st to be too busy is some danger.
Leave wringing of your hands(The Queen tries to get up.): peace! sit you down,
And let me wring your heart; for so I shall,
If it be made of penetrable stuff,
If damned custom have not brass'd it so
That it is proof and bulwark against sense.

QUEEN GERTRUDE

What have I done, that thou darest wag thy tongue
In noise so rude against me?

HAMLET

Such an act
That blurs the grace and blush of modesty,
Calls virtue hypocrite, takes off the rose
From the fair forehead of an innocent love
And sets a blister there, makes marriage-vows
As false as dicers' oaths: O, such a deed
As from the body of contraction plucks
The very soul, and sweet religion makes
A rhapsody of words: heaven's face doth glow:
Yea, this solidity and compound mass,
With tristful visage, as against the doom,
Is thought-sick at the act.

(Say while looking deep into his mother’s eyes, with no expression, no movement by Hamlet or his mother.)

QUEEN GERTRUDE

Ay me, what act,
That roars so loud, and thunders in the index?

HAMLET

Look here, upon this picture, and on this,
The counterfeit presentment of two brothers.(Say imaginatively, in the air above his head, with his arm around his mother, looking at the air.)
See, what a grace was seated on this brow;
Hyperion's curls; the front of Jove himself;
An eye like Mars, to threaten and command;
A station like the herald Mercury
New-lighted on a heaven-kissing hill;
A combination and a form indeed,
Where every god did seem to set his seal,
To give the world assurance of a man:
This was your husband. Look you now, what follows:
Here is your husband; like a mildew'd ear,
Blasting his wholesome brother. Have you eyes?
Could you on this fair mountain leave to feed,
And batten on this moor? Ha! have you eyes?
(Hamlet grabs the Queen’s cheek and looks into her eyes, and talks quickly.)You cannot call it love; for at your age
The hey-day in the blood is tame, it's humble,
And waits upon the judgment: and what judgment
Would step from this to this? Sense, sure, you have,
Else could you not have motion; but sure, that sense
Is apoplex'd; for madness would not err,
Nor sense to ecstasy was ne'er so thrall'd
But it reserved some quantity of choice,
To serve in such a difference. What devil was't
That thus hath cozen'd you at hoodman-blind?
Eyes without feeling, feeling without sight,
Ears without hands or eyes, smelling sans all,
Or but a sickly part of one true sense
Could not so mope.(let’s go of her cheeks, and turns his back to her.)
O shame! where is thy blush? Rebellious hell,
If thou canst mutine in a matron's bones,
To flaming youth let virtue be as wax,
And melt in her own fire: proclaim no shame
When the compulsive ardour gives the charge,
Since frost itself as actively doth burn
And reason panders will.

QUEEN GERTRUDE

O Hamlet, speak no more:
Thou turn'st mine eyes into my very soul;
And there I see such black and grained spots
As will not leave their tinct.

(falls to the floor and hugs Hamlet’s legs.)

HAMLET

Nay, but to live
In the rank sweat of an enseamed bed,
Stew'd in corruption, honeying and making love
Over the nasty sty,--

QUEEN GERTRUDE

O, speak to me no more;
These words, like daggers, enter in mine ears;
No more, sweet Hamlet!

HAMLET (grabs her by the throat.)

A murderer and a villain;
A slave that is not twentieth part the tithe
Of your precedent lord; a vice of kings;
A cutpurse of the empire and the rule,
That from a shelf the precious diadem stole,
And put it in his pocket!

QUEEN GERTRUDE

No more!

HAMLET

A king of shreds and patches,--

Enter Ghost

Save me, and hover o'er me with your wings,
You heavenly guards! What would your gracious figure?

(Looks to the ghost while still holding her neck.)

QUEEN GERTRUDE

Alas, he's mad!

HAMLET

Do you not come your tardy son to chide,
That, lapsed in time and passion, lets go by
The important acting of your dread command? O, say!(Still holding her neck, then finally lets go right her and stands up towards the ghost.)

Ghost

Do not forget: this visitation
Is but to whet thy almost blunted purpose.
But, look, amazement on thy mother sits:
O, step between her and her fighting soul:
Conceit in weakest bodies strongest works:
Speak to her, Hamlet.

HAMLET

How is it with you, lady?

QUEEN GERTRUDE

Alas, how is't with you,
That you do bend your eye on vacancy
And with the incorporal air do hold discourse?
Forth at your eyes your spirits wildly peep;
And, as the sleeping soldiers in the alarm,
Your bedded hair, like life in excrements,
Starts up, and stands on end. O gentle son,
Upon the heat and flame of thy distemper
Sprinkle cool patience. Whereon do you look?

(say with great confusion)

HAMLET

On him, on him! Look you, how pale he glares!
His form and cause conjoin'd, preaching to stones,
Would make them capable. Do not look upon me;
Lest with this piteous action you convert
My stern effects: then what I have to do
Will want true colour; tears perchance for blood.

QUEEN GERTRUDE

To whom do you speak this?

HAMLET

Do you see nothing there?

QUEEN GERTRUDE

Nothing at all; yet all that is I see.

HAMLET

Nor did you nothing hear?

QUEEN GERTRUDE

No, nothing but ourselves.

HAMLET

Why, look you there! look, how it steals away!
My father, in his habit as he lived!
Look, where he goes, even now, out at the portal!

Exit Ghost

QUEEN GERTRUDE

This the very coinage of your brain:
This bodiless creation ecstasy
Is very cunning in.

HAMLET

Ecstasy!
My pulse, as yours, doth temperately keep time,
And makes as healthful music: it is not madness
That I have utter'd: bring me to the test,
And I the matter will re-word; which madness
Would gambol from. Mother, for love of grace,
Lay not that mattering unction to your soul,
That not your trespass, but my madness speaks:
It will but skin and film the ulcerous place,
Whilst rank corruption, mining all within,
Infects unseen. Confess yourself to heaven;
Repent what's past; avoid what is to come;
And do not spread the compost on the weeds,
To make them ranker. Forgive me this my virtue;
For in the fatness of these pursy times
Virtue itself of vice must pardon beg,
Yea, curb and woo for leave to do him good.

(Say while looking upon his mother, who is still on the floor.)

QUEEN GERTRUDE

O Hamlet, thou hast cleft my heart in twain.

HAMLET

O, throw away the worser part of it,
And live the purer with the other half.
Good night: but go not to mine uncle's bed;
Assume a virtue, if you have it not.
That monster, custom, who all sense doth eat,
Of habits devil, is angel yet in this,
That to the use of actions fair and good
He likewise gives a frock or livery,
That aptly is put on. Refrain to-night,
And that shall lend a kind of easiness
To the next abstinence: the next more easy;
For use almost can change the stamp of nature,
And either [ ] the devil, or throw him out
With wondrous potency. Once more, good night:
And when you are desirous to be bless'd,
I'll blessing beg of you. For this same lord,

Pointing to POLONIUS

I do repent: but heaven hath pleased it so,
To punish me with this and this with me,
That I must be their scourge and minister.
I will bestow him, and will answer well
The death I gave him. So, again, good night.
I must be cruel, only to be kind:
Thus bad begins and worse remains behind.
One word more, good lady.

QUEEN GERTRUDE

What shall I do?

HAMLET

Not this, by no means, that I bid you do:
Let the bloat king tempt you again to bed;
Pinch wanton on your cheek; call you his mouse;
And let him, for a pair of reechy kisses,
Or paddling in your neck with his damn'd fingers,
Make you to ravel all this matter out,
That I essentially am not in madness,
But mad in craft. 'Twere good you let him know;
For who, that's but a queen, fair, sober, wise,
Would from a paddock, from a bat, a gib,
Such dear concernings hide? who would do so?
No, in despite of sense and secrecy,
Unpeg the basket on the house's top.
Let the birds fly, and, like the famous ape,
To try conclusions, in the basket creep,
And break your own neck down.

QUEEN GERTRUDE

Be thou assured, if words be made of breath,
And breath of life, I have no life to breathe
What thou hast said to me.

(Say with great sadness, and misery.)

We Are Alive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The play of Antigone has more to offer than what is portrayed on the surface. Not only is this tragedy an interesting story, Sophocles is a renowned philosopher who’s every word is a peace of wisdom about life. Sophocles poses questions about certain times it would seem acceptable to disobey the law. In this play we, the reader, feel sympathy for Antigone. Even though she has gone against law, we still feel for Antigone. This is the issue Sophocles addressed. Personally, I have two opinions of this issue. Although they are opposites of each other, it depends what perspective I am put in. Sophocles lets the reader make his own opinions about the play and makes us think about the outcome.

If I were put in the exact same position as Antigone, I would have to agree with her. If it were my brother, there would be nothing to get in my way of correctly honoring his death, no matter the circumstances. It is family. The only way to survive in life is to stick to your decisions and never waiver. If it is your true feelings, no one or anything will change your mind. I can not name a person who has survived life’s challenges by being a follower. Only the strong live long and the weak crumble under pressure. I have great respect for Antigone and the decision she made. The defiance shown by such a woman should be greatly respected.

The only way to make a personal opinion is by hearing all the points of views, then basing your judgments upon those results; if not, it is just ignorance talking. From the king’s perspective, he has to uphold the law and keep his reputation strong. If he were to give into Antigone, many civilians would see this action as a trait of weakness. A weak king never survives. He would have to let every foe be given the proper respect; he can not give any exceptions. So, from the king’s perspective, the only option is to keep the law.

This issue is obviously, very complex. During Sophocles’s time, mankind was just beginning to think and try to solve this problem. To this day, there is not a solution. Although there may be no complete solution, we have been able to make a compromise. When we take a step back and look at the bigger picture, not just the issue of respecting family, we see that many country’s have made compromises to this dilemma. In our country, we have to give a little to get a little. For the giving up of some freedoms, we can be sure that we are safe. In other country’s, such as China, the censorship of propaganda and issues of the outside world has kept the civilians of China safe. As we see, every country has their solution of the problem. Not everyone is happy, but we are still alive.(487)

Be Happy, Live for Yourself!!!!!!

As said in class, Franz Kafka wrote this novel to portray the literal meaning of a metamorphosis. Rather than just using a metaphor to represent the insignificance of a bug's life, Kafka turned Gregor into an actual bug. Any person can judge another's life and conclude that he or she is living a meaningless life. But, the art of this novel gives the reader a perspective into the life of a bug and rather than just telling us what to think or what to feel, we, the reader, get to make our conclusions about Gregor and the life he is living. The purpose of this novel is not apparent at first, but I have come to get the understanding Kafka is making an example of what he has observed in his lifetime and what we should do to make our lives better.

Gregor is a man who works as a traveling salesman whose only job is to do his job no matter the circumstances. You would think with the as much commitment as Gregor put forth, he would get treated better than he did. One of the men from his company came to check on Gregor and find out his reason for not coming to work. It felt like the man came to catch Gregor and treated him as a culprit and not as a valued employee. Because Gregor is just another number in the company, his insignificance is exposed. Gregor's job may be Kafka's way of criticizing his society by pointing out the amount of importance which is set on a job and what many people get in return. Living life is sometimes not very apparent in everyone's life, which should be in order to be sane and not to become as insignificant as a bug, and in this case, Gregor.

Gregor's relationship with his family is not very good, according to our judgment. His only purpose is to provide the money for his family to continue living. Even after he dies and his family moves on, it seems as though they are happier. Gregor never really stood up for himself. He let himself become the person who everyone controls. When Gregor was turned into a bug, he became totally useless. Everyone had to do everything for him. The tides were turned and he was the one who needed help, yet his family feared him and in the end, did not help him out. For more than five years Gregor helped his family in any way possible despite his hopes and dreams, he had to work. I feel as though he did have dreams, and he is trying to live them through his sister, the violinist. Gregor tries and tries to be happy, but his insignificance as a bug continues to his death. Gregor lived a life that was not very pleasing to him, and would in no way possible be pleasing to me.

The Metamorphosis on the surface a very strange story, but when we dig a little deeper we can see Kafka’s art of portraying his life observations and showing us what we can do to not become a man like Gregor. We need to make our life more than just a job. We need to live and live for ourselves, rather than always trying to please everyone else.

(565)

Life of Expectation

Ivan Ilyich made a good living in being a judge. He was well known for doing his job by the book, and doing his job very well. The separation of his professional and personal life was completely of no influence to one another. Ivan’s personal life, which is predominately his relationship with his wife Praskoyva, begins to become his nightmare. His life with his wife is not based on love; we all know what marriage without love transpires to, just as in The Pride and the Prejudice and Love in the Time of Cholera, many days of hate and anger. Prior to Ivan’s move to Petersburg it seemed as though Ivan was making all the right decisions, but they were not his decisions, really.

At an early age Ivan began his journey in law. From that point forward he looked up to his idols and other men in power for his doings and what he believes is correct. When he first became someone of importance, he made decisions that seemed immoral and just wrong, but as he looked to his idols and saw that they were doing the same, he grew to live with those decisions. Because he was capable of not showing his emotions in his professional life, he was good at his job. Everything in his professional career were based primarily on what others thought of him and not based on his own thought and mind. I believe you, Mr. Coon, nailed it on the head when he was just doing what is expected of him, just as we, your students, are expected to go to school, take AP’s and finally go to college. Ivan Ilyich did what was expected, not what he believed. Ivan’s motives are what people think of him, and what other people expect him to do.

Ivan’s Personal life was also based only on what other people believed he should do. He married Praskoyva because his friends and other people said they look good together, and he had a job that made the marriage of them seem to be the next chapter in his life. He was not in love with her, although she loved him, he still married her. As we see in the later part of his life we see the misery he is in. He does not want to be with her anymore. Even though he lives out his life with her, he never does confront his feelings. Maybe because he likes his simple life, he wanted to keep it simple to make it seem as though his life was the picture perfect thing he thought of. A wife, job, kids, and the house he thinks are what he imagined he would like to live to be considered successful. His life was once again based on his expected outcome to be.

Ivan Ilyich did not live a life of his own. He was trapped with a disease, not the one that killed him, but the one that stayed with up until his deathbed. His disease consisted of a life of expectation and not a life of his own. Finally at the end of his life, he realized what his life was made of. The sadness of I feel for someone who has spent their entire life trying to please everyone, but never really living. (555)