Roethke’s Poetry Exercise

A tough dog might bite

Like a sharp rock through your throat.

It will leave a red mark

And maybe even bruise blue.

You are surprised to feel the hot mark

Like a burning in the moon

To swing down as a soft cloud

And fly into the mud.

To say it is important to cut your eye

Is an understatement at the least

Because it will help the pain of your throat

And ease the slag in your belief.

English 1102

Now that the semester is coming to a close and I have had some time to reflect on all we have done so far, I can say that I have learned a lot this semester. English is not like math, it is a major component of a successful career. I had a great experience and have learned skills that will help me throughout my professional career. What has really helped me get the most out of it has been the essays at the end of each section. Those have challenged me to examine the material and read in between the lines. Instead of having everything spoon fed to me, I actually had to use what I have analyzed. It allowed me to be more creative and I now have the ability to draw my own conclusions. The hardest part for me during the semester was when we were working on the research paper and everything sort of got crammed together but what does not kill you can only make you stronger and I learned a lot through that. What surprised me the most was how helpful Professor Lindberg has been. She has a heart for her students and wants to see them achieve success and that is something you do not see a lot of today. She listens to her students and allows them to be creative. By making me analyze the works myself, I have been able to see literature in a whole new light. There is nothing more fulfilling than being able to walk away from this semester knowing that I now have the ability to view stories and poems not only as works, but as works of art. The class was very engaging and even though I am not good at talking in front of others, I love hearing what others had to say and no opinion was put above another. 

Seasons

There is something about fall 

That appeals to us all.

Kids loves the candy,

While men like to shoot Bambi.

Women love the colorful trees,

Even though it can cause them to wheeze.

There is plenty of food

And relationships are renewed.

The weather is great

And time predates.

Then there is winter,

And over used printers.

Christmas cards all around,

And people gain a couple pounds.

There is fun and there is laughter,

And the best gifts are sought after.

Snowmen are built

And tend to tilt.

Kids are out of school

Which to them is supercool.

Next is spring,

And what joy it brings!

Plants come alive,

And bees build their hive.

The weather is warm

Which causes a lot of storms.

Kids have spring break,

And boats begin to fill the lake.

The glass turns green

And women everywhere start to clean.

Summer finally arrives

And the beaches start to thrive.

Playing at the pool

Is the only way to keep cool.

Amusement parks are busy

And hair is frizzy.

And the rain,

let's just say it's a real pain.

Kids love June and July

But sadly it flies by.

 

Hypocrites

One thing I have realized in my few years on this earth is that everyone is a hypocrite in some form or fashion. However, there are some that take it to a whole new level and are hypocritical in many areas in their lives. I have dealt with a few people like that. When someone is like that, you have to learn how to deal with them because now matter how many times you confront them about, it's hard to get them to change. I know a girl who preaches about how you should not date someone who drinks, smokes, has casual sex, etc, when she dates a drunk who smokes not just tobacco and has sleep with more girls than he can count. Another scenario I have dealt with is someone who is a perfect angel in front of adults but is far from it around her friends. After dealing with these people I always keep myself in check about being a hypocrite. Since I was raised in a Christian home, my parents have instilled in me that there is nothing that hurts your testimony more than being two-faced. My dad was a great man and anyone who knew him knew that the man you saw at work on Monday morning was the same man you saw at church worshipping on Sunday. Who wouldn't want people to say that about you? I have always looked up to my dad and the example he set for me and I can only hope that people think of me that way. There is nothing worse than a hypocrite to me and I would hate for people to see me as one. It is easy for me to look at the way others are acting and think that I am at least better than them, but that is not right, the only person I need to be worried about is myself and make sure I am doing the right thing.

Troy Maxson

I personally do not think that Troy Maxson is racist, rather he is fighting racism. The 1950's were a hard time in American history, for the first time the lives of blacks and whites were being forced to come together. It was like putting a cat and a dog in the same cage and hoping they would eventually get along. Assuming in this senario that the dog represents the whites and the cat represents the blacks, the dog has the upper hand because of its size. The government allowed racism towards blacks to go on for so long that it grew strong and when they decided to let the "cat" in the cage, it did not stand a chance. That is how I see Troy Maxson's behavior towards whites. He feels as if he has been thrown into a cage of hungry dogs and is forced to fight for not only his, but his family's lives. He does not hate all white people, he hates the ones that are preventing him and his fellow race from reaching their dreams. Does he have a reason to be racist? I think he does and most people were. There was a lot of racism towards whites that you do not hear about because blacks did not have any power to show it. Not saying that all whites were mean to black but if it came down to giving a white or a black man a job, the white man would get it. Maxson even faced this in the play. He was denied the right to drive a truck because his boss said that only a white man could be a driver. Seeing how his boss treats him shows me that he has resentment towards him and all the other white people that act like him, but I do not consider that racism. Racism to me is showing resentment to all people that are from a certain race or nationality.

Charley to Willy

When Charley told Willy "the only thing you got in this world is what you can sell" (1256), he meant that Willy was focusing on the unimportant things in life. His main concern was to be successful, not that there is anything wrong with wanting that, but it cannot consume your life. Willy was not only loosing his wife and sons, he was also loosing himself. He viewed life like a carriage horse, with blinders on that only let him see what was directly infront of him. His blinder was success. To him there was one way to be successful and that was in sales. Due to this tragic flaw he lost his relationships with his sons. He wanted them to live his dream, not their's. Even though this story is from the 1940's, it is very relevant to today. Americans have always had an incredible desire for success, why else would a bunch of people hop on a boat and sail to foreign to restart their lives? It is all because they wanted to accomplish success that was unattainable in Europe. So as humans, we come by it naturally. Even Willy's attitude towards his sons can be seen today. Parents are always pressuring their children to live out their dreams. They have the right intentions, but they forget that their child also has a dream. There are thousands of people today in Willy's situation, maybe not as crazy, but they only have what they can sell. Material things are not what make a person happy. Those things can be taken away anytime and what does that leave you with? A life full of debt? Arthur Miller did an excellent job of adding a great moral to this story, whether he meant to or not. We should never be so caught up in something that we loose what is truly important in life.

Death of a Salesman Casting

If Death of a Salesman was a movie I would cast Harrison Ford as Willy, Helen Mirren as Linda, Channing Tatum as Biff, and Justin Timberlake as Happy.

I see Willy as a the typical businessman striving for success but never figuring out why he just can not get to where he wants to be. He knows his career is not successful so he puts all the pressure on his sons to achieve where he has not. The reason I choose Harrison Ford as Willy, from what I have seen in his former roles, he does a very great job at portraying people with a lot of internal conflict. Willy seems to constantly be battling within himself because he feels like he has not had the success that he or his family deserves.

Linda is just your average women. She is motherly, loving, supportive, and sometimes over protective. She wants what is best for her husband and wants him to have success, while all at the same time keeping a logical check on things. I chose Helen Mirren as Linda because to me she just has that maternal look about her. She seems like the woman who could portray a supportive, yet concerned wife.

I see Biff as a the son who is caught up in his father's dream. He wants to do what he wants to do and has a hard time going against himself. His father wanted him to go farther than he has and saw the potential Biff possessed in football. The only way he felt like he could escape that expectation and figure out what he wants to do is to move out west were hard labor was more important than schooling. The reason I think Channing Tatum would be a good fit for this character is because he does well at portraying a mature person but still gives the sense of rebelliousness that Biff has.

Last but certainly not least is Happy. There is something about this character that intrigues me. Even though he has lived in his brother's shadow his whole life, he uses his brother's weakness and tries to make it his strength. He knows what he wants and has the drive to get it, but he is a playboy and is a little big for his britches. So needless to say, Justin Timberlake is just the perfect fit. He can play up both the womanizer and the overlooked younger brother role that Happy possesses. 

The American Dream...

What is the American dream? When someone talks about how they just want the American dream everyone agrees and says they want it too. But does anyone really know what it is? I think it depends on the person. Not everyone wants a house in the suburbs with a white picket fence, dog, and two kids. Not all women want to get married, have kids and be a stay-at-home parent. Not all men want to commute to the big city wearing a tie and work a 9:00am to 5:00pm job. America is the land of possibilities. It does not matter where you come from, you can accomplish whatever you want to. My dad, for example, came from a broken home with two alcoholic parents and no money. He dropped out of high school when he was a sophomore to race motocross and party. When he decided to leave the motocross industry, to provide for his family he worked as a truck driver, fireman, butcher, and he started his own business all at the same time. My dad worked hard and became a successful small business owner. Once my mom was able to get a good promotion at Shaw he quit all those extra jobs and was able to accomplish what I call the American dream. He would go fishing when he wanted to and if he wanted to sleep in he did. He was able to go on vacations with the family and my mom was eventually able to take early retirement from Shaw. My dad lived the American dream and even though he did not come from much, he was able to leave behind not only a great legacy, but also proof that dreams can be accomplished. Having said all that, I believe that the American dream people making goals for themselves and doing whatever they can to make them happen.

Good Times

I have a lot of memories associated around food. Whether it's Holiday traditions or meals with friends, some of my fondest memories have a connection with food. One specific example that sticks out is when I went to St. Vincent Island on a mission trip. The first night we were there one of my team members offered me an ackee fruit. What is an ackee fruit? Well to be honest, I am not quite sure. It looks like a pecan that still has its green covering. To eat it you have to bite the green coating and pull the "filing" out.  The filling is hard to describe but it has a tart flavor and a leathery texture. You then suck on it till you reach the seed. The memory that comes to mind when I think of this fruit is sitting on the roof of the villa in Kingstown overlooking the ocean. Hannah, Zach, and I would sit on the roof during the evening while eating ackee and watch the sunset. There was something so calm about those nights that make you wonder why you don't stop more often. Another fun part about ackee, other than eating it, was seeing who could throw it the farthest. There were mango trees across the street and we would try, unsuccessfully, to hit the magos with the seeds. Even though we had very little luck with that, we still got a good laugh watching one another. All I can do is smile when I think about ackee fruit and the memories of St. Vincent that comes with them. I was very sad when I realized that do to the strict customs rules, I could bring back any ackee fruit. Since this fruit is uncommon and different from the Jamaican ackee, I decided to add a picture.

What am I eating?

This past Monday night I had a brave spell and decided to make homemade ravioli. When I say homemade, I mean homemade! I made the pasta and the spinach filling. When I think about all the raw ingredients I realize that even something homemade can contain a lot of "processed" things. Eggs, pepper, and spinach are the only ingredients that I would consider to be raw in the ravioli. All of the rest are not in their natural "state". Where did all of them come from? I would like to think they were grown by a cute old farmer somewhere, but I do not think that this is a correct image. All I know the food could come from China or Mexico, isn't that where everything in America comes from? Most of my family members have their own gardens and I think there is a huge difference from home-grown to mass produced. The biggest difference in the food is not necessarily where it's produced as much as it how. All most Americans care about is how fast it takes to cook, not what is in it or where it comes from.