Paper II: Blogging the Question

-Compare uses and/or abuses of power as a theme in novels or short stories you have read. Say what this theme and its presentation contribute to each work you discuss.
-Look for the theme of power and the uses and/or abuses and how it affects each work.
-Darkness at Noon, The Metamorphosis

-To what extent would you agree that plot should be valued more highly than style in the novel and short story? In your answer you should refer to two or three novels or short stories you have studied.
-Should plot be valued more highly than style?
-Plot and style
-As I Lay Dying, The Bluest Eye

Preparing for Paper I: The Unseen Commentary

I. Introduction
Thesis: In the poem "The Voice," Thomas Hardy develops a reminiscent mood to characterize the object, or the woman, that this poem is about.
II. Body
A. Repetition
1. "you"
a. addressing the mysterious woman that the narrator was once associated with
b. reveals that he is constantly thinking about her
c. emphasizes his obsession and reminiscence
2. repetition of rhetorical questions
a. narrator is disillusioned
b. reveals narrator's hopefulness
B. Diction
1. "or is it only"
a. makes everything else seem insignificant
b. de-emphasizes the importance of nature
c. supports narrator's obsession. wants the woman more than the world
2. "dissolved"
a. dehumanizes
b. in denial that the woman went away. disillusioned
3. "wan wistfulness"
a. sad, lonely, melancholy
b. desire and denial. slow acceptance
4. "faltering"
a. unsteady, unsure. in denial that it is not the woman
b. reconsidering whether it really is the woman
C. rhyme/meter
1. the rhyme scheme begins in the second stanza and continues to the end. the lack of the same structure in the first stanza indicates that the narrator is distraught.
III. Conclusion

MacGowan - Character Analysis

MacGowan is a young man that works at the local drugstore in Jefferson. He is manipulative and takes advantage of Dewey Dell's naivety. He notices right away that Dewey Dell is a country girl and assumes that she is uneducated. He and Jody, another employee, repeat and refer to Dewey Dell as a country girl and that she "looks pretty good, for a country girl" (242). MacGowan analyzes Dewey Dell's character and notices that she is "one of them black eyed ones that look like she'd as soon put a knife in you as not if you two-timed her" (242).
MacGowan continues talking to Dewey Dell who is in the drugstore in order to get drugs to "cure" her pregnancy. She is not easily convinced by MacGowan, who continues to believe that she is very naive and uneducated. MacGowan asks Dewey Dell if she is married but thinks to himself, "I never saw no ring. But like as not, they aint heard yet out there that they use rings" (243-244). He continues this assumption and answers her scrutiny about his credibility by explaining that, even though he is young and handsome, he is a doctor because women didn't get sick anymore until there were new doctors that were young and handsome. There is no evidence whether Dewey Dell believed this. Dewey Dell is obviously desperate because she repeats that she has money for the medicine and she says that she needs a doctor, even if he really isn't qualified.
In the end, Dewey Dell realises that she must do certain favors for MacGowan in order to get the medicine. However, MacGowan still believes that he has tricked Dewey Dell. He fills a flask with turpentine and gives it to her but she immediately recognizes the smell. Being desperate and in panic, Dewey Dell drinks the turpentine and promises to come back later to receive the rest of the medicine. Dewey Dell realises afterwards, or perhaps before, that the medicine will not work and that MacGowan was lying because she states, "It aint going to work" (251) after meeting with MacGowan for the rest of the medicine.
MacGowan is a trickster and a womanizer. He took advantage of Dewey Dell but still believed it was because she was uneducated and not because she was desperate and in panic.

Siren Song Commentary

In the poem "Siren Song," Margaret Atwood uses a helpless tone to develop the theme of deception. She describes the men as being egotistical and the women as deceitful and crafty in using these two elements to lure men to their death.
Atwood uses repetition throughout the poem. In the third stanza, Atwood repeats "I" which makes it seem as if the speaker is victimizing herself to get sympathy. This repetition puts emphasis on the fact that the siren focuses on herself, seeming helpless and also drawing attention away from the sailor's ego. Atwood enforces this through the repetition of "you" in the last few lines. This repetition emphasizes the fact that the siren is clearly addressing and acknowledging the listener. Atwood also uses phrases such as "a cry for help" and "squatting on this island" which contribute to the helpless tone and cause the listener to sympathize with the siren and try to help. She uses masculine, war-related words such as "forces" and "squadrons" to cause the listener to become more egotistical.
Atwood's tone changes from helpless to bored in the last stanza. This is seen in the phrase, "Alas it is a boring song but it works every time." This indicates that the siren knows that she is in control and that she is bored that the song works every time to bring a man to despair and death. Atwood also repeats in the beginning of the poem that this is a "song," yet the siren merely speaks these words; possibly tricking the man into thinking that he is not listening to the deceitful song at the moment. 

Atwood's use of repetiton, diction, and tone contribute to the deception the sirens are able to create and the power they have over men. She uses this fact to criticize egotistical men and their view of women.

Midterm Break Plog

In the poem "Midterm Break," Seamus Heaney uses an almost indifferent tone in an attempt to create a comforting mood. He develops this tone through diction and the speaker reveals his true feelings through the use of euphemisms and ambiguity.
The poem begins with the auditory imagery of bells tolling and could be seen as either funeral bells or as a sign as the end of classes. Next, there is visual imagery such as the father crying, showing his sorrow physically. The speaker also describes the corpse of the little boy in detail. He examines that there is a "poppy bruise on his left temple" and notes that the boy was "paler now." These two lines indicate that the speaker was thoroughly examining the body, found no "gaudy scars," only a bruise and also notes that the body was paler than the last time the speaker saw him. At this point, the speaker indicates that it has been a while since he has seen this boy but the speaker remembers how the boy looked before. The speaker goes on to call the coffin a "four-foot box," effectively creating a euphemism which indicates that he is trying to comfort either himself or those around him. Throughout the poem, the speaker shows little emotion. He says his father is crying, not the speaker. The speaker felt embarrassed to shake the hands of the people trying to comfort him. Also, the speaker holds his mother's hand while she "coughed out angry tearless sighs." It seems as if he is trying to comfort her by not showing emotion because it is apparent that she is trying to hold back her emotions.
Heaney develops a sense of alienation throughout the poem. It starts with the speaker getting picked up with neighbors, not his own parents. The speaker seems to feel uncomfortable and embarrassed around the guests and "strangers" at his house. Heaney uses the word "strangers" to emphasize the alienation. The speaker also mentions that it has been six weeks since he's seen his brother.
Heaney also introduces a contrasting element in the poem which can contribute to the confusion the speaker may be feeling. In the third stanza, Heaney begins with the description of a baby cooing and ends the stanza with the words "old men." The baby is youthful and is still full of life whereas the old men are nearer to death than the baby. The speaker brings this point up again in the last stanza. Heaney repeats the fact that the coffin was four feet long, emphasizing the youth of the boy and contrasting it with the reality that he is dead. Heaney also reiterates the fact that the boy was young by using only one line instead of a stanza to show the finality and shortness of life for the young boy.
Although Heaney makes it seem as if the speaker is indifferent, there are clear signs that the speaker actually cares very deeply about the boy that died. The apathy and themes of alienation contribute to the possibility that the speaker did not know how to act properly in that sort of situation.

The Punishment Poetry Blog

In the poem "Punishment," Seamus Heaney uses diction to show the chaos and disorder the speaker experiences as he examines the punishment done to the girl. 

Heaney introduces a lot of contrast in the poem. For example, in the last stanza, he pairs the words "intimate" and "revenge." Along with the words "civilized" and "outrage." Intimate and civilized have positive connotations whereas revenge and outrage are negative. These oxymorons are both in the last stanza, giving a lasting impression of insanity. The speaker's insanity is developed throughout the poem. It is most evident in his descriptions of the corpse. He spends more than half the poem describing the state the corpse is in and recalling what the corpse looked like when it was still human. The speaker obsesses over the corpse and, more specifically, the punishment inflicted upon the corpse. He describes the more gruesome details about the corpse and even mentions that if he were to "cast...the stones of silence," he would have. 

Heaney uses short, interrupted sentences in the beginning of this poem. This shows that the speaker is either distressed or eager to describe the corpse. He also jumps from thought to thought, further emphasizing the insanity of the speaker.  He constantly contrasts himself; the speaker "almost [loves] the girl" but he would be able to punish her if given the chance. He also enjoys seeing the corpse's insides as they are revealed. The speaker introduces a lustful tone as he uses the word "voyeur" which establishes a relationship between the girl and the speaker. 

The literary techniques such as oxymorons, diction, and the contrast contribute to the overall disorder of the poem which contributes to the speaker's disillusioned state of mind. 

A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning: Poetry Log 2: Week 2: Semester 2: IB English 2

In the poem, "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning," John Donne uses diction to create a calming and reassuring tone. This poem can be interpreted as the speaker reassuring his lover that they will always be together, even when the speaker dies.

Donne uses the repetition of the numbers "one" and "two" to emphasize the fact that the speaker and his lover believe they are one soul but also accept the reality that they are separate in body. Although they are separate physically, the speaker believes he and his lover are complementary like two "stiff twin compasses" or two feet. They are able to work separately but work best when together. Donne also repeats words such as "love" and uses love together with joy to create a calming, happy atmosphere when he refers to his lover, showing his enthusiam for their love for each other. The speaker believes that the love he and his lover share is "so much refin'd" and that they are connected through the mind and soul so they will not miss each other's physical properties. This reassures his lover that, although they may be far apart physically or spiritually, they will still be together in their minds and they will still be connected with their souls. 

Donne also uses certain phrases to further reassure his lover that their love will last forever and also reiterate their relationship. The speaker states, "Such wilt thou be to me who must...obliquely run," when referring to the relationship between the feet. This sort of relationship means that the lover will follow the speaker where ever he goes; including heaven. In a further attempt to comfort his lover, Donne begins and ends the poem in a euphemism for death. In the first stanza, Donne says "virtuous men pass mildy away" and ends the poem with the lines "Thy firmness makes my circle just, And makes me end, where I begun." The use of circle provides imagery of the speaker's life cycle and the fact that he will go back to non-existence as he once was before he was born. This makes it sound more natural and also reassuring that the lover completed the speaker's life cycle, helping him move on.

Donne uses imagery, diction, and euphemisms to address the fact that the speaker is dying but he accepts his fate and wishes for his lover to be comforted and also wish him well.