Poem #17 Etheree

A

bad thing

that you must

change so that you

can become better

in life than you are now.

Out with the bad and in with

the new. It is like taking a

big breathe of fresh air for the first time.

Everyone needs to take on this challenge.

Blog #12

Apotheosis is a term that can mean different things depending on the situation in which you are using it. In my life it has a meaning of theology in a way, so that something I accomplished lifted me to somewhat of a godlike stature. It can be used differently when speaking about art however.

For me, apotheosis  happened when I was in highschool. I come from a small town that thrives on how well the athletic programs do each year.  It is like the only thing that our town prides itself on since we are so small. the wrestling program is at the top on this expectation of success.  Year in and year out our highschool wrestling program does very well, but we had only ever had two state champions before 2006. In that year I went un-defeated  and won the title.  It was like becoming mayor of my town for rest of my life. Every time I am in a restraunt or walking down the street people come up to me and talk about how proud of me they were.  I would get free meals and front row seats at events.  The simple fact that I became successful  in my sport had lifted me to a status above most people, a godlike stature.

I don’t think that I am a god by any means, I just think that because of my success people have put me to a higher respect level.  I believe that through my hard work and efforts people have realized the time I put in to my sport and are rewarding me for my efforts.  We do this to people all the time for athletics and fame.  Once you become the star in the spotlight you are somewhat lifted to a higher level than the normal population, to a godlike stature.

The poem from our book that I related to this is on page 60 called The Great Figure, by William Carlos Williams.  I think that our town is in a sense a dark place and dreary, but with the success of sports our town has a shinging star or firetruck that drives through to brighten the dark atmosphere.  I think that sports are the sole light to the dark in many places.

Blog #11

Samsara is a term that people have defined in many different ways throughout time. I feel that depending on where you are at in your life you may take it in a different way that your peers may.  For a student in high school samsara in their life is surely to be different than say and adult who is married with children, but no matter what stage of life you are in samsara is almost certainly involved in your life some how.

For me  samsara has been in and out of my life in different ways. Right now I think it is most prevelant in my school work habbits.  I have never been much on getting things done on time, no matter what it is I seem to be a week or two behind.  So I am trying my best to stay on top of things and keeping up on my reading. I am trying my best to break the habbit of procrastination and replace it with ambition and planning. I have come to realization that this part of my life is so important in how the rest of my life will be shaped, and I don’t want to be behind on things the rest of my life.  Life is about grasping your talents and progressing on them and not letting the bad habbits and rituals that you partake in bring you down. It is up to the person to make the decision to worry about the right things and break away from the bad. Our parents and teachers always drive into our heads the right things to do and what not to do, but it is truly up to us to decide what we want to do. Samsara is all about kicking the bad for you, not for others, because you want to make your own life better.

No matter what we do in our lives it will effect our future in some way. You have the choice to change for the good or change for the bad, Samsara wants you to change for the good. You can’t go through life letting yourself be stuck in bad ruts, you must pull yourself out and move forward in a possitive way.

The poem that I think relates to this is on pg. 70 in 101 Great Amercian Poems called “After the Winter” by Claude Mckay

Poem #16 Shape

Men

Are

a

Father Figure for Children

The one that we all are trying to please

He is our leader

                                                                                                      that                                                 is      

our

powerful

guardian

figure

He

                                                                                                       is at times                     loving and

                                                                                                      and at times                 scary but

                                                                                                      he is there                   no matter what

                                                     

Poem #15 Quatrain

Her eye catching body will drive you wild

The power she has makes you feel like a child

She makes your knees weak and your vision cloudy

When she walks in the men get roudy

Blog #10

Music is a key role in many plays and movies. In “Into the Woods”, music helps set the mood and scene very well.  When the baker is searching for all the items that the witch wants the music gave it a sense of urgency and panic.  It made you feel the stress that he was going through and made you wish that he could just get all the things he needs.

Into the Woods has many of the same story lines as other classical stories. Little Red Ridinghood goes through the typical monomyth sequence. She goes through the call to adventure by taking the trip through the woods to her grandmothers house, run’s into trouble with the wolf, and in the end is changed by the bakers help to save them.

The baker also goes through the monomyth journey as well, right before he goes on his journey he is at his lowest point. His wife desperately wants a child but there family has been cursed by the witch. He must embark on this life changing journey to  lift the curse and make his family happy again. If not then

Blog #9

In the Power of Myth, Campbell explores many different topics. One that caught my attention was the topic of the coming about of the goddess figure. He talks about women becoming the center of the society and the most important person when it comes to magic power.  It makes me think about the  fact that some women may not have the ability to have children so does this mean that they then had no power in society.  I am not sure if people even were aware about that during those times but it certainly is  something that people are aware of today.  So for a while everyone thought of the women as the key to life since they are the ones who bring life into the world.  It is like the peace on earth, without rain and sun then no life would be supported. I think this is another reason why some people worshiped the sun and other  parts of the earth.  The role of the women being in power didn’t last long however, as soon as the male became the dominant force in the household then women went back to being of lower status.

Another subject that Campbell talked about that really got my interest was about life and death. He talks about when you lose your life you gain life, and like the bible says if you lose your life in the name of the lord then you will be saved. It makes me wonder what the people that do not believe in a god think.  dop they just accept the fact that when they die thats it?  I can’t even imagine that we are put here just for this.  I think that there is alot of things we have meant for us to do on earth and in heaven. So I think that is is in us to live for something so that way we die for something.

Poem #14 Terza rima

Oh school how you never seem to be easy,

I know I need you to survive in life,

However I want you to be over.

The stress you bring me is overwhelming,

This journey has been a very trying one,

Releif will come on graduation day.

poem #13

I am going to write a song for the Baker and his quest to find the objects that the witch has asked for. He must find these so the witch will take the curse off of his family so his wife can get pregnant. He must find a cow as white as milk, the cape as red as blood, the hair as yellow as corn, and the slipper as pure as gold. So I am going to write a song about this task.

Red, yellow, white and gold

White  and gold

Red, yellow, white and gold

White and gold

These are the colors I must find

To get my wife out of this bind

If I don’t I’ll lose my mind!

Ooooooh red, yellow, white and gold!!

Poem #11 Dactyl

Stay the course, stay the course,

Stay the course ahead,

Temptations lure you off the path,

But dangers sure to come.

Come my child, don’t be scared,

Theres goods to nourish over here.

Temptations lure you off the path,

But dangers sure to come.