Poetry Remix

Working Together Remix

Hamlet Essay

     As human beings we natural make thousands of decisions a day but some are obviously harder to make than others. Some are made without hesitation, while some are so hard and over-thought that they can consume us until that decision is what defines us. This is demonstrated in the theme and tone that Shakespeare uses in the play Hamlet through Hamlet's phrases such as "to be or not to be."
     Throughout the play Hamlet pretends to go crazy but he may actually be going a little crazy over the decision he has to make about whether to kill his father. This is what is contemplated in his "to be or not to be" soliloquy. He is deciding whether "to act or not act" or "to die or to live" and this is what probably drives him insane inside. He goes back and forth on whether it would be better to live with the pain or just die. That alone is a pretty dark thought that shows signs that might be suicidal and on the verge of madness. Shakespeare uses this soliloquy to show the audience what problems Hamlet is facing internally and the madness that faces us Hamlet and all of us when dealing with tough situations.
     Some words can become more than just words with definitions. When said out loud and in the right way they can have a profound impact on someone. In the "to be or not to be" soliloquy, the words that Hamlet say are spoken out loud and greatly enhance what he is thinking inside. By saying them out loud he is turning his feelings into reality. The words that he speaks are no longer just words in his head. They suddenly become more meaningful and somehow more important to him. This power that his words possess ultimately lead him to ultimately struggle with the decision that he is faced with. His words suddenly make his madness seem more real to not only him but to the audience as well.
     Madness and confusion seem to be a constant theme throughout this play. The way the his words give him power in his soliloquy confirm this theme. Hamlet experiences the craziness that all of us do but we never really say it out loud to give it the power that Hamlet did. If Hamlets "to be or not to be" had been delivered in any other way the message would certainly not have gotten to Hamlet or the audience as effectively.

INTRO TO POETRY

Poem "Out Beyond Ideas" by Mewlana Jalaluddin Rumi

1. The title of this poem is significant because the poem is about leaving all of our ideas behind so that we may see everyone as equals. Our ideas of right and wrong is the reason that their are problems in the world and by leaving them behind we realize that we are actually all equals.
2. I think that the tone of this poem is inspiring and hopeful because the author is hoping to inspire people to leave their ideas behind so that we may not have as many problems in the world.
3. As I read this poem I really began to think about how many problems there are in the world. I think the author is right in that if we just leave our ideas and differences aside then many of the worlds problems that are very severe could possibly be solved or maybe they would never have happened in the first place.
4. In this poem there seems to be a shift from talking about a field that sounds amazing to talking about a world that is full of problems. This shift from a positive feeling to a negative feeling confirms the overall theme of the poem.
5. The theme of this poem is that the world is filled with problems and many of them could possibly be solved if we leave our ideas and our differences aside.

LOVE SONG OF J. ALFRED PRUFROCK NOTES

-poem is talking about how time is wasted
-he did not have the time to make the decisions that he really wanted to make
-he has waited too long to make the decision
-a lot of us procrastinate and we lose time
-we need to keep track of time before we lose track of it
-he is trying to warn the rest of us to not spend our lives like he spent his
- the title is ironic because nobody really loves Prufrock in his own "love song"
-time can either heal or heart
-if time is not healing then it must be hurting because time can only heal something if there is something that got hurt by living your life and if you're not living then time can only hurt you

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER IN "THE LOVE SONG OF J. ALFRED PRUFROCK"

1. Throughout the poem the author talks a lot about time. At the beginning he is young and feels like he has a lot of it and that when he wants to do something he can wait. Then at the end of the poem he is older and feels like he does not have any time to do anything anymore. He wishes that he would have acted on his thoughts when there was time when he was younger. I think that the author's point is that time goes by a lot faster than most of us anticipate and we should make the most of the time that we are given on this earth.

2. Elliot uses the allusion to show that J. Alfred Prufrock was not like Hamlet at all. Unlike Hamlet, J. Alfred Prufrock was scared to act or do anything about his problems that he was having. Hamlet was the opposite and was trying to solve his problems by acting on them and trying to kill the king to get revenge.

3. "To have squeezed the universe into a ball" This part of the poem makes me picture someone taking the universe in their hand and squeezing it so that it becomes smaller and more manageable. This image shows the reader that J. Alfred Prufrock wishes the world were smaller so that he could manage his problems and do something about them and this is the underlying theme of the entire poem. He wants to be able to face his problems that he never had the courage to face.

Hamlet (the madman?)

     We are all crazy in our own ways but some of us can just handle it better than others can. In the play Hamlet, Hamlet seems to be able to control his emotions that he is feeling towards his family. The more he seems to contemplate killing his Uncle the more his craziness seems to consume him, but even though he is going crazy over the decision he is still sane enough to form an elaborate plan to kill his uncle so is he really mad?
     Throughout the play Hamlet goes back and forth and doesn't know whether it is better to deal with his problems or to just die so he doesn't have to worry about them anymore. In his "to be or not to be" soliloquy he shows the audience how this decision is impacting him. This is when the decision really starts to consume him so that he really does began to become mad. That being said, he is definitely not mad. He obviously does not let the decision impact the way he makes an elaborate plan to kill his Uncle. If he was truly made and consumed by his problems, there would be no way that he could carry out his plans. He might have gone mad if he did not talk about his problems out load. By talking out loud to himself he made his words and ideas more than just words and definitions. They became reality and really helped him to ultimately make his decision. Words can cause movements when said in the right way and we can see this in the way Hamlet lets out what he is thinking.
     Hamlet may seem like he is mad but the only thing that has really made him get even close to going mad is the ghost that basically told him to do this act of violence. The ghost is the root of all of Hamlet's biggest problems. Hamlet would probably just suffer in silence if the ghost hadn't said something to Hamlet. Even though Hamlet listens he is obviously troubled but not mad because he does execute his elaborate plan.

Literature Analysis #2

1.) Exposition: This story is about a team of Navy Seals that have a mission to eliminate a target that is part of Al Qaeda. This Navy Seal is deployed and is supposed to do just do recon on a leader in the Taliban but it turns into a lot more than just that. While they are hiding they are discovered by some mountain herders that would go tell the rest of the village that they were they, so they are forced to make a decision. They can either tie up the herders to slow them down or they can kill them to save themselves. After they talk it over and begin to really get upset about what they should do, they ultimately decide to tie them up and then get away as fast as possible. This proves to be the wrong decision when they do not get away fast enough and are then surrounded by the Taliban. This is when the firefight begins and since they are trained they kill a lot more Taliban but they are outnumbered and are forced to jump down a cliff multiple times. Every time they jump down the cliffs to avoid being shot at they get very injured and the narrator talks about he was really lucky that his gun landed right next to him every time that he fell down the cliffs even though he lost a lot of other things. Eventually the narrators entire team is killed in the fire fight and the only reason that he lives is because he hides from them under a rock. The narrator is then found and is secretly taken care of by the villagers. While he builds up his strength and recovers he is taken care of by many of the children. Eventually the village rises up and pushes out the Taliban and then the narrator is able to be rescued.
2.) The theme of this novel is to never give up even when everything else is going to hell. We see this message throughout the story and especially when one of the seal team members dies. Every time the narrator loses one of his team members he does not give up but seems to want to survive even more for them. Even at the end when it seems like he is going to give up under the rock he is saved by the villagers which shows that sometimes people we don't expect us can end up helping us the most.
3.) The author's tone seems kind of reminiscent and sorrowful because he is looking back on this terrible event that happened. He talks about how he is amazed that they died because Navy Seals were supposed to be invincible but obviously they aren't. He also constantly talked about how hard it was to keep going while his partners were all dying.
4.) The author uses direct characterization mainly to characterize all of the characters. At the beginning of the story he directly tells the audience what each character is like and how they act and what their job is in the team. Through out the story some of these characterizations are proven through the actions that the characters do when they are in this unbelievable situation.
5.) The main character, which is the narrator, is definitely a dynamic character because this traumatic experience changes him. At the beginning he thought that they were so well trained that they really had nothing to fear but by the end reality hit him. Their training helped them but definitely did not make them invincible like they thought it did. The narrator also learned how hard his job could actually be and why he was trained the way that he was.
6.) After the story was over I felt like I had met every single one of the seal team members. The narrator went into great detail about each character and what kind of person they were like. He then proved it all in the story he was telling so you really got a sense of what the characters were like which made them very realistic.

Hamlet Act 2

- Polonius sends a spy to spy on Laertes personal life
- Ophelia says that Hamlet has accousted her
- Polunius suspects that Hamlet's moodiness might be from his love for Ophelia
- He goes to tell Claudius of his idea
- Rosencrantz and Guildenstern come to try and cheer Hamlet up
- Polonius suggests a plan to hide behind a curtain to find out if Hamlet is actually mad with love
-  Hamlet talks to Polonius and he seems to be insane
-Hamlet wants to make a play to represent what Claudius did to his father to see if Claudius is actually guilty for killing his father
- Just making this play shows that Hamlet is not one hundred percent committed to the idea of killing Claudius

Literary Fiction & Empathy

Reading fiction can help you understand people by helping the reader notice the way the character acts and comparing that to the way that the character is feeling. By doing this the reader is able to do this better in real life situations. It also makes you use your imagination more and think more about what might be happening in real life situations. From Hamlet, you can take away that even when people seem like they are okay they may in fact be hiding something that they are feeling. You can infer that it may be important to ask other people how they are feeling frequently to know what is truly on their minds.

Hamlet Act 1

-the changing of the guards is taking place at the beginning
- the guards are talking when they see a ghost
- the audience does not learn much about the ghost or anything else during this scene
- they realize that the ghost looks like the dead King Hamlet
- King Claudius decides to marry Gertrude
- Claudius seems to ignore Hamlet
- Hamlet does not like how quickly the marriage happened
- Claudius does not want Hamlet to return to school
- Hamlet hates the situation that he is in
- Hamlet is informed of the ghost that looks like his father
- Ophelia is warned that she should not fall in love with Hamlet
- the ghost speaks to Hamlet and says that he is in fact his father and that he wants him to avenge his death by killing Claudius
- Hamlet swears to obey the ghost's wishes

Phonar Assignment

It was a sunny day at the top of china peak. I could see the fresh green pine trees covered by the minimal amount of snow that had fallen the previous day. The snow and trees seemed so perfect that there was no way that a picture could be taken. There were not many people skiing or snowboarding at the top of the hill so it was almost silent. The only real sound that was audible was the sound of the empty ski lift creeking and moaning. As I got ready to ride I felt the cool sweat and snow that had gotten inside my thick jacket. As I began my run I took a deep breath and took in the fresh mountain air, ready to begin my run.

Canterbury Outline

1. Knight. We chose the knight because he was described by his actions than his personality and there seemed to be more to the character.
2. In this tale the knight is the main character. He is chivalrous, brave, upper-class, noble, accomplished, Christian, fighter, hero, modest, polite
3. Chaucer uses an anecdote to talk about all of the accomplishments that the knight has and this creates a tone of admiration for the knight. Writing it in a poem makes the story seem more noble.
4. The author indirectly characterized the knight through the anecdote in the beginning of the story when he talks about the battles and wars that the knight has bravely fought in. He used direct characterization by describing the knight with adjectives like truth, honor, and generous. The author mainly used direct characterization.
5. The genre of this tale is a moral tale because it talks about ethical dillemas like how he is a gentle knight yet he always gets his man. Juxtaposition of moral right and wrong in one man.
6. The characters in this story do not hold up to the ideals that the audience has about them. The characters are different than we would typically expect. The characters are also described with juxtaposed ideas.
7. To improve the tale the author needs to talk about who the knight is, instead of what he has done.
8. If the gender was different in this tale, the story wouldnt exist because women could not hold the position of knight. If the social status changed the narrator probably wouldnt admire the knight as much.
9. I think the anecdote that the author uses is the most effective in what the author is trying to tell the audience about the night.
10. I think one thing that I could take from Chaucer and put into my own writing is the was he juxtaposed ideas in each character which is unorthodox in my opinion.

Canterbury Tales Narrative

      It was a warm Saturday morning at UCLA and Jacob was riding his bike to the local coffee shop to study, like he does every Saturday so that he can get his homework done early. As he was riding he’s bike he began to zone out. He often had problems with zoning out because he constantly had things on his mind. He was very observant and often thought about some things maybe a little too hard. As he was thinking about things and zoning out he didn’t notice a car that had pulled out in front of him. He was going so fast that he barely had time to get out of the way but by some miracle he was able to miss the car, but he wasn’t out of danger. He had swerved right into a pole. Feeling very embarrassed and in quite an immense amount of pain, he slowly stood up to look at the stupid pole that had knocked him off his bike. As Jacob looked at the pole he noticed a brightly colored poster that was attached to it. It read BATTLE OF THE BANDS. As soon as had bestowed his eyes upon this sign, Jacob knew that he had this pole for a reason. He had to enter the contest.

       There is something you should know about Jacob, he is a good guitar player but never really performs for anyone else but he really wants to. When he saw the sign he knew that this is what he was meant to do. The only problem was that he didn't have a band, he hasn't even thought about making a band because he thought that it would take away too much of his already precious time. 

       When he eventually got to the coffee shop he sat down and took out his laptop, but did not study like he usually did. Instead he went onto social media sights and began to look for possible friends that he could have in his band. He looked through quite a few friends when suddenly he had come across the friend that he knew was perfect for the job. His name was Joey, Joey Buelow. Joey had been one of Jacob's friends in high school who had wanted to play the drums, so he contacted Joey and asked him about drumming in a band together. Joey was very interested and thought that they should meet in person. So Jacob and Joey decided that they would meet back in their home town at the well know restaurant Orcutt Burger.
       At Orcutt Burger, the two friends from high school caught up with each other. Both mainly asking questions about the colleges that both of them were now attending. After the casual banter back and forth they began to get to the real reason for the meeting. The band. After some discussion Joey finally decided that he would join Jacob in creating a band that had potential for greatness. It all sounded great but there was a problem. How were they gonna get the money for a drum set? After this question came up things seemed to get a little bit more difficult. They tried brainstorming ideas for awhile until they finally found that they might be able to make the money by selling old things that they no longer needed.
        Eventually the two boys made enough money to buy a drum set. As soon as the drums were purchased they knew that they had to get practicing immediately if they even wanted to have a shot at winning the competition. So they practiced for at least a few hours everyday until the day of the competition.
         The day of the competition was very stressful for the two young boys who were dreaming about being an awesome bad the played some awesome music. So Joey and Jacob began to setup up for there performance that could potentially be amazing and they could actually win some money if they did well so they were trying to pump themselves up and give it their all. When they got on the stage they felt confident and were ready to play. When they began to play immediately the crowd reacted and began to move with the beat and cheer. At this instant Jacob knew that they were going to win the contest because he hadn't seen the fans react like that with any of the other bands.
         After they're song the contest was over and they were going to announce the winners. The boys waited backstage feeling very confident that their name was going to be called. After a moment that seemed to last forever the winner was revealed and they had not won the contest. Jacob, Joey, and the fans were in shock but they still congratulated the winners.
        As they packed up and got ready to leave a man in a suit approached Jacob. He said, "I think you two have what it takes to make it big and I would like to offer you a record deal." After hearing this Jacob was stunned and didn't know what to say. They had only played one song and this guy already wanted to sign them. After saying yes instantly Jacob told Joey who also became overwhelmed with excitement. It looked as though they just might make it in the music industry.

Vocab 5

shenanigans - noun mischief; prankishness
ricochet - noun a glancing rebound; verb spring back; spring away from an impact
schism - noun division of a group into opposing factions; the formal separation of a church into two churches or the withdrawal of one group over doctrinal differences
eschew - verb avoid and stay away from deliberately; stay clear of
plethora - noun extreme excess
ebullient - adj. joyously unrestrained
garrulous - adj. full of trivial conversation
harangue - noun a loud bombastic declamation expressed with strong emotion; verb deliver a harangue to; address forcefully
interdependence - noun a reciprocal relation between interdependent entities (objects or individuals or groups)
capricious - adj. determined by chance or impulse or whim rather than by necessity or reason; changeable
loquacious - adj. full of trivial conversation
ephemeral - adj. lasting a very short time; noun anything short-lived, as an insect that lives only for a day in its winged form
inchoate - adj. only partly in existence; imperfectly formed
juxtapose - verb place side by side
perspicacious - adj. acutely insightful and wise; mentally acute or penetratingly discerning
codswallop - noun nonsensical talk or writing
mungo - noun a cheap felted fabric made from waste wool
sesquipedelian - adj. given to using long words
wonky - adj. inclined to shake as from weakness or defect; turned or twisted toward one side
diphthong - noun a vowel sound that starts near the articulatory position for one vowel and moves toward the position for another

VOCAB #3

accolade: an award or privilege granted as a special honor or as an acknowledgement of merit
The ultimate accolade is getting a huge trophy.
acerbity: expressing harsh or sharp criticism in a clever way
The customer made his displeasure known with acerbity.
attrition: the action or process of gradually reducing the strength or effectiveness of someone or something through sustained attack or pressure
The council is trying to wear down the opposition by attrition.
bromide: a statement that is intended to make people feel happier or calmer but that is not original or effective
His speech had nothing more to offer than the usual bromides about how everyone needs to work together.
chauvinist: a person displaying aggressive or exaggerated patriotism
Chauvinists can get really annoying after they talk about patriotism.
chronic: persisting for a long time or constantly recurring
I have chronic pains in my wrist.
expound: present and explain systematically and in detail
He was expounding a powerful argument.
factionalism: a group or clique within a larger group
There is often social factionalism in our schools.
immaculate: perfectly clean, neat, or tidy
He wore an immaculate white suit.
imprecation: a spoken curse
She hurled her imprecations at anyone who might be listening.
ineluctable: unable to be resisted or avoided; inescapable
The ineluctable facts of history.
mercurial: subject to sudden or unpredictable changes of mood or mind
His mercurial temperament.
palliate: make less severe or unpleasant without removing the cause
Treatment works by palliating symptoms.
protocol: the customs and regulations dealing with diplomatic formality, precedence, and etiquette
What is the protocol for making a sandwich.
resplendent: attractive and impressive through being richly colorful or sumptuous
She was resplendent in a sea-green dress.
stigmatize: describe or regard as worthy of disgrace or great disapproval
The institution was stigmatized as a last resort for the destitute.
sub rosa: happening or done in secret
The committee operates sub rosa.
vainglory: excessive pride especially in one's achievements
The vainglory he displayed was getting old.
vestige: a trace of something that is disappearing or no longer exists
The last vestiges of colonialism.
volition: the faculty or power of using one's will
Without conscious volition she backed into her office.

MASTERPIECE IN PROGRESS

Lately I have playing my guitar a lot and listening to music all the time. I've found that I really and truly love listening and making my own music. This got me thinking. Is it really hard to make a successful career in music? I don't necessarily have to be a singer or play the guitar, I think it would just be fun to be a music producer. I already have some experience in music from working the sound board for my churches band every Sunday and at practices. What other positions are there in the music industry that I may be successful in? It may not even be a career that comes from music. Even if it was just a side job that made my day a little better, I think it would definitely be worth it.

BEOWULF ESSAY

The values that are most prominent in society are often shown in the literary pieces that are created by that society. These values can sometimes be shown through a heroic character such as Beowulf in the old English story Beowulf. Just as old English societies had literary pieces where heroes displayed the values of that society we have heroes that display our societies values today. A good example of this is the fictional character of Superman in the many comic books that were written about him.

            

            Beowulf exemplifies the heroic traits and the literary techniques of its time. It exemplifies the heroic traits that were important to the society at the time through the character of Beowulf. The heroic traits that are most defined by Beowulf are strength, bravery, and confidence. Those three traits were often what people wanted to be in the Old English time period. Since most people were fighting off invaders during this time period they often tried to have the three traits that Beowulf has. Beowulf was just created by this society to exaggerate the traits that were most important to them. Beowulf also did not use as many literary techniques as are used in today’s literature because English was still a language that was developing.

           

            Superman and Beowulf are both fictional heroes but there came from two different societies and time periods which lead to many differences between the two. One major difference between the two heroes is the way that they handle beating their enemies in battle. Beowulf talks about how great he is and makes a big ordeal out of beating his enemies while Superman is way more humble and actually hides his true identity from the public. This shows a major difference in the way our society and the society that created Beowulf, viewed heroes and what they expect of them. In Old English times, heroes were supposed to be proud and show everybody how great they were but now in today’s society we think the opposite.  Today we believe that are heroes should be humble and we think poorly of them when they are arrogant in anyway.

           

             Heroic traits and values are often exemplified in the literary pieces that are created by society. Beowulf shows us the characteristics and values that the Old English society aspired to have in their heroes and warriors. While today we have a completely different set of values that we look to have in our heroes and we convey this through our literary works in characters such as Superman. The definition of a hero has not changed over the years but the way the stories are told and the way the heroes act have definitely reflected the changes in our society over the years.

            

LITERATURE ANALYSIS #1

1.) In 1984, Winston Smith lives in London which is part of the country Oceania. The world is divided into three countries, Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia. Oceania is a totalitarian society led by Big Brother, which censors everyone’s behavior, even their thoughts. Winston does not like living in under the Party. Winston hears rumors of a group called Brotherhood, that is composed of a group of underground rebels intent on overthrowing the government. Winston meets Julia and they secretly fall in love and have an affair, which is considered a crime in Oceania. While walking home one day, Winston runs into O’Brien, an inner Party member, who gives Winston his address. O'Brien is supposed to be part of the Brotherhood and Winston would like to join. Since Julia hated the party as much as Winston did, they went to O’Brien’s house together where they were introduced into the Brotherhood. O’Brien is actually a faithful member of the Inner-Party and this is actually a trap for Winston. The owner of the store below Winston and Julia's apartment was also a spy for the Party. Winston and Julia are sent to the Ministry of Love which is a sort of rehabilitation center for criminals accused of a thought crime. There, Winston was separated from Julia, and tortured until his beliefs coincided with those of the Party. Winston eventually cracks and denounces everything he believed him, even his love for Julia, and was released back into the public where he wastes his days at the Chestnut Tree drinking gin.

2.)George Orwell uses this story to portray how dangerous a totalitarian government can actually be. Under this government people no longer have any rights and nothing can happen privately. In this book, Orwell sets up a perfect totalitarian state and used Winston as an example that even the most independent thinkers can be broken by this type of government. This story shows that  once this type of government takes over it is nearly impossible to get rid of it.

3.)I sensed a very pessimistic tone throughout this book. Winston quickly expresses his hate for Big Brother, by writing it in big bold letters in his diary. "His pen had slid voluptuously over the smooth paper, printing in large neat capitals - DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER over and over again, filling half a page."
Winston doesn't even try to make himself heard because he knows he will be punished as soon as he does and early on in the story you can feel him sort of giving up, as shown by this quote. "Curiously, the chiming of the hour seemed to have put new heart into him. He was a lonely ghost uttering a truth that nobody would ever hear. But so long as he uttered it, in some obscure way, the continuity was not broken. It was not by making yourself heard but by staying sane that you carried on the human heritage." 
Winston realizes that the proles are the countries last hope because they make up eighty five percent of the population. "If there is hope, it must lie in the proles, because only there, in those swarming disregarded masses, eighty-five percent of the population of Oceania, could the force to destroy the Party ever be granted."

4.)
Foreshadow: In the beginning of the story Winston says, "people who go into the Ministry of Love come out, but disappear soon afterward." At the end of the story Winston is sent to the Ministry of Love and comes out, but as a totally changed person. (7)
Metaphor:  "If there is hope, it must lie in the proles, because only there, in those swarming disregarded masses, eighty-five percent of the population of Oceania, could the force to destroy the Party ever be granted."(60)
-The Proles represent the lowest working classes of society (the proletariat) and they also serve as a metaphor for hopelessness.
Personification: "If the Party could thrust its hand into the past and say this or that even, it never happened that, surely, was more terrifying than mere torture and death,"
 (126).
- It was scary how much control the Party had.
Allusion: “Big Brother is watching you”(5)
- Allusion to the idea of Stalin looking over the people of the Soviet Union.
Foreshadowing: "It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen." (5)
- Hinting that something is wrong.
Irony: “War is peace, freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength,” (17).
- The three slogans of the Party.
Repetition: “Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the future controls the past,” ( 248).
- He uses repetition to keep readers interested.
Flashback: "It was no use, he could not remember: nothing remained of his childhood except a series of brightly-lit tableaux, occurring against no background and mostly unintelligible."
-The reader learns that Winston is constantly struggling to remember his past, and that he often fails.
Climax: "Stand out in the middle of the room. Stand back to back.Clasp your hands behind your heads. Do not touch each other." (183)
-Winston and Julia getting caught by the thought Police.

Vocab #2

accouterments: additional items of dress or equipment, or other items carried or worn by a person or used for a particular activity

EX: Do you have all of your accouterments for riding your bike?
apogee: the highest point in the development of something; the climax or culmination

EX: The big battle was the apogee of the book.

apropos: with reference to; concerning

EX: I went to a baseball game yesterday; apropos, have you played any lately?

bicker: argue about petty and trivial matters

EX: There is no need to bicker over such stupid things.

coalesce: come together and form one mass or whole

EX: We need to coalesce all the papers that were turned in yesterday.

contretemps: an unexpected and unfortunate occurrence

EX: Falling half way down the cliff was sure contretemps.

convolution: something that is very complicated and difficult to understand

EX: The calculus is very convoluted.
cull: select from a large quantity; obtain from a variety of sources

EX: I made sure to cull so my stats were accurate.

disparate: essentially different in kind; not allowing comparison

EX: Me and my dog are disparate.

dogmatic: inclined to lay down principles as incontrovertibly true

EX: You are dogmatic and a liar.

licentious: promiscuous and unprincipled in sexual matters

EX: You are a licentious man.

mete: dispense or allot justice, a punishment, or harsh treatment

EX: Your punishment will have to be mete.

noxious: harmful, poisonous, or very unpleasant

EX: The baby crying is very noxious.

polemic: a strong verbal or written attack on someone or something

EX: I wrote a polemic to the President.

populous: full of residents or inhabitants

EX: LA is a very populous city.

probity: the quality of having strong moral principles; honesty and decency

EX: He's has probity and is a very nice man.

repartee: conversation or speech characterized by quick, witty comments or replies

EX: His speech was very repartee.

supervene: occur later than a specified or implied event or action, typically in such a way as to change the situation

EX: Sorry that we had to supervene the wedding because of the weather.

truncate: to shorten by cutting off a part; cut short

EX: I wish we could truncate the homework.
unimpeachable: not able to be doubted, questioned, or criticized; entirely trustworthy

EX: He is so smart that he is practically impeachable.

Textbook Notes p.31-60

From Tristia Ovid

-Despises the common theme of death races (referring to gladiator games and/or the continuous war between the Romans and their enemies) -Feels like a barbarian not being able to communicate with people of the new land, had to use body language -Was exiled from Rome -"Injured the power of Caesar the god," in result was sent to assimilate with the Scythian race as a punishment -Believes she deserved to be exiled but not to such a city
Far Corners of Earth by Tu Fu translated by David Hinton Describes a shift from the Chiang-han mountains where clouds begin to hover over to "a new waste of highway." Gradual decline in mood.


 Beowulf -portrays the Anglo-Saxon culture of eighth century Britain -Beowulf: sword-wielding slayer of monsters, upholder of the right, warrior-chieftain-finally written down in eleventh century -main themes: bravery, loyalty, heroism -The Electronic Beowulf Project revived the burnt original manuscripts of Beowulf.
Epic: a long narrative poem, sometimes developed orally, that celebrates the deeds of a legendary or heroic figure  -hero battles for the order of his world -story told in serious matter with sophisticated language Legendary hero: a larger than life character whose accomplishments are celebrated in traditional tales
Important words/vocab (pg. 37) Kenning  Caesura  Reparation Solace Purge Writhing Massive Loathsome 
-the warrior (seafarer) leader claims he is the son of Ecgtheow who's widely known and honored by many
-the warrior got wind of the "monster" that tortures and haunts the Danes and demands that he and his men attempt to defeat this "scathing", "dark ill-doer" monster 
-agreeing with the plan, his men marched to the village/palace in which Hrothgar loved
-some men were assigned to gaurd the boat and escort the others to the palace, protecting the boat from their foes; "gaurd it kept o'er the man of war..." 
-the men can see the shimmery, glistening, gold palace from afar
-the men who were assigned to gaurd the boat and also escort the other men then return to the boat where they spend their time being on the look out
Chapter 5:
-the men, while marching, observe the shiny, well-decorated streets and atmosphere of Heorot
-the men were approached by a proud, curious warrior who stopped the men and asked what their purpose of arrival was
-Beowulf, the leader of the men, and Wulfgar(the warrior described above) discuss the matters. Wulfgar directs the leader and his men to the throne of Hrothgar
-Wulfgar asks Hrothgar to speak to the men
and exclaims that Beowulf appears to be a strong, firm leader; "In weeds of the warrior worthy they, methinks, of our liking, their leader most surely, a hero that hither his henchmen has led." 

- Higlac was the king of the Geats and Beowulf's feudal lord and uncle as well as a very strong man

- Higlac heard that Grendel violently forced and demanded a boat to be fitted out for him to go see Higlac

- Beowulf chose the mightiest, bravest, and best men of the Geats he could find to accompany him on his journey to Hrothgar (14 men total)

- He knew the sea would lead them straight to that distant, Danish shore

- They sailed their boat and arrived fully dressed in mail with the best armor and uninvited

- Hrothgar's lieutenant met them on the shore, demanding to know who they were and why they came unannounced

- He asked Beowulf to immediately explicate their reason for their visit before they take action against them

- Beowulf explained who they were and that they were there to hunt Grendel and protect the people and their King from the monster

- The mounted officer believed their words and that he and his men would guard their ship and protect it, saying that any warriors who battle Grendel successfully should go home bearing their love

- Once Beowulf and his men arrived at Herot, they were called in to see the King

- Beowulf arose and went to meet Hrothgar with some of his men, ordering a few to remain behind with their weapons

Vocab

- reparation: (n.) something making up for wrong or injury

- solace: (n.) comfort; relief

- mail: (n.) flexible body armor made of metal (in this context)

-Beowulf and his men arrive at Herot and are called to see the King 

-Beowulf ordered some of his men to stay with their weapons, while he took others and himself "into Hrothgar's Presence"

-Beowulf describes himself to the kind to make him seem more favorable, by saying things like "They have seen my strength for themselves, Have watched me ride form the darkest of war, Dripping with my enemies' blood."

-Beowulf over does it on the compliments to the king then asks for the kings permission to "purge all evil from this hall" (including Grendal, who Beowulf is willing to go into great battle against) Beowulf is willing to die for his cause and exaggeratedly says so. 

The Battle with Grendel 

-Grendal came from the marsh and journeyed to Herot and was met harshly with Herot being so firmly defended. 

-Grendal stormed through the doors quickly, saw the young and sleepy soldiers lining the halls, grabbed one and killed him, snapping shit and drinking the blood. 

-Grendal clutched Beowulf but was suprised by his strength and attack. Grendal's first reaction was to run but Beowulf didn't let him go. 

-Beowulf and Grendal battled violently. Herot shook and trembled, it was built to only come down in fire but the battle was a much great force. 

·        He was the strongest man, Beowulf was going to kill the "monster"

·        Beowulf's men woke up to Beowulf fighting Grendel and were ready to fight, if needed; they were courageous, but Grendel was pretty indestructible against them and he could easily beat them all

·        But, he(Grendel) was now declining, dying, and had been defeated

·        His shoulder bone broke, a sign of the battle being over

·        Beowulf won "glory, Grendel escaped" to his den though, to die a slow and miserable death

·        Beowulf was very prod, the Danes were happy and his accomplishments were listed; he ended Hrothgar's people's problems

·        Beowulf hung Grendel's "arm, claw, shoulder and all" on the rafters; it was basically a trophy of the victory and proof of the win

Pg. 49 The Monsters' Lair (there was a celebration of Beowulf's victory, but Grendel's mother kills Hrothgar's best friend and takes Grendel's claw, Beowulf hears from the king about the underwater lair)

·        The king is talking the whole time

·        peasants in fields saw female and male creatures and told the king's wise men

·        Grendel they named the man one, no one knows if there were any before them or any other creatures like them

·        The creatures lived in a secret wolf den with rocks and a waterfall to an underground lake (my visual interpretation of the text) It's very dark, roots hanging from the top, no one knows how deep

·        The king wants Beowulf to kill the mother, Beowulf is his only help and hope of "being saved", he will reward him with gold and treasure for winning

Pg. 50 The Battle with Grendel's Mother (Beowulf decides to kill her and goes to the lake)

·        (Beowulf is speaking to the men) To Hrothgar, if he(Beowulf) should die during battle, he wants Hrothgar to be "Father and protector" of his comrades. He wants Higlac to have the things Hrothgar gave him. To Unferth, who questioned his bravery before the Grendel battle, he leaves his "famous old sword" <symbolic value

·        He jumped into the lake without others responding

·        Sank for "hours" before reaching the bottom

·        Grendel's mother saw him, her "welcome" was trying to kill him, but his armor was too strong to penetrate

·        She carried him to her home, he couldn't get out his weapon

·        the fight brought other monsters swimming to see...

-She brought him into her home which nothing could attack them in

-He attacked her but realized he couldn't hurt her

-They continue to fight, and she draws a blade on him, her only son, but she hit his armor and he was unharmed

-He then struck her across the neck and rejoiced at her death

-He then picked up his sword and went to find Grendel but found him dead

-Beowulf then left taking nothing but Grendels head and the jeweled sword

-The Geats rejoiced when Beowulf returned

-They then gifted the Danes with Grendel's head

·        Beowulf honored by Hrothgar

·        He becomes king

·        rules Greatland for 50 years

·        Dragon comes into kingdom when Beowulf is an old man

·        he decided to slay the beast 

·        before battle, tells his men about the royal house 

·        wanted to fight without any armor, then realizes the dragon breathes fire 

·        believes he's the only man who can do it. 

·        wants to claim dragon's riches

·        dragon attacked with breathe first

·        his armor held up, then started to melt

·        first time in life, he fought with fate against him

·        his sword broke in two, but got a stab into the dragon

·        Beowulf fell back, dragon attacked, breathed fire at him, he suffered

·        once king, now a beaten warrior 

·        all other men fleed without helping him

·        only man that stayed was Wiglaf, Wexstan's son

·        Wiglaf's mind was made up, he raised his shield and drew his sword

·        Onela got armor from the king. 

·        Wexstan kept the shining gifts for his son but was killed. 

·        His heir, Wiglaf, inherited the treasures. He went into war with Beowulf and was strong and courageous. 

·        Wiglaf brought the soldiers together, telling them Beowulf had given them the swords, it is time to defend with them. It is better for them to suffer than to cause agony to the king. He yelled encouragement and went into the dragons deadly flames. 

·        Wiglaf and Beowulf kill the dragon. The Beowulf is wounded and is dying. He asks Wiglaf to retrieve the treasure the dragon was protecting. 

The Spoils

·        Wiglaf goes into the cave. Finds lots of gold and sparkling things. He grabs as much as he can and takes it to the dying king. 

·        Beowulf says he gave his life for this treasure, use it to help and lead his people. 

·        He said he wanted to be burned high at the waters edge so sailors could see this tower and call it Beowulf's tower. He gave all he had to Wiglaf and said their family had been swept away as warriors and now he was following them. Then he died. 

·        Wiglaf is mad at those who deserted Beowulf

·        The Geats burn his body. 

The Farewell

·        The Geats built the tall and strong tower Beowulf requested, his ashes sealed inside. All the treasure was left at his grave deep in the ground. Twelve men road around the tower telling of their stories and sadness and of his greatness. They said there was not other king worthy of such praise. 

Prologue

·        -A King named Scyld the Scefing was a wealthy man who was looked up upon by the people of his town.

·        -Nobody challenged him, he was better than everyone else

·        -Had a son and named him Beowulf.

·        -Son was looked up to and was generous to all the people of the town. 

·        -Ship created to hold dead body, very wealthy items, 

·        -Description of armor and expensive weapons.

·        -Ship sent to sea, talk about a flood

·        -People mourn for the death of the child.

Chapter 1

·        -A new person came to the thrown named Healfdean. 

·        -Was a strong leader

·        -Had four children Heorogar, Hrothgar, Halga, one not living 

·        -Heorogar was known for his bravery on the battle field.

·        -A hall was built in his honor 

·        -Something of evil comes from "moore land" to hurt the happiness 

·        - Cain awakens evil creature to ruin the fun. 

Vocab

·        -march-rieve- A disturber of the border, one who sallies from his haunt in the fen and roams over the country nearby. This probably pagan nuisance is now furnished with biblical credentials as a fiend or devil in good standing, so that all Christian Englishmen might read about him. "Grendel" may mean one who grinds and crushes.

·        Ettins-Giants

Chapter 2 

·        Went to house and found group of people mourning the death of a person 

·        The next morning Grendel found out his servant of 12 years was murdered

·        That night Grendel looked for the person who killed his servant and was determined to get his revenge

·        The murder wasn't hard to find and Grendel found who he thought killed his servant

·        There was another person continuing to murder people ruthlessly 

·        People said he still lurked the "moorlands" but nobody said where this place was because they were so afraid 

·        People prayed that they wouldn't be killed by this person but also prayed he would be forgiven by god 

Chapter 3 

·        Grendel seen as a hero and people thought his valor should be recognized by the king 

·        Grendel chosen to lead a group of 14 men (called the Geats) to sea 

·        He and his men found the place they were sailing to - Danes 

·        Get off boat armed with weapons and shields 

·        Met by a warden ("scylding clansman") on horseback that was armed 

·        Warden explains that his job is to protect the people of Danes from sailors who land there

·        He also explains he had never seen people come there and be so obvious that they were warriors

·        Warden tells them that he is praying for them on their voyage 

Chapter 4:

Characters: 

The Geats- Beowolf’s clan, Beowolf born around 495

The Dantes- residents of Denmark, Scylding is Anglo Saxon lineage

The Swedes- lived in Sweden north of Geats

Finnsburh- The Fight at Finnsburh overlaps with Beowolf estimated time period and so studied together, example of Germanic heroic lay describing warriors experiences in war

Grendel- monster Beowolf killed and symbolic of when bad Cain killed good Abel (revenge), Beowolf is cause of trouble because rebel, Grendel’s mother is constant vengeful and represents cycle of war even when enemy seems to be defeated

I don't know if needed (above) but it was on the website and the characters are kinda confusing to know who are people talking but I think with rest of notes it will hopefully make sense! Thanks again for all your participation!!!

Chapter Six (VI)

·        Hrothgar is talking of Beowolf and only legends have been told (like rumors in today’s world) of how strong and great Beowolf is

·        They thank god (grateful) for having him send Beowolf to relive them of Grendel and his destruction

·        Grateful for someone/thing that they haven’t even met yet, they just know rumors and stories about.

·        Like society today when we want to ay someone for their service but really we should just be grateful for their service and sacrifice to be there rather than having to pay them to make ourselves feel better about “hassling them”

·        heros don’t get hassled, they just go out and do because that’s their “job”

·        People get mad about Beowolf not taking the money and gold but why should he? He did a good deed and shouldn’t it just be left to that?

·        Beowolf gets message that Hrothgar will accept him and his kin in his own kingdom for Beowolf’s bravery

·        Beolwolf replies by giving story of his own battles and how he came to be known as a strong man. He fought animals and his foes, many at a time, for his people (the Geats) and to avenge them (symbol of hero)

·        Beowolf knows his duty, in specific to defeating Grendel, and knows that he must use only himself and no other armor

·        knowledgeable of situation and knows what needs to be done. Doesn’t put brawn over brains

·        “So, from thee, thou sovran of the Shining-Danes, Scyldings'-bulwark, a boon I seek, and, Friend-of-the-folk, refuse it not, O Warriors'-shield, now I've wandered far, that I alone with my liegemen here, this hardy band, may Heorot purge!” - I am not sure what he means by I have wandered too far?

·        He knows he might die in battle and respects the “rules” of battle and lets his family know that if he is to die in battle, they shouldn’t worry about burying him properly.

·        Practical but still with hope that he will win the battle with faith

Chapter Seven (VII)

·        Hrothgar retells story of brother’s, Heorogar, death.

·        Killed by war between Wylfings and Scyldings over money and gold

·        Shows destruction of materialistic world and consequences of it

·        “Then was this mead-house at morning tide dyed with gore, when the daylight broke, all the boards of the benches blood-besprinkled, gory the hall: I had heroes the less,” - descriptive language of how warriors died trying to defeat Grendel. Revenge Hrothgar wants. Passionate

·        Sit to eat after this gruesome story, shows culture and how they take death as a apart of life but then want revenge for wrongful deaths as do we in today’s world

Chapter 8 (VIII)

·        Always refer to seafarers to tell a rumor or story, Why?

·        Enferth (son of Ecglaf) questioned Beowolf’s ability to actually fight Grendel and told of story where Beowolf and “rival” Breca swam the seas together and then Breca got out of the sees unharmed but he worries that Beowolf is not strong like Breca.

·        Questioning of strength is key in hero battle/adventure because it makes the hero think about his/her strength and if they really can achieve their goal

·        Also gives background to Beowolf and adventures

·        Questions that Beowolf will do anything without really thinking about it or consequences

·        Beowolf reinforces that he is ready and states that he was a child and didn’t know better but he did bring swords for protection

·        He stayed by Breca until the very end until it was impossible to stay together because of the seas tearing them apart

·        Beowolf defeated the beast of the sea and that shows give evidence behind why he is worthy of fighting Grendel

·        He supports this accusation on inadequacy and backs up his point with evidence as seen in today’s culture with giving effective opinions and if you want people to believe you then you give them reasons to

·        He proves himself time and time again which is what a hero has to do because the people are putting their faith into him and they want credibility 

Beowulf Notes:

Chapter 9:

·        Beowulf encounters evil sea monsters that make him feel threatened. So he kills them with his sword. He kills nine of them and they will never bother the sailors again. This is when he was separated from Breca. Reminds me of Moby Dick in a sense.

·        He fought a difficult battle and the tides ended up taking him to the land of the Fins.

·        Breca was on of Beowulf’s closest kin, but he left Beowulf in the sea where he had to fight giants on his own, but Beowulf doesn’t wish war with him. Beowulf believes that his bad will come to him.

·        Grendel is the son of Ecglaf. Grendel was very jealous of Hrothgar so he brought him humiliation. Now Grendel would “rot in hell”. (Dante’s Inferno)

·        Beowulf fears no feud with the Danish; he will fight, murder and eat with them and the next day finds out the strength of the Geats.

·        Beowulf will fight with them and Hrothgar, jewel-giver, is pleased with his will to fight. The queen snickers at this but still continues to wear her gold and carried the cup of the hall.

·        The queen walked around the hall, first giving the king a drink (Hrothgar), and then giving the rest a drink. She was so happy that Beowulf had committed to fight with the Geats and if he didn’t help win the battle he would die in the process.

·        The queen thanked the lord for her Savior, Beowulf.

·        The son of Healfdene wants to get to bed, but speaks with Beowulf before he goes. They speak of the hopeful glory for the battle the next morning. Beowulf will remain in the hall bequeathing, or giving the power over to him. Healfdene’s son would obtain the power over the hall, which was called Heorot Hall, for the night. ( A will? In case he died in battle the next day, Healfdene would inherit the power?)

Chapter 10

·        Hrothgar and Wealhtheow, the queen, go to bed, but have a guard watch their room in order to prevent the monster from getting to them. The monster being Grendel. (Frankenstein was a monster to everyone)

·        Beowulf retires for the night and has a guard watch his armor, but he challenges the monster to a battle without armor or weapons. He says the gods will decide who is right.

·        Everyone laid down to rest not fearing of dying or not returning home the next day. Although many people had not made it back, they had no worries.

·        Metaphor of one man being different than the rest to god ruling over man-kind. Was Beowulf starting to earn the reputation of a god?

·        Beowulf was the only man to lie awake looking at the wandering shadow in the hall. Beowulf could only think of the upcoming battle and would not sleep.