As he delivered his second inaugural address in 1865, Abraham Lincoln stated humbly, “The Almighty has His own purposes”. He does not claim that God is on our side and will help make things go the way we need and expect them to go, but instead has His own reasons and purposes for certain events to occur regardless of whether it makes sense to us at the moment or not. Although we are faced with many baffling situations, most of which are out of our control and difficult for us to grasp, there is a higher purpose that will become evident to us in the long run. “Design” by Robert Frost and “God's Grandeur” by Gerard Manley Hopkins support Lincoln's statement in that both poems hint at the higher purposes of God. While Frost questions the possibly malevolent act of God in his poem, Hopkins praises God's unlimited sources of nature despite humans' lack of respect for it. Although depicted in different ways, both “Design” and “God's Grandeur” are tied together by the concepts of religion and environment as the authors critique the powerful nature of God and speculate His higher purposes.
Nature is used to represent the extent of God's power and magnificence in both poems. In “Design” the significance of an interaction between a spider, flower, and moth, one that is normally found insignificant, is emphasized by Frost. The poem opens with a descriptive scene and the consistent use of “white”. A “fat and white” spider is found on a “white heal-all” holding up a moth whose wings is like a “white piece of rigid satin cloth”. The word “white”, symbolizing innocence and purity in the Western culture, not only shows up constantly in the first few lines but continues to be a looming presence throughout the rest of the poem. Although the white moth believed it would be camouflaged by the white heal-all, it was still captured by the hidden white spider. With this Frost questions how the three creatures, all viewed in the positive light, could be involved in such brutal act or placed in such negative light. He questions the existence of God—how such “design of darkness” created by God could “govern in a thing so small” like the spider if He exists. What kind of evil lies within the rest of the world then? This shows that God has a plan, or design, for all things significant and insignificant. He has the power to control the course of nature, to appoint the lifestyles of creatures, and to even create illusions (like the “innocent” spider).
Similarly, Hopkins' “God's Grandeur” talks of the persistence and strength of nature created by God and consequently the powerful presence and influence of God Himself. The first stanza of the poem opens with a descriptive setting, which depicts the remarkable creation and form of nature. The natural world is “charged with the grandeur of God”; it is naturally charged with God's magnificence and therefore gives an impression of divinity. However, human take the gift of nature for granted: “Generations have trod, have trod, have trod”. Oblivious to where it came from and not even taking a moment to appreciate the gift, soon “all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil...the soil is bare now”. Although human have exploited the land for material gains and disregarded God's grandeur, the gift cannot be exhausted for “nature is never spent”. Everything renews, just as the sun would rise again the following morning if “the last lights off the black West went”. God's grandeur could overcome the human destruction of land for as soon as something is destroyed, the cycle of rebirth and destruction continues.
The concepts of light versus dark and surface versus depth speculate God's higher purposes and guide us in the direction to understanding it. In Frost's “Design”, purity is not permanent as shown by the “kindred spider” who eventually lost its innocence when it “steered the white moth thither in the night”. Why do such darkness and evil exist in the world? What is God's higher purpose for His creation of such act? In most cases, underneath all good lies some sort of evil. The white, and what seems to be innocent, spider is also God's “design of darkness”. Frost is telling us to look beyond the surface, or the superficial illusion, of things and to delve into the depths of reality and truth. On the surface, we see the act of a spider killing a moth as evil and malevolent. However, digging deep under the surface, we can see that this design is likely to have been created by God in order to allow the cycle of life to persist.
“God's Grandeur” also looks into God's will and purposes for the world. How come “nature is never spent” even though men have taken it for granted and “have trod, have trod, have trod”? Why does God decide to continue to give even as we take and take without appreciation? Hopkins is telling us that underneath the surface, the superficial devastation of land, there is a depth in which nature is able to revive itself for “There lives the dearest freshness deep down things”. This is all thanks to the “Holy Ghost”, God, who nourishes the world “with warm breast and with ah! bright wings” in order to keep alive the cycle of life and death. Just as “the black West” exists in the world (human exploitation), light exists as well when the sun rises “at the brown brink eastward” (God's majestic creation of nature).
Frost's “Design” and Hopkins' “God's Grandeur” both observe the capacity of the almighty God and His higher purposes through nature and the concepts of light versus dark and surface versus depth. God's higher purpose for the malevolent act of the spider in “Design” and His creation of a natural abundance in “God's Grandeur” provide for the continuous cycle of life. Many things in life do not make sense nor do they come with answers. However, these are things we should not worry ourselves with for the “Almighty has His own purposes”.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
"Design" and "God's Grandeur" Conversation
“Design” by Robert Frost questions the possibly malevolent act of God while “God's Grandeur” by Gerard Manley Hopkins praises God's creation. Upon closer inspection, though, we could see that not only do the two poems share similar writing styles and the concept of surface versus depth but also share the common theme of religion and environment as the authors critique the powerful nature of God and speculate the capacity of the Creator.
Both poems are Petrarchans, fourteen-lined Italian sonnets that are broken into octets and sestets. While the first stanza (first eight lines) in “Design” lists the observations Frost finds in the naturally occurring world and the second stanza (the next six lines) questions God's intent for the creation of such things, the first stanza in “God's Grandeur” presents the problems of land exploitation and the second stanza offers a solution to the problem. Also, although presented slightly differently in Frost's “Design”, the basic rhyme scheme in both poems is ABBAABBA CDCDCD.
In “Design” the significance of an interaction between a spider, flower, and moth, one that is normally found insignificant, is emphasized. The poem opens with a descriptive scene and the consistent use of “white”. A “fat and white” spider is found on a “white heal-all” holding up a moth whose wings is like a “white piece of rigid satin cloth”. The word “white”, symbolizing innocence and purity in the Western culture, not only shows up constantly in the first few lines but continues to be a looming presence throughout the rest of the poem. Although the white moth believed it would be camouflaged by the white heal-all, it was still captured by the hidden white spider. With this Frost questions how the three creatures, all viewed in the positive light, could be involved in such brutal act or placed in such negative light. He questions the existence of God—how such “design of darkness” could exist in something “so small” like the spider if God exists. What would that make the rest of the world? This shows that God has a plan, or design, for all things significant and insignificant. He has the power to control the course of nature, to appoint the lifestyles of creatures, and to create illusions. Purity is not permanent as shown by the “kindred spider” who eventually lost its innocence when it “steered the white moth thither in the night”. In most cases, underneath all good lies some sort of evil. Frost is telling us to look beyond the surface, or the superficial illusion, of things and to delve into the depths of reality and truth.
Hopkins' “God's Grandeur” talks of the powerful presence and influence of God and consequently the persistence and strength of nature (created by God). The first stanza of the poem opens with a descriptive setting, which depicts the remarkable form of nature. The natural world is “charged with the grandeur of God”; it is naturally charged with God's magnificence and therefore gives an impression of divinity. However, human take the gift of nature for granted: “Generations have trod, have trod, have trod”. Oblivious to where it came from and not even taking a moment to appreciate the gift, soon “all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil...the soil is bare now”. Although human have exploited the land for material gains and disregarded God's grandeur, the gift cannot be exhausted for “nature is never spent”. Everything renews, just as the sun would rise again the following morning if “the last lights off the black West went”. God's grandeur could overcome the human destruction of land for as soon as something is destroyed, the cycle of rebirth and destruction continues. Hopkins is telling us that underneath the surface and land, the superficial devastation of land, there is a depth in which nature is able to revive itself for “There lives the dearest freshness deep down things”. This is all thanks to the “Holy Ghost”, God, who nourishes the world “with warm breast and with ah! bright wings”.
Both poems are Petrarchans, fourteen-lined Italian sonnets that are broken into octets and sestets. While the first stanza (first eight lines) in “Design” lists the observations Frost finds in the naturally occurring world and the second stanza (the next six lines) questions God's intent for the creation of such things, the first stanza in “God's Grandeur” presents the problems of land exploitation and the second stanza offers a solution to the problem. Also, although presented slightly differently in Frost's “Design”, the basic rhyme scheme in both poems is ABBAABBA CDCDCD.
In “Design” the significance of an interaction between a spider, flower, and moth, one that is normally found insignificant, is emphasized. The poem opens with a descriptive scene and the consistent use of “white”. A “fat and white” spider is found on a “white heal-all” holding up a moth whose wings is like a “white piece of rigid satin cloth”. The word “white”, symbolizing innocence and purity in the Western culture, not only shows up constantly in the first few lines but continues to be a looming presence throughout the rest of the poem. Although the white moth believed it would be camouflaged by the white heal-all, it was still captured by the hidden white spider. With this Frost questions how the three creatures, all viewed in the positive light, could be involved in such brutal act or placed in such negative light. He questions the existence of God—how such “design of darkness” could exist in something “so small” like the spider if God exists. What would that make the rest of the world? This shows that God has a plan, or design, for all things significant and insignificant. He has the power to control the course of nature, to appoint the lifestyles of creatures, and to create illusions. Purity is not permanent as shown by the “kindred spider” who eventually lost its innocence when it “steered the white moth thither in the night”. In most cases, underneath all good lies some sort of evil. Frost is telling us to look beyond the surface, or the superficial illusion, of things and to delve into the depths of reality and truth.
Hopkins' “God's Grandeur” talks of the powerful presence and influence of God and consequently the persistence and strength of nature (created by God). The first stanza of the poem opens with a descriptive setting, which depicts the remarkable form of nature. The natural world is “charged with the grandeur of God”; it is naturally charged with God's magnificence and therefore gives an impression of divinity. However, human take the gift of nature for granted: “Generations have trod, have trod, have trod”. Oblivious to where it came from and not even taking a moment to appreciate the gift, soon “all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil...the soil is bare now”. Although human have exploited the land for material gains and disregarded God's grandeur, the gift cannot be exhausted for “nature is never spent”. Everything renews, just as the sun would rise again the following morning if “the last lights off the black West went”. God's grandeur could overcome the human destruction of land for as soon as something is destroyed, the cycle of rebirth and destruction continues. Hopkins is telling us that underneath the surface and land, the superficial devastation of land, there is a depth in which nature is able to revive itself for “There lives the dearest freshness deep down things”. This is all thanks to the “Holy Ghost”, God, who nourishes the world “with warm breast and with ah! bright wings”.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Santa Claus Villanelle
Jolly old man comes once again,
From the north pole and to my town,
To spread love and joy, he explains.
White flakes whirl as he dismounts with strain,
To the rooftop with a slight frown,
Jolly old man comes once again.
Down the chimney I don't complain,
With gifts filled in a bag that's brown,
To spread love and joy, he explains.
Stockings filled with dolls, toy trains,
He stuffs until no more goes down,
Jolly old man comes once again.
Back into the sleigh in which he came,
On the run to make more rounds,
To spread love and joy, he explains.
He then takes off, just like a plane,
Until next year he'll come around.
Jolly old man came once again,
To spread love and joy, he explained.
From the north pole and to my town,
To spread love and joy, he explains.
White flakes whirl as he dismounts with strain,
To the rooftop with a slight frown,
Jolly old man comes once again.
Down the chimney I don't complain,
With gifts filled in a bag that's brown,
To spread love and joy, he explains.
Stockings filled with dolls, toy trains,
He stuffs until no more goes down,
Jolly old man comes once again.
Back into the sleigh in which he came,
On the run to make more rounds,
To spread love and joy, he explains.
He then takes off, just like a plane,
Until next year he'll come around.
Jolly old man came once again,
To spread love and joy, he explained.
The Other Universe of Bruce Wayne
In the universe we live in, Bruce Wayne is a well-known intelligent, wealthy, and handsome philanthropist. He is viewed as a heroic figure and symbolizes “justice in human form”. Reading about someone who is so popular and widely known for his greatness makes the lonely, drunk man described in Bucky Sinister's “The Other Universe of Bruce Wayne” appear even more pathetic than he really is. We know of all that Bruce has achieved and all that he has the potential to be, so watching him drown himself in whiskey and destroy his own health with cigarettes in order to “solve” his girl problem is a pity.
This poem is an easy read compared to a lot of other poems out there. With the presence of Bruce Wayne in this poem, I felt as if I were on familiar territory. The poem first introduces Bruce as a poor man who lives in a trailer. It then says , “Without money, there’s no Batman; no Batmobile, no Batcave, no utility belts, much less a cool butler and a trusted sidekick”. Despite an introduction to a legendary figure who is placed in an unfamiliar situation, one that goes against our preconceptions of Batman, words like “Batmobile” and “utility belts” were familiar and brought back old childhood memories. It was definitely enjoyable to read about a figure I had grown up watching on TV.
Due to Bruce Wayne's presence, the poem took on a more literary stance. If the poem were to talk about some average guy getting dumped by his girlfriend, getting drunk over it and then getting comforted by a friend, there would not be much to say about it. Similarly, there would be no special meaning behind the poem if it were to glamorize Bruce Wayne as the superhero he is already portrayed as in the media. Instead, by adding a popular culture figure and placing him in an unlikely situation, the poem challenges the readers to ask questions and analyze the situation that Bruce Wayne was put into.
Why is Bruce portrayed as a messed up drunk as opposed to the hero we all know and love? Maybe to show us that in an alternate universe, we are all capable of being as successful as Bruce is. In the poem's universe, Sinister has his “shit together” whereas Bruce is “poor” and “ain't that lucky in love”. Or maybe this poem is trying to tell us that we should be satisfied with the lives we are given and not take it for granted because in an alternate universe, we may not be as well off. We could bet that Bruce never thought he would be living in a trailer instead of a mansion and be dumped by a girl instead of dumping a girl. On the other hand, the poem could also be telling us that in the real world, Bruce Wayne is just like the rest of us mere mortals. At the end of the poem, Sinister is reassuring Bruce that he is looked up to and loved by everyone in “another universe”, allowing Bruce to realize that he has the potential to be that way as well in the universe they currently live in. That Bruce from the other universe is a heroic figure who is hyped up by the media, one that merely serves as an inspiration for the people. In reality, the man behind the identity of Batman, or any other mask and costume, is a normal guy dealing with problems others have to deal with as well. This flawless image we have built up for Bruce Wayne as Batman is unrealistic and people like that do not exist. There are no clear answers to the question, but Sinister is clearly trying to tell us something with the poem.
This poem is an easy read compared to a lot of other poems out there. With the presence of Bruce Wayne in this poem, I felt as if I were on familiar territory. The poem first introduces Bruce as a poor man who lives in a trailer. It then says , “Without money, there’s no Batman; no Batmobile, no Batcave, no utility belts, much less a cool butler and a trusted sidekick”. Despite an introduction to a legendary figure who is placed in an unfamiliar situation, one that goes against our preconceptions of Batman, words like “Batmobile” and “utility belts” were familiar and brought back old childhood memories. It was definitely enjoyable to read about a figure I had grown up watching on TV.
Due to Bruce Wayne's presence, the poem took on a more literary stance. If the poem were to talk about some average guy getting dumped by his girlfriend, getting drunk over it and then getting comforted by a friend, there would not be much to say about it. Similarly, there would be no special meaning behind the poem if it were to glamorize Bruce Wayne as the superhero he is already portrayed as in the media. Instead, by adding a popular culture figure and placing him in an unlikely situation, the poem challenges the readers to ask questions and analyze the situation that Bruce Wayne was put into.
Why is Bruce portrayed as a messed up drunk as opposed to the hero we all know and love? Maybe to show us that in an alternate universe, we are all capable of being as successful as Bruce is. In the poem's universe, Sinister has his “shit together” whereas Bruce is “poor” and “ain't that lucky in love”. Or maybe this poem is trying to tell us that we should be satisfied with the lives we are given and not take it for granted because in an alternate universe, we may not be as well off. We could bet that Bruce never thought he would be living in a trailer instead of a mansion and be dumped by a girl instead of dumping a girl. On the other hand, the poem could also be telling us that in the real world, Bruce Wayne is just like the rest of us mere mortals. At the end of the poem, Sinister is reassuring Bruce that he is looked up to and loved by everyone in “another universe”, allowing Bruce to realize that he has the potential to be that way as well in the universe they currently live in. That Bruce from the other universe is a heroic figure who is hyped up by the media, one that merely serves as an inspiration for the people. In reality, the man behind the identity of Batman, or any other mask and costume, is a normal guy dealing with problems others have to deal with as well. This flawless image we have built up for Bruce Wayne as Batman is unrealistic and people like that do not exist. There are no clear answers to the question, but Sinister is clearly trying to tell us something with the poem.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
"I dwell in possibility" by Emily Dickinson
Emily Dickinson's “I dwell in possibility” talks about the possibilities that come with an imagination. The poem hints that limitations only exist in a person's mind. As long as we use our imagination, possibilities will become limitless. It will lead us away from our mundane lives and guide us toward the discovery of greatness.
The various dashes that appear in Emily Dickinson's poem separate her imagination of the house of possibility from her comparison of poetry writing to possibility (I am assuming that “Occupation” refers to Dickinson as a poet, “This” refers to the poem, and “Prose” is what the poem is being compared to). For example, in the first stanza, she imagines living in a house that provides numerous windows of choices and insights. She then goes on to say that possibility, or poetry, is fairer and more superior than prose. The reasoning is that prose refers to something that is ordinary and lacks special features. Instead of limiting ourselves and sticking to the norm, we needs to keep an open mind that is nondiscriminatory and susceptible to new and different ideas. Poetry, unlike prose, allows us the freedom to explore different structures, rhythms, and imageries. Being open minded makes us nonjudgmental and “fair”, while looking at different possibilities allows us to explore and possibly discover or invent new things, making us “superior” to others. Similarly, in the second stanza, Dickinson says that the house she imagines is strong and sturdy “as the Cedars” and has an “everlasting roof” whose limit is the sky. As a comparison, she suggests poetry writing is similarly “impregnable” and gives off a stronger message than a prose. The dashes separate her imagination of the house from her thoughts of poetry writing, but at the same time connect them through the comparison of possibility and poetry. The pattern I found, with A representing her imagination and B representing poetry, was ABABA, ABA, ABABA. Dickinson believes that greatness lies within the imagination and exploration of possibilities. She is telling us that by exploring the world, we will go further in life and “gather paradise”, which refers to the happiness and satisfaction we will eventually acquire.
The various dashes that appear in Emily Dickinson's poem separate her imagination of the house of possibility from her comparison of poetry writing to possibility (I am assuming that “Occupation” refers to Dickinson as a poet, “This” refers to the poem, and “Prose” is what the poem is being compared to). For example, in the first stanza, she imagines living in a house that provides numerous windows of choices and insights. She then goes on to say that possibility, or poetry, is fairer and more superior than prose. The reasoning is that prose refers to something that is ordinary and lacks special features. Instead of limiting ourselves and sticking to the norm, we needs to keep an open mind that is nondiscriminatory and susceptible to new and different ideas. Poetry, unlike prose, allows us the freedom to explore different structures, rhythms, and imageries. Being open minded makes us nonjudgmental and “fair”, while looking at different possibilities allows us to explore and possibly discover or invent new things, making us “superior” to others. Similarly, in the second stanza, Dickinson says that the house she imagines is strong and sturdy “as the Cedars” and has an “everlasting roof” whose limit is the sky. As a comparison, she suggests poetry writing is similarly “impregnable” and gives off a stronger message than a prose. The dashes separate her imagination of the house from her thoughts of poetry writing, but at the same time connect them through the comparison of possibility and poetry. The pattern I found, with A representing her imagination and B representing poetry, was ABABA, ABA, ABABA. Dickinson believes that greatness lies within the imagination and exploration of possibilities. She is telling us that by exploring the world, we will go further in life and “gather paradise”, which refers to the happiness and satisfaction we will eventually acquire.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Casabianca by Felicia Hemans
Felicia Hemans's “Casabianca” provides a series of vivid imagery. The flames spreading and eventually consuming the ship is, no doubt, the most dominant and recurring image in the poem. However, amidst all the flame, chaos, and destruction that dominate this poem, I believe that the image of the young boy calling out to his father and refusing to leave the burning deck without his father's consent is the most prominent. His loyalty and obedience towards his father and his father's commands are unyielding and persistent, causing his relentless nature to stand out along with the flames.
As I was reading the poem for the very first time, I kept thinking Why isn't the boy leaving the ship? A person must be mentally challenged to not budge when harm is coming his or her way. After rereading the poem several more times, I came to conclude that the author of this poem was not talking about the foolishness of a “courageous” boy, but comparing a child's trust, loyalty, and obedience towards his parents to our society.
Hemans hints that in the midst of danger, a parent is always a child's safety net. For example, in the poem, the young boy is continuously seeking for some kind of response and consent from his unresponsive father instead of taking cover from the danger that is taunting at him. Although obedience is a good quality, there is such thing as being too obedient. This poem ties in with the present day society. Obedience allows for a civilized society to exist, however, when people begin to blindly follow the orders of the government, corruption and disaster ensue in the world. A few examples of this include the Holocaust, the Rape of Nanking, and the Rwanda Genocide, where soldiers and officers were blindly convinced to rape and exterminate the civilians as a duty for their country. This not only caused atrocities in other countries, but sometimes in their own as well. “Casabianca” speaks about the morals of society and Hemans is trying to bring to attention the disaster that will result from the ignorance of the people. She is suggesting that people start standing up for themselves and their beliefs and start acting more independent—thinking for themselves and taking responsibility for their own actions.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Extending Boundaries
Butterflies symbolize life, beauty, and freedom and the way a butterfly flutters into view for even the briefest moment is proof that such beauty and freedom do in fact exist in this world. Although sightings of butterflies have been a rare occurrence for me lately, every time I do get a glimpse of these beautiful creatures a wave of peacefulness washes over me. The title of my blog, “Spread your wings and fly away”, is a reference to these butterflies.
Growing up, I had always been very self-conscious, afraid to experience new things and take chances. However I realized that by being too scared or embarrassed to take risks and make mistakes, I was ultimately unaware of where my true potentials lie and therefore hindered my chances of improvement. Since then, I have constantly been encouraging myself to loosen up and live without thinking about the consequences of every action or decision I make. Not only are mistakes portals of discovery but steps we need to take in order to succeed as well. I want to broaden my horizon and get as much as I can out of life. I want to be able to enjoy life from a different perspective and live recklessly [without causing any harm] because as far as I know we only have one chance to experience the spontaneity that life has to offer. Just as a butterfly freely flutters about, up and away into the sky, I would like to go out into the world and experience that same sense of freedom.
Growing up, I had always been very self-conscious, afraid to experience new things and take chances. However I realized that by being too scared or embarrassed to take risks and make mistakes, I was ultimately unaware of where my true potentials lie and therefore hindered my chances of improvement. Since then, I have constantly been encouraging myself to loosen up and live without thinking about the consequences of every action or decision I make. Not only are mistakes portals of discovery but steps we need to take in order to succeed as well. I want to broaden my horizon and get as much as I can out of life. I want to be able to enjoy life from a different perspective and live recklessly [without causing any harm] because as far as I know we only have one chance to experience the spontaneity that life has to offer. Just as a butterfly freely flutters about, up and away into the sky, I would like to go out into the world and experience that same sense of freedom.
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