Monday, December 15, 2014

Sonnet: Kelsey Halbert

Sonnet CXXX
By William Shakespeare 

My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;

Coral is far more red, than her lips red:
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.
I have seen roses damasked, red and white,
But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
And in some perfumes is there more delight
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound:
I grant I never saw a goddess go, 
My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground:
   And yet by heaven, I think my love as rare,
   As any she belied with false compare.


Obviously this is a Shakespearean sonnet since it is written by Shakespeare himself. It is in iambic pentameter with three quatrains and a couplet. The rhyme scheme is ABAB CDCD EFEF GG, which is typical in this type of sonnet. It is about loving someone because of their beauty on the inside, not their physical beauty. Other types of sonnets are Italian sonnets Spenserian sonnets.

Conformity and Rebellion Poem: Kelsey Halbert

Much Madness is divinest Sense - (620)

By Emily Dickinson

Much Madness is divinest Sense -
To a discerning Eye -
Much Sense - the starkest Madness -
’Tis the Majority
In this, as all, prevail -
Assent - and you are sane -
Demur - you're straightway dangerous -
And handled with a Chain -

Much madness is divinest sense is a poem that supports being the person you really are despite societal expectations. Dickinson was an odd character herself. She rarely ever titled her poems, there is barely ever a steady meter in her writings, there is no setting, and there is no information about the narrator as a whole. She wants us to use our imagination similar to how her writing has imagination. There is no concrete detail that everyone will understand, every person that reads this poem will understand it differently, like how she wants people to be in general: different. People should not settle for conformity, they should strive to be different. They should discover new things everyday, go on adventures. No one should do the same things day after day. 

Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah: Kelsey Halbert

God, disguised as a visitor, informed Abraham that he was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah because they were wicked and full of sin. Abraham attempted to bargain with God about this plan because of some of the righteous people in these two cities. The Lord agreed to spare the cities is 50 righteous people lived there, but Abraham got the number down to 10 righteous people. The next day two angels went to Sodom and were met by Lot and he welcomed them into his home. They ate, then an angry mob came to Lot's home and demanded to have sex with the strangers. Lot denied the strangers, but gave the mob two of his virgin daughters (um). This upset the mob and they barged into the house but the angels protected them. The angels decided that there were not 10 righteous people in this city so they told Lot and his family to leave before the city was destroyed. Lot and his two daughters made it to Zoar, but Lot's wife looked back at the destruction and turned into salt.

In this world, unfair punishment is a very obvious thing. It is very apparent in this story, since the entire city was destroyed because of one mob's act. There easily could have been 10 righteous people in that town, but the angels did not want to look hard enough. Everything comes with a price, but most of the time the cost is more than the worth of the action as a whole. But often times, the consequence is also cheaper that the worth of the action as well. This happens in everyday life because of the color of your skin, how much money you make, who you know, and stuff like that. Obviously life is unfair but it seems like there is no one attempting to change things.

Jason and the Golden Fleece: Kelsey Halbert

Iolcus, a lawful king, was Jason's father, but Pelias had usurped the throne. Pelias lived fearing that he would lose what he had unjustly taken, so he locked up Iolcus. Pelias thought that Jason was dead, or else he would have killed him. Jason lived because of his mother and was tutored by a centaur and when he was of age, set out to claim his throne. Pelias told Jason he could retain the throne is he got the golden fleece. Pelias figured that Jason would be unable to accomplish this task, but Jason gathered 50 Greek men, known as the argonauts, and they obtained the fleece with the help of Colchis' king's daughter Madea. Madea fancied Jason and after obtaining the fleece they returned to Pelias to take back the throne. Jason ends up leaving Madea for another woman. Maea ends up going crazy and kills her and Jason's children.

To be completely honest, I have a situation that isn't as crazy as this one. I hate to talk about it. Sometimes my boyfriend likes to hang out with people and lie to me about it, and one night after a band competition he took this girl home and I didn't believe that he just dropped her off so I took one of my friends with me and we tried to find this girl's house to see if Matt was there. He wasn't. He was at Waffle House alone. But I still didn't get home until about 1 in the morning. I was very upset and looking back at it, it is quite embarrassing. But I love him, and I was afraid that the feeling wasn't reciprocated and he wanted to be with someone else so I tried to catch him red-handed but that failed. The end.

Thursday, December 11, 2014

Ode - Jasa Harris

Ode to Writing

A blank, open field
With endless possibilities
A story waiting to be revealed
Brought to life through your creativity

A fun, goofy painting
An edgy nail-biter
A stamp that’s never waning
The beauty of paper

Brought to life by a writer

Ode

Ode to Fire

Roaring fire, flickering flame.
Oh, to feel that heat again!
Admirable strength and
Commendable give.
Cleansing powers,
Yet a destructive force.
Oh, why can't that be me?






(Sorry)

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Ode to Noisy Neighborhoods and Chaotic Domestic Life - Hannah Pauley

I live in this world free of comfort,
In restless slumber I am somber,
And wishing for those soothing angels
Whose screeching lulled when I was weary
And cradled me on nights so eerie.

I lived in one world full of babel
And peaceful I did slumber softly,
So haunted by the "sleeper's demons"--
Those sirens, whistles, horns, and voices
Which filled the night with noise and clamor.

For those accustomed to commotion
The silence brings a certain torture--
If din and racket be truly chaos,
Tranquility be my fearsome anguish.

A poor attempt at an ode - Drew Sorenson

Ode to The Bomb

The plane that day lurched into the sky,
Pregnant with that demon child,
Heavy with the end of mankind,
Not knowing how many that day would die.

A child not to be born of nature's deeds,
Round and plump in the plane's belly,
Soon going to meet the world,
Preparing to forever haunt man's dreams.

Unholy demon child come to play,
A bona fide test tube baby concieved
In a laboratory cold as ice,
Conceived out of hatred there it lay.

The world quaked at its ugly birth,
Instilling despair and dread of
The human race becoming atom-dead,
Inspiring fear with its ghastly girth.

The Bomb.

Ode- Cassadi Cordea

Ode to my dog 

Your black and white pattern
Resembles a cow,
And with your big floppy ears,
You are a funny sight. 
You bark like thunder and 
Bare your sharp fangs,
But I know that you are no more vicious 
Than a kitten. 

I'm sorry

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Abraham and Isaac - Hannah Pauley

Genesis 22 describes the story of God's test of Abraham's faith. God asks Abraham to perform the unthinkable task of sacrificing his only son Isaac. Despite the repulsiveness of this deed, Abraham obediently complies, literally taking his own son up the mountain for slaughter. At the last moment, when Abraham has Isaac bound and prepared for a fiery death, God interjects and tells Abraham to slay a wondering ram instead. God says that Abraham's acceptance of God's will shows that he is truly loyal and committed to sacrificial devotion. In appreciation for Abraham's integrity God blesses him and his descendants, declaring that they will be successful blessings to the world.

True sacrifice, as in Genesis 22, happens when a person is so devoted to their moral code that they are willing to suffer to do that which is justified in the end.
In contemporary American culture we do not experience much "true sacrifice." Nearly everyone possesses a high-quality cell phone or computer, often regardless of family income. Specific brands of clothing, cars, and shoes are highly esteemed, while others are disdained for being "cheaper." Social media encourages people to proclaim their feelings, thoughts, and criticisms for others to then approve or disapprove of. Much of America's youth spends countless hours and dollars on movies and shopping yearly, and consumerism is more pervasive now than ever in American culture. In short, people in America tend to focus constantly on themselves, totally wrapped up in social tension, consumerism, and self-indulgence.
What would happen, then, if an American teenager today was asked to sacrifice something they truly loved, say their dog, or their best friend, Fantasy Football or Zelda, for some unnamed voice that drifts on the wind and gives mysterious orders to those on Earth? Many of them would react by placing their left hands on their foreheads, index fingers and thumbs at erect right angles, and sneering at whatever intangible force was attempting to ruin their lives.
The sense of sacrifice is especially lost on Americans, as opposed to other cultures, because everything in its past and nature has screamed: "Why can't we have that?" In many ways, the go-getter, optimist attitude of American culture has been beneficial, but in many ways it has made us stubborn and blind to compromise and to moral codes when they may stand between us and what we want. The exploitation of Africans and mistreatment of the Native Americans are but two (though very significant) examples of the failure of Americans to recognize the need for sacrifice. In retrospect, sacrificing some of the gold and land the North American west had to offer is a small price to pay in order to retain dignity and avoid the tragedy and injustice of genocide. But at the time, Manifest Destiny sounded like a great idea, because who wasn't on board for having land and money?
In general Americans tend to do more bending of "God's will" (or the moral code or whatever may be worth sacrificing for) to fit their immediate desires than they do bending to God's will.
Meaningful sacrifice, though, can be seen when the blindfolds of luxury, power, and ambition are stripped away. In times such as the Great Depression, the focus of everyone was what would help those they loved and those who were in need, not only what would make themselves happy. Parents worked multiple jobs, sons and daughters worked to keep food on the table, and those in power created social and labor programs for those who were struggling through the hard times.
"True sacrifice," might only happen when one truly puts the concerns of another above their own. For example, the rich give to the poor, knowing that they can have everything, but preferring that they have less if it means they are doing what is right. In the case of Abraham and Isaac, Abraham was lucky enough to have a son who he loved like any parent would, but knowing that saving his son's life might not be "right," he readily gave him up to those he put before him, in this case being God.

Genghis Goodman - Ode

Chemistry, the study of transformation
These are the Words of walter white
Who I watched with great elation
As his status rose to new heights

Sudafed will cause an alarm, what will he do?
He'll steal a barrel of Methylamine
To make sky(ler) more blue
And his walls more green

Breaking bad is about a drug king pin 
But that's just the tip of the iceberg 
It's about the transformation of a man
From a teacher, into Heisenberg 
 

Ode Jania Stevenson

Loving, caring, amazing, and kind
These are all things you will see
What person could I possibly have in mind?
Oh yeah, that's right, it's me!

Me, myself, and I are my friends
And I don't care who knows it
I always remember when my mind starts to bend,
I love myself, every last bit



Ode Ben G

Ode to a Hiker Dying Young


Fresh from the joyous thrill

Of climbing, for the first time

The Hill. 

And taken, all too soon. 

We may never understand why 

Or what

Caused the events of late,

But He knew your time was nigh. 

We, with fervent hope, will have what

It takes, to prevent the happening again the events of late. 






Monday, December 8, 2014

Grace Goulson: Ode to the Packers

Oh Packers, you make me so proud
You never cease to entertain
I always cheer so loud
All those hard hours you train

We've got a great quarterback
Though none can surpass Favre
Number twelve now leads the Pack
Rodgers has done well so far

Amazing how the offense finds a groove
Amazing how Clay can play
Amazing how Eddie can move
You represent well Green Bay

Oh how I love it when you win
Especially at home in Lambeau
I put on a joyous grin
And shout "Go Pack Go!"


Daphne and the Laurel Wreath- Kelsey Halbert

Apollo challenged Cupid's archery skills. Cupid responded by shooting two arrows, one dipped in gold, causing lust to whomever is struck by it. The second one, dipped in lead, would cause whomever to want nothing to do with love. The gold arrow struck Apollo and the lead arrow struck Daphne. Apollo kept on chasing after Daphne, since he was in love, but Daphne wanted nothing to do with him, since she wants nothing to do with love altogether. She became tired of running away from Apollo and begged her father, a river god, to help her. He transformed her into a laurel tree. Apollo was still deeply in love with Daphne and claimed the tree. He made a wreath out of the leaves and wore it. This is why the laurel wreath is a symbol of Apollo.

My attitude towards eternal youth is quite 50/50. Personally I would not partake in any of it, but it is up to the person that wants to do it. Getting botox and surgeries can get costly, but if someone has the money then go for it! I am not the type of person to stop someone from doing what they want to do to make themselves feel better.

An Ode to Harry Potter

An Ode to Harry Potter

When I was eleven and I didn't receive my Hogwarts letter
I cried
My mom said, "Don't worry Margaret, it will get better"
She lied

To help deal with my sorrow
I watched and read every Harry Potter related thing
Hoping that the day I found my magic would be tomorrow
Even Do the Hippogriff I did sing

Alas while I would never become a true Gryffindor
I can still live vicariously through Harry, Hermione, and Ron
My love for Harry Potter will live forever more

Here also is a link to the actual song, Do the Hippogriff. And yes I do know all the lyrics.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoiGYKWuFdM

Kelsey Halbert- Ode

Ode to Cats

A cat lays by the window
Staring out into the abyss,
Analysing every movement
Wanting to pounce and hiss.
But he is merely a house-cat,
He will never experience the outside.
But when you open a can of treats
These thoughts will just fly by.






Kelsey Halbert Post 3: Moonflowers

Moonflowers

BY KARMA LARSEN
Milly Sorensen, January 16, 1922 - February 19, 2004
It was the moonflowers that surprised us.
Early summer we noticed the soft gray foliage.
She asked for seedpods every year but I never saw them in her garden.
Never knew what she did with them.
Exotic and tropical, not like her other flowers.
I expected her to throw them in the pasture maybe,
a gift to the coyotes. Huge, platterlike white flowers
shining in the night to soften their plaintive howling.
A sound I love; a reminder, even on the darkest night,
that manicured lawns don't surround me.

Midsummer they shot up, filled the small place by the back door,
sprawled over sidewalks, refused to be ignored.
Gaudy and awkward by day,
by night they were huge, soft, luminous.
Only this year, this year of her death
did they break free of their huge, prickly husks
and brighten the darkness she left.
Poem copyright © by Karma Larsen, and reprinted by permission of the author.
Rooney, Kathleen. "Moonflowers." Poetry Foundation. Poetry Foundation, n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2014.
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/171092

This is an elegy about the death of Milly Sorensen. It follows the three basic patterns of a traditional elegy: lament, praise, and consolation and solace. The lament is found in the first part of the elegy talking about the moonflowers and how the deceased treasured them. Then, the author praises the deceased, mentioning how the deceased with the moonflower seeds was "A sound I love; a reminder, even on the darkest night, that manicured lawns don't surround me." Finally, the author shows consolation and solace because unlike any other year, now that Milly has passed away "...did they break free of their huge, prickly husks and brighten the darkness she left." This shows how the author is okay that Milly has passed on and will be okay. 

Max Morris - Ode

Ode to Prince

The purple studded trench coat,
the ruffly pirate shirt.
How can I express my admiration to thee?
You truly are the GOAT.

When I heard that funky bass riff,
blushed at those risqué lines,
When I saw the devilish smirk on your face,
My heart fell from a cliff.

Dirty Mind and Purple Rain,
Self-Titled, Sign O The Times,
Controversy, even Nineteen Ninety Nine,
all loved by those with a brain.

What would our world be without Prince?
I surely do not want to know.
There had never been an entertainer like him,
and surely never one since.


Eliot Smith-Ode

Ode to odes

How better can one express such admiration
than writing a quick and crafty ode?
Not a song nor a letter can capture such fascination
with something held so dear and so bold.
Sure you can hug it,
but it'll squeeze and it'll squirm
until out of your hands it'll hop.
But an ode just does it,
sleek and slicker than a worm,
and it'll make your feelings pop.

im so sorry




Hallie Walther- Ode

An Ode to Senior Year

Senior year is not like the rest
It is a roller coaster of stress, relax, stress, relax
More freedoms are given but they come with the price of more responsibilities

"Where are you going to college?"
The only question that every single adult is capable of asking a senior
"I DON'T KNOW" I respond

Soon we will leave all of our friends and lives behind to go start someplace new
But until then we can enjoy the little time we have left together

Saba Khandani-Ode to the arts

It is all in the way
the artists's paintbrush caresses the canvas,
the singer's breathe dances on the melody,
the writer's pen tickles the paper.
It is all in the arts
The arts that serve as a door
to our troubles and our imagination.
Without the arts
there would be no outlet, no escape.

Alex Warren Ode to the RIP of Hans

The ball, the pass, the back
Hans confused and off-track
The shot went in and the foul was called
The entire crowd was in awe
The smallest kid on the court put him to shame
A spectacular and-one play and Hans to blame
Now he got his 15-seconds of fame
At the end he lost by twenty three
But he was the real winner, at least to me.

Angela Tseng - Ode to Pens

Black, purple, orange and blue
There's no end to the colors of them
Notes, signatures and sketches
There's no end to the uses of them

With so many different types
Ballpoint, gel and fountain
the combinations are limitless

Abraham - Angela Tseng

In this story, there is a man named Abraham that God wanted to test. He told Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, at the top of a hill. So Abraham took some servants, his donkey, firewood and his son a trip to the hill. Once they got close, he told his servants to stay behind as he took his son to the top of the hill to be a burnt offering but as they arrived at the top, an angel came down from heaven and told him that he had passed God's test and he didn't have to sacrifice his son and as a reward God would bless his descendants. 
People have to sacrifice things every day. But a true sacrifice is something that may greatly harm you but benefits someone else or the greater good. True sacrifices can be hard to make but are sometimes necessary.

Sunday, December 7, 2014

Karl Werner Ode

Ode to Books

My fingers have cuts from a lot of page turning
My mind is stuffed with countless tales
My heart is heavy with all of the learning
I've done every time a hero fails

A book can be used just like a door
Open it up and step right inside
A whole new world from where you were before
A place you can explore; a place where you can hide

I've had an infinity of laughter
And an ocean of tears
Some happily-ever afters
And some endings of sadness and fears

It's all part of the magic
That's all part of the trip
Whether happy or tragic
Read, read, and re-read till all the pages rip





#¿?¿? / Hannah Pulley

an ode to sleep (but also to mornings)

it’s been more than once that I
have fallen asleep with a cup of hotel coffee
next to me and woken up to a dark sky
(is it possible to have emotional jet lag?)

daytime dysphoria is not cured by going home at night
and burrowing into my own covers
but crawling out from under them
and into the morning light
curling my hands around warm mugs,
the way that steam curls up from them

Karl Werner Abraham and Isaac

Sarah bore Abraham a son named Isaac. God spoke to Abraham and told him to take Isaac to a mountain and sacrifice him. Abraham took Isaac with him on a journey, obviously not telling Isaac the true purpose. The two soon arrived at the mountain, climbed it, and built an alter. Isaac had no idea what the alter was for. After they finished, Abraham put Isaac on the alter and was about to sacrifice him when an angel appeared. The angel stopped the sacrifice and told Abraham to instead sacrifice a nearby goat. After this, the angel told Abraham his descendants would be as numerous as the stars.
True sacrifice means doing something that hurts yourself for something or someone beyond yourself. True sacrifice is painful, and is done out of whatever emotion is the opposite of self-interest. Making a true sacrifice is done with the notion that you gain nothing out of it personally. It is done to benefit some entity outside of yourself.

Marge-Jason and the Golden Fleece

Jason had a rough life. His Uncle killed his Father and took his throne, so Jason's mother sent him off to live with a centaur. Fast forward 20 years and Jason wants to take back the throne that is rightfully his. Jason approaches his Uncle, and he is given the task of finding the ancient mythical Golden Fleece and bringing it back to Iolkos. He sets on his ship, Argo, with a crew of heros to find and retrieve the Golden Fleece. He sails to Colchis, where the fleece is believed to be, and asks the King there if he can  have the fleece back. The King makes Jason do a bunch of ridiculously impossible challenges, but because Jason falls in love with the King's daughter (Medea who is a sorceress) she helps him complete the challenges. Jason and Medea then sail home to Iolkos, where his Uncle gives him the throne. However, the locals don't like that Medea can use magic so they drive them out of Iolkos to Corinth. There Jason marries the Kings daughter, making Medea lose her chill. Medea then kills Jason's new wife and also their children and then she ascends to Mount Olympus and marries Achilles. Alone and an outcast, Jason sits down next to his boat, Argo, where a rotted pole falls down and hits him on the head killing him. Thus ended the short, tragic life of Jason.

Love and revenge are pretty intertwined ideas. Though I feel like if the love is strong enough there shouldn't be any need for revenge, but usually that's not the case. Normally in the stories where the love takes a turn, one party messes up big time (i.e. cheating, lying, losing their marbles, etc.) causing the other party to seek revenge. This revenge is usually big and dramatic, and basically adds fuel to the already flaming fire. So basically the moral of this story is don't do anything to mess up your love, or you will feel the wrath of revenge.

"Jason & The Argonauts." PBS. PBS, Nov. 2005. Web. 04 Dec. 2014. <http://www.pbs.org/mythsandheroes/myths_four_jason.html>.

P.S. here is a link to Taylor Swift's catchy song about revenge :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2iuV04GpKI

Ode- Thomas Ueland


Ode to Calipari

Five years ago saw Calipari’s arrival
A basketball mind with Italian roots
A program in shambles, needing revival
He dazzled us with All-American recruits

Outspoken, competitive, and a colossal grin
The weight of the Big Blue Nation on his back
Rarely a day when his team doesn’t win
Under him, superstars unite and become a pack

“He can’t coach”, “One-and-dones won’t last”
They fret; Critics love to bash his unique ways
But after three Final Fours and a cutting of nets
He has the city setting couches ablaze

This is for you, gel-haired John
The skipper of a storied program that soars
You have won our hearts; continue to lead on
A spot in Lexingtonian lore is certainly yours

Ode-Rachel Hart

Ode to the Dogs Dogs are loving, dogs are kind. Slow to anger,quick to forgive, always thinking, who knows what is on their mind. A life without dogs is not one I can Live. With a wagging tail when I get home, being with you, I'll never be alone. Showing my love, I give you a bone, and hope that too far, you'll never roam. Stay here with me as long as you care, because a life without you, I cannot bear.

Saturday, December 6, 2014

Hallie Walther- Rebellion

Daddy
Sylvia Plath

You do not do, you do not do
Any more, black shoe
In which I have lived like a foot
For thirty years, poor and white,
Barely daring to breathe or Achoo.
Daddy, I have had to kill you.
You died before I had time--
Marble-heavy, a bag full of God,
Ghastly statue with one gray toe
Big as a Frisco seal
And a head in the freakish Atlantic
Where it pours bean green over blue
In the waters off beautiful Nauset.
I used to pray to recover you.
Ach, du.
In the German tongue, in the Polish town
Scraped flat by the roller
Of wars, wars, wars.
But the name of the town is common.
My Polack friend
Says there are a dozen or two.
So I never could tell where you
Put your foot, your root,
I never could talk to you.
The tongue stuck in my jaw.
It stuck in a barb wire snare.
Ich, ich, ich, ich,
I could hardly speak.
I thought every German was you.
And the language obscene
An engine, an engine
Chuffing me off like a Jew.
A Jew to Dachau, Auschwitz, Belsen.
I began to talk like a Jew.
I think I may well be a Jew.
The snows of the Tyrol, the clear beer of Vienna
Are not very pure or true.
With my gipsy ancestress and my weird luck
And my Taroc pack and my Taroc pack
I may be a bit of a Jew.
I have always been scared of you,
With your Luftwaffe, your gobbledygoo.
And your neat mustache
And your Aryan eye, bright blue.
Panzer-man, panzer-man, O You-- 
Not God but a swastika
So black no sky could squeak through.
Every woman adores a Fascist,
The boot in the face, the brute
Brute heart of a brute like you.
You stand at the blackboard, daddy,
In the picture I have of you,
A cleft in your chin instead of your foot
But no less a devil for that, no not
Any less the black man who
Bit my pretty red heart in two.
I was ten when they buried you.
At twenty I tried to die
And get back, back, back to you.
I thought even the bones would do.
But they pulled me out of the sack,
And they stuck me together with glue.
And then I knew what to do.
I made a model of you,
A man in black with a Meinkampf look
And a love of the rack and the screw.
And I said I do, I do.
So daddy, I'm finally through.
The black telephone's off at the root,
The voices just can't worm through.
If I've killed one man, I've killed two--
The vampire who said he was you
And drank my blood for a year,
Seven years, if you want to know.
Daddy, you can lie back now.
There's a stake in your fat black heart
And the villagers never liked you.
They are dancing and stamping on you.
They always knew it was you.
Daddy, daddy, you bastard, I'm through.
Plath, Sylvia. "Daddy." 100 Best Poems. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Dec. 2014

Da Daddy is a poem that describes the relationship between a daughter and her father. The describes her relationship with her father with a series of metaphors, comparing him to a black shoe, a Nazi, a swastika, and a vampire. She dislikes her father so much she kills him and her husband who is similar to her father. Daddy is a poem which at its core is rebellion. Most people are supported to respect their parents and when they don't it's seen as a form of rebellion. Sylvia takes her dislike for her father to the extreme, eventually killing him which is an even greater sign of rebellion. 



Da

D

Friday, December 5, 2014

Hallie Walther- sacrifice

Abraham was told by God to take his only son, who was born to his wife Sarah in her old age, to a mountain and sacrifice him. Abraham too his son, Isaac, with him on a journey, not telling him hid true intentions. Three days later, they arrived at the Mountain. Abraham took Isaac up on the mountain, and together they built an alter. Isaac did not know the intended use of the altar but he helped his dad anyways. When the alter was finished, Abraham was going to kill his son, an Angel of the Lord called out to Abraham that he did not have to kill his own son. Abraham sacrificed a ram that God pointed out to him nearby instead. After this, the Angel told Abraham that his decedents would be as numbers as the stars.

In this story, Abraham was willing to sacrifice his own son for God. People make sacrifices all the time that are sometimes intentional and sometimes they are not. In a family, each family member makes sacrifices to each other to help the family run smoothly. Everyone makes sacrifices everyday, they may be small but they might be as big as giving up your son.

Hallie Walther- Echo and Narcissus

Narcissus is in the woods hunting deer when he sees a nymph named Echo. Echo falls in love with Narcissus due to a curse that has been put on her but Narcissus is not interested in Echo. Echo stays in love with Narcissus until she withers away and never gets nay attention from Narcissus. Narcissus is again hunting in the forest and finds a pool of water where he sees his reflection but does not realize that it is himself. He falls in love with his reflection and when he realizes that it himself he gets so upset that he kills himself.

In this myth, Narcissus is obviously a narcissist and doesn't seem to have any altruistic qualities. In the real world, things are not always that cut and dry. In my opinion, everyone is a narcissist at some point and every is an altruist at some point as well. There are situations where everyone is wrapped up in themselves their needs and there are points where everyone puts others needs above there own. Just because someone possesses both qualities it doesn't mean that they are equally balanced. There are people who have more of Narcissus in them and there are those who are more altruistic. Just like most things in this word, there is no clear cut distinction in this situation.

Thursday, December 4, 2014

Abraham and Isaac-Eliot Smith

Abraham and Isaac is definitely one of the most famous stories of the Bible.  Abraham was a man to whom God spoke directly.  One day, God told Abraham to take his son, Isaac, to a mountaintop and sacrifice him.

Although Abraham was hesitant, he was dedicated to showing God that he would do whatever he said, so he carried out the plan.  They went to the mountaintop, and right when Abraham was about to kill his son, an angel sent from God appeared and told him not to do it, and that he had clearly demonstrated his devotion to God.

In return, God ensured that Abraham's descendants would be plentiful and very successful.

***

Sacrifice is the act of giving up something meaningful to you in order to further the probability of the success of another interest.  This is exactly what Abraham did.  He was seconds away from killing his only son in order to prove to God that he was devout.

Sacrifice is all around.  It exists in everyone's life; however, often times it is nowhere as severe as the story of Abraham and Isaac.  Many times, sacrifice just means spending a little less time on something and devoting that time to something else, such as a single father spending less time with his kids so he can earn more money to support them.

Sacrifice need not involve the death or maiming of someone for another cause for it to be considered "true."  What really must exist for this classification is the conscious effort to forfeit something with significance with the goal of bettering another aspect of one's life.

Abraham & Isaac Jania Stevenson

In this story, God commands Abraham to go and sacrifice his son as a burnt offering. Obviously Abraham loved his son very much, but he still did what God commanded him to do. He prepared a donkey and rode to Moriah. It took three days but once they arrived, he and Isaac went up to the temple to "worship". Once they get there Isaac grows suspicious because there's no ram and that's when Abraham bound Isaac. He began to start the process and that's when he was told he didn't have to go through with it. They ended up sacrificing a ram instead and they lived happily ever after.

This story shows true sacrifice. Isaac was Abraham's son that he loved dearly and although he loved him, he wanted to do what God asked of him. I couldn't imagine sacrificing my child, not even knowing what it was for. But Abraham did it, no questions asked, and I respect that

Post 12? 13? Ben G

Jason and the Golden Fleece 
Ben G 
The story of Jason is fairly long and complex, so I'll paraphrase. A long time ago, there was a kid named Jason due to be born any day. Meanwhile, his father was killed, and the throne was usurped by his killer. Jason would've been next, but his mother stashed him in the forest. Several years later, he came back to regain the throne. The king said that he would give up the throne to him if he could retrieve the Golden Fleece. Jason scrounged up some comrades, and set off. After passing numerous obstacles, they made it to the place where the fleece was kept. The king of that place made him do a lot of additional tasks, but Jason also managed to get the king's daughter to fall in love with him, partly because of the influence of Aphrodite. With the daughter 's help, he stole the fleece and headed home. Once he got home, he took the throne, and dumped the daughter. She was understandingly furious, and probably killed him. 

This entire story involves the concept of revenge, with a side of love. Jason sets out to reclaim his throne, and avenge his father's death. Along the way, he did pick up a love interest, but ditched her like yesterday's fish once he got back. She, then, got revenge by killing him. 

Jason and the Golden Fleece- Cassadi Cordea

The Golden Fleece was the skin of a golden ram that Jason, along with 50 other Greeks called the argonauts, sailed on the ship Argo to retrieve. Jason's uncle had killed his father and taken the throne for himself, but Jason was still the rightful king. The argonauts sailed to a land of a king who possessed the fleece. The fleece was heavily guarded by a dragon. Medea, the king's daughter, falls in love with Jason and helps him get the fleece. They run off together, Jason gets his throne back, and then leaves Medea. Her anger leads her to kill their children, and she tricks him into being killed. 

With the help of the goddess Aphrodite, Medea fell deeply in love with Jason. Because she loved him so much, she helped him and used her powers to get the Golden Fleece. After they got the fleece, they ran away together. But her love was mostly unrequited. Jason mostly just let her help him, and then left her after a while. Her love for him turned to anger and she longed for revenge. She killed their children so that she could hurt him. Her passionate feelings for him drove her to madness. 

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Abraham and Isaac- Thomas Ueland

God tells Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, as a burnt offering on a mountain. Knowing that this was a test of his dedication to God, Abraham sets off with his son, two servants, and a donkey. After reaching the mountain, Isaac asks his father about the whereabouts of their sacrifice animal, and Abraham responds by tying his son to the stone slab. However, just before he actually commits the murderous act, an angel appears and deters Abraham from killing his son. God knew that had he been asked, Abraham would have gone through with the deed. This was enough to prove the extent of his commitment to God, and God blesses Abraham with a promising future.

The passage from Genesis 22 exhibits true sacrifice; Abraham gave up what he loved most to validate his faith in the eyes of God. Spiritual leaps of faith still exist today, but rarely to the extremity of the story of Abraham and Issac. More often, I identify true sacrifice with the men and women involved in the Peace Corps and our soldiers. Both give up a normal lifestyle and years of their life, among many other things, on the premise of morality and the betterment of others. Their dedication to a high standard of character is beyond commendable, while their willingness to put their own lives at risk for the sake of people they've never met is as close to true sacrifice as you will find today.

Abraham and Isaac


God ordered Abraham to take Isaac, Abraham's only son, and offer him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains in the land of Mori'ah. The next day, Abraham took his son, two men, and a donkey, and begin the journey to the place of offering. On the third day, Abraham saw the place and told the men to wait with the donkey while his son and him went to pray. Isaac asked where the lamb was for the offering and Abraham lied and told him that God will provide the lamb. Upon reaching the spot for the offering, Abraham built an altar, bound Isaac, and laid him on the altar. As Abraham was about to stab his only son, God told him to stop. God congratulated Abraham for being a true believer and offering everything, even his son, to the Lord. God made a ram appear, which Abraham then sacrificed to the Lord. Abraham and his kin were blessed from that point on.

True sacrifice, the act of giving up a thing greatly valued or prized, is not something I can say I'm closely acquainted with, being only 17. Sacrifices at my age generally mean giving up time, as opposed to the offering of children in the story of Abraham and Isaac. I can say that true sacrifice is supposed to be selfless, though, and that I hope to one day be able to handle the responsibilities of an action like that.

Jason and the Golden Fleece- Cassie Adams



Jason’s uncle, Pelias, kills his brother and Jason’s father, and takes his throne. Jason's mother then sent him away into the mountains to be raised by Cheiron, a centaur. However, when Jason turns 20, he journeys to see Pelias and reclaim his throne. Pelias says that Jason must first complete a difficult task to prove his worth and orders him to retrieve the Golden Fleece from the edge of the land. He then assmembles a team of heroes to aid him on his quest. Jason reaches Colchis, but the king demands that he complete more challanges to earn the Golden Fleece. The king's daughter Medea offers her assitance, if Jason first agrees to marry her. He agrees and is successful. However, Jason eventually leaves Medea and she kills him and their children in an act of revenge.

This is definitely a story that focuses on love and revenge. It begins as somewhat of a revenge story, as Jason returns to reclaim his throne after it was unjustly taken by his uncle. When he meets Medea, the love theme comes into play. As she fell deeply in love with Jason, Medea agrees to aid him in his quest for the Golden Fleece.  However, after they run off together, she discovers that Jason is unfaithful, which greatly angers her. Ultimately, her intense love for him drove her to extreme measures. Her feelings of betrayal led to a tragic ending as she kills Jason and their children. In many cases, both in life and in literature, love and revenege are two greatly intertwined ideas.

Jason and the Golden Fleece - Jasa Harris

Jason’s uncle, Pelias, kills his brother and Jason’s father, and unjustly ascends to the throne. He plans to kill Jason once he is born, but Jason’s mother fools him, allowing Jason to be taken and hidden in the woods. Once Jason turns 20 he emerges to claim the throne. Pelias agrees to let Jason have the throne if he can retrieve the Golden Fleece at the edge of the land. This task proves to be difficult, so he assembles several heroes to assist him. Finally, Jason reaches Colchis and asks the king for the Golden Fleece. However, the king says he must complete more challenges. But Medea aids Jason, as she is a sorceress, but Jason must agree to marry her.  In the end, however, Jason leaves Medea, and out of revenge she kills him.

This story is interesting as it focuses on both love and revenge. First, you have this story built completely around seeking revenge as Jason sets out to claim his throne. And then it turns into this love story, when Medea comes along and at first it is a beautiful one. Two lovers completing tasks together, conquering the world it seems. But like so many love stories this one becomes tragic, ending fatally. And ironically, Jason is the victim of revenge when Medea kills him after he is unfaithful to her.


"Jason and the Legendary Golden Fleece." Ancient Origins. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2014. <http://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends/jason-and-legendary-golden-fleece-001307>.

Jason and the Golden Fleece Zac Byrd

This fleece was the skin of a golden ram that was guarded by a dragon. Jason is Greek and had the task of going and getting this fleece. Jason got help from 50 heros of Greeks past and together they were the Argonauts. The kings daughter Medea helped the Argonauts by drugging the dragon and charmed everybody else.  She and Jason escaped with the fleece and went around the Europe finally arriving at Greece.  Jason deserted her and Medea killed their children.  Argo was the ship they had sailed on to get to the dragon and fleece.  Medea convinced Jason that it would be a good idea for him to sleep under something that protected him for so long, and then part of it fell on him and he died.

This is a very interesting love story.  The relationship is really one sided. Medea has this overwhelming love for Jason and Jason just likes her like a normal person, he isn't obsessed. Medea already has the ability to charm and drug the dragon, Jason it seems does nothing except be the face of the expedition.  Then he decides to leave her because apparetnly he was the overwhelming hero in this.  Medea for whatever reason loved Jason and after he left her, naturally after all she had done for him she hated him.  And she got revenge on him and his family.

Assignment Abraham and Isaac - Drew

God decided to test Abraham, His chosen patriarch (why God didn't test Abraham before He named him the father of His nation I don't know). So anyway, God tells Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, whom God gave to Abraham and Sarah (they were old, so there was no way they were going to accomplish that on their own), just to prove Abraham's faith. So, Abraham and Isaac travel out to a mountain in the middle of nowhere and Isaac's all like, "what are we doing?" and Abraham's like "we're sacrificing to God, son," and Isaac's like, "but we haven't anything to sacrifice," and Abraham's like, "well, the Lord will provide," and then proceeds to tie up Isaac (who doesn't seem to resist to his elderly father who he could easily overwhelm) to an alter and sharpen his dagger to slay him (Isaac still doesn't seem to be at all alarmed by these happenings). Just before Abraham raises his dagger to stab Isaac, God stopped him and provided a ram instead as sacrifice and everything was hunky-dory.

True sacrifice is defined as, "the surrender or destruction of something prized or desirable for the sake of something considered as having a higher or more pressing claim." 

Assignment 10-Eliot Smith

Echo and Narcissus is the story of a wood nymph (Echo) who falls in love with a boy named Narcissus.  Narcissus was loved by many; however, this love was never reciprocated.  He enjoyed the admiration and attention, but never felt feelings for anyone.


One day Echo, who loved talking and always had to have the last word, went behind Juno's, a goddess, back and aided Juno's adulterous husband's escape by distracting Juno with her words.  Juno recognized this and cursed Echo, making it so that she could only speak what was spoken to her.


Echo went back to the woods and waited for Narcissus to come strolling through.  Eventually he did and noticed Echo, and told her to come out of her hiding place so they could talk.  Echo took this in the wrong way and threw herself onto Narcissus who, expectedly, rejected her love.  Echo, devastated, left the woods and went to live in the mountains, suffering from grief.


Eventually the gods got tired of Narcissus' constant rejections and cursed him so that the only person he could fall in love with, he could not be with.


Narcissus came across a pool of water and gazed into it.  He saw a water nymph who he instantly fell in love with.  He kissed the nymph and tried to grab it to pull it closer, but the nymph disappeared.  In reality, the nymph was his reflection, but he did not recognize it. 


He stayed at the pool of water for his remaining life, dying there.


A narcissist I abhor is Alex Reese.  He walks around with this undeserved sense of accomplishment just because he thinks he's better than everyone because he was born in Guam.  He believes that Guam is superior to the States and will not stop talking about it.


An altruist I respect is Hans Stromberg.  He uses his incredible baking powers for the good of humanity.  Never have I seen him bring in a plate of brownies and expect something in return; for this, I thank him.

Jason and the Golden Fleece- Saba Khandani

This fleece was the skin of a golden ram which hung at the far end of the earth, guarded by a dragon. Jason was given the task of winning the fleece, and he seeked the aid of the other Greeks. He was helped by 50 of the celebrated heroes of the past, including Orpheus and Hercules. They were called the Argonauts, because they sailed with Jason in the ship Argo. Once they got there, Jason was aided by the king's daughter, Medea, a mighty sorceress. She charmed and then drugged the dragon, so that she and Jason escaped with the fleece. After they left, they kept following the coast-line, until they encircled the world, which was Europe as the ancients knew it, and finally got back to Greece, having been the first men to see the wonders of the world. After the trip, he deserted her, and she in revenge killed their children. Then, she persuaded him to sleep under the shade of the old, rotting Argo, so that its timbers fell on him, and the ship that had brought him so much glory caused his death.
This love story seems magical at the beginning (and I'm not just saying that because Medea was a sorcerer). Together, Jason and Madea achieve incredible things. However, once he leaves her, she becomes furious. All of the love she had for Jason turned into revenge after he left. Love can make people do crazy things; in this case, kill your children. Some say that she did it because those children were a part of him and she had to get her revenge for abandoning her.

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Post #??? / Hannah Pulley

God decided on a distressing way to test Abraham: he asked Abraham to sacrifice his only son on the top of a mountain. Soon after receiving the message, Abraham set out with his son is search of firewood and for the designated place to build the altar. After a few days of walking, they reached the top of the mountain. Isaac asked about the absence of a sacrificial lamb, to which Abraham replied “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering.” Just as Abraham was about to take a knife to his son, the voice of God could be heard coming through the clouds, imploring for him to stop. Even if he didn’t really have to sacrifice his son in the end, Abraham’s devotion was great enough that he was willing to go through with it. For this, God declared that Abraham’s descendants would be “as numerous as the stars in the sky” and would bring blessings to every nation they inhabited.

In the course of our everyday lives, we end up making so many small sacrifices—to reach a goal or maybe just to get by. Each person defines what a sacrifice to them is, and what is just an indulgence to be given up.  All of these are true sacrifices, but we also tend to linger on the question of what is the greatest sacrifice a person could make. For most, it’s a person’s life and well-being; for others, life would be meaningless if they didn’t have a certain person or couldn’t experience something they greatly enjoy (like their children, or the sight to read books or watch films.) I believe that what a person prioritizes in life does have a bearing on their character, but hey, as long as your priorities are in a somewhat sensible order, you’ll be okay.


"Bible Gateway Passage: Genesis 22 - New International Version." Bible Gateway. Biblica. Web. 3 Dec. 2014. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis22.

Jason and the Golden Fleece-Rachel Hart

Jason was born to the king of Iolcus. His father was the lawful king, however his envious uncle Pelias had taken the throne. In fear of losing the throne, Pelias kept Jason's father as a prisoner and attempted to murder Jason. In protection of her son, Jason's mother faked the death of her baby while Jason was taken to the cave if Chiron, a centaur. Chiron raised Jason and when he came of age sent him out to claim his rightful throne. Pelias decides that if Jason can successfully retrieve the Golden Fleece then he can have the throne. In order to complete the difficult task, Jason assembles a band of heroes. When the group reaches the city of Colchis, the king tells Jason that he cannot simply take the Golden Fleece but he must complete more challenges. Jason falls for the kings daughter Medea, a powerful sorceress, and she offers to assist him if he promises to marry her. The two sail back to Greece where Jason reclaims the throne until they are run out of Iolkos. Jason doesn't remain faithful to Medea and she gets upset. She kills the other woman, their children and eventually Jason. Where there is love, there is revenge. In the case of the story of Jason, the entire plot is set on revenge against his uncle for taking the throne. Along the way Jason does find love in Medea but only because he needed her help in completing his mission. He turned against her and she got her revenge in the end with his death. So in the end, the hero who attempts to seek revenge against his uncle falls to the revenge of Medea. "Jason & The Argonauts." PBS. PBS, Nov. 2005. Web. 04 Dec. 2014. .

Sydney Blog #7 (Ode)

ODE TO WINTER (an original ode by Sydney Smith)


"O Winter, Thou art noble"
I exhale through lips too cold
Watching a gentle blanket of delicate fluff descend upon
Empty streets normally bustling and bold


You subtly mute the symphonies heralded by summer and fall
You dull the artist's palate with grey's and soft, gentle blues
While the world drifts to sleep
We are all drowning in your winter landscape hues


"O winter, Thou art chilling!"
Clouds overhead rupture and allow snowflakes to gently fall down
Your breath chills my bones and creeps down my spine
Am I colder than the air in this town?




I read a few odes as well, including:
-"Ode to the Forgotten"
-"America"
-"The Passions"
-"House of Odes"