A New Poem "The Mirror"

Can eyes deceive?
Do mirrors distort?
Shattering glass is absorbed by the unexpecting floor,
Streams of ice cold liquid cover your seemingly hideous complexion.
The transformation to a monster is complete,
Damage irreversible!
Descending limply unto the sharp edges of despair
Rejoicing at the striking blades of truth
Sensing blood trickling on your bare legs
Feeling satisfaction at the welcomed pain
Crouching in a reflecting pool of lava and ice
The blood boiling with fury,
At war with the ultimate crucifier,
The mirror began your final judgment,
But the true destroyer,
The true sabotager,
The True Killer,
The True Lucifer,
YOU!!

Globalization or "Westernization"

VS.


Globalization is a term that is on the minds and on the tongues of the majority of individuals today. Everybody uses this term loosely, but do people really know what it means? Some might say that globalization is the path of the future, while others just think it’s a new trend that will be replaced by something else soon. However, could globalization just be another way of saying “westernization”? Is globalization just a term masking the reality of Western culture spreading its traditions and values to the rest of the world? The popular movie Slumdog Millionaire depicts an Indian society that has started to assimilate Western culture into their daily lives. The film provides evidence how countries, like India, who in the midst of globalization are accepting “Westernization” into their society.

Even before watching the actual movie Western influence can be seen because the director Danny Bolye is a British native. Therefore Indian culture is already filmed and written, screenplay writer Simon Beaufoy, through the eyes of Westerners. The amount of popularity this movie received in the states was astounding, even winning this film the greatest film recognition by capturing the Best Picture award at the Academy Awards. At the surface this might be viewed as Americans embracing the differences of a foreign culture, but in reality it is a Westernized version of Indian culture that the American industry was supporting. If Slumdog Millionaire would have been an authentic foreign film it would have belonged to the best foreign film category rather than being compared to the rest of the mainstream American movies. There were numerous reactions concerning the film’s success on behalf of the Indian citizens; “The unexpected international success of Slumdog Millionaire has pleased some Indians while provoking unusually strong protests from others. The critical and commercial success of the film, contrasted with sharp criticism and a lackluster run in Indian theaters, captures the inherent contradictions of an increasingly globalized country. India basks in the glow of international recognition, but resents the critical scrutiny that global exposure brings” (Dhume). The movie industry and politics have an intertwined relationship and this movie is a great example of the effects of globalization on the world outside of the United States.

Focusing on the end of the movie allows the viewer to truly notice the influence that Western culture has on Indian society. The movie is supposed to depict Indian culture, but throughout the entire film the traditional Indian singing and dancing is excluded until after the credits. It is as if the authentic Indian culture is inferior to the Westernized version of their society, and even when a sense of Bollywood comes forth in the film the actors are wearing Western style clothes instead of the traditional Indian garments. The dance does not even steal the focus of the film at the end because it is constantly interrupted by credits taking over the screen. Even the star Amitabah Bachman, in the film, is portrayed as acting in mainly action flicks and Jamal’s prized picture has the actor wearing anything but traditional Indian attire. Having an actor being the “most popular” man in India also parallels the Western value of Hollywood stars admiration. The lack of emphasis on actual Indian culture underlines the fact that the Westernized version of India is more appealing to the general public of the Western world.

The entire premises of the film focuses around the game show “Who Wants to be a Millionaire,” which is an American invention and tradition. The host, stage appearance, rules, and mannerisms of the Indian version of the show completely mimic the American game, which once again demonstrates Western influence in India. Having the game show in India brings to surface the idea that “there no longer seems to be a clear relationship between cultural practices and localities” (Gikandi 638). Customs are not trapped within geographical boundaries, but that does not mean that all cultural traditions are valued similarly in significance. The movie depicts Jamal answering eight questions on “Who Wants to be a Millionaire,” but all questions that concerned Indian culture where presented at the beginning not being attached to high values. The top questions which were worth the most amount of money concerned facts about Western culture. Who was on the 100 US dollar bill, who invented the revolver, who was the greatest cricketer, and finally about the French written novel The Three Musketeers. Having those questions be considered difficult and worth so much money, places a huge emphasis on the importance of Western culture. Theoretically only educated people could get those answers right, which means that knowing the details of Western culture places one in the higher class of society. The fact that the Indian version of the American show was conducted in English, also shows the superiority of Western culture within the walls of Indian society. Does globalization mean that everybody needs to learn and accept English into their daily lives?

In the film they depict Jamal as a young man in the slums of India and he does not begin speaking English until he starts pretending to be a tour guide and doing business. Throughout the movie whenever there jobs are being discussed or they are working English is the dominant language that they converse in. Lower class slums speak Hindi and are associated with poverty, while any income being accumulated, like working in a restaurant kitchen already requires the knowledge of English. In the movie the slums is also rebuilt into a business center with tall buildings and company headquarters. British and American companies outsource their work to India, like when Jamal had to pretend to be from London while taking a customer service call for a telephone company. Globalization opens the world market for all countries, but only certain countries dominate the corporate world. Having business conducted in English undermines the ability of the India companies surviving on their own without Western support. There is a vision that “globalization offers the promise of a unified humanity no longer divided by East and West, North and South, Europe and its others, the rich and poor” (Coronil 351). That is an idealized version of what globalization should represent, but the reality is the domination of Western culture in other parts of the globe. If Western culture did not have such a great influence in places like India, one would not have to speak English in order to sound professional and make money. Also to look professional the dress attire mimics the Western conception of professionalism, not incorporating traditional Indian garments into the mix.

Globalization is truly “not [an] extension of market in geographical space, [but a] concentration in social space” (Coronil 365). The market does open up, but the cultural traditions of the viewed “superior” culture extend much further beyond invisible country borders. Influences of western culture are apparent around the world and the film Slumdog Millionaire is no exception to the reach of Westernization.

Works Cited

Coronil, Fernando. "Towards a Critique of Globalcentrism: Speculations on Capitalism's Nature." Public Culture 12.2 (2000): 351-74. Project Muse. Web. 7 May 2010. .

Dhume, Sadanand. "Slumdog Paradox." YaleGlobe (2009). Policy Innovations. Web. 7 May 2010. .

Gikandi, Simon. "Globalization and the Claims of Postcoloniality." The South Atlantic Quarterly 100.3 (2001): 627-58. Project Muse. Web. 7 May 2010. .

Globalization

Globalization is a term that has spread like wild fire in our society, but what does it actually mean? How does globalization affect an individual’s everyday life? As with any other life issue there is controversy surrounding the impact of globalization. Some people argue that is it the best thing that could have ever happened, while others are more skeptical and see the shortcomings of globalization. According to Fernando Coronil there are people who think that the “image of globalization offers the promise of a unified humanity no longer divided by East and West, North and South, Europe and its Others, the rich and poor” (“Towards a Critique of Globalcentrism: Speculations on Capitalism’s Nature” 351). This is a very positive spin on globalization and brings up the freedom that can ideally occur with globalization. Territorial and cultural boundaries will still exist, but they will not prevent people from participating in the open market that sees through those invisible lines. It can “bring cultures together” and prevent the isolation of civilizations from the rest of the world. Globalization, however, has it negatives and Coronil expresses that when he states that it is “not an extension of market in geographical space but a concentration in social space” (365). Globalization provides certain cultures and countries to dominate the world market, which places all the power into the hands of a few. Coronil labels globalization as “fourth World War” that “claims the lives of vast numbers of people subjected to increasing poverty and marginalization” (360). In theory and on paper globalization should open doors for struggling individuals, but in practice that is not always the case. Many people are experiencing extraneous hardships due to globalization and it is devastating. An open world market would be ideal if every country actually had equal access and freedom to use its advantages. There is a concentration of wealth in certain countries and then the poorer countries become very dependent on either aid or trade with those countries in power. Simon Gikandi actually makes a statement in his article on globalization that the “world [is becoming] increasingly interdependent with the passing of time” (“Globalization and the Claims of Postcoloniality” 627). Globalization makes boundaries disappear and it could almost be seen as though different countries do not exist, it has returned to the stage of Pangea in a sense. Gikandi states that with globalization “there no longer seems to be a clear relationship between cultural practices and localities” (638). That could be viewed as both negative and positive. From an optimistic perspective this gives people more freedom to make individual life choices and follow the cultural beliefs that they see best fits their own desires. However, this also allows for certain cultures to dominate and make their customs appear superior to traditions of cultures that are not mainstream. This “freedom” can both underline individuality while at the same time promoting collectivism and conformity.

"The Tell-Tale Heart" on Mute (19th Century American Literature for 11th Grade)

Using media in the classroom is a great way to not only attract student attention, but is a great reinforcer for topics that you are teaching in the classroom. Students use media daily and many of them are visual learners, therefore they benefit with interacting with media images. Buckingham states that "media education therefore aims to develop a broad-based competence, not just in relation to print, but also in these other symbolic systems of images and sounds" (4). Using the youtube clip of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart" would work on the students ability to decifer images and work with symbolism. I would actually show the clip muting the volume before reading the short story because that would make the students focus more on the images. The students would have to analyze the symbolism of the imgaes, critique the colors and animation, and also write a summary of the story solely based on what they witnessed without sound during the video clip. This use of media really underlines the importance of symbolism and how powerful images can be to a central theme or message of a text.

A Virtual "Me"

A few things that James Paul Gee wrote truly interested me and left me pondering about my own identity and existence. He mentioned that when creating a gaming character there exist three separate identities: "the virtual, real, and projective." "All three operate together, at once, as a larger whole" (49). So much of an individual actually gets projected unto a virtual character. Creating a new person makes one question their own values, morals, beliefs, and priorities. Actually it could be like sitting in a psychologist office from the safety and comfort of your own home. Evaluating yourself can help put life into perspective and also thinking strategy can help a person develop critical thinking skills. Many students in classrooms today would much rather spend hours thinking of a game plan for their virtual character rather than analyzing Romeo and Juliet inside an English classroom. Video games can be used to teach valuable lessons, however, it can never replace the true value of literature. Students need an escape from the realm of the canonized educational curriculum and within a proportional time frame playing strategy video games might not be such a pointless escape.

Mythology Ch.1

Myths have been around for centuries and people have viewed them differently depending on the era and the society. Mythology has even been used as propaganda, like the Nazi’s, which truly underlines the significance that myths could play in a community. In the 20th Century Joseph Campbell, who was influenced by Freud and Jung, created his own theory about mythology. He states that “ mythology is ultimately and always the vehicle through which the individual finds a sense of identity and place in the world” (17). Campbell underlines that myths hold “universal human truths” (17) which can guide individuals to learn morals and virtues. No society is perfect; therefore we need to have myths that model an individual’s struggle to change for the better in the face of danger and temptations. Myths underline that people can change regardless of age and it is never too late to venture on a personal journey to create a better version of you. Myths typically focus on an average individual, who in the end comes back to the place they started but as a changed person, which makes it easier for the common citizen to identify with the main character. Myths are stories that are meant to inspire people to change and should not be used for propaganda, but instead should be viewed as life lessons that model positive changes.

"Death"

Death is something that is never wanted
Somepeople even think that that word is haunted
When a close person to you dies your life is a mess
Many people go to religious places and confess.

They don't know what to do now that they're gone
They are trying to figure out how to move on.
For some relief never comes and their lives go to hell
It makes them so mad they just want to yell.

Soon they start blaming themselves for that terrible event,
It's like that's the reason they were sent.
They really go crazy and lose their mind,
But they are not one of a kind.

Sadly, that happens more than we think
Your life could change like that in one single blink.
To prevent these terrble fates to happen to you.
Somehow you have to learnn how to deal with death too.

It will never be a pleasant event in your life,
But you can get through with hep from your husband or wife.
The wounds death made will take time to heal,
Though if you don't go crazy think how much better you will feel.

Death is something that is apart of living on this earth today,
You can't make it ever go away,
Don't love it but learn to accept it
Because then when it happens the road ahead to your bright future will still be lite.

"Internal Turmoil"

Secret skeletons consuming the vicinity of your closet
Bones of deceit covering your bedroom floor.
Your true identity hides behind numerous masks
These faces hang on your walls, slowly closing in on you with their hollow stares
They become the mirrors to your broken soul
Trapped by your mind, you become dizzy and collapse on your bed
Happiness, sadness, fear, and excitement are emotions you are incapable of feeling
The mechanics of putting on a front have entirely drained you dry
The core of your being is just like the center of the earth;
People can only speculate about its substance but never reach it
Hot lava flows through your veins instead of human blood,
Preparing your heart for the explosive eruption that is to come
The hourglass of your existence is running out of sand
The difference between day and night means nothing to you,
Since you’re just withering away motionless in your room.
Friends and family don’t exist, because they are all strangers to your being
Alienation encompasses your inner state even among a crowd of people
Breaking free from the cell you confined yourself to is impossible
Too many days, weeks, and years have past of the masquerade
Your lips can only utter lies, because they don’t know truth
Your eyes are glazed over with a decade of blindness to reality
The window to your soul is shattered in a million pieces
You believe your wasting oxygen that another deserving individual could use
The entity of your being is like a black hole, from which not even a glimpse of you can escape
There is no purpose for the life you chose to lead
You never meant for this play to have so many acts
But transforming into an actress comes too naturally and easily to stop
Being the director, writer and producer of your own life gives you the illusion of control
The need for that power became an obsession and swallowed your true personality
Attempting to shred the script is futile, its too encrypted in your brain
The wiring of channel information has been ripped out of your hands
Chained to the fate of living as an automaton in a world of individuality
Creativity, spontaneity, originality, and freedom are extinct in your realm
You unconsciously made yourself a slave of your own mind
The strength to fight flew away with gusts of the Santa Ana winds,
Leaving behind a mere, weak and feeble body of what once was a strong, intelligent woman
Outspoken, exciting, and revolutionary days are dead and buried
If only you could recapture even a tiny spec of your previous character,
The world is truly distraught for the loss of such an amazing persona.
The breaking point has approached and the only plausible solution to beat your disease is death
Rational reasoning is trampled over with the need for escape
The empty looks of the eyes on the wall suddenly flared up from your suicidal thought
Their overwhelming intensity of pure joy just pushes you over the edge
Searching desperately around your forsaken room for the final solution
No gun, rope, or poison available at hand conveniently
No heroic death plausible in your near future,
But finally the feeling of ultimate control flows through you,
And you heighten the search for something to kill with,
All of a sudden for the first time in months a light shines on in your mind,
And the glistening sparkle of the long forgotten kitchen knife catches your sight
The realization of your choice makes your heart experience real ecstasy
The blade is your key to another place where you can truly start over,
Create the identity of who you are inside and not the skin you wear for the outside world
With raging determination the sharpest point of your savior reaches the veins
Piercing through the years of numbing agony with one clean cut
Tears of relief trickle down your cheeks in perfect rhythm with the rushing blood,
Droplets of both hit the linoleum floor simultaneously creating a tiny red river
You feel your broken soul mending as it leaves your earthy remains for a better realm
Your eye lids requiring supernatural strength to remain open
Every limb shutters as it relaxes and a sense of ultimate bliss fills your dying heart
The last image you witness before unconsciousness is the formulated grins on the wall
The masks brought you initial disaster and are the greatest fans of your demise
But something goes wrong, another failure added to your never-ending list,
The realization that your still stuck on planet earth surfaces as the hospital lights awake you
The doctors surrounding the soul-less body that still breathes
Even the simple act of committing suicide was beyond your capabilities
You thought escape was possible, but reality got cruelly thrown in your face
Now instead of being trapped in your room you just find more restraints
An entire padded white room, a straitjacket, and an infinite supply of pills.
From being an automaton on your own account, you downgraded to a vegetable of the system
But no medication, lack of mirrors or educated people can take away the voices
The masquerade isn’t complete and the masks transformed into sound waves
They are apart of your recent past, present, and eternal future
There is no such thing as a clean break from your problems
Escape is an illusion and confrontation is the only possible survival method

Flying Japan

Flying, trapped in a plane
Looking out through the tiny dirty window
Attempting to see the beauty of Japan,
But instead dark, gray clouds surround you.
The weather mimics your tortured emotions,
And you are beginning to become clastrophobic.
The people around you make your head spin,
And the yelling in your head picks up in volume.
The voices of your past haunt you to the soul,
And you grip the cramming airline seat out of desperation.

A Prehistoric Bliss

Innovation and technological advances are supposed to improve the lifestyle of the common individual. However, are there draw-backs to materialistic advancements? Does humanity lose its ability to appreciate beauty or forget the concept of chivalry? Edwin Arlington Robinson comments on the change in society after the Industrial Revolution in his poem “Miniver Cheevy.” Miniver is a man that desperately longs for the idolized past and looks with contempt on the innovations of his civilization. Robinson uses Miniver’s persona to identify the flaws and shortcomings of modern society. Through the thoughts of Miniver Cheevy society is depicted as being alienating, ignorant, and materialistic.

Robinson immediately within the first two lines of the poem establishes a dismal tone. His subject, Miniver Cheevy, is described as being a “child of scorn / [and that he] Grew lean while he assailed the seasons” (Robinson 1-2). The harsh diction underlines the unhappiness and stress that surrounds the existence of this individual. Being a pupil of contempt and having to vigorously fight through the changing seasons does not elicit a benevolent life purpose. Miniver’s life is depicted as miserable and almost pointless because he constantly “wept that he was ever born, / and he had reasons” (Robinson 3-4). Cheevy’s disdain stems not from a personal tragedy, but rather a shift in the values and traditions of society as a whole. The present day civilization leaves his soul emotionally drained and his mind in a constant state of dreaming. Miniver “loved the days of old” (Robinson 5) and “sighed for what was not”(Robinson 9). Cheevy glorifies for himself the historical decades long past dead, but that is his reaction to the utter dissatisfaction that he feels towards the world that he lives in. Miniver Cheevy’s life can be considered a failure, but he “fails because his sentimental attachment to an imaginary past and his preference for illusion above reality leave him spiritually dead” (Stovall 6). Rejecting the purity of the modern mindset can make an individual feel alienated and causes Miniver to withdraw into himself surrounded by loneliness.

Miniver Cheevy desired to live among the Knights of the Roundtable or bask in the presence of the artists of the Italian Renaissance. He believed that Camelot, warriors, and famous families, like the Medici, held strong passionate beliefs. They represent “romance,” honor, and beauty, which to him are extinct ideals. Cheevy’s longing runs so deep that he “would have sinned incessantly / Could he have been” (Robinson 15-16) a Medici. For a person which such aspirations and apparent interest in art, a society where “Art, [is] a vagrant” (Robinson 12) is not only unnerving but completely unbearable. Cheevy’s eyes want to appreciate his environment and adore beauty, however, all he looks upon is a “khaki suit with loathing” (Robinson 18). When referring to Cheevy’s feelings on reality powerful and unsettling words, such as: “assailed,” “mourned,” “vagrant,” “cursed,” “loathing,” “scorned,” and “annoyed.” Using such harsh, direct, and uninviting diction is an intentional mechanism to represent the discontent and unacceptance Miniver harbors for the modern society he finds himself trapped in. With no appreciation for beauty, civilization can be described as being ignorant and self-absorbed. When mentioning the past lighter and more positive words are used to create a contrasting impression. Cheevy thought about “when swords were bright and steeds were prancing / The vision of a warrior bold / Would set him dancing” (Robinson 6-8). These lines scream joy and passion and even warriors, who could be associated with blood and death, make Miniver’s heart gain an upbeat rhythm. “Steeds were prancing,” represents freedom and nature, which is apparently omitted from the reality Cheevy seeks so desperately to ignore. Miniver paints an ideal world of the past, which means he is not very well educated in the reality, but his present day life is so overbearing that he seeks a fantasy society.

Cheevy’s modern society places a lot of emphasis on materialistic possessions and just money in general. Cheevy expresses that he “scorned the gold he sought, / But sore annoyed was he without it” (Robinson 25-26). Despising the monetary hunger his fellow peers, Miniver still cant not escape that mindset because he is a product of his surroundings and not his idealistic past. He spent so much time pondering this internal contradiction that his “thought” process is repeated four times consecutively in the poem. Repetition is a powerful tool and it brings emphasis to the heartache his materialistic inclinations bring him. However, that creates an irony since his idealistic heroes of “Thebes, Camelot, and Troy were upper class people with plenty of wealth, who killed each other for love, not money” (Perrine 70-71). That irony creates a juxtaposition of his thoughts because is it really modern society that is so unbearable or just his poverty? But at the same time even this irony underlines his overall greater interest for love and beauty, over the materialistic demand for money. He places on a pedestal wars fought for love instead of monetary gain, and did not the Industrial Revolution place more emphasis on personal possessions and climbing the ladder of financial success.

Miniver Cheevy is so alienated from his society that he entraps himself in a illusional dream world of the past. A lot of one-sided visions could be attributed to the fact that he accepted his reality as “fate / And kept on drinking” (Robinson 31-32). An alcoholic is not a credible source on any topic, but he was driven to alcoholism by the shortcomings of his society. No specific individual tragedy was ever mentioned, only the cold, ruthless facts about his world are revealed. Robinson through his use of repetition, juxtaposition, comparison, irony, and diction presents a social commentary on society long into the Industrial Revolution through the disheartened eyes of Miniver Cheevy. Even the name, Miniver Cheevy, is ironic in the sense that it “links him to the Middle Ages” (Perrine 72) because Cheevy “is not too distant from “chevalier” and “chivalry”- knights and knighthood” (Perrine 72). Basically, Miniver was doomed from the start to be miserable in his own skin because everything about him belongs to an age that is long past gone.



Works Cited


Perrine, Laurence. "A Reading of Miniver Cheevy." Colby Quarterly 6.2 (1962): 65-74. Digital Commons. Berkley Electronic Press. Web. 5 Feb. 2010. .

Robinson, Edwin A. ""Miniver Cheevy"" 100 Best-Loved Poems. Ed. Philip Smith. New York:Dover Publications, 1995. 82-83. Print.

Stovall, Floyd. "The Optimism Behind Robinson's Tragedies." American Literature 10.1 (1938): 1-23. JSTOR. Web. 5 Feb. 2010. &Search=yes&term=rob
nsons&term=behind&term=tragedies&term=optimism&list=hide&searchUri=/action/d AdvancedSearch?q0%3Dthe%2Boptimism%2Bbehind%2Brobinsons%2Btragedies%26 0%3 Dall%26c0%3DAND%26q1%3D%26f1%3Dall%26c1%3DAND%26q2%3D%26
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h%26sd%3D%26ed%3D%26la%3D%26jo%3D&item=1&ttl=51 &returnArticleService=showArticle&resultsServiceName=doAdvancedResultsFromArticle&coo kieSet=1>.

A Few Poems Unlocked (Week Two)

Walt Whitman, Matthew Arnold, William Butler Yeats, and Robert Frost are all poets who anybody could speak about for hours. Their greatness has made a mark on the literary world and that is why their poems constantly appear in textbooks and poetry books. Their poems are a joy to read and for a second take you away from the world that surrounds you into the realm of their words.

In the poem “When You Are Old” by William Butler Yeats you get a glimpse of what the future will bring. He depicts an individual who is will hopefully look back on the past with joy, but presently only has “this book” to remind them of those times. It depicts old age as being “gray and full of sleep,” which is not an existence filled with excitement, but instead a sense of tranquility. Evenings are not spent out on the town by instead with dreaming, “nodding by the fire,” and life in slow motion. It is a life of living vicariously through the past and enjoying the fact that you experienced love and lust. This individual was lucky because they experience true love, the kind of ideal love that Shakespeare wrote about because they had “a man [who] loved the pilgrim soul… / and loved the sorrows of your changing face.” That love is dead and in the heavens, so the only thing that remains to fill your heart with joy is memories. This poem sends the message that live your life to the fullest when you are young, love with your whole heart, experience the world, because when you are “old and gray” those memories are going to keep your heart alive. Yeats also uses a rhyme scheme in this poem, which adds to the calm soothing feel to this poem. The endings words of line one and four and the endings words in line two and three rhyme in each of the three stanzas. It is like the words themselves are holding each other in and keeping the memories alive inside to be enjoyed and treasured.

Robert Frost in the poem “The Road Not Taken” depicts a feeling that everyone experiences numerous times in their lives. “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood” represents the fork in the road that we all come to in our lives. A decision must be made, a life altering decision, with no clear distinctive reason to choose either path. “And both that morning equally lay / In leaves no step had trodden black,” both roads are equally appealing and there is no clue as to what other people chose to do in that situation. It is the individual alone with themselves choosing their fate without the opinion or experiences of others weighing the decision. Frost shows how there is now way back from certain life choices, but how that is alright and one must be satisfied with looking forward. “Yet knowing how way leads on to way, / I doubted if I should ever come back,” people do not always have the opportunity to remake an important decision. Traveling back in time or turning back the clock are only occurrences we see in the fantasy realm of the cinema. A person needs to be content with the choices they make in life and live with no regrets. Frost depicts that message when he ends his poem with “I took the one less traveled by, / And that has made all the difference.” Previously in the poem the two paths were shown as being equal, but because the individual chose one it has become the right path and the one that has shaped his world. You have to make your own decisions without the weight of the worlds opinion on your shoulders, which makes the path you choose “less traveled” on.

Poetry Exercise: March Violets

This song is about an individual who is battling a duel identity. The individual is fighting stereotypes from belonging to one specific culture, while also being affiliated with another. The lyrics "Can you tell them apart" are repeated numerous times, and signifies that from the outside physical perspective there is only one individual, while on the inside it is turmoil. There are two different sets of values represented in this song, from "firing a gun" to "watering the vine," it shows a softness and harshness to the individual simultaneously. The word "half" is also repeated towards the end of the song and it just adds to the theme of dividedness. Nothing fits in this poem and everything is presented in opposites and there is absolutely no togetherness or solidarity. This dual identity issue can stand for just one individual, while at the same time representing an entire community, because the word "they" is used. However, the "they" can represent the conflicting aspects of that one individual because he does not feel as one.

*After the music and speaking with my fellow classmates*

The music did not suprise me at all because it was slow, depressing, and the lyrics themselves appeared to be divided from each other by significant pauses. The words felt like daggers and the feeling of turmoil and war were present. My other classmates brought to light that this poem could literally be about war, which I had not seen before. Their interpretation makes sense and also fits the music, and it once again proves that there are many sides to a single poem.

The Beginning

Hello, my name is Alina and I have wanted to be a teacher since the age of six. Having one semester of student teaching under my belt really made me realize that teaching English in a secondary school classroom is my life’s passion. Being a teacher in today’s world is a lot different than our predecessors, and technology plays a huge role in the classroom.

Technology keeps expanding and our future students are exposed to it daily. Having a computer and being able to access the internet have become almost necessities in every classroom. Technology opens the door to unlimited amounts of information, which is beneficial to the student and classroom curriculum. I believe that technology should be incorporated into an English classroom, but it is still important that students do not lose their penmanship. Students still need to have the skills to do research in a library and the experience of reading a hard-cover book can never be replaced. Technology is a good addition to the classroom curriculum, but it should be used in moderation.

I have witnessed teachers use PowerPoint presentations very effectively in the classroom, but I have also seen the shortcomings of using this wonderful program. I had a teacher who only lectured from PowerPoint slides and the entire class was meant for us to speedily copy all the information provided in small print. The teacher did not add any other information, just read of the slides, and half the class was asleep most of the time. There was no teacher-student interaction and the room was dimmed the entire time in order for the projection of the slides to show. PowerPoint is a great technological advancement, but it needs to be used properly otherwise it can disasterous.