The Imaginary Invalid

"I attended Southeastern's production of The Imaginary Invalid and watched the entire play."

   This Friday I went to see Southeastern's production, The Imaginary Invalid. The show was interesting from the very start. Before the play even began I was surprised to see girls with painted faces and brightly colored dresses, dancing in the isles. The actual storyline proved to be just as entertaining. The play opens up with Argen, a man who has convinced himself of being sick when he is really not. He desperately wants his daughter, Angelique, to marry a doctor so he can get free medical care. However, Angelique is already in love with a young man named Cleante. We come to find that Argen's wife is really only after his money. When  Argen discovers this and realizes that his daughter truly loves him, he allows Angelique to marry whoever she wants. 

Over all I thought the play was very unique. It was full of lots of laughs and random singing/dance acts. I was really impressed with the acting-Southeastern is definitely full of many talented people. 

In class we were required to paint something inspired by the book of Joel. I found this project to be extremely intriguing, as it really allowed me to zone in on what the scripture was about, especially on a personal level.
I was particularly drawn to the line " Return to me with all your heart."
These words were so powerful to me. I was able to reflect on how God wants all of us to return to Him under all circumstances. Even when we fall away from Him, He is always there, beckoning us to come back. This passage truly reminded me how merciful and faithful the God we serve is.

Blogging

   Blogging has become a worldwide phenomenon. So many people have turned to the internet as a form of communication and expression. 

I was personally excited when Professor Corrigan told our class that we would be blogging in Intro to Lit. I have never done anything like this for english class before, so I was interested in seeing exactly how how the project would turn out. 

I have definitely been able to connect what we learn about in class with what I write about in my blog. Intro to Lit has really challenged me to further analyze the poem or short story we are reading. I have learned that initial impressions are not alway correct. Blogging has helped me with this. It allows me to really think about what I am reading and express my thoughts on the particular topic. 

I have liked having discussions or experiments in class and then discussing them later in my blog. It allows me to take something that we have talked about as a group, and reflect on it as an individual. I think this is a very important part of the process in understanding a work of literature. 

Certain days I have absolutely no idea what to write about, while other times are easier. This really stretches me, as I am forced to reread and break down literature. While it may be frustrating at times its rewarding to studying a piece until I finally understand its content. 

Overall I think blogging has been very beneficial in this class. It has helped me develop my ability to analyze literature. It has also been a source that allows the class to read their peers writings and leave feedback. It will be interesting to look back at previous posts and see how I have grown as a writer.

I went to the Lakeview, Roselawn and Tiger Flowers cemetery stayed there for at least 40 minutes.

I visited the cemetery this morning after chapel. I was initially supposed to go with a group of people yesterday, but remembered I had a lab during the same hour at the last minute. At first I was not very thrilled about going to a cemetery by myself but I really loved spending my forty minutes there. I enjoyed rereading Whitman's poem in silence while I meditated on his words. Professor Corrigan instructed that the time be " a prayerful event" so I decided to bring my journal with me. I had such an amazing experience reflecting on not only the poetry, but chapel that morning. As I stood before the graves of these people who I had never met, I began thinking about their lives and how they had spent their years while living. The speaker in chapel today encouraged us to "make most of our time on earth-for it is short." This really struck me as I began thinking about my life-what I have done and everything I want to do. The speaker also talked alot about surrendering our life as a whole to Christ. This has been something that I have struggled with recently. I've had to come to terms this past week that I have not been completely giving certain areas of my life to God. It was truly moving to just spend time in God's presence, praying and reflecting on different things.

When Lilacs last in the Dooryard Bloom

 Walt Whitman's poem When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom definitely captured my attention. Whitman's words and phrases all sound so lovely, but initially I had no idea what was happening. However after rereading it and discussing it with m group, I was able to understand the content in a different way. 

  He states: 

WHEN lilacs last in the door-yard bloom’d,
And the great star early droop’d in the western sky in the night,
I mourn’d—and yet shall mourn with ever-returning spring.
O ever-returning spring! trinity sure to me you bring;
Lilac blooming perennial, and drooping star in the west,	5
And thought of him I love.
After rereading the piece and discussing it with classmates, I was able to understand what Whitman was actually saying.  Whitman uses lilacs to symbolize the depth of the poem as he describes the tragic death of Abraham Lincoln. From the beginning he talks about how he is in a continuous state of sadness and mourning over the loss of the president.  The final part of the poem states how “the fragrant pines and the cedars dusk and dim.” The death-song of the bird expresses an understanding and a beauty that Whitman incorporates through symbolism.  “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d” mourns for Lincoln in a way that is all the more profound for seeing the president’s death as only a smaller tragedy in the midst of a world of confusion and sadness. This poem beautifully captures themes such as death, mourning and respect. Although at first, it was difficult to understand, I came to find that this poem was very interesting to analyze and discuss.

The Traveling Onion

As Professor Corrigan stated, "reading is more than looking at words in sequence." Analyzing literature is part attitude and part technique. 

My first impression after reading The Traveling Onion was very different after discussing the poem as a group. Initially, I thought the author was talking about a literal onion. I was amazed at what a huge deal the writer was making about a mere vegetable. 

  After reading the poem through once I wrote " I found this to be very interesting and in depth for something as insignificant as an onion. I am still trying to understand a deeper meaning that the author might have been trying to portray." 

     " An onion falls apart on the chopping block, a history revealed." 

I didn't understand exactly what kind of history an onion could hold at first. 

After discussing the poem as a class, my  view definitely changed. After talking about the poem's content and observing an actual onion being chopped into pieces, it was easier to visualize and understand the poem itself. 

I began to understand the meaning behind "a history revealed." As I saw the onion being chopped up and its individual layers being divided, I began to realize the history and story every single thing holds behind its exterior. We, as people, all have a story to tell. 

Towards the end of the poem Nye states, " And I would never scold the onion for causing tears. It is right that tears fall for something small and forgotten. How at meal, we sit to eat, commenting on texture of meat or herbal aroma but never on the translucence of onion, now limp, now divided."

It reminded me how easily we can look past or ignore people who have such amazing stories and testimonies to share. 

I definitely learned that first impressions can be very misleading from this experiment. 

The book of Joel

The book of Joel talks about wrath, repentance and restoration. I love how God's power and mercy is shown at the same time. The beginning of the chapter talks about the wrath of God:

      Sound the alarm in Jerusalem!
      Raise the battle cry on my holy mountain!
   Let everyone tremble in fear
      because the day of the Lord is upon us.

     The next part is a warning from God, demanding repentance. 

    ¹² That is why the Lord says,
      “Turn to me now, while there is time.
   Give me your hearts.
      Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning.

God is being forceful, yet loving, as he tells His people to repent and come back to Him. His patience and mercy amazes me because it is so contrary to the way we as humans act. He shows how unfailing His undying mercy is as He calls back His people to a place of refuge and restoration from the rebellion that they had engulfed themselves in. 

        Then Joel speaks about restoration and deliverance:

  The Lord will reply,
   “Look! I am sending you grain and new wine and olive oil,
      enough to satisfy your needs.

   It is so interesting how this parallels the story of the prodigal son in the New Testament because if the Israelites are willing to turn from their sin and come back to the holy place of sanctification then God is more then willing to take them back. Not only is He willing to take them back but He is once again ready to be Jehovah Jireh, their provider and to forget all of their transgressions against Him. This is because all He wants is to have a relationship with them once again. 

Theme

 Theme: [theem] a subject of discourse, discussion, meditation, or composition; a unifying or dominant idea, motif, etc., as in a work of art.

Every piece of literature contains a theme or a central idea in which the reader returns to when reflecting upon the story. This week's chapter describes how " we all want text to mean something...we tend to value depth, complexity and relevance." 

Whether the central idea of a story be death, life, mourning or rejoicing, every text has a main theme. 

In Marge Piercy's poem, " A Work of Artiface", she uses a distinct tone and vivid diction to portray a theme of the oppression of women. 

She compares women to a bonsai tree stating, " The tree could have grown eighty feet tall...but a gardener carefully pruned it." Piercy makes it clear that the tree has been restrained from reaching its full potential. Just as the bonsai tree is being restricted from reaching its full potential, women around the world have been restricted and oppressed in their society. The poem continues, stating that " It is your nature to be small and cozy, domestic and weak; how lucky little tree that you have a pot to grow in." The tone presented is condescending and degrading. Piercy reveals how women are expected to act in a submissive and domestic manner. The text shows that women are expected to feel "lucky" or grateful for men to take care of them since they are unable to adequately function or take care of themselves. Piercy concludes the poem by illustrating four ways women are expected to be viewed : " The bound feet, the crippled brain, the hair in curlers, the hands you love to touch."

In analyzing her use of words and tone, the reader can distinguish that the main theme of the poem is oppression.

CS Lewis

"If I find in myself desires nothing in the world can satisfy, I can only conclude that I was not made for this world." 

         When I found out that we were reading Mere Christianity for my senior Bible class I was very excited. I had read the book before but found that reading it a second time was truly a life changing experience. Reading it in depth and having discussions about the content changed my perspective on Christianity. I have always admired Lewis' works, but really analyzing his words and ideas made me respect him all the more. 

"The real test of being in the presence of God is that you either forget about yourself altogether or see yourself as a small, dirty object. It is better to forget about yourself altogether."

This quote really made me think about how I viewed my faith and relationship with Christ. I realized in accepting Jesus as my personal savior I was called to leave behind all that I was before. The point is not that one has to be ashamed or guilty of their sin nature. Rather we are to die to ourselves so that we may become alive in Christ and be used through Him. 

“Christ says 'Give me All. I don't want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work: I want You."

        

Reading this really makes me think of how true it is that we cannot buy out God. By that I mean that we cannot give any sum of money or do any amount of good works so to not give all of ourselves to Him. All of our time, all of our money, all of our heart  means nothing if we do not give ourselves as a whole up to Him.