Do you think having the paintings right there to refer to helps you or hinders you as you are reading the poems? Do you rely too much on them, or do they help you to understand the poets' angles of vision? Explain.
I personally love being able to refer to the paintings while i am reading the poems. I have studied these paintings and the background stories that make them significant which not only helps me to imagine what the poet is thinking but also understand why he chose to write about them with the picture next to it. Having the paintings next to the poems helps the reader to create a more solidified imagery of the poets angle of vision as he is writing; and allows the reader to understand lines in the poems. For instance in "Before the Mirrors" Updike describes the colors of Picasso's painting and while reading the description the reader can glance over at the previous page to see the intense colors of the painting itself.
And i love these paintings which makes me, as a reader, willing to listen to what the poet has to say about them; because he has included them with his poetry.
Wednesday, 1 April 2009
Disconcerned
They never forgot
That even the dreadful martyrdom must run its course
Anyhow in a corner, some untidy spot
Where the dogs go on with their doggy life and the torturer's horse
Scratches its innocent behind on a tree.
These lines really allow us to see how while someone is suffering, to the rest of the world it is as if it never happened. The dogs continue with their insignificant dog lives and even the horse pays no attention to the torturer on it's back. These few lines give us a perspective as well from the animal kingdom. It's interesting how just like dogs and horses we too see someone else suffering but pretend like it isn't even happening. We continue on "scratching our horse behinds" or in other words, doing the meaningless things we do everyday such as watching television. In reality, neither the dog, nor the horse can do much about what is happening. Therefore, they are not at fault. We as humans, on the other hand, can do something but yet still many times we carry on as if someone else's suffering doesn't concern us.
That even the dreadful martyrdom must run its course
Anyhow in a corner, some untidy spot
Where the dogs go on with their doggy life and the torturer's horse
Scratches its innocent behind on a tree.
These lines really allow us to see how while someone is suffering, to the rest of the world it is as if it never happened. The dogs continue with their insignificant dog lives and even the horse pays no attention to the torturer on it's back. These few lines give us a perspective as well from the animal kingdom. It's interesting how just like dogs and horses we too see someone else suffering but pretend like it isn't even happening. We continue on "scratching our horse behinds" or in other words, doing the meaningless things we do everyday such as watching television. In reality, neither the dog, nor the horse can do much about what is happening. Therefore, they are not at fault. We as humans, on the other hand, can do something but yet still many times we carry on as if someone else's suffering doesn't concern us.
Tuesday, 31 March 2009
What these pictures Do!!!!!
While reading these poems and being able to look at these paintings it really opened up new veiws on what the writer meant but at the same time I think it did take away from being able to let your own interpretations run wild. I also think that the poem was more based on the painting and not the painting on the poem. If there is anything else that I feel that I would want to add to this I will be right on here, but thanks everyone for bearing with my stupid responses but thanks again.
"Musee des Beaux Arts" and "Before the Mirror"
1. These poems are not merely descriptions of paintings. How do Updike and Auden use the paintings? Why do you think they refer to the paintings instead of writing poems without them?
2. Do you think having the paintings right there to refer to helps you or hinders you as you are reading the poems? Do you rely too much on them, or do they help you to understand the poets' angles of vision? Explain.
3. Discuss the significance of these lines:
They never forgot
That even the dreadful martyrdom must run its course
Anyhow in a corner, some untidy spot
Where the dogs go on with their doggy life and the torturer's horse
Scratches its innocent behind on a tree.
4. What is the "human position" of suffering, according to Auden?
5. "Before the Mirror" is about more than one kind of "reflection." There is the literal reflection in the mirror, but in what other ways is "reflection" important to the poem?
6. Updike uses sexual imagery in "Before the Mirror." Do you think the sexuality is in Picasso's painting as well? And, perhaps more importantly, why is the sexual element in the poem at all?
7. Talk about Updike's poem in terms of the theme of innocence vs. experience.
8. Why does it matter to Auden that it is Icarus in Breughel's painting and not some random swimmer?
Saturday, 28 March 2009
Wednesday, 25 March 2009
really!? that is what you are doing with your time?! really!? wow...
So.... I am a man. And thus, because of this fact I love sports. Pretty much all sports. Although I do not watch: Hockey, Soccer, Womens basketball, or NASCAR. Those sports are the most retarded on television. but, I digress. I like to at least try and keep up with news in the sporting world because the regular news is very depressing, " once again the Dow fell to a new record low..... The war is still going..." I digress....again. So, I sat was sitting here looking at the top stories on www.espn.com and was astounded, outraged, flabber-ghasted ( daniel, is that a real verb or adjectvice), beside my self, perturbed, and stunned ( all at the same time). Why was I so astounded, outraged, flabber-ghasted ( daniel, is that a real verb or adjectvice), beside my self, perturbed, and stunned? Because the geniouses in Washington D.C. who are getting paid hundreds of thousands of dollars and get a raise every year ( all while the economy is sinking like the Titanic and Bismark combined) are having a senate sub-comittee meeting to fix the economy? no. the housing market? Ding-Dong.. You're wrong. The war in Iraq? Negatory. Pollution? wish you were right. A Trillion dollar budget? Hells no. What then could they be meeting to fix? THE BCS!!!!!!!!!!! are you freaking kidding?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? I wish I was. But I am dead serious. (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4015667 ) there is the link if you want to read the story yourself. Our economy is getting flushed down the toilet like a pile of crap, and congress is meeting to fix the BCS? Does anyone else see something wrong with this? I guess this the the " Change " most of America voted for. What ever happened to the press being the watch-dog of politics? I bet this won't make any news station tonight. and it might...just might get a column in the SL Tribune or Deseret Morning news because Senator Orin Hatch of Utah is sponsoring Legislation to fix this? Anyone want to take a guess on who else is a driving force behind this? President Barrack Obama. yes, the same one who promised change and reform, is a big fan of a NCAA football playoff system. I am just so glad to know the Congress is using thier time effectively. GOD BLESS THE USA!
Tuesday, 17 March 2009
griping
So I have a gripe to make and figure this is a good place to make it. I don't know how many of you know this but right now the world is currently engaged in the WBC ( world baseball classic). It is like the olympics in the country vs country format. Well... recently Kevin Youkilis of the USA team was bi***ing about how they are playing in the US and the teams from other countries have more support. Well, I am not going to Miami to see them play. So, I watch it on TV. well..... I would if I could. at the same time this is going on the NCAA tournament rejects are playing in the NIT tournament. So, instead of showing team USA play in a game that turned out to be very exciting they showed some crappy teams shoot 33% in a crappy basketball today. And Kevin Youkilis is wondering why they don't get any support.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)