How We Talk About Death

As much fun as it is to dissect the phrases that we hear every day, the types of language that we save for special occasions can tell us just as much about how the human mind works. While it's not on most people's daily agenda, the language we use when talking about death is very unique.

Most people don't flat out say that their relative/friend/pet died. You're much more likely to hear that "they passed away" or "they're gone" or "they're in a better place." Euphemisms are extremely common when talking about death, which makes sense due to the extreme emotions connected to death. Using the words "died" or "death" scares people because there are only negative connotations. They're very straightforward words with very specific connotations. On the other hand, saying someone "passed away" or is "in a better place" sounds much nicer and has connotations with peace.

Another interesting characteristic is the common use of figurative language in reference to death. One of the most common ways to talk about death is that it is "like falling asleep." The large majority of the human population has fallen asleep many more times than has died. By comparing death to a daily process, death is made to sound more natural and less painful. At the same time, it also makes it sound more poetic and beautiful. Using figurative language instead of literal language allows for more creativity with the concept of death, and makes it easier to talk about death.

Some of the most interesting uses of language are not seen everyday, such as the language of death. However, it's still important to analyze, because our use of language in reference to less popular subjects reveals a lot about humans.

The Tormentor

Standing in the doorway
For months you've been a presence

Sometimes leaving for weeks at a time
Other times still like a statue

Why was it so much crueler
For you to stand and watch

Then to wait to come
When Time called you here?

You chose to taunt and haunt
To create suspense and fear

Because why should you give me the gift
Of sweet blissful ignorance?

You were too clever for that.
No, you were too proud to hide yourself

Instead you let me see that you were poised
Ready to take your prize, yet holding back

With your merciless eyes and cold stare
You stalked and waited with precision

When I least expected it, least wanted it
When I was away, was distracted

That was when you decided to swoop in
To steal her away, you cowardly bastard

It would have been too kind, too merciful
For you to have stayed away until The Time

It was too tempting to flaunt your power
To come and go unpredictably

And now I am left with a hole in my heart
Once filled by the love that you ripped out

But you, because you are a shameless coward,
Won't dare to show your face again for a while

So that I will be enticed into deceptive forgetfulness
Until I rarely think about your cruelty

And when the wound is old and almost closed,
Then you will rear your ugly head

And torment me again,
Trapping me in yet another cruel game of When

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For this piece, I wanted to express some very strong emotions that I was feeling. I felt like the best way to do this would be to use apostrophe, since I could address my emotions towards something. Since my feelings weren't directed towards a person, I also utilized personification so that I could better express myself. Using apostrophe allowed me to express anger and bitterness, since it makes the poem sound like a dialogue I am having with someone, instead of just writing out my feelings. I think that the personification is also important since it makes the abstraction easier to visualize and understand.

As a side note, I'd like to point out that originally, I did not include the word "bastard" because I don't believe in using profanity unless absolutely necessary. However, in this case, I felt that any other word would not carry the weight that I needed it to carry.

The Language of Teachers

Despite our exposure to it at least five days a week, we rarely ever talk about the language that teachers use. Every day, our teachers riddle their lectures and classes with carefully chosen words and phrases in order to get us to behave a certain way. Whether it's emphasizing a fact or trying to get us to start studying, teachers' words are cleverly chosen and utilized.

The first case is when teachers use repetition in order to get us to pay attention to something. Whenever a teacher talks about a particularly important concept or fact, they will make sure to emphasize it by writing it on the board and repeating it for the class. While it's not uncommon for a teacher to simply repeat the phrase of importance, an even more noticeable technique is to use an anaphora. For example, my history teacher told the class, "You need to study the vocabulary, study the maps, and study your notes." Not only does this emphasize the action of studying, but it also makes it sound like a list. This simple use of language makes our brains wake up and notice that we are being given something to pay attention to. If the teacher had instead said, "Look at the vocabulary, analyze the maps, and review your notes," there wouldn't be as many people paying attention. This isn't necessarily because the students are disinterested in the class, but rather that there are certain literary devices that are more likely to capture our attention.

Teachers also carefully choose their diction in order to convince us to do something, such as a project or studying. Two common examples are whenever a teacher says, "We need to have the project in by Friday," or "We should make sure we master the vocabulary." Even though it's usually just the students, not the teacher and the students, who need to complete the assignment, using "we" gives an important attitude. Using "we" gives a sense of community, as if the teacher is just another student in the class (which you could argue that they are, except that they're the one giving out grades). It also avoids the patronizing air of saying "you need to do something," because it's less of a command and more of a statement.

Another interesting element of the language that teachers use is that they say "please" a lot. Whether it's, "Please remember to finish the packet by Monday," or "Please give yourself time to study," teachers are constantly adding "pleases" to their sentences. Why? It's not like teachers have to ask you to do your assignments; if you don't, it's your own fault and you hurt yourself for it. However, by using "please" in a sentence, the teacher is making the sentence into a request rather than a command, just like the use of "we". By making it a request rather than a command, the teacher is also implying a desire for the student to do well. While saying, "Remember this" sounds condescending and detached, saying, "Please remember this" sounds softer and more caring.

Our teachers face the daily challenge of trying to get a bunch of teenagers to learn and get their assignments done. While most students have at least some level of motivation, it's still necessary for teachers to pull out all the tricks they can to get us to pay attention to the right things. By using their language cleverly, the best teachers can motivate you without you even realizing it.

The Hunt

Starting with days in preparation
we work and sweat all night
So that we'll all be ready
when the hunting trumpet calls

Our teachers lecture about the fox
(what it looks like and how to prepare)
and yet we can only guess
at how it will try to evade us

The morning comes when we test ourselves
and see if we can catch it
We've done it before, so we should be experts
Yet the hunt is different each time

Students gather with their hunting supplies
and try to calm their nerves while
Restless hounds bark with excitement
and trumpets blare in encouragement

The hunt is long and tiring,
with no rest for the desperate students
we fret and we search and we try to grasp it
but most foxes prefer to run away

For one week, it is all we think about
And obsess over, like Moby's whale
It's huge in our minds and important to us
(but at least whales are easy to see)

The problem with foxes
Is that they are clever;
they know how to hide
and trick their pursuers

But with enough practice,
we are told we will catch it
and bring home the fox,
and then a week of sleep

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With this poem, I decided to try out two literary devices: conceit and allusion. I've never used either of these devices in a work of literature, so I wanted to see if I could use them to create a mood. While I won't give away what the hunt is supposed to represent, I will provide that I'm trying to give a mood of exhaustion and desperation. Inspired by "The Flea", I wanted to come up with my own clever metaphor for something that I was thinking about a lot. When I think of a hunt, I think of hounds barking and trumpets blaring; there's a lot going on. I wanted to bring this feeling of business into the poem to help create a mood that would support my attempted conceit. I decided that this would also be a good chance to use an allusion. As I was writing about stress and obsession, I immediately thought of Moby Dick and his infamous obsession with a white whale.

I'm Sorry

I'm sorry
I'm sorry you didn't like what I did

                                                                                 It's ok

                                                                     I don't want to talk about it

I won't do it again
I'll wait a little while before I try again

                                                                                I know

                                                                                 I wish

Are you ok?
Can I go home now?

                                                                             Yeah, I'm fine

                                                        No, but I don't want to talk to you about it

Ok. I love you
Ok, bye

                                                                             I love you too

                                                              I don't have anything else to say

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When I thought about this piece, I was thinking about how sometimes we say something when we actually mean something else. A common example is when we say we're ok, when we're really not but we don't want to talk about it. I wanted to write a poem that showed how we can have an entire conversation that should mean one thing, when there's actually a different meaning to everything, which gives a completely different feeling. If you read the regular text on both sides, it sounds like a caring couple that's agreeing to move on from something. However, if you read the italicized text, it's a different story with a different mood. The conflicting meanings are meant to show how there is a lack of meaningful communication and a darker mood. 

Mother Teresa

While watching a documentary about Mother Teresa in my Spiritual Practices class, I became interested in the unique language of religion and humanitarian work. Specifically, I wanted to look at Mother Teresa's quote, "Live simply so others may simply live."

The first thing that stood out to me about this quote was how simple it is. It's very short, which makes it easy to remember, and it also has an appealing element of symmetry. The play on "live simply" and "simply live" gives a bit of humor to the quote and also makes it less condescending.

Another important element of this quote is that while it may be taken as a command, it's actually just a piece of advice. Since she never says "you must" or "you should", she is avoiding the creation of a command. This is really important because if she had phrased it like an order, it might create a feeling of indignation in the audience instead of a desire to listen.

It's also important to note the context of this quote. Back when Mother Teresa was alive and working, and even now, people with lots of wealth or even just enough wealth wanted more and more. While not everyone did, many also felt some level of concern for the people who were so poor that they couldn't take care of themselves. However, almost no one had made the connection that Mother Teresa was trying to make. With her quote, she is asking people to do something, but also giving a reason (so others may simply live).

Expanding off the context is the word choice. If she had used the word "modestly" or "humbly", her quote would have created different emotions than using "simply". "Simply" is a good word for her to use, because firstly it has a flexible meaning that allows it to be used twice in the quote. Also, the word "simply" implies a lack of difficulty; you just do it. "Modestly" or "humbly", however, implies a level of restraint and subservience. While that might appeal to some people, to most people it sounds unappealing.

Overall, the language of religion and humanitarian work that Mother Teresa uses is a lot like the language of advertising; it's short and catchy, not condescending, and is trying to offer a solution to a problem.

Lady Macbeth's Imagery

In her soliloquy, Lady Macbeth uses a lot of imagery in order to express her current state and that which she hopes to achieve. While there are many different examples within her speech, I was most interested in her lines "And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty!" and "That my keen knife see not the wound it makes" (44-45, 53).

The first line, about cruelty, painted a picture for me of Lady Macbeth literally filling up with cruelty, as though she were a vase and cruelty was a liquid. It's interesting to think of being filled up with cruelty, since cruelty isn't a tangible substance. It's important to note that she talks about filling her "from the crown to the toe top-full" because this means that she must consider herself to be currently empty of cruelty. If she considered herself a somewhat cruel person, she wouldn't have to be completely filled up. Additionally, the fact that she needs to be "top-full" shows that she believes that she will need to be extremely cruel in order to get the deed done. While this shows that she hopes to come to a state of mind where she can be merciless and kill without remorse, it also shows that she doesn't think she is a natural killer. By expressing her necessity to be full of cruelty, she is also expressing her opinion that otherwise her nature would prevent her from killing Duncan.

The next line, about the knife, made me imagine Lady Macbeth stabbing Duncan with her knife while looking away and covering her eyes; she knows that she is doing it, but is trying to prevent herself from realizing the full reality and consequences of it. This shows compassion for others, because she does not wish to see Duncan die. If she had no compassion for others, she would be able to kill and realize it without remorse or hesitation. Another important detail is that she describes the knife as her "keen knife", meaning that she hopes to be in a state of mind where she is eager to kill the king. It's not good enough for her to be able to do it and not pay too much attention to it, but she recognizes that unless she is enthusiastic about it, she will hesitate or chicken out.

As with any good use of language, Lady Macbeth's imagery tells us a lot about her character. We can learn that in her current state she considers herself to be devoid of cruelty and compassionate of others, while she hopes to become completely filled with cruelty, ignorant of the consequences, and actually eager to kill.

Victory Before 1st Arrangement

The soldier of The Hall strode determinedly through the mess of recruits, who were walking around in a daze. Taking up his position at the round table, he stared down the enemy that dared to antagonize him from it's seat upon his plate.

Our noble soldier was equipped with utensils which had already seen the tension of battle, but retained their glorious, gleaming silver. The soldier, like Destiny's trusted knight, had fought against and vanquished similar foes countless times. His weathered stomach growled in anticipation of his triumphant victory to come.

With a surge of courage and determination, this daring lion of the wild fell upon the enemy, tearing through it in experienced slices and stabs. The rebellious gazelle lay defeated upon the battlefield, cut off from its lust for a title far more noble than it deserved.

Victory showed itself to the honorable warrior, and it tasted sweet.

**************************************************************************

After reading Macbeth and Antigone, I became really interested in the language of war and how it manipulates language. Specifically, the way in which it makes actions seem more important or more honorable through the way it is described. With this piece, I decided to test the extent of the language of war by describing breakfast in the dining hall. While eating breakfast isn't a very exciting or particularly honorable thing to do, I tried to manipulate the language in order to make it sound more like a battle in Macbeth. One of the things I found interesting about the language of war, which I tried to utilize in my writing, was the use of metaphors and similes. I think that similes and metaphors are important in the language of war because they give the sense that the war is something greater than what it actually is; it's the difference between saying that Macbeth was a noble warrior and that he was "like valor's minion" (Shakespeare 1.2.21).

Honor in War

The language of war is a fascinating type of language because of the ways it manipulates the descriptions of actions in order to glorify them. A perfect example of this is in Macbeth, when King Duncan is speaking to a wounded captain. After hearing the captain's retelling of Macbeth's actions, Duncan says to him, "So well thy words become thee as thy wounds: they smack of honor both" (Shakespeare 1.2.47-48).

Before diving too deep into the choice of words and connotations in this statement, it's important to recognize the historical context. This play takes place during the 1600's in Scotland, where the king was in charge of the various clans. If one of the clan leaders decided they wanted to be king, they could try to stage a rebellion and become king themselves. In order to avoid this, it was extremely important for the king to make sure his subjects were very loyal to him. This desire to maintain loyalty is apparent in the language used. By telling the wounded captain that he has honor, he is also saying that the captain is honorable and rewarded in spirit for defending the king. Imagine if Duncan had instead said, "Good lord, you look horrible! I hope you don't die." I don't know about him, but if I were the captain I might not be following the same king.

The first interesting choice of words is in his saying that "thy words become thee as thy wounds". Usually when we say that something becomes someone, we are talking about clothes or an attitude. For example, "that shirt really becomes you" or "anger really doesn't become you". Saying that words become someone takes an abstract concept, words, and changes them into a figurative kind of medal to be worn. Similarly, saying that wounds become someone is odd to say because you usually don't want someone to be wounded; however, in this context the statement is implying that they also represent a figurative medal that shows their strength and endurance.

Next, there is the decision to say that "they smack of honor both". A Modern English translation would be that "they taste of honor both". This isn't to say that the king can actually taste the captain's words and wounds; only synesthetes (people with combined senses, i.e. sound and taste) can taste words, and it would be an extreme case of social awkwardness if the king started tasting the captain's wounds. So why say that they taste of honor, rather than that they look or sound of honor? Using the sense of taste represents the strength of the honor, and the pride that the king has in being able to retell it. In other words, it is repeatable by mouth; he's proud to recount it.

While every type of language attempts to convince people of something, the language of war is especially manipulative in its luring nature. Not only does it seek to glorify horrifying events, but it works to manipulate the subject into connecting to a certain side and to stay loyal; it builds up pride. It's a good thing it does too, or else there might have been a lot more rebellions.

The Art of War (Writing)

War has been a part of life, and therefore literature, since the beginning of man kind. The glory, horror, and effects of war have all been recounted in thousands of different pieces of literature. Sophocles and Muriel Spark are among those brave authors who have attempted to explain and interpret war. Their literary pieces "Antigone" and "The First Year of My Life" both equip characters who are directly affected by war, but in very different ways. One of the most important similarities between their two styles is that they both talk about the important effects of war on families. In "Antigone", the main conflict is an effect of the horrible war between the two brothers Polyneices and Eteocles. While they both fought in the same war, one was honored while the other was doomed to humiliation in death. The injustice of this is pointed out by Antigone, but Creon insists that Eteocles was a traitor deserving such treatment. Even after the war, the family is troubled by the conflict, and experiences three more deaths as a result of the unresolved conflict. Spark also talks about the effect of war on family in her piece. In "The First Year of My Life", Spark describes the women as being dressed in black and mourning for their dead sons and husbands. However, Spark makes more of an effort to focus on everyone, including the family, soldiers, political leaders, and artists instead of just focusing on the family/political leaders. While this takes away some of the emotion that is expressed in Sophocles' writing, it also adds a sense of greater impact that is not necessarily apparent in Sophocles' writing. Another important difference is the glorification of war present in Sophocles' play that is absent in Spark's writing. In "Antigone", the chorus is disapproving of Eteocles' betrayal and starting of the war, but they also celebrate his defeat. The chorus refers to this by saying that "Great-named Victory comes to us answering Thebe's warrior joy" (Sophocles 1.148). This isn't to say that Sophocles likes war (he makes it clear that the Thebians would have preferred no war), but that the victory of war is portrayed as heroic and celebratory. Sparks, on the other hand, is completely unimpressed by the ceaseless killing of people in the war, and thinks that people are foolish to celebrate a "victory" at the end of war. This is evident by the fact that her infant character smiles at the foolishness of Asquith referring to the end of the war as "this great cleansing and purging." While both of these writers acknowledge the effect of war on families, and express a wish for wars not to start, Sparks has a much wider picture of the effects and expresses clear contempt for the end of war being called "victory". Sophocles may be fascinated by the shiny armor on brothers and victory sacrifices, but Sparks is dedicated to the universal effect and distaste of war.

The Waiting Room

Beth dragged herself into the room and sank to the back, where she planted herself in a chair. Her eyes, fiery orbs, peeked out from under her mop of hair. She crossed her legs, then crossed them the other way. Her fingers twitched on the chair like electric currents while the corners of her mouth tried to meet the floor.

A moment later, Ella skipped in and beamed at everyone and everything she could see. When her dancing eyes found Beth, she flitted over and lighted onto the seat next to her.

"How long is this going to take?" Beth murmured from under the mop of hair.

"Oh, it won't be long," Ella chirped, her smile seeping into the words.

Beth moaned and sank closer towards the floor. Her eyes scanned the room, searching for anything to focus on besides the bundle of happiness next to her. The room reflected the lights from the ceiling, casting a glow on the magazines and chairs filed around the room. A layer of dust covered the magazines, and the walls were bare of any color. There was one window, but it faced the parking lot.

Ella sat thinking about her appointment. She couldn't help but feel a ball of happiness glowing from inside her, and she wondered if Beth could see it glowing. The faces on the magazines beamed up at Ella, as though they were in on her surprise. The light shining in through the window painted patterns on the floor and captivated her.

A nurse stuck her head out through a door. "Is Miss Ella Green ready?"

The light lit up Ella's face. "Yes!" she replied, and walked over to the door, her hands moving over and around her belly.

Beth watched as Ella stepped out of the waiting room. Her hands secretly moved up towards her own belly, until the rest of her body discovered the treachery. Beth swung her hands back down to the sides of her chair, and spent several minutes glaring at them. Time lagged on until Ella reappeared through the door. Running up to Beth, she took her hands and cried, "It's a girl!"


*********************************************************************************

This piece of writing is my experiment in the use of nouns and verbs to convey emotions. To really bring this out, I refrained from using any adjectives--not even one.

I love you too

One phrase that I hear on a daily basis is "I love you." The difficulty in analyzing this phrase lies in its numerous contexts; we hear it from friends, family, and significant others, each time with a different meaning.

The first example is when a friend says, "I love you." Usually, they say this when you do a favor for them or something else that they approve of. For example, after lending a tie to a friend who needed clothes for a psyche, she left me a note saying, "Thank you! You're the best! I LOVE YOU." In this case, the argument is one of appreciation. By saying "I love you" the friend is arguing that they appreciate you and/or your actions. In this situation, it's not necessarily a sign of permanent attachment, but rather a short term connection. It's interesting that this phrase is used to convey a message of appreciation, because that appreciation also argues that they no longer need to repay you for whatever you did. Friends rarely ever say, "Thanks for the sandwich! I'll bring the money I owe you tomorrow. I love you!" If they do, you're probably not going to get any of that money. Why not? Because saying "I love you" messes with the human brain, so that you already feel like something is being done for you even if they're not actually doing anything for you.

Friends can also say "I love you" when they're trying to support you while you're going through a rough time. In this case, the phrase is arguing that the speaker deeply cares about you and that they are there to support you. This example is much more heartfelt than the first example, and has a much more noticeable effect. This is a lot like the way a family member would use the phrase. When your parents or siblings say "I love you" they're usually trying to assure you that they are there to support you and to convince you that someone cares about you even if you don't think so.

Lastly, there's the case in which a significant other says "I love you." This can have the most meaning, and the biggest argument. In this example, the argument is that they will do anything for you, they care deeply about you, and they will never do anything to hurt you. It also argues that they feel attached to you, and they expect you to feel the same way. Usually when people use this phrase in this case, they say all the things associated with it, but it's just as effective to simply say, "I love you." This use is also tricky because it carries baggage with it. Using this phrase in this situation usually implies that they want you to reciprocate the phrase--and the feelings of attachment argued by it.

The English language is very strange in the way that it has one word -- love -- to mean several different things. Because of the many meanings behind the word, the different ways in which "I love you" is used can portray very different feelings and make very different arguments.

Mommy's Hair

Mommy's Hair

Mommy's hair is long and black
and soft like our new kitten
Her hair smells like vanilla cookies
(but I know you can't eat hair)

I like to watch her braid her hair
She braids it in the bathroom
She stands in front of the bathroom mirror
and I stand at the door

Mommy has magic in her hands
That's why her braids are good
I tried to make a braid like Mommy
but only mommies have magic

My hair isn't black like Mommy's
it's brown and not so long
But Mommy still braids my hair for me
So I can be pretty too

***

This post is my experiment in perspective. I noticed that for a lot of writing, you can tell how old the author is or even what their background/gender is. The type of author you hear has a big effect on the feeling you get out of the writing. For example, hearing a teenager talk about their mom is different from hearing a 6-year-old talk about their mommy. Because of this effect, I thought it would be good to try and change the perspective of my writing, so that it sounds like a younger, different author. With young kids especially, the writing can be less grandiose but also get important emotions out of the reader. Lastly, I think that the idea of having an innocent, sweet child as the author makes the reader see the topic in a different light.

Just "Good"?

You're walking down the hall, into the dining hall, or out of class. While you're on the move, someone passing by you asks, "Hey! How are you?"

In this case, there's only one right answer: Good.

While it might seem like a perfectly harmless phrase, asking "How are you?" is actually a very well disguised argument. By asking this question, you're trying to show that you are polite, because you are asking about how someone is feeling and if they are having a good day. Yet people rarely stop to ask you this question; they are almost always walking past you while they ask, so you only have enough time to say one word before they are gone.

It's a very clever way to seem polite and compassionate without actually putting the effort in. Just look at how simple it is: three words, three syllables. But don't be fooled by the brevity of it; the words have a very personal, considerate diction. Unlike other phrases like "What's up?" or "How's a going?" this phrase uses the word "you", which leaves no doubt that the question is being direct and personal.

It's also important to note what the phrase doesn't say. It doesn't actually ask, "Did anything bad happen?" or "Did anything awesome happen?" By saying "How are you?" you are asking for more of a summary, without losing the feeling of connection and care.

Let's take a step back for a minute. If this question is set up to evoke such a personal response, then why can we get away with asking it on the go and then getting a one word answer?

Unlike some other cultures, the US is known for people always rushing around, so it's become part of the culture to be in a hurry. Because of this background, asking someone "How are you?" while they're on the move actually adds to the strength of it. By asking it while they are moving and making it short and personal, they are arguing that they are compassionate and care about you so much that they will ask after your health even though they are apparently too busy to actually stop and talk; they are making time for you because they care. In fact, it argues that the interrogator is selfless because of this sacrifice of time and emotion.

All this isn't to say that you shouldn't use it; it's very effective and can be heartfelt. This simple, supposedly innocent phrase is an undebatable argument in favor of the narrator's generosity and compassion.

By the way, how are you?

Burger King and Milk

Two tag lines that stood out to me were the catchphrases for Burger King and California Milk Processor Board. While the catchphrase "Got Milk?" seems a lot different from "Have it your way", they actually share very important elements. The phrase "got milk?" has very informal, friendly connotations. Unlike the Burger King phrase, it's in the form of a question. It also does not directly say "you" or "your", which allows it to refer either to one person or a group of people. This first phrase is very clever because it's short, is good for all audiences, and it appeals to the audience's desire to be part of the crowd. On the other hand, the phrase "Have it your way" is almost sassy in addition to its informal tone. You could interpret this phrase as either being inviting, in the sense that it wants you to come to Burger King because they make food your way, or as being peer pressure, in the sense that it lets you pick where to eat while implying that the best choice is Burger King. It's also different from the milk phrase because it's a statement, not a question. Despite these differences, the most important thing is that both phrases use the strategy of catchy phrases and peer pressure. Both of the phrases are very short and easy to remember. They also share a tone of informality, which makes the connection to the brand more personal. Most importantly, both phrases have an undertone that says, "If you don't buy this/go here, then you're different and not doing what every other cool person is doing." The first phrase, "got milk?" does this by making it into a simple question where the most normal answer would be "yes". If you were to answer "no", then you would probably ask yourself why, since the question makes it seem like most people do. Similar to this, the Burger King phrase is implying that while the choice is up to you, everyone smart is choosing Burger King as their way. While these two brands are selling different products and using different words, both share the important strategy of grabbing the audience by using memorable phrases and subtle peer pressure.

Dudley Randall's "Ballad of Birmingham"

When asked which of many poems moved me the most, I automatically think of "Ballad of Birmingham". While it wasn't on the list, and was only one of many (250) poems I read, I can't forget about it and the chills it gives me. This poem is absolutely beautiful in its language and chillingly tragic in its story and message.

The necessary background for this poem is pretty simple. In 1963, a church was bombed in Birmingham, Alabama shortly before Sunday service began. The church was predominantly black and was a meeting spot for civil rights leaders. While the 60's was a time known for the advancements in civil rights in the US, it was still a time of racism and persecution, as evident in this appalling event.
You can read more about the incident here: http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/birmingham-church-bombing

The poem itself focuses on a mother and her daughter living in Birmingham, Alabama before the bombing. To start, the young girl asks her mother if she can go to participate in a Freedom March. Fearing for her daughter's life, the mother tells her that she must not go to the Freedom March and instead go sing in the church choir. Despite her mother's attempts to keep her safe, the daughter dies when the church is bombed. Her mother runs to the church after hearing the explosion and looks through the rubble for her daughter only to find her shoe.

Sadness and tragedy is seeped into every aspect of this poem. First, there is the cold irony; The mother told her daughter to go to church instead of the Freedom March to keep her safe, and yet it was in the supposedly safe church that her daughter was killed. The message isn't any more cheerful; when people are persecuted, there is no place that is really safe for them. Going to church was no safer than going on a Freedom March because the hatred of the racists was not confined to the streets but rather invaded the lives of everyone it seeked to destroy. There's really no positive way to look at it.

Besides having a real, tragic story to it, this poem really moved me because it was so raw and emotional. The daughter is obviously innocent, as her only wish is to join her friends and march peacefully for freedom. The mother is shown to be caring and compassionate, as her one wish is to keep her daughter, her baby safe. And then, when the mother hears the explosion, she immediately runs to the church in fear and looks for her baby, only to find a shoe. The fear is evident where "Her eyes grew wet and wild" and I couldn't help but feel the desperation in her heart when the mother "clawed through bits of glass and brick" looking for her sweet child.

I was so disturbed, saddened, and generally moved by this poem that I couldn't help but ask to read it to my parents. It was my mistake, for as I read it my voice threatened to crack and I thought I might cry. It's hard to say what my "favorite" lines were, because this poem is so tragic and reflects a tragic part of American history. I can say, however, that the 6th and last stanzas moved me the most. The read, "The mother smiled to know her child was in the sacred place, but that smile was the last smile that came upon her face" and "She clawed through bits of glass and brick, then lifted out a shoe. 'Oh, here's the shoe my baby more, but, baby, where are you?" I can only hope that there will be a time when such poems are no longer created due to a lack of such material.

Carolyn Forché’s “The Colonel”

If I were asked to point out a piece of poetry without actually reading it, I would look for the format of the words; I would expect the lines to be broken up in such a way that they are more separate than if they were in a paragraph or an essay. However, we can't rely upon the format of a piece of writing in order to decide if it is poetry. Poems, after all, can take all kinds of shapes and forms. They can be shaped like animals or objects, they can be pushed to one side with each part of the sentence containing only a few words, and they can even be formatted so that all the sentences are right next to each other like in a regular paragraph.

Keeping this in mind, I decided that I could not rely upon the physical format of the poem "The Colonel" by Carolyn Forché in order to decide if it was a poem or not. Since poems are so much more than their physical representation, I knew that if this really was a poem, it would be apparent in the words.

First, the choice of words led me to believe that this piece of writing was a poem. I felt that there were numerous parts in the poem that were very poetic. The author included phrases such as, "the moon swung bare on its black cord", "they were like dried peach halves", and "It came alive there". If this were not enough, the last two lines of the poem are undoubtedly signs of poetry. The last two lines are "Some of the ears on the floor caught this scrap of his voice. Some of the ears on the floor were pressed to the ground." While it is possible to skim over these last two lines and accept them as mere descriptions, they hold a much deeper meaning. These last two lines capture the author's feeling that the inanimate ears represented their living (or once living) whole selves, and enforces the idea that the colonel was oppressing the people he was exerting power over. Also, while repeating the start of the sentence as "some of the ears on the floor" would usually be unacceptable in a developed paragraph, it is perfectly at home in the art of poetry where repetition is a common technique.

I also felt that overall the poem was meant to explain a situation/event that meant something to the author and stuck with her. One of the elements of a poem that makes it different from other forms of poetry is that it's meant to express something that has to be expressed through metaphors and abstract statements; it's not enough to say "the crazy colonel cut of the people's ears and I saw them." If the author felt that a mere description would do, then she would have written an essay or developed paragraph. This is an example of poetry because it uses description and metaphorical statements to try and get the reader to understand and feel the emotions that the author felt.

While "The Colonel" may not look like a poem from a distance, the emotion and language used are definitely poetic. Turns out you can't judge a poem by its format. "The Colonel" by Carolyn Forché is a poem.

"Annabel Lee" by Edgar Allen Poe

Every time I hear the name Edgar Allen Poe used, I automatically think of creepiness and darkness. Edgar Allen Poe is a very well known poet for poems such Annabel Lee, and I remember him as writing the play The Telltale Heart. Concerning Annabel Lee, one of the elements of the poem that makes it extra creepy is the use of rhyme.

Annabel Lee has a dark topic and is creepy even without the use of rhyming. The topic being the author's love for Annabel Lee and her dying is very sad and dark. As part of the poem, every other line rhymes (ABCB pattern), except for the very end where there are two couplets (AABB pattern). The incorporation of rhyme in the poem makes it sound like a lullaby; there is a very clear, simple meter, and if you changed the words to something more light, it could very well be a children's poem.

Making a dark poem sound like a lullaby adds to the creepiness of the poem. Usually, one would associate a lullaby with a baby or small child and therefore life, yet the poem is very obviously about death and mortality. Bringing together the feelings of life with the feelings of death is very chilling in that it shows how close the two are. The lullaby-like rhyming of the poem forces the reader to recognize death as a part of life as opposed to some far off thing that only happens to certain people.

While the combination of lively rhyming with a deathly theme may seem ironic, but in reality is like shining a light on mortality of man; what's creepier than that?

William Carlos Williams' "This Is Just to Say"

Personally, I am a big fan of William Carlos Williams' poetry. I've always preferred shorter poems that can portray their message in a more concise form. While my favorite poem by him is "The Red Wheelbarrow" I also really love his poem "This Is Just to Say".

When first reading "This Is Just to Say", it may not look like much and may not have a clear message. The poem is very short, a mere 12 lines. There isn't any clear meter in it, and it doesn't rhyme at all. In fact, it looks like it is nothing more than a note to someone that was then formatted to look like a poem. There is no complex theme of life or relationships or anything; it is merely a poem about eating plums that someone had in the fridge.

The simplicity of this poem is exactly why I love it and laugh every time I read it. While some poets went to great lengths to include flowery words and vague references to dead people and sophisticated philosophical ideas, William Carlos Williams wrote a note about plums. I always laugh because it's what I call an "apology that isn't really an apology". After explaining that he ate the plums with the knowledge that someone else wanted to eat them, he asks for forgiveness but says that they were "delicious so sweet and so cold". In other words, he doesn't want the owner of the plums to be mad at him, but he also doesn't regret eating them because they were really good.

The blatant succinctness and uncommon theme of the poem makes me wonder if William Carlos Williams wrote this poem with the purpose of pointing out how few poems are like it. I have never heard of any other poem that talks about eating plums that someone left in the fridge, and I think that Williams probably noticed this as well. Since poems are meant to express emotions and feelings that readers can relate to, why would there be no poems about such a human topic? It's not like no one has ever had the experience of taking something that wasn't theirs and then apologizing half-heartedly; it's just that most wouldn't regard it as incredibly intellectual.

I hope I haven't completely misinterpreted the poem in such a way that Williams turns in his grave. Whether or not he intended a deeper meaning that I simply missed, I will always love this poem and laugh when I read it or recite it in my head.

Shakespeare's Sonnets 18 and 130

Most people are familiar with Shakespeare's Sonnet 18 and its famous line "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" However, most people are unfamiliar with Shakespeare's Sonnet 130, which is not that surprising considering the difference in tone. When first reading the two poems, it is easy to note the big differences. After rereading them, I was also able to notice some important similarities.

Sonnet 18 is an incredibly flattering poem, and basically says that the woman being described is lovelier than possible to describe; she is beyond compare to the beauties of nature. It's like a pickup line; it's obviously exaggerated and meant to flatter a woman whom Shakespeare is in love with. Shakespeare compares her to summer, only to say that summer is flawed in ways in which the woman is not.

If Sonnet 18 is a pickup line, Sonnet 130 is more like the conversation you have with your wife after being married for several years. This poem kind of takes back everything that was said in Sonnet 18; his mistress is nothing like a summer day or anything of that sort. Shakespeare points out that the woman is fair from perfect, and that comparing her to the beauty of nature is ludicrous. My favorite example of this is when he says, "If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun." It's obviously not very flattering, but points out how many of the comparisons that people use to describe their loved ones are far from accurate.

While these two poems may seem completely different, they have two very important similarities: use of nature in imagery and the idea that comparisons are imperfect. First, both of the sonnets use elements of nature and its beauties to describe Shakespeare's mistress. Sonnet 18 talks about a summer day and Sonnet 130 talks about the sun, coral, snow, and roses. The use of images from nature gives the poems a very natural, earthy feel, as though they were written and read outside.

More importantly is the shared theme of the imperfection of comparisons. In both of the sonnets, Shakespeare explains how comparing people to nature only gets you so far; they either fall short of the true beauty of a person or exaggerate a person's beauty. Neither of the poems says that the woman is exactly like one thing in nature, because she's not.

Although the two poems display different feelings towards the subject, they both contain the important idea that comparisons are flawed, which is the most important part of the poems.

The Settings of "The Hundred Secret Senses"

One of the reasons I was impressed by Amy Tan's writing was because she was able to very effectively bring her settings to life. For the settings, she used a lot of details, including everything from background information to cultural artifacts. To give a better idea of how she used these techniques, I'd like to talk about three different settings in the book.

The first setting that comes to mind for me is 19th century China, as Kwan saw it. Just like in any other descriptive writing, Tan illustrates the house and surrounding mountains and village. What really brings it to life, however, is how she describes the historical context and time period. Kwan talks about the history of her village, and how the people in her town are special, different from the people in other villages. She also talks about the missionary movement in China, and the different groups fighting in China at the time. Some more important details she includes are the feelings of the Chinese towards the foreigners and vice versa. These details make the reader feel the tension of the setting and understand the different goals of the different characters.

Another significant setting was Olivia's apartment. What was most interesting about Amy Tan's technique for describing this setting was the use of dialogue. The reader learns more about the setting through the dialogue than through the direct narration. Hearing the real estate agent try to sell the apartment to Olivia and Simon feels very modern, a lot like listening to a car salesman--it's distinctly 20th/21st century. Additionally, the way that Olivia and Simon talk about the storage space, garage space, etc makes it very clear that the setting is modern and urban/suburban.

Finally, Amy Tan very effectively described the visit to modern day China. Throughout Olivia's visit to China, she comes across many cultural differences that make a clear distinction between the setting in the US and China. In China, Olivia comes across a man selling birds for food, appallingly inconsiderate drivers, and a concerning absence of police. These events, as well as the contrast between Olivia's reactions and Kwan's reactions, really bring out the uniqueness of this setting.

Throughout the book, Amy Tan uses several different techniques to bring to life several different settings.

My Favorite Character from "The Hundred Secret Senses"

I'm not sure if it is already apparent in my other writing pieces about the book, but my favorite character in "The Hundred Secret Senses" is definitely Kwan, Olivia's sister.

When choosing my favorite character in a book, I always look for two key things: how relatable and realistic they are. Since writing is a form of expression of ideas and feelings, I want a character that I can relate to and help me connect to the story. If a character isn't relatable, they do nothing to help bond the important connection between the reader and the novel. I also want a character that is realistic, which means that I don't want a flawless super hero; I love reading about characters with apparent flaws because that makes them more relatable and also more interesting. When a character has no flaws, they become boring and lack distinctiveness.

Kwan met both of my requirements for a relatable, realistic character.

First, I personally found her desire to love someone and be loved extremely relatable. I think that everyone has experienced the need to be loved by someone else, but also the desire to love someone in turn. Even when Olivia shuns, teases, and hurts Kwan, Kwan still gives the same amount of devotion and love to Olivia. When Kwan tells Olivia about the three wishes she made when she was a young girl in China, she says, "My first wish: to have a sister I could love with all my heart, only that, and I would ask for nothing more from her." (Tan 195). This quote also shows another trait I love about Kwan: her simplicity. The fact that Kwan does not wish for her sister to love her back shows her selflessness and her simple desires. She wants to be able to give someone love and devotion, and yet asks for nothing in return from them; what could be less selfish?

Another thing that I loved about Kwan was that she was always energetic and in a good mood. Olivia constantly mentions how Kwan was always talking to her, even when Olivia was pretending to be sleeping. Even when she is in a bad situation, Kwan keeps her hopes up and looks to the future (and the past). For example, (MINI SPOILER ALERT aka first chapter) after Olivia gets Kwan sent to the insane asylum where Kwan is given shock therapy, Kwan does not change at all. When Kwan returns from the insane asylum, she continues to eagerly tell her stories to Olivia, and loves Olivia just as much as before she went to the insane asylum. This leads me to another thing I admired in Kwan--she never blamed other people for things that happened. Referring to getting Kwan sent to the insane asylum, Olivia says, "To this day, I don't know why Kwan never blamed me for what happened. I'm sure she knew I was the one who got her in trouble…Not once did she ever say, 'Libby-ah, why did you tell my secret?'" (Tan 16-17). Kwan never points a finger at anyone, never holds a grudge, and never ceases to be passionate about everything in her life and others' lives.

In terms of being a realistic character, I think that Kwan has natural desires concerning love, and that her innocence and possible craziness are her faults. Just like any other person, Kwan has her own wishes and goals in life. Even if her goals are more centered around other people, they are still goals. In terms of her faults, I think that her innocence is both an admirable trait and a fault. On the one hand, her avoidance of holding grudges is good because it allows her to be a happy person. On the other hand, it also opens her up to being hurt on countless occasions. Even though she forgives Olivia for getting her sent to the insane asylum, Olivia continues to say mean things to her. After Kwan's return from the asylum, Olivia admits that she, "…often refused to play with her. Over the years, I yelled at her, told her she embarrassed me," and yet Kwan never ceased to devote herself to Olivia (Tan 23). Another thing that keeps Kwan from being a perfect character is her "yin-eyes". Kwan claims to be able to see and talk to ghosts as well as remember her past-life. Whether she actually has yin-eyes or not, this makes her vulnerable to people who don't believe her and think she's crazy. This is the reason she got sent to the insane asylum, and one of the reasons that Olivia avoids Kwan.

Overall, Kwan was my favorite character because she was relatable, lovable, and realistic.

Movie Version of "The Hundred Secret Senses"

After reading The Hundred Secret Senses, it became apparent that the book would work well as a movie. First, there are some great settings in the book that would be perfect for a movie; Olivia's apartment and Kwan's home town in China are both unique places that would captivate any movie watcher. Because the novel is so visual, recreating the scenes for a movie adaptation would be simple and effective. Another reason that the novel would make a good movie is because of the importance of narration. In the book, there are numerous instances in which Kwan is telling her story of her past life. Hearing her tell it in her distinct voice would help the audience to associate the story specifically with Kwan, instead of letting it pass as a side story.

As for the cast, I'd like to address whom I would choose to portray the characters of Olivia, Simon, and Kwan.

First, I would cast Keira Knightley as Olivia. I realize that Keira Knightley, a British actress, does not meet the ethnic characteristics of Olivia, who is half (US) America and half Chinese. However, I think that Keira Knightley would be able to portray the more important characteristics of Olivia. In The Hundred Secret Senses, Olivia is intelligent, politically conscious, and in a constant search for heartfelt connections to other people. In my opinion, Keira Knightley has the acting ability to portray these important characteristics of Olivia.

I would cast Hugh Grant as Simon. For those who don't know who Hugh Grant is, I know him from playing a modern day version of Mr. Wickham (villainous character from Pride and Prejudice) in the movie Diary of Bridget Jones. Simon, Olivia's husband, has a strong dependence on sexual intercourse, boy-like determination, and a critical eye. All of these characteristics match with the character that I saw Hugh Grant, which leads me to believe that he would be well suited to act as Simon.

Finally, I would cast Jewel Staite as Kwan. I know Jewel Stait as playing the character Kaylee on the TV series Firefly. On the show, Kaylee is an intelligent, constantly happy, very energetic character. To me, the most important characteristic of Kwan is her never ending energy and the fact that she's never angry with Olivia. Since Jewel Stait has demonstrated the ability to act out a character with this kind of energy, I think she would be the best fit for Kwan.

Review of Amy Tan's "The Hundred Secret Senses"

When I first starting reading The Hundred Secret Senses, I assumed that I would be reading a story about a woman's relationship with her half-sister. While the main plot of the book is the relationship between the half-sisters, another large portion of the book was about the main character's relationship with her husband. Until the very end of the story, I considered these two relationships to be almost completely separate, and would therefore like to begin by discussing both of them separately.

I absolutely loved reading about the main character Olivia, her relationship with her half-sister Kwan, and Kwan's stories.

Amy Tan's description of Olivia (in first person narrative) is so authentic that I initially mistook it for an autobiography. Olivia fearlessly shows the reader both her strengths and dreams as well as her less applaudible characteristics and describes several of her shameful actions. For example, right from the beginning of the book, Olivia is revealed to be far from perfect, practically rejecting Kwan despite Kwan's unwavering devotion and love for Olivia. If you're looking for a model heroine, do not read this book; however, if you are looking for a realistically flawed character who feels like a real person, then look no further than Olivia.

Personally, I found the relationship between Olivia and Kwan to be very relatable. As a person who contains both dauntless love and reoccurring frustration for my sibling, I felt like I could understand both Olivia's detachment and Kwan's over-attachment. In the very beginning of the book, Olivia explains how her relationship with her mother and how it affected her relationship with her sister. This background makes her disdain for Kwan understandable, if not saddening. On the other side of the relationship, Kwan's loyalty to Olivia is innocently sweet in a child-like manner. Kwan adores and stays attached to Olivia, even when Olivia hurts Kwan and ignores her in obvious ways. Although at some times it was painful to read about such a contrast in feelings, it felt real and created a hope for resolution between the sisters.

Dispersed throughout the novel was Kwan's stories of her supposed past life. Whether or not her past life actually happened or was a mere figment of imagination, it was undoubtedly fascinating. Kwan's story takes the reader back to 19th century China, a setting of great change and turmoil. Her story is engaging through it's incorporation of pure narrative, description, and personal insight. Besides just iterating what happened in her past life, Kwan describes the people and places in her story in such a way that the reader can truly visualize the events. Kwan also adds in her thoughts about whether or not she should have done something, how it would effect her future, and why certain things mattered to her. In effect, Kwan's story was like a novel within a novel.

As for the ending, I had mixed feelings. On the one hand, the ending of the novel ties together all the ideas and concepts in an easily understood way, and resolves most of the conflicts. There is a very clear, and I thought appropriate, resolution to the difficult relationship between Olivia and Kwan. However, I felt that the resolution to the difficult relationship between Olivia and her husband Simon was less satisfactory.

This brings me to my one and only complaint about the book--the marital relationship. As a high school student, I found it extremely difficult to relate to descriptions of marriage and it's difficulties; I can only imagine how difficult it would be for another person my age who has never been in a relationship to relate to Olivia's marriage problems. Because of this lack of connection, every time Olivia talked about Simon, I found myself frustrated and waiting for the novel to turn back to Kwan or China or anything else but Simon. Speaking of him, I really disliked Simon. Based on Olivia's descriptions of him, I thought he was immature, arrogant, and overall a poor choice on Olivia's behalf. By the end of the book, I was fed up with Simon.

Keeping all of this in mind, I would give The Hundred Secret Senses a strong four-out-of-five-stars rating. I thought that the characters were both diverse and interesting, the plot to be exciting and unpredictable, and the sibling relationship to be both engaging and incredibly relatable. Based on my complaint about the strong presence of marriage related issues, I would recommend this book primarily to an older age group-college age and older. However, I felt that I got a lot out of this book despite the one complaint, and would therefore recommend it to any high school students willing to overlook this.

Why "The Hundred Secret Senses"?

Out of a list of possible summer reading books, I decided that I wanted to read The Hundred Secret Senses by Amy Tan.

Why?

The main reason for my decision was that I wanted to read a novel by Amy Tan. Last summer, I read an essay by her called Mother Tongue because it was part of the summer reading assignment. I was really impressed by Amy Tan's clarity in writing and her ability to show the meaning in her work. Even though I have never experienced the emotions that Amy expressed in her essay, her detailed examples and thoughts made it easy for me to understand what she felt. For me, it's really important that a book is able to make the reader feel the same emotions as the writer, and I thought that Amy Tan did this very well. I also liked how her writing in the essay was very personal. When I was reading her essay, it didn't feel like I was just reading about her experiences; it felt like she was talking to me in person.

Another factor was that I had decided that I wanted to read more books by female authors, and Amy Tan was one of the female authors on the list of books to choose from. My class read several novels by male authors this past school year, but only one novel by a female author. Additionally, the one novel by a female author that we read in class was a very depressing story about a young girl's sexual awakening. While my class had some great discussions about all of the novels, I still ending up leaving with a craving for a novel written by a female author, but absolutely not a romance novel.

When I saw that one of the books on this year's summer reading list was written by Amy Tan, the female author that I had already read and knew I would enjoy, it wasn't a hard decision to make.