Film Blog #3

     The movie "To Kill A Mockingbird" was a movie that I remembering seeing little of when I was younger, about 12. I remember my friend had to read the book when she was in tenth grade, but instead bought the movie so we watched it together. As soon as I saw that it was in black and white I was turned off, but still tried watching it. As I continued watching the movie, it just didn't keep my attention.

     This time when the movie was on it actually kept my attention because I could understand it better. Back in the time that the movie took place it was a lot different, culturally. There was a lot more racism as well as gender inequality. I actually understand these topics now, but when I was younger I really didn't know much or think about them. I feel that this is the reason that I was not interested in the movie when I was 12 because these topics are brought about in "To Kill A Mocking Bird." 

    This movie breaks the racism and gender barrier that many people back then didn't believe in. The black man was actually protected and the white women ended up being the liar. This was a revolutionary kind of thing that happened and that's why this movie is so popular and widespread. It brings up important topics and morals.

    This movie had a great story line and I'm glad I got the chance to watch a classic that most people know about. If this movie wasn't to be played in class I probably wouldn't have ever watched it because of my prior experience with it, but I'm glad I did see it and actually understood and was interested in it. 

Film Blog #2

     I really love watching the movie "Precious". These types of movies are always very interesting to me and keep my attention. I like movies that resemble real life struggles and have a real life story line. It was crazy seeing Precious go through life with her abusive mother, I was shocked as to how horrible her mother treated her, and how her life just kept getting worse and worse.
     I could only imagine having her life, I don't know how she managed to wake up every morning. She's very strong, especially for her age.
    Overall this movie is really interesting and it was shocking to see a girl around my age going through so much and handling life pretty much on her own. I never heard of anyone who had to go through life like Precious and I hope I never do, but she is probably the strongest person.
    It was great to finally see Precious smile at the end, and it made me happy that she was happy. Even with her circumstances she finally accepted her life. I feel like you have be very mature to realize how Precious changed from beginning to end and how she grew. Her story was powerful and I believe she was very powerful and grew stronger and stronger as the movie progressed.

Blog #13

      It was really cool seeing Anthony's film. Seeing advanced work from students in our school always amazes me. It's great to know how much dedication and time was spent putting this type of work together.
     Last year I was in film class and we had to write scripts and put short films together, but it was nothing compared to actually producing a big film. I thought what I did last year was difficult, so I can only imagine how much hard work he put into his film "Rebel".
     I was not able to see the entire film because I was at Ms. Senner's office, but from what I did see it was put together really well. The scene cuts were all flowing and didn't look weird or out of place. Also, the effects were really cool. I thought that was very creative and added a nice touch for the scene. Overall you could tell a lot of hard work was put into the film and it was great.

Langston Hughes, “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” Blog #12

I’ve known rivers:
I’ve known rivers ancient as the world and older than the
     flow of human blood in human veins.

My soul has grown deep like the rivers.

I bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were young.
I built my hut near the Congo and it lulled me to sleep.
I looked upon the Nile and raised the pyramids above it.
I heard the singing of the Mississippi when Abe Lincoln 
     went down to New Orleans, and I’ve seen its muddy 
     bosom turn all golden in the sunset.
I’ve known rivers:
Ancient, dusky rivers.

My soul has grown deep like the rivers.

     Throughout this poem the speaker is comparing rivers to himself and the world around him. They are all ancient and have lived throughout important history. All of these rivers I have heard about in my history classes which were important and since he's comparing it to himself I assume his culture is important to him. From the title I can tell there is African American culture and that the speaker wants to preserve this culture. It's been around for many years and will continue to, just like the rivers. He must really have a connection to rivers because of how natural and old they are. He imagines such great images of these rivers like the Mississippi river singing and turning into a golden color. 

     The last line he compares his soul to the rivers, the African American culture is very deep and he wants to keep those traditions. I believe it may also have something to do with slavery taking away from the African American culture. He wants to make sure it stays for years and years, he's keeping it together by making this connection between his soul and the rivers. As long as the rivers are alive so will the African American culture. 

William Carlos Williams, “This Is Just to Say” Blog #11

I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox

and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold

     I was surprised at how simple this poem was. It was so simple that it was challenging to find a meaning behind it. I kept reading this poem over and over again, but maybe I was looking for a meaning that was too deep. This poem could just simply be about a sweet mistake. The attitude of this poem is so nonchalant. The author is basically like "Yeah, I was hungry so I ate your plums, oh well, sorry." He doesn't show any kind of regret or sorrow for eating these plums that the person wanted for later on in the day. I know I would feel bad eating someone else's food, but this guy just doesn't really care. To me, his "forgive me" doesn't sound meaningful because he then goes on to explain why he ate them, because they must have looked delicious. 

     This poem is so different from the rest that I have read. It's actually kind of funny to me how much this guy doesn't seem to care. It's like eating someone's food and then texting them like "hey by the way I ate your food, sorry love ya". I can just imagine if this were a poem in this time period it probably would have been a text. 

Walt Whitman, “When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer” Blog #10

When I heard the learn’d astronomer,

When the proofs, the figures, were ranged in columns before me,

When I was shown the charts and diagrams, to add, divide, and measure them,

When I sitting heard the astronomer where he lectured with much applause in the lecture-room,

How soon unaccountable I became tired and sick,

Till rising and gliding out I wander’d off by myself,

In the mystical moist night-air, and from time to time,

Look’d up in perfect silence at the stars.

     I feel like I can really relate to this poem. The way I understand this poem is that

Whitman is sitting in a class, most likely a college class because it is a lecture and the person

speaking is an astronomer. Whitman just wants to see the stars, that is what he is most 

interested in, but the astronomer was just showing the class "diagrams, to add, divide, and 

measure them". He finds it boring that instead of seeing the stars and talking about stars 

that all he's seeing is mathematical work. 

     I feel like I can relate to this poem because I've found myself plenty of times being 

uninterested in what I am learning in class because we first have to learn the history or

 background behind the topic. For example, in physics sometimes I would find myself 

bored and uninterested but then when we got to the lab where we could actually see what 

was happening instead of doing theoretical equations for the events that happened I was 

more interested. 

     When Whitman finally left the lecture and felt relieved at looking at the stars is how I feel 

when we finally get to do a lab or when I get to leave a class and relax. It's good to relax and 

take a break and just get away from all the stress.

     This poem shows that leaving something for a little to make yourself feel better is okay. 

Putting down some work or letting go of the stress is something you need in life just like Walt 

Whitman left the class in order to make himself feel better.

Seamus Heaney, “The Forge” Blog #9

All I know is a door into the dark.

Outside, old axles and iron hoops rusting;

Inside, the hammered anvil’s short-pitched ring,

The unpredictable fantail of sparks

Or hiss when a new shoe toughens in water.

The anvil must be somewhere in the centre,

Horned as a unicorn, at one end and square,

Set there immoveable: an altar

Where he expends himself in shape and music. 

Sometimes, leather-aproned, hairs in his nose,

He leans out on the jamb, recalls a clatter

Of hoofs where traffic is flashing in rows;

Then grunts and goes in, with a slam and flick

To beat real iron out, to work the bellows. 

     This poem reminds me of medieval times because of the darkness and iron described in the beginning of this poem. Then I believe there is a shift after the eighth line. Heaney starts to talk about "he" in the lines after the eighth and that was confusing to me. I do not really know who that "he" is. But I'm guessing it is most likely a worker that works with the anvil. When I looked up the word "forge" in the title I saw that it meant someone who works with metal, so I guess that is who it is about. In the lines before the shift the setting is described as dark and words like hammer and tough are used. This has a relation to the worker and it seems to be masculinity. "He" is used with the words "grunts" and "slam" as well which represents strength and power. Something like an anvil is very sturdy and tough as well. 

     This poem might be saying that men are designed to do this type of work in that time era. Possibly that these types of jobs are more masculine and therefore only for men.
     When I compare those thoughts to today's world, it is totally different. Today, there are men and women who work in the same fields whether they are considered masculine or feminine jobs. Many women can work with metals, just like men could. A woman can easily be replaced in this poem just by adding "she" instead of "he" and I believe it would be of no shock in this time era, but back when "The Forge" was written it probably would have been abnormal and a huge deal.