The Cat On My Left

It begins with a dot 

that marks the hand that without dispute belongs to her. 

While it stays to the right, 

I know not whether her position to my left is intentional or coincidental, 

but regardless it is delightful irony. 

This left-brained lady of math and science 

is marked by the side of pure ingenuity. 

Many a fall day these hands of tan have gripped a ferocious stick of Thor 

that fills tranquil green fields with the battle cries of a red sea.

This cat strays far from the whims of the kitten, 

but the purple haze of her nails is indicative 

of both her care to maintain self-respect 

and the playful spirit of times now ancient in our teenage retrospect. 

This hand's implement creates scribbles for one and insightful masterpieces to others, 

but its motion is a revelation of her silent fire, materialized both within and external.

A Pleasent Retreat

Red, orange, and yellow provide unusual warmth

Along the fair trail with the fair view.

We cut past Fiddler's Elbow

With a scurry up an inclined plane.

Pain intensifies in my quads not of steel

But of bronze mixed with clay.

Trees and rocks, once just that, are lifelines.

The cold keeps me awake

But the exertion causes me to perspire.

Almost sick, I nearly face a flashback.

But we reach the inviting Appalacian Trail

And descend the rocky ridge

To a divine sunrise.

Just another day in the life of my second family.

Within These Walls

Insightful quotes provide life to blank walls

 The white are as welcome as the half-brown and the half-orange

A pumpkin possesses patches with pumpkins possessing patches possessing a perpetual cycle

 Love engulfs this room like the sound waves of Led Zeppelin

A poster honors the works and writers of my teacher of tenth grade

Legends grace the photo in the rear of the premier Calliope

And Jackie Addesso's "Empty Wonders" fills one of many pages

From a six-stringed wonder comes all that fills the world

A pair of trees shades travelers on the empty, torn road

Winding through the immortality of the Blue Ridge Mountains

As the voices reach me, I wonder

Can a fundamentalist promote peace?

Far too delicious and diverse an array of items

Are revealed with gratefulness of a thousand thankful hearts

Clancy's games share a shelf with the strain of Crighton
And the classics share a corner with contemporary poetry
Soft is the carpet of presentation
Where verse, music, and story vividly enter the intent ears of a varied audience
The heather atop the hill of diversity
Picked and prepared into a bountiful bouquet of sights and smells

That all who see will behold, and all who hear will listen
To the ambrosia created and presented within these walls

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

Symbol: Fire

Fire can be one of many things to mankind. It has the power to destroy forests and cause third-degree burns, but it also contains the means to warm a cold decrepit body while providing light for a clearer path. Ultimately, fire is the premier symbol for human nature, and the artistic process. And in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce, fire is among the predominant symbols. Fire appears frequently throughout the entire novel, and there are three instances in particular that are of primary importance. The first example occurs at the end of Part II. Stephen Daedalus, the story's protagonist, has become overtaken by his latest of many obsessions, which is sex, a common obsession among men his age but scorned by both himself and his religion of Catholicism. While walking alone along a dark street at night, the following occurs to him.

"A trembling seized him and his eyes grew dim. The yellow gasflames arose before his troubled vision against the vapoury sky, burning as if before and alter." (Joyce 107)

In this instance fire is the symbol of the passion and lust he is feeling as he enters a brothel and proceeds to sleep with a prostitute. Fire is frequently used throughout literature as a symbol of passion and desire, and this instance is no exception. But Daedalus' fear of Hell is realized as he hears in Part III one of the most vivid and horrific descriptions of Hell in all of literature. Fire is among the many horrors realized in the hell described by the priest in the chapter, and the prospect of suffering excruciating agony in a fire forever rising in heat in size and forever burning frightens Stephen into confessing and taking on a new obsession of Catholicism. But eventually he realizes that this lifestyle completely contradicts his individual nature, even after being offered a position as prestigious as priest. The final stage of his transition to becoming the artist of words that he is is emphasized in my favorite quote of choice, occurring in a scene in Part V when a priest, going along with the theme of fire, lights a fire, and Stephn mentions that he is sure he could not light a fire.

"You are an artist, are you not, Mr Dedalus? said the dean, glancing up and blinking his pale eyes. The object of the artist is the creation of the beautiful. What the beautiful is is another question." (200-201)

One cliché states that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, and it is passages such as this one that form the basis for this cliché. Stephen views words as colors, and finds the same beauty in words and the written language that a painter would find in colors and paints. This passage is a time in the life of the character of Stephen Dedalus when he has developed to the point of self-realization. The dean gives Dedalus the essential artist's advice, telling him the contrast between the liberal arts and the useful arts such as building a fire. It is at this time that Dedaus has become a true artist, and the fire is the symbol of balance that he needs in his life.


Portrait is not a universal novel. It does not follow the typical storyline that many novels follow, and therefore can be a difficult read. However, it is a look into the though process and psychology of the character of Stephen Daedalus from childhood to his young adulthood. This direct look into the mind of a character and the seeming randomness of his thoughts is an original and refreshing idea that is effectively conveyed through Joyce's masterful writing. Joyce has undoubtedly interjected a number of elements of himself and made them a part of the character he creates. The change in writing style based entirely on Stephen's age is a unique approach that is just one of the many elements that make this novel a classic. The intense descriptions and generally low level of dialogue throughout the story allow the behavioral analysis of the character that makes this book what it is. Because of the masterful writing and unique approach toward the writing taken by James Joyce, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is not a simple read, but it is an enjoyable and engrossing read that allows it to join the ranks of greatest novels ever written.

Guns

Perhaps the most striking literary device used in "Guns", a poem by W.D. Earhart, is flashback. The story in the poem is told in first person by the narrator, but the most vivid image occurs in the following flashback:

Just eighteen, I killed

          a ten-year-old, I didn't know.

          He spins across the marketplace

          all shattered chest, all eyes and arms. (Ehrhart 21-24)

The poem contains a strong anti-war tone, and the horrific imagery in this scene illustrates the father's disdain for military conflict and weapons as a whole. He cannot stand when those who kill in war "call it love of country (20)". He also describes the gun at the Legion Post as having an "ugly little pointed snout (4)". The anti-war sentiment is further illustrated with the next literary device.

Dialogue is a phenomenal way to reveal relationships, and the main relationship in "Guns" is between the father and his four-year-old daughter. The conversation in quotation marks concerns what kind of gun the father used when he fought in a war. But what is most important is what the father is merely thinking but not saying. He is in a great conflict as to how much to tell his daughter. He knows that war starts out of ignorance, but he does not know how much to tell a girl age four about the horrors of war. This inner conflict is something that plagues perhaps every parent, and this poem excellently shows this conflict.

Peace is an issue that I feel more strongly for than perhaps anything. "Guns" shows war's stark horrors in a simple manner. Despite it's simplicity, "Guns" goes deep with its simple language. It creates a vivid image of a gun pointed toward a school, and I cannot help but think of Columbine. The image of an eighteen-year-old killing a child reminds me of Vietnam and incidents of the war such as the Mai Lai Massacre. In all, "Guns" is a poem with a sad tone, but a tone meaningful and strong enough to stand up to war's atrocities.           

The Fly

The first major literary device used in Karl Shapiro's "The Fly" is simile. There are many instances of similer usage in the poem, and different similes have different meanings in context. Usually, especially near the end, simile is used to enhance the work's imagery. Take the following passage:

Then like Gargantua I stride among
The corpses strewn like raisins in the dust, (Shapiro 41-42)

Examine the word choice. The subject is not just walking among the bodies, he is striding. To further enhance the strong image, the subject is compared to Gargantua, a strong and imposing name. Furthermore, the corpses are compared to raisins, grapes juiceless and lifeless, made dry and lifeless by great portions of time in the hot sun. Dust is synonomous with death, going as far back as Genesis, and it is effectively used in this poem. And as dust forms a cloud that shines in the desert sun, there lies an opportunity to transition to the other prominent literary device.

As indicated by the cliche image of the previous paragraph, the second major literary device used in "The Fly" is imagery. Some of the images are ironic, such as "green, sweet decay (11)" and "inlay maggots like a jewel (16)". Others are simply revolting, such as "imbedded in the amber muck (32)" and "little guts pasty and white (36)". Regardless, the imagery in this work is always strong, and creates a strong environment sometimes horrific and sometimes even hillarious.

Overall, "The Fly" is a well written poem with strong word choice. My own interpretation is that a fly is a pest, and everyone has killed flies before. It is common knowledge how disgusting they can be and how annoying they can be, and the peom through its imagery reveals the reasons for anti-fly discontent among humans. But at the same time, these winged organisms are living creatures, and this poem provides insight into the fly's world, showing the horror of fly traps and the fierceness of a creature multiple times larger and stronger than itself. Looking deeply enough, this can be a metaphor for genocide, as those exterminated in a genocide are considered pests and a hindrance to the progress of the established powers. In any case, it shows an everyday scenario from two different view points, and enrichens it to the point of deep thought and serious consideration. 

The Handmaid's Tale

Theme: Feminism

The Republic of Gilead is perhaps the most bleak dystopian society in any such novel. There is a clear definition of gender roles, and the society is highly misogynistic, and ironically unappealing to men and women alike. Those who rank high in the twisted hierarchy base the Republic's law on the Bible, but are selective so that they receive what they wish and justify their hypocrisies for their own gains and pleasures. The Commanders are the high ranking men, higher of age and part of the key to future generations. Commanders are the only men allowed to marry, and the Wives are generally unhappy, existing seemingly only for prestige, knitting, and walking about the garden. As the Wives are too old to have children, they serve these other functions. As for the bearing of children, the Handmaids suffice, and they do endure a Ceremony in which they have forced sex with the Commander with the help of the Wife. Not only does the Commander commit adultery, but the Wife helps him. To make matters even more ridiculous, the Ceremony begins with a Bible reading. Despite all of this lovemaking, supposedly the only thing men care about, the only men able to partake in this activity are old men, some of whom are sterile, and the young men are sent to fight the many wars necessary to expand and defend the territory of Gilead (more hypocrisy is evident in this instance with murder ordered when the Bible clearly speaks against this act). The Commander's desire to spend time with and play Scrabble with Offred reveals his dissatisfaction with his married life and sex life. This is commentary that sex is not the only thing necessary to keep a man truly happy.

For women, life in the Republic of Gilead (also ironically named) is equally horrific. Women in the society are only valued for their ovaries. The Handmaids exist primarily to have sex with the Commanders and bear children. They have no choice as to who they live with either. Precautions are taken to ensure the lack of suicide on the part of the Handmaids. An image of how dismal Handmaid life is is the pillow with the faded word "faith" on it. There is no hope for these women, and their only escape is death. The Marthas, who do much of the household work such as cooking and cleaning, look down on the Handmaids, as do the Econowives. The Econowives are a fascinating group because they serve all the household functions, although they marry men considered lower on the class scale. To symbolize their many functions, the Econowives wear dresses of many colored stripes. The Aunts instruct the Handmaids on etiquette and other essential parts of life wearing the all-covering red dress. They are very stern and drain the sense of self-esteem of the women destined to become Handmaids. The stereotypical gender roles carried out by the members of Gilead raise the question of what it means to be a woman, or man if one chooses to analyze that side of the spectrum. It is unfair, although necessary, to generalize when describing members of a certain group, and The Handmaid's Tale is an interpretation of the terrifying possibilities of this gender placing taken to the extreme. Most shocking is that the events of this story have happened, do happen, and could happen to this level if care isn't taken.

 Favorite Quote: Page 103.

"...nobody dies from lack of sex. It's lack of love we die from."

This is a meaningful quote beyond the mere text. In the text, the Commander is not happy with just sex. He desires something more, a face-to-face, compatible relationship that he lacks with his wife. Sex is merely an illusion of desire. The truest desire is a lifetime with someone who gives love and understanding while offering the ability to receive these same items in return. Many think they only want sex, and they are disappointed because it is only one dimension and is not fulfilling in the way real love is. Offred loses her husband Luke during the course of the novel, and she must substitute love for rather unsatisfactory sex. Two young men die on the wall of "gender treachery", and it is not understood that the men seek love that they are not allowed to have. They die from the lack of someone to love and understand them.

My Thoughts.

The Handmaid's Tale is one of the most disturbing novels I have ever read. The sex scenes are explicit and provocative, and the Wall is simply disturbing. The religious hypocrisy is critical of those that hold power in religious positions, and the numerous Biblical allusions are often ironic. There is much to appreciate about the book in a literary sense, and it is a thought-provoking story that is actually quite enjoyable despite it's explicit nature. It is an uncut, exciting look at a dystopian society that borrows greatly from our own warped views. In all, The Handmaid's Tale is a wonderfully written piece with great value beyond the mere text within the binding.