Thoughts on Various Subjects

The epigram that stood out to me at first was "No wise man ever wished to be younger"..not just because it was the shortest! lol I think this is interesting because what I kind of comprehended from it was that a man who was wise, spent his life wisely, and is still living wisely at the moment. This means he does not wish to go back, because he is wise enough to know how to be content with where he is at, and not get sucked into what all of society puts on us to look feel act and all around BE younger. I think this is what this epigram was saying, I liked it. PS- sorry Abby I saw you [posted the same one I was gonna switch but then i figured that their really isn't that many of these in this reading so alot of people are going to have the same one! I guess both our ideas are just shared now :) lol

My "Thoughts on Various Subjects"

This is the epigram I liked best: When we desire or solicit anything, our minds run wholly on the good side or circumstances of it; when 'tis obtained, our minds run wholly on the bad ones. I think this epigram is saying that we always want more and are never satisified with what we have. Its so strange that this concept still applies today! The most interesting point that Swift makes, however, is that he talks about the other side too. When we want something, we only find the good. BUT, once we have it, we only find the bad. It is one of those sad, but true ideas that our society can't seem to get over.

Weekly Post

So, so far I am really enjoying this tri of Brit Lit. I love the literature that we started off with, and I especially love the history during this time. The literature is a direct reflection of the history of that time. I'm not going to try to deny it, I'm a history geek, if I could make a good career out of history that didn't involve teaching I would totally do it!

William's Tiger and Lamb

"The Lamb" I love the questions in the first two lines of this poem: "Little Lamb, who made thee? Dost thou know who made thee?" I this question would cause any non-religious person to stop and think. Also I feel like through these questions, it is almost like Blake is making sure we know who to be grateful to and and what we should be grateful for. That God gave us everything, and wants us to know that. The imagery in this poem is very light and joyful, and draws very clear comparisons to Jesus Christ. Meek, mild, became as a little child. "The Tiger" I didn't clearly understand the meaning of this poem. To me it seems like Blake thinks of the Tiger as being a very powerful creature and seems to be somewhat fearful of it. I liked the way he described the tigers eyes, saying they burn with fire. Also the line that says, "What immortal hand or eye, could frame thy fearful symmetry?" makes me wonder if Blake is questioning God's decision to create the tiger.. ?

Wise Epigram

I chose the epigram, "No wise man ever wished to be younger." I think this statement is witty because in our society today, everyone is trying to look younger, feel younger, BE younger. But what this statement is saying is that no wise man would ever choose to be young. Being youthful portrays strength, beauty, being active and ambitious. But also is associated with being naive, bad-tempered, careless and inexperienced. Being able to discern between what is right and what is wrong is learned over time as a person has experiences and learns how to make those judgements. To me, Swift is saying that the benefits of being young do not even compare and should not be traded for the characteristics that are developed with age.

So far...

So, yesterday's discussion was really interesting. I got a lot out of it. And I like the fact that the literature is becoming more modern, which means it's becoming easier to understand and relate to. I know this sounds kind of nerdy but I can't wait until we read our first novel.

"Forget about the money, money, money..."

Okay so when I was driving to basketball last night that new Jessie J and B.o.B song came on "Foget about the Money." It's pretty much my favorite song right now so as I was singing way too loudly in the car I semi-conciously registered the fact that this song is talking about the phrase "eat, drink, and be merry..." It's definatley a song saying to forget about the price tag and money and just sit back and enjoy the moment and smile :) yeah, i know we are past the seventeenth century, but I just had to go back one more time :)