The Lamb

The Lamb

BY WILLIAM BLAKE

Little Lamb who made thee 

         Dost thou know who made thee 

Gave thee life & bid thee feed. 

By the stream & o'er the mead;

Gave thee clothing of delight,

Softest clothing wooly bright;

Gave thee such a tender voice,

Making all the vales rejoice! 

         Little Lamb who made thee 

         Dost thou know who made thee 

         Little Lamb I'll tell thee,

         Little Lamb I'll tell thee!

He is called by thy name,

For he calls himself a Lamb: 

He is meek & he is mild, 

He became a little child: 

I a child & thou a lamb, 

We are called by his name.

         Little Lamb God bless thee. 

         Little Lamb God bless thee.

Before I read this poem, I wanted to learn a little background of the poet, William Blake, because I wanted to understand the life the poet led that induced him to write the poem. William Blake during his time was considered as a genius to some and an insane person to many others, such as Wordsworth. He lived in poverty most of his life with his wife and earned a meager wage as an engraver and illustrator. 

What's ironic about this poem is that the speaker addresses a certain person as "Little Lamb" as if the person's name is actually Little Lamb (I guess it could be). However, the speaker goes on to ask the person "Dost thou know who made thee". The irony is that Jesus is often referred to as lamb of sacrifice and the answer to the question should be 'lamb: Jesus', but the speaker addresses the person as "Little Lamb". Therefore, why would the speaker ask Little Lamb who made him because the answer should be Jesus? Jesus, due to his dying on the cross as the perfect sacrifice, is the lamb. Or could it be that the speaker is addressing Jesus directly and the entity "called by thy name" is God because of the Holy Trinity? Because Christians believe that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are essentially one same entity, it could be that the speaker is using the trinity definition in the poem. 

            The tone of this poem is rather very soothing and excited at the same time. The speaker in the first stanza tells the person all the grace God or Jesus bestows on His creation. God “Gave thee life & bid thee feed” and did many other things for us. I interpret this stanza as a song of praise to glorify God and to recognize the love of God or Jesus. The second stanza continues the tone of praise while also becoming more assertive. The second line, “Little Lamb I’ll tell thee!” emphasizes the eagerness to which the speaker wishes to share the name of the benefactor.  The stanza stresses the sacrifice Jesus made even though He himself was pure and like a “little child”. The befuddling line is when the speaker says “I a child & thou a lamb”. Why would the speaker refer to the person as the lamb if the speaker is trying to convey a message about God and Jesus?

            I picked this poem because as a Christian, I thought that I will be able to decipher the poem more in depth. However, because I have a set image and ideology about the belief behind Christianity, it was actually harder to analyze the poem due to the preconceived ideas. Just as when you learn and adapt to certain ideas, it is very difficult to change the perception when it is so firmly ingrained inside of you. I think the speaker is trying to relay a message about God and Jesus but the subject is still very ambiguous to me.

Works Cited: 

"William Blake." Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2013.

The Seasons of Winesburg, Ohio

The Seasons of Winesburg, Ohio

Preparing for the mini seminar for last Thursday really helped me see the patterns of seasons, weather, and just the whole interrelation of the characters in Winesburg, Ohio. My story assigned to me was 'Paper Pills'. I never knew there was so much correlation with one story to another until I read 'Paper Pills' over and over again.

Doctor Reefy meets the tall dark girl on a summer afternoon. She and the doctor connect in a way where the doctor is able to share his truths with the girl, and she in return, can understand him. The connection is like the apples Doctor Reefy talks about. He knows the sweetness of the twisted apples, and the tall dark girl is able to realize the beauty in the disfigurement as well. However, the girl dies the following spring, taking Doctor Reefy's happiness with her. "During the winter he read to her all of the odds and ends of thoughts he had scribbled on the bits of paper" (12); this action infers that the reminiscence of his wife has taken away any joy of life. The point I wish to make is that the doctor reads the truths during the winter, and that "he formed a truth that arose gigantic in his mind. The truth clouded the world. It became terrible and then faded away and the little thoughts began again" (11). The word cloud can infer a coming of a storm, rain, or snow. Although it comes, it cannot stay, which is why the truths shrink back into small thoughts.

If you look at the later parts of the novel, Reverend Curtis Hartman sits "One night in January when it was bitter cold and snow lay deep on the streets of Winesburg..." (90) to peep on Kate Swift. However, it is on that very night that the reverend experiences the moment of truth which sends him running the street to proclaim the message of truth. I feel like the reason Reverend Hartman is able to have the realization is because of Doctor Reefy. The fact that Doctor Reefy reads the truths during the winter and the truths cloud the world connect with how the truth is instilled inside of the reverend in the snowy night of January. Doctor Reefy sends and reveals the truths one by one and the characters in the novel experience the moment of truth.

In "Adventure", Alice, during her depressed reflection about growing old all alone, "For a moment she stood by the window hearing the rain beat against the glass and then a strange desire took possession of her... Not for years had she felt so full of youth and courage" (67). The truth takes hold of Alice and sends her running out in the rain naked. Although Alice is able to realize the truth, she cannot keep it because "it became terrible and then faded away..." (11). She is not strong enough to live in youth because another truth already possesses her.

            Kate Swift also becomes young during the winter night of a storm. “Alone in the night in the winter streets she was lovely” (95). The harsh and sharp features of her figure becomes beautiful and “were as the features of a tiny goddess on a pedestal in a garden in the dim light of a summer evening” (95). Summer indicates liveliness, youth, and passion, in which Kate is a beautiful youth. She doesn’t become fatigued even after hours of walking in the cold. The passion that takes hold of her sends her to George Willard, but because George does not realize the truth, Kate is snapped back into reality. She cries in her room after the truth leaves her.

            The moments of truth touch the character in different ways. However, the truth of youth, sent by Doctor Reefy, cannot dwell in the hearts of the characters for long because they have already become grotesque.

Youth vs. Aged

Youth vs. Aged

I don't think I will ever be able to anticipate the mind-blowing moments in AP Lit, no matter how many discussions I go through. Friday, after taking the reading quiz, my mind was completely blown away, literally. I read and annotated Winesburg, Ohio pretty decently but wasn’t able to draw any connections or realize any of Sherwood Anderson’s brilliance. Here are examples of my take away from some of the chapters when I read on my own: Hands= a lonely pedophile with weird hands, Mother: poor woman who cannot find comfort from anyone, and The Strength of God: a really creepy pastor who creeps on a woman. What my point is that when I was reading this book, I was just confused and puzzled as to how the stories connected together and how it can be one of Mrs. Clinch’s favorite books. But, after Friday, I had a major realization and know that that magical discussion was only a small scratch in analyzing Winesburg, Ohio.

It seems like everyone in Winesburg, Ohio is trying to teach George Willard and to force him to end their miseries by telling him about their experiences. For many of these characters, George Willard is still young, and therefore, has hope. They believe that if George heeds to their instructions, their agonies will be no more. For example, Wing Biddlebaum tells George, “You have the inclination to be alone and to dream and you are afraid of dreams… You must begin to dream” (Anderson 7). It’s not even a plea; it’s a command for George Willard to heed. Why does Wing demand this of George? Because he himself lost the ability to dream after the parents of the Pennsylvania town took away his joy and, basically, his life. For Wing, it is for George to continue the journey Wing never got to finish, but the demand only frightens George. I think a point Anderson may be trying to say is that people’s dreams are taken away by society’s rules and expectations, but for youth, there is still hope, it just depends on whether or not youth decides to listen and dream for their sake as well as for the older generation. However, Wing is not the only person who seeks to give advice to George, Doctor Parcival, Elizabeth Willard, and Kate Swift also desire for George to heed to their idea.

The conflict between youth and old age constantly appears in the novel. While the young people, just like the berry pickers in Hands, take risks and enjoy life, the older people stay confined to their environment, whether it be their home or job, and reminiscent about their past. It’s as if they are actually mentally and physically immobile from their environment. Therefore, ‘trees’, ‘fields’, ‘roads’, and ‘train’ are associated with the youth. I think this concept is still prevalent in today’s society. Many adults in a child’s life are trying to speak of their truth and to guide and instruct the child to follow their road. However, in doing so, the child may experience bewilderment and confusion because he or she is not given the chance to realize who he or she is before venturing out into the world. Finding one’s identity should occur before the adults try to force a way of life. 

Frankenstein and the Importance of “Tintern Abbey”

Frankenstein and the Importance of “Tintern Abbey”

The sounding cataract

Haunted me like a passion: the tall rock,

The mountain, and the deep and gloomy wood,

Their colours and their forms, were then to me

An appetite; a feeling and a love,

That had no need of a remoter charm,

By thought supplied, nor any interest

Unborrowed from the eye.

As history records, Mary Shelley’s writing was influenced by a wide range of great novelists, philosophers, and poets. Her father’s circle of friends included the famed poet: Samuel T. Coleridge, who collaborated alongside with Wordsworth during his lifetime. Therefore, it is only natural that Shelley’s most renowned novel, Frankenstein, embodies many characteristics used or works created by these people. Among many examples, the inclusion of the excerpt of Wordsworth’s famous poem: Tintern Abbey in Frankenstein not only is able to explicitly capture the significance of Victor and Henry’s roles as foils but also embody the supreme importance of nature.

               Henry and Victor are, in modern terms, best friends. They grow from being childhood playmates to companions as they age. However, even as children, their subjects of interests can be seen as complete opposites. Henry finds passion in, “the moral relations of things… the virtues of heroes, and the actions of men, were this theme…” (35). Whereas Victor says he is, “directed to the metaphysical, or, in its highest sense, the physical secrets of the world” (34). These two paths guide their future pursuits, and in Shelley’s view, Clerval towards good and Victor towards evil. Clerval’s quest for knowledge did not and could not pave his way for destruction because his pursuit is, in a way, to become one with nature. Victor on the other hand does everything in his power to be polarized from nature and to conquer it. Victor realizes this difference and quotes a section of “Tintern Abbey”, changing the pronoun ‘I’ to ‘him’ to idolize Henry in order to subconsciously recognize and admit to all of his own flaws and mistakes. Therefore, the contrast of Henry and Victor creates a strong emphasis on the negative consequences that befall on humans who parallel their lives with the course of nature. 

             I believe that Shelley respected Wordsworth and his philosophies to a point where she wanted to reiterate his message to the world through her novel. Frankenstein, the product of that desire, therefore, shares many similarities with “Tintern Abbey” in order to best illustrate Wordsworth’s message. Just as Wordsworth narrates the poem to Dorothy, Walton also has Margaret be the ultimate listener. Although the characters themselves do not correlate in a literal sense, the effect Shelley creates is essential to the novel. Margaret is who the story dedicates itself to and the most crucial figure because she has the final say in the outcome or opinion on Walton’s tale. Shelley, to even further point out “Tintern Abbey”, directly has Victor quote the poem. As I mentioned earlier, the poem serves to highlight and bring out Henry’s role as a foil to Victor. However, the quoted section of the poem also is one of Wordsworth’s most intimate confessions about his connection with nature. So I am convinced that Wordsworth plays the all the characters of Walton, Henry, and Nature at different points of the book. Similar to “Tintern Abbey”, these characters demonstrates how Wordsworth goes through the phase of appreciating external beauty, internal beauty, and aligning himself to become one with nature. Therefore, Walton relays the beginning of the phase, then Henry as the character to embody the internal realization, then Nature to communicate the alignment phase. 

             I may be making conclusions that are too far-fetched, but it is definitely interesting to think about and ponder why Shelley would connect the novel to the elements regarding “Tintern Abbey”. 

Truth

Truth

People tell lies everywhere they go, even to their closest friends, families, and themselves. I have a habit of lying when it comes to trying to explain a situation. It’s under those certain circumstances where I know it will take more than the necessary time to explain why I am at the store, how I am actually doing, or what I really feel. And most of the time people are really not interested in what you have to say, so to respect that, you tell a lie. But the weird occurrence is that even while I am telling a lie, I want to tell the truth. I have an urge to be ‘righteous’ and good, but the falsehood ends up dominating. Does that mean that humans innately search truth, but ultimately are consumed by immorality?

I guess I have been thinking about the truth and the purpose of life ever since that Thursday. You know, when Mrs. Clinch mesmerized and blew our minds by reading Winesburg, Ohio. I started reading the book before, but the close-reading made me realize there are even more elements to look for and question. The particular section that blew me away once again was, “it was his notion that the moment one of the people took one of the truths to himself, called it his truth, and tried to live his life by it, he became a grotesque and the truth he embraced became a falsehood” (Anderson, 2). What does this possibly mean? Maybe human’s imperfections corrupt and disrupt the beautiful matters of life. Maybe humans have their own truth to live by but are blinded by the other truths of the world; therefore, committing themselves to live by something that is not their own. OR maybe there is no such thing as the ‘truth’ when humans come into the picture.

But what is ‘truth’? No, really think about it. Is it the same thing as a fact? Because when we tell the truth, it can be a different version to another. If truth is a perception of reality, then there is never one truth or even a universal truth. You can believe in the same ‘truth’ as another but it can’t be the same because it becomes personalized in different ways. What my mom may think is the truth may be different from what I believe. Dictionary.com has many definition but all of them gravitate to “conformity with fact or reality; verity”. Really? Is that really what truth is? I think there is a reason why truth cannot be the same as a fact because truth is diverse. When you watch a crime movie, the prosecutors are always saying, “Tell the truth” but shouldn’t they just be saying, “Tell us what happened” because with the word ‘truth’ there can be so many discrepancies.

I guess I have digressed and have jumped from asking about the convenience of truth to what truth really is. But writing about it really made me think about what truth might be. 

19th Century Society vs. 21st Century Society: Different or Same?

19^th Century Society vs. 21^st Century Society: Different or Same?

           Last Friday night, I was in a car accident with my parents (don’t worry, no one was hurt). The car behind us rear ended us at 10:30 PM when we were coming back from church for Friday night service. We pulled up to an empty parking lot when the police to came. The officer was irritated that we have been “blocking the road” for ten minutes and couldn't understand why we would even try to cause traffic (as if he told us to get off the road!). He decided to yell at my dad for “not getting off the road”, so I had to tell the raging officer that my dad doesn't speak English. Then he decided to walk back to the car saying, “I don’t know what is so hard about following SIMPLE directions”. The attitude of the officer is the kind my parents have to put up with everyday because their race and inability to speak English makes them inferior in the eyes of American society. Although you might think, ‘not everyone is like that and there are plenty of people who try to understand’, but the sad reality is you are wrong. People have no idea how hard the lives of non-English speaking immigrants are. The fact that they can’t speak English makes them second-rate and unable to enjoy the basic privilege such as receiving respect. This kind of discrimination exists in all shapes and form in society in all ages. From the minute you enter society, it matter what clothes, shoes, cars, house, and etc. you possess, and the groups are organized into monetary standings. Therefore, Frankenstein became very relatable especially when the creature began his tale. Not only did I feel the connection of being an outcast, but also the desperation he felt when he decided to learn the language in order to become accepted. When he bemoans, “Could they turn from their door one, however monstrous, who solicited their compassion and friendship?” (130), I knew exactly what he was feeling because I had been in the same situation. Although the inability to speak English might not seem as disastrous as having body formed of dead body parts, the struggle was real and genuine. The constant fear of thinking that people were judging me even when I learned to speak the language haunted me wherever I went. Maybe that is why I feel so much more at ease when I am with children and that’s why I love volunteering for children because they are less inclined to judge and I don’t have to mask any of myself from them. That is why it was really distressing when the creature couldn't find, not one, soul to find comfort from. At least I have my family and church children to care for and receive love from, but he had absolutely no one. Therefore, when I hear other students complaining about how the creature was in constant state of whining, I would think to myself, ‘you have no idea how deeply it hurts’. And the sad reality is that even if the creature were to be created again in the 21^st century, the society would still not accept its existence. 

Victor Frankenstein: Insane or Sane?

Victor Frankenstein: Insane or Sane?

Yesterday, during our small group discussion, a group member mentioned something very interesting and the thought has been on my mind for some time. So, I am going to blog about it. She said, "I think Frankenstein made the whole story up". When she said that I was at first, 'here's another girl who doesn't know what she is talking about. Why would we be talking about this book if everyone thought Victor was lying?' However, when I started to listen to what she had to say, I could see the her viewpoint. I mean, both Walton and Victor were two very passionate and goal driven people. And people who have strong desires and want to fulfill those desires sometimes are just overcome by their pursuits and can have the potential to go insane. Therefore, what if, just what if, Victor and Walton were making this story up? It said in the book, "For this (creating the creature) I had deprived myself of rest and health" (55). Victor was sleep deprived; he didn't eat when he had to; he didn't go outside for two years. How can a person living like that not go mentality crazed? Although Victor was intellectual, he was, in a way, taken over by his intellect. The knowledge and want of creating another creature and having the control over life and death made him immerse himself in years of research in a secluded place. And although he did attend college, the book does not mention any friendship being built. Victor voluntarily secludes himself from society and family. Maybe the story that he is telling Walton is just a fiction that he dreamed of because the trauma of creating the creature was too much to handle and damaged his brain. Also, Walton may be suffering from some kind of insanity as well and thought that he saw the monster on the ship. This preposition makes sense. After all, if Victor’s narration is false, then who other than Walton “saw” the monster? Walton also “voluntarily endured cold, famine, thirst, and want of sleep”. He was just like Victor in so many levels, so he could also suffer from the same mental failures as well. Also, perhaps Mary Shelley wanted to show that if an individual pursues a journey that goes against the natural ways of the world, it has the potential to ruin the person socially, morally, and physically. It took me a while to digest her preposition because the thought never occurred to me, and I had a firm belief in Victor’s sanity. However, once she spoke of the possibility of a fabricated story, I could not help myself from wondering and questioning whether I had perceived the story wrong. It is very fascinating how the book can be perceived and interpreted in so many various ways and levels. How one preposition can totally take me to another route in looking at the book is, in my opinion, the beauty of literature.