Reflection Paper
Throughout this school year, a tremendous amount of time and effort was invested into the numerous essays and projects assigned. Now that everything is accomplished, I feel as if there are many areas I have made improvements in while there are still many areas that I need to continue to improve. The assignments included in the portfolio exemplify in some form, many of these criteria.
In terms of reading, I have made improvements in analyzing and being able to evaluate various pieces of literature and connect them to different parts of the text. For instance, Shakespearean texts have always been a great challenge for me because I find them difficult to completely understand the language and to find the symbolic and metaphorical meanings to his words. However, I chose the dialectical journal entry, titled “Notebook Entry-Hamlet,” which was written on the play Hamlet because I feel as if this entry captured various elements and strengthened ideas I developed about previous portions of the text which I was not sure about. This entry focuses on lines spoken by Queen Gertrude in Act I Scene V of the play, in which she directly informs the king and Laertes about the death of Ophelia. As she stands over Ophelia’s grave she says, “Sweets to the sweet, farewell!” (Shakespeare 229) and I immediately took note of the queen’s tone, and wrote in my notebook that an “exclamation point is not fitting for someone who is saying goodbye to a dead person because it implies an elated and joyful tone of voice.” With that, I reread the passage and noticed the stage direction and it too implied that the queen did not care too much about the situation because she was aimlessly throwing the flowers over the grave. After evaluating Queen Gertrude’s words and her actions, I combined them with previous evidence in the text, such as the detailed account she gave about the actual act of Ophelia’s death, and determined that the queen killed Ophelia and was covering the grave to uphold her appearance. This dialectical journal entry shows that I am able to analyze information better by using multiple methods; however, this entry also shows areas that need much improvement. Such as, in developing a stronger thesis, one that captures in great depth my ideas about the passage and is followed by concrete supporting details to give a proper summation of my theory.
Proper analysis of any texts affects my ability to develop a well written essay. A major flaw that I find in my writing many times is a result of improper analysis. Such errors can be seen in a literary analysis, titled “Setting” on the short story, “IND AFF” by Fay Weldon. This essay focuses on Weldon’s use of setting to convey his ideas. This essay was written in the earlier part of the year and I remember that it was difficult to interpret, which affected the essay because I was unable to create an introduction that immediately grabbed the attention of the readers. For instance, I began my paper by writing, “ ‘IND AFF’ by Fay Weldon is a short story that uses its setting to convey the most significant ideas of the story.” Over the years, I have found that I greatly struggle with introductions and if I was able to better analyze the text, I think I would have been able to give a stronger lead into my thesis, rather than an opening line that was quite repetitive. At the same time, I noticed in this paper that the weak opening lines lead to an interesting thesis, one that incorporated information from the story and prior historical knowledge. After rereading this essay, I still feel as if I need to improve my analyzing skills in order to create intriguing opening lines; however, I think that in the end I was able create a surprisingly strong piece based on the information I felt confident in and fully understood.
A strength that I discovered in writing the essay on “IND AFF” by Fay Weldon was that I am able to incorporate textual evidence into the paper with ease. For example I wrote, “Although the student felt as if she was ‘…winning hands down…’(Weldon 202) the unpredicted rain fall leads to a symbolic cleansing idea because Peter’s wife is a swimming coach and although she was nearly half way around the world, it was ‘…raining on his wife, too…’ (202)” This sentence was quite complex with the ideas and evidence I tried to provide, but I think one strength in my writing comes from being able to pick out more than a few pieces of good textual evidence to intertwine with my own words and attempt to present a strong argument.
I also noticed my ability to integrate quotes and textual evident in my research paper on sculptor Antony Gormley, titled “Antony Gormley: Unifying Art and the Human Body.” Gormley’s work is quite complex but I desired to introduce this talented artist in an interesting manner, so I was prompted to integrate a quote that I had seen on numerous occasions into my introduction. The essay began as such: “Contemporary artist, Antony Gormley has redefined the correlation between art and the human body within the last 25 years as he ‘…revitalized the human image in sculpture through a radical investigation of the body as a place of memory and transformation’ (Gormley, A. “Antony Gormley”).” I found this quote interesting and a perfect starting point into his background because it expressed his impact on the art community over a broad span of time. I also feel that the quote flows easily with the part of the sentence I composed because they collectively introduce the readers to a new art theory and the quote is so powerful that it could be difficult to understand without short summation of the idea. Integrating quotes and interpreting their meanings are skills that I continued to exemplify as I wrote, “In an interview with E. H. Gombrich, Gormley stated ‘I am interested in discovering principles… I think that underlying my return to the human body is an idea of re-linking art with human survival’ (Hutchinson). Since human survival comes in various forms, everyone will have their own unique interpretation. By leaving every sculpture essentially as a blank canvas, individuals can connect their personal survival stories with any sculpture they are viewing.” (Antony Gormley: Unifying Art) I feel that I evaluated this quote well because I completely saw Gormley’s philosophy play out in several of his pieces so I was able to visualize his sculptures simply as a guide for people to use as a way to understanding their own experiences.
I have also grown tremendously in my abilities to understand literature and apply it in a way that allows me to compose an original creative piece. I wrote a poem based on the book, “Heart of Darkness” by Joseph Conrad and this assignment was unique because the book was difficult to understand, however, I wrote the poem based on a particular theme or character in each of the three sections of the book. The first section, titled “Hunters of Darkness”, captures the overall scene of the book in the lines: “The sea of Thames, was the beginning, of emptiness. Deadly danger, the possibility, of a sudden onslaught, was of sight, somewhere in Africa.” These lines show my attention to detail and an arrangement of words and phrases from multiple pages that collectively express a clear idea. The second section titled “Civilized Man” focuses on the main character Marlow and his growth throughout the journey, which is captured in the lines “Marlow…prejudice, no doubt…but [he] had passion, for exploration…[he] admits [his] behaviour, was inexcusable.” I commend myself for arranging the entire poem so that it showed the growth Marlow under went from his original drastic beliefs to appreciating the journey because it gave him the opportunity to learn to accept others, regardless of their diverse backgrounds.
This year has been full of various assignments and it is difficult to evaluate my progress, but I think I have made major improvements in both areas of reading and writing. My biggest improvement has come about in being more aware as to how certain elements of a novel relate to the overarching themes of the book. This leads to better essay writing because I am able to create stronger assertions and provide concrete evidence. Still, although I feel that I have shown growth throughout the year, there are still areas that I need to improve upon in order to strengthen my future reading and writing abilities.
Creative Piece
Hunters of Darkness
Ogni uomo é il suo capo nemico. Anacharsis
The air was dark.
Peculiar blackness.
The sea of Thames, was
the beginning, of emptiness.
Deadly danger and
a sudden onslaught,
was of sight
somewhere, in Africa.
Death in the air, of this region,
of subtle horror. We were man enough,
to face the darkness.
Civilized Man
Imparare il significato di quanto lei dice, e poi prendere la parola. Epictetus
Marlow was not typical.
Prejudice, no doubt.
Resenting the sight of, dark–faced,
red-eyed devils.
Unwholesome simple people,
chain-gang pilgrims, and
something ominous in the atmosphere.
Marlow was uneasy.
The whites, of course
greatly discomposed, by the savage.
But, I had a passion, for exploration,
and other places. I admit my behaviour,
was inexcusable.
Powers of Darkness
Speranza di malati guadagno è l'inizio della perdita. Democritus
He had the power,
to charm rudimentary souls.
Envy and devotion, to Kurtz
was endless.
An audience, his ability to talk,
and sense of real presence.
But the darkly menacing, Ivory hunt,
and many powers, of darkness,
claimed him, for their own.
Through two illnesses,
Kurtz is dead.
He won’t be forgotten.
Research Paper
Antony Gormley: Unifying Art and the Human Body
Contemporary artist, Antony Gormley, has redefined the correlation between art and the human body within the last 25 years as he “…revitalized the human image in sculpture through a radical investigation of the body as a place of memory and transformation” (Gormley, A. “Antony Gormley”). Born on August 30, 1950 in London, England, Gormley was raised in a wealthy household as one of six children. He has always been an academically driven student with initial schooling at Ampleforth College and continuing to Trinity College, where he received a degree in Archaeology, Anthropology and the History of Art during the years of 1968 and 1971. Gormley’s true passion for art initiated after spending three years traveling around India and Sri Lanka where he had the pleasure of studying the ancient teachings of Buddhism. With his new found love for art, he returned to London and attended Central School of Art and Goldsmith's College. He then transferred to Slade School of Art where he completed a postgraduate course in Sculpture between the years of 1977 and 1979.
Art historians believe his work “has revivified the way in which the human form is appropriated” since numerous pieces of his artwork are molds taken of his own body form (Gormley, A. “Antony Gormley”). Many critics, such as Susan Hubbard were skeptical of his views when he first entered the art industry because she thought he was an unserious artist while others thought his desires to only use his body as the center of his creations would cause his sculptures to be unrelatable. Gormley stood by his beliefs and felt that since“…the closest experience of matter that [he] will ever have and the only part of the material world that [he] [lives] inside” is his own body; he felt his beliefs were more than adequate (“Antony Gormley Biography”). Gormley strongly feels that because his sculptures lack any trace of physical identity, such as facial expressions, viewers are able to gain a profound connection between themselves and the sculptures by envisioning themselves in the mind of the sculpture and in turn becoming the person enduring the struggles or actions of the sculpture. In an interview with E. H. Gombrich, Gormley stated “I am interested in discovering principles… I think that underlying my return to the human body is an idea of re-linking art with human survival” (Hutchinson). Since human survival comes in all different forms and depending on the viewer, everyone will have a different interpretation. By leaving every sculpture essentially as a blank canvas, individuals are able to connect their personal survival stories with any sculpture they are viewing.
With Gormley’s inspiration originating from modernist theories and non - western religious studies, he has been able to use his fascination with the Buddhism religion to formulate the idea of “body-as-space” and “space-as-mass” to understand the central belief of unifying body, mind, and space (Gregory). Gormley touches upon all of those beliefs with the creation of five phenomenal pieces: Waste Man, Event Horizon, Quantum Cloud, Still Falling, and Present Time. With these pieces and numerous others, Gormley has not only transformed England but the modern views of an artist. By placing his artwork in specific areas around London, his sculptures have progressively become a part of the natural environment. His desire to use his body as the basis of his sculptures has resultantly given viewers the freedom to envision themselves as a part of the artwork because the sculptures do not physically identify with any particular individual. With his ambitions of gathering a community together in order to create his pieces, he has highlighted his aspirations of revamping and strengthening the unity within a community and individuals with their body, mind, and space.
The first piece titled “Waste Man” boldly embodied many of Antony Gormley’s theories. The sculpture was built during the summer of 2006 and it stood approximately 63 feet tall, 15.09 feet in length and 8.86 feet in width on the rocky surface of Margate, UK. Although “Waste Man” was built in a poorer section of Margate, the site alone brings many of the locals an abundance of joy because it was built near a well known area called, Funfair a place that reminded many of the locals of an exciting time during their childhood. The joyful memories from this site possibly prompted Gormley to gather the locals to build the artwork but he essentially expanded upon that idea by convincing the members of the community to donate materials from their homes to build “Waste Man.” He also encouraged a disposal service company called Thante, to aid in the entire construction process. In total, they were able to collect thirty tons of waste and they eagerly began this massive project.
The beginning stages of the six week project involved the entire base of the sculpture to be built out of what appeared to be long wooden planks. They were generally constructed vertically or horizontally, especially in the hip area, which apparently needed to be extremely sturdy because it is the only portion of the body that has consecutive rows of wooden boards aligned horizontally. The boards are arranged with large gaps in between one another to accommodate for the later installation of the household appliances. Cranes lifted the construction workers to the upper half of the body in order to construct the abdomen, head, and neck. The only round structure on the body was the head, which was supported by an arrangement of a few tiny boards that later resembled the neck. The shoulders and arms were shaped in the form of cylinders and interestingly enough, one arm was raised in the air as if the sculpture was waving to the people below (Spicer). The palms of the hands appear rectangular shaped and to be made of a flat object, possible a picture frame and the fingers are made of long, pole like objects. There are four fingers and there does not appear to be a thumb on either hand. Continuing down the body, one would find a huge rectangular shaped opening in the middle of the body, and in relation to a human body; this area would be close to the heart and the upper portion of the abdomen. After laying down the frame of the body, the workers went back and filled all of the previous spaces between the boards with thousands of various colorful household appliances, such as pink toilet seats, picture frames, chairs, ladders, and even wooden doors.
After “Waste Man” was constructed, some referred to it as the Penny Woolcock’s Margate Exodus, a retelling of the biblical story of the enslavement of Jewish people. Penny Woolcock felt the piece represented the image of a burning bush that gave Mosses his mission to free the slaves, many locals thought it symbolized those “…who had been dispossessed or refused a place, standing up defiantly to be recognized” (Kittelmann, U. “Total Strangers.” Antony Gormley). By creating this piece, Gormley was able to visually convey the message that everyone deserved to have a voice in their community, regardless of their financial status. Not too long after these revelations were made, hundreds of people from the town gathered to watch the burning of “Waste Man.” As this slow process started, black smoke first engulfed the body as yellow and orange colored flames crept up the body’s sides. Many of the household materials began to fly off of the body, leaving behind gaping holes and the original wooden planks. The head and neck were the first of the major body parts to completely burn of, followed by both arms dwindling down to the body’s sides and the legs appearing to be extremely skinny because the outer planks had fallen off. The rectangular opening near the heart was the second to last remaining part of the body before that too burned off and the only visible structure left was the framework of the legs. After thirty-two minutes, “Waste Man” was completely demolished and as the locals stood in awe, it became apparent that “Waste Man” was a perfect representation of that section of Margate because it showed that even through the most strenuous obstacles, the core of any community – the people – are able to withstand anything as long as they are united.
The second piece from this collection that made a lasting impact on a particular community is called “Event Horizon” and it drastically changed the city of London after it was unveiled during May of 2007. This piece became notorious for its magnitude and the fact that it was not simply one sculpture but thirty-one life-sized bronze male figures placed in strategic locations around the city. To the amazement of many Londoners, they saw numerous sculptures placed on the roof tops of some of the most prominent buildings in London, all overlooking the city’s horizon. Gormley’s motives in the creation of this piece, was to promote his upcoming exhibit, “Blind Light,” he also wanted to make a major impact on the locals and with all of the sculptures placed in areas ranging from the Shell Centre to King’s College, he made sure all of the sculptures were pointing in the direction of the exhibit’s location, the Hayward Gallery (Vidler and Mitchell). Seeing as how the majority of Gormley’s sculptures are modeled off of his own body and they strongly uphold Gormley’s philosophies of stripping away any trace of physical identity, the locations of these thirty-one sculptures holds the true significance behind the artwork.
One of these places includes the Waterloo Bridge and the sculpture stands at the northern tip of the bridge. The bridge is important because it was the first bridge ever constructed at this site and it was given its name after the British were victorious in the Battle of Waterloo during 1815. Numerous photographs taken of the sculpture portray it standing on the corner of the Waterloo Bridge amidst fast movements represented by an array of flashing colors from the abundance of cars and people that pass by the bridge on a daily basis. This effect is crucial to Gormley’s reasonings as to why he chose to place the sculpture at this particular bridge because the rapid movements emphasize how people constantly move from one place to another and fail to take the time to appreciate the historical importance of the bridge. Gormley believes that if something noticeable is placed near the bridge, people would eventually stop to appreciate such subtle important aspects of the bridge. This goal was accomplished because many tourists are currently seen either taking pictures with the sculpture or simply viewing the magnificent creations.
Another sculpture is placed on the rooftop of a building that is close in proximity to the London Eye. Being the biggest Ferris Wheel in all of Europe, it has become one of London’s most popular tourist attractions with nearly three million people visiting the site each year. Gormley’s decision to place the statue on top of a building close to this attraction was a key move because the people on the ride are given the opportunity to see the entire city. The significance of this site is similar to that of the Waterloo Bridge in the sense that such an unusual statue stands in an unlikely place, which causes people at the very least to take note of such abnormalities, however, this site is also unique because unlike the bridge, people do not have the ability to move at their own fast pace. The wheel moves at a slow pace so that everyone can have the opportunity to notice everything the city has to offer. Both of these locations and the twenty-nine others, allow the viewers to understand Gormley’s of a sculpture being “…a direct way of allowing the mind to dwell in matter” because without displaying these sculptures, many would never decide to slow down and genuinely consider the subtle and historical beauties of London (Crags 156). Although once Gormley’s exhibit of “Blind Light” ended all of the sculptures had to be removed, Gormley’s courageous initiative of adding something unique and creative to the city by placing unordinary sculptures in unusual locations resultantly broaden the horizons of many because they finally enjoyed and fully appreciated the finer aspects of the city.
The third piece in this collection introduces one of Gormley’s most highly valued beliefs in the ancient teachings of Buddhism. After traveling to India and Sri Lanka during the early 1970’s to study Buddhism, many of those teachings can be seen throughout much of his work. Such as in the piece titled, “Quantum Cloud”, which was erected in 1999 just in time for the opening of the Millennium Dome. This is Gormley’s tallest piece of art, standing approximately 98.43 feet tall on a platform stationed on the Thames River. Gormley comments on how he “…purposefully left the decision of whether this piece is abstract or the representational” up to the viewers (Vidler, and Mitchell 270). With that, the viewers can see that the piece stands at the center of the plank, and if they look closely enough, they can see a human figure standing up straight, with its arms and hands tight at their sides, in the middle of the cloud. The figure can be seen because this portion of the cloud is a lot darker and the metal nails are closer in proximity. The surrounding cloud is formed by steel nails that are 1.5 meters in length and as one moves farther away from the center of the cloud, the nails become more scattered and almost appear to form the shape of daggers. The base of the cloud is rounded, which allows the statue to firmly stand on the plank. The cloud appears to be a silver color, while the figure is a darker gray color.
When trying to understand the complex meaning of this particular sculpture, it is necessary to understand Gormley’s strong beliefs in Buddhism, which originated from a man known as Buddha who investigated his mind and eventually obtained a spiritual awakening, which is the understanding of one’s real nature. In Buddhism, it is commonly believed that human beings are unhappy because they do not understand their own real identity or potential because from birth, people are taught who they are, how to act, and what to think (“Antony Gormley.” Double Take). In an interview with E. H. Gombrich, Gormley said, “I hope that my art tries to deal with big questions like who are we... where are we going…” and he is able to do just that through many of his pieces because he constantly challenges the viewers to question their existence by giving them the freedom to interpret his work in a way that will be most significant to that particular individual (Hutchinson 240). In terms of “Quantum Cloud,” Gormley would most likely interpret this piece based on the Tibetan Buddhist beliefs, which originated from India and is the location in which he studied Buddhism. Also, this specific practice heavily focuses on meditation and the idea of body, mind, and space uniting as one.
Gormley desires to “…make concrete the life that goes on within the head” and to prevent the mind and body from becoming detached ( Brenson). This can be accomplished through the first practice of meditation, which is concentration. Concentration involves visualizing certain processes in the body, and in terms of “Quantum Cloud,” this process would involve the flow of energy. Gormley focuses on the body and its interaction with the surrounding space by showing the outer steel rods surrounding the body in a scattered motion, which represents all of the chaos surrounding the figure. Gormley also expresses how the figure can easily become consumed with the surrounding chaos, however, through mediation the figure is able to find peace within itself and is able to stay calm, which is indicated by the figure’s still posture. Just as the figure is at the center of the cloud and the chaos, the figure was able to center itself and find inner tranquility that would block out the outer commotion.
The second practice of achieving complete meditation is mindfulness, which occurs when the mind observes itself conducting some sort of activity and takes note of the outer occurrences; however, the person does not allow himself to become distracted by the outer influences. In terms of “Quantum Cloud,” the figure’s activity would be viewed as standing in meditation and metaphorically the outer influences are represented by the scattered nails surrounding the figure. Based on the body’s still form, it is clear that the figure is meditating and has centered its mind enough so that the outer commotion does not affect him. The sculpture is also surrounded mainly by water and the quiet surroundings allude to the idea that Gormley chose this setting so that the sculpture’s mind has something to concentrate all of its thoughts on, which will make it even more difficult to become distracted by the outer most nails. Gormley emphasizes focusing on something serene such as water in order to bring about peaceful, calming thoughts. In an interview with Udo Kittelmann, Gormley said he wanted to recognize “…the internal condition of this space …and in some possible way to expose that space…” and in effect, he is trying to view the space within the body and portray it to the world through his sculptures by depicting the interactions of the inner body’s space with outer space, such as daily occurrences (Kittelmann, U.“Total Strangers.” Extracts from interview). Simultaneously, he wants to emphasize how the body is able to properly cope with various forms of frustration by centering the body and mind with mediation.
The fourth piece in this collection is titled, “Still Falling” and it is one of Gormley’s earlier pieces of artwork that was constructed during 1983. This piece is significant for many difference reasons, one of which begins with the piece’s location, Tout Quarry Sculpture Park, on the Isle of Portland in Dorset. This park is unique because it was specially created for artists and sculptors to design their innovative pieces on the walls, which eventually changed the city of London by improving the city’s physical appearance. Gormley’s ideas for this piece, keeping in mind his passion for Buddhist theories, thrived by the fact that the park itself was created by both man and nature. The park was formed through natural processes but was eventually revamped through the aid of mankind and numerous sculptors like Gormley who wanted to improve the perception of London.
From afar, one may look at this piece and only see brown and white colored granite and a hilly, rocky cliff. However, if one were to continue looking at the cliff, one would begin to notice the figure of a human body descending down the side of the cliff. The figure is falling head first and it appears as if the figure is facing towards the cliff rather than towards the open air. Gormley was able to avoid the addition of facial features, a technique that he used throughout many creations of his artwork. The figure seems to be gliding rather than falling down the cliff because its hands are gently placed at its sides. The feeling of being at peace with this downward motion is represented by the arms’ stillness instead of frantic flares because the figure is falling into rocky areas (Gormley, A. Malmo Konsthall). The Tibetan Buddhist ideals seem to be relevant in this piece as well because the figure is mindful of its surroundings, and at the same time, submerged in meditation that has allowed the figure to focus on the beautiful surrounding green leaves and trees rather than the rocky and sharp pit below. Gormley seems to express how the figure is allowing its body to gently become a part of nature and seeing as how the area in which the piece is carved into appears deeper than the surrounding area, this implies that nature is graciously welcoming the figure into its new surroundings. The figure is so small and the arms are so close to the body that it almost looks like an angel or some other serene figure. The area is lighter around the figure and this could symbolize a light of acceptance shining on the figure and the blossoming purple flowers indicate a peaceful environment. Although the viewers know realistically the figure will not hit the bottom of the cliff, the beautiful setting, the deep mediation the figure has fallen into and the title of the piece, forces the viewers to feel as if the figure will never hit rock bottom because nature continues to welcome all. By concentrating on nature and by maintaining mindfulness, the figure will not allow itself to become consumed with the idea of hitting the bottom and will forever freely fall into nature.
“Still Falling,” also strongly embodies Gormley’s overwhelming desires to gather together a community of people in order to construct his artwork because this difficult piece definitely required tremendous efforts on the behalf of an entire team of workers to complete the task. The initial chiseling of the cliff was a laborious task because the men did not use any form of advanced technology. They used blocks and wedges. Gormley understands the great lengths the workers went to in order to finish the project and yet, he strongly feels that situations such as those bring community members together and force them to work through any differences they may have, while creating something that is bigger than each individual. Gormley’s team and teachings also shows that when approaching such a gigantic task, one has to “…consider the material as part of the place; as part of the earth. The joy of this project at Tout is that this very special place provides the inspiration, the material, the studio and the exhibition space” (“Antony Gormley- Still Falling”). Gormley calls attention to the fact that nature is a blank canvas waiting for people to work with it rather than against it, with the intensions of molding it into something that is original, and portrays a positively impacting display for everyone in the community to view.
The fifth and final piece of this collection is titled, “Present Time,” which was constructed during 1986 to 1989. Unlike many of Gormley’s pieces that are on display in an open area of either London or any of its neighboring cities, “Present Time” is visually impacting and the full meaning behind this piece leads to an even greater appreciation for the artwork. Located in the National Galleries of Scotland in the city of London, this sculpture stands 11.15 feet tall 6.33 feet in length and 1.15 feet in width. It is composed of medium lead fiber glass plaster and air. The light brown coloring and a hint of gray are just the subtle factors that cause this piece to be eye-catching. Most noticeably, there are two figures, both representing the shape of a human body, placed on top of one another. The upper half of the body is upside down with its legs outstretched, spread apart from one another and its feet flat. There is a vertical yellow line that extends down the midline of the upper body and continues to run downward toward the feet of the lower body. This line is horizontally bisected by two arms that are outstretched, with one yellow line extending from the left hand and stretching across the figure’s chest to conclude at the right hand. The figure’s palms are slightly cuffed and its fingers and thumbs are all tightly joined. Continuing down the figure, it is clear that the two bodies are adjoined at the neck and the lower half is planted firmly on the floor. The body seems to be shaped in the form of a mummy with its arms and hands stiffly by its sides and legs close together. There is no separation between the arms and the sides of the body and there is no separation between the legs. There are also yellow lines that run horizontally from the right side of the body to the left side and these lines are only seen on the lower half of the figure (Jay).
At first glance, this piece is clearly striking and intriguing; however, a viewer needs to understand how Gormley connects Tibetan Buddhists beliefs to his artwork, in order to truly understand this particular piece. On the surface, a viewer can see how the lower half expresses the idea of being confined judging by the body’s tightly wrapped form and its body parts clenched together. The lower half also evokes feelings of imprisonment. With the upper half portrayed with both legs and arms outstretched, the viewers understand the belief that this portion is free. The Buddhist religious values play a crucial role as one sees how the upper half is concentrated on the figure’s spiritual or mental state, while the lower half represents the body’s physical state. Ironically, both of these states are connected but yet divided (Jay). The upper half of the figure allows itself to connect with its surrounding space by spreading its arms and legs, by feeling what space and air are like. The lower half, however, appears to be timid and even afraid of interacting with its surroundings and resultantly is secluded from the rest of the world. The yellow lines are also important to the figure’s meaning because they divide the body so that the viewers are able to see how the figure is affected when it is confided in comparison to when it is free. The lines on the upper half of the figure are more outstretched and farther apart, as if they have room to do things that are specific to each one. Whereas the lines on the lower half are closer together and as the viewer’s eyes descend down the body, the lines become smaller as if there is less room to explore the surrounding space. The figure portrays the idea that although one may try to unify their body, mind, and space, it can continue to be divided and essentially trapped from true freedom and expression if one does not completely and fully submit to the teachings of mediation, concentration, and mindfulness.
“…The body is the place where emotions are most directly registered..” says Gormley, which lead Courtesy Jay to see Gormley’s work of “Present Time” as the upper half representing the mind and the lower half representing the physical (Kittelmann, U. “Total Strangers.” Extracts from interview). This widely believed concept lead to speculation that a person genuinely has to succumb to mediation and the acceptance of oneself becoming connected with nature and space both mentally and physically if he truly desires to find his center amongst daily chaos. If a person chooses otherwise, he will end up like the sculpture of “Present Time,” where he mentally believes in such practices but continues to physically restrict himself from everlasting unity.
In an article by Michael Brenson, he comments on how “Gormley purposefully does not add facial expressions or emotions to the statues because it would take away from the one, unifying emotion or movement Gormley tries to capture in the statute” and Gormley does uphold this value because his body is the only body form he knows best and is most comfortable portraying (Brenson). By Gormley never trying to display his own identity through his sculptures, he powerfully wanted to portray the idea that everyone can find a center between matter and their own body, simply through their personal experiences. The use of his body is “…not [for] self-expression” but rather a way to teach those who have not had the opportunity to have a firsthand experience with Buddhism in India and Sri Lanka to receive the information he learned (Hutchinson 234). Through research of the early teachings of Buddhism, the master Gautama Sakyamuni, was represented by an empty throne while he spread his beliefs to many, and Gormley does just that because although he uses his body shape to present these beliefs, he uses it as a way to guide his viewers through their enlightening experience. In addition to emphasizing his strong beliefs in unifying the human body with space, he also values the importance in bringing together a community through the introduction of a new art form. His sculptures have evolved into a lively addition of numerous communities’ natural environment and he strongly believes that without meditation and the expression of Tibetan Buddhist practices in many of his sculpture, people would allow their body and mind to become disconnected from the serenity of nature and hinder the process of obtaining a united solid body form.
Notebook Entry
Queen: [Scattering flowers.] Sweets to the sweet, farewell! I hop’d thou shoudst have been my Hamlet’s wife. I thought thy bridebed to have decked sweet maid, and not have strew’d thy grave.
The queen has proven thus far to be a very suspicious character. This passage reiterates my original thought that the queen killed Ophelia because of her nonchalant attitude in these few lines. For instance, the queen begins by saying she thought she would be putting flowers outside for Hamlet and Ophelia’s wedding, but due to recent occurrences, Gertrude notes (in a joking tone) that she is instead throwing flowers on Ophelia’s grave. To me, this is not the type of comment she would make if she was truly sad about the loss of Ophelia, her son’s supposed true lover. In addition, Gertrude says “farewell!” and an exclamation point is not fitting for someone who is saying goodbye to a dead person because it implies an elated and joyful tone of voice. I also noticed the stage direction of “[scattering flowers]” and it indicates that she was carelessly throwing the flowers on her grave rather than taking the initiative to gently place them down. In all, I feel that Shakespeare would have used more descriptive words to express the queen’s emotions of genuine sorrow for her son’s loss if she would truly upset, such as he did when the queen presented Hamlet with intricate details of the site where Ophelia’s dead body laid. In fact, the queen’s words were so descriptive; I feel that she could have only given such a detailed account if she was at the site where Ophelia died, possible while Ophelia was dying.
Literary Analysis
Setting
“IND AFF” by Fay Weldon, is a short story that uses its setting, to convey the most significant ideas of the story. Throughout the text, the historical events of the assignation of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife are intertwined with the events of the story in order to establish a basis for why the narrator and her lover should no longer continue to pursue their untraditional relationship. The narration is told from a women’s perspective that adds to the significance of the story because during mid 1900’s, a woman’s thoughts, ideas, and presence were not valued as equally as that of a man’s, which prevails as the readers are constantly reminded that the archduchess was also included in the gruesome events of the summer of 1914 and that she should not be forgotten. As the narrator embarks on this journey, she ultimately gains a better understanding of herself and more importantly the actions of her consequences, especially when her true motivations to pursue this relationship did not blossom out of pure love.
The story begins during an unexpectedly rainy and miserable day in Sarajevo. The city once used to be a ‘…pretty town, Balkan style, mountain-rimmed…” (201) alluding to the idea that the town of Sarajevo is enclosed and protected by its surroundings. Once the rain began to fall, the people were “…sheltered from the rain in an ancient mosque in Serbian Belgrade; … now …[they]… spent a couple of days in Sarajevo beneath other people’s umbrellas,” (202) however, the readers come to discover that the rainfall is not one that just holds value for being a change in climate, but an idea that connects to the overarching conflict of the story. Professor Peter and his student, embark on this journey to explore a different area and spend time together, however, it later becomes apparent that Professor Peter’s sole ambitions for this trip was to decide “…between his wife and …[his mistress]… as his permanent life partner” (202) Although the student felt as if she was “…winning hands down…” (202) the unpredicted rain fall, lead to a symbolic cleansing idea because Peter’s wife, is a swimming coach and although she was nearly half way around the world, it was “…raining on his wife, too…” (202) The affects of the rain on Peter, his lover, and his wife leads to an idea of a cleansing process because Peter’s lover begins to believe that their relationship may not be as worthwhile as she thought once before. As the rain continues to fall, the narrator comments on how she smells chlorine on Peters forehead after she kisses him and this “… may have come from thinking about his wife so much…” (206) and the idea that the memory of Peter’s wife will always stay with him, even if he chooses in the end to have a relationship with the narrator. The readers begin to understand that there will always be this eerie sense of rain or dampness in their relationship if Peter chooses to stay with his lover.
All throughout the text, the narrator and Peter discuss the assignation of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, because this event took place in the town of which Peter and his lover were vacationing in at the time. However, on numerous occasions, the readers are reminded not to forget “…his wife…” (202) and that “…everyone forgets his wife, the archduchess,” (202) but this constant reminder of the archduchess leads to the idea of not forgetting about Peter’s wife either and regardless of how pleasant Peter and his lover’s relationship may appear, for the time being, he is still married. Although they felt this “…inordinate affection…” (204) for one another, Peter comments on how “… your Ind Aff is my wife’s sorrow…” (204) and if he chooses to stay with his lover, they will be ending a marriage of over twenty years. The idea of not forgetting one’s wife is also important because it forces them to think not only of themselves, but of Peter’s wife and three kids, and how his new relationship will ruin his family.
Due to the continued rainfall, Peter and his lover are stricken to eating in a restaurant, opposed to a private area where they usually ate and enjoyed other things. While they were waiting to be served, two waiters stood off in the distance and one of the waiters caught the narrator’s attention. One waiter was “…young and handsome…[with] … luxuriant black hair…” (206) and the second waiter, a visibly older man, looked upon the narrator with a pensively because “in a world which for once, after centuries of savagery, was finally full of young men, unslaughtered, what was …[she]…doing with this man with thinning hair.” (206) Once again, it appears that the narrator is having a revelation and she know realizes that she has many opportunities to be in a relationship with a younger, more attractive man, but yet, she is stuck in an “…old professor-student romance…” (202) This situation that the narrator now finds herself in, is interesting because it appears to connect with an earlier occasion in the story that dealt with Princip, Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s assassin. Although Princip had tried on two previous occasions to murder the duke, before actually killing him, it was not until after his second attempt that he was jailed, but for many years, people wondered why he had attempted on various occasions to kill the duke. It was not until after he died that the only explanation people gave was that Princip, “…[died]… for the love of a country” (204) However, it is wondered if Princip made the right decision in dying at such as young age, just for his country. With that idea, the narrator begins to see herself and wonder if being with a man who is forty six and her, twenty five, as a worthwhile relationship. Especially since she has the opportunity to be with younger men and her confusion of a “…mere passing academic ambition with love,…” (206) while trying to “…outdo …[her]… sister Clare.” (206) With that idea in mind, the narrator gets up from the table, and heads home, leaving Peter behind.
Many events, in the short story “IND AFF” by Fay Weldon, such as the rain fall, the surrounding environment, and historical events lead the narrator to believe that the mere idea of academic ambitions and her desire to succeed beyond the limits of her sister were the driving forces behind her ambitions to purse a relationship with a married man. Resultantly, it appears that the narrator realizes this was all a “…silly sad thing to do…” (206) and by the narrator relating her ambitions to that of Princip, she embodied that of an assassin. All along, she was trying to create a war between Peter and his wife that would destroy their marriage, but one should “…never forget the wife… and their children…” (207) because the remnants of their presence will be on the minds of both Peter and the narrator forever, restricting them from ever pursuing a genuine relationship. By the end of the story, the narrator realizes if she had just waited a little longer, and did not allow herself to become so infatuated with academics that she fooled herself into loving her professor, she would have came to her senses a long time ago and realized her spiteful ambitions.
Revision
Antony Gormley: Unifying Art and the Human Body
Contemporary artist, Antony Gormley has redefined the correlation between art and the human body within the last 25 years as he “…revitalized the human image in sculpture through a radical investigation of the body as a place of memory and transformation” (Gormley, A. “Antony Gormley”). Born on August 30, 1950 in London, England, Gormley was raised in a wealthy household as one of six children. He has always been an academically driven student with initial schooling at Ampleforth College and continuing to Trinity College, where he received a degree in Archaeology, Anthropology and the History of Art during the years of 1968 and 1971. Gormley’s true passion for art began after spending three years traveling around India and Sri Lanka where he had the pleasure of studying the ancient teachings of Buddhism. With his new found love for art, he returned to London and attended Central School of Art and Goldsmith's College. He then transferred to Slade School of Art where he completed a postgraduate course in Sculpture between 1977 and 1979.
Art historians believe Gormely’s work “has revivified the way in which the human form is appropriated” since numerous pieces of his artwork are molds taken of his own body form (Gormley, A. “Antony Gormley”). Many critics, such as Susan Hubbard, were skeptical of his views when he first entered the art industry because she thought he was an unserious artist while others thought his desire to only use his body as the center of his creations would cause his sculptures to be non-relatable. Gormley stood by his beliefs and felt that since“…the closest experience of matter that [he] will ever have and the only part of the material world that [he] [lives] inside” is his own body; he felt his beliefs were more than adequate (“Antony Gormley Biography”). Gormley strongly feels that because his sculptures lack any trace of physical identity, such as facial expressions, viewers are able to gain a profound connection between themselves and the sculptures by envisioning themselves in the mind of the sculpture and in turn becoming the person enduring the struggles or actions of the sculpture. In an interview with E. H. Gombrich, Gormley stated “I am interested in discovering principles… I think that underlying my return to the human body is an idea of re-linking art with human survival” (Hutchinson). Since human survival comes in various forms, everyone will have their own unique interpretation. By leaving every sculpture essentially as a blank canvas, individuals can connect their personal survival stories with any sculpture they are viewing.
With Gormley’s inspiration originating from modernist theories and non-western religious studies, he has been able to use his fascination with the Buddhism religion to formulate the idea of “body-as-space” and “space-as-mass” to understand the central belief of unifying body, mind, and space (Gregory). Gormley touches upon all of those beliefs with the creation of three phenomenal pieces: Waste Man, Quantum Cloud, and Still Falling. With these pieces and numerous others, Gormley has not only transformed England but the modern views of an artist. By placing his artwork in specific areas around London, his sculptures have progressively become a part of the natural environment. His desire to use his body as the basis of his sculptures has resultantly given viewers the freedom to envision themselves as a part of the artwork because the sculptures do not physically identify with any particular individual. With his ambitions of gathering a community together in order to create his pieces, he has highlighted his aspirations of strengthening the unity within a community and individuals with their body, mind, and space.
The first piece titled “Waste Man” boldly embodied many of Antony Gormley’s theories. The sculpture was built during the summer of 2006 and it stood approximately 63 feet tall, 15.09 feet in length and 8.86 feet in width on the rocky surface of Margate, UK. Although “Waste Man” was built in a poorer section of Margate, the locals’ financial struggles did not deter them from graciously donating materials from their homes to build “Waste Man” because they wanted to assist in this monumental creation. Gormley also encouraged a disposal service company, called Thante, to aid in the entire construction process. In total, they collected thirty tons of waste and they eagerly began this massive project.
The beginning stages of the six week project involved the entire base of the sculpture to be built out of what appeared to be long wooden planks. They were generally constructed vertically or horizontally, especially in the hip area, which apparently needed to be extremely sturdy because it was the only portion of the body that had consecutive rows of wooden boards aligned horizontally. The boards were arranged with large gaps in between one another to accommodate for the later installation of the household appliances. Cranes lifted the construction workers to the upper half of the body in order to construct the abdomen, head, and neck. The only round structure on the body was the head, which was supported by an arrangement of a few tiny boards that later resembled the neck. The shoulders and arms were shaped in the form of cylinders and interestingly enough, one arm was raised in the air as if the sculpture was waving to the people below (Spicer). The palms of the hands appear to be rectangularly shaped, made of a flat object (possibly a picture frame), and with fingers made of long, pole like objects. There were four fingers and there does not appear to be a thumb on either hand. Continuing down the body, one would find a huge rectangular shaped opening in the middle of the body, and in relation to a human body; this area would be close to the heart and the upper portion of the abdomen. After constructing the frame of the body, the workers filled all of the previous spaces between the boards with thousands of various colorful household appliances, such as pink toilet seats, picture frames, chairs, ladders, and even wooden doors.
After “Waste Man” was constructed, some referred to it as the Penny Woolcock’s Margate Exodus, a retelling of the biblical story of the enslavement of Jewish people. Penny Woolcock felt the piece represented the image of a burning bush that gave Mosses his mission to free the slaves, many locals thought it symbolized those “…who had been dispossessed or refused a place, standing up defiantly to be recognized” (Kittelmann, U. “Total Strangers.” Antony Gormley). By creating this piece, Gormley was able to visually convey the message that everyone deserves to have a voice in their community, regardless of their financial status. Tibetan Buddhist beliefs are evident in the theories behind the creation of this piece because it seems to follow the Four Noble Truths, “all of life is suffering; the cause of suffering is desire; the end of desire leads to the end of suffering; and the means to end desire is a path of discipline and meditation.” The many theories behind this piece all incorporate some form of suffering and it is believed that this suffering originates from anger, which the people of Margate feel as they are subjected to living in a poor area. Gormley eventually set “Waste Man” a blaze and as this slow process started, black smoke first engulfed the body then many of the household materials began to fly off of the body, leaving behind gaping holes and the original wooden planks (Heckert). After thirty-two minutes, “Waste Man” was completely demolished, which ended any form of suffering but made it apparent that “Waste Man” was a perfect representation of that section of Margate because it showed that even through the most strenuous obstacles, the core of any community— the people—are able to withstand anything as long as they are united.
The second piece in this collection introduces one of Gormley’s most highly valued beliefs in the ancient teachings of Buddhism. After traveling to India and Sri Lanka during the early 1970’s to study Buddhism, many of those teachings can be seen throughout much of his work. Such as in the piece titled “Quantum Cloud”, which was erected in 1999 and became Gormley’s tallest piece of art, standing approximately 98.43 feet tall on a platform stationed on the Thames River. Gormley comments on how he “…purposefully left the decision of whether this piece is abstract or the representational” up to the viewers (Vidler, and Mitchell 270). With that, the viewers can see that the piece stands at the center of the plank, and if they look closely enough, they can see a human figure standing up straight, with its arms and hands tight at their sides, in the middle of the cloud. The figure can be seen because this portion of the cloud is a lot darker and the metal nails are closer in proximity. The surrounding cloud is formed by steel nails that are 1.5 meters in length and as one moves farther away from the center of the cloud, the nails become more scattered and almost appear to form the shape of daggers. The base of the cloud is rounded, which allows the statue to firmly stand on the plank. The cloud appears to be a silver color, while the figure is a darker gray color.
When trying to understand the complex meaning of this particular sculpture, it is necessary to understand Gormley’s strong beliefs in Buddhism, which originated from a man known as Buddha who investigated his mind and eventually obtained a spiritual awakening, which is the understanding of one’s real nature. In Buddhism, it is commonly believed that human beings are unhappy because they do not understand their own real identity or potential because from birth, people are taught who they are, how to act, and what to think (“Antony Gormley.” Double Take). In an interview with E. H. Gombrich, Gormley said, “I hope that my art tries to deal with big questions like who are we... where are we going…” and he is able to do just that through many of his pieces because he constantly challenges the viewers to question their existence by giving them the freedom to interpret his work in a way that will be most significant to that particular individual (Hutchinson 240). In terms of “Quantum Cloud,” Gormley would most likely interpret this piece based on the Tibetan Buddhist beliefs, which originated from India and is the location in which he studied Buddhism. Also, this specific practice heavily focuses on meditation and the idea of body, mind, and space uniting as one.
Gormley desires to “…make concrete the life that goes on within the head” and to prevent the mind and body from becoming detached ( Brenson). This can be accomplished through the first practice of meditation, which is concentration. Concentration involves visualizing certain processes in the body, and in terms of “Quantum Cloud,” this process would involve the flow of energy. Gormley focuses on the body and its interaction with the surrounding space by showing the outer steel rods surrounding the body in a scattered motion, which represents all of the chaos surrounding the figure. Gormley also expresses how the figure can easily become consumed with the surrounding chaos, however, through mediation the figure is able to find peace within itself and is able to stay calm, which is indicated by the figure’s still posture. Just as the figure is at the center of the cloud and the chaos, the figure was able to center itself and find inner tranquility that would block out the outer commotion.
The second practice of achieving complete meditation is mindfulness, which occurs when the mind observes itself conducting some sort of activity and takes note of the outer occurrences; however, the person does not allow himself to become distracted by the outer influences. In terms of “Quantum Cloud,” the figure’s activity would be viewed as standing in meditation and metaphorically the outer influences are represented by the scattered nails surrounding the figure. Based on the body’s still form, it is clear that the figure is meditating and has centered its mind enough so that the outer commotion does not affect him. The sculpture is also surrounded mainly by water and the quiet surroundings, alluding to the idea that Gormley chose this setting so that the sculpture’s mind has something to concentrate all of its thoughts on, which will make it even more difficult to become distracted by the outer most nails. Gormley appears to emphasize focusing on something serene such as water in order to bring about peaceful, calming thoughts. In an interview with Udo Kittelmann, Gormley said he wanted to recognize “…the internal condition of this space …and in some possible way to expose that space…” and in effect, he is trying to view the space within the body and portray it to the world through his sculptures by depicting the interactions of the inner body’s space with outer space, such as daily occurrences (Kittelmann, U.“Total Strangers.” Extracts from interview). Simultaneously, he wants to emphasize how the body is able to properly cope with various forms of frustration by centering the body and mind with mediation.
The third piece in this collection is titled, “Still Falling” and it is one of Gormley’s earlier pieces of artwork that was constructed during 1983. This piece is significant for many difference reasons, one of which begins with the piece’s location, Tout Quarry Sculpture Park, on the Isle of Portland in Dorset. This park is unique because it was specially created for artists and sculptors to design their innovative pieces on the walls, which eventually changed the city of London by improving the city’s physical appearance. Gormley’s ideas for this piece, keeping in mind his passion for Buddhist theories, thrived by the fact that the park itself was created by both man and nature. The park was formed through natural processes but was eventually revamped through the aid of mankind and numerous sculptors like Gormley who wanted to improve the perception of London.
From afar, one may look at this piece and only see brown and white colored granite and a hilly, rocky cliff. However, if one were to continue looking at the cliff, one would begin to notice the figure of a human body descending down the side of the cliff. The figure is falling head first and it appears as if the figure is facing towards the cliff rather than towards the open air. Gormley was able to avoid the addition of facial features, a technique that he used throughout many creations of his artwork. The figure seems to be gliding rather than falling down the cliff because its hands are gently placed at its sides. The feeling of being at peace with this downward motion is represented by the arms’ stillness instead of frantic flares because the figure is falling into rocky areas (Gormley, A. Malmo Konsthall). The Tibetan Buddhist ideals seem to be relevant in this piece as well because the figure is mindful of its surroundings, and at the same time, submerged in meditation that has allowed the figure to focus on the beautiful surrounding green leaves and trees rather than the rocky and sharp pit below. Gormley seems to express how the figure is allowing its body to gently become a part of nature and seeing as how the area in which the piece is carved into appears deeper than the surrounding area, this implies that nature is graciously welcoming the figure into its new surroundings. The figure is so small and the arms are so close to the body that it almost looks like an angel or some other serene figure. The area is lighter around the figure and this could symbolize a light of acceptance shining on the figure and the blossoming purple flowers indicate a peaceful environment. Although the viewers know realistically the figure will not hit the bottom of the cliff, the beautiful setting, the deep mediation the figure has fallen into and the title of the piece, forces the viewers to feel as if the figure will never hit rock bottom because nature continues to welcome all. By concentrating on nature and by maintaining mindfulness, the figure will not allow itself to become consumed with the idea of hitting the bottom and will forever freely fall into nature.
“Still Falling,” also strongly embodies Gormley’s overwhelming desires to gather together a community of people in order to construct his artwork because this difficult piece definitely required tremendous efforts on the behalf of an entire team of workers to complete the task. The initial chiseling of the cliff was a laborious task because the men did not use any form of advanced technology. They used blocks and wedges. Gormley understands the great lengths the workers went to in order to finish the project and yet, he strongly feels that situations such as those bring community members together and force them to work through any differences they may have, while creating something that is bigger than each individual. Gormley’s team and teachings also shows that when approaching such a gigantic task, one has to “…consider the material as part of the place; as part of the earth. The joy of this project at Tout is that this very special place provides the inspiration, the material, the studio and the exhibition space” (“Antony Gormley- Still Falling”). Gormley calls attention to the fact that nature is a blank canvas waiting for people to work with it rather than against it, with the intensions of molding it into something that is original, and portrays a positively impacting display for everyone in the community to view.
In an article by Michael Brenson, Brenson comments on how “Gormley purposefully does not add facial expressions or emotions to the statues because it would take away from the one, unifying emotion or movement Gormley tries to capture in the statute” and Gormley does uphold this value because his body is the only body form he knows best and is most comfortable portraying (Brenson). By Gormley never trying to display his own identity through his sculptures, he powerfully wants to portray the idea that everyone can find a center between matter and their own body, simply through their own personal experiences. The use of his body is “…not [for] self-expression” but rather a way to teach those who have not had the opportunity to have a firsthand experience with Buddhism in India and Sri Lanka to receive the information he learned (Hutchinson 234). Through research of the early teachings of Buddhism, the master Gautama Sakyamuni, was represented by an empty throne while he spread his beliefs to many, and Gormley does just that because although he uses his body shape to present these beliefs, he uses it as a way to guide his viewers through their enlightening experience. In addition to emphasizing his strong beliefs in unifying the human body with space, he also values the importance in bringing together a community through the introduction of a new art form. His sculptures have evolved into a lively addition of numerous communities’ natural environment and he strongly believes that without meditation and the expression of Tibetan Buddhist practices in many of his sculpture, people would allow their body and mind to become disconnected from the serenity of nature and hinder the process of obtaining a united solid body form.
Revision Explained
Amongst the samples I chose to include in my portfolio, is a research paper conducted on sculptor, Antony Gormley. Although countless hours of research were conducted on Gormley’s life and the inspiration behind numerous pieces of his artwork, I decided to revise the paper and take it from fourteen pages to eight pages. This was not an easy task; however, I desired to focus more on the pieces that were greatly influenced by Gormley’s endeavors in the ancient teachings of Tibetan Buddhism. To accomplish this I first took out two pieces titled, “Event Horizon” and “Present Time” because I felt the remaining three sculptures connected better with one another and the Buddhist ideas. The second change came about after I explained in greater detail the connection between Gormley’s piece titled “Waste Man” and the Buddhist teachings because I was able to research more about the religion and I discovered that certain fundamental values of the religion were related to the theories behind his piece. A theory that dealt with suffering, which I felt connected with the pain many of the people who lived in the area where the sculpture was erected endured. Although these two alterations seem minor, all three of the sculptures now deal with some form of the Tibetan Buddhist beliefs and I strongly feel that I was able to make Gormely’s beliefs and motivations clearer in the paper.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Poem Comparison: Harlem Renaissance
5/3/09
Question 1
(Suggested time — 40 minutes. This question counts as one-third of the total essay section score.)
The following two poems establish controversial views of the challenges African Americans faced while trying to achieve their dreams during The Harlem Renaissance Era. Read each poem carefully. Then compose a well organized essay in which you compare and contrast the differing methods each speaker uses to convey their ideas. Use analytical techniques such as tone, point of view and syntax to develop these ideas.
From the Dark Tower
We shall not always plant while others reap
The golden increment of bursting Line fruit,
(5) Not always countenance, abject and
mute,
That lesser men should hold their
brothers cheap;
Not everlastingly while others sleep
(10) Shall we beguile their limbs with
mellow flute,
Not always bend to some more subtle brute;
We were not made eternally to weep.
(15) The night whose sable breast relieves the stark,
White stars is no less lovely being dark,
And there are buds that cannot
(20) bloom at all
In light, but crumple, piteous, and fall;
So in the dark we hide the heart that bleeds,
(25) And wait, and tend our agonizing seeds.
Meta-cognative- Paired Poetry Assignment
In order to create the paired poem prompt, I first needed to find two poems that would compellingly match one another. After conducting research I discovered two poems titled “From the Dark Tower” by Countee Cullen and “As I Grew Older” by Langston Hughes. Both of these poems originated from the Harlem Renaissance Era and they deal with the difficulties African Americans faced in society beginning during the 1920’s. Hughes and Cullen attached these ideas in two different methods; however, the underlying messages were quite similar.
When I first read the poems, I noticed how both speakers identified the tremendous challenges all African Americans were confronted with. The speaker of “From the Darker Tower” identifies as someone who endures this struggle as well because he states, “we were not made eternally to weep,” (14) which not only proves that the speaker is an African American but also builds trust between the readers and the speaker by showing that he too is feeling the brutal pain of discrimination and that they are all alone in this battle. The speaker of Hughes’ poem uses the pronoun “I” such as in the line, “…I have almost forgotten my dream. But it was there then, … And then the wall rose…” (2-7) and although this establishes the fact that he too is an African American, it shows the readers the struggle of an individual opposed to that of the struggle for the entire race.
I also felt that the poems were intriguing and insightful because of the differences they shared and how the use of different symbolic objects can convey similar message. For instance, originally, I did not realize the connection between the titles of the poem however; “From the Darker Tower” and “A I Grew Older” bring about an idea of viewing life from different perspectives. Not only the difference in viewing life from different perspectives based on race -“Darker” - but also in terms of age. As one ascends higher up a tower, one sees an area from a different point of view, just as when one ages, -“Older,”- he understands things about life in a better light. The poems are also different in the sense that I thought of Cullen’s poem as a building point for the central ideas discussed in the poems and Hughes’ poem to follow his ideas, which showed how African Americans continued to struggle many years later. Cullen’s poem began with a more historical view of the lives of African Americans by saying, “we shall not always plant while others reap,” (1-2) which introduced the topic of slavery and how in the early years of African American history, African slaves were brought to America to pick cotton for white plantation owners and although the slaves worked tirelessly, their masters reaped all of the benefits. This progression theory continues as Hughes’ poem begins by saying “It was a long time ago. I have almost forgotten my dream. But it was there then … And then the wall rose, Rose slowly…” (1-8) Hughes’ poem follows the theory of how they began picking cotton that they did not benefited from as they slowly lost their dreams. Eventually, all they could see were their masters or other whites blocking them from ever achieving success. They would continuously be trapped behind this wall of hatred and discrimination.
I feel that a range of essays can be crafted from the comparison of these two poems if the readers also focus on the use of light and dark imagery in both of the poems. For instance, the speaker in Cullen’s poem says, “and there are buds that cannot bloom at all/ in light, but crumple, piteous, and fall; /so in the dark we hide the heart that bleeds” (20-24) which connects with the lines of Hughes’ poem that states “…my dream…bright like a sun…and then the wall rose … Rose until it touched the sky-- The wall. Shadow. I am black…” (2-16) In these lines, both speakers use light as a way to signify a distant, but yet joyous dream, where as darkness signifies a dreary shadow over that same dream of prosperity. This dark imagery hides the pain and sorrow felt in Cullen’s poem and in Hughes poem; it forces the speaker to see the shadow of a black man, which reminds the speaker of how far way the dream is.
The prompt is written in a way that allows for various essays to be composed because it gives the readers background information about the two poems, which could aid a reader who has a lot of knowledge in the Harlem Renaissance Era or knowledge that pertains to preceding eras such as the Civil Rights Era to formulate a broader range of ideas. In addition, the prompt also guides the readers in understanding the poem because it can become difficult to connect the central ideas of the pomes because they are approached in different ways. However, the prompt notes how the poem’s structure can lead to a better understanding of the poem, such as the various punctuations used. For example, Cullen’s mainly uses commas and semicolons to accentuate the subtle way in which the speaker conveys his point, where as Hughes’ poem uses exclamation points to express the anger in the speaker’s voice. A reader could advance his essay also by possibly seeing a connection between the actions of civil rights leaders Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X to Cullen’s poem emphasis of a passive approach to conquering these challenges by “wait[ing], and tend[ing] our agonizing seeds” (25-26) such as Dr. King would have chosen, however, Malcolm X would have taken the aggressive approach such as the one discussed in Hughes’ poem, “…My dark hands! Break through the wall!”(22-23)
The prompt is formulated in an AP style with the usual directions as to the proper length of time a reader should spend on this portion of the exam and the caution one should take in reading through the poems. Also the section’s layout is quite accurate because the poems are aligned next to one another which visually aid the readers in understanding the more subtle aspects of each poem, such as the abrupt lines in Hughes’ poem emphasize anticipation, while Cullen’s longer sentences express the speaker’s patience in waiting for a change. The footnotes are also useful because they reference to the collections in which the poems were taken from and a reader who may have knowledge on those topics would be able to better understand the speaker’s point of view.
Cullen’s poem, “From the Darker Tower” and Hughes’ poem “As I Grew Older” create a unique match because of the methods each speakers uses in order to convey the ideas of oppression and the mistreat African Americans faced. Although the main ideas of each poem are not complex, the symbolic meaning behind the text and the imagery used is extremely powerful and forces the readers to closely analyze the poems, in order to create an outstanding essay.
As I Grew Older
It was a long time ago.
I have almost forgotten my dream.
But it was there then,
Line In front of me,
(5) Bright like a sun—
My dream.
And then the wall rose,
Rose slowly,
Slowly,
(10) Between me and my dream.
Rose until it touched the sky--
The wall.
Shadow.
I am black.
(15) I lie down in the shadow.
No longer the light of my dream
before me,
Above me.
Only the thick wall.
(20) Only the shadow.
My hands!
My dark hands!
Break through the wall!
Find my dream!
(25) Help me to shatter this darkness, To smash this night,
To break this shadow
Into a thousand lights of sun,
Into a thousand whirling dreams
(30) Of sun!
(1927)
-- Countee Cullen
-------
“From the Darker Tower.” Copywright © 1927 by Countee Cullen from My Soul’s High Song: The Collected Writings of Countee Cullen.
(1930)
--Langston Hughes
-------
“As I Grew Older.” Copywright © 1930 by Langston Hughes from Judith S. American Decades: 1920 - 1929. New York : Gale Research, 1996.
Question 1
(Suggested time — 40 minutes. This question counts as one-third of the total essay section score.)
The following two poems establish controversial views of the challenges African Americans faced while trying to achieve their dreams during The Harlem Renaissance Era. Read each poem carefully. Then compose a well organized essay in which you compare and contrast the differing methods each speaker uses to convey their ideas. Use analytical techniques such as tone, point of view and syntax to develop these ideas.
From the Dark Tower
We shall not always plant while others reap
The golden increment of bursting Line fruit,
(5) Not always countenance, abject and
mute,
That lesser men should hold their
brothers cheap;
Not everlastingly while others sleep
(10) Shall we beguile their limbs with
mellow flute,
Not always bend to some more subtle brute;
We were not made eternally to weep.
(15) The night whose sable breast relieves the stark,
White stars is no less lovely being dark,
And there are buds that cannot
(20) bloom at all
In light, but crumple, piteous, and fall;
So in the dark we hide the heart that bleeds,
(25) And wait, and tend our agonizing seeds.
Meta-cognative- Paired Poetry Assignment
In order to create the paired poem prompt, I first needed to find two poems that would compellingly match one another. After conducting research I discovered two poems titled “From the Dark Tower” by Countee Cullen and “As I Grew Older” by Langston Hughes. Both of these poems originated from the Harlem Renaissance Era and they deal with the difficulties African Americans faced in society beginning during the 1920’s. Hughes and Cullen attached these ideas in two different methods; however, the underlying messages were quite similar.
When I first read the poems, I noticed how both speakers identified the tremendous challenges all African Americans were confronted with. The speaker of “From the Darker Tower” identifies as someone who endures this struggle as well because he states, “we were not made eternally to weep,” (14) which not only proves that the speaker is an African American but also builds trust between the readers and the speaker by showing that he too is feeling the brutal pain of discrimination and that they are all alone in this battle. The speaker of Hughes’ poem uses the pronoun “I” such as in the line, “…I have almost forgotten my dream. But it was there then, … And then the wall rose…” (2-7) and although this establishes the fact that he too is an African American, it shows the readers the struggle of an individual opposed to that of the struggle for the entire race.
I also felt that the poems were intriguing and insightful because of the differences they shared and how the use of different symbolic objects can convey similar message. For instance, originally, I did not realize the connection between the titles of the poem however; “From the Darker Tower” and “A I Grew Older” bring about an idea of viewing life from different perspectives. Not only the difference in viewing life from different perspectives based on race -“Darker” - but also in terms of age. As one ascends higher up a tower, one sees an area from a different point of view, just as when one ages, -“Older,”- he understands things about life in a better light. The poems are also different in the sense that I thought of Cullen’s poem as a building point for the central ideas discussed in the poems and Hughes’ poem to follow his ideas, which showed how African Americans continued to struggle many years later. Cullen’s poem began with a more historical view of the lives of African Americans by saying, “we shall not always plant while others reap,” (1-2) which introduced the topic of slavery and how in the early years of African American history, African slaves were brought to America to pick cotton for white plantation owners and although the slaves worked tirelessly, their masters reaped all of the benefits. This progression theory continues as Hughes’ poem begins by saying “It was a long time ago. I have almost forgotten my dream. But it was there then … And then the wall rose, Rose slowly…” (1-8) Hughes’ poem follows the theory of how they began picking cotton that they did not benefited from as they slowly lost their dreams. Eventually, all they could see were their masters or other whites blocking them from ever achieving success. They would continuously be trapped behind this wall of hatred and discrimination.
I feel that a range of essays can be crafted from the comparison of these two poems if the readers also focus on the use of light and dark imagery in both of the poems. For instance, the speaker in Cullen’s poem says, “and there are buds that cannot bloom at all/ in light, but crumple, piteous, and fall; /so in the dark we hide the heart that bleeds” (20-24) which connects with the lines of Hughes’ poem that states “…my dream…bright like a sun…and then the wall rose … Rose until it touched the sky-- The wall. Shadow. I am black…” (2-16) In these lines, both speakers use light as a way to signify a distant, but yet joyous dream, where as darkness signifies a dreary shadow over that same dream of prosperity. This dark imagery hides the pain and sorrow felt in Cullen’s poem and in Hughes poem; it forces the speaker to see the shadow of a black man, which reminds the speaker of how far way the dream is.
The prompt is written in a way that allows for various essays to be composed because it gives the readers background information about the two poems, which could aid a reader who has a lot of knowledge in the Harlem Renaissance Era or knowledge that pertains to preceding eras such as the Civil Rights Era to formulate a broader range of ideas. In addition, the prompt also guides the readers in understanding the poem because it can become difficult to connect the central ideas of the pomes because they are approached in different ways. However, the prompt notes how the poem’s structure can lead to a better understanding of the poem, such as the various punctuations used. For example, Cullen’s mainly uses commas and semicolons to accentuate the subtle way in which the speaker conveys his point, where as Hughes’ poem uses exclamation points to express the anger in the speaker’s voice. A reader could advance his essay also by possibly seeing a connection between the actions of civil rights leaders Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X to Cullen’s poem emphasis of a passive approach to conquering these challenges by “wait[ing], and tend[ing] our agonizing seeds” (25-26) such as Dr. King would have chosen, however, Malcolm X would have taken the aggressive approach such as the one discussed in Hughes’ poem, “…My dark hands! Break through the wall!”(22-23)
The prompt is formulated in an AP style with the usual directions as to the proper length of time a reader should spend on this portion of the exam and the caution one should take in reading through the poems. Also the section’s layout is quite accurate because the poems are aligned next to one another which visually aid the readers in understanding the more subtle aspects of each poem, such as the abrupt lines in Hughes’ poem emphasize anticipation, while Cullen’s longer sentences express the speaker’s patience in waiting for a change. The footnotes are also useful because they reference to the collections in which the poems were taken from and a reader who may have knowledge on those topics would be able to better understand the speaker’s point of view.
Cullen’s poem, “From the Darker Tower” and Hughes’ poem “As I Grew Older” create a unique match because of the methods each speakers uses in order to convey the ideas of oppression and the mistreat African Americans faced. Although the main ideas of each poem are not complex, the symbolic meaning behind the text and the imagery used is extremely powerful and forces the readers to closely analyze the poems, in order to create an outstanding essay.
As I Grew Older
It was a long time ago.
I have almost forgotten my dream.
But it was there then,
Line In front of me,
(5) Bright like a sun—
My dream.
And then the wall rose,
Rose slowly,
Slowly,
(10) Between me and my dream.
Rose until it touched the sky--
The wall.
Shadow.
I am black.
(15) I lie down in the shadow.
No longer the light of my dream
before me,
Above me.
Only the thick wall.
(20) Only the shadow.
My hands!
My dark hands!
Break through the wall!
Find my dream!
(25) Help me to shatter this darkness, To smash this night,
To break this shadow
Into a thousand lights of sun,
Into a thousand whirling dreams
(30) Of sun!
(1927)
-- Countee Cullen
-------
“From the Darker Tower.” Copywright © 1927 by Countee Cullen from My Soul’s High Song: The Collected Writings of Countee Cullen.
(1930)
--Langston Hughes
-------
“As I Grew Older.” Copywright © 1930 by Langston Hughes from Judith S. American Decades: 1920 - 1929. New York : Gale Research, 1996.
Poem Comparison:Romantic Era
4/15/09
Question 1
(Suggested time — 40 minutes. This question counts as one-third of the total essay section score.)
The following two poems establish controversial views of a woman’s role in society. Read each poem carefully. Then in a well organized essay, use analytical techniques such as point of view and syntax to compare and contrast the differing methods in which each speaker uses to convey their concepts.
It’s a Woman’s World
Our way of life
has hardly changed
since a wheel first
whetted a knife.
Line
(5) Well, maybe flame
burns more greedily
and wheels are steadier
but we're the same
who milestone
(10) our lives
with oversights—
living by the lights
of the loaf left
by the cash register,
(15) the washing powder
paid for and wrapped,
A Woman’s Mission
What highest prize hath woman won
In science, or in art?
What mightiest work, by woman done,
Line Boasts city, field, or mart?
(5) 'She hath no Raphael!' Painting saith;
'No Newton!' Learning cries;
'Show us her steam-ship! her Macbeth!
Her thought-won victories!'
Wait, boastful man! though worthy are (10) Thy deeds, when thou are true;
Things worthier still, and holier far,
Our sisters yet will do;
For this the worth of woman shows,
On every peopled shore,
(15) That still as man in wisdom grows,
He honors her the more.
the wash left wet.
Like most historic peoples
we are defined
(20) by what we forget,
by what we never will be:
star-gazers,
fire-eaters.
It's our alibi.
(25) for all time
that as far as history goes
we were never
on the scene of the crime.
So when the king's head
(30) gored its basket —
grim harvest —
we were gristing bread
or getting the recipe
for a good soup
(35) to appetize
our gossip.
And it's still the same:
By night our windows
moth our children
(40) to the flame
Oh, not for wealth, or fame, or power,
Hath man's meek angel striven,
But, silent as the growing flower, (20) To make of earth a heaven!
And in her garden of the sun
Heaven's brightest rose shall bloom;
For woman's best is unbegun!
Her advent yet to come!
(1850)
-- Ebenezer Elliott
-----
“Woman’s Mission.” Copyright © 1850 by Ebenezer Elliot, from Poems and Articles.
of hearth not history.
And still no page
scores the low music
of our outrage.
(45) But appearances
still reassure:
That woman there,
craned to the starry mystery
is merely getting a breath
(50) of evening air,
while this one here —
her mouth
a burning plume—
she's no fire-eater,
(55) just my frosty neighbour
coming home.
(1982)
--Eavan Boland
--------
“It’s a Woman’s World.” Copyright © 1982 by Eavan Boland, from AN ORIGIN LIKE WATER: Collected Poems 1967-1987 by Eavan Boland. Used by permission of W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.
5/2/09
Meta-cognitive
In order to create the paired poem prompt, I first needed to find a poem that would compellingly match with the poem, “A Woman’s World” by Eavan Boland. In conducting that search, I desired to find a poem that also dealt with issues concerning women and their roles in society. I also hoped to find a poem that expressed the speaker’s views on whether or not he or she thought the society’s views had changed over the past decades. With those ideas in mind, I chose a poem entitled “Women’s Mission” written by Ebenezer Elliott.
When I first compared the poems, the titles were quiet similar and gave me the immediate sense that each poem would deal with some central theme of women and their affects on others in their society in either a positive or a negative way. The titles also imply that women are important to their societies, regardless of differing opinions and through the aid of each poem; the speakers would eventually reveal just how significant women truly are. It is also interesting that both of the poems began with similar ideas, for instance, in “A Woman’s World” the speaker says, “…we are defined …by what we never will be: star-gazers, fire-eaters” (lines 19-23) and the speaker of “Woman’s Mission” also discusses the lack of opportunities there are for women to win the “…highest prize … in science, or in art” (1-2). Essentially, both speakers take note to the prevalent disadvantages women are faced with because of the lack of opportunities they have to better themselves, and the division between women and men’s capabilities is solely based on their gender.
From these two poem comparisons, a range of essay can be crafted because of the speakers’ point of view. In Boland’s poem, it is quite clear that the speaker is female with the numerous occasions in which the speaker includes herself as a part of the society she comments upon, for instance, the speaker says, “…it's our alibi… we were never on the scene of the crime” (24-28) The use of “our” and “we” denotes that the speaker is female and by knowing this about the poem, a person composing an essay on this topic will be able to understand that the speaker has more of an intimate connection between the restrictions women were placed under because she probably had a firsthand experience with those types of situations. However, a person writing an essay may run into difficulty in determining the gender of the speaker in Elliot’s poem because the speaker does not formally connect himself or herself to the poem’s content. However, one could speculate the speaker’s gender identity based on lines such as, “'she hath no Raphael!' Painting saith; 'No Newton…” (5-6) and a person could then conclude that the speaker is a male because he uses the term “she” has no Raphael, rather than we have no Raphael, but continuing down the poem, the reader would notice that the speaker now says, “…wait, boastful man! though worthy are thy deeds…” and the reader could then conclude that the speaker is female because the speaker speaks directly to a man and comments on how worthy “thy” deeds are. In all, with the speaker’s gender identity known, it aids in understanding the speaker’s point of view and emotions. At the same time, without knowing the speaker’s identity, the writer will struggle in creating an argument that supports or opposes a particular view, but if a writer were to determine that the speaker of Elliott’s poem is a male, it will make for an insightful and original essay if the writer were to focus on how the possible male speaker sounds more hopeful of a coming change than the female speaker of the Boland’s poem.
The prompt is written in a way that allows for various essays to be composed because although it asks the reader to discuss the idea of gender roles in society, the words “…differing methods…” gives the writer freedom to establish a range of different ways the speakers convey their ideas; such as through tone, point of view, and the poem’s structure. There is also a lot of imagery and symbolism in Boland’s poem and the use of Old English in Elliott’s poem adds to the poems’ complexity, however, since the prompt guides the readers in different ways to decompose the poem and to analyze all of its ideas, the prompt is helpful but yet challenges the readers to look beyond the more obvious techniques and to find ones that make each poem unique. As more writers strive to exceed expectations, a broader range of easy will appear.
The prompt not only allows for various essays to be composed, but it is formulated in an AP style with the usual directions of the length of time a reader should spend on this portion of the exam and the caution one should take in reading through the poems because this portion is quite difficult. Also the section’s layout is quite accurate because the poems are aligned next to one another which visually aid the readers in understanding the more subtle aspects of each poem. For example, by placing the poems side-by-side, one can notice that the punctuation marks used in Boland’s poem increases as the poem continues to explain the idea of how important women are to their society. As the speaker sums up the poem, the reader may see one idea that a sturdy community is built upon the help women provide underneath the surface as the men stand in the forefront. With the accumulation of such ideas, the amount of punctuation increases to emphasize how a strong poem is also build upon the use of various punctuation. With Elliot’s poem, various punctuation marks are used throughout the entire poem and it is significantly shorter, which shows how the speaker was more hopeful from the immediate beginning of the poem and kept the poem precise to the idea that women play essential roles and one day soon everyone would know that. All of these observations can be seen and later expanded on because the poems are placed side-by-side.
Footnotes are also provided to aid the readers throughout the poems because the smallest piece of information such as the date could signify one writer to compose his essay based on the Romantic Era in which the poems were written and how this era could affect the poem’s views. While another writer could see the footnote of Elliott’s poem coming from “Poems and Articles” and this writer could be familiar with Elliot’s work and immediately understand the speaker’s point of view based on previous similar ideas introduced in other pieces.
The prompt’s more general ideas and guidance toward useful techniques allow the writers to compose various types of essays because the prompt challenges the writers to go beyond the general requirements. In addition, the structure of the section and the poems themselves allow the writers freedom to express many different ideas because both poems use an abundance of rich symbolism, imagery, and historical references, giving a writer the ability to incorporate any of these elements into a unique piece.
Question 1
(Suggested time — 40 minutes. This question counts as one-third of the total essay section score.)
The following two poems establish controversial views of a woman’s role in society. Read each poem carefully. Then in a well organized essay, use analytical techniques such as point of view and syntax to compare and contrast the differing methods in which each speaker uses to convey their concepts.
It’s a Woman’s World
Our way of life
has hardly changed
since a wheel first
whetted a knife.
Line
(5) Well, maybe flame
burns more greedily
and wheels are steadier
but we're the same
who milestone
(10) our lives
with oversights—
living by the lights
of the loaf left
by the cash register,
(15) the washing powder
paid for and wrapped,
A Woman’s Mission
What highest prize hath woman won
In science, or in art?
What mightiest work, by woman done,
Line Boasts city, field, or mart?
(5) 'She hath no Raphael!' Painting saith;
'No Newton!' Learning cries;
'Show us her steam-ship! her Macbeth!
Her thought-won victories!'
Wait, boastful man! though worthy are (10) Thy deeds, when thou are true;
Things worthier still, and holier far,
Our sisters yet will do;
For this the worth of woman shows,
On every peopled shore,
(15) That still as man in wisdom grows,
He honors her the more.
the wash left wet.
Like most historic peoples
we are defined
(20) by what we forget,
by what we never will be:
star-gazers,
fire-eaters.
It's our alibi.
(25) for all time
that as far as history goes
we were never
on the scene of the crime.
So when the king's head
(30) gored its basket —
grim harvest —
we were gristing bread
or getting the recipe
for a good soup
(35) to appetize
our gossip.
And it's still the same:
By night our windows
moth our children
(40) to the flame
Oh, not for wealth, or fame, or power,
Hath man's meek angel striven,
But, silent as the growing flower, (20) To make of earth a heaven!
And in her garden of the sun
Heaven's brightest rose shall bloom;
For woman's best is unbegun!
Her advent yet to come!
(1850)
-- Ebenezer Elliott
-----
“Woman’s Mission.” Copyright © 1850 by Ebenezer Elliot, from Poems and Articles.
of hearth not history.
And still no page
scores the low music
of our outrage.
(45) But appearances
still reassure:
That woman there,
craned to the starry mystery
is merely getting a breath
(50) of evening air,
while this one here —
her mouth
a burning plume—
she's no fire-eater,
(55) just my frosty neighbour
coming home.
(1982)
--Eavan Boland
--------
“It’s a Woman’s World.” Copyright © 1982 by Eavan Boland, from AN ORIGIN LIKE WATER: Collected Poems 1967-1987 by Eavan Boland. Used by permission of W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.
5/2/09
Meta-cognitive
In order to create the paired poem prompt, I first needed to find a poem that would compellingly match with the poem, “A Woman’s World” by Eavan Boland. In conducting that search, I desired to find a poem that also dealt with issues concerning women and their roles in society. I also hoped to find a poem that expressed the speaker’s views on whether or not he or she thought the society’s views had changed over the past decades. With those ideas in mind, I chose a poem entitled “Women’s Mission” written by Ebenezer Elliott.
When I first compared the poems, the titles were quiet similar and gave me the immediate sense that each poem would deal with some central theme of women and their affects on others in their society in either a positive or a negative way. The titles also imply that women are important to their societies, regardless of differing opinions and through the aid of each poem; the speakers would eventually reveal just how significant women truly are. It is also interesting that both of the poems began with similar ideas, for instance, in “A Woman’s World” the speaker says, “…we are defined …by what we never will be: star-gazers, fire-eaters” (lines 19-23) and the speaker of “Woman’s Mission” also discusses the lack of opportunities there are for women to win the “…highest prize … in science, or in art” (1-2). Essentially, both speakers take note to the prevalent disadvantages women are faced with because of the lack of opportunities they have to better themselves, and the division between women and men’s capabilities is solely based on their gender.
From these two poem comparisons, a range of essay can be crafted because of the speakers’ point of view. In Boland’s poem, it is quite clear that the speaker is female with the numerous occasions in which the speaker includes herself as a part of the society she comments upon, for instance, the speaker says, “…it's our alibi… we were never on the scene of the crime” (24-28) The use of “our” and “we” denotes that the speaker is female and by knowing this about the poem, a person composing an essay on this topic will be able to understand that the speaker has more of an intimate connection between the restrictions women were placed under because she probably had a firsthand experience with those types of situations. However, a person writing an essay may run into difficulty in determining the gender of the speaker in Elliot’s poem because the speaker does not formally connect himself or herself to the poem’s content. However, one could speculate the speaker’s gender identity based on lines such as, “'she hath no Raphael!' Painting saith; 'No Newton…” (5-6) and a person could then conclude that the speaker is a male because he uses the term “she” has no Raphael, rather than we have no Raphael, but continuing down the poem, the reader would notice that the speaker now says, “…wait, boastful man! though worthy are thy deeds…” and the reader could then conclude that the speaker is female because the speaker speaks directly to a man and comments on how worthy “thy” deeds are. In all, with the speaker’s gender identity known, it aids in understanding the speaker’s point of view and emotions. At the same time, without knowing the speaker’s identity, the writer will struggle in creating an argument that supports or opposes a particular view, but if a writer were to determine that the speaker of Elliott’s poem is a male, it will make for an insightful and original essay if the writer were to focus on how the possible male speaker sounds more hopeful of a coming change than the female speaker of the Boland’s poem.
The prompt is written in a way that allows for various essays to be composed because although it asks the reader to discuss the idea of gender roles in society, the words “…differing methods…” gives the writer freedom to establish a range of different ways the speakers convey their ideas; such as through tone, point of view, and the poem’s structure. There is also a lot of imagery and symbolism in Boland’s poem and the use of Old English in Elliott’s poem adds to the poems’ complexity, however, since the prompt guides the readers in different ways to decompose the poem and to analyze all of its ideas, the prompt is helpful but yet challenges the readers to look beyond the more obvious techniques and to find ones that make each poem unique. As more writers strive to exceed expectations, a broader range of easy will appear.
The prompt not only allows for various essays to be composed, but it is formulated in an AP style with the usual directions of the length of time a reader should spend on this portion of the exam and the caution one should take in reading through the poems because this portion is quite difficult. Also the section’s layout is quite accurate because the poems are aligned next to one another which visually aid the readers in understanding the more subtle aspects of each poem. For example, by placing the poems side-by-side, one can notice that the punctuation marks used in Boland’s poem increases as the poem continues to explain the idea of how important women are to their society. As the speaker sums up the poem, the reader may see one idea that a sturdy community is built upon the help women provide underneath the surface as the men stand in the forefront. With the accumulation of such ideas, the amount of punctuation increases to emphasize how a strong poem is also build upon the use of various punctuation. With Elliot’s poem, various punctuation marks are used throughout the entire poem and it is significantly shorter, which shows how the speaker was more hopeful from the immediate beginning of the poem and kept the poem precise to the idea that women play essential roles and one day soon everyone would know that. All of these observations can be seen and later expanded on because the poems are placed side-by-side.
Footnotes are also provided to aid the readers throughout the poems because the smallest piece of information such as the date could signify one writer to compose his essay based on the Romantic Era in which the poems were written and how this era could affect the poem’s views. While another writer could see the footnote of Elliott’s poem coming from “Poems and Articles” and this writer could be familiar with Elliot’s work and immediately understand the speaker’s point of view based on previous similar ideas introduced in other pieces.
The prompt’s more general ideas and guidance toward useful techniques allow the writers to compose various types of essays because the prompt challenges the writers to go beyond the general requirements. In addition, the structure of the section and the poems themselves allow the writers freedom to express many different ideas because both poems use an abundance of rich symbolism, imagery, and historical references, giving a writer the ability to incorporate any of these elements into a unique piece.
Blogs: Jane Eyre Posts
4/14/09
Passage explication:
In the passage beginning on page 150, Bronte suggests that Jane Eyre’s overwhelming desire to be loved and accepted, prompts her to take on the role of being more than Adele’s governess after discovering that both of Adele’s parents have abandoned her. Jane’s disruptive childhood forces her to feel compassion for Adele’s situation and motivates her to save Adele from everlasting despair. Bronte establishes this point through specific diction that allows the readers to understand how closely related Jane’s past is to Adele’s present.
The first section of this passage begins about one third of the way down page 150 and Bronte reveals the heartless nature of the character Mr. Rochester, as he informs Jane that he refuses to care for Adele because he does not consider her his daughter. The powerful effects of his words hit severely with Jane, starting from, “…I am not her father,…” Mr. Rochester ruthlessly continues by saying, “… I e’en took the poor thing out of the slime and mud of Paris, and transplanted it here…” Mr. Rochester carefully chooses to refer to Adele as “it” rather than my daughter or even by her name because this shows how distant their relationship is. By telling Jane that Adele’s mother left her for a musician and by following this statement with what appears to be his gracious efforts of bringing Adele to England, emphasizes his desire to uphold his façade of appearing to be a generous gentleman. However, by Mr. Rochester saying, “…to grow up clean in the wholesome soil of an English country garden” and connecting that with Mr. Rochester and Adele’s first interaction after many years of separation, where he lavishly presented her with gifts, it seems as if Mr. Rochester views Adele as more of his charity case. By taking a child who he claims to have no relation to, out of the slums and bringing her to a luxurious castle, maintains his appearance of being a charitable and loving gentleman. Mr. Rochester also subtly says “…mud of Paris…”which juxtaposes his comment on “…the wholesome soil of an English country garden…”because the theme of appearances is prevalent at that moment because he implies that England is far better than Paris, which can also be the reason as to why he refuse to claim Adele as his daughter.
The second section introduces the idea of Jane’s longing to be accepted and loved by others as she openly expresses her disgust for Mr. Rochester’s words and her desires to form a closer bond between herself and Adele. After Mr. Rochester inquires that Jane will soon “…beg [him] to look out for a new governess…” she immediately replies with, “…No — Adele is not answerable for either her mother’s faults or yours: I have regard for her, and now that I know she is, in a sense parentless — forsaken by her mother and disowned by you, sir, — I shall cling closer to her than before.” Those lines are quite powerful on various levels ranging from Jane’s choice of words to the differing usage of punctuation. Jane’s initial reaction of “No…” followed by a hyphen shows how abruptly she was willing to inform Mr. Rochester that she would not easily relinquish her duties and by soon there after realizing that Adele was parentless, just as she, Jane harshly tells Mr. Rochester that Adele should not be punished for her parents’ irresponsible behavior. Cleverly, Jane remains respectful by calling Mr. Rochester “…sir,…” however, she dutifully notes that she could not care for the “…spoiled pet of a wealthy family, who would hate her governess… [but rather] a lonely little orphan.” The spoiled pet reference connects backs to Jane’s childhood and how she was constantly abused by John Reed and the “…lonely little orphan…” was Jane just a few years prior when she lived at Lowood, but through all of this, Jane found a savior in Miss Temple. Just as this teacher at Lowood went beyond her duties to guide Jane through many difficult times during her childhood, Jane now desires to do the same for Adele.
In the third section, Bronte portrays Jane as a motherly figure towards Adele and this portion is significant because Jane does not yearn to be loved through a phony appearance but through her genuine actions. After Mr. Rochester briefly tells Jane to go inside, she disobeys and decides to stay out and play “…a game of battledore and shuttlecock…” with Adele and when they went inside, Jane “…removed [Adele’s] bonnet and coat [and] …took [Adele] on [her] knee…” Jane’s actions represent a motherly persona, and she even promises to “…appreciate all that was good in [Adele] to the utmost,” all of which are things Jane was denied of while growing up. The fact that Mrs. Reed could not look past her outward appearances and the fact that Jane was only at their residence upon request of Mr. Reed, contributed to Jane’s solitude. The last line of this section, “…if [Adele] could have been proved to resemble him, he would have thought more of her” is something that Jane finds extremely disheartening because constantly throughout her childhood, many referred to her as “…physically inferior…” (20) If Adele was of English decent and Jane was one the Reed’s, both of them would have physically upheld to their family’s standards and would have been accepted.
The passage on page 150 is significant on many levels one of which is that it reveals Jane’s desires to finally be appreciated and valued for who she is rather than overlooked and considered an outcast. Bronte also portrays the many levels of betrayal and cruelty many of the characters possess as Mr. Rochester denies paternity of Adele. Jane’s ambitions cause her to want to begin a deeper relationship with Adele, such as the one she created with Miss Temple because Jane understands that she was able to overcome some of her greatest challenges with the assistance of someone who genuinely cared about her well being. Bronte’s idea of love and accepting people for who they are is importance because through Jane she shows how anyone can overcome a struggle with the support of loved ones.
Matsuoka, Mitsuharu “Charlotte Bronte Jane Eyre.” 14 April 2009. < http://www.lang.nagoya-u.ac.jp/~matsuoka/Bronte-Jane-2.html#XV>
4/27/09: Prompt Essay
The final chapters of Jane Eyre are quite interesting because after Jane returns to Thornfield, she discovers that much has changed, which forces many residents to change as well. This sudden drastic turn of events occurs at a time in Jane’s life when she is financially stable, but seems to be missing true love. Once reunited with Mr. Rochester, on the surface love seems to prevail but it is questionable as to how much each character has learned from their experiences.
From the beginning of their relationship, Rochester strongly desired to change Jane’s social status and appearance by ordering her to “…choose half a dozen dresses”(266) from a silk warehouse, which she despised, but went along with regardless, because she knew it would make him happy. However, Rochester’s more recent situation forced him to begin “…to experience remorse, repentance, the wish for reconcilement to [his] Maker. [He] began sometimes to pray…” (435) Since Rochester’s house burned down and he became crippled, he was forced to rely on God and Jane for much assistance and I feel this event causes Jane and Rochester to become equals. Rochester finally knows how it feels to be in such as low place in his life where he needed to turn to a higher power for guidance. Although Jane was not overly religious, she valued the importance of putting her troubles in God’s hands to guide her through numerous difficult situations, which eventually led her to places that were far better than her previous establishments, such as Lowood Institution and then Thornfield. After Rochester was blinded, he lost many of his old friends and this led to seclusion from the rest of society, which ironically was a major factor throughout Jane’s adolescence. Although Jane and Rochester can finally be equal after sharing similar experiences of solitude and despair, I don’t feel that Rochester changed voluntarily. The loss of control Rochester once held over Jane was a direct result of his handicap, which later “…knit [them] so very close…”(439). He was forced to grovel for her forgiveness and to change because Jane became “…his vision…his right hand,” (439).
In addition to Rochester and Jane now being equal, I feel that Rochester’s blindness and reliance on her causes him to negate her social inferiority because Rochester now lives through Jane. In order for Rochester to function normally, “he saw nature – he saw books through [Jane] …” (439) Rochester did not have many options so he once again was forced to look past her social class and to see the world as she viewed it because Jane was his only set of eyes. This quote also introduces the ideas of reading books and this was a major symbol of the novel I felt, because reading was always something people of the wealthy class had the opportunity to experience and it signified them as educated. Based on Jane’s ability to read would signify the amount of knowledge Rochester would eventually gain.
Even though I don’t feel that Rochester changed voluntarily, I feel to a certain extent, he learned from his experiences. The readers later discover that Rochester and Jane got married and by the time they had their first son, Rochester regained the ability to see out of one eye and from that gift, he “…acknowledged that God had tempered judgment with mercy” (440) when giving his son the large and brilliant eyes he once had. From the birth of his son and his inherited characteristics, Rochester learned that God made it possible for his son to be born without any defects, although the birth of a son with deformities would have been another way to punish Rochester for his inappropriate actions early in his life. On the other hand, I feel that Rochester did not learn enough from his experiences to directly benefit Jane because he felt the “ [she] loved him so fondly, that to yield that attendance was to indulge [her]sweetest wishes.” (439) Instead of Rochester finding inner strength to prevail independently, he solely relied on Jane for all of his needs because he knew she desired to be his sole caretaker and lover.
In the final chapter, the readers learned that during their marriage, Rochester regained the ability to see in one of his eyes and this represented fulfillment in both characters. Rochester regained slight control and power because he “…can find his way without being led by the hand,…” (440) at the same time, Jane was satisfied because he still could not ‘…see very distinctly,…” (440) which reassured her that Rochester would continue to rely greatly on her assistance and she would indirectly be continuously appreciated.
Passage explication:
In the passage beginning on page 150, Bronte suggests that Jane Eyre’s overwhelming desire to be loved and accepted, prompts her to take on the role of being more than Adele’s governess after discovering that both of Adele’s parents have abandoned her. Jane’s disruptive childhood forces her to feel compassion for Adele’s situation and motivates her to save Adele from everlasting despair. Bronte establishes this point through specific diction that allows the readers to understand how closely related Jane’s past is to Adele’s present.
The first section of this passage begins about one third of the way down page 150 and Bronte reveals the heartless nature of the character Mr. Rochester, as he informs Jane that he refuses to care for Adele because he does not consider her his daughter. The powerful effects of his words hit severely with Jane, starting from, “…I am not her father,…” Mr. Rochester ruthlessly continues by saying, “… I e’en took the poor thing out of the slime and mud of Paris, and transplanted it here…” Mr. Rochester carefully chooses to refer to Adele as “it” rather than my daughter or even by her name because this shows how distant their relationship is. By telling Jane that Adele’s mother left her for a musician and by following this statement with what appears to be his gracious efforts of bringing Adele to England, emphasizes his desire to uphold his façade of appearing to be a generous gentleman. However, by Mr. Rochester saying, “…to grow up clean in the wholesome soil of an English country garden” and connecting that with Mr. Rochester and Adele’s first interaction after many years of separation, where he lavishly presented her with gifts, it seems as if Mr. Rochester views Adele as more of his charity case. By taking a child who he claims to have no relation to, out of the slums and bringing her to a luxurious castle, maintains his appearance of being a charitable and loving gentleman. Mr. Rochester also subtly says “…mud of Paris…”which juxtaposes his comment on “…the wholesome soil of an English country garden…”because the theme of appearances is prevalent at that moment because he implies that England is far better than Paris, which can also be the reason as to why he refuse to claim Adele as his daughter.
The second section introduces the idea of Jane’s longing to be accepted and loved by others as she openly expresses her disgust for Mr. Rochester’s words and her desires to form a closer bond between herself and Adele. After Mr. Rochester inquires that Jane will soon “…beg [him] to look out for a new governess…” she immediately replies with, “…No — Adele is not answerable for either her mother’s faults or yours: I have regard for her, and now that I know she is, in a sense parentless — forsaken by her mother and disowned by you, sir, — I shall cling closer to her than before.” Those lines are quite powerful on various levels ranging from Jane’s choice of words to the differing usage of punctuation. Jane’s initial reaction of “No…” followed by a hyphen shows how abruptly she was willing to inform Mr. Rochester that she would not easily relinquish her duties and by soon there after realizing that Adele was parentless, just as she, Jane harshly tells Mr. Rochester that Adele should not be punished for her parents’ irresponsible behavior. Cleverly, Jane remains respectful by calling Mr. Rochester “…sir,…” however, she dutifully notes that she could not care for the “…spoiled pet of a wealthy family, who would hate her governess… [but rather] a lonely little orphan.” The spoiled pet reference connects backs to Jane’s childhood and how she was constantly abused by John Reed and the “…lonely little orphan…” was Jane just a few years prior when she lived at Lowood, but through all of this, Jane found a savior in Miss Temple. Just as this teacher at Lowood went beyond her duties to guide Jane through many difficult times during her childhood, Jane now desires to do the same for Adele.
In the third section, Bronte portrays Jane as a motherly figure towards Adele and this portion is significant because Jane does not yearn to be loved through a phony appearance but through her genuine actions. After Mr. Rochester briefly tells Jane to go inside, she disobeys and decides to stay out and play “…a game of battledore and shuttlecock…” with Adele and when they went inside, Jane “…removed [Adele’s] bonnet and coat [and] …took [Adele] on [her] knee…” Jane’s actions represent a motherly persona, and she even promises to “…appreciate all that was good in [Adele] to the utmost,” all of which are things Jane was denied of while growing up. The fact that Mrs. Reed could not look past her outward appearances and the fact that Jane was only at their residence upon request of Mr. Reed, contributed to Jane’s solitude. The last line of this section, “…if [Adele] could have been proved to resemble him, he would have thought more of her” is something that Jane finds extremely disheartening because constantly throughout her childhood, many referred to her as “…physically inferior…” (20) If Adele was of English decent and Jane was one the Reed’s, both of them would have physically upheld to their family’s standards and would have been accepted.
The passage on page 150 is significant on many levels one of which is that it reveals Jane’s desires to finally be appreciated and valued for who she is rather than overlooked and considered an outcast. Bronte also portrays the many levels of betrayal and cruelty many of the characters possess as Mr. Rochester denies paternity of Adele. Jane’s ambitions cause her to want to begin a deeper relationship with Adele, such as the one she created with Miss Temple because Jane understands that she was able to overcome some of her greatest challenges with the assistance of someone who genuinely cared about her well being. Bronte’s idea of love and accepting people for who they are is importance because through Jane she shows how anyone can overcome a struggle with the support of loved ones.
Matsuoka, Mitsuharu “Charlotte Bronte Jane Eyre.” 14 April 2009. < http://www.lang.nagoya-u.ac.jp/~matsuoka/Bronte-Jane-2.html#XV>
4/27/09: Prompt Essay
The final chapters of Jane Eyre are quite interesting because after Jane returns to Thornfield, she discovers that much has changed, which forces many residents to change as well. This sudden drastic turn of events occurs at a time in Jane’s life when she is financially stable, but seems to be missing true love. Once reunited with Mr. Rochester, on the surface love seems to prevail but it is questionable as to how much each character has learned from their experiences.
From the beginning of their relationship, Rochester strongly desired to change Jane’s social status and appearance by ordering her to “…choose half a dozen dresses”(266) from a silk warehouse, which she despised, but went along with regardless, because she knew it would make him happy. However, Rochester’s more recent situation forced him to begin “…to experience remorse, repentance, the wish for reconcilement to [his] Maker. [He] began sometimes to pray…” (435) Since Rochester’s house burned down and he became crippled, he was forced to rely on God and Jane for much assistance and I feel this event causes Jane and Rochester to become equals. Rochester finally knows how it feels to be in such as low place in his life where he needed to turn to a higher power for guidance. Although Jane was not overly religious, she valued the importance of putting her troubles in God’s hands to guide her through numerous difficult situations, which eventually led her to places that were far better than her previous establishments, such as Lowood Institution and then Thornfield. After Rochester was blinded, he lost many of his old friends and this led to seclusion from the rest of society, which ironically was a major factor throughout Jane’s adolescence. Although Jane and Rochester can finally be equal after sharing similar experiences of solitude and despair, I don’t feel that Rochester changed voluntarily. The loss of control Rochester once held over Jane was a direct result of his handicap, which later “…knit [them] so very close…”(439). He was forced to grovel for her forgiveness and to change because Jane became “…his vision…his right hand,” (439).
In addition to Rochester and Jane now being equal, I feel that Rochester’s blindness and reliance on her causes him to negate her social inferiority because Rochester now lives through Jane. In order for Rochester to function normally, “he saw nature – he saw books through [Jane] …” (439) Rochester did not have many options so he once again was forced to look past her social class and to see the world as she viewed it because Jane was his only set of eyes. This quote also introduces the ideas of reading books and this was a major symbol of the novel I felt, because reading was always something people of the wealthy class had the opportunity to experience and it signified them as educated. Based on Jane’s ability to read would signify the amount of knowledge Rochester would eventually gain.
Even though I don’t feel that Rochester changed voluntarily, I feel to a certain extent, he learned from his experiences. The readers later discover that Rochester and Jane got married and by the time they had their first son, Rochester regained the ability to see out of one eye and from that gift, he “…acknowledged that God had tempered judgment with mercy” (440) when giving his son the large and brilliant eyes he once had. From the birth of his son and his inherited characteristics, Rochester learned that God made it possible for his son to be born without any defects, although the birth of a son with deformities would have been another way to punish Rochester for his inappropriate actions early in his life. On the other hand, I feel that Rochester did not learn enough from his experiences to directly benefit Jane because he felt the “ [she] loved him so fondly, that to yield that attendance was to indulge [her]sweetest wishes.” (439) Instead of Rochester finding inner strength to prevail independently, he solely relied on Jane for all of his needs because he knew she desired to be his sole caretaker and lover.
In the final chapter, the readers learned that during their marriage, Rochester regained the ability to see in one of his eyes and this represented fulfillment in both characters. Rochester regained slight control and power because he “…can find his way without being led by the hand,…” (440) at the same time, Jane was satisfied because he still could not ‘…see very distinctly,…” (440) which reassured her that Rochester would continue to rely greatly on her assistance and she would indirectly be continuously appreciated.
Blog: Cast A Character-Hamlet
3/15/09
The Queen of Denmark, Queen Gertrude, plays a vital role in the play Hamlet, not only with her physical presence but also through her interaction with others and apparent ulterior motives. Queen Gertrude’s actions are just a few of the sneaky and deceitful actions of the play so this vision will be based on an array of actions carried out by the characters and the potential devious meanings behind those actions.
Since I envision Queen Gertrude as a clever and secretive character, I would choose actress Julie Andrews Julie Andrews to play the role of Queen Gertrude. Her gentle, innocent looks combined with her abilities portray a secretive conniving attitude, makes her the perfect fit for this character. The play will take place during the same time period of the original text, around the 17th century because it allows for more of a traditional and elegant feel. There are specific moments of the play that reveal crucial elements of Queen Gertrude’s true character and for each of those moments the queen will take on a different appearance and present her lines in various tones, but in general, she will usually be dressed in a formal gown, with a short, clean cut hair style, faint amounts of makeup, and jewelry, all to emphasize her royalty and desire for power.
In act one scene two, the readers learn that Hamlet is grieving over the loss of his father and it is clear that the king is very unsympathetic to Hamlet’s feelings because he says, “ ‘Tis sweet and commendable in your nature, Hamlet,/ To give these mourning duties to your father./ But you must know your father lost a father… But to persever/ In obstinate condolement is a course/ Of impious stubbornness, ‘tis unmanly grief…”(87-94) The king speaks to Hamlet in a nonchalant and demeaning tone because he calls him unmanly for grieving for such a long period of time. The queen, however, is seen as comforting and accepting at this moment because in a soft and inviting tone, she says, “Let thy mother not lose her prayers, Hamlet,/ I pray thee stay with us, go not to Wittenberg.” (191-120)Queen Gertrude’s motherly instincts come out as she seems to worry about her son’s well being and hopes that he stays in Denmark so at least he will be close to her. In this scene, they are located in the castle and since it is late at night, Gertrude’s costume would be a long, simple, pink, silky nightgown. The length of her nightgown is important because it shows she is conservative, but the silky texture shows that she is wealthy. The pink color emphasizes the fact that she is to be portrayed as caring and sympathetic towards her son. She also would not have on any make-up because it expresses her motherly attributes and that although she is royalty, she is not always dressed fancy, especially when she is rushing to make sure her son is doing well.
By act two scene two, Queen Gertrude begins to act suspicious as many characters tell her that Hamlet has gone mad. She then call upon Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two people she considered close friends of Hamlet, to talk with him and find out the cause of this alleged insanity. As she says, “Guildenstern and gentle Rosencrantz … I beseech you instantly to visit/ My too much changed son.” (34-35) she delivers these lines in a hurried tone because she is now even more worried about her son. However, her sneaky ways shine through slightly because the two people she sent to check on Hamlet, later proved to be unloyal characters. In this scene, the queen would be dressed in fancier clothing because she is now in the presence of others. She would wear a long, straight, green dress that is not too formal but one that shows she does hold a great amount of power in the castle. She would also wear makeup and have her hair nicely done because it gives a more elegant and proper appearance. After Guildenstern and Rosencrantz leave, she begins to speak with the king but in a powerful tone because the king is more set in his ways of thinking that Hamlet is completely insane. In response to the king telling Gertrude that Polonius has figured out the cause of Hamlet’s insanity, she tells him, “I doubt it is no other but the main,/ His father’s death and out [o’erhasty] marriage.”(56-57) The queen is slightly offended by the accusations and hastily informs the king that he probably has much to do with Hamlet’s swift change in behavior. There would also be music playing at this moment, one that has a fast tempo and abrupt, staccato sounds. The music would play when the queen begins to speak and at a medium volume and its sole purpose would be to emphasize the queens angered feelings toward the king because she feels he should take some of the blame for Hamlet’s new behavior instead of casting it off as if it is all Hamlet’s doing. This scene shows how unpredictable Gertrude can act.
The readers begin to see a completely different side of the queen and begin to wonder if the queen should be trusted after they uncover the truth behind Queen Gertrude and King Claudius’ marriage. Her actions could be seen as cold because in a short two months after the death of Hamlet’s father, Gertrude married his brother, Claudius. The queen could have done this in order to maintain Hamlet’s status as prince or she could have had ulterior motives and marred the king so she could keep her power over Denmark. With that, the character of Queen Gertrude would have to carry an arrogant and sneaky attitude with her all throughout the play, which causes the viewers to constantly question her motives.
Gertrude’s character now takes a drastic change, which allows the viewers to really see how I envision the queen to been a conniving person and this occurs just prior to and moments after Ophelia’s death. Things start to connect after the king speaks upon Ophelia’s present condition and how she too is now acting insane, he says, “…all from her father’s death – and now behold… next, your son gone, and he most violent author…” (75-79) The queen now sees the king’s real intentions of wanting Hamlet dead because he has caused so much destruction to Denmark. With Ophelia’s change in behavior and connections being made to Hamlet, such as Hamlet sending her love letters in the beginning of the play and even then the queen denied it, she had to get everyone to believe Ophelia was just acting insane on her own account. There is no better way to have this done by claiming Ophelia mysteriously drowned.
Suspiciously enough, the queen was the first person to report Ophelia’s death and she did so with such detail, “there is a willow grows askaunt the brook,/ That shows his hoary leaves in the glassy stream,/ Therewith fantastic garlands did she make…” (166-168) In addition, the queen would present her lines in such a tone of calamity and ease that the viewers will suspect the queen killed Ophelia. In act five scene one, the queen is shown throwing flowers on her grave and the stage direction would show her as simply throwing the flowers anywhere and in an aggressive manner as she says, “Sweets to the sweet, farewell! … I thought thy bridge bed to have decked sweet maid,/ And not have strew’d thy grave.” (229-232) Her tone would be cheerful and there would be quite, joyful music playing in the background. The music is important because its quite volume reflects her inner feelings of satisfaction and simultaneously contrasts the dark and gloomy setting, with dead trees scattered around and an eerie feeling to reflect the uncertainty many felt about where Ophelia should be buried. setting
My vision of having the viewers believe the queen is conniving and clever would be complete by act five scene two when she drinks the poison intended for Hamlet. Although the king told the queen not to drink the wine, she said to him, “I will, my Lord, I pray you pardon me” (273) and she delivers these lines in a quite tone, one that shows she accepts the fact that she knowingly is about to kill herself. Her words imply that she hopes the king will forgive her and her actions are viewed as courageous for dying to save her son, however, her cleverness prevails once again because she knows her actions thus far will not lead her to heave, however, her tone and slow movements allude to the idea that she hopes her final solemn actions will be viewed as repentance and allow her to go to heaven.
The Queen of Denmark, Queen Gertrude, plays a vital role in the play Hamlet, not only with her physical presence but also through her interaction with others and apparent ulterior motives. Queen Gertrude’s actions are just a few of the sneaky and deceitful actions of the play so this vision will be based on an array of actions carried out by the characters and the potential devious meanings behind those actions.
Since I envision Queen Gertrude as a clever and secretive character, I would choose actress Julie Andrews Julie Andrews to play the role of Queen Gertrude. Her gentle, innocent looks combined with her abilities portray a secretive conniving attitude, makes her the perfect fit for this character. The play will take place during the same time period of the original text, around the 17th century because it allows for more of a traditional and elegant feel. There are specific moments of the play that reveal crucial elements of Queen Gertrude’s true character and for each of those moments the queen will take on a different appearance and present her lines in various tones, but in general, she will usually be dressed in a formal gown, with a short, clean cut hair style, faint amounts of makeup, and jewelry, all to emphasize her royalty and desire for power.
In act one scene two, the readers learn that Hamlet is grieving over the loss of his father and it is clear that the king is very unsympathetic to Hamlet’s feelings because he says, “ ‘Tis sweet and commendable in your nature, Hamlet,/ To give these mourning duties to your father./ But you must know your father lost a father… But to persever/ In obstinate condolement is a course/ Of impious stubbornness, ‘tis unmanly grief…”(87-94) The king speaks to Hamlet in a nonchalant and demeaning tone because he calls him unmanly for grieving for such a long period of time. The queen, however, is seen as comforting and accepting at this moment because in a soft and inviting tone, she says, “Let thy mother not lose her prayers, Hamlet,/ I pray thee stay with us, go not to Wittenberg.” (191-120)Queen Gertrude’s motherly instincts come out as she seems to worry about her son’s well being and hopes that he stays in Denmark so at least he will be close to her. In this scene, they are located in the castle and since it is late at night, Gertrude’s costume would be a long, simple, pink, silky nightgown. The length of her nightgown is important because it shows she is conservative, but the silky texture shows that she is wealthy. The pink color emphasizes the fact that she is to be portrayed as caring and sympathetic towards her son. She also would not have on any make-up because it expresses her motherly attributes and that although she is royalty, she is not always dressed fancy, especially when she is rushing to make sure her son is doing well.
By act two scene two, Queen Gertrude begins to act suspicious as many characters tell her that Hamlet has gone mad. She then call upon Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two people she considered close friends of Hamlet, to talk with him and find out the cause of this alleged insanity. As she says, “Guildenstern and gentle Rosencrantz … I beseech you instantly to visit/ My too much changed son.” (34-35) she delivers these lines in a hurried tone because she is now even more worried about her son. However, her sneaky ways shine through slightly because the two people she sent to check on Hamlet, later proved to be unloyal characters. In this scene, the queen would be dressed in fancier clothing because she is now in the presence of others. She would wear a long, straight, green dress that is not too formal but one that shows she does hold a great amount of power in the castle. She would also wear makeup and have her hair nicely done because it gives a more elegant and proper appearance. After Guildenstern and Rosencrantz leave, she begins to speak with the king but in a powerful tone because the king is more set in his ways of thinking that Hamlet is completely insane. In response to the king telling Gertrude that Polonius has figured out the cause of Hamlet’s insanity, she tells him, “I doubt it is no other but the main,/ His father’s death and out [o’erhasty] marriage.”(56-57) The queen is slightly offended by the accusations and hastily informs the king that he probably has much to do with Hamlet’s swift change in behavior. There would also be music playing at this moment, one that has a fast tempo and abrupt, staccato sounds. The music would play when the queen begins to speak and at a medium volume and its sole purpose would be to emphasize the queens angered feelings toward the king because she feels he should take some of the blame for Hamlet’s new behavior instead of casting it off as if it is all Hamlet’s doing. This scene shows how unpredictable Gertrude can act.
The readers begin to see a completely different side of the queen and begin to wonder if the queen should be trusted after they uncover the truth behind Queen Gertrude and King Claudius’ marriage. Her actions could be seen as cold because in a short two months after the death of Hamlet’s father, Gertrude married his brother, Claudius. The queen could have done this in order to maintain Hamlet’s status as prince or she could have had ulterior motives and marred the king so she could keep her power over Denmark. With that, the character of Queen Gertrude would have to carry an arrogant and sneaky attitude with her all throughout the play, which causes the viewers to constantly question her motives.
Gertrude’s character now takes a drastic change, which allows the viewers to really see how I envision the queen to been a conniving person and this occurs just prior to and moments after Ophelia’s death. Things start to connect after the king speaks upon Ophelia’s present condition and how she too is now acting insane, he says, “…all from her father’s death – and now behold… next, your son gone, and he most violent author…” (75-79) The queen now sees the king’s real intentions of wanting Hamlet dead because he has caused so much destruction to Denmark. With Ophelia’s change in behavior and connections being made to Hamlet, such as Hamlet sending her love letters in the beginning of the play and even then the queen denied it, she had to get everyone to believe Ophelia was just acting insane on her own account. There is no better way to have this done by claiming Ophelia mysteriously drowned.
Suspiciously enough, the queen was the first person to report Ophelia’s death and she did so with such detail, “there is a willow grows askaunt the brook,/ That shows his hoary leaves in the glassy stream,/ Therewith fantastic garlands did she make…” (166-168) In addition, the queen would present her lines in such a tone of calamity and ease that the viewers will suspect the queen killed Ophelia. In act five scene one, the queen is shown throwing flowers on her grave and the stage direction would show her as simply throwing the flowers anywhere and in an aggressive manner as she says, “Sweets to the sweet, farewell! … I thought thy bridge bed to have decked sweet maid,/ And not have strew’d thy grave.” (229-232) Her tone would be cheerful and there would be quite, joyful music playing in the background. The music is important because its quite volume reflects her inner feelings of satisfaction and simultaneously contrasts the dark and gloomy setting, with dead trees scattered around and an eerie feeling to reflect the uncertainty many felt about where Ophelia should be buried. setting
My vision of having the viewers believe the queen is conniving and clever would be complete by act five scene two when she drinks the poison intended for Hamlet. Although the king told the queen not to drink the wine, she said to him, “I will, my Lord, I pray you pardon me” (273) and she delivers these lines in a quite tone, one that shows she accepts the fact that she knowingly is about to kill herself. Her words imply that she hopes the king will forgive her and her actions are viewed as courageous for dying to save her son, however, her cleverness prevails once again because she knows her actions thus far will not lead her to heave, however, her tone and slow movements allude to the idea that she hopes her final solemn actions will be viewed as repentance and allow her to go to heaven.
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