Blogs. CM1120 #10

My final post, is going to be about blogs.

Writing these blogs gives someone a whole new perspective about what you are reading. It isn't an essay explaining your understanding of the topic, and it isn't a summary of what you think you've read. It's something completely different. You need to write how it made you feel, what you believe the other was trying to express, the symbolism, the diction. It is basically the thought process that runs through your mind and flows onto the computer screen after you've read the poem or story. In some cases (like in a few of my own), there is a paragraph of research put into the post, to help you better understand why the poet or author has written what they have. For example in "Those Winter Sundays" I learned that perhaps the author wrote the poem reflecting his own past (although it was not stated it makes sense when you read the authors childhood background). Other cases may be posts like this. They are related to the course, but not completely on a story or a poem, maybe they were extensions of your mind's thoughts after reading a poem (as in how my previous post was about how the human mind works), or a post about how punctuation really grinds your gears!

I felt like this assignment really expanded my thinking, it made me think and use a larger vocabulary, think about my grammar, and work on my punctuation. It helped me reflect back on some previous points in my life, and relate them to where I stand now in my English language.

I've read some of the other blogs posts from the others in the class, and learned something else. How hard it is to comment on someone else's work! You cannot simply say "Wow! I enjoyed that! It made really made me think about the poem!" You need to express opinions, and points of interest. How hard could that be? Well it's hard if you aren't really sure about the poem or story yourself! That is why I slightly enjoyed going off topic in my posts, although they are still related to the CM 1120 class, I believe they are more relatable by other students who may not have read "The Red Convertable" or "My Mistress' Eyes be Nothing Like The Sun" (sorry if that is wrong). Everyone knows how punctuation can be a pain, and I'm sure everyone can relate to procrastinating on their research paper!

To end this I'd like to state that these posts are due at midnight tonight, along with 5 comments on other peoples blogs. (Which I am now heading off to do, before starting a long night of studying calculus!)

So thank you all for reading my posts and for all the wonderful comments! I really appreciate it! Also I hope others enjoyed this project as much as I did.

Eleanor Rigby CM1120 #9

I know you are expecting this blog to be about Eleanor Rigby, all the lonely people, and how the Beatles had written the song, why, etc. But instead, I am going to share with you a thought that popped into my mind.

I was sitting here, pondering so hard over what I should write my last two blogs posts about, not having a single clue, not wanting to write about how I felt about another poem or story. When suddenly, a fellow blogger posted a blog about Eleanor Rigby. As I sat here, eating my tofu chicken fettuccine alfredo, I pondered if I should also write a blog post about Eleanor Rigby, as it is a catchy song, and by the Beatles, who are amazing  for hidden meanings in their songs, posters, and videos. Then I started to think about the conspiracy of the death of Paul McCartney. I had once done so much research on this learning about it and understanding it, when suddenly I realized that I can retain this useless information about a bunch of dead guys (mostly), and I can not remember anything from my biology course!

I had my mind blown to pieces. I remember all these little details such as a different colour in one of their posters symbolizing Paul's death, but I can not remember for the life of me the difference between Xylem and Phloem. No matter how truly interesting I am in learning biology (and believe me I am it is so interesting), I can not retain the information. Is it not expressed interestingly enough? Is there to much information for my brain to retain in such a short time? Who knows.

Anyway, it is simply flabbergasting how the human mind works, maybe I'll learn about that in biology some day though.

Things CM1120 #8

What happened is, we grew lonely

living among the things,
so we gave the clock a face,
the chair a back,
the table four stout legs
which will never suffer fatigue.
We fitted our shoes with tongues
as smooth as our own
and hung tongues inside bells
so we could listen
to their emotional language,

and because we loved graceful profiles
the pitcher received a lip,
the bottle a long, slender neck.


Even what was beyond us
was recast in our image;
we gave the country a heart,
the storm an eye,
the cave a mouth
so we could pass into safety.


This poem is a prime example of personification. "What happened is, we grew lonely/living among the things,/" therefore we created personification, giving "the clock a face,/ the chair a back,/ the table four stout legs/". Although this poem expresses many of the different personifications we've created there are also many other examples that aren't quite as obvious. The ocean sings, leaves dance, wind howls, cars are called "she", a mouse attached to your computer is named a "mouse". There are so many other examples of personification, and probably others which haven't even been thought up yet.

I personally love this poem because it uses such an interesting view on objects and the personification given to them, as in a clock with a face. When you say the face of a clock reads 12:45pm with the big hand and the little hand, you do not consciously compare this to a person having a face and hands. You simply know that when the big hand is on the 12 of the face, the person is talking about a clock. When you say the leg of that chair is broken, you do not compare it to the broken leg of a human, it doesn't seem as dramatic. It is only a chair, but it is still a leg.




When I read poems like this, and others, even stories, I often feel a surge of inspiration. I wish I could write as beautifully as some of these authors do. I find it so amazing how much is hidden behind the original reading of a story or poem. I would love to be able to write something with such a beautiful hidden meaning. In the past I have written poems and stories of my own, which almost no one has ever read, and some of them have been long tossed in the garbage, but I never felt that they would ever live up to some of the beautiful readings I've read.Of the people who have read some of the poems etc. that I've written, they were amazed and said it was beautiful. But honestly, I believe it could be a million times better. I suppose that is the thing about people. No matter how good they are at something, no matter how many people believe they are good at it. They never believe they are good enough. Reading poems etc. often make me feel inspired, they also make me feel insignificant, and unable to ever achieve such a greatness.

Writing a research paper- continued CM1120 #7

Q: Do you know what that is?
A: That is a very happy, relaxed kitty, and he/she represents EXACTLY how I feel as of right now. It represents how I feel so well, that when I lie down, all sprawled out of my back, on my bed, I can almost see myself, looking EXACTLY like this kitty, down to the fur and the ears.

Q: Why do you feel like this?
A: I am on the verge of completing the great discovery every first year student should make at about this time of year. DO NOT PROCRASTINATE. Another reason? I am now prepared to start the writing of my research paper (finally only two months late) and that will only take a few hours; therefore; in my mind, I am technically finished this time consuming project! Be happy for me.

If only you knew the grueling process writing this essay has been. I can only imagine what other people are going through, I know there are people who haven't even started, and it's due Thursday.

I was pretty lucky though, because three of the people in class (including myself) are doing the same topic, so we helped each other with the sources. We each found a certain amount of topics each and cited and quoted everything that seemed necessary. Now all we need to do is write out papers.

The worst part about helping each other out, is we cannot edit each others papers. Why, because we do not want to plagerize each others papers. We are not sharing any ideas we have. The only help we could do was to find the information, but that alone was a very big help for us three procrastinaters.

It is very unfortunate though that we are unable to edit each others work, because, who else to help you with your own essay, than someone else who knows about the topic thoroughly. It's very unfortunate.

Now, is the waiting game. Waiting, as in working out brains off until we finish this project in the dread for Thursday morning when it's time to pass it in. Although this project has been nothing more than a pain to us, I consider it a great learning experience. I now know, if a teacher is generous enough to tell you about a project two months in advance, you should probably start it two months in advance. Not only may it be a long project, but it may help to get it out of the way so you can work on your other assignments (which we all know you will have). Especially if the term paper is due, at the end of the term! When you will have assignments and tests and quizzes all due at the same time in the same week.