Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote a poem "Aurora Leigh" that is a Kunstlerroman, or coming of age story for an artist. Aurora's life is paralleled with E.B.B.'s own life. Aurora faces a fork in the road when she realizes her life's dream is to become a respected poet. Romney proposes to her and she declines his offer. Being with him would mean her own dreams wouldn't be allowed, she would only be helping him accomplish his own. There is no doubt we have all had those moments where we have to encounter our Romney and explain our dreams or accept his.
My mothers always wanted me to become a doctor or scientist. Doctors make a lot of money after all. However I have the habit of passing out around blood. My father would like for me to do something I love. I love talking with people about their lives. Perhaps a psychologist would be the thing for me. However my father has his masters in counseling and pointed out it's a very depressing career listening to peoples problems, addictions, and secrets day in and day out. Of my four siblings only my oldest sister has accomplished her goals, or she was the only one that had any. My brothers simply work odd jobs here and there. None of my other family members have done anything to brag about either. My father would love to be able to say his daughter was a doctor, or rocket scientist, and I'm sure my mother would like very much to know I had achieved some genius degree that pays loads of money. With the intention of accomplishing things to make my family proud I am majoring in biology and minoring in chemistry and psychology. Hopefully I'll become a children's dentist one day (I can deal with that amount of blood).
I'm going into my junior year and I've began thinking alto about what I want and need for myself. I sometimes doubt whether I enjoy science as much as someone majoring in it should. My grades are good, but to be a genius doctor you need a GPA above a 4.0 no doubt. Getting into med school is extremely competitive. Every time I bring up this topic with my parents I'm always told to just focus on my grades. I refuse to quit on a degree I've began, but will it make me happy in the end to do this the rest of my life? In a way I feel like an Aurora who is engaged to her Romney. An Aurora who has put someone else before herself. I'm a Tabitha committed to making her family proud and setting a new tone for my family's achievements.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
Connecting and Seperating
In the Victorian Era in Britain, the people of the age were caught in a worlewind of technology and innovation. Trains were cutting travel times drastically. This led to fasted transportation of not only people but also of goods and ideas. Factories were changing production from individually crafted to mass produced. Not only changing production but also the lives of people. People were cramming into the cities. With other inventions such as the telegraphy, photography, and steam ships, everything was being touched by change. Some people adapted with these changes. Others fought them with all their might. In our lifetime we've seen the Facebook revolution in its fullest. How has Facebook effected our lives?
Before Facebook communication was mainly done via telephone, email, or personal interaction. But since its creation, it has changed the way we communicate forever, just like the Victorian Era's communication. Facebook began as a college social network (as anyone would know who has seen "The Social Network"). It quickly spread to be worldwide. I personally feel Facebook has connected us and separated us in many ways.
Now it is common to here the phrase "Facebook me" or "did you see what so-and-so put on Facebook?" We find out more about people on facebook than in real life. I can watch my baby nephew growing up on my sister's Facebook page without so much as ever even seeing him. I can chat with my friend in Denmark with out ever even hearing her laugh.
There is no doubt we are connected to each other more than ever through Facebook, but how has it damaged communication? I know a number of friends who will talk on Facebook with a new friend and later realize that person never talks to them in actual passing on the Quad. What will we say on Facebook that we would never really say? Businesses often research a perspective employee on Facebook before hiring. I personally have a friend who wasn't hired for a teaching position due to a photo of her holding a drink from years before. Facebook is a personal archive. Perhaps too personal.
Like a said, there is no doubt Facebook is connecting us. But it is also destroying communication skills. Some people don't understand that EVERYONE can see what they put on Facebook. Facebook is a tool for communication but should not be relied upon to heavily as our culture is doing. Facebook has changed the way we communicate forever. It's just not that personal anymore.
Before Facebook communication was mainly done via telephone, email, or personal interaction. But since its creation, it has changed the way we communicate forever, just like the Victorian Era's communication. Facebook began as a college social network (as anyone would know who has seen "The Social Network"). It quickly spread to be worldwide. I personally feel Facebook has connected us and separated us in many ways.
Now it is common to here the phrase "Facebook me" or "did you see what so-and-so put on Facebook?" We find out more about people on facebook than in real life. I can watch my baby nephew growing up on my sister's Facebook page without so much as ever even seeing him. I can chat with my friend in Denmark with out ever even hearing her laugh.
There is no doubt we are connected to each other more than ever through Facebook, but how has it damaged communication? I know a number of friends who will talk on Facebook with a new friend and later realize that person never talks to them in actual passing on the Quad. What will we say on Facebook that we would never really say? Businesses often research a perspective employee on Facebook before hiring. I personally have a friend who wasn't hired for a teaching position due to a photo of her holding a drink from years before. Facebook is a personal archive. Perhaps too personal.
Like a said, there is no doubt Facebook is connecting us. But it is also destroying communication skills. Some people don't understand that EVERYONE can see what they put on Facebook. Facebook is a tool for communication but should not be relied upon to heavily as our culture is doing. Facebook has changed the way we communicate forever. It's just not that personal anymore.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Keats' Past Influences
John Keats was a famous poet of the second generation romantics of British literature. I feel his upbringing influenced the way he wrote and what he wrote about. How did his past reflect in his writing and why did he allow it to reflect on his personal life?
Keats parents weren't upper class. His father was a stable keeper who married the owners daughter, however they were able to send Keats to a good boys school. His father died when he was only nine. Quickly after his mother remarried and ran off with her husband for the next four or five years, leaving Keats and his siblings to live with their grandparents. Despite his mothers neglect, Keats adored her. On her return due to sickness he cared for her until she died when he was fourteen. He was trained as a apothecary but eventually fell into the favor with some well known poets who encouraged his writing to the point that he is now famous for. He died very young at the age of 25 from tuberculosis, the same disease that took his mother. With his medical training there is not doubt he saw the signs of his approaching death.
In Keats poem "Ode to the Grecian Urn" he is admiring how the pictorial story on the urn will always be the same. The people on the urn will always be together and the moments they're in will be constant. But he also realizes that even though they will be together forever, they won't have the opportunity to enjoy life. The men chasing the women will never catch her. The couple will never be able to finally kiss. All because they're frozen in those moments. It seems as if Keats is mourning the quickly approaching end of his own life and wishes he could freeze or cherish moments in his own life. But at the same time he is grateful he at least got to experience the moments in reality.
In his poem "Ode to Psyche" Keats tells a story of the mythological Psyche. She was the most beautiful women and bragged about it to the point where Venus sent her son Cupid to punish her. Cupid immediately fell in love with Psyche and her with him. However Cupid would only come to her at night and wouldn't let her see him. One night she lit a torch and greatly angered Cupid who cast her out of his favor. To get back to his love Psyche had to complete a number of tasks. She eventually did achieve them and won back not only the love of Cupid but won over his mothers favor who promoted Psyche to a goddess. Keats seems to stubble upon Cupid and Psyche and falls in love with her. He is so enamored by her his decided to build a temple for her to out do all her past lovers. However this temple his in his mind where they can meet when ever he likes. Perhaps Keats had to build a temple for his mother in his mind in a sense. When she disappeared after his fathers death when he needed her most he needed to cope. He may have done it by overly-building her up in his mind rather than focusing on the betrayal.
It seems to me that Keats past is reflected very often in his poems. Perhaps it was just an accidental mental reflection, perhaps it was purposeful to get a point across, whether is be to get his feelings out or to show people they're not alone in what they go through. Whatever his cause, I like how Keats incorporates his past in his poetry. It makes it all the more dimensional.
Keats parents weren't upper class. His father was a stable keeper who married the owners daughter, however they were able to send Keats to a good boys school. His father died when he was only nine. Quickly after his mother remarried and ran off with her husband for the next four or five years, leaving Keats and his siblings to live with their grandparents. Despite his mothers neglect, Keats adored her. On her return due to sickness he cared for her until she died when he was fourteen. He was trained as a apothecary but eventually fell into the favor with some well known poets who encouraged his writing to the point that he is now famous for. He died very young at the age of 25 from tuberculosis, the same disease that took his mother. With his medical training there is not doubt he saw the signs of his approaching death.
In Keats poem "Ode to the Grecian Urn" he is admiring how the pictorial story on the urn will always be the same. The people on the urn will always be together and the moments they're in will be constant. But he also realizes that even though they will be together forever, they won't have the opportunity to enjoy life. The men chasing the women will never catch her. The couple will never be able to finally kiss. All because they're frozen in those moments. It seems as if Keats is mourning the quickly approaching end of his own life and wishes he could freeze or cherish moments in his own life. But at the same time he is grateful he at least got to experience the moments in reality.
In his poem "Ode to Psyche" Keats tells a story of the mythological Psyche. She was the most beautiful women and bragged about it to the point where Venus sent her son Cupid to punish her. Cupid immediately fell in love with Psyche and her with him. However Cupid would only come to her at night and wouldn't let her see him. One night she lit a torch and greatly angered Cupid who cast her out of his favor. To get back to his love Psyche had to complete a number of tasks. She eventually did achieve them and won back not only the love of Cupid but won over his mothers favor who promoted Psyche to a goddess. Keats seems to stubble upon Cupid and Psyche and falls in love with her. He is so enamored by her his decided to build a temple for her to out do all her past lovers. However this temple his in his mind where they can meet when ever he likes. Perhaps Keats had to build a temple for his mother in his mind in a sense. When she disappeared after his fathers death when he needed her most he needed to cope. He may have done it by overly-building her up in his mind rather than focusing on the betrayal.
It seems to me that Keats past is reflected very often in his poems. Perhaps it was just an accidental mental reflection, perhaps it was purposeful to get a point across, whether is be to get his feelings out or to show people they're not alone in what they go through. Whatever his cause, I like how Keats incorporates his past in his poetry. It makes it all the more dimensional.
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