Art Encounter #2 Poem by Poe

To My Mother

Because I feel that, in the Heavens above,
      The angels, whispering to one another,
    Can find, among their burning terms of love,
      None so devotional as that of "Mother,"
    Therefore by that dear name I long have called you-
      You who are more than mother unto me,
    And fill my heart of hearts, where Death installed you
      In setting my Virginia's spirit free.
    My mother- my own mother, who died early,
      Was but the mother of myself; but you
    Are mother to the one I loved so dearly,
      And thus are dearer than the mother I knew
    By that infinity with which my wife
      Was dearer to my soul than its soul-life.

     One of my personal favorite writers is Edgar Allan Poe. Poe has been known  as the 'master of the horror tale' and has been said to be the most 'unhappy' American poet. In my opinion, he has some of the best pieces I have ever read. For this blog, I decided to find a poem by Poe that I have never seen before, so I chose To My Mother. This poem was created in 1849 after the death of his wife in 1847. I was surprised I had never seen this poem because it has a strong voice. It ended up being looked down upon because of it's meaning, and did not get published in very many books. I enjoyed finding and reading this poem, and I am sure you will too.

SOUND: When reading the poem out loud, it contains a musical flow, and an obvious rhyme scheme. It follows as abab cdcd efef gg. It consists of end rhymes, and included the word 'you' many times to make it stand out. Unlike most of his other poem's, Poe does not really use alliteration or assonance in this poem.

FORM: This poem is clearly a sonnet based on the rhyme scheme stated above. It is also a lyric because it is pretty short.

MEANING: This poem was written to his aunt Maria, who was also his wife Virginia's mother. Poe married his first cousin when she was 13. Maria lived with Poe and Virginia their entire 12 years of marriage. In lines five and six, he is saying that she has always been a mother to him, and she meant even more to him than just a mother. In lines seven and eight, he speaks of Virginia's death, which was a very devastating issue for him. Poe is saying that Maria was more of a mother to him than his own mother because she was also the mother of his wife. He goes on to explain the difference between the two women in lines thirteen and fourteen, as if to clarify the reasoning why he loves her so much. A think a symbol that Poe uses is the word angel, which signifies beauty and perfection. He also makes the illusion of death to be happy and peaceful. The work of art's context is historical of the events in his life.

MY PERSON ENCOUNTER: The second that I read this poem, I knew it was the one I was going to write about. I am upset that a lot of people disregarded it because it is so deep and meaningful. Yet that is the basis for all of Poe's literature. This poem made me feel for Poe. Like a lot of his work, it is depressing. Poe lived a very lonely life full of traumatic experiences, and when I read this poem, I almost felt his pain. That is something only great writers can do. Many people have claimed they have broken down to this poem every time they read it because they can relate. Many people have different opinions for why Poe wrote about such sad things. My personal opinion is because many people he loved passed away, and he lived a life full of loneliness.

It is easy to see why Poe was such an amazing writer. His works may be dark, but they are also very meaningful. I hope you enjoyed this poem just as much as I did.



Rights of Women (Concept Blog #2)

     There are many aspects of the Enlightenment that have influenced modern life today. One aspect that really sticks out to me is women during the Enlightenment. Today, when have just as many rights as men do. We can vote, go to school, work anywhere, and even hold political standings. Before the Enlightenment era, these things were un-thought of. The Enlightenment helped pave the way for women to be where they are today.
     It has not been an easy battle for women to be where they are today. Although the Enlightenment did not give women much, it did give women opportunity to speak up and fight for the women's rights movement . It was only about 50 years later until women were holding conventions for their rights.



       One women that really stands out from the Enlightenment was Olympe De Gouges. She was a very smart women, who in a way was one of the first women to really take a physical stand towards women's rights. "As many feminists have done since, de Gouges both asserted woman's capability to reason and make moral decisions, and pointed to the feminine virtues of emotion and feeling" (Lewis). She stood strong to what she believed in, and wouldn't back down, even if it meant execution.

     This brilliant woman just wanted women to open their eyes and see that they were equal to men. In response to the Declaration of the Rights of Man, Olympe De Gouges created the Declaration of the Rights of Woman. Creating something like this was shocking for people at the time, especially since she was female. She created this because the Declaration of the Rights of Man "did not address the political and social restrictions confronting women in the French state" (Rogers 82). In this declaration, she demanded freedoms to women such as education, voting, and more. She is much like the women in the following generations that fought for equality, and eventually, women's rights.

    It is hard for women today to understand just how hard it was for women back then. In a way, we take for granted what women fought so hard for in the past. Women like Olympe have really shaped the world we live in today. If it was not for women like Olympe De Gouges, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Susan B. Anthony, we might have never made the first steps for the rights we have today. their voices inspired women to join the movement, and speak up for themselves.

     I believe that women will always have their rights from now on. This idea has persisted for centuries, and will continue to persist in the modern world and generations later. Women from the past fought for a world that we live in today. I am sure that if Olympe De Gouges could see the equality women have now thanks to people like her, she would be very proud. It is amazing to know that women made it their life to create equality between men and women, even if it cost them their lives. They are true heroines, and should always be remembered from time to time. We women today live the ideal life thanks to them.



The Baroque Age Of Sculpture (edited links)

     In the 17th century, there was a huge movement in the Baroque Age to move beyond the ideal embodiment of the human form of the Renaissance. It was called the Baroque Movement. Now, the artists centered on imagination, detail content, and realism. Jan Vermeer  and Artemisia Gentileschi are the two artists I am going to pay the most attentions to. The paintings of these two magnificent artists go much deeper than what is on the outside.
     Jan Vermeer created the painting known as Woman Holding a Balance. It was created in 1664, and was painted on an oil canvas, (Dutch 1632-1675). His paintings have more of a quiet tone, and focused in on women in a quiet time. His painting is spiritual, especially when you look at the painting behind her. The light seems to perfectly light her face and the balance. As our book states, "it depicts the Last Judgment with Christ separating the damned on the bottom left and the saved above" (Rogers 31). The women has her eyes closed, and her head is slightly tilted, which gives off the impression she is finding not only the balance of her jewelry, but an inner balance as well. This is definitely a religious painting. It seems that in many of his paintings, he emphasizes the light flowing in the room. To see some of his other excellent pieces of art visit Jan Vermeer. When I look at this painting I see time and effort. It makes me feel calm and quiet, and almost uncertain in some ways.

         Artemisia Gentileschi created a very interesting piece of art for the Baroque time. Her painting is called Judith Slaying Holofernes (1612-1621). Gentileschi learned art from her father who was also a painter in Rome. During the Baroque period, women were at a huge disadvantage when it came to art. Most of her art contains strong females, who are in turn way stronger than the males. This is very unique for her time. The painting has a dark background, and shows a man and two women. The man seems to be pushing one woman away, but the other has him at the neck with a sword (which looks like a crucifix). What stands out to me the most is their faces. I feel like Gentileschi really wanted people to notice the faced the three humans were making. The man is scared, but the women are very content, and assured of what they are doing. I feel this would go under philosophical because it is showing a 'karma' outcome. I really enjoy this painting. To learn more about Artemisia Gentileschi visit Artemisia .



     These two artists during the Baroque movement have created paintings that will influence art forever. They are legends from the movement, and have many other master-pieces than the two you have just seen. There are many other great artists from the time period, but these two stuck out the most to me. There is a lot of dimension and heart in these works, and they shall be remembered as influential Baroque artists.

Galileo Affecting our World Today

There is not many people who have not heard the name Galileo Galilee. He is a remarkable and smart man who in theory paved the way for our modern technology. His interest in the world, and how things work is identical to our modern scientists goal. Every scientist and astronomer want to figure out something new, and a way to understand how everything works. They all develop theories and try and prove themselves, which is just like Galileo himself. To learn more about him you can visit http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/galileo/life.html . It is safe to say that Galileo and his discoveries have influenced the modern world, and will continue to do so in the future.

            It is safe to say that Galileo was a mathematician. He studied math, and even became the chair of a mathematics department in Venice. His used his math skills to make scientific observations about the world around him. Is that not what every scientist does? Make observations of the world around them? Also, like most scientists today, he made mistakes and wrong theories. Galileo himself decided to conduct experiments with an object called a pendulum, and it was then successfully used to measure pulses. The theory of making instruments to conduct a goal (such as taking a pulse) has later become a goal for many other scientists. Galileo just started them off with the idea. To learn more about the pendulum visit http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/galileo/expe_flash_4.html .

            Galileo used other discoveries to advantage, which is also something we continue to do today. He learned of the telescopic lenses and decided to make his own telescope. When finished, he studies the things many people never studied before, trying to make educated guesses and new observations. To lern more on his telescope visit http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/galileo/telescope.html . With his studies, Galileo learns more about the Earth and other planets according to the sun, and is looked at as a liar who does not know what he is talking about. Although his ideas were shunned, he did not give up. With this example I think of the whole science vs. religion. Although scientists have made many discoveries of the aging of the world, and the past, religious people do not believe it. To this day, nobody wants to believe that what they have always believed in is wrong, so they do not take in new discoveries. They prevent themselves from learning and making new observations. That still has not changed to this day.

            Galileo used technology and speculations to provide evidence on new facts and theories. Galileo proved things that almost seemed impossible at the time, just like modern people do today. Nobody ever thought we could create the things we have created today, and learn the things we now know to be true. Galileo challenged the speculations to find out the real answer, which is the basis for what all scientists do today. His open mind, persistence, and his sense of exploring new things can be related to our modern world people today.

            Galileo’s work as an astrologist has paved future generations to be curious, and not just accept something without proof. He has taught us to use instruments and ideas to conduct experiments. Another thing he taught us is that you should never give up on things, even if the world turns its back on you. The way he conducted his experiments, and the way he curved the way we look at the world around us will continue to persist in the modern world for generations.



My first Western World Blog

Hi my name is Devin and I am looking forward to reading your blogs. Making blogs is actually quite fun if you take the time!

Texting Tidal Wave (Revised)

We can all agree that technology has changed the way we go about our lives, in good ways and in bad. I want to focus primarily on the way cell phones have changed our way of living. I also want to talk about how texting has made my life miserable. Every year cell phones change, and so do the people holding them.
            When I first started high school, my parents didn't think twice about letting me have a cell phone. In high school these days, gossip spreads like wildfire thanks to the influence of cell phones. I got the first hand view on how things changed when I started school because I was the only one without a phone. When I talked to people, I listened to the person talking to me, and got a first-hand glimpse of what was going on in my circle of friends. By the time my senior year came around, I found myself talking to walls. People became way more interesting in their texts, then my voice. I remember getting that hold on a second finger like 10 times in half an hour. Then came the rules. There were so many rules about not having your cell phone in class, and people still did it. It was the whole sneak it under the desk when the teacher is not looking and it never really worked. The punishment for breaking this rule was your cell phone was taken and locked up until a parent came and got it. Seems pretty childish.

This is something I wouldn't have imagined when I first started high school. If you walk through a cafeteria at lunch time these days, you will likely see 3/4ths of the student’s have their heads planted into their cell phones. My favorite of course is when people bump in to you because they are walking and texting. I am almost completely against texting in general. Texting has changed the way we interact with one another.

 A huge issue we are seeing today is texting and driving. People are dying left and right because of texting while driving or being hit by someone texting. In my eyes, texting while driving is almost the same as drinking and driving. Both impair your judgment on the road. Statistics are even showing texting and driving kills more people. States are banning texting and driving now, and I just cannot believe it has gone that far. http://texting-while-driving.org/tag/texting-while-driving-statistics shows you the comparisons between drunk driving and texting while driving.

            I know there are many people who completely disagree with me. Some people feel texting is the greatest thing to ever happen on Earth. They do not need to call someone all the time, they can just shoot them a quick text. Now, you can also access the internet on your phone. I feel this just means there will be more people bumping in to me now. Another huge problem with texting and cell phones is cheating, which was why it was banned in schools in the first place. People now have the ability to text the answers to tests to other students. What happened to the good old write the answers on the eraser trick? In a recent study, more than 1/3 of teens admit to cheating with cell phones. To see the other parts of this study, visit  http://www.commonsensemedia.org/hi-tech-cheating .

           Overall, I feel texting is doing more bad than good for us. People need to quit texting and driving, and cheating through their phones. In the end, it is not worth it. I cannot believe it has gotten this bad, and I hope the future improves. Almost all teens have cell phones now, and it just keeps increasing. It is a dangerous tool.



Foretelling the Future

     Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 is a science fiction book that has proven itself over the past 50 years. I feel that Bradbury really felt that censorship and knowledge were going to head down hill, and in many ways, it has. A few years ago, a thirteen year old girl took a brand new Harry Potter book to school, and ended up with detention. For a long while, Harry Potter was banned from schools. This was due to the magic and the fact that many people had classified it as 'satanic.' Does this story remind me a lot of the information that Fahrenheit 451 predicted? Yes, it truly does. It was not until a few years later that it was allowed in the school libraries. I feel that schools should be encouraging children to read, not giving them detention based on the book. This makes me feel Bradbury was right in predicting the future. In many ways, censorship can be both good and bad. To learn more about the thirteen year old and whether or not censorship is good or bad visit http://www1.epinions.com/content_2629345412.

     No matter what, people will have different views about whether or not television and the Internet has destroyed American's ability to read and think critically about ideas. It is actually a very good argument because both sides have great points. Many people can argue and say shows like Dora, CSI, and the Internet itself has indeed helped to make us smarter. Dora teaches you how to read and write in Spanish, CSI has helped us with our critical thinking skills, and the Internet has allowed us to further our knowledge. On the other hand, many people say the Internet and television has completely dumbed people down. The television is thinking for you now, and you are no longer thinking for yourself. Or, instead of using critical thinking to figure something out, you just hop on the Internet. Things like Microsoft Word has made it to where people lose the ability to read and write because they just spell check it. My position on this argument is that it has not destroyed the ability to read and think critically. I feel it has helped us in the long run. There are more goods than bads in my opinion. To see the many different views visit http://www.frihost.com/forums/vt-68796.html.

    This last topic of whether or not authorities will burn our books for the good of the people is hard to grasp. Do I think they will burn books for the good of the people, definitely not. Do I feel that authorities will burn books if they are conspiring against the government or higher figures, yes. That is a hard and out there answer to give, but if books are making mass amounts of people hate the government and conspire against them, I could not say no they wouldn't burn the books for their own good. The other point is no I do not feel the people will allow this to happen. Ray Bradbury is a man that has inspired people to not allow this to happen without a fight. I feel the authorities would not burn all books, but maybe a few if the time comes to it. People can argue and say this would never happen, but I have learned to never say the word never. Technically burning books is not illegal in most cases, so lets hope and pray our world does not end up like Fahrenheit 451. In our time, many books have been banned, to see a list visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_books_banned_by_governments

     In conclusion, Fahrenheit 451 did predict our future in some ways. Yet, I still do not believe that television and the Internet is destroying our ability to think critically. Do I feel we will ever come to a time where the government and authorities burn books? Not necessarily but maybe. If this happens it is definitely not for the good of the people.