Forever Young?

What does it mean to live? This is a question that many people ponder in their life. And why shouldn’t they? There is a countless number of artists (such as writers, musicians, dancers, and actual artists) that have wrestled with the question. For me to answer this question, I am going to explore poetry (such as Ruben Dario’s “Fatality”), music (such as Nicki Minaj’s “Moment for Life” and Youth Group’s “Forever Young”) , and movies (such as Tuck Everlasting).

“Fatality,” by Ruben Dario is a poem about death and the amount of time a person is given. In “Fatality” there are many lines that depict the fear that comes from the so little time that humans are allowed to spend on earth. For example, Dario wrote, “The tree is happy because it is scarcely sentient; / the hard rock is happier still, it feels nothing: / there is no pain as great as being alive, / no burden heavier than that of conscious life” (1-4). I believe that Dario beautifully captured the fear of the unknown, especially in lines like “And the sure terror of being dead tomorrow, / and to suffer all through life and through the darkness, / and through what we do not know and hardly suspect . . .  / And the flesh that tempts us with bunches of cool grapes, / and the tomb that awaits us with its funeral sprays, / and not to know where we go, / nor whence we came! (7-13). The theme of fearing the unknown and not wanting to die is a very popular one that is present in not only Dario’s works, but other areas of writing as well (such as in music).

This theme is shown in the music industry in songs such as “Forever Young” by Youth Group and “Moment for Life” by Nicki Minaj and Drake. In “Forever Young,” Youth Group addresses of the idea of embracing death and being remembered eternally as youthful and young; verses such as “Let us die young; let us live forever” and “Youth is like diamonds in the sun, and diamonds are forever” show the fascination that the lyricist has with opting not to live forever, but to be absolutely fabulous in the memories of all who knew the speaker and the spoken to in this song. In order to do this, this requires the them to live in the now, which also an issue that Nicki Minaj and Drake address in “Moment for Life.” In “Moment for Life,” there are verses such as “I fly with the stars in the skies. I am no longer trying to survive. I believe that life is a prize, but to live doesn’t mean you’re alive” that illustrate the gift that life is, and reinforce the need to live fabulously (much like the views in “Forever Young”) because you only get to live once. This opinion is also seen in film.

In film, a prime example that I can think of that reinforce this notion that one needs not to fret on the scarcity of time one has to live, but actually doing something with that life is Tuck Everlasting, a film based from the novel by Natalie Babbitt. In the film Tuck Everlasting, the character Winnie Forster is presented with the option to live for all eternity as a young and beautiful young woman with her love, Jesse Tuck and his family. While contemplating the choice, Angus Tuck, the father, says to Winnie, “What we Tucks have, you can’t call it living. We just are. We’re like rocks, stuck at the side of the stream . . . Don’t be afraid of death, Winnie. Be afraid of the unlived life.” What Angus said to Winnie made her decide to live a natural life and die because dying is part of the adventure. This is different from the perspective in “Fatality” because in “Fatality” death isn’t welcomed.

I, personally, think the best way to approach the fear of that comes with death is to embrace, and to live each day as if it is your last. People only have the opportunity to live once, and if you waste what life you have worrying about death, you never really get to live. So, while I can see the beauty in the words that Ruben Dario wrote in his poem, “Fatality,” I believe that the messages from the other works actually have a more positive outlook on life because they welcome the thought of death.

If you’re interested, here are links to Youth Group’s “Forever Young:”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQi8wEHMm5Y

Also, here is a link to Nicki Minaj’s “Moment for Life:”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7GW8TYCEG4

I suggest “Forever Young” more so than “Moment for Life” because I personally am not a fan of R&B music, but it’s really just whatever floats your boat.

Holy Hell

In Pedro Paramo, Juan Rulfo is very specific in the detail that he adds, and by specific, I mean that he uses a lot of imagery that one would associate with Hell and religion.

The thematic set of images that I am going to reflect on is Rulfo’s images of Hell. One way that he used images that make one think of Hell, Rulfo borrowed ideas from Dante’s Inferno. For starters, Rulfo wrote, “In the shimmering sunlight the plain was a transparent lake dissolving mists that veiled a gray horizon. Farther in the distance, a range of mountains. And farther still, faint remoteness” (2626). In Inferno, starts indicate the exit of Hell, and in this passage Rulfo is describing a night sky. In the context of Pedro Paramo, this passage is located in a section in which Pedro Paramo is leaving to begin his search for his father, a task that is haunting him. So, just like in Inferno, the stars can be seen as a sign of freedom, only in Pedro Paramo, he is about to embark on the journey to finding his father, which means he’s one step closer to freedom. Another image of Hell is Rulfo’s use of “crossroads” (2626). In most folklores, crossroads is the place where one goes to make a deal with the devil. So, Rulfo’s use of crossroads also reminds me of Hell. Also in Pedro Paramo, there is a lot of imagery surrounding religion.

In Pedro Paramo, there is was a very strong centralized ordeal about the Priest, and thus religion. In the Pedro Paramo, the Priest accepts money to do sinful blessings. Then there is a scene where the Priest can no longer absolute people because he is not absolute. I am not Catholic, but I know that this is a big deal because if the Priest can’t absolute a person, than that person is not following the laws of Catholicism. I believe that Rulfo uses these types of images to show the sinful nature of the of the community in which Pedro Paramo lives.

In Pedro Paramo, Rulfo uses a lot of imagery that remind me of Hell and religion. He does so by borrowing ideas from Dante’s Inferno, making references such as “crossroads,” and creating a good portion

Feminism in "The Rooftop Dwellers"

In “The Rooftop Dwellers,” Anita Desai exposes the sexist issues that women in India have faced in the past. Desai does so through the characters Tara and Moyna. In the short story, Moyna is a young woman who is trying to create a life of her own, but doing so in the society in which she lives makes this difficult. For example, when Moyna was trying to find a place to live, she was regarded as suspicious because she was a single, working woman. Also, after she finally found a place to live, her having a male visitor complicated her peaceful coexistence with her landlords because that is also not looked very highly on. To further highlighting sexist issues that women in India have faced in the past, Desai subtly introduced the idea of an arranged marriage for Moyna, at the end of the story. Tara, is another female character who faces oppression. Tara is more of a rebellious character who embraces feminism much more aggressively than Moyna, but even she is sometimes shut down by men. For example, there is a scene in the story in which she tries to propose a more creative name to her employer, and instead of being taken seriously he hires another employee (a man) to supervise the work place, and demotes her in a  sense that her new job responsibility is to assist this new employee. Luckily for the Tara and Moyna, and the women who may have regarded “The Rooftop Dwellers” and its issues as inspiration to break free from societal norms of female oppression, Desai writes these women as women who never let their obstacles bring them down.

“A thousand cubs of the Spanish lion are roaming free” -- Ruben Dario

Ruben Dario’s “To Roosevelt” is a rebellious piece that challenges the United States government. Dario states, “You think that life is a fire, / that progress is an irruption, / that the future is wherever / your bullet strikes” (15-18). In these lines Dario points out the violent and arrogant attitude that the United States has about the rest of the world. Dario also states, “O men with Saxon eyes and barbarous souls, / our America lives. And dreams. And loves. / And it is the daughter of the Sun. Be careful. / Long live Spanish America! / A thousand cubs of the Spanish lion are roaming free. / Roosevelt, you must become, by God’s own will, / the deadly Rifleman and the dreadful Hunter / before you can clutch us in your iron claws. / And though you have everything, you are lacking one thing: / God!” (43-52). These lines represent the Latin American’s resistance to the United States violent means.

Even though I am American, I really enjoyed this poem, and I slightly agreed with it (not meaning to sound unpatriotic by any means). I agreed with this poem because my entire life I have grown up hearing about some war that is going on. I have also grown up to understand that Americans have a nasty reputation as spoiled and stupid brats, and I believe that we as Americans (not just our government) are arrogant and think that we are entitled to certain privileges. I never really understood this, however, until I befriended a person from South Korea and learned just how differently we were raised. For example, during my high school years, I always felt that I was entitled to free time because that’s just the way American teenagers think, but Ha Young (my friend from Korea) never had any leisure time to just be a kid until she moved to the United States; she went to a Christian boarding school and was in school from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm, seven days a week. That is so much different than how the American education system is, and it is just one example of how I (along with many other Americans) feel like I am entitled to something for the reason of just because.

Like I said, I really enjoyed this poem. I think it was very creatively put together, and it was easy to read, but it made me think as well. My favorite line was “A thousand cubs of the Spanish lion are roaming free” (47). I loved this line because it just had so much imagery, and it evoked a strong sense of rebellion, ferociousness, and power (because lions always remind me of power). In my opinion, this was the best poem we read in the entire class!

Conflicting Images = Insightful Understanding

In James Joyce’s “The Dead,” there are many contrasting images that make for an interesting read.

For example, the conflicts between Ireland and England are present in the story. For a very long time, Ireland and England have been opposing forces, and the feud is subtly addressed through the character Lily and Gabriel. Gabriel is an Irish writer who writes criticisms of other writers’ works, and mainly British writers. Lily, who is also Irish, is offended by this and calls him out on it. So, even though it is just a petty little encounter, Joyce is subtly addressing a real conflict that has always been and will probably always be alive.

Another contrasting image in “The Dead” is the images that come from the names Gabriel and Michael. In the Bible, Gabriel and Michael are two angels both fighting for God; however, Gabriel is the angel who gives the orders, and Michael is the angel who follows through and receives all the action. This provides for an interesting image because  in the story, Gabriel’s wife’s first love was named Michael, and she would have married Michael, except he died in their youth. Gabriel learned about Michael in, what he thought, was supposed to be a romantic and passionate moment between he and his wife, apparently she did not feel the same way. I believe that the name choice for Gabriel and Michael creates certain implications for how she perceives both Michael and Gabriel, and this makes for very interesting insight.

In James Joyce’s “The Dead,” there are many conflicting images (between Ireland and Britain and between Michael and Gabriel) that provide a more insightful understanding into the story. I felt that the conflicting images made the story more interesting because it made me think a little more about the true meaning of each and every thing written in the story (meaning it made me wonder what had hidden agendas and what did not). I really liked this story, and I’m glad that we read it.

"Sonatina"

When I read Ruben Dario’s “Sonatina,” I was instantly reminded of my childhood when I would spend countless hours watching Disney movies. I remember I was wanted to be one of the beautiful princesses that the movies depicted. They depicted these princesses as beautiful and melodious, but the most important thing (in my five-year-old-self’s opinion) was that in the end of the movie her prince charming would come and they would have true love’s first kiss and she would always end the movie happy. I wanted that happy ending then, but now that I am older, I see that happy ending for what it is: sexist. Disney depicted these women as weak and dependent upon men for a happy and safe ending (not all Disney movies do this, just the ones that I loved the most). People never really question Disney’s methods when movies such as these are made, they just let it be and negatively influence their children; however, Dario did question the formation for how most fairytales are constructed, or he sort of did at least.  In “Sonatina,” the princess is described as the typical fairytale-princess. That is, she is unhappy with her surroundings, so she weeps, and people try to console her, but she is under the impression that only her prince charming can come and save her from her misery. In the end, however, Dario writes, “‘Hush, Princess, hush,’ says her fairy godmother; / ‘the joyous knight who adores you unseen / is riding this way on his winged horse, /  a sword at his waist and a hawk on his wrist, / and comes from far off, having conquered Death, / to kindle your lips with a kiss of true love!’” (43-48). These lines may appear to be the happy ending that Sonatina would wish to hear, but the way it sounds in the context of the poem is almost mocking and patronizing. Thus, mocking the typical fairytale formation of writing. I like this poem because even though I loved Disney movies as a little girl, I wish (now that I am older) that they would have created a few more movies like Mulan, in which the heroine is not dependent on a prince to complete her happiness, and I think that Dario does a good job at making this notion almost seen absurd and ridiculous to expect in the first place.

"Jerusalem"

Another poem that I really enjoyed reading in World Classics was “Jerusalem” by Yehuda Amichai. I enjoyed this one because it had a theme of things that are different can be the same. This is a theme because the poem depicts Jerusalem and the outside city. He describes the two cities as being enemies and hating the other, but he also uses the same images to describe their hatred. He does not only uses similar images between the two to depict the animosity between the two cities, but he also uses similar images to depict the similarity between the two (such as youth). Amichai states, “On a roof in the Old City / laundry hanging in the late afternoon sunlight: / the white sheet of a woman who is my enemy, / the towel of a man who is my enemy, / to wipe of his brow” (1-5). This stanza shows symbols used to explain the hatred between the two cities, but what’s interesting about the symbols of sheets and towels is that they are both items that people in both of the cities would use. He also states, “In the sky of the Old City / a kite. / At the other end of the string, / a child / I can’t see / because of the wall” (6-11). This stanza shows that in both cities there are children who do not understand the reasoning behind the hatred between the two cities because they are young, innocent, and naïve. And because of all of these traits, they enjoy the same things in life as other children: freedom and adventure, much like the freedom and adventure that can come from a kite. The last stanza really shows a similarity between the two cities because Amichai states, “We have put up many flags, / they have put up many flags. / To make us think that they‘re happy. / To make us think that we‘re happy” (12-15).  This stanza shows the similarity between the two cities because it shows that both cities want the other to see the pride being emitted from each other their cities, and to make a statement for what they believe in, but they both aren’t really that happy. How could they be? They are immersed in a surrounding filled with hatred and animosity.

"God Has Pity on Kindergarten Children"

Yehuda Amichai compares the maturity that comes with growing up to the God’s pity for humans in his poem “God Has Pity on Kindergarten Children.” The poem basically states that only those who are most absolute in their innocence (or the naïve) and those who are true lovers (people who love others and show others mercy, compassion, and protection just as God himself would) will receive pity from him. The poem states, “God has pity on kindergarten children. / He has less pity on school children. / And on grownups he has no pity at all,” (Amichai 1-3). These lines indicated that those who are innocent and naïve are pure, and purity of soul and actions receives mercy. The poem also states, “But perhaps he will watch over true lovers / and have mercy on them and shelter them / like a tree over the old man / sleeping on a public bench” (Amichai 9-12). The last two lines in this stanza are both funny and powerful. They are both of these things because most would think that a homeless man with such misfortune would usually exemplify the image of a person that God has forgotten, but the image of the protective tree shows that God hasn’t forgotten him. The last stanza in this poem states, “Perhaps we too will give them / the last rare coins of compassion / that Mother handed down to us, / so that their happiness will protect us / now and in other days” (Amichai 13-17). This is the stanza that implies that as humans with wisdom and understanding, we have an obligation to follow God’s example and act as he would toward those who need it the most. I really liked this poem because I was raised to live my life to help those who need it the most, and I liked seeing the general concept of my upbringing so beautifully worded.

"If I Forget Thee, Jerusalem"

In his poem, “If I Forget Thee, Jerusalem,” Yeruda Amichai compares the heavenly city of Jerusalem. Understanding that Amichai was raised Jewish helps one understand the loving commitment that he feels for Jerusalem, thus the creation of such a powerful and emotional comparison. I really liked this poem because even though I am no Jewish (I am a Christian), I see Jerusalem as a very influential city because that is where The Bible describes the birth of Jesus Christ. So because I feel very strongly about God and Jesus, I had a very emotional response when I read this poem because if there is one thing in this world that I love more than God, it is my mother.

"Squares and Angles" Vs. "Little Boxes"

We have read many poems in World Classics, and of all of them, my favorite is has been "Squares and Angles" by Alfonsina Storni. “Squares and Angles” is a poem about conformity and the sadness, or perhaps shock, that it caused Storni. We can maybe think that it caused her sadness and shock because she said, “Yesterday I myself cried a tear, / My God- square” (8-9). Her use of “My God” (9) makes me think that she is shocked to be square, like the rest of the people living in her neighborhood, but it also makes me think that it feels her with dread because why else would she have cried a tear? Maybe it’s because she already knew that she was square, or maybe it is because the shock truly alarmed her.
While I was reading “Squares and Angles” it actually reminded me a lot of “Little Boxes” by Malvina Reynolds. I first heard the song “Squares and Angles” on Showtime’s television series, Weeds. The song is very similar to the poem because they both refer to all the immediate-surrounding houses as being similar to each other. Storni wrote, “Houses in a row, houses in a row, / Houses in a row. / Squares, squares, squares. / Houses in a row” (1-4), and Reynolds wrote, “Little boxes on the hillside, / Little boxes made of ticky tacky, / Little boxes on the hillside, / Little boxes all the same” (1-4). The similarity between the two pieces is very apparent, and it helped me like and understand the poem a little better because I love the song.

And if you're interested, here is a link to "Little Boxes." :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8StRAJCork