The City that Does Not Sleep

Another poem that Mrs. Healey posted has interested me. The City that Does Not Sleep contains many paradoxes. We all know that we do sleep, and we all know that dreams do exist. The paradox lies in the fact that we believe they exist, but all we know is what we have experienced in our lives. Who knows whether the real world is actually reality? We could be living the dream, and experiencing “real life” when we dream. Thus, we are not even really sure of what dreams are. Therefore, even though we experience them, who’s to say that they actually do exist? In addition to paradoxes, there are many nature references in the poem.
All of the references to animals portray nature as a wild animal. The poem says, “The living iguanas will come and bite the men who do not dream.” Since no one can dream according to the poem, the “iguanas” will come and bite everyone. I believe that nature in the form of the iguana represents death.This may have to do with the circle of life, because everyone must die eventually. Also in the poem is intense imagery that made my imagination run wild. Fore example, “We will watch the preserved butterflies rise from the dead,” is a really interesting image to me. The author seems to really emphasize the idea of life and death especially in nature. These dark and deathly images interest me. When the poem says "Careful! Careful! Careful!", it seems to me as if the author is giving the reader a warning. He is warning that life will not be easy, and we must all make sacrifices in order to attain true happiness. This again repeats the serious tone of the poem, and brings my attention to the fact that everything dies.

The Force That Through the Green Fuse Drives the Flower

I read this poem that Mrs. Healey posted on the blog and it interested me. To me, it is about the vitality of nature. All throughout the poem, nature is described in full detail. In my opinion, the word "fuse" is used to describe the root or stalk of the plant. The author uses this description because just like a fuse, the root of a plant contains the "electricity" of the plant, and keeps the plant alive through the energy it receives. This makes me think of nature as all united as one, and really gives the poem a feeling of unity and connection, since all plants have roots. Next, the "force" the author is describing is the flower that the "fuse" is connected to. All of the nutrients pass through "the fuse" to get to the "force". I was confused when I read about the "destroyer", but I believe that the destroyer is once again referring to the flower. Since the poem revolves around nature, it is obvious to emphasize the idea that no living things can live forever. Therefore, the destroyer could be the element of death that eventually strikes upon all living things. I also noticed that the author used many paradoxes in this poem, such as "wintry fever", and "crooked rose". I think the author uses paradoxes because he's saying that even in times when nature and living things were most lively, he still thought of death all around him because eventually all things die. He uses dark depressing terms such as "dried steams" and "rotted roots", as well as lively and energetic terms such as "a mouth sucking life" and "pulsing red blood". This poem really spoke to me because the author is talking about the idea that everything is short-lived and can not exist forever, especially the beauty of nature. This poem inspires me to live each day as if it is my last because it reminds me that you only live once.

The Road

I recently started reading the book The Road by Cormac McCarthy. At first, the book caught my interest because it is about the post-apocalypse. I like to read about apocalyptic theories and ideas because one day it may actually happen. It reminds me of the movie Terminator, which is one of my favorite movies, so I decided to read it. The Road is about a father and a son trying to survive the post-apocalyptic time period. The love between the father and son made the story better to me, but also made my anxiety go through the roof because I felt more sympathetic for the characters and wanted to know the outcome of their story. While the book is pulling on my emotions, it also catches my interest with all of the gore and action that is taking place.  The hopelessness of the characters is encouraging me to read on. I always think about what will happen if an apocalypse were to take over earth, and this book is an answer to many of my theoretical questions. I am excited to see the outcomes of the characters, and all of the adventure that will hopefully take place throughout the book.

Couching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

Li Mu Bai has such a strong desire to teach Jen because she displays so much potential of being a great master. Jen is one of kind, she developed on our own with no guidance. Nobody has taught her through her lifetime. She usually gets what she wants with hard work and being stealthy. Li is interested in her throughout the movie even though she does not show him any respect at all. Jen is focused on one thing and that is to gain possession of the Green Destiny. The Green Destiny is a all powerful sword and whoever has possession of it is almost impossible to defeat. Li knows she has a distant mind and can only see one thing. He wants to train her and become one of the greatest master ever to live. Li and Jen have two very different fighting styles. Jen fights with a lot of power and attacks very hard all the time. She gives maximum effort for every strike. Li uses his inner skills to defeat his opponent. It looks like that he barely uses any effort to fight his opposition. With his smart mind and years of training, combined with Jen's fighting skills can be one the greatest combo ever. That is why he does not give up on her. As a Wudan Master, he is very peaceful and graceful on everything he does. He does not judge people on what their background is. He always thinks people have the opportunity to change. Li Mu Bai believes Jen has the ability to change. He tries talking to her throughout the film, but she will not give in. He never gets frustrated with her or gets upset. He keeps his inner peace and tries to persuade her before his death. His mental teachings during the various fights helps her make a decision before the film is over. Li believed that she was different. She was a warrior who learned  amount on her own. A person with that much ability can be great. Li sees that early on in the film. She is constant with her moves, has a good abiltiy, and has a tough mind. Unfortunately, her stubbornness gets in the way and never allows Li to properly teach her .