“‘FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, MONTRESOR!’” cries the ill-fated Fortunado as he dies at the hands of Montresor, the narrator—or so Montresor would like his readers to believe. In “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe, Montresor tells a dramatic recount of a murder he claims to have committed fifty years ago.
While some of Montresor’s account of what might have happened with himself and Fortunato may be accurate, he is overall not a trustworthy narrator. In the very first line of the short story, Montresor tells the reader that he has a negative bias towards the unfortunate Fortunado. “The thousand injuries of Fortunado I had borne as best I could, but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge. You, who so well know the nature of my soul, will not suppose, however, that I gave utterance to a threat.” His opening statement to the short story clearly implies that he had a prior malicious will toward Fortunado, so any account that Montresor gives of Fortunado’s character cannot be taken as something that is certainly true. The reader can tell that Fortunado’s character will be painted unfairly by Montresor. Montresor indeed depicts Fortunado as a rather dull, weak drunkard. Furthermore, from the same opening statement, he shows us that he can be deceptive; he conceals his thoughts towards revenge from Fortunado, so from the very beginning we can tell that he might change or embellish the truth in his story; for what we know, he might have made up the entire tale.
The conclusion of his story also gives reason to question the credibility of Montresor’s tale. “Against the new masonry I reerected the old rampart of bones. For half of a century no mortal has disturbed them.” He claims that all of this happened five decades ago; we can be almost certain that some of the details of this night have become clouded in this crazy man’s memory with the passage of time.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
The Wayne-Sinister Paradox
Bruce Wayne, propelled by his super-identity as Batman, is one of the most successful, well-loved heroes of all time. In Wayne’s fictional world all the citizens of Gotham depend on Batman to save them. Wayne himself is incredibly handsome, talented, wealthy, and strong. In the world we live in, people everywhere love Bruce Wayne. Artists have presented the tales of his heroism in nearly every medium. In the realm of popular culture, a character who started as a comic has become the star of several successful movies, a cartoon show, video games, and even fan-fiction sequels on the internet.
However, in Bucky Sinister’s gritty poem “The Other Universe of Bruce Wayne,” our beloved hero is shown in an entirely different form. “There’s an alternate universe in which Bruce Wayne is poor and I have my shit together,” hopes Sinister in the opening lines of his poem. Through his poem Sinister trades lives with Wayne, focusing on the hardships that Wayne faces as a normal man without all of his fictional grandeur. In this world, Sinister is the only friend of the lonely alcoholic Bruce Wayne. Sinister trades identities with the hero, making us realize either poignantly that without the hype, our superhero is as disappointing as we are; or, reassuringly, making us realize that in a different set of situations, we could be as great as the comic book hero the world loves. Through his use of an unconventional poetic structure and first person narrative, Sinister casts one of our favorite heroes in the light of a normal man, challenging our positive conceptions of Batman and simultaneously giving us chills and comfort in a darkly ironic way.
However, in Bucky Sinister’s gritty poem “The Other Universe of Bruce Wayne,” our beloved hero is shown in an entirely different form. “There’s an alternate universe in which Bruce Wayne is poor and I have my shit together,” hopes Sinister in the opening lines of his poem. Through his poem Sinister trades lives with Wayne, focusing on the hardships that Wayne faces as a normal man without all of his fictional grandeur. In this world, Sinister is the only friend of the lonely alcoholic Bruce Wayne. Sinister trades identities with the hero, making us realize either poignantly that without the hype, our superhero is as disappointing as we are; or, reassuringly, making us realize that in a different set of situations, we could be as great as the comic book hero the world loves. Through his use of an unconventional poetic structure and first person narrative, Sinister casts one of our favorite heroes in the light of a normal man, challenging our positive conceptions of Batman and simultaneously giving us chills and comfort in a darkly ironic way.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Kiwi!
The kiwi devised a tragic scheme
So great was his desire to fly
All in the hope of achieving his dream
With hammer, nails and rope, though dismal it seemed
He tirelessly worked, ceaselessly tried
The kiwi devised a tragic scheme
Nailing trees to a cliff’s side, creating a forest theme
‘twas not gravity, but design he chose to defy
All in the hope of achieving his dream
As he leapt from the cliff, with pure glee did he beam
Without hesitation, not questioning why
The kiwi devised a tragic scheme
And in his eye, a tear did gleam
At last! The wingless bird could fly
All in the hope of achieving his dream
Though to his death he would fall
A life with no dreams is no life at all
The kiwi devised a tragic scheme
All in the hope of achieving his dream.
“Kiwi!” is a short animation made famous on Youtube.
I tried to use Villanelle form because I thought it would be easier than writing a sonnet, but I think now I was wrong—it was difficult to find enough words that rhyme to follow the form.
You may watch the animation here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdUUx5FdySs
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Tyger, tyger, burning bright
In the poem “The Tyger,” William Blake paradoxically uses the tiger as a symbol of many things at the same time. The message of the poem changes depending on which symbol you see in the poem; when the reader is able to see both of the symbols simultaneously, the poem takes on yet another meaning.
Primarily, the tiger in the poem could represent the animal itself. In this interpretation, Blake asks how God could create such an animal as the tiger, a creature that burns with both beauty and terrifying, perhaps evil power. Blake presents the tiger as something fearfully evil.
At the same time, Blake also appears to be asking another question completely unrelated to the one above. The poem seems to describe the production of human made tigers; either stuffed tiger pelts or tiger stuffed animals which try to imitate the likeness of a real tiger. To Blake, all things in nature should be considered holy. The manufacturing of tigers makes a mockery of the majestic creature. To Blake, humans cannot and should not attempt to replicate the tiger’s beauty. In the poem from this perspective, Blake asks how God could allow humans to commit such a crime against nature. Blake’s illustration of the tiger shows the reader what happens when humans turn to industrialism. In its natural setting, the tiger is a majestic and fierce predator. The tiger in the drawing looks rather stupid and stiff; it is a pale representation of a real tiger. Blake uses the words “chain,” “hammer,” and “anvil,” words that are all associated with human industry.
When the two above questions are fused, it appears that Blake asks in “The Tyger” how God could allow something as evil as industrialism to flourish in the world. The tiger is not a victim of industry, but it symbolizes industry itself. Industrialism, like a tiger, is both beautiful and evil to Blake. It represents tremendous opportunity for good, but at the same time, it destroys nature.
Primarily, the tiger in the poem could represent the animal itself. In this interpretation, Blake asks how God could create such an animal as the tiger, a creature that burns with both beauty and terrifying, perhaps evil power. Blake presents the tiger as something fearfully evil.
At the same time, Blake also appears to be asking another question completely unrelated to the one above. The poem seems to describe the production of human made tigers; either stuffed tiger pelts or tiger stuffed animals which try to imitate the likeness of a real tiger. To Blake, all things in nature should be considered holy. The manufacturing of tigers makes a mockery of the majestic creature. To Blake, humans cannot and should not attempt to replicate the tiger’s beauty. In the poem from this perspective, Blake asks how God could allow humans to commit such a crime against nature. Blake’s illustration of the tiger shows the reader what happens when humans turn to industrialism. In its natural setting, the tiger is a majestic and fierce predator. The tiger in the drawing looks rather stupid and stiff; it is a pale representation of a real tiger. Blake uses the words “chain,” “hammer,” and “anvil,” words that are all associated with human industry.
When the two above questions are fused, it appears that Blake asks in “The Tyger” how God could allow something as evil as industrialism to flourish in the world. The tiger is not a victim of industry, but it symbolizes industry itself. Industrialism, like a tiger, is both beautiful and evil to Blake. It represents tremendous opportunity for good, but at the same time, it destroys nature.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Sometimes Risking Modernity
Several aspects of the poem “In a station of the metro” by Ezra Pound suggest that the overall message of the poem is pro-modernity. Upon first glance at the poem, the reader notices the poem’s unusual length: fourteen words, and only two lines long. Pound’s ability to make a quality poem with so few words highlights the value of efficiency in modern society. The poem showcases the author’s ability to artistically convey a message in as few words as possible. Even though the poem is only a fraction of the length of more conventional poems, expresses the same depth as any other respected poem.
Pound’s choice of words also makes a case for modernity. In the first line, “apparition” implies that people who once were not able to travel are now within the station. The faces appear in a “crowd,” surely a sign that the train station is flourishing with good business and prosperity. “These faces in the crowd” become “petals on a wet black bough” in the next line, suggesting that like flowers, the people flourish. All living things need water to grow; the bough is “wet,” implying that within modernity, the people have the resources they need in order to succeed.
Several aspects of the poem “In a station of the metro” by Ezra Pound suggest that the overall message of the poem is anti-modernity. Upon first glance at the poem, the reader notices the poem’s unusual length: fourteen words, and only two lines long. Pound’s choice to make the poem so short highlights the shortcomings of industrialism. Like the best machines, the poem uses as few resources as possible to carry out its function. While the poem takes very little time to read, the reader must spend a much longer time trying to decipher the meaning of the poem. The poem shows that the shortcuts machines allow us today may end up costing us more tomorrow. The brevity of the poem also shows that modernity favors efficiency over rich detail and description.
Pound’s choice of words also makes a case against modernity. The first line reads: “The apparition of these faces in the crowd.” “Apparition” implies that the people in the station are ghostlike, and therefore devoid of life, pale, and directionless. If their life once had meaning, modernity has taken it away. In the second line, these people are “petals on a wet black bough.” “Black” often connotes death and, in discussions of industrialism, soot from coal. The bough, straight and black, could symbolize train tracks. There are no verbs in the second line; the petals simply exist upon the bough. The petals, or people, no longer truly live; they only follow where the train of modernity takes them.
Pound’s choice of words also makes a case for modernity. In the first line, “apparition” implies that people who once were not able to travel are now within the station. The faces appear in a “crowd,” surely a sign that the train station is flourishing with good business and prosperity. “These faces in the crowd” become “petals on a wet black bough” in the next line, suggesting that like flowers, the people flourish. All living things need water to grow; the bough is “wet,” implying that within modernity, the people have the resources they need in order to succeed.
Several aspects of the poem “In a station of the metro” by Ezra Pound suggest that the overall message of the poem is anti-modernity. Upon first glance at the poem, the reader notices the poem’s unusual length: fourteen words, and only two lines long. Pound’s choice to make the poem so short highlights the shortcomings of industrialism. Like the best machines, the poem uses as few resources as possible to carry out its function. While the poem takes very little time to read, the reader must spend a much longer time trying to decipher the meaning of the poem. The poem shows that the shortcuts machines allow us today may end up costing us more tomorrow. The brevity of the poem also shows that modernity favors efficiency over rich detail and description.
Pound’s choice of words also makes a case against modernity. The first line reads: “The apparition of these faces in the crowd.” “Apparition” implies that the people in the station are ghostlike, and therefore devoid of life, pale, and directionless. If their life once had meaning, modernity has taken it away. In the second line, these people are “petals on a wet black bough.” “Black” often connotes death and, in discussions of industrialism, soot from coal. The bough, straight and black, could symbolize train tracks. There are no verbs in the second line; the petals simply exist upon the bough. The petals, or people, no longer truly live; they only follow where the train of modernity takes them.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
A Boy, Ablaze
A Boy, Ablaze
In “Casabianca,” Felicia Dorothea Hemans describes a boy’s valor and loyalty as he faces his imminent death aboard a battleship engulfed in flames. Nearly all of the imagery throughout the poem depicts the poem’s two main forces: the powerful fire, which “wrapt the ship in splendor wild,” and the boy, “bright and beautiful.” Images of the boy’s father, who lays “faint in death below,” also recur a few times, as the boy desperately tries to elicit a response from the lifeless captain.
The repeated images of the boy and the flames contrast each other, and ultimately serve to glorify the boy’s remarkable courage. “Casabianca” portrays the boy as childlike and small, while making the fire seem immense. The fire destroys the entire ship and “stream[s] above the gallant child.” The flames are overwhelmingly greater than the boy in both power and size. The boy represents youth and innocence, and has just started his life; he demonstrates his vivacity in his attempts to awaken his father. The fire, in opposition, brings an end to life. The fire has complete control over the fate of the boy.
Considering all of these comparisons, it would seem that the fire defeats the boy in this poem; indeed, the boy dies in the fire at the end of the poem. However, the poem shows boy as the true hero. He displays unwavering loyalty in the face of the inferno that surrounds him. Such courage would be admirable from any adult, but the poem emphasizes the boy’s youth and innocence, making his courage seem truly exceptional.
Photo courtesy http://flickr.com/photos/peasap/1752872124/
In “Casabianca,” Felicia Dorothea Hemans describes a boy’s valor and loyalty as he faces his imminent death aboard a battleship engulfed in flames. Nearly all of the imagery throughout the poem depicts the poem’s two main forces: the powerful fire, which “wrapt the ship in splendor wild,” and the boy, “bright and beautiful.” Images of the boy’s father, who lays “faint in death below,” also recur a few times, as the boy desperately tries to elicit a response from the lifeless captain.
The repeated images of the boy and the flames contrast each other, and ultimately serve to glorify the boy’s remarkable courage. “Casabianca” portrays the boy as childlike and small, while making the fire seem immense. The fire destroys the entire ship and “stream[s] above the gallant child.” The flames are overwhelmingly greater than the boy in both power and size. The boy represents youth and innocence, and has just started his life; he demonstrates his vivacity in his attempts to awaken his father. The fire, in opposition, brings an end to life. The fire has complete control over the fate of the boy.
Considering all of these comparisons, it would seem that the fire defeats the boy in this poem; indeed, the boy dies in the fire at the end of the poem. However, the poem shows boy as the true hero. He displays unwavering loyalty in the face of the inferno that surrounds him. Such courage would be admirable from any adult, but the poem emphasizes the boy’s youth and innocence, making his courage seem truly exceptional.
Photo courtesy http://flickr.com/photos/peasap/1752872124/
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
The Birth of a Blog Title
I wanted to title this blog "Constantly Risking Absurdity;" what a daring, exciting title. I picture someone reading that title and thinking, "This blogger constantly risks absurdity? Really? Oh man, I gotta click on this and see if it's really that far out!" "Constantly Risking Absurdity" is also the title of the Blue Devil's 2008 show, one of my favorite drum corps shows of that season. Drum corps is my passion; I marched with Santa Clara Vanguard Cadets last summer, and loved every second of my time with them. The Blue Devil's show is based on a poem of the same name, which compares the feats of a poet to those of a tightrope walker.
But then I realized that I could not name this blog "Constantly Risking Absurdity." The title of this blog should reflect the work I will write in it, and I do not risk absurdity very often, honestly. The Blue Devils are not my favorite drum corps. I do not know much about the poem, as I have only read it a few times, not closely. Therefore, the title of this blog will be "Sometimes Risking Absurdity," because I feel that it more accurately describes my writing (hopefully in a good way), and because it sounds less connected to the poem and the show.
But then I realized that I could not name this blog "Constantly Risking Absurdity." The title of this blog should reflect the work I will write in it, and I do not risk absurdity very often, honestly. The Blue Devils are not my favorite drum corps. I do not know much about the poem, as I have only read it a few times, not closely. Therefore, the title of this blog will be "Sometimes Risking Absurdity," because I feel that it more accurately describes my writing (hopefully in a good way), and because it sounds less connected to the poem and the show.
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