In English class, we are exploring “Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare. This play is one of Shakespeares classics and is well known throughout the world. At the moment, we are analyzing Mark Antony’s speech in act 3 scene 1, and choosing images to match with what he is saying during his monologue. In this point of the script, Caesar has just been assassinated and, while speaking to Caesars dead body, Antony is foreshadowing horrific events that may come as result of the emperor’s death.
“A curse shall light upon the limbs of men”
This quote is given from line 262, where Mark Anthony is telling Caesar that a curse will be inflicted upon men. The curse however may not be used literally and may rather be figurative. “Limbs” usually refer to arms or legs, which are used for labor. Therefore, what Mark Antony may be suggesting is that men will not work as hard as they did before with Caesar gone. This means that the curse affects the work ethic and succession of the Roman Empire. I have chosen this image not because of the actual meaning of the quote, but the image that it conveys to the reader.
“Blood and destruction shall be so in use”
This quote is seen in line 265. Here, Mark Antony is talking about the “blood and destruction” that is to come. He is also implying that violence will be so common “that mothers shall but smile when they behold / Their infants quater’d with the hands of war” – (line 267, 268). These are all very disturbing images that Mark Antony is conveying, which is why I chose a dreadful event from history in Guernica, when a civil war was going on. This painting was made by Picasso to portray the violent events that were going on during the war.
“Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war”
This quote is seen in line 273. In this point in the monologue, Antony is talking about how Caesars spirit will rise from hell with the goddess, Ate, in search of revenge. Antony is also scared that Caesar will let loose “the dogs of war” much like hounds of hell. I chose this picture because wolves are often portrayed as being dog-like, as well as violent. Also, in the image, there are bones infront of the wolves, which conveys a sense of death. This matches very well with what Antony is saying.
“Men groaning for burial.”
This quote is seen on the last line of the speech on line 275. Caesar’s wrath, as seen in the last quote, will create so much pain and destruction that men will beg for burial. I have chosen this image of the undead, because zombies are portrayed as beings that groan for death and often in pain. This relates to that Antony is suggesting.
Carol Ann Duffy is an English poet and playwright who grew up in Staffordshire. She has a BA from Liverpool University, and since then, has published an immense amount of poems, such as ‘Rapture’ in 2006.
Duffy applied to Liverpool University and did a philosophy degree in 1974. She wrote many plays in her time in Liverpool and after received an honors degree in philosophy in 1977. She worked as a poetry critic for The Guardian from 1988 and 1989 and worked as an editor for the Ambit. Around 7 years later, Duffy moved to Manchester and began lecturing in the Manchester Metropolitan University
Over the years, she has published vast amount of poems and play scripts. Duffy’s work is well known for the love aspect, such as ‘Take My Husband’ in 1982. Her poems also have somewhat of a feminine edge in her poems. This is especially visible in ‘Standing Female Nude,’ published in 1985. Carol Ann Duffy has also won awards; and example of this is Dylan Thomas Award in 1989. There have been books published by her too, like ‘Meeting Midnight,’ ‘The Oldest Girl In The World’ and ‘The Hat.’ Carol Ann Duffy now lives in Manchester, England, and she works regularly writes poetry and children’s books.
In English class, we have been reading Lord Of The Flies by William Golding and observed the changing meaning of the Beast in detail.
In page 34 in Lord Of The Flies, the beast was only a thought in everyone’s head. The boys are comming up with therories to explain how the beast is able to hide from them and what it actaully is. In chapter 5, some say that the beast is a ghost and Percivil said that it comes from the sea in the night. Perhaps the only thought of the beast that is actually true is Simon’s opinion, “Simon became inarticulate in his effort to express mankind’s essential illness.” Simon beleives that the beast only exists inside of them, through their fears of this theoretical and mysterious creature.
But in chapter 6, the beast changes. When the dead figure in the parachute descends from the skies and crashes into the rocky mountain, the two twins, Sam and Eric, think that its the beast. Even though its not a beast, it becomes something real, rather than something in their minds. Sam describes the beast as being, “furry. There was something moving behing it’s head – wings.” I asume that the wings is just the parachute moving up and down under the influence of the wind. As the strings are taut, it propps his head up and as they loosen, the head dropps. Now the boys are actually exposed to the beast in a physical form, and I think their fears will only grow from now on as they come up with more absurd theories.
The thought of there no longer being any adults in existence is a frightening thought. In our class we discussed this topic, and the general thoughts of the class was that there would be chaos and bloodshed. I do not totally agree with the class’ opinion. One reason for this because it depends on where you live and where you are. In places like America where guns are available in stores there would obviously be chaos. Although kids in America are educated and are able to cooperate with each other, gangs would most likely form and start shooting others, because of the availability to guns. On the other hand, places like Japan don’t have such stores, so people will most likely join together to survive. Obviously, things will not go smoothly without adults to put everything into order since there will be no enforced laws restricting any violence, but I think that it would be safer than being in the U.S.
One thing that would definitely happen is that there would be a sense of hierarchy and bullying. This can be seen in places where students are left alone the most by adults, schools. Public schools are prone to bullying. The majority of educated kids in the world go to public schools, so it isn’t hard to imagen bullying in an environment without adults. So a world without adults would be similar to to social life in school.
However, I still think the most scary thing about there not being any adults is the fact that I would probably die early. Since there will be no adults in existence, there wouldn’t be any children able to reach adulthood. This means that when I finally become an adult, I would die. There is no definite age limit, like my 18th birthday, but it would probably mean that when my body fully matures, I would drop dead instantly. So if there were no adults, it would just mean an early death for us all.
The pigs in Animal Farm are very good with language. With Squealer and Snowball’s skill in speaking, they are able to make excuses for things that seem bad to the other animals. For example, in chapter 3 when Squealer is making a speech, he says, “Milk and apples (this has been proven by Science, comrades) contain substances absolutely necessary to the well-being of a pig.” Some animals might not even know what science means, but they instinctively know that it is a good piece of evidence, because the pigs say it in such a convincing manner. When language gets complex, it gets harder and harder to criticize what the speaker is saying, since it gets harder to follow. When making a speech to the public, language is always important to the speakers power. The animals on the farm are not good with language and don’t know what complex words mean. This gives an advantage to the pigs, because when speakers have good language, the other animals cant spot mistakes in what they are saying. Also, the animals wont think that they are smarter than the pigs, rather in their shadow of intelligence. This gives trust and power in the pigs, as leaders of Animal Farm.
During lectures, speakers use complex language. For example in scientific lectures, speakers have to use complicated words so that they don’t seem less intelligent in comparison to the other scientists in the room, and so that they seem to know what they are talking about. Also, during presidential elections, it is important for the candidates to have a broad range of vocabulary so that they can express their intelligence. Not having an intelligent leader doesn’t give the leader trust, and leaders always have to be trust worthy.
When trying to convince my friends about something, I always try to use complex language. This is because I try to appear more superior to my friends. By appearing more intelligent, then my friends can be convinced in what I’m saying. Additionally, when submitting resolutions in MUN, there is always complicated language. This always has an effect on the readers, since the writer of the resolution appears to know what he is talking about.
I would like to know what other factors are important for speech, and not just language.
Many foreign new broadcasting to the world made many lies or were told the wrong information. For example, some broadcasting channels said that some people have already died from the radiation from the nuclear plant. This is not true. Although some people were diagnosed with radiation sickness in the early stages.
Also foreign news broadcasting channels were too dramatic compared to the news in the actual country. Although many citizens of Tokyo did evacuate, not everybody did, in fact most people stayed. Many foreign embassies influenced foreign people to evacuate Japan, so did their families from abroad. Traveling abroad via aircraft will give you more radiation than in Tokyo. I went to England and I received much more radiation than if I stayed in Tokyo.
Many news channels were over dramatic so that they can get more viewers and spread more panic. Keeping people watching is a benefit for them.
Everything is falling apart. My life, family, friends, its all dissolving, sucked into a place of darkness. These hallucinations happen on a daily basis. Sometimes I see memories from the distant past that refuse to let go. Like my father. I remember his piece of advice,” kids, don’t do drugs.”
‘Neglect’ is a poem written by R. T Smith about his apple tree that he neglected. The author is presumably a farmer. It grew Red Delicious apples (a type of apple) and provided with shade, pretty blossoms in the spring, tarts, cider and bees dazzling by the pollen. This apple tree had been living with the farmer for 20 years. Obviously Smith was very attached to the tree.
Recently, the farmer bought pear saplings (baby pear trees) and gradually, the author turned his attention away from the apple tree to the pear trees. This sets a mood to the poem and myself as a reader feels sorry for the apple tree, even though it is not a person or an animal. The farmer did not cut off the dead branches for winter, and the sap clogged up the systems inside the tree. The farmer was too occupied by the pear saplings. Soon, the apple tree grew ill of disease and soon passed away.
The Red Delicious Apple tree was no use to the farmer anymore and he used the apple wood as fire wood. Now, he sits inside, smelling the apple wood burning into ashes and regretting what he had done to the tree. He remembers the good times he had with it and how beautiful if was. For now, he will sit, with his heart full of sorrow. “Watched each branch with a Goshawks’s eye,” is a metaphor that expresses the farmers guilt and builds on the theme. Almost to the end of the poem, on the sixth and seventh stanzas, Smith starts to think about the times he had with the tree and what it gave him, which shows the growth of guilt and sadness
I think that the deeper meaning of this poem is not only directed to trees, but to people. For example, my grandmother provides me with life, money, Christmas presents and love. If she died, then I could only imagine what I had lost. Like they say, “you don’t know what you’ve lost, until it’s gone.” My opinion of this message is very important because it can relate to so many issues that we have in the world today. For example, pollution. I don’t think that many human beings have a great respect for our environment, our home. If we trash the world, then nobody can live with out it.
Smith seems very passionate about this subject and writes a poem about the topic, using a Red Delicious Apple tree as an example instead of human beings etc. If you use different examples instead of apple trees, you start to see what the author is trying to convey.
Poem:
Is the scent of apple boughs smoking
in the woodstove what I will remember
of the Red Delicious I brought down, ashamed
that I could not convince its limbs to render fruit?
Too much neglect will do that, skew the sap’s
passage, blacken leaves, dry the bark and heart.
I should have lopped the dead limbs early
and watched each branch with a goshawk’s eye,
patching with medicinal pitch, offering water,
compost and mulch, but I was too enchanted
by pear saplings, flowers and the pasture,
too callow to believe that death’s inevitable
for any living being unloved, untended.
What remains is this armload of applewood
now feeding the stove’s smolder. Splendor
ripens a final time in the firebox, a scarlet
harvest headed, by dawn, to embers.
Two decades of shade and blossoms – tarts
and cider, bees dazzled by the pollen,
spare elegance in ice – but what goes is gone.
Smoke is all, through this lesson in winter
regret, I’ve been given to remember.
Smoke, and Red Delicious apples redder
than a passing cardinal’s crest or cinders.
On thursday, we again had a choice of what we would like to do. There were four choices, rock climbing,hiking, orienteering and mountain biking. We each had to pick one for the morning and one for the afternoon. I picked hiking for the morning and mountain biking for the afternoon.
Hiking wasn’t that hard except for the first part. There were many fallen yellow leaves scattered on the forrest floor which made it slippery. About half way into the hike, we came past a beautiful waterfall. It was around 30 meters high and had very sharp rocks sticking out of it. Also we encountered many examples of decomposition and went inside an untouched forrest, meaning humans have not bothered the forrest yet.
Unfortunately for the afternoon shift, I was not able to go mountain biking because I felt sick from the night before. I was only fit for the training. So I waited inside of Northstar and I was very jealous of the people who got to go.
The first time I felt I could express my creativity at Northstar was making the chairs. We made chairs using organic materials around Northstar, such as grass, rocks, sticks etc. It was a cold Wednesday afternoon which did get in the way of moving around. We had around an hour to make it which, to me, was a lot of time.
As the chair gradually got together, our group made it look more like a throne. We used grass as a type of cushion and was actually very comfortable. But compared to the other groups, I have to admit, ours wasn’t the best. There were some chairs that were like sofas and beds. Yet overall, this activity was fun and it was worth getting your hands dirty.
