Friday, June 25, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Summary vs. Analysis
“Sweetheart of the song Tra Bong” is a story that takes place during the Vietnam war. The writer is explaining a tale that he heard from another soldier named Rat Kiley. Rat tells an exaggerated story about a girl who goes to visit her medic boyfriend in the village of Tra Bong during the Vietnam war. Mary Anne, the girl in the story, was an innocent, naïve girl, straight out of high school. Mary Ann had a passion for learning about the war, the more she learned the more she wanted to know. Pushing the limits to more and more dangerous awareness. She becomes obsessed with the soldier life style and the more she learns, the more she begins to lose her innocents.
This story reminds me of a tale that would be told at a camp fire. Lonely, bored soldiers telling war stories to pass the time. The narrator is remembering back at some of the stories that have stayed with him. Among these story’s was the one that Rat Kiley told. Known to elevate anything he says, Rat tells a story about a young girl that goes to Vietnam to visit her medic boyfriend during the war. The young girl, Mary Anne goes to this foreign land, “like a cheerleader visiting the opposing team’s locker room.” (O’Brian 96) Innocent and sweet, wearing culottes, and straight out of high school, this sheltered child becomes intrigued with this new world. “The war intrigued her. The land, too, and the mystery.” (O’Brian 96) Mary Anne becomes fascinated with the war, she learns how to use weapons, help the medic’s with casualties, and “quickly fell into the habits of the brush.” ( O’Brian 98) She begins to go on ambushes with special forces called the “Greenies” and begins to lose her childlike ways. This story represents all soldiers and how war can change you. Rat explains, “Like you and me. A girl, that’s the only difference, and I’ll tell you something: it didn’t amount to jack. I mean, when we first got here-all of us-we were real young and innocent, full of romantic bullshit, but we learned pretty damn quick. And so did Mary Anne.” (O’Brian 97)
This story reminds me of a tale that would be told at a camp fire. Lonely, bored soldiers telling war stories to pass the time. The narrator is remembering back at some of the stories that have stayed with him. Among these story’s was the one that Rat Kiley told. Known to elevate anything he says, Rat tells a story about a young girl that goes to Vietnam to visit her medic boyfriend during the war. The young girl, Mary Anne goes to this foreign land, “like a cheerleader visiting the opposing team’s locker room.” (O’Brian 96) Innocent and sweet, wearing culottes, and straight out of high school, this sheltered child becomes intrigued with this new world. “The war intrigued her. The land, too, and the mystery.” (O’Brian 96) Mary Anne becomes fascinated with the war, she learns how to use weapons, help the medic’s with casualties, and “quickly fell into the habits of the brush.” ( O’Brian 98) She begins to go on ambushes with special forces called the “Greenies” and begins to lose her childlike ways. This story represents all soldiers and how war can change you. Rat explains, “Like you and me. A girl, that’s the only difference, and I’ll tell you something: it didn’t amount to jack. I mean, when we first got here-all of us-we were real young and innocent, full of romantic bullshit, but we learned pretty damn quick. And so did Mary Anne.” (O’Brian 97)
Friday, June 18, 2010
"The Necessity to speak"
Sam Hamill has quite an interesting perspective on things. He has a lot of really good points and some that I don’t agree with. He feels writing is a way of expressing yourself. “Writing is a form of human communication expressing ideas regarding the human condition.”, Hamill says. (546) He also says the writer needs to “ create emotion in the audience”. (547) Hamill discuses how people need to speak up more and that society isn’t really facing reality at all. “We go on living our sheltered lives among the potted plants and automobiles and advertising slogans.” (546) He talks about battered woman and children and how people feel strongly against that sort of abuse but yet they will still turn around and spank their child. Hamill explains, “If a belt is acceptable, why not a stick? If a stick is acceptable, why not a baseball bat? If broken bones are unacceptable, what about cuts or welts or bruises?“ (549) Teen pregnancy is another topic he discuses and how as parents we think, if it’s not talked about, it won’t happen. “Knowledge is the loss of innocence. How desperately we want our innocence. How desperately we protect the innocence of our children!” (550)
When I was reading the two poems I picked for the assignment, responding to a poem, I tried really hard to grasp the main picture of what the speaker was trying to portray. I like how Hamill says, “ The poet invents a being, and that being, man or woman, stands before the world, naked and feeling.” (551) He talks about the way society looks at emotions, as if it’s wimpy to have any. I think to be a good poet, you would need to let go of your feelings and allow yourself to be vulnerable. Something that can be very difficult to do.
When I was reading the two poems I picked for the assignment, responding to a poem, I tried really hard to grasp the main picture of what the speaker was trying to portray. I like how Hamill says, “ The poet invents a being, and that being, man or woman, stands before the world, naked and feeling.” (551) He talks about the way society looks at emotions, as if it’s wimpy to have any. I think to be a good poet, you would need to let go of your feelings and allow yourself to be vulnerable. Something that can be very difficult to do.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Responding to a poem
I chose the poems “Rite of Passage” by Sharon Olds and “Songs of Napalm” by Brue Weigl. In the poem “Rite of Passage” the author is describing the way she feels on her son’s first grade Birthday Party. She explains in the poem how she feels her son is becoming a man. Olds refers to the first graders as, “Short men, men in first grade / with smooth jaws and chins,” ( lines 3,4). Observing their behaviors and gestures and comparing them to grown men. She continues on with how competitive the boys are, and compares them to business men in the corporate world. “They clear their / throats a lot, a room of small bankers, / they fold there arms and frown, (Olds Lines 10,11,12). She looks at her son and is reminded of his innocence. “My son, / freckles like specks of nutmeg on his checks“, (Olds Lines 15,16). As the “Host” her son become the peace maker and tries to calm the competitive boys, she again see them as mature beings able to fight there own battles.
As a mother I watch my kids grow from birthday to birthday and it amazes me how fast they grow. As for thinking that a child at the age of six or seven is a transition to adulthood is a little bit of a stretch. In the Jewish tradition, at the age of 13 they celebrate the rite of passage with a Bar Mitzvah and with Hispanic origin, they celebrate rite of passage with a Quinceanera. Even in the U.S., we here stories of sweet sixteen, but not at the age of six. Everyone mature with age but to say that a child at the age of six or seven is going thought the right of passage is a little over the top.
The “Song of Napalm” is about a mans story of a tragedy hthat tragic day. “ After the storm, after the rain stopped pound”, Weigl says, comparing the war to a storm, (line 1). He talks about how every time he closes his eyes he sees a vision of a village girl being bombed nearby. “Still I close my eyes and see the girl / Running from her village, napalm /Stuck to her dress like jelly / Her hands reaching for no one / Who waits in waves of heat before her.”, (Weigl lines 13,14,15,16,17). Unable to get the image of this tragic day out of his mind.
This is a very sad poem. It goes to show what soldiers go though after seeing terrible things that happen in war. I have the most respect for the soldiers who have fought for are freedom. e witnessed. He dedicates the poem to his wife and is explaining to her what he saw and how he felt on
As a mother I watch my kids grow from birthday to birthday and it amazes me how fast they grow. As for thinking that a child at the age of six or seven is a transition to adulthood is a little bit of a stretch. In the Jewish tradition, at the age of 13 they celebrate the rite of passage with a Bar Mitzvah and with Hispanic origin, they celebrate rite of passage with a Quinceanera. Even in the U.S., we here stories of sweet sixteen, but not at the age of six. Everyone mature with age but to say that a child at the age of six or seven is going thought the right of passage is a little over the top.
The “Song of Napalm” is about a mans story of a tragedy hthat tragic day. “ After the storm, after the rain stopped pound”, Weigl says, comparing the war to a storm, (line 1). He talks about how every time he closes his eyes he sees a vision of a village girl being bombed nearby. “Still I close my eyes and see the girl / Running from her village, napalm /Stuck to her dress like jelly / Her hands reaching for no one / Who waits in waves of heat before her.”, (Weigl lines 13,14,15,16,17). Unable to get the image of this tragic day out of his mind.
This is a very sad poem. It goes to show what soldiers go though after seeing terrible things that happen in war. I have the most respect for the soldiers who have fought for are freedom. e witnessed. He dedicates the poem to his wife and is explaining to her what he saw and how he felt on
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Friday, June 11, 2010
Thursday, June 10, 2010
I believe Nabokov thinks a good reader is someone who has a creative mind. Someone who can open their mind to new experiences and can see things from a different light. Someone who reads something more than once to get the full picture of what the author is trying to say. He believes a reader that just allows their reading to be similar to their own life experiences, is really not a good reader at all.
I agree with some of Nabokov’s point of views; reading with an opened mind and being a re-reader. However, I love reading and believe that being a good reader involves understanding what the author is saying, feeling, and able to put it towards your own life experiences. You are so into what the character is going through, that you know how they feel. You can imagine sitting there in the room with them. What they look like and what there surroundings look like.
As I said before, I love reading. Now whether or not I’m a good reader is another story. For me to enjoy reading, the book has to be entertaining. If I don’t enjoy what I’m reading, I find my mind drifting off to other things; did I pay this bill or should I do laundry. Then I find myself reading the same line over and over. But if I am reading something of interest, I can’t put the book down.
I agree with some of Nabokov’s point of views; reading with an opened mind and being a re-reader. However, I love reading and believe that being a good reader involves understanding what the author is saying, feeling, and able to put it towards your own life experiences. You are so into what the character is going through, that you know how they feel. You can imagine sitting there in the room with them. What they look like and what there surroundings look like.
As I said before, I love reading. Now whether or not I’m a good reader is another story. For me to enjoy reading, the book has to be entertaining. If I don’t enjoy what I’m reading, I find my mind drifting off to other things; did I pay this bill or should I do laundry. Then I find myself reading the same line over and over. But if I am reading something of interest, I can’t put the book down.
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