Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol is a classic story that gives its readers the message that it is never too late to change and turn your life around. Scrooge got a second chance to live a better life and become a better man thanks to his old business partner Jacob Marley and the three ghosts of Christmas.
One of the major themes of this story is redemption. Scrooge had become a bitter and cold man who showed no love or care for anyone even during a happy time such as Christmas. As the spirits visited him, Scrooge realized the importance of making amends towards the people around him and for his own good. By looking at his past, present and future, Scrooge saw that he was ruining his own happiness and not doing anything to make anyone else happy. In the end, he was was able to find redemption by finding happiness in other people's happiness which included his nephew, Tiny Tim, Bob Cratchit and whoever else he could help.
Marley gave Scrooge a chance at redemption so that he would not face the same punishment Marley had been facing since he died. On page 24, Marley told Scrooge "and if that spirit goes not forth in life, it is condemned to do so after death. It is doomed to wander through the world-oh, woe is me!-and witness what it cannot share, but might have shared on earth, and turned to happiness." The punishment he faces is that he cannot help anyone even though he wants to because he never helped anyone when he was alive. He carries around chains that symbolize his burden of things he never did but should have done as a human being.
Marley knew that there was no redemption to be found once death came. Redemption could only be found in life. Marley told Scrooge on page 26 "Not to know that no space of regret can make amends for one life's opportunity misused! Yet such was I! Oh! such was I!'." No matter how much regret Marley felt about not being a better human being, he could not change it because he was dead. Scrooge still had the opportunity to change and he did change into a more giving and caring man.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Evening Solace
Evening Solace by Charlotte Bronte is a poem that focuses on showing how inner feelings can change over time. It is a common belief that time heals everything. In a way this poem shows this since Bronte conveys that time does lessen our pain and in time we find comfort one way or another. Feelings especially bad ones tend to stay with a person but over time they usually fade or at least become easier to cope with.
One example that Bronte gives that shows feelings change over time are lines 5 to 8 which state:
"And days may pass in gay confusion,
And nights in rosy riot fly,
While, lost in Fame's or Wealth's illusion,
The memory of the Past may die."
As days and nights pass, past memories tend to fade slightly or are not as clear as we remembered them. There is a chance that by getting caught up in chasing wealth or gaining stature that maybe difficult memories will die but it is not truly possible as Bronte goes on to state. In lines 9 and 10, the poet states "But there are hours of lonely musing,/Such as in evening silence come," which means that people have inner reflections of their thoughts, hopes, dreams and pleasures from time to time when the evening comes.
It is human nature to reflect and have ever changing emotions on our past. Lines 15 and 16 say "And thoughts that once wrung groans of anguish/Now cause but some mild tears to flow." This means that pain becomes more bearable with time because we learn to deal with it and can hide it better. Emotions are difficult to control in the moment or when something occurs but eventually emotions become muted to a certain extent because we have to move on in life and not stay stuck in the past.
This idea is also reflected in lines 17 and 18 which say "And feelings, once as strong as passions, /Float softly back--a faded dream;". Time changes our feelings and as time passes we sometimes have to let go of things we wanted or have happened in the past until they seem like a faded dream. Strong feelings whether they are of love, hate, desire or something else can be looked upon and remembered but they tend to diminish or disappear gradually over time.
In lines 19 to 24, Bronte expresses a person's desire to move forward and forget.
Our own sharp griefs and wild sensations,
The tale of others' sufferings seem.
Oh! when the heart is freshly bleeding,
How longs it for that time to be,
When, through the mist of years receding,
Its woes but live in reverie!
This part of the poem talks about a person wishing that they could fast forward to the time when their broken heart and pain is healed. The person wishes to go to a time when all their pain would only seem like a distant memory. Time brings healing of a person's grief and suffering which is what the poet looks at as solace or comfort that can be attained.
Bronte looks at evening as a time of calmness and silence where a person can look back at past thoughts and let them go. This shows in lines 27 to 32:
And, while the sky grows dim and dimmer,
Feel no untold and strange distress--
Only a deeper impulse given
By lonely hour and darkened room,
To solemn thoughts that soar to heaven
Seeking a life and world to come.
In these lines, night approaches but this person no longer feels suffering and worry. The person in the poem can look back clearly at their thoughts without hurting and let them go because they have made peace with them.
One example that Bronte gives that shows feelings change over time are lines 5 to 8 which state:
"And days may pass in gay confusion,
And nights in rosy riot fly,
While, lost in Fame's or Wealth's illusion,
The memory of the Past may die."
As days and nights pass, past memories tend to fade slightly or are not as clear as we remembered them. There is a chance that by getting caught up in chasing wealth or gaining stature that maybe difficult memories will die but it is not truly possible as Bronte goes on to state. In lines 9 and 10, the poet states "But there are hours of lonely musing,/Such as in evening silence come," which means that people have inner reflections of their thoughts, hopes, dreams and pleasures from time to time when the evening comes.
It is human nature to reflect and have ever changing emotions on our past. Lines 15 and 16 say "And thoughts that once wrung groans of anguish/Now cause but some mild tears to flow." This means that pain becomes more bearable with time because we learn to deal with it and can hide it better. Emotions are difficult to control in the moment or when something occurs but eventually emotions become muted to a certain extent because we have to move on in life and not stay stuck in the past.
This idea is also reflected in lines 17 and 18 which say "And feelings, once as strong as passions, /Float softly back--a faded dream;". Time changes our feelings and as time passes we sometimes have to let go of things we wanted or have happened in the past until they seem like a faded dream. Strong feelings whether they are of love, hate, desire or something else can be looked upon and remembered but they tend to diminish or disappear gradually over time.
In lines 19 to 24, Bronte expresses a person's desire to move forward and forget.
Our own sharp griefs and wild sensations,
The tale of others' sufferings seem.
Oh! when the heart is freshly bleeding,
How longs it for that time to be,
When, through the mist of years receding,
Its woes but live in reverie!
This part of the poem talks about a person wishing that they could fast forward to the time when their broken heart and pain is healed. The person wishes to go to a time when all their pain would only seem like a distant memory. Time brings healing of a person's grief and suffering which is what the poet looks at as solace or comfort that can be attained.
Bronte looks at evening as a time of calmness and silence where a person can look back at past thoughts and let them go. This shows in lines 27 to 32:
And, while the sky grows dim and dimmer,
Feel no untold and strange distress--
Only a deeper impulse given
By lonely hour and darkened room,
To solemn thoughts that soar to heaven
Seeking a life and world to come.
In these lines, night approaches but this person no longer feels suffering and worry. The person in the poem can look back clearly at their thoughts without hurting and let them go because they have made peace with them.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
The World Is Too Much With Us
On a primary level, William Wordsworth conveys in this poem that people do not appreciate nature and do not think of it as their own. Nature is not thought of as important even though it should be. Line 3 states "Little we see in nature that is ours." which shows that the poet believes that people in general don't believe that nature belongs to us. Most people don't see that we have a responsibility towards nature and should respect it. The poet believes that we should be moved by images of the sea, the moon and the wind. People fail to notice these things and see the beauty this is around them.
On a secondary level, the poem shows that people are focused on the wrong priorities in life and need to focus on their feelings and the world around us. There are so many things that are happening in life that people end up loosing sight of what is important and what is not. Line 2 states "Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;". This line means that people spend their entire lives trying to acquire and use things. We as people tend to waste our strength and time to get things that are not as important as we make them out to be instead of being grateful for what we already have. Lines 8 to 10 say "For this, for everything, we are out of tune;/It moves us not. Great God! I'd rather be/A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn;". Wordsworth says that people are out of tune for not appreciating nature's beauty and that it means nothing to us. He is upset by this thought and says that he would rather be a believer of a no longer acceptable or outdated belief than subscribe to the selfish ways of the world in present times.
On a secondary level, the poem shows that people are focused on the wrong priorities in life and need to focus on their feelings and the world around us. There are so many things that are happening in life that people end up loosing sight of what is important and what is not. Line 2 states "Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;". This line means that people spend their entire lives trying to acquire and use things. We as people tend to waste our strength and time to get things that are not as important as we make them out to be instead of being grateful for what we already have. Lines 8 to 10 say "For this, for everything, we are out of tune;/It moves us not. Great God! I'd rather be/A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn;". Wordsworth says that people are out of tune for not appreciating nature's beauty and that it means nothing to us. He is upset by this thought and says that he would rather be a believer of a no longer acceptable or outdated belief than subscribe to the selfish ways of the world in present times.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Midterm
William Blake's Songs of Innocence and Experience are a series of poems that the poet uses to show opposing views on various life situations and about the world in general. The Songs of Innocence depict life situations in a more positive and idealistic way due to a lack of experience. The Songs of Experience show a differing view due to the knowledge that comes with experience. Innocence is comprised of naivety and a sense of the unknown. This allows for a more positive outlook to life because there is no knowledge of the bad in life. Experience takes away the sense of the unknown and we gain knowledge which can be both positive and negative depending on how we want to interpret it.
"Infant Joy" from Songs of Innocence and "Infant Sorrow" from Songs of Experience depict two contrasting views of new life. My primary view of "Infant Joy" is that the poem depicts a newborn baby and the joy that is and surrounds that baby. The mother is singing while the baby is smiling. The mood of the poem is happy and light. The tone of the speaker is simplistic as joy is repeated a few times.The secondary view of the poem is that bringing new life into the world is a joyous occasion and babies are symbols of happiness. This is shown in lines 3 and 5 where Blake says "What should I call thee?/ "I happy am,/ Joy is my name.". When the mother asks the newborn baby what name she should give him and the child says that he is happy so joy should be his name. Babies are depicted as being joyous because nothing is more innocent than a newborn. The poem shows creating new life in a positive light and that the most inherently innocent can be extremely happy.
"Infant Sorrow" is in total contrast to "Infant Joy" because it focuses on the sorrow surrounding bringing new life into the world rather than the joy. On a primary level, the poem is about a baby being born into the harsh realities of the world. Lines 2 and 3 state "Into the dangerous world I lept:/ Helpless, naked and piping loud:". This shows that even though babies are the most innocent beings, they are also the most vulnerable due to being so innocent. Their innocence makes the world even more dangerous for them. On a secondary level, the poem shows that with new life comes new difficulties and hardships. Lines 4 to 8 state:
Struggling in my father's arms
Striving against my swadling bands
Bound and weary I thought best
To sulk upon my mother's breast.
These four lines not only depict a child who is tired after being born but also a child who has gone through life experiences that have tired him out. Struggling, striving, feeling bound and weary are experiences that everyone goes through in life. They are the realities of life that are felt by the baby immediately after he is born and thrown into the real world. They are things we constantly face through life as we grow. The mood of the poem is not joyous but rather dreary. The mother is in pain, the father is crying and the baby is yelling and tired. A baby's innocence fades a bit once he comes into the world and due to experience will continue to fade.
According to Richard Clarke, the Songs of Innocence and Experience represent, "the two contrary states of the human soul" and often develop opposing points of view on the same subject matter. Clarke also says,"Blake uses dialectical fusion or synthesis of the opposing qualities symbolized by innocence and experience, respectively, in order to adequately grasp the full complexity of human existence". Harold Bloom found in his studies that in Songs of Innocence, "it is the nature of human existence to be in a world seemingly pulled simultaneously in two opposing directions. Humans are caught on the cusp between innocence and experience, good and evil, etc., torn in both directions. They key things is to ‘see through’ or beyond this apparent contradiction and to realize that to understand the human condition involves assimilating or synthesizing these two contrasting poles of human experience. In short, Blake’s theme is the possibility of salvation which he locates in the Imagination."
Two opposing views or contrary states is what Blake showed in "Infant Joy" and "Infant Sorrow". Joy and sorrow are contrasting emotions which fits the romantic idea of life being composed of opposites. "Infant Joy" depicted the happiness of new life while "Infant Sorrow" showed that with new life comes harsh reality. Blake wants us to see both sides of an issue and hopefully find a happy medium in between. Neither one is completely right or wrong but it depends on how innocent or how experienced a person is to decide how they interpret these issues. Babies are probably the most innocent beings in this world which is why it is easy to associate them with happiness but we must also remember that as soon as they are born, they start to deal with the realities of life which is what Blake was trying to show in these poems.
Blake's idealistic view is that babies are basically the human embodiment of happiness and that they should be surrounded with happiness as well. Even though it is not possible to always have happiness present, Blake wants the reader to take from "Infant Joy" that babies should have a sense of happiness present as they are growing. "Infant Sorrow" is Blake's way of showing even with the happiness of new life, there is acknowledgement of the difficulties that baby will go through in life from the moment they are born. By understanding these two opposing views that are shown in the poems, the readers gain the knowledge that Blake was trying to instill.
"Infant Joy" from Songs of Innocence and "Infant Sorrow" from Songs of Experience depict two contrasting views of new life. My primary view of "Infant Joy" is that the poem depicts a newborn baby and the joy that is and surrounds that baby. The mother is singing while the baby is smiling. The mood of the poem is happy and light. The tone of the speaker is simplistic as joy is repeated a few times.The secondary view of the poem is that bringing new life into the world is a joyous occasion and babies are symbols of happiness. This is shown in lines 3 and 5 where Blake says "What should I call thee?/ "I happy am,/ Joy is my name.". When the mother asks the newborn baby what name she should give him and the child says that he is happy so joy should be his name. Babies are depicted as being joyous because nothing is more innocent than a newborn. The poem shows creating new life in a positive light and that the most inherently innocent can be extremely happy.
"Infant Sorrow" is in total contrast to "Infant Joy" because it focuses on the sorrow surrounding bringing new life into the world rather than the joy. On a primary level, the poem is about a baby being born into the harsh realities of the world. Lines 2 and 3 state "Into the dangerous world I lept:/ Helpless, naked and piping loud:". This shows that even though babies are the most innocent beings, they are also the most vulnerable due to being so innocent. Their innocence makes the world even more dangerous for them. On a secondary level, the poem shows that with new life comes new difficulties and hardships. Lines 4 to 8 state:
Struggling in my father's arms
Striving against my swadling bands
Bound and weary I thought best
To sulk upon my mother's breast.
These four lines not only depict a child who is tired after being born but also a child who has gone through life experiences that have tired him out. Struggling, striving, feeling bound and weary are experiences that everyone goes through in life. They are the realities of life that are felt by the baby immediately after he is born and thrown into the real world. They are things we constantly face through life as we grow. The mood of the poem is not joyous but rather dreary. The mother is in pain, the father is crying and the baby is yelling and tired. A baby's innocence fades a bit once he comes into the world and due to experience will continue to fade.
According to Richard Clarke, the Songs of Innocence and Experience represent, "the two contrary states of the human soul" and often develop opposing points of view on the same subject matter. Clarke also says,"Blake uses dialectical fusion or synthesis of the opposing qualities symbolized by innocence and experience, respectively, in order to adequately grasp the full complexity of human existence". Harold Bloom found in his studies that in Songs of Innocence, "it is the nature of human existence to be in a world seemingly pulled simultaneously in two opposing directions. Humans are caught on the cusp between innocence and experience, good and evil, etc., torn in both directions. They key things is to ‘see through’ or beyond this apparent contradiction and to realize that to understand the human condition involves assimilating or synthesizing these two contrasting poles of human experience. In short, Blake’s theme is the possibility of salvation which he locates in the Imagination."
Two opposing views or contrary states is what Blake showed in "Infant Joy" and "Infant Sorrow". Joy and sorrow are contrasting emotions which fits the romantic idea of life being composed of opposites. "Infant Joy" depicted the happiness of new life while "Infant Sorrow" showed that with new life comes harsh reality. Blake wants us to see both sides of an issue and hopefully find a happy medium in between. Neither one is completely right or wrong but it depends on how innocent or how experienced a person is to decide how they interpret these issues. Babies are probably the most innocent beings in this world which is why it is easy to associate them with happiness but we must also remember that as soon as they are born, they start to deal with the realities of life which is what Blake was trying to show in these poems.
Blake's idealistic view is that babies are basically the human embodiment of happiness and that they should be surrounded with happiness as well. Even though it is not possible to always have happiness present, Blake wants the reader to take from "Infant Joy" that babies should have a sense of happiness present as they are growing. "Infant Sorrow" is Blake's way of showing even with the happiness of new life, there is acknowledgement of the difficulties that baby will go through in life from the moment they are born. By understanding these two opposing views that are shown in the poems, the readers gain the knowledge that Blake was trying to instill.
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