Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Journal Entry: May 14, 2009




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Thursday, April 30, 2009

Journal Entry: April 30, 2009

Katherine Mansfield (1888-1923)

-used "stream of consciousness" (Horton 706)
-New Zealand writer

Noted Works:
-"The Fly"
-"Miss Brill"
-"Feuille D'Album"

Analysis of "Miss Brill"
"Miss Brill," is a story of a woman who, on the outside, seems physically and mentally content with herself. At the beginning of the story, she puts on her fur with all the pride she posessed. She then goes out, and she watches the people around her. She sits there by herself and listens because she just loves people. She observes an old couples and young couples. One young couple in particular who were "beautifully dressed" ("Miss Brill") sat in Miss Brill's vicinity of hearing. She overheard them ask, "Why does she come here at all - who wants her?" ("Miss Brill"). After Miss Brill usually goes to the Bakery to enjoy a honey-cake. This time she skips it and goes straight home to cry. The moral of this story can go two ways. Either one could say that Miss Brill shouldn't be eavesdropping, or different people are still people nonetheless. Even though she's alone in all the events taking place, Miss Brill is still a happy person. She's so content that one might think that no mean word can hurt her. However, in the end, we find out that she's still human like everyone else.

Application
I think we've all been here: in a place that you don't feel loved or openly accepted. Either if it was for an entire school year or for a couple of seconds, it's not a good feeling. For me, I'm really blessed to have my friends because their presence makes me feel accepted and loved. It makes me feel almost guilty that I have companions when other people like Miss Brill don't. We all know that's why, which of our classmates sit alone at lunch. For the past couple of weeks, every other day I've been trying to make it a point to talk to a person whom God has put on my heart to talk to. We have our differences, but I think it's getting close to a new friendship.



Horton, Ronald A. British Literature for Christian Schools. Greenville: Bob Jones University Press, 1992.

Mansfield, Katherine. "Miss Brill." 30 Apr. 2009 .

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Journal Entry: April 22, 2009

William Butler Yeats (1865-1939)
-"Greatest modern poet (Horton 694)."

Noted Works:
-"Adam's Curse"
-Where Nothing is, There is God

"Adam's Curse" Analysis:
"Adam's Curse" entertains the idea that since the fall of man, anything worth beautifying now requires some level of labouring. According to Yeats, poetry has to be "of a moment's thought." According to Maud Gonne, "Although we never heard of it at school, women must labor to be beautiful." And again, according to Yeats, in the aspiration to obtain love, the results may vary. In the end, all the efforts might pay off or one might "be thought an idler by the noisy set (Horton 694)."

Personal Application:
I think I like the idea of blaming all my faults and hardships on Adam's curse because I don't have to take responsibility when it comes down to it. Through doing my presentation, I've come to realize that it doesn't matter if Adam sinned or not. I must try hard in everything I do so I can earn the things worth while. With that mindset, I believe that I'll not only achieve much more, but I will be more grateful in the end.

Horton, Ronald A. British Literature for Christian Schools. Greenville: Bob Jones University Press, 1992.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

April 16, 2009: Journal Entry

A. E. Housman (1859-1936)

-"One of the most gifted of late-Victorian and early-modern poets (Horton 677)."
-"Academic failure" to "leading classical scholar (Horton 677)."

Noted Works:
To An Athlete Dying Young
-theme: cruelty of the world is unjust
8 'O Clock
-execution

Analysis of When I Was One-And-Twenty
When Housman was "one-and-twenty," he had heard a wise man's advice. The man's advice was to, if anything, give everything away but his heart. Of course, Housman only being a young bachelor of twenty one would never listen to advice from anyone. However, he does learn his lesson at the end. He is taught not to gamble his heart away like a gambler would "give crowns and pounds and guineas (Horton 678)."

Application

I believe that I should take careful caution while dealing with the heart. For my life, the foolish actions that I have taken with "love" was of the most dire consequences. One of my teachers from my old school put it this way: don't give your love away to too many people. If you do, once you get married, the pieces of your heart will be with two, six, or eight people instead of wholly with your husband.



Here's my poem that I wrote in class (my advice that I'd give).

Hello, my younger brother
Here's my advice to you:
Listen to our mother,
Not like how I would do.

Don't be one of those boys
Who hang around Town Center
With your devices and expensive toys.
I know you can do way better.

Here's my other advice to you:
Don't you dare wear your pants too huge.
I'm telling you, it's not cool.
It will never be cool if you do.

Aaron, this is my last advice:
Treat all girls with care.
Be gentlemanly, kind, and nice.
If you don't, then beware!

Horton, Ronald A. British Literature for Christian Schools. Greenville: Bob Jones University Press, 1992.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

April 9, 2009: Journal Entry

Thomas Hardy (1840-1928)

-"he makes it his mission to disillusion the world" (Horton 656)
-agnostic

Noted Works

-The Darkling Thrush
-The Respectable Burgher
-The Three Strangers
-the role of fate

Analysis of The Respectable Burgher:

The Respectable Burher mentions quite a few times of the skepticisms within the church. For example, "Solomon sang the fleshly Fair, / And gave the church no thought whate'er (Horton 658). Solomon, one thinks, is the one of the most memorable "man of God." He asked for wisdom, yet he practiced polygamy, a practice looked down upon God. The poem also talks about Esther and Daniel's hardships. Why do good people suffer? What Hardy is trying to say is that that the "message for mankind" (Horton 658) is marred due to disbelief of Scripture.

Application:

For me, I may sometimes think that Christianity is confusing as well. I ask, "Why does God let this happen to good people?" The fact of the matter is, it doesn't matter if I understand it or not. I'm in no place to question God or His actions.


Horton, Ronald A. British Literature for Christian Schools. Greenville: Bob Jones University Press, 1992.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

April 2, 2009: Journal Entry

Gerald Manley Hopkins (1833-1889)

-"run-on rhyme has heavily influenced modern poetry." (Horton 674)

Noted Works
-"Pied Beauty"
-has unusual diction

Analysis of "Pied Beauty"
"Pied Beauty," at first glance, may seem like a poem about a cow. However, the poem goes imensely deeper than that. It states, "He fathers-forth whose beauty is past change (Horton 675)." With this phrase, Hopkins emphasizes God's love for all His creatures both imperfect and even more imperfect. What Hopkins wrote is true. God loves the "strange," "fickle," and "dappled" things (Horton 675). He even declares so Himself in Genesis when He pronounces His creation "good."

Application
The one lesson that I'm taking away from this poem is the lesson to not be superficial. I have countless "spots" and imperfections that is way past change, and God loves them all. It's a good reminder to not look at other's faults but to look at them with the unconditional, non-judgmental love God bestows upon me.


Horton, Ronald A. British Literature for Christian Schools. Greenville: Bob Jones University Press, 1992.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Feb. 26, 2009: Journal Entry

Charlotte Bronte

Noted Works:
-Jane Eyre

Analysis of Jane Eyre:
Probably what caught me the most through reading the first couple of chapters of Jane Eyre was when she was pouring her life story out to Helen Burns. Helen noted that Jane remembered every single bad thing that Mrs. Reed did against her. Helen "scolds" her and says, in other words, to not let the pessimistic things people do or say affect you so negatively that it ruins your life. So many times people dwell in misery because one bad thing was caused by their enemies. Letting them get you down may sometimes bring satisfaction to the wrong-doers, which may sometimes encourage them to repeat the same action again, if not the same, maybe worse. God teaches us to return, not evil for evil, but evil for good. It's a lesson that was taught to a ten-year-old, but it's one that still has to be learned and practiced by all.

Application:
It's funny how I can also remember all the bad things people have done to me, but I can barely remember all the good they've done for me too. I think it's because the "evil" things had a greater effect on me because of my lack of appreciation of the good things. I'm going to make it a subconscious goal to return evil for good even though I love to seek revenge and give people what they deserve. But I know that God gives me a ton of grace, so the least I can do is try to love my neighbors (enemies) as myself.