The Great Blue Heron

“The Great Blue Heron” is a stanza free verse poem written in memory of Kizer’s mother, Mabel Ashley Kizer. It depicts a young child seeing a tattered looking heron on the beach when she is young, and seeing it again when spreading her mother’s ashes on the beach fifteen years later. The heron’s tattered appearance is described using simile and metaphor. Kizer uses detailed imagery and connotative language. The tone of the poem is mournful and nostalgic. Enjambment is used throughout the poem and creates a unique flow to the poem. Kizer uses foreshadowing in the poem to help create structure in the poem. When the narrator shows her mother she realizes, “My mother knew what he was.” This foreshadows the future death of the mother. Herons are symbols of life prosperity, so Kizer’s use of it as a harbinger of death is paradoxical. The theme of this poem is to describe death and its effect it has on memories. The poem is mostly spent in reminiscence of the past as the narrator remembers standing on the beach “fifteen summers ago.” It is shown the beach was a place of many happy memories in the lines, “So many rockets ago/So many smokes and fires/And beach-lights and water-glow.” But the happy memories serve only as time passed between the appearances of the heron. Most of the poem is spent describing the heron. It is the narrator’s awareness of the possibility of her mother’s death. As time passes, its physical form becomes more substantial. At the start of the poem the heron is, “Shadow without a shadow,” but at the end of the poem when the narrator is spreading her mother’s ashes, the heron is “Denser than my repose.” The heron is a “Superimposed on a poster/Of a summer by the strand.” The memories of summers on the beach are blocked by the heron that foreshadowed her mother’s death. “The Great Blue Heron” showed mourning and how it can alter and overshadow memories using vivid imagery, foreshadowing, and enjambment.

Outliers

Outliers: A Story of Success is a novel written by Malcolm Gladwell. It discusses how extremely successful people came to be. Gladwell uses numerous studies and examples from history to prove his points and draw conclusions. The book is divided into two sections: Opportunity and Legacy. In Opportunity, Gladwell describes the stories of Canadian hockey players, geniuses, a man named Christopher Langan, and New York lawyers in 1950s. In the second part of the book, Legacy, Gladwell illustrates how our heritage and culture we inherit affects how our personalities. Gladwell uses examples of family feuds in the Appalachians, airplane crashes, Asians’ ability to excel in mathematics, and KIPP Academy. Gladwell writes in an informative tone, but manages to avoid becoming dry facts. He uses vivid descriptions of the background of each of the stories he tells to give the studies and history life. Gladwell breaks down the romanticized view we hold of incredibly successful people, and thoroughly explains what factors in their lives and background attributed to their success. Gladwell explains that success is not just a matter of hard work and talent. He uses the example of Christopher Langan, an incredibly brilliant man with an IQ of 195, who ended up a college drop-out because he could not get opportunities to help him finish a higher education. Langan was talented and hard-working but he was not able to succeed. In Opportunity, Gladwell concludes that success is a matter of being born into the right circumstances, with a drive to succeed and work hard. The second part of the book was what I found the most interesting. In this portion of the novel, Gladwell describes and explains how the cultural legacy we inherit from where we’re from and our family distinctly affects our personalities and how we act. One example he uses is the phenomenon of Asian countries success in mathematics. To explain this, Gladwell goes back to the history of southern China and their dependence on rice paddies. The process of rice farming is incredibly labor intensive and needs constant care and attention. Since China had such a need for rice it created a culture that put an extreme value on hard work. Meanwhile in European countries, the crops grown needed to be rested every few years and is much less labor intensive than rice paddies. This difference in agriculture created the idea in European culture of the necessity of rest. Gladwell proves that this phenomenon is still relevant today by talking about standardized testing scores. The TIMSS is a standardized test that has a 125 questionnaire and is very difficult to finish. The students that were able to finish the questionnaire were the same students that did well on the math section. These students were mostly from Asian countries. Gladwell correlates this success to the cultural legacy from the rice paddies. Outliers: The Story of Success is an incredibly interesting read that helps create a new perspective on the idea of success and what leads to it.

Carolyn Kizer

Carolyn Kizer is an award winning American poet. I have read a few of her poems, the two I have looked into the most are "A Child's Guide to Central Ohio" and "Afternon Happiness." In both of these poems she creates a new perspective on romaticized moments of life. "A Child's Guide to Central Ohio" reveals the trapped and suffocated feelings of a child. It uses strong imagery and diction to depict an angry child riling against its captors. She uses a formal diction and strong connotative language. In "Afternoon Happiness" she takes a jab at those who believe art must be about pain and suffering in order to be profound and meaningful. Kizer also looks at love and realizes that although in the present it is wonderfully happy, it will end in heartbreak. Her poems have strong imagery and connotative language. In both poems she is able to depict the feelings of the narrator beautifully and convey her ideas. She reveals unseen perspectives on different aspects of life. Carolyn Kizer's poetry is incredibly beautiful and amazing to behold.

This is Water

David Foster Wallace gave a commencement speech at Kenyon College, and it is published in the novel, This is Water. In the speech he talks about what makes up the daily grind of life. The boring, frustrating, tiring, endless grind of adult life. After foretelling this future he presents the choice we have to make in that crowded supermarket at the end of a long day. We can give in to our natural desire to be angry and frustrated or to make the choice to think the best of those around us. The world is boring, frustrating, and tedious. This is an undeniable fact. But there are two options from that point. We can fall into the belief that we are the center of the universe and the universe should conform to our needs and desires and be angry and frustrated when it does not. Or we can look at those around us and see the possibilities of the circumstances that surround them. It is easy to forget that everyone around us is just as complicated as we are. Everyone has had their own unique circumstances that brings them to that supermarket. Those circumstances may be tragic or heroic, but in any case we don’t know what has made them into the person that is now standing in that supermarket line. The recognition of these possibilities help us see the humanity in people. They are not just obstacles in our way, but people with hopes, dreams, frustrations, and feelings as complex as our own. So when we stand in that crowded supermarket at the end of a long day, we can look at others and see the infinite possibilities that surround them, we can see that they are humans making their way through life just like us. We are not the center of the universe, so we might as well appreciate the universe that we are a part of. We have to make the decision to imagine others complexly. When we can make that choice, to see others as people and not just things, we give ourselves the option to love others. When we can love others, life becomes so much brighter and less of the frustrating, boring, tedious grind. So when you are in that supermarket and every cell in your body just wants to go home and for everyone to just not be there, you can stop and make that choice of seeing the beauty and complexity in others. Everyone is human, this is water. 

The Secret Agent

The Secret Agent is a novel written by Joseph Conrad telling the story of the attempted bombing of Greenwich Observatory. Mr. Verloc is an agent provocateur that is posing as an anarchist. He lives a domestic life with his wife, Winnie Verloc and her family. In the beginning of the novel, Mr. Verloc is called to the Embassy to have a meeting with his superior Mr. Vladimir. During the meeting Vladimir severely reprimands Verloc and tells him to attack the Greenwich Observatory and to make it look like an act of sheer madness. Mr. Vladimir says, ““Madness alone is truly terrifying, inasmuch as you cannot placate it by threats, persuasion, or bribes.” Mr. Verloc feels this meeting is the beginning of the end for him. If he cannot complete this act of the madness then he will lose his way of life. This quote foreshadows how Mr. Verloc will actually lose his life. When Winnie discovers that Mr. Verloc was responsible for her brother Stevie’s death, she goes into a trance of madness. Her entire being is filled with the thought that Mr. Verloc killed Stevie and he must pay. In that state of madness Winnie stabs Verloc. The quote foreshadows this event because while Winnie is dealing with her grief and mourning Mr. Verloc is continuously talking about the future and their plans to live abroad. He assures her of his fondness for her and the security of their future together. These words do nothing to soothe Winnie, and actually cause her more suffering. In her mental state of madness Winnie is terrifying and powerful. She will not be soothed by any words but is simply a force of nature. Her madness will not be placated by Mr. Verloc’s words and there is only one course of action for her to take. Winnie takes the carving knife and plunges it into her husband’s chest. 

Oedipus Rex

Oedipus Rex is a tragedy written by Sophocles. It tells the story of Oedipus, the hero of Thebes as he tries to discover the truth behind the death of the former King Laius. Oedipus discovers dark secrets about his past, and the truth destroys him. A major theme of the play is the power of prophecy. Characters are constantly trying to avoid prophecy but in their efforts they fulfill the prophecies and cause their own doom. But when the truth becomes revealed, many of the characters choose to ignore the truth. A key quote is from Jocasta trying to comfort Oedipus. She says, “Fear? What should a man fear? It’s all chance, chance rules our lives. Not a man on earth can see a day ahead, groping through the dark. Better to live at random, best we can. And as for this marriage with your mother—have no fear. Many a man before you, in his dreams, has shared his mother’s bed. Take such things for shadows, nothing at all— Live, Oedipus, as if there’s no tomorrow!” At this point in the play the Messenger that eventually reveals that Oedipus is Jocasta and Laius’s son has appeared, and the pieces of the puzzle are coming together. Although she says that everything is random and the future cannot be predicted, all prophecies in the play come true. Her flippant treatment of the prophesized incest comes back to haunt her. Although Jocasta says to ignore all prophecies and to live life freely, she did not follow her own advice. When faced with a prophecy that said her son will kill her husband and bed her, she abandoned her baby and caused the events to happen. If Oedipus also did not react so strongly to his prophecy, then he would not have met Laius on the road and caused his own doom. This quote depicts the irony of the play and the forces of free will and prophecy that create Oedipus’s doom. 

To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird contains many conflicts and the protagonists face many challenges. Tom Robinson is accused of raping Mayella Ewell. Atticus takes on the case, he knows he will not win. Despite this Atticus gives the case his all. When Atticus Finch takes on Tom Robinson’s case he ignites what seems like the entire world against him. Even members of his own family turn against Atticus for his decision to take on the Tom Robinson case. His stand against racism in Maycomb County has severe consequences, but Atticus will not sacrifice his morals. When his children question his decision and reasoning, he uses the struggles he is facing as deliberate lessons for his children. Atticus tells Scout, “I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.” Atticus has the ability to understand the gravity of small struggles in daily life and applies them to display the fundamentals of true moral behavior. He stands up for what he believes even when the entire world is against him. Atticus does not without even the smallest hope of victory. From the second he took on the Tom Robinson case, Atticus knew that he would never successfully acquit Tom. But he took on this case anyway, because he knows what is right and what must be done. Atticus is a role model for his children and the reader. He represents courage in the face of assured defeat and he fulfills the role without a moment’s pause. Atticus has courage to fight for what is right in the bleakest of circumstances, and stands up unflinchingly against the world that is against him.  

To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird is novel telling the story of the Finch family during one of the most difficult summers of their lives. Atticus Finch takes on the case of Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a white woman. It is an extremely controversial case and Atticus knows from the start that he will not win. Atticus also knows that taking this case will also bring on a storm of hatred and ill feelings onto him and his family. Despite this fact, Atticus made a choice that he knew would change his life forever. Atticus explains to Scout on why he decided to take the case:" The main one is, if I didn’t I couldn’t hold up my head in town, I couldn’t represent this county in the legislature, I couldn’t even tell you or Jem not to do something again. Because I could never ask you to mind me again. Scout, simply by the nature of the work, every lawyer gets at least one case in his lifetime that affects him personally. This one’s mine, I guess," Atticus makes the decision to defend Tom Robinson because there is no other choice for him. If he rejects the case then he loses everything he stands for and believes in. Although Atticus could lose his standing and his safety, it is more important to stand up for the truth. This case is a test of how tightly Atticus will hold onto his morals in any circumstances. When he takes on this case he knows that there will be trouble that will affect him and his entire family. Throughout the entire novel   Atticus constantly makes the choice to stand up for truth and integrity despite the world telling him to give up on what he believes in. 

A Tale for the Time Being

A Tale for the Time Being tells the story of Nao, a teenage girl writing a diary in Tokyo, and Ruth, a woman living in Desolation Sound in Canada, who is reading Nao’s diary. Throughout the course of the novel, Nao and Ruth form an intimate relationship despite their difference in time and space. The ending deviates strongly from the rest of the book. The majority of the novel is written in a very down to earth style with influences of Zen teaching. Then at the end, the Zen teaching takes a forefront and it becomes more mystical and supernatural. While reading the diary it abruptly ends despite the fact that Ruth knows that it was longer. Then in a dream she tells Nao’s father to go find her at the bus stop and directly affects Nao’s future although it is in Ruth’s past. After Ruth’s dream, the diary is completed. Ruth and her husband, Oliver, discuss what happened and Oliver presents the idea of quantum physics and multiple occurring universes. The ending feels discordant with the style of the rest of the novel. Ruth spends the entire book growing a relationship with Nao and then coming to terms with the fact that her story is done and she cannot save this little girl. Then suddenly at the end she affects Nao’s life and changes everything. Ruth’s acceptance of the fact that Nao has lived her life and she cannot change the past is a big moment that is then completely upturned and made irrelevant.  The ending was also a sudden shift from the very down to earth to complicated science. Personally the ending with Ruth changing the past seems like a deus ex machina and it almost feels cheap. A Tale for the Time Being is unafraid to say the hard truths of painful situations and is willing to face the fact that there isn’t always a solution to the problem. Yet the end conflict is fixed with a perfectly convenient solution with some science that came out of the left field. The ending feels forced and out of place with the rest of the novel. 

A Tale for the Time Being

A Tale for the Time Being is written by Ruth Ozeki detailing the story of Ruth reading a teenage girl’s diary. Ruth by reading Nao’s diary begins to form a close friendship with the girl despite never meeting her or being able to find any proof of her existence. Through the unique structure of the book, Nao and Ruth create a dialogue with each other and they form an intimate bond despite the distance that divides them. The distance between them is not something to underestimate. Nao wrote and finished her diary months and months before Ruth ever finds it on the beach. Their relationship transcends time and space which is a major theme of the book. Time is described as, “Do not think that time simply flies away. Do not understand ‘flying’ as the only function of time. If time simply flew away, a separation would exist between you and time. So if you understand time as only passing, then you do not understand the time being.   To grasp this truly, every being that exists in the entire world is linked together as moments in time, and at the same time they exist as individual moments of time. Because all moments are the time being, they are your time being.” This provides a unique perspective on time and points out the relativity of time.  This quote describes how Nao and Ruth’s relationship can work. There is no separation between them because they are linked together by the simple fact that they are human beings that in the universe. Ruth and Nao are both beings in time, there is no time that has passed between them because all moments of time are linked together. This quote is important to the novel because it explains how time is viewed in the novel. 

A Tale for the Time Being

A Tale for the Time Being is a novel written by Ruth Ozeki. It tells the story of a woman named Ruth who reads and finds the diary of a young girl named Nao Yatsutani. It is written in alternating chapters, starting with Nao’s intricate diary entries and the Ruth’s responses to the diary entries. This structure shapes the book and how it is read. This back and forth between Nao and Ruth create an interesting dialogue between the two characters. This relationship between Ruth and Nao ties into the theme of the relativity of time. Although Nao’s predicament happened months before Ruth even finds the diary, it feels like the events of their lives are happening simultaneously. They are two different people in two different worlds, yet they have a bond together. Throughout the course of the book, Nao and Ruth grow to genuinely care for one another. Nao is grateful for this anonymous reader who she can open up to and share her struggles with, and Ruth cares for this troubled teenage girl. Their bond is extenuated through the unique structure of the book. The structure of the book is also a unique draw-in. The story of Nao is extremely interesting and draws the reader in. As Ruth reads along with you, her reactions parallel your own. This allows a relationship between you and Ruth along with the connection you feel with Nao’s intimate diary entries. Ozeki’s masterful use of structure creates an intimate relationship between Ruth and Nao, and Ruth, Nao and the reader. 

Their Eyes Were Watching God

Their Eyes Were Watching God is a novel written by Zora Neale Hurston. It tells the story of Janie Crawford. It is her coming of age story, following her life from childhood to when she is a grown woman. Janie goes through life looking for love. When she was sixteen she saw a bee pollinate a flower in a pear tree, and that image became her ideal version of love. As she looks at the pear tree in bloom she sees, “a dust-bearing bee sink into the sanctum of a bloom; the thousand sister-calyxes arch to meet the love embrace and the ecstatic shiver of the tree from root to tiniest branch creaming in every blossom and frothing with delight. So this was a marriage!”  Love to Janie is when both parties reach for each other in an equal partnership and help each other find pure ecstasy. But love does not find Janie when she is sixteen. Her grandmother marries her off to a wealthy man named Logan Killicks that Janie doesn’t know or love. She feels belittled and is miserable. He does not reach for her to give her that ecstasy of love Janie is looking for. Then Janie meets Joe Starks. He is a man with big dreams and big plans. He whisks Janie away from her life and promises to make her a queen. They run away to Eatonville, a new all-black town. As time goes by, Janie and Joe’s marriage begins to crumble. Joe does not allow Janie to interact with the people and treats her as a prop. Although Joe reached for her in his love for her, there was no equal partnership. Joe contained Jodie and tried to mold her into what he thought she should be. After almost twenty years, after Joe and Janie’s marriage has completely crumbled Joe dies. That is when Janie meets Tea Cake. He is a young man who shows her how to play checkers and shows her the world. They fall in love and it is with Tea Cake that Janie finally finds love. He reaches out to her and shows her the world not as a pack mule, not as a prop, but as a partner whom he loves. Janie finally finds love and her world is transformed.  

salutations

hi mrs. healey!