The Importance of Being a Rocket

Transformation

Transformation

 

Morning, afternoon, sun rises and sets

The light peeks through the trees

A time for quiet as I reminisce on regrets

The breeze puts me at ease.

A time of day when imagination runs wild

The music sings in my ears.

Filled with the admiration of a child

My voice echoes as if I have no fears

Abruptly one morning the world becomes white

The spring trees are in full bloom

From dark winter comes glorious light

Better times are ahead, I assume

In a few days,  nature transforms again.

The streets are lined with purple and green.

Some say beauty brings rain,

But in my eyes, the warmth is serene.

Each day, my fantasies take me away

The weight of reality, lifted

At the end of the ride, I pray

I may return to the focus from which I drifted.

From our allies we tend to hear lies.

Others pass, though our eyes do not meet

I cannot see the ideas that rise in their skies.

The potential is left incomplete.

The road bends, and I slow around the curve

I, too, turn over new leaf.

What I earn, I will deserve.

I’ll hold to what I believe.

            My poem “Transformation,” is modeled after the writing style of Percy Bysshe Shelley. I used some of the same themes as Shelley such as the beauty of nature and the power of the human mind. This poem also includes the same rhyme scheme found in many of Shelley’s works. The scheme, ababcdcdefefghgh…, is shown in poems like “Ozymandias” and “Mutability.” Percy Bysshe Shelley is also known for using eye rhyme, or the use of words that look like they rhyme, but do not actually sound similar. Shelley uses this in his poem, “On Death” when he writes,

“The secret things of the grave are there,

Where all but this frame must surely be,

 Though the fine-wrought eye and the wondrous ear.”

 The words there and ear look like they should rhyme, but create different sounds. An example of eye rhyme in my poem is ‘rain’ and ‘again’. This poem, as well as the many written by Percy Bysshe Shelley, utilizes characteristics common in writing published during the Romantic Period. Some obvious Romantic themes in “Transformation” include a strong sense of beauty of the surround world and a vivid imagination.

Willy's and Lady Mac's Time Travelling Adventure

Willy & Lady Mac's Time Travelling Adventure
by: abbyblock

femininity

When Lady Macbeth prepares the plan to murder Duncan, she falls into the stereotype dividing men and women. Her words, “that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty,” play on the commonly held idea that women are weak and femininity hinders the chance of cruelty. Anyone is capable of committing evil deeds, just as they are capable of acting for good. One’s sex cannot determine the morality of his or her actions. Shakespeare’s few lines speak to an eternity of prejudice women have seen.

Since the beginning of time, the world has been dominated by men with a superiority complex. They were thought to be braver, stronger, and smarter. Their fathers had informed them of this fact, and it was passed down through generations of sexism. There are obvious differences between the male and female sex; however, one is not definitively better than the other. In recent times, the number of people who realize the true equality of genders has grown exponentially, but many men refuse to give this admission. In some ways, women have had to fight for their rights more than racial minorities. They must dispute a system and society that claims to be protecting them. Today, Americans can say that women are basically considered equal in terms of legislature. Unfortunately, prejudice still exists among those who have not opened their minds to other possibilities.

Female leaders like Hillary Clinton and Margaret Thatcher face advantages and disadvantages as woman struggling in politics. Anyone who is ever different will be put under scrutiny, and these headstrong females stand out in the crowd. The qualities of a woman are somewhat foreign to the other half of the world. Women are thought to feel their emotions rather than lock them away like a man. And maybe this is true, but it cannot always be seen as a down side. A person who can feel her own emotions can also feel the emotions of those around her. Would this not be a beneficial characteristic, to feel the same way as the citizens in one’s country? It would make pleasing the people far simpler. There are times when emotions get in the way, but to say that men do not feel these same emotions is absurd. Men tend to lock away feelings until they boil over. If women, on the other hand, were able to speak out with compassion for those who have not been defended by men in the past, what is wrong with emotion? Women have a voice that comes from the opposite side of a man’s. The thoughts are processed differently. And while neither may be right or wrong, they are both there. And both are worth listening to.

On the other hand, Hillary Clinton should not be using her femininity as a weapon. It appears that her public crying is an attempt to appeal on the sympathy and compassion of voters. There is nothing wrong with crying, but it is best done in private or with a trusted friend. The public audience should see a strong woman that can act on her emotions with dignity and intelligence. Votes should not be bought with pity for a woman who lacks confidence because she is not ‘likeable’. This is an insecurity shared by both men and women.

Macbeth's Playlist

• Macbeth loves songs that he can relate to his own life because they help him understand his own emotions

http://open.spotify.com/user/abbyblock/playlist/06vY9V8UCpr4FvYMN9LzWh


1. "Lose Yourself" by Eminem

• This song speaks to Macbeth's intense desire to fulfill his life dreams and his fear of missing opportunites.
• The soul's escaping, through this hole that is gaping
  This world is mine for the taking
  Make me king, as we move toward a new world order

2. "The Bad in Each Other" by Feist

• Macbeth and Lady Macbeth push each other to commit murder, all in the name of power. Clearly, they are not helping each other be the best version of themselves.
• When a good man and a good woman
  Can't find the good in each other
  Then a good man and a good woman
  Will bring out the worst in the other

3. "Fire" by Augustana

• Macbeth can relate to this song because he so easily gives in to desire.
• Fire burning me up
  Desire taking me so much higher
  And leaving me whole

4. "I and Love and You" by the Avett Brothers

• Because of their immoral actions, Macbeth and his 'dearest chuck' cannot see each other the same way as when they first fell in love.
• Three words that became hard to say
  I and love and you
  What you were then, I am today
  Look at the things I do

5. "The Funeral" by Band of Horses

• Death surrounds Macbeth's life, and guilt overcomes him for orchestrating the murders.
• At every occasion, I'll be ready for the funeral
  At every occasion, once more, it's called the funeral
  At every occasion, oh, I'm ready for the funeral
  At every occasion, oh, one billion day funeral

6. "When My Time Comes" by Dawes

• This song speaks to Macbeth because he is struggling to find the meaning of what he has done.
• So I took what I wanted and put it out of my reach
  I wanted to pay for my successes with all my defeats,
  And if heaven was all that was promised to me
  Why don't I pray for death?

7. "This is Why We Fight" by the Decemberists

• This song makes Macbeth think about what causes people to do bad things, and maybe he sees his own greed and hunger for power in the lyrics.
• Come the war
  come the avarice
  come the war
  come hell

8. "Mykonos" by Fleet Foxes

• Macbeth covers his guilt with hope for a sunny future as king.
• And you will go to Mykonos
  With a vision of a gentle coast
  and a sun to maybe dissipate
  Shadows of the mess you made

9. "Knife" by Grizzly Bear

• Macbeth sees what he is doing, and others do too. However, his avarice overpowers his conscience.
• I want you to know
  When I look in your eyes
  with every blow
  Comes another lie

10. "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived" by Weezer

• Macbeth appreciates this song because it pumps up his ego. It gives him hope that his power as king will fix his problems.
• After the havoc that I'm gonna wreak
  No more words will critics have to speak
  I've got to answers to the tangled knot
  Sleep tight in your cot

Then they came for me, and no one was left to speak out for me.

            Martin Niemöller once spoke out about the guilt of bystanders in his postwar lectures. In the famous quote, he said, “First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out because I wasn’t a communist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out because I wasn’t a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out because I wasn’t a Jew. Then they came for the Catholics, and I did not speak out because I was Protestant. Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak out for me.” Throughout history, there have been times when our human limitations have been pushed. Sometimes, this forces people to push their own moral limitations. For instance, the Donner Party, when faced with starvation and freezing temperatures, resorted to cannibalism in order to survive. Many Nazis were also forced to break their own boundaries when they encountered one of the most powerful human influences: fear. Adolf Hitler created fear of the Jews, gypsies, homosexuals, and other groups, but most importantly, he created fear of Hitler himself. The Nazis who had doubts about the actions they were ordered to commit attempted to rationalize their behavior with logic. Some attempted to defend themselves by saying, “if I hadn’t done it, someone else would have.” And this may be true, but that does not make it right. Other Nazis aimed to make the Jews and other ‘camp residents’ seem less human. With the help of Hitler’s propaganda, they were able to convince themselves that their actions were for the ‘greater good’.

            Maybe one of the most reprehensible of these Nazis was Victor Capesius. Many parents throughout all time would reason that a two-year-old child is less guilty of playing with his food than a ten-year-old boy would be because he “knows better”. Capesius was well-acquainted with some of the people he personally sent to gas chambers. This man is an example of someone who knew better. He was the doctor of Jewish children he knew well—well enough to know that they were not evil, or worthy of being murdered. Perhaps the moral faults of Konrad Jarausch are lesser than those of Capesius, although his actions are still wrong. Jarausch believed in his own set of Christian ethics, and knew what he was doing was immoral. However, he did nothing to stop it. Adam Kirsch wisely observes that “in a situation where radical evil holds sway, goodness has to become equally radical in order to combat it”. Jarausch wanted to create good in the world, but he lacked the passionate nature of one who can fight for the rights of the down-trodden. In contrast, people like Sophie Scholl stood up against Hitler, knowing the impending death sentence that would be sure to follow. She sacrificed herself for humanity.

            Adam Kirsch’s article “Can You Learn Anything from a Void?” questions the ease at which Americans, if faced with the same dilemmas as the Nazis, would commit the same crimes on humanity. His point calls to mind the genocide currently occurring in America: abortion. People who support the pro-choice views attempt to give reason to killing a baby. They put the right of a woman to choose not to carry a baby for nine months over the right of a coming child to choose life. This idea violates Thomas Jefferson’s very own “life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness”.  These people dehumanize the babies, similar to the way Nazis dehumanized Jews and other races. By simply calling a baby a ‘fetus’, this somehow makes the child more difficult to put a face to. A ‘fetus’ doesn’t call to mind an innocent infant with a heartbeat fast asleep inside his mother’s womb. Some doctors are required by their employers to perform abortions. Their decision to go along with the orders or to stand up for what is right is what will later classify them as a Capesius or a Scholl.

Macbeth’s henchmen are faced with the same moral dilemmas. In this era, people were taught that the king’s word is above all else, so it is difficult for a servant of the king to refuse orders in the face of death. Macbeth and his workers are equally guilty for the crimes they commit. Macbeth commits the crime of intention and the servants commit the actions themselves. It is a human’s responsibility to stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves. This responsibility falls on all people, whether they are a Nazi, doctor, or servant to an evil king.

Globe Theatre

The gates of the Globe Theatre are finally beginning to open. I have been saving for this day, little by little. I could hardly sit still, waiting to leave this morning. I packed a small snack to pass the time. It is a miracle that my husband, Henry Carmichael, and I have been able to afford this rare luxury. He works as a chandler, so we are never in need of a good candle. However, the small profit earned from selling our goods goes to provide for life necessities, like feeding our seven children. Fortunately, I have been doing needlework on the side. I embroidered twelve dresses to pay the two penny entrance fee!
            We have started walking in the slightly dim theatre. The sky is overcast, but the clouds do not appear to threaten rain. The pit is beginning to fill, so we hurry to get a good view of the stage. The previous day’s rain leaves the ground somewhat muddy, but I am too excited to notice my sinking shoes. The stage is raised above us and I watch with envy as the wealthiest of London file into their places on the stage.

After much debate, Henry and I decided to see Taming of the Shrew. My sister works as a servant in the palace and overheard a few women raving about its hilarity. Henry wanted to see Macbeth, but we agreed this was a play we would both enjoy. The voices of the eager audience have blended into a loud hum by the time the actors step on stage. Even the sight of the actors in their garish outfits cannot calm the anticipation of this crowd. After a few moments, the loud hum simmers off, but the poorly mannered peasants still talk frequently. Soon the play begins, and with some annoyance, I learn to tune out the loud whispers all around me and take in the art of theatre.

We step outside as the sun begins to peek through the parting clouds. I start in on my opinions on Katherine, the shrew. She acted without any manners! I do not understand what would make a woman drive away any possible chance for marriage. After all, it is a good woman’s duty to find a husband and care for his family. Henry agrees, but he detests the awful way Petruchio treats his wife. We decide both parties are at fault for preventing what could have been a great start to a beautiful marriage. When you go into something with an open mind, you are able to find joy in all places. That is what worked for Henry and me! Our marriage has been nothing but happiness. I was lucky to marry a craftsman with what little dowry my father had to offer! On our walk back home to our children, I cannot help but think of how lucky I am in my marriage.