Theatre

During the Fall Semester I enrolled in the class "Participation in Theatre."  While taking the class I found out that I really enjoy theatre and the plays it produces.  After reading the play write "Fences"  I have once again found this area of the Arts to be fascinating and enjoyable.  I have a desire to start reading, attending, and maybe even acting in plays in the future.  I never really gave this area of life much thought because I was never really introduced to it growing up, but know that I have discovered it, a whole new exciting world has been opened up to me!

Overview of ENG200

When I first signed up for ENG200, I have to admit, I was a bit nervous because I thought it was going to be filled with weekly papers.  But to my delight, we only had to write one paper.  Papers have never been a strong point of mine but I hope to continue honing my skills in that area as I continue my education. 

One of the areas I really enjoyed about the class were the chat sessions. Even though I was one of the individuals left out on the second chat due to technical difficulties, the chats really helped me to see different points to a particular story or poem which allowed me to realize that we all bring different ideas and thoughts to the table when discussing a particular issue.  Since I am planning to go into counseling as a career choice, I am thankful to be enlightened with this idea that we all may view things differently even though we have read or seen the exact same thing.  It is all based on our own interpretation!

Comments About the Play, "Fences" by August Wilson

I really enjoyed the play write, "Fences," by August Wilson.  While reading the play it kept me captivated the entire time and I had a hard time putting the book down when I had to tend to my kids or make lunch for us.  I wonder if this play still gets performed somewhere in the states as I would really enjoy seeing the production.  I see that the original cast from the play had James Earl Jones in it of whom I am a huge fan.  He has made many great movies and has been the voice of many characters, most notably, Darth Vader from the Star Wars Trilogy. 

Since this play was 1 of 10 other play writes that August Wilson wrote which encompassed different decades of the 1900's, constituting his "Century Cycle", it would be interesting to read and/or see the production of the other 9 plays as well.

Comments About the Character of Troy Maxson In the Play, "Fences."

Troy Maxson hated his father and wanted to live a life that was different from his fathers.  As he grew up he ended up doing everything that he hated about his father.  Like his father, Troy was very hard headed, verbally abusive, physically abusive, and a womanizer at heart.  Throughout my life time I have seen many young men turn into their fathers just like Troy did.  It is exciting to see when a young man turns into their father when their father is a good upstanding citizen and devoted father to his children, while remaining a faithful husband to his wife.  But it is heartbreaking to see son's that mimic a father who was abusive, a lawbreaker, and unfaithful husband.  Unfortunately more and more fathers are starting to resemble how not to live instead of how to live.

Autumn Begins in Martins Ferry, Ohio by James Wright

The poem, "Autumn Begins in Martins Ferry, Ohio" by Wright depicts what I see play out each season when I coach my son's teams in baseball and football. 

Verse 5:

Dreaming of Heroes.

I see so many fathers living through there kids, pushing them to the point where the kids no longer enjoy playing.  They push them to be better and better athletes with the hopes that some day they may become a professional athlete.  I shudder when I see this happening because I feel sorry for these kids when a fun activity becomes more like a job, something they must grasp and succeed at or feel the wrath of disappointment and anger from the parent for not doing well.  I wish we could take all those parents and make them play the sport against other hardcore parents and have the kids watch them and critique them just as the parents are doing to them.  Wow, wouldn't that be an eye opener for these over the top parents!

To an Athlete Dying Young by A.E. Housman

The poem, "To an Athlete Dying Young" by Housman was a very powerful poem to me.  The poem to me depicts a hero that becomes more than a hero, he becomes a legend. 

Verses 9 and 10:

Smart lad, to slip betimes away
From fields where glory does not stay

These verses to me depict the way he became a legend.  He died an early death while still in his prime which allowed him to rise up to legendary status.  If he were to die at an old age long after his victory he would probably have been forgotten.  But because he died in his prime, people will remember him as a winner and hero, giving him legendary status with the likes of Elvis Presley, James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, Lou Gehrig...etc.  There are probably hundreds of people we could name who died while in the height of their prime bringing them to legendary status, so I feel this poem is right on with its meaning!

Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird by Wallace Stevens

I had a hard time reading and understanding Wallace Steven's poem, "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird."  The poem to me did not seem to flow smoothly and it seemed to go in different directions.  After sitting and contemplating how this poem was to be read, I came to the conclusion that this is 13 different poems wrapped up in one.  Each section to me kind of stands alone and the only thing each section seems to have in common is a blackbird.  Am I way off base on this analysis or do others feel the same way I do about this poem?  I won't be offended if someone calls me crazy on my analysis so give me your true opinion!

Facing It by Yusef Komunyakaa

I could really see and understand what Yusef was trying to convey in his poem "Facing It."  In the beginning of the poem where it says "I said I wouldn't, dammit: No tears. I'm stone. I'm flesh." you can see and understand that he is telling himself he will not cry at the memorial but he ends up doing so anyway because of the emotions the Veterans Memorial brought back in him as he gazed upon all the names on the granite.  Later we see the author touch the name of his buddy Andrew Johnson who must have gotten killed while in the presence of the author because he describes the white flash of the booby trap while touching his name.  At the end of the story was the most touching to me when he describes a women erasing names but then corrects himself as he describes it as a mother caressing or stroking the granite as if she were caressing or brushing her son's hair.  Very powerful and heartfelt.

Dulce Et Decorum Est

Of all the dozen or so poems we read this week, none hit me harder than the poem by Owen named "Dulce Et Decorum Est."  I read through it several times and by the third time I could visually see the gas bombs being dropped on the troops while they all put on their gas masks, except for the one young soldier who was unable to get it on and then gasped for air as he suffered the gas being dispursed by the bomb.  It was very vivid and horrific sight in my mind as I read this story.  Even though this poem depicts the horrid deaths that accompany war, I really enjoyed this poem because I could understand and visually see what the author was trying to convey.  Wow, what a poem!

Comments About Kay Ryan

Do all poets speak with such poetic words as does Kay Ryan when simply answering questions?  When I read Kay Ryans answers to questions on pages 374 and 375, I noticed she spoke just like many poems, not really revealing a meaning but making you decipher what she is trying to say.  For instance, at the bottom of page 375 she states, "your atoms have been subtly distanced from each other, like a breeze is blowing through your DNA.  That's poetry loosening you."  Most people do not talk that way so it makes me believe that poets have their own unique thinking style which I must lack since I often times come away from reading a poem with no understanding of what I read.  In other words, I have a hard time understanding what the author is trying to convey.