Poetry prompt

The poem Here by Philip Larkin uses many literary devices to compare the busy city life to the calm country estate. Larkin uses these literary devices to convey his attitude toward the places he describes.

Many of the literary devices Larkin uses to covey the tone of the novel are common things that we read and use everyday. He uses imagery in the first few lines of the novel to help the reader understand the setting of the poem. He also uses imagery to describe the things like the "Rich industrial shadows." Larkin also uses many pastoral references to compare the busy and industrial ways of the city to the calm natural ways at the country. He uses simple metaphores such as "gold clouds" and "gran-scattered streets" to describe the time of day, dawn in which the sun is rising, and how the sun is effecting the city's features. Larkin also uses hyperbolas to exaggerate ideas to help the reader understand the perspective of the things being described. After all of these literary devices are used, they are somehow weaved together to amplify the hopeful tone of the poem.

The literary devices that reader uses to describe the tone, hopefulness, of the poem, are simple elements that we either read or use on our own, unintentionally, on a daily basis. They effects the way the reader views, figuratively and literally, the ideas behind the poem and how they interpret the overall tone of the poem.

Meta Essay

The book, The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, opens up minds of those who do not necessarily understand how to handle the effects of change. Gregor, the dull son that works to provide the family with money to sustain themselves financially, wakes up one morning not as a human, but as a disgusting vermin which resembles a giant bug. This change not only affects Gregor physically and emotionally, but affects his younger sister Grete, the quiet humble daughter that thinks about others much more than of her own self. Both of them cope with the change but ultimately learn what needs to happen in order for them to get their life back the way that it used to be. Both their change in personality and the change on their new outlook at life is portrayed by the overall meaning of the book; do not let burdens bring you down and keep you from being happy and fulfilling you life’s potential.

The beginning of the story opens up as Gregor lying in his bed trying to understand why he has turned into a bug. He then realizes that he will be late for work causing him to worry about losing his job which in turn will lead to no income for the family. Over the few days that he has to himself, because his family is disgusted to look at him, he adapts to his bug-like instincts by climbing on the ceiling and walls and learns that he only likes rotted food. Because Gregor is adapting to these changes, he begins to give up hope that he will become a human again. His mother and father are humiliated by his presence and do not look at him as their son. Gregor feels as if the change and the suffering that his family is enduring is completely his fault. What makes him feels even guiltier is that he is unable to communicate or help out in the house causing him to sit in his room and waste time away.

For some days his sister Grete refuses to acknowledge that Gregor exists. Eventually she realizes that he is not a harmful creature and her natural compassion for people takes hold of her feelings toward Gregor. She supplies Gregor with food and water each day and cleans his room to allow him to move around. She also feels a moral responsibility that she must take Gregor’s place in the work industry in order to keep her family financially stable. She is also constantly catering to her sick mother who’s health is continuing to be jeopardized by the emotionally toll that Gregor is imposing on the family. After days of this catering to a vermin Grete realizes that Gregor’s bug like state has an extreme emotional effect of the family that causes them to become depressed and look at Gregor more of as a burden rather than a human. Grete no longer knows Gregor as her brother, but as a disgusting monster that has imposed tragedy on her family.

The obstacle that the family encounters exists to portray the overall meaning of the book; do not let burdens bring you down and keep you from being happy and fulfilling you life’s potential. At first, both Gregor and Grete are oblivious to the effect that the burden, the bug-like state of Gregor, has on them and the rest of the family. They think that they will either work through the situation making the best of it or Gregor will turn into a human again making life the same way it was before. By the end of the novel Grete realizes that Gregor is the one that is keeping the family form being happy. She tells her father that in order for them to overcome this obstacle, Gregor needs to leave. “‘It has to go,’ cried his sister... to sleep in the gutter.” (Kafka 46) After hearing this, Gregor realizes that his sister is right. She is the only one with the strength to admit that he is the burden and the one that is bringing unhappiness into the family. He then crawls Into his room, looks around at the hellish space he has been living is, and slumps down to die in peace. “And now?’ Gregor asked himself.., nostrils streamed his last weak breath.” (Kafka Si) The family is neither grateful nor upset that Gregor is gone. They take a walk outside as a family symbolizing the new beginning that has been bestowed upon them.

Changes that people encounter everyday are usually for a reason whether it is to show someone love or friendship, explain to the glories of life, or to simple show them something new. In the change that Gregor and Grete endured, they both realized that something happened in their lives for the worse which in turn opened their eyes to help them better understand their own lives and the burdens that they have been placing on each other. The family in the end expressed a feeling of relief and calmness that they never expected to experience while Gregor was around. His death symbolizes a new beginning and change within the family that he loves.

1. Does Gregor's family feel sadness at his death? Relief?
1. I think that Gregor feels relief at his death because he no longer needs to work for others and carry the burden that his family has placed on him. He is now free and no longer is sad and depressed.
2. Why does Gregor want to kidnap his sister when he hears her playing the violin?
1. he wants to kidnap her because he loves the music. It takes him away from reality and allows him to have a peaceful state of mind. He wishes that she could play forever.
3. Why does Gregor's family stop believing that the bug Gregor is really Gregor?
1. I think they stop believing that the bug Grefor is really Gregor because I think that is had been a month and he has not changed back to a human. They have probably given up hope and think that he is only a bug, not a human and he will never be human again.
4. How does Gregor's family get over losing Gregor so quickly?
1. They get over losing Gregor by taking a walk after he dies. I think that this symbolizes the relief that the family feels now that he is gone. This could also symbolize and escape from reality because Gregor always looked out the window to not think about his present state. The family could be doing the same thing but they are actually physically capable of going outside.
5. Do you think that they move the furniture in the room to kill him faster?
1. At first I think that they move the furniture to let him be free and let him move around and be a bug, but then I think that this shows that they are accepting the fact that he is a bug which then leads to his down fall.
6. Does Gregor's family blame him for their present situation?
1. I do think that his family blames him for his present situation because they are the ones that have to work again because he is a bug and cant work. They don’t have anyone else to blame and I think that they are used to blaming Gregor for other things. Why not add this to the list. I don’t think that Gregor reacts to it because he is used to it.
7. Why was his family so selfish that they couldn’t help him when he needed them the most?
1. I think that his family was selfish unintentionally. They have never been used to taking care of Gregor and now that they should, they don’t know how. I don’t think that in a sense they want to help him but are afraid that if they do, they will hurt him even more.
8. Why did Grete call Gregor a monster?
1. she called him a monster because he is not a human obviously and he scares her mother causing her to faint. She feels that he did this on purpose and that if he wasn’t a bug then he wouldn’t have hurt his mother.
9. Why does Grete all of the sudden start playing her violin now?
1. I think that she starts playing her violin because her mother asked her to. She is playing it for the roomers that are staying with them.
10. Is there significance why the Maid finds Gregor dead and not one of his family members? After Gregor turns into a bug, he mentions that his family sometimes go on walks together.
1. I think that it is significant that the maid found him because she was the one who turned his room into a dumping ground to store thing that were in the house that the maid I didnt like. I think that she helped cause the death of him because she treats him like he was useless and just sitting there waiting to die.

repsonce

Joy’s thesis is “I had missed Ray's talk and the subsequent panel that Ray and John had been on, and they now picked right up where they'd left off, with Ray saying that the rate of improvement of technology was going to accelerate and that we were going to become robots or fuse with robots or something like that, and John countering that this couldn't happen, because the robots couldn't be conscious.”
Humans can become unnecessary because they will create computers that will be able to do the work of humans. Humans will become more dependent on technology which will eventually take the jobs of humans away from us.
Institutions are contributing to this inevitably because they seek out power to be the best and do everything in the best manor. Institutions are constantly researching ways that they can become the best in its class.
Huxley would take pride in knowing that his thoughts on this are becoming realities. He would probably use this as a version of satire in one of his books.
The rhetorical strategies are that Joy already knew that technology was advancing every day and did agree with the prediction that technology would take over the world. Once he talks to his friend Ray about it, he doesn’t realize that it is really happening. “I already knew that new technologies like genetic engineering and nanotechnology were giving us the power to remake the world, but a realistic and imminent scenario for intelligent robots surprised me.” He also uses articles in his paper to explain how other technological gurus support and predict the technological advances of the future.
I don’t think that Joy is a fear monger. I think that he finally realized that technology will take over the future one day and has grown a fear of it.
Some of the literary devices that Joy uses is imagery when he talks about the bombing and he uses analogies when referring to how technology will take over the world. These literary devices help us understand Joy’s perspective of his feelings of how technology will advance and take over the world. It also let us understand his feelings on the issues. The literary devices allow us to actually witness what has happened in the advancement of technology. I contribute to the meaning of the piece: that technology will one day, inevitably, rule to world.
This article connects to BNW on the advancement of technology. Both the world we live in and the world described in BNW is advancing everyday to, what researchers way, better suit the needs of the people. Joy in the article and Bernard in BNW both question if this advancement is a good thing. Both characters want to go against the ways of their world and make society be normal, the way it was before the technological advancement. They understand that it is inevitable but question whether or not it is good for the country and the people overall.

Writing Prompt 2 9/19/08

In general, everyone has a natural desire to be better then others and rein some type of control over others. In 1984, the government limits the freedom of individuals by controlling their every action.

Winston Smith, a citizen in 1984, lives in this controlled society. The government puts limits on everything you say, think, how you love, what you read and write, and what your job may be. The reason the government is like this is because they are afraid of having a corrupt society that could possibly overthrow them. They seek to obtain ultimate power over peoples' actions to limit corruption.

Smith has lived in this society the majority of his life and has followed it's laws without question. Smith also knows that life and the way the government controlled society used to be different. He knows of others who are against the government an want to destroy its power. He understands that the government is doing this to have power and limit corruption, but he still follows his dream to destroy the power the government has.

The author, Orwell Wilson, uses Smith's power struggle to show his readers that time, effort, confidence, and bravery are needed to make a stand and push for what you know is right. It also shows us that regardless of the possible outcomes, you still need to follow your dream to achieve your goal.

You will never know if you will be successful if you don't try. This is the overall message of 1984 and structure of the idea to follow your dreams regardless of the more powerful authority figures that could possibly tear you down.