Entry 30: Image of Grief

Grief is like a great flood. It washes away the past and keeps you stuck in the present dilemma, unable to run away from, the flood engulfs you and blinds you from everything else. When ever sorrow falls upon a person that person would ignore all other things around him and focus on the event that caused the sorrow. He would try to think of a way to fix it or to find a reason as to why it has happened. Sometimes because we shut ourselves down from the outside world more disasters happen and only end up causing even more sorrow.

Longfellow expresses his grief through the use of a metaphor, comparing his grief to a cross of snow that is deeply imprinted on to a side of the mountain. The sun's warmth can not reach it to melt it and so no warm that Longfellow feels can melt his grief for his wife's death. Like my metaphor of the flood it blinds you from other things and nothing can change it. Only time and time can be the factor that would change this grief. The mountain gets eroded and the water of the flood slowly finds its way back to the rivers and the ocean.

Entry 29: Human Life: A Cycle?

I as life as a one time only process. You may or may not be reborn but even if you are reborn you won't remember anything from the past and you can never prove that there was this cycle of life, death, and rebirth. I believe you only get one chance in life and that when you die you die nothing more happens, you don't get a second chance. Unlike the natural cycle where thing life, die, and get reborn for a second chance. Everyone else around me is the same they live and die and nothing more.
It isn't easy to talk or think seriously about the death of myself or the people around me, even if I believed in the natural cycle. When someone dies it not their physical body that I would miss but all the memories and emotions that I have for them seem to die with them too. Also when a person dies that soul is gone, gone and the spirit of the person disappears.Even in the natural cycle if something dies that meaning of it or the essence that it gives fades and disappears. Its never about the physical being of a person but the spiritual and emotional being that we connect with. Since everyone dies someday and we may never be reborn, my take on life is to live it to the fullest. Don't let anybody rain on your parade, and have the guts to throw yourself a parade in your life and let it continue as you life never stop it.

Entry 28: Thanksgiving

There are many things that I can be thankful for in life and since it's thanksgiving today, I would like to list some of the things that I am thankful for. First of all I would like to thank my parents, for raising me, and supporting me as much as they can. Even though they get on my nerves and push my buttons a lot of the times, I still thank them because they are the ones who truly love me. I would to thank my friends, the ones who help me past those hard times. They are the people I laugh until I am gasping for air with, I thank them for being there when I need them. I thank art for letting me express my emotions and ideas freely without grammar errors. I would like to thank music of all forms, because it helps me relax and think

Now on to more materialized objects. I thank the invention of computers and the internet we use today. They entertains me and keeps me from sleeping. I would like to thank 7-11 for opening 24-7 so that I can get a cold beverage when ever I want. I thank Steve Jobs for going back to Apple many years ago so that the Ipod was invented and so I can listen to music whenever I want.

Entry 27: More Thanatopsis

In Bryant's poem Thanatopsis he shows he views on live and a version the natural cycle. He sees the process of live of being a cycle to return back to the starting point. We come from the earth and when we die we are mixed back into nature. In his poem he explains the cycle from start to finish, we get born, we live, we die, we get buried, and we become one with Earth (a great big tomb) again. Then he also shows us his view on individual life. He shows that individual life should be liberal and we shouldn't worry about all the bad things that happen around us nor should we think to much about luxury good. Like Anne Bradstreet's poem he also believes that all material object don't last and that if you waste your time on collecting or treasuring them you are wasting your chance at enjoying what life is suppose to be about. We are suppose to appreciated nature and to accept the fact that everyone is going to die and that when we die it is not sad. We only rejoin with earth and everyone who has died before us in turning into nature. We are reborn as part of tree, a flower, or even the mold on the rocks. My own view on life is that we should make the best out of it. Don't worry weather you are going to die or live tomorrow but to enjoy the moment and make sure you fill everyone minute and second of your life with things that you want to do.

Entry 26: Thanatopsis

In the poem a man (the narrator) speaks with nature and nature speaks back to him. In the beginning he was afraid of death and had no knowledge as of what happens after death. However nature speaks back to him and say that everything that is living dies sooner or later. When a living thing dies it returns to earth. It is dissolved and mixed as one with the earth. He reveals a cycle of birth from the earth's matter and the return to earth again once they die. They become one with the earth again; however it was unclear if he nature ever spoke of rebirth. The hint given about rebirth was that we become one with the earth and we live newly as parts of nature's visible form. Then the tree in nature dies and it gets dissolved and the cycle starts over again. Through the tone and diction of the author it seems like the narrator accepts the fact of a nature cycle and welcomes it with comfort knowing that it will happen. I myself take it as a warning because everyone is going to die sooner or later so why not make the best out of life as you know it? I take chances if I can and I never look back because I want to live a full life, one filled with all the adventures and friends possible for me.

Entry 25: Natural Cycle

In nature we see the natural cycle all the time. Every year trees die in the winter, seeded in the fall, born in the spring, and grow in the summer. This just one example of the cycle there are many other thing in life that follow it and one that is most adhering to some is the process of human life. In many religions people are born, they live, they die, and they are reborn. However we can never prove that we get reborn because those who know we can't see or are already reborn and has forgotten about it. I find this cycle both comforting an disturbing. Disturbing in being that I know that I am going to die some day and I am afraid that I wouldn't live life to the fullest before I die. The comforting part is that I know I have time in life to for fill my goal to try my best in achieving what I can. In nature death is the most disturbing thing to me whenever someone dies no matter how near or far away from me they are I feel a little bit upset. Some I get over soon and some I don't get over for a long time. The cycle is shown in nature and in our human life but who is to know if rebirth is a real thing or just someone's wistful thinking.

Entry 24: Freedom and Equality

I don't see both freedom and equality as America's founding principle. It is because that in the beginning the Americans only gave freedom to those who were white, men, and privileged. They discriminated against blacks and women; therefore going against belief of freedom and equality. However in modern day it is a true American belief because of all the laws and regulations set up to protect the rights of all citizens. To me freedom and equality are very important things in a society. Freedom allows us to express ourselves and equality make us feel like a part of a society instead of being an outcast. In a free society there are things that you can do that in a restricted society can not be done. For example I can listen to any type of music I want and any where I want. I like having the freedom of changing up the mood/atmosphere around myself. In a free society people can do as they please and express their thoughts in their own way. Individuality is then pushed and that improves the society as a whole. With someone trying to restrict your rights you would never try to push the lines and to push the boundaries.

Entry 23: Tom Walker and John Edwards

There are many things that the sermon of John Edwards and the story of Tom Walker have in common. They both show the result of sinning; however Tom shows the process and John shows the part of burning and suffering. Both stories show a sense of connection between the actions of the people and supernatural justice. Justice is done to those who commit a sin and by committing that sin the wrath slowly builds up. In the Sermon it was drops of water which accumulate into a flood and the story a blow of the ax each time which eventually ends up with the falling of the tree. The sermon was made to strike fear into the hearts of those who read it or hear it, the story is the same; however not on the same level of fear. The sermon was to completely scare the living crap out of the people leaving them so hunted that they would never commit a sin. The story has a lighter fear factor, and the main point is to just warn the people of the results of sinning. Edwards believes that the only way of salvation was to believe and accept Jesus Christ the savior and the story reflects it when Tom begins to pray and believe towards the end. However it was too late for him and he still got dragged to hell

Entry 22: The Devil and Tom Walker

The exploration of the bad side of human nature is the example of American Romanticism, greed was shown through Tom's actions. The dark Romantics exposed of the bad traits that are hidden with in the man kind and in this story it was the trait of stinginess and greed. I would have classify this story in the genre of fiction and a story with a moral. The story expresses the Romantic goal of improving man kind and by teaching of such morals would benefit the society. I think that if the story was written in a more contemporary way the plot wouldn't be so different. The only change would be the setting, characters, and interactions between the characters but the ultimate lesson would still be the same. I think that people being more optimistic and always trying to be happy might change the way the story ends. The story might end with a character like Tom tricking the devil and ends up living a happy life while the character also learns the evil of greed. The setting would be modern in a urban city. The main characters would not be married but in a relationship the guy would be a smart guy but never had a chance to shine. Finally a man in a suit offers him an opportunity with the condition of a trade, a trade for his soul. The young man takes it and beings his path of wealth and later realizes the deal he made with the devil wasn't worth it and tries to find a way out. He wins and everyone learns the moral.

Entry 21: Darkness

Transcendentalists express optimism and the good with people, as the anti-transcendentalists express the worst side of the human kind. Their styles of writing are all similar grammatically, however the content is different. The anti-transcendentalists aren't completely opposite from the transcendentalists, they do share similar views on nature being good and God being the creator. However the anti--transcendentalists try to show the aspects of man kind that is ignored or unmentioned by the transcendentalists. They explore the darker traits of man kind the evil and the wicked. As for the transcendentalists they look to find the more optimistic view of life and they like to display the good traits of the man kind. They focus on how nature brings out the best in people and that people have no bad side. I myself would prefer the anti-transcendentalists because I think that everyone being good and having no bad traits is total bullshit. I don't like reading about a perfect world were everything is so optimistic, there is no suspense and not realistic. I like darker stories and stories with a more universal and meaningful moral.

Entry 20: Compare Heroes

Romantic heroes compared the modern heroes are not that much different, other than the fact that modern heroes are more civilized. Romantics loved nature so they put their heroes being more primitive and in touch with nature, yet still speaking like everyone else does. Modern heroes are more one with the civilization, modern and city like. That is only comparing the romantic heroes to heroes of our movies today. However in real life heroes aren't that. Today our real heroes are the ones who save lives and most of the time are ordinary people who are brave enough to stand up against fear, or a corrupt system. Heroes today are the ones who make a change in the world either politically or economically. I don't find any evidence in the influence of Romantics hero's in our public figures today. They might reflect on geeks who sit at home reading these Romantic novels but they aren't heroes nor are they known to society. I myself would like it more if thee was a actual "hero" like the ones depicted in the novels of both modern and Romantic times, just because they are cooler. However I would have to say the real heroes are the ones on the news saving other people's lives while risking their own just because they have a big heart.

Entry 19: Strengths and Weaknesses

There are many ways to discover strengths and weaknesses in people, however it isn't as easy as it sounds. The fastest way to compare different people's strengths and weaknesses is to put them through a test. By test I do not mean answering question on a sheet of paper but to put them through a challenge of some sort. A challenge that would show their why of thinking and reaction to the situation. Under stressful and challenging situations people tend to show what they are truly capable of doing, because they are pretty much being forced to do so with out acknowledging it. My personal view of strengths and weaknesses are kind of blurred. I know my weaknesses but my strengths I am unsure of. For my weaknesses they are that I am careless, too emotional, and gullible(and those are only a few of them). However being unsure about my strengths I think that I am a good critical thinker, team player, and I work well under stress. I have been put into situations where I had to depend on my strengths to get pass it and through the process it helped me find my weaknesses. The basic situation was that a group of friends and I had to work together to solve a problem(not academical). I used all the critical thinking I could and also brought the group together so that we could make it through together. In this case my critical thinking allowed us to react fast to the situation and stop it before it got worse. In other situations I found my weaknesses by failing the test by messing up because I was careless.

Entry 18: Rational or Transcendental?

Rationalism and Transcendentalism are two similar yet different ways of thinking. Rationalists think with reason and back inferences with evidence, when Transcendentalists go with intuition. They both believe in God and that human beings are born with a good nature and that life is the progress to reaching perfectionism. The ways that they approach perfection is every different though. The Rationalists believe that civilization and experimentation would being them to perfection and the Transcendentalists believe that perfection is achieved by getting in touch with nature. The Transcendentalists think that nature contains all the clues and answers needed and that civilization only pulls people away from the truth. However both groups are trying to find the truth. To sum it all up Rationalists would be like scientist who work in labs that try to perfect everything and find the why. The Transcendentalists are like explorers who go out into nature and find the mysteries of life. I myself believe in a bit of both. I believe in the Rationalists way of finding the answer by experimentation and reason, because only then is the truth backed up. However I don't believe that civilization is helping the human race, because it is slowly stripping away our instincts and machines are replacing many jobs that us to be manually completed. With the Transcendentalists I agree that nature is good and that it holds many answers to the mysteries of life.