Facebook | Bartleby

If Bartleby had a Facebook it would be really interesting. I believe this because if the reason that he so distant and aloof is that he lives a 'second life' on the internet, then it would be appealing and entertaining. Nobody is going to spend countless hours on the internet and not have something engaging to look at. Thus you have Bartleby having an enjoyable Facebook in contrast with his melancholy outside personae.

Bartleby would have a few close friends that he talked to through Facebook. These friends would be his old co-workers from Death Letters that too moved on to work at different places of business. They’d include Quinn Culkin, Rory Kettlemen, Clementine Trapp, and Oliver Pierce. He would also be friends with Nippers, Ginger Nut, and Turkey. His status would be as follows:

Bartleby would prefer not to, so quit asking.9:00am-Comment

Bartleby is now a fan of Ginger Nut and The Spice Girls.10:23am

Bartleby is writing and prefer you’d not bother him.12:05pm-Comment

Bartleby was super poked by Ginger Nut and Turkey.12:11pm

Bartleby has dropped kicked Ginger Nut and Turkey.1:30pm

Bartleby is now a fan of Herman Melville.1:45pm

Bartleby would prefer to bitch slap his boss.6:00pm-Comment

Quinn Culkin wrote at 11:30pm

Hey Bart! I hope you like the gift basket full of the delicious ginger nut I sent. Can’t wait till you come and visit again.

Clementine Trapp wrote at 1:15am

Bartleby!!!!! What up man?! You need to take a break off of work and go golfing with me. I called Rory and Oliver, they’re both down. Hit me back when you have time.

Bartleby wrote on Quinn Culkin and Clementine Trapp’s wall.

Bartleby is watching X-files online.1:30am-Comment

Bartleby is offline.2:15am

the after picture

Have you ever walked outside during late autumn? If you have, then you’ve seen the familiar scene of fallen dead leaves on the cool ground and a trickle of brightly colored leaves still hanging in the trees. The ground full of those lost and flaccid leaves marks the beginning of a new phase in Mother Nature’s course. The winter chill brings a white sheet of snow that covers the ground. Shakespeare’s “That Time of Year Thou Mayst in Me Behold” is written in a way that is broken down into clusters of four lines ending with a couplet. Each group represents a figure in nature: autumn, sunset, and the extinguishing of fire.

In the beginning Shakespeare is talking about a time that he will hold and or cherish, “that time of year thou mayst in me behold.” The symbol of autumn represents the time that is slipping away. Autumn is the time of year “When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang.” Many of the colored leaves have fallen and turned brown. The leaves from the tree are now dead and will soon be buried by the winter’s snow and forgotten. To Shakespeare the end of this season signifies the ending of his life where he will too be buried, but hopefully not as easily forgotten. Line four says “bare ruined choirs, where late the sweet birds sang.” Birds fly south for the winter to stay warm. Shakespeare gives the audience a sense that he is lonely. Nature cannot be stopped, as the saying goes “nature must run its course.” You cannot hide from or change death. Shakespeare is well aware of this, but is trying to hold on to what is passing.

Line five says “In me thou see’st the twilight of such day.” Twilight and sunset fit theme of change. Shakespeare’s time on earth grows shorter and shorter just as the days do in winter. Death is used to symbolize sleep in line eight where Shakespeare writes “deaths second self that seals up all in rest.” Death’s second self means sleep. When we die we can think of it as our body resting in a deep sleep. In death we are no longer conscience of anything. Shakespeare will no longer be able to remember all of his achievements, creations, or the people he cared for and loved.

The first line of the third set talks about a fire that Shakespeare sees in him. That fire once bright and glowing is now dimming. He writes “In me thou see’st the glowing of such fire, that on the ashes of his youth doth lie.” The fire which represents life and spirit has burned out and turned to ash. Shakespeare’s life is burning out. Fire gives off warmth which can be associated with life. Up until the tenth line Shakespeare has made the entire poem about the nearing of death. Shakespeare’s insistent message is nearing a climax. The final lines, the couplet, serve as a final warning to hang on to the last moments you have of life. I believe that it speaks of both relationships and experiences gone through in life. Shakespeare is telling the audience to keep the good memories from life close to you till the very end.

Throughout “That Time of Year Thou Mayst in Me Behold” there is a decrescendo of sorts. We have the transition of autumn to winter, then twilight and sunset, and finally the dousing of a fire. All are elements that symbolize the ending of life. Shakespeare uses them as tools to help send his warning of enjoying your life and all of the good times before it slips away. At the beginning of the poem we have things set at a big scope with there still being life with the symbol of autumn. Then there is a tapering down as the poem draws closer and closer to the subject of death. You start off with great health and youthfulness, and then year by year it slowly decreases to the point it’s hardly noticed: before you know it your health gets worse and suddenly you’re not so young anymore. I believe that Shakespeare used this poem as a means to bring this issue to his audience’s attention.

Mother Nature has a set course, and by no means deters from it. Death is but a part of that course. Whether we like it or not, no matter what we do old age and then death will ultimately catch up to all of us. When that time comes we can look back at the beautiful times from our vibrant times as a youth. However, just like leaves they fall and pass away. Shakespeare used autumn as symbolism as the coming of what’s next in life, meaning death. Twilight is the time just before the sun rises and the day starts. Death is like the twilight before the day you might pass on. The sunset is the close of that day, an ending of what has happened. Finally the burning out of fire is Shakespeare’s last plea. Enjoy the time that you have before it’s gone. Autumn, sunset, fire dying are all things a part of a bigger course. They must occur for those courses to continue. None of them can be stopped or avoided. It must happen, just as death must happen. Shakespeare uses great metaphor and symbolism to convey his warning. His life is ending and he can hardly believe it.

poetry essay: the before

Have you ever walked outside during late autumn? You probably see the familiar scene of fallen dead leaves on the cool ground and a trickle of brightly colored leaves still hang in the trees. The ground full of those lost and flaccid leaves marks the beginning of a new phase in Mother Nature’s course. The winter chill brings a clear white picture allowing things to be easily seen making it difficult to hide. Shakespeare’s “That Time of Year Thou Mayst in Me Behold” is a poem about the cycle of life through which he uses metaphor and symbolism to paint a picture of the end of that cycle.

“That Time of Year Thou Mayst in Me Behold” is written in a way that is broken down into clusters of four lines. Each group represents a figure in nature; autumn, sunset, and the extinguishing of fire. Line one is a repeat of the poem’s title. Shakespeare is talking about a time that he will hold and or cherish. That time is slipping away as the symbol of autumn represents. During that time of the season many of the brilliantly colored leaves have fallen and turned brown. The leaves from the tree are now dead and will soon be buried by the winter’s snow and forgotten. Shakespeare uses the beautiful leaves to symbolize better times that have since gone by. To Shakespeare the end of this season signifies the end of his life where he will too be buried, but hopefully not as easily forgotten. Nature cannot be stopped, as the saying goes “nature must run its course.” You cannot hide from or change death. Shakespeare is well aware of this, but is trying to salvage anything left.

The next section in line five is about seeing the twilight of the day where the end comes. Twilight and sunset fit the theme of transition in this poem. Sunset is another cyclical element in addition to autumn and twilight. The poem takes on a new tone and a new picture is painted involving different elements and colors. Line seven where it mentions the black of night parallels the white of winter. In the winter the days are the shortest of the year. The time that Shakespeare has is short and will soon end. Black is of course dark symbolizing death, while white is light and clear. Death is used to symbolize sleep in line eight where Shakespeare writes death’s second self that seals up all in rest.” Self means sleep. When we die we can think of it as our body resting in a deep sleep. In death we are no longer conscience of anything. Shakespeare will no longer be able to remember all of his achievements, creations, or the people he cared for and loved. The last line of this section mentions a fire that Shakespeare sees in him. That fire once bright and glowing is now dimming.

The final part of this poem begins by pointing out the ashes from Shakespeare’s younger years. The fire which represented life and spirit has burned out and turned to grey and ash. Again more colors are introduced and yet another image is given to readers. Red and orange are colors that come to mind when thinking of a blazing fire. Fire also gives off warmth, one that could be associated with living. Grey, charcoal, and white are the colors that signify ash. Up until the tenth line Shakespeare has made the entire poem about the coming of death, the coming of the end. Shakespeare’s insistent message has come to a climax. The final lines of the poem serve up as a final warning to hang on to the last moments you have of life. I believe that is speaks of both relationships and experiences gone through in life. Shakespeare is telling the audience to keep the good memories from life close to you till the very end.

Throughout “That Time of Year Thou Mayst in Me Behold” there is a decrescendo. We have the transition of autumn, then twilight and sunset, and finally the dousing of a fire. All are elements that symbolize the ending of life. Shakespeare uses them as tools to help send his warning of enjoy your life and all of its wonderful times before it fast slips away, just as his life is now doing. Continuing with transition, at the beginning of the poem we have things set at a big scope and then as more and more is read there is tapering down. The same thing can be associated with life. You start off with great health and youthfulness, and then year by year it slowly decreases to where you hardly notice. Before you know it your health gets worse and suddenly you’re not so young anymore. I believe that Shakespeare used this poem as a means to bring this is issue to his audience’s attention.

Mother Nature has a set course, and by no means deters from it. Death is a part of that course. Whether we like it or not, no matter what we do old age and then death will ultimately catch up to all of us. When that time comes we can look back at the beautiful times from our vibrant times as a youth. However, just like leaves they fall and pass away. Shakespeare used autumn as symbolism as for what’s to come next in life, meaning death. Twilight is the time just before the sun rises and a new day starts. Death is like the twilight before the day you might pass on. The sunset is the close of that day, an ending of what has happened. Finally the burning out of fire is Shakespeare’s last plea. Enjoy the time that you have before it’s gone. Autumn, sunset, fire dying is all things a part of a bigger cycle. They must occur for those cycles to continue. None of them can be stopped or avoided. It must happen, just as death must happen. Shakespeare uses great metaphor and symbolism to convey his warning. His life is ending and he can hardly believe it. Perhaps he should’ve held on to his loved memories a little better before his fateful day had approached.

It's in fact poetry!

IN A STATION OF THE METRO

The apparition of these faces in the crowd;
Petals on a wet, black bough.

-Ezra Pound




How could it possibly be that these fourteen little words be poetry? Well if looked at a little deeper than one would think that the words Pound uses are hardly little. When you hear the word "little" you think insignificant. This poem is definitely significant with plenty of meaning. Pound uses a style of Japanese haiku in an Imagism fashion. Yes, it doesn't even have a single verb. Finding beauty in something not so beautiful is difficult, but writing about that beauty can be just as if not even more difficult. It took Ezra Pound a while, but he certainly accomplished painting a beautiful picture with words.
Fine. How can I see what Pound saw by reading his poem? That's the question that many may next ask themselves after being told that this poem is a poem full of images and beauty. Let's dissect this work then shall we. Let's start off by examining the word "apparition." It's described as a supernatural appearance of a person or thing, or the appearance of something remarkable or startling. The appearance of all of these things are short and quick. The poem itself is like an "apparition" being very short and quick to read. It flashes past our eyes on the page just as the faces in a crowd of a metro station do. The two lines in this non traditional poem go by fast, perhaps too fast. The moment you witness something beautiful you no doubt want that moment to last, but many times it doesn't. So you make a mental image of it and then later try to convey the image through some other venue. Pound decided to convey his mental image of beauty that he experienced through words.
The second line of the poem contrasts with the first. The first word is "petals" bringing a feminine element. Petals are soft to the touch, delicate, and of course beautiful. The last word of "In a Station of the Metro" is "bough," meaning the branch of a tree. A black tree branch, black being the color used to describe the bough, is certainly not as fragile as a petal nor as fair. Thus we find something attractive out of something not so beauteous. The petals symbolize the startling faces within the crowd, while the black bough symbolizes the crowd as a whole. The petals and those beautiful faces mentioned are only small parts to something bigger. Let's not forget that our senses are again used when reading "wet." I imagine the touch of wet petals on a tree during a rainy day. Lastly there is the use of rhyme in Pound's poem. "Crowd" and "bough" bring an element of fluidity as the poem is read.
Imagery, symbolism, and rhyme are ingredients Pound used to paint a picture of beauty he experienced. If you have a revelation of some sort and can put into words to where when people read them they can envision even a small fraction of your encounter, then isn't that poetry?

Imagery in "Casabianca"

The imagery that really stuck out in Hemans "Casabianca" were the flames or fire, and the flag and banners. The image of fire is dominant and indeed does recur throughout the entire poem. You can envision the young boy with dead bodies and flames all around him. You can picture the anguish and despair on his face as he yells for his father. Despite the fact that the flag and banner are mentioned just once in the poem, I think they are definitely noteworthy. It emphasizes the idea of patriotism. The boy is a young soldier fighting for his country. A more subtle piece of imagery in the poem is when it says in line 28, "the wreathing fires made way." A wreath makes you think of a funeral. I pictured this boy again being surrounded by huge flames much like the many flowered wreath's that will surround him at his funeral. Another subtle but yet recurring image throughout "Casabianca" is smoke, from both the fire and the cannonballs. In line 19 it says "And but the booming shots replied." At the end of the poem my image of the flames and fire changed from surrounding the boy to engulfing him to his death as I read in line 33 "There came a burst of thunder sound."

My interpretation of "Casabianca" was a poem about a young soldier fighting for his country. However, this boy might have become a soldier in the first place because of his desire to make his father proud. I did a bit of research and found that the incident in the poem actually occurred during the Battle of the Nile in 1798 on the French ship L'Orient. The young boy was the son of the commander Louis de Casabianca. My research confirmed my assumptions about what was going on the poem. I didn't expect for it to be true story. Line 8 reads "A proud, though childlike form." That made me think of a young boy fighting. The next stanza talks about the boy's father being already dead, thus they must have been fighting along side together.
Furthermore I thought this poem to be one of perseverance and patriotism. The young boy has been through battle and appears to be the only one alive. He cries out for his father to tell him whether or not his mission has been fulfilled. You can sense that this boy will be dead by the end of this poem. I didn't know whether from being wounded, a cannon ball, or the recurring flames throughout the poem. Finally my question was answered towards the end of "Casabianca," the boy died from the roaring flames. I felt great sympathy for this young soldier. His cries were never answered. Despite all of that he stayed brave until the end.