Bonds that Tie

Of all the creative non-fiction stories we had a chance to choose from, I really liked Dutch Elm by Elizabeth Jarret Andrew. Dutch Elm wasn't just a simple story about a sick tree and a community sad to see it go, it was a story about the invisible bonds that tie and bring people close together. Andrew's story spoke about the human beings and relationships and just how fragile both things are. She also implied that it's not just others but, the self as well who is breakable and how sometimes we find strength from those that surround us and how we are sometimes reminded, through the cutting down of the elm tree, that even the things that appear to be permanent are not.

Little Sadness

Raymond Carver's story "Little Things" was probably one of the saddest stories I've ever read, and it wasn't even long! My initial reaction to the story was curiosity; I wondered about this arguing couple and what it was that had caused their drift. As I continued reading I began to feel a certain sense of dread when they began arguing about the baby. My dread turned to anger and then finally to shock. The ending of the story was horrible. I was disgusted, angry, shocked, and repulsed at this couple who in their selfishness ended up destroying an innocent life.

One of the strongest literary devices Carver used was that of imagery. You could see the man as he "pushed" his clothing into his suitcase, auditory imagery when it came to the women screaming at him to leave, and more visual imagery as we saw the couple bring upon the death of their baby. Carver also used ambiguity in regards to the reason for the couples break up. There's a small sense of irony to the story as well; both the man and woman were fighting to keep the baby and in the end neither of them was able to keep it. 

Flowers of the Sea

I was at a funeral home on yesterday and as I was walking around daydreaming, I noticed all the pretty flowers people had put on the graves of their loved ones. Gazing at the flower,s I remembered that in the story "The Sea of Lost Time" flowers were very important to some of the characters and that Jacob's wife could be seen swimming in the ocean with flowers from all over the world trailing after her. I took a picture of these flowers because, they were all very different and very pretty.

To Conform or Not to Conform, That is the question!

I've been a rhinoceros many times in my life and I'm not proud of it. The one time I truly do regret doing so however, happened during a fight with a friend. The group of friends I hang out with were having problems with another member, problems I was never there to witness, and without even talking to my friend I sided with the overall group because, that's what everyone was doing at the time. I let myself be influenced and conformed to their beliefs and ideas.


I would like to say I've been a Berenger may times in life but sadly it is not so. There have been a couple of instances and whenever they happen I am always happy. The most recent one I can remember also had something to do with a friend. He can be very overbearing sometimes and hard to deal with although he is not a bad person. Two of my friends had problems with him for whatever reason and whenever he wasn't there they would say things I considered judgmental. My other friends would stay quiet and let them rant but one day I got fed up with them and told them straight out that what they were doing was wrong and they should stop. I was really happy that time because, I didn't stay quiet and followed what I believed to be right!

More About Roads

Life is a Highway

Well, life's like a road that you travel on  
There's one day here and the next day gone  
Sometimes you bend, sometimes you stand  
Sometimes you turn your back to the wind
 
There's a world outside every darkened door  
Where Blues won't haunt you anymore  
For the brave are free and lovers soar  
Come ride with me to the distant shore
 
We won't hesitate  
To break down the guarding gate  
There's not much time left today, yeah
 
Life is a highway,
 I wanna ride it  
All night long  
If you're going my way, I wanna drive it 
All night long
 
Through all these cities and all these towns 
 It's in my blood and it's all around 
 I love now like I loved you then  
This is the road and these are the hands  
From Mozambique to those Memphis nights   
The Khyber Pass to Vancouver's lights
 
They knock me down  
And back up again  
You're in my blood 
 I'm not a lonely man  
There's no load I can't hold 
The road's so rough this I know
 I'll be there when the light comes in 
 Just tell 'em we're survivors
 
Life is a highway, I wanna ride it  
All night long 
If your going my way, I wanna drive it
All night long
 
Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, yeah
 
Life is a highway, I wanna ride it 
All night long (mmmm yeah) 
If your going my way, I wanna drive it  
All night long
 
There was a distance between you and I (between you and I)  
A misunderstanding once  
But now, we look it in the eye
 
Ooooo...Yeah!
 
There ain't no load that I can't hold  
The road's so rough this I know 
I'll be there when the light comes in 
 Just tell 'em we're survivors
 
Life is a highway, I wanna ride it  
All night long (all night long, yeah hey) 
If your going my way, I wanna drive it
All night long
 
Life is a highway, I wanna ride it  
All night long  If your going my way, I wanna drive it  
All night long
 
Life is a highway, 
I wanna ride it All night long 
If your going my way, I wanna drive it
 All night long
 
Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, yeah

I chose the song "Life is a Highway" by Rascal Flatts one, because he
is a favorite artist of mine and two, because I really liked
the extended metaphor present in the song. Flatts is 
comparing life to a highway road. He sings about the many
twists and turns we encounter throughout our life time, the times we
fall and have to stand back up again, the passion we feel
at being alive and how we "break down the guarding door"
in order to accomplish what we want. Flatts also exhibits a great love
for the long winding life he is living and how, despite all the hardships, 
he still has time to stop and enjoy the sights. 

It Rhymes!

After reading various of the other poems,
which I didn't like, I read "Prologue of
the Earthy Paradise" by William Morris and
instantly liked it for the sole reason that it rhymed.
Whenever I read a poem that rhymes I like it,
because I think it is very hard to rhyme certain words
and I feel that a poet who rhymes has put effort into his
writing and that endears the poet and the poem to me.
Upon further reading of the poem, I found I liked the images
it painted and the words it spoke. It is a sad, melancholic
poem singing of days gone, of troubles which weigh us down,
and of people who are gone and yet still remain with us. It
talks about the reality of life and does not try to paint a
picture of what life could be or what we want it to be, but
what it is.

A Really Funny Poem

Ode to things
by Pablo Neruda

I have a crazy,
crazy love of things.
I like pliers,
and scissors.
I love
cups,
rings,
and bowls –
not to speak, of course,
of hats.
I love all things,
not just the grandest,
also the infinite-
ly
small –
thimbles,
spurs,
plates,
and flower vases.

I like this poem, because it's really funny.
Pablo Neruda has written an ode about his
love of things that to me is hilarious.
Its a really cute poem of the wonders and glory
that are things! Not only is it funny, but it is
beautifully written as well. Neruda writes his poem
in such a way where, as you read it, you do not trip
over the words and it has a certain rhythmic flow to it.