The Cavern by the Sea (February 26, 2012)

First, before mentioning the answers to this blog entry, I need to talk about the poem and my response to it. I absolutely love the poem. Though having read several poems before, I never loved so dearly one. Indeed, "The Highwayman" was also a wonderful poem, but I really like "The Cavern by the Sea." So this poem is about a chieftain on a island of Tonga in Southern Pacific ocean. On the island are beautiful flowers, palm tress. Then one day he dived so deep so that he discovered cavern under the sea. Stalactites hung from the center of the cave, shells and seaweed were scattered and it was dark inside. Only the light reflected from the water was present. Dazed by the wonderful palace, he vowed to not tell a single soul. Time passed, and a ruthless king rose on throne. A chief planned a rebellion. However, this news somehow reached the king's ears. The king was outrageous, hurried to prison him and his family. This chief had a beautiful daughter which the chief who discovered the cavern loved. The chief of the cavern set out to resue the beautiful lady. He kept comforting her, and brought her to the cavern under the sea. The king's men where chasing behind, but soon lost them. He constantly slipped in food and clothing for her. The chief soon prepared to leave the cruel country, prepared a boat and his man on the run. He went for his bride, and they all left to a peaceful kingdom faraway. After years, the king died and a better one was on throne, the tribe returned and lived peaceful ever after. The mood of the poem is victorious. The tone is passionate, especially towards the subject. There is perfect end rhymes that never fail to be. Because of the perfect end rhymes, perhaps the mood can be described as energetic or upbeat. The diction is olden day english, for example "thou art mine, and O."

An extended metaphor for life in the poem "Seven ages of man" that William Shakespeare wrote, was compared to the world being a stage, and the man and woman merely actors and actresses. As for my extended metaphor, is a book. When you've come to a new page (top of left page), it is the birth stage. Then the rest of the first page (on the left) is the teens period. Then, the top of the right page, is kind of a new start, you're an adult now. Then, the rest of the page on the right, is the old man's period. However, this extended metaphor shows how unpredictable life can be. You never know what will happen until you finish reading the very last word of the page. The very last line, can be "And the character died." This changes the plot of the story completely. This is compared to how you dont know what will happen till the last moment of your life.

The Seven Ages of Man (February 20, 2012)

What are the seven stages of a persons' life?

The first stage of life is the moment you're born. An infant. Then, there is the childhood, where you're carefree with no worries. Next, is the teens period. You go through many things, learn alot and realizes many things about life, that world is a quite cruel place. You learn about important things like responsibility. Then, is the young adult period. You learn about what the society is really like and experience the world. Then is the true adulthood of life, love, marriage, success. Then there is death, the gloomy part, but always a new begining. At last, the part I strongly believe in. It is the next life, reincarnation. I know everything, everyone is reborn. So I prefer to treat everyone and everything nicely. There you have it, the seven stages of life.

Disrespect (February 18, 2012)

The quickwrite is about imaging disrepected situations and how would I feel about them. However before going into that, I would like to talk for a quick second about respect. First of all, respect is everywhere. Between all people. Respect is between families, friends, lovers. Respect is mostly toward the elders. Which "Respect your elder" is much of a slogan now. Which explains why the quickwrite mentioned deliberately about "imagining a situation where we will be disrepcted."  For me, respect has always been a huge issue. Perhaps because of me being a Korean with all the different cultures, I never dared to forget about respect. Respecting others was the most important thing for me. However, sometimes I lose a nerve and become disrespectful. I am very shameful of it. Yes, I need to try harder. So, since my 15-year life hasnt been respected since I am still a kid, I will make an example. Perhaps I become a college professor, a student of mine may disrespect me, by not greeting me. However, I would like to teach them respect, if I were to be disrespected, I'll teach them right. If I was disrespected, I would feel utterly terrible. It is because I have been really putting respect as my number one priority and if other people didnt but respect as theirs, and they disrespect me, I will be very disappointed and terrible.

A blessing: Analysis

A Blessing, by James Wright.

This poem means:
On the way to Rochester, Minnesota, beside the highway, the speaker and his/her friend spotted two Indian ponies. When the speaker and his/her friend stepped closer, the ponies came out to meet them with excitment. They had been feeding all day long, alone by themselves. They bow shyly, and the speaker realized they are very lonely and that they love one another dearly. The ponies went back to feed on the grass, while the speaker thinks that he would like to hold the pony that lookes slenderer, that is black and white because she had walked to him and nuzzled his/her hand. The speaker realizes that after caress the pony's long ear, that her ear is soft and delicate. The speaker at last realizes that he has changed, got realization, and he learned love and that if she/he stepped out of his/her body, he would become a blossom, a whole new person.

Turning Point

During summer, I decided to go to a camp in Korea (instead of reciting SAT vocabulary with all my classmates), which calls upon all the other koreans that live overseas. We learned to love Korea, our homeland, and learn our culture, language, experience the culture and see the history unravel before our eyes (in museums) and get to know the other Koreans that live overseas. The turning point happene on the second or third day, all people were called upon to the auditorium to listen to some saftey lectures and warnings. Then, we were picking an representative, a girl and a boy for the whole camp, a leader. People could of course volunteer to become a candidate. Something happened, like the leadership that had buried itself deep in my heart for 14 years, suddenly burning and was about to explode. So I went up to the front of the room, and volunteered. A quick sidenote, before that desire explosion, I was a coward. Perhaps not exactly a coward, but I had quite terrible stage fright. I didnt like to stand in front of everyone and talk. I hated, loathed, abhorred presentations. However, that single moment, miracle happened. After the candidates gave a little speech, the people voted. I only lost 3 points to the girl who had got elected. Yes, I was disappointed, but I believe that this was a great experience. This, was the turning point in my life. Though I still havent quite got over my stage fright, and stammer infront of alot of people. I almost always volunteer to go first, during presentations. Also, in classes like PE, where a team leader is needed, I volunteered. I like leadership, I like having leadership. I understand, leadership is difficult, hard to manage the team members well. However, I am very glad that this leadership had finally emerged from the deepest corner of my heart.
What if this never happened? What if I chickened out, and never volunteered for the representative election? I believe that till this point, I will never volunteer to go first in presentations, nor volunteer to be a team leader. I absolutely can not imagine that I missed the turning point. I am very glad I did not.

Qickwrite: Selfless Sacrifice (The Lady or the Tiger?)

Perhaps it is because I didnt earn my own money yet, or I am not grown up, I never really had to make any hard choices. For families, yes, I saved my allowance to give my family nice gifts. I made a choice that benefitted my family, instead of me, because I could have spent my allowance on something I wanted. I am very glad about my choice. I never hesitate about making any choices for my family. Since I already have everything I need, I dont need any other unnecessary products. Therefore I am always glad about being a little benefit to my family. However as I grow up, I know I will have to make hard choices. Not hard choices for my family, since they always come first. However, perhaps at work, I may have to make a choice that may only benefit one person: me or the other person. However, when the time comes, I will try my very best to make the impartial and correct choice.