ENGL329 Blog Post 2

Pick out a few of the most arresting qualities of Mr Blake as described by his friend Samuel Palmer in his Letter to Alexander Gilchrist. From these qualities describe in your own words (with quotations from Palmer’s letter as necessary) what kind of a man Mr William Blakewas.

Samuel Palmer sheds light on William Blake in a completely compelling light, using statements such as:

• “could never be forgotten”
• knowledgable
• “nervous”
• an innovator
• charismatic
• “free, noble and happy”
• quiet

Mr William Blake:

a pioneer of his time; a classic, an innovator, a man of humble dignity. William Blake, a man who exposed his inner world to the rest of the world and its inhabitants: his thoughts and musings and ideas about the workings of the world.

A man not obvious in his demeanour, but commanding in his silence. Whose gleam of the eye spoke of thought-provoking deliberations and abstract thoughts for his era. A man outside of his era, beyond it in many ways, whose pondering mind enabled him to see things in a way that may not have been so obvious to those around him.

William Blake: someone who saw everything. The beauty, the darkness, and the necessity of it all. Someone who carried charisma and charm, both through his words and his energy. Someone whose energy lit up the room.

It seems as though Blake was a man who inspired all who got the chance to be in his presence. Who stirred the primal being within us all: the one who adores the scent of salt as the waves hit the shore, the one who knows what it really means to be alive.

Perhaps that is what William Blake was: a man who knew how to be alive.

ENGL329 Peer Review

https://bellablogs98.wordpress.com/2018/08/25/153/ 

Dear Izabela,

I was instantly drawn to your piece because of your title and pretty, sparkling gif that welcomes this blog. I think that the gif was a wonderful addition to your blog, and really captures the essence of what you have written about.

I was drawn to the title because I am heavily interested in astrology myself, and as I begin reading what you have written, I felt a connection to the same things you describe. I feel as though you touch upon ideas and emotions that are common to all humans, and this makes your piece extremely relatable, which is something I enjoy when reading anything at all. It engages your reader because they are able to fully comprehend what you are writing about.

I thought your descriptions were almost poetic in nature, and you were able to effectively convey your mesmerisation of the world that was around you. I feel as though you pose a lot of questions for the reader if they are to read between the lines, and I was left wondering myself where we, as humans, fit into the grand scheme of things.

One tiny thing I noticed was a few small grammatical errors. For example, in the 5th line of the first paragraph, you wrote ‘who’s’, when ‘whose’ would have been a better fit instead.

Overall, I think you’ve written a wonderful blog post that was insightful and pretty, and one that shows your complete comprehension of the world around you, and I think that is something to be congratulated on.

Keep up the good work!

Courtney x

ENGL329 Blog post 1

In a poem or short prose piece describe a situation where you have either seen or experienced a dramatic difference in the state of a human being and its impact on the world around.

The sky was alight. Hues of violet and silver danced together as cobalt drove through the middle and sprinkled among the stars. Not that you could entirely see the stars, they were merely dim shadows to the electric colours piercing the black veil of night. The moon, so distant, poked through the middle, round and full and almost smiling at the spectacle.

Each bang of each individual firework vibrated against the soul. An enormous clap to make you feel their glory, to make you see everything.

The sky was on fire but the air was crisp. My body felt real as missiles of light rained down. Everything felt real; each breath was deep, deeper than my lungs, the air more like a knowing presence that floated around us instead of a gaseous substance sustaining our bodies. The trees were awake in the dark, the pointed leaves flashing their velvet finish each time the sky lit up. Each buzz of a mosquito, shuffle of the feet, release of a sigh, seemed bigger than our existence.

Nothing felt more real than my fingertips clasping the fingertips of my sister. Strong and soft and there. Two humans, standing amongst a gathering of other fellow humans, staring into the sky that sat above us all our lives. All our lives, swaying with the birds, carrying the wings of our aeroplanes, covering and shielding and sitting above us. Clasping her hand and noticing how important everyone is to each other. How important everything is to each other.

I pulled my eyes from the sky, wanting to watch on, wanting to see if everyone was as enthralled as I. Wanting to know if the magic of the fireworks had touched everyone’s soul.

Most chins faced upwards, mouths slightly agape in awe, some fingers tapping on the shoulders of loved ones, then pointing up, up, up. Look at that. Did you see? Wow!

A couple of people lingered behind the crowd, not watching, not seeing, just standing. Holding their phones in a tight grip, scrolling and viewing what was happening on other parts of the world instead. Who was happening in other parts of the world.

I held onto my sisters hand tighter. Enough people were feeling the sky. Enough people felt the glory of seeing the light. But the few that didn’t…were those the kinds of people who started bar fights? Wars? Were those the kinds of people who had forgotten what it means to be alive? Forgot to look up, look around, see the lights and recognise what is bigger.  Were those the kinds of people who didn’t understand the beauty of a sunflower facing the sun?

Or were they just tired? Drifting through the streets, drifting through the night, doing what they have to do, drifting through their life? Never noticing the intricacies of nature, or the person curled on the sidewalk.

Enough people were staring and seeing and understanding the light, understanding the world around them, to keep the darkness at bay.

ENGL202 Summative Entry

Do the interests, concerns and experiences of writers in the 20th Century assist 21st Century human beings in their understanding of the purpose of existence?

Human beings, generally, do not change. Our interpretations, they change. The way we express what we feel and the way we do what we do, that changes too. Our expressions of self go through waves, but in general, we do not change.

Human nature, the innate being that is inside each and every soul, is just that. Innate. The search.

We make choices, but we do not change.

Writers in the 20th Century communicate their ideas to us. We are able to learn from them, and understand their struggles. We can celebrate their triumphs and bask in their happiness, or mourn over their losses and watch them mould their sadness into something tragically beautiful.

Many souls, whether innately or otherwise, search for the purpose of existence. This was no different in the 20th Century, just as it is in the 21st Century. We do not want to only know the how, we want to know the why.

Why are we blessed with breath? Why are we mortal? Why do people care that we are mortal? Why is art necessary to our survival? Why do the things that happen, happen?

We do not change, and we are all searching.

20th Century writers help us on our quest. They open up doors, and show us alternative perspectives. They tell us how it was, how it is, and how it could be one day.

They deliver their own wholesome truth. They warn us, just as George Orwell did in 1984, and they teach us, as Katherine Mansfield did.

Writers of the 20th Century, such as the likes of Erich Maria Remarque, peel open our layers and expose us to inexplicable horror, only to enlighten us with a portion of our purpose: to live, to be grateful, and to learn from the past.

We may choose to ignore their messages, and we may disregard their thoughts about the world, but when human beings choose to let themselves be moved by writers, particularly those of the 20th Century, a shaking of the soul can occur.

We do not change, but we can be moved. We can listen. And when we listen to the artists of the past, our understanding of the purpose of our existence can be deepened.

Our quest for our purpose may never be complete, but these writers lead the way, they show us the way.

Their experiences – from leading a literature revolution as TS Eliot did, or fighting in the trenches as Remarque did, or simply turning a story into a piece of art as Rodin did – teach us. They mould all who listen.

They are concerned about delivering their message to the greater populace, so that we do learn. So that we can find the purpose of our existence.

I do not change, either. But I have learnt. And I have let myself be influenced by these talented writers.

The purpose of life is to live. It is now. It is here. It is this very moment sitting in this chair typing this blog post.

I am thankful for these writers, and the difference in centuries does nothing but enhance the message they are trying to get across.

ENGL202 Peer Review 9

https://silvana97blog.wordpress.com/2016/10/20/nation-race-and-language/ 

Dear Silvana,

What a fantastic blog post to read. I found it engaging to read, especially with your inclusion of the video of the poem itself. This helps people who may not have listened to it yet to view it, and for those who have listened to it to be able to review it – and I think that’s a wonderful help for everyone on your part!

It was interesting for you to pose questions in your post and then answer them. I found it easy to read because of this, and it allowed me to be able to follow your train of thought easily. That’s something I was grateful for, and I think it was a smart move on your part.

The questions themselves were also ones that were relevant and interesting. Your answers were helpful to all of us studying the unit, and the way you included techniques used by Marlene Nourbese Phillip is impressive.

The only thing I could pick up on for areas that you could improve were minor grammatical ones. One of my pet hates is leaving a space between commas and the word before it. So , doing that instead of, that.

Other than that, I really enjoyed reading your blog post. Congrats on making it through the semester!

Sincerely,
Courtney.

ENGL202 Blog 9

This week, for the first time, I have decided to choose my own topic.

As an Australian citizen, and as an avid literature student, I have always cherished the english language.

As the granddaughter of immigrants, I have seen how the english language can strangle people who are not accustomed to its workings.

My grandmother was an orphan in Malta, travelling to Australia in her early teens – as many Europeans did. She had no grasp on English – she had had no schooling in Malta, no understanding for english words and what they can do. Just her country’s language, and the basics at that.

Over 50 years it has been now that she has called Australia home, that she has embraced the english language, yet it is still so foreign to her. Pronunciation is something she struggles with every hour. She is proud of herself when she writes the word ‘SOLD’ in slanted handwriting.

“I copied from a board I saw,” she tells me.

I am proud of her too, because I have been witness to her struggle my entire life.

It changes her understanding of the world. There are many things she cannot grasp, and there are many times she stops talking mid-sentence, searching for the english word to form her thoughts.

Most of the time, she slips back into Maltese. A tongue that is so easy for her, so communicable. She becomes more confident, less anxious. She can speak freely, without thought. There is no struggle in her mother tongue.

As an avid literature student, I have loved english words entirely. But I have also seen them hurt, and I have seen them as chains, and I have seen them in her red cheeks as she struggles to say ‘Woolworths’.

She has maltese words, and she has numbers. She has struggled many times, but she has given testament to success without the english language. She does not let it defeat her, she tries to speak anyway. She embraces it as much as she can.

ENGL202 Peer Review 8

https://alexpoeder.wordpress.com/2016/10/09/blog-seven/

Dear Alex,

First and foremost, I have to admire your honesty. It takes a certain amount of bravery to write a post that confronts an ego head on, and that details a moment in time where you didn’t feel you were at your highest (moral) point.

So kudos to you, Alex.

I enjoyed reading your post. I feel like it’s relatable, because at some stage in our life we’re all conscious of our friendships and how our actions can impact our friendships. We all get scared of looking the fool, and sometimes it’s the people that we think are closest to us that we want to impress the most. Especially in our younger years.

I think you captured that perfectly in your post – the friction of being torn between impressing your friends and doing what you thought was right. While it was nice to read something so succinct, I would have loved to know more details. Did you ever return them? Did you ever confide your guilt to someone else? Do you even still have the glasses? Did you wear them often enough to justify what you did?

I feel like if you had a couple more details, it might’ve added that extra punch.

But overall, I honestly enjoyed your post. So keep up the good work!

Regards,
Courtney.

ENGL202 Blog 8

Give an example from our own times of the way political speech and writing is “the defence of the indefensible”. 

“…This means turning boats around, for people coming by sea. It means denying entry at the border, for people with no legal right to come; and it means establishing camps for people who currently have nowhere to go… We are rediscovering the hard way that justice tempered by mercy is an exacting ideal as too much mercy for some necessarily undermines justice for all.”

These words, spoken by former Prime Minister Tony Abbot in 2015, give the perfect example of political speech defending the indefensible.

Rape, assault, lack of food, lack of hygiene; no safety, sometimes no family – these humans seeking asylum are running from something greater and far more powerful than themselves.

They seek safety in a country foreign to them, foreign to their family. Separate from their culture, and separate from everything they hold familiar.

“It will require some force; it will require massive logistics and expense; it will gnaw at our consciences – yet it is the only way to prevent a tide of humanity surging through Europe and quite possibly changing it forever.”

These words, spoken in London, seek to alter the minds of all those listening.

No one human would turn away another seeking refuge, yet these words work to convince the larger populace that they have an obligation to accept that denying access is the only possible scenario, and that is for the greater good of all.

It plays on human emotion, as words have the power to do, in an attempt to forge an ‘us against them’ mentality.

They are words, of the political nature, which defend inhumane experiences. They place a sheet over the horrors, and turn a blind eye to humanity. They defend a politician’s decision to turn away the boats, and the desperate lives on those boats. They defend a situation incomprehensibly tragic, and do so in a detached manner, highlighting the dangers of words when there is an agenda behind them.

 

ENGL202 Peer Review 7

https://emilydickblog.wordpress.com/2016/10/01/blog-7-2/#more-650 

Dear Emily,

As soon as I saw that we’d chose to do the same blog topic, I knew I wanted to keep reading. I couldn’t wait to read our separate interpretations!

I think one of my favourite parts of your blog post was your question, “What would you do if you were kept behind the scenes for so many years and suddenly let into the light?” I feel like it encompasses the story by Mansfield so wonderfully.

Your post is succinct, yet still pretty to read, and it makes for engaging reading. I also really enjoyed that you included the video/audio element because it breaks up the reading, and adds something additional to the content of your post.

I found it compelling that in your opening line, “revealing the truth underlying the condition of women”, you chose the word ‘underlying’. This is such a perfect word choice in my opinion, because I feel like it is in Mansfield’s nature to expose things which may not have been obvious to many in society. No-one shed any light on the condition of women, and that’s why it was underlying.

Really, the only part of your blog post that I can pick at is your comma after Dear, instead of after Mansfield’s name in the very beginning of your post – and I’m almost 100% certain that was a typo, so maybe next just do a quick re-read before publishing it.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading your letter to Mansfield!

Sincerely,
Courtney.

 

ENGL202 Blog 7

Write a letter to Katherine Mansfield thanking her for her insight into the condition of women

Dear Katherine (it’s ok if I call you that, isn’t it?),

You said that you are a writer first and a woman after, and for this statement I can’t thank you enough.

In a time coloured with the glory of male artists and characters and ideas, in a society where the patriarchy ruled; where strength was synonymous with man – along with talent and ability and insight – you created masterpieces as a writer.

Words that come from a writer, a person, not a gender.

I think this is so important, and I can’t thank you enough.

Yes, men were at the top of the hierarchy, but you proved that it was not because of their gender that they were successful, but because they were simply good writers. Just as you were.

Your characters show the diversity of women. they display all the intricacies that go into the feminine psyche. So many male characters, so many male writers, and you broke through all that and showed the world a different perspective.

In your short story “The Daughters of the Late Colonel”, you provide your readers with two young girls who are not used to freedom, who are so accustomed to control, and to obeying their father, that when they are given freedom they are at a loss.

You shed light on what the dangers of oppression are, and how conditioned they were to being controlled, and how beautiful their liberation was, and I can’t thank you enough.

Kind regards from a woman of the 21st Century,
Courtney.