I decided to focus on Human relationships to Technology or Machines
Page 73 “You’re legally dead for the duration of a freeze” This passage shows how technology can even affect humans to the extent that society creates laws accommodating the effects of the technology.
Page 74 “It was disturbing to think of the Flatline as a construct” Flatline is dead but his personality and knowledge is preserve in a ROM. This passage illustrates the relationship between humans and technology capable of replicating humanity.
Page 75 “With his deck, he could reach the Freeside banks as easily as he could reach Atlanta. Travel was a meat thing.” Technology can serve as an escape from the physical world.
Page 80 “He’d need eyes, legs, and extensive cosmetic work,” Technology is used here to literally physically rebuild people. In this case, it is used for media/political purposes for Corto’s testimony.
Page 91 “most of them are military, the bright ones, and we can’t crack the ice.” This is a description of AIs and how they serve a role as cyberspace security.
Page 101 “Zion had been founded by five workers who’d refused to return,” Technology can help to build a space based religious society.
Page 103 “Cyberspace…had no particular relationship with the deck’s physical whereabouts.” Cyberspace is basically different from the physical world. This represents a world where Case can escape and be at his best.
Page 104 “This scam of yours, when it’s over, you erase this,” Representation of a construct’s distaste for false “immortality” created by technology.
Page 113 “The dark came down like a hammer.” This is part of a passage where Case is trying to reach the AI. This passage reflects on some of the inherent dangers of facing an AI. There is always a risk when dealing with such artificial intelligence. Case flatlines for 40 seconds in the physical world after this incident.
Page 116 “You’re right. About what this all is.” This quote is a short part of the passage where the AI is interacting with Case. It shows how the AI was able to use Case’s memories to create a situation that would get Case’s attention.
Page 128 “I’m really just a bunch of ROM” This quote shows really how a construct based on a person’s personality would think of himself in such an artificial state created by technology.
Page 128 “The nanosecond that one starts figuring out ways to make itself smarter, Turing’ll wipe it.” Again, this passage reflects on the dangers of dealing with AI and how humans have a certain mistrust of the AIs. They have ensured that they will never be able to overpower their creators.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Monday, May 4, 2009
Opening scenes in Neuromancer
“The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel.” (1) With this incredible opening line, Neuromancer author William Gibson sets up his commentary on the nature/technology dualism. This cyberpunk novel is set in the future where computer technology has become advanced enough to blur the distinction between natural and artificial. In fact, technology appears to replace nature and recreate nature in some instances. In the first line, the sky is compared to a static channel which clearly suggests an overlay of technology (television) on nature (the sky). Such is one of many examples of nature mixing with technology.
The description of Ninsei provides more frightening evidence of how technology can also redefine natural. The line “Quartz halogen lights..lit the docks all night like vast stages” (6) show how something artificial can reverse the natural order of nature. Night is meant as a time of rest and darkness for a natural human yet technology has created a period of light as well as activity. The word “stages” suggest that the night has become an arena for activeness. On the other hand, day has become a time of inactivity with “the bars…shuttered and featureless, the neon dead, the holograms inert, waiting.” (7)Such descriptions suggest a time of sleep for technology due to the inactivity and the temporariness of such a state (as indicated by the word “waiting”). Clearly, technology has assumed the opposite role that nature had originally assigned with likely repercussions on the actions of the Ninsei dwellers.
Another line describes Tokyo Bay with “drifting shoals of white Styrofoam.” (7) Much like in the opening line of the novel, the author is describing nature using terminology that suggests the artificial. These descriptions not only suggest an overlay of technology on nature but also hint that natural experiences can be created through technology. This fact is illustrated because the author has depicted something natural (the tide on the beach) as something artificial (Styrofoam) that still resembles the natural object in appearance. The scenes describing Case’s longing and crying out for “the console” (5) show his emotional dependence on technology. Such technology created artificial stimulation and experiences for Case. Yet, these experiences were real enough to give Case his pride as a cyberspace cowboy and his detesting of the flesh. Thus, Case is a strong example of technology redefining and recreating enjoyable natural experiences.
The description of Ninsei provides more frightening evidence of how technology can also redefine natural. The line “Quartz halogen lights..lit the docks all night like vast stages” (6) show how something artificial can reverse the natural order of nature. Night is meant as a time of rest and darkness for a natural human yet technology has created a period of light as well as activity. The word “stages” suggest that the night has become an arena for activeness. On the other hand, day has become a time of inactivity with “the bars…shuttered and featureless, the neon dead, the holograms inert, waiting.” (7)Such descriptions suggest a time of sleep for technology due to the inactivity and the temporariness of such a state (as indicated by the word “waiting”). Clearly, technology has assumed the opposite role that nature had originally assigned with likely repercussions on the actions of the Ninsei dwellers.
Another line describes Tokyo Bay with “drifting shoals of white Styrofoam.” (7) Much like in the opening line of the novel, the author is describing nature using terminology that suggests the artificial. These descriptions not only suggest an overlay of technology on nature but also hint that natural experiences can be created through technology. This fact is illustrated because the author has depicted something natural (the tide on the beach) as something artificial (Styrofoam) that still resembles the natural object in appearance. The scenes describing Case’s longing and crying out for “the console” (5) show his emotional dependence on technology. Such technology created artificial stimulation and experiences for Case. Yet, these experiences were real enough to give Case his pride as a cyberspace cowboy and his detesting of the flesh. Thus, Case is a strong example of technology redefining and recreating enjoyable natural experiences.
Monday, April 27, 2009
A Critique of War: "First Fight than Fiddle" goes beyond "Casabianca"
War is a controversial issue in some parts of the world. This fact is well illustrated in the present with conflicts such as the constant fighting between Israel and Palestine. These wars cause significant destruction and suffering yet they still occur because of the passions involved in fighting. As a result, an effective solution will have to address these natural human passions and steer them away from use in battle. Furthermore, hope for a better future can encourage fighters to put down their weapons. These issues are addressed in the poems “First Fight then Fiddle” and “Casabianca”, which both provide a critique of war. However, “First Fight then Fiddle” more effectively leads the reader to avoid war by providing a message of hope and a positive solution to strife through music. In contrast, Casabianca offers no such hope and even seems to suggest a path towards glory through heroic self-sacrifice in an unavoidable war.
In the opening octet of “First Fight then Fiddle”, the distinction between music and fighting is initially blurred. The phrase “Muzzle the note” combines music and gun terminology. Likewise, “Bewitch, bewilder” portray aggression that can be applied to a musical performance as well as war. These lines seem to describe war-music, which is the type of music that can inspire passion in the fighters. Likewise, the structure of the poem indicates that music precedes fighting. The octet about music occurs before the sestet about fighting in contradiction to the order presented in the title. This structure indicates that the desire for music is a motivation for fighting just as much as fighting precedes the opportunity to play music. The author clearly believes that such a melding of music and war leads to pain with the phrase “hurting love”. This is not unlike “Casabianca” which also focuses on the negative consequences of fighting. In this poem, the destruction of war, symbolized by the fire, is more explicitly made clear. Descriptions of the fire, which “wrapt the ship in splendour wild,” portray the consuming ferocity of war. Also, the line, “fragments strewed the sea,” portrays war’s ultimate destructiveness in a gritty way as those fragments could be young Casabianca as well as the ship. Although “Casabianca” has more explicit negative imagery of fighting, such imagery alone is not enough to make an effective anti-war message. Rather a good critique should offer both a message of hope and a solution that steers human passions away from fighting.
“First Fight then Fiddle” offers a new type of music as a solution to war. In the latter half of the octet, the author begins to separate music and war. The line “Devote The bow to silk and honey,” portrays music in softer, sweater terms. At the same time, the following line, “Be remote A while from malice and from murdering,” shows that such kinder music can actually lead away from fighting. Clearly, the author is trying to steer the reader away from war music and the idea that music is a legitimate reason for war. She is also offering music as a potential solution to fighting. This idea is more explicitly stated in the last two lines of the poem: “For having first to civilize a space Wherein to play your violin with grace.” Here, the author offers hope for a “happy ending” by literally breaking the pattern of strife in the sestet. Furthermore, the rhyme scheme separates these two lines from the rest of the poem since “space” and “grace” do not rhyme with the closing words of the other lines. Again, the author is implying that the solution offered in the last two lines will break away from the pattern of war for the sake of music. However, the author alludes to the fact that the solution has not yet been implemented. Preceding the last two lines, the phrase “Rise Bloody” is an order to rise out of fighting and into music for peace. The word “bloody” is a reference both to the fighting of the past and present and serves as a reminder that the fighting still has not ended. As a result, the author gives the reader a sense of urgency to implement her solution. Ultimately, the musical solution is highly effective because the author takes the device (music) previously entangled with war and turns it into a cause of peace. Such a message allows the reader to keep remain passionate for music and use this passion for peace.
On the other hand, “Casabianca” offers no such resolution and even ruins its own critique by presenting noble imagery of war. First off, the poem ends on a very downbeat note with the fragments of Casabianca and the ship strewn in the sea. The reader can only come out with the conclusion that war is bad, something that the reader should already know. Without a solution, the reader might just accept war as an unsolvable situation. The reader’s position is exactly paralleled by Casabianca’s position. He initially cries out to his father “If yet my task is done?” He continues to plead for the order to abandon the ship and escape from war. However, there is no answer to his cries similar. Both the reader and Casabianca are left with no answer and no solution to escape the war. Furthermore, the poem glorifies Casabianca and the opportunities for bravery in war. The young boy is described as “beautiful and Bright” and as “A creature of heroic blood”. His beauty is further enhanced by the image of “his waving hair.” At the same time, the fire illuminates the boy for the reader to visualize his beauty and bravery. Furthermore, the “wreathing fires” suggests a memorial for the boy. As mentioned earlier, fire is a symbol for war. Thus, war has allowed Casabianca to be glorified and immortalized at the cost of his life. The alternative scenario implies that escaping war to preserve life is unworthy of mention. Had the boy simply decided to abandon his post, there would be no glory, memorial, or elegy. He would have simply been forgotten along with the other sailors who fled. As a result, the poem glorifies the human passion to appear brave and glorious in war despite the problems that result from the misuse of these passions. Also, the glorification of Casabianca’s beauty and bravery in combination with the lack of a solution to war could cause the reader to latch onto the dangerous message that war is unavoidable and that death at the hands of war is noble. Such reasoning will only propel people to die gloriously in war instead of trying to avoid strife by diverting human passions to peace.
Ultimately, “First Fight then Fiddle” is a highly effective critique of war precisely because the author made it her agenda to divert the reader’s passions away from war. The author also went beyond “Casabianca” by doing more than just describing the negative aspects of war. As a result “First Fight then Fiddle” provides a solid model for avoiding war and leading to peace. With the issue of war remaining a prevalent one, more people should give this poem a careful read. Due to the fact that the anti-war message is cleverly codified rather than explicitly stated, the reader will need to read the poem several times to extract the full meaning. However, the author’s agenda will hopefully become completely clear after the reader has taken time to dissect the structure, language, and content of the poem. Hopefully after uncovering the message of “First Fight then Fiddle,” the readers can discover how to better put their passions towards peace instead of war.
In the opening octet of “First Fight then Fiddle”, the distinction between music and fighting is initially blurred. The phrase “Muzzle the note” combines music and gun terminology. Likewise, “Bewitch, bewilder” portray aggression that can be applied to a musical performance as well as war. These lines seem to describe war-music, which is the type of music that can inspire passion in the fighters. Likewise, the structure of the poem indicates that music precedes fighting. The octet about music occurs before the sestet about fighting in contradiction to the order presented in the title. This structure indicates that the desire for music is a motivation for fighting just as much as fighting precedes the opportunity to play music. The author clearly believes that such a melding of music and war leads to pain with the phrase “hurting love”. This is not unlike “Casabianca” which also focuses on the negative consequences of fighting. In this poem, the destruction of war, symbolized by the fire, is more explicitly made clear. Descriptions of the fire, which “wrapt the ship in splendour wild,” portray the consuming ferocity of war. Also, the line, “fragments strewed the sea,” portrays war’s ultimate destructiveness in a gritty way as those fragments could be young Casabianca as well as the ship. Although “Casabianca” has more explicit negative imagery of fighting, such imagery alone is not enough to make an effective anti-war message. Rather a good critique should offer both a message of hope and a solution that steers human passions away from fighting.
“First Fight then Fiddle” offers a new type of music as a solution to war. In the latter half of the octet, the author begins to separate music and war. The line “Devote The bow to silk and honey,” portrays music in softer, sweater terms. At the same time, the following line, “Be remote A while from malice and from murdering,” shows that such kinder music can actually lead away from fighting. Clearly, the author is trying to steer the reader away from war music and the idea that music is a legitimate reason for war. She is also offering music as a potential solution to fighting. This idea is more explicitly stated in the last two lines of the poem: “For having first to civilize a space Wherein to play your violin with grace.” Here, the author offers hope for a “happy ending” by literally breaking the pattern of strife in the sestet. Furthermore, the rhyme scheme separates these two lines from the rest of the poem since “space” and “grace” do not rhyme with the closing words of the other lines. Again, the author is implying that the solution offered in the last two lines will break away from the pattern of war for the sake of music. However, the author alludes to the fact that the solution has not yet been implemented. Preceding the last two lines, the phrase “Rise Bloody” is an order to rise out of fighting and into music for peace. The word “bloody” is a reference both to the fighting of the past and present and serves as a reminder that the fighting still has not ended. As a result, the author gives the reader a sense of urgency to implement her solution. Ultimately, the musical solution is highly effective because the author takes the device (music) previously entangled with war and turns it into a cause of peace. Such a message allows the reader to keep remain passionate for music and use this passion for peace.
On the other hand, “Casabianca” offers no such resolution and even ruins its own critique by presenting noble imagery of war. First off, the poem ends on a very downbeat note with the fragments of Casabianca and the ship strewn in the sea. The reader can only come out with the conclusion that war is bad, something that the reader should already know. Without a solution, the reader might just accept war as an unsolvable situation. The reader’s position is exactly paralleled by Casabianca’s position. He initially cries out to his father “If yet my task is done?” He continues to plead for the order to abandon the ship and escape from war. However, there is no answer to his cries similar. Both the reader and Casabianca are left with no answer and no solution to escape the war. Furthermore, the poem glorifies Casabianca and the opportunities for bravery in war. The young boy is described as “beautiful and Bright” and as “A creature of heroic blood”. His beauty is further enhanced by the image of “his waving hair.” At the same time, the fire illuminates the boy for the reader to visualize his beauty and bravery. Furthermore, the “wreathing fires” suggests a memorial for the boy. As mentioned earlier, fire is a symbol for war. Thus, war has allowed Casabianca to be glorified and immortalized at the cost of his life. The alternative scenario implies that escaping war to preserve life is unworthy of mention. Had the boy simply decided to abandon his post, there would be no glory, memorial, or elegy. He would have simply been forgotten along with the other sailors who fled. As a result, the poem glorifies the human passion to appear brave and glorious in war despite the problems that result from the misuse of these passions. Also, the glorification of Casabianca’s beauty and bravery in combination with the lack of a solution to war could cause the reader to latch onto the dangerous message that war is unavoidable and that death at the hands of war is noble. Such reasoning will only propel people to die gloriously in war instead of trying to avoid strife by diverting human passions to peace.
Ultimately, “First Fight then Fiddle” is a highly effective critique of war precisely because the author made it her agenda to divert the reader’s passions away from war. The author also went beyond “Casabianca” by doing more than just describing the negative aspects of war. As a result “First Fight then Fiddle” provides a solid model for avoiding war and leading to peace. With the issue of war remaining a prevalent one, more people should give this poem a careful read. Due to the fact that the anti-war message is cleverly codified rather than explicitly stated, the reader will need to read the poem several times to extract the full meaning. However, the author’s agenda will hopefully become completely clear after the reader has taken time to dissect the structure, language, and content of the poem. Hopefully after uncovering the message of “First Fight then Fiddle,” the readers can discover how to better put their passions towards peace instead of war.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Tenative Draft
Overall, my introduction is mainly just a thesis. I have yet to expand the introduction so that it can draw in the reader. However, the arguments are for the most part complete.
Introduction
I analyzed “First Fight then Fiddle” and “Casabianca”. Both poems focus on the theme of war and fighting. And while both poems in part provide a critique of war, “First Fight then Fiddle” more effectively addresses the issue by providing a message of hope and a positive solution to strife through music. In contrast, Casabianca offers no such hope and even seems to suggest a path towards glory through heroic self-sacrifice in an unavoidable war.
Arguments
In the opening octet of “First Fight then Fiddle”, the distinction between music and fighting is initially blurred. The phrase “Muzzle the note” combines music and gun terminology to describe a type of war-music. Likewise, “Bewitch, bewilder” portray aggression. The author suggests that such fighting music leads to pain with the phrase “hurting love”. This is not unlike “Casabianca” which also focuses on the negative consequences of fighting. In this poem, the destruction of war, symbolized by the fire, is more explicitly made clear. Descriptions of the fire, which “wrapt the ship in splendour wild,” portray the consuming ferocity of war. Also, the line, “fragments strewed the sea,” portrays war’s ultimate destructiveness in a gritty way as those fragments could be young Casabianca as well as the ship. Although “Casabianca” has more explicit negative imagery of fighting, such imagery alone is not enough to make an effective anti-war message. Rather a good critique should offer a solution and a message of hope.
“First Fight then Fiddle” offers a new type of music as a solution to war. As the reader continues along the first octet, the descriptions of music become softer and more separated from war terminology. The line “Devote The bow to silk and honey,” portrays music in softer, sweater terms. The following line, “Be remote A while from malice and from murdering,” shows that such kinder music can actually lead away from fighting. Clearly, the author is trying to steer the reader away from war music and the idea that music is a legitimate reason for war. However, by using music as the solution, the author allows the reader to replace the desire to fight war with a desire for peace through something beautiful. This message is further elaborated in the volta, which starts in last two lines of the poem. Most of the sestet is about fighting, which is in stark contrast with the lines “For having first to civilize a space Wherein to play your violin with grace.” Here, the author offers a message of hope by suggesting that the pattern of war for the sake of music can be broken. This break is paralleled by the author’s literal break of the fighting in the last 2 lines of the sestet as well as the change in the usual line 9 positioning of the volta to the 12th line. In the end, the musical solution is highly effective not only because of the hopeful message but also because the author takes the device (music) that was previously a warlike justification of fighting and turns it into a cause of peace. Such a message allows the reader to keep loving music and use it for peace.
On the other hand, “Casabianca” offers no such resolution and even ruins the critique by presenting noble imagery of war. First off, the poem ends on a very downbeat note with the fragments of Casabianca and the ship strewn in the sea. The reader can only come out with the idea that war is bad, something that the reader should already know. Without a solution, the reader might just accept war as an unsolvable situation. Furthermore, the reader will likely find a false message in the glorification of Casabianca. The young boy is described as “beautiful and Bright” and as “A creature of heroic blood”. His beauty if further enhanced by the image of “his waving hair.” At the same time, the fire illuminates the boy for the reader to visualize his beauty and bravery. Furthermore, the “wreathing fires” suggests a memorial for the boy. As mentioned earlier, fire is a symbol for war. Thus, war has allowed Casabianca to be glorified and immortalized at the cost of his life. The alternative scenario implies that escaping war to preserve life is unworthy of mention. Had the boy simply decided to abandon his post, there would be no glory, memorial, or elegy. He would have simply been forgotten along with the other sailors who fled. The glorification of Casabianca’s beauty and bravery in combination with the lack of a solution to war could cause the reader to latch onto the dangerous message that war is unavoidable and that death at the hands of war is noble. Such reasoning will only propel further people to die gloriously in war instead of trying to replace strife with something more positive.
Introduction
I analyzed “First Fight then Fiddle” and “Casabianca”. Both poems focus on the theme of war and fighting. And while both poems in part provide a critique of war, “First Fight then Fiddle” more effectively addresses the issue by providing a message of hope and a positive solution to strife through music. In contrast, Casabianca offers no such hope and even seems to suggest a path towards glory through heroic self-sacrifice in an unavoidable war.
Arguments
In the opening octet of “First Fight then Fiddle”, the distinction between music and fighting is initially blurred. The phrase “Muzzle the note” combines music and gun terminology to describe a type of war-music. Likewise, “Bewitch, bewilder” portray aggression. The author suggests that such fighting music leads to pain with the phrase “hurting love”. This is not unlike “Casabianca” which also focuses on the negative consequences of fighting. In this poem, the destruction of war, symbolized by the fire, is more explicitly made clear. Descriptions of the fire, which “wrapt the ship in splendour wild,” portray the consuming ferocity of war. Also, the line, “fragments strewed the sea,” portrays war’s ultimate destructiveness in a gritty way as those fragments could be young Casabianca as well as the ship. Although “Casabianca” has more explicit negative imagery of fighting, such imagery alone is not enough to make an effective anti-war message. Rather a good critique should offer a solution and a message of hope.
“First Fight then Fiddle” offers a new type of music as a solution to war. As the reader continues along the first octet, the descriptions of music become softer and more separated from war terminology. The line “Devote The bow to silk and honey,” portrays music in softer, sweater terms. The following line, “Be remote A while from malice and from murdering,” shows that such kinder music can actually lead away from fighting. Clearly, the author is trying to steer the reader away from war music and the idea that music is a legitimate reason for war. However, by using music as the solution, the author allows the reader to replace the desire to fight war with a desire for peace through something beautiful. This message is further elaborated in the volta, which starts in last two lines of the poem. Most of the sestet is about fighting, which is in stark contrast with the lines “For having first to civilize a space Wherein to play your violin with grace.” Here, the author offers a message of hope by suggesting that the pattern of war for the sake of music can be broken. This break is paralleled by the author’s literal break of the fighting in the last 2 lines of the sestet as well as the change in the usual line 9 positioning of the volta to the 12th line. In the end, the musical solution is highly effective not only because of the hopeful message but also because the author takes the device (music) that was previously a warlike justification of fighting and turns it into a cause of peace. Such a message allows the reader to keep loving music and use it for peace.
On the other hand, “Casabianca” offers no such resolution and even ruins the critique by presenting noble imagery of war. First off, the poem ends on a very downbeat note with the fragments of Casabianca and the ship strewn in the sea. The reader can only come out with the idea that war is bad, something that the reader should already know. Without a solution, the reader might just accept war as an unsolvable situation. Furthermore, the reader will likely find a false message in the glorification of Casabianca. The young boy is described as “beautiful and Bright” and as “A creature of heroic blood”. His beauty if further enhanced by the image of “his waving hair.” At the same time, the fire illuminates the boy for the reader to visualize his beauty and bravery. Furthermore, the “wreathing fires” suggests a memorial for the boy. As mentioned earlier, fire is a symbol for war. Thus, war has allowed Casabianca to be glorified and immortalized at the cost of his life. The alternative scenario implies that escaping war to preserve life is unworthy of mention. Had the boy simply decided to abandon his post, there would be no glory, memorial, or elegy. He would have simply been forgotten along with the other sailors who fled. The glorification of Casabianca’s beauty and bravery in combination with the lack of a solution to war could cause the reader to latch onto the dangerous message that war is unavoidable and that death at the hands of war is noble. Such reasoning will only propel further people to die gloriously in war instead of trying to replace strife with something more positive.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Ode to Flash
"Ode to Flash"
By Terrence Bennett
Running faster than the speed of light,
He makes an appearance in a flash.
No villains can keep him in sight.
His speed: an advantage in a fight.
He outruns bullets with a quick dash,
Running faster than the speed of light.
With his red uniform fitting tight,
He works to stop criminals from stealing cash.
No villains can keep him in sight.
Though he lacks pure physical might,
He can burn up a track to ash
Running faster than the speed of light.
No criminal can take him in a fight;
To challenge him would be somewhat rash.
No villains can keep him in sight.
His legend forever burning bright;
In the fabric of space-time, tearing a gash.
Running faster than the speed of light,
No villains can keep him in sight.
Twist on Batman; Twist on Poetry
In “The Other Universe of Bruce Wayne”, Sinister throws a spin on both the popular character, Batman, and the genre of poetry. Sinister’s use of a popular culture character makes his poem unique because he relies on common information about Batman to create an effective poetic juxtaposition. He also engenders sympathy for a poetic character in a way few other poems do.
Sinister relies on the reader’s outside knowledge of Batman as an iconic figure to make his twist. In the first stanza, Sinister starts to twist the reader’s heroic conception of batman by listing and negating characteristic Batman trademarks such as his crime fighting, his wealth, and his Batmobile. Such an approach creates mental tension because most readers have an idealized image of Batman that runs completely counter to Sinister’s descriptions of Batman as trailer trash (first stanza) “reeking of whiskey and cigarettes.” This juxtaposition of Batman’s character is unique in that part of the contrast is implicit in the reader’s head and the other part is explicitly stated in the text. In other poems, like “Casabianca,” the reader is unlikely to have a previous conception of the main character. Rather, all the information needed for the character juxtaposition is contained in the text. As a result, Sinister breaks the mold of poetry by relying on common information from popular culture to serve as half of his contrast.
Despite the juxtaposition, the reader is unlikely to forget the idealized image of Batman. As a result, the Batman of this poem is not an ordinary, unidentified loser but rather a known figure in an unfortunate circumstance. This allows Sinister to effectively engage the reader’s sympathy for Batman. Plot details portray Batman as a victim of misfortune in love, health, and money while no indication is given that Batman is responsible for his misfortune. These descriptions ensure that the reader will continue to side with Batman despite the mental tension created by the juxtaposition. In contrast, the characters in other poems are frequently unknown to the reader if they are even identified or present. Due to the difficulty of relating with a faceless, nameless character, other poems will often have a hard time eliciting sympathy or other emotions from the reader. Once again, Sinister is able to break the genre of poetry by ensuring stronger reader attachment to the main character.
In conclusion, Sinister not only alters Batman in his universe. He also changes the common form of poetry.
Sinister relies on the reader’s outside knowledge of Batman as an iconic figure to make his twist. In the first stanza, Sinister starts to twist the reader’s heroic conception of batman by listing and negating characteristic Batman trademarks such as his crime fighting, his wealth, and his Batmobile. Such an approach creates mental tension because most readers have an idealized image of Batman that runs completely counter to Sinister’s descriptions of Batman as trailer trash (first stanza) “reeking of whiskey and cigarettes.” This juxtaposition of Batman’s character is unique in that part of the contrast is implicit in the reader’s head and the other part is explicitly stated in the text. In other poems, like “Casabianca,” the reader is unlikely to have a previous conception of the main character. Rather, all the information needed for the character juxtaposition is contained in the text. As a result, Sinister breaks the mold of poetry by relying on common information from popular culture to serve as half of his contrast.
Despite the juxtaposition, the reader is unlikely to forget the idealized image of Batman. As a result, the Batman of this poem is not an ordinary, unidentified loser but rather a known figure in an unfortunate circumstance. This allows Sinister to effectively engage the reader’s sympathy for Batman. Plot details portray Batman as a victim of misfortune in love, health, and money while no indication is given that Batman is responsible for his misfortune. These descriptions ensure that the reader will continue to side with Batman despite the mental tension created by the juxtaposition. In contrast, the characters in other poems are frequently unknown to the reader if they are even identified or present. Due to the difficulty of relating with a faceless, nameless character, other poems will often have a hard time eliciting sympathy or other emotions from the reader. Once again, Sinister is able to break the genre of poetry by ensuring stronger reader attachment to the main character.
In conclusion, Sinister not only alters Batman in his universe. He also changes the common form of poetry.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Possibility in Dashes
Emily Dickinson’s “I dwell in Possibility” is an optimistic poem about the wonders of possibility. In the poem, the author makes good use of dashes in conjunction with visual imagery to deliver her message.
A number of the dashes serve the role of commas by encompassing a modifying adjective. Several times in the poem, a word is followed by a phrase describing that word. In such a sense, the dashes are serving mainly a connective function by describing a key word in greater detail. In the first stanza, the first dash comes after the word “possibility” which is subsequently described as “A fairer house than prose”. In the context of the passage, this dash links the two concepts through a comparison. “Possibility” is described in relationship to “prose”. Since a poet is typically very fond of prose, the author clearly has a very high opinion of possibility. This relation between the two words serves to enhance the excellence of possibility. On the other hand, the comparison also implies that these two words are separate entities. As a result, the dashes also divide.
This use of dashes is also employed twice in the last 3 lines where the author describes her “occupation” in the dwelling house of possibility. Here “occupation” is modified by “this” which is further modified by “The spreading of my narrow hands to gather paradise”. Ironically, the word “this” is grammatically redundant; however, it serves an emphasis function. The dashes further highlight the word, thus forcing the reader to pay more attention to the last 2 lines of the passage. These last lines give an important conclusion to the poem.
The dashes also divide ideas and images. In lines 3-8, the author uses metaphoric imagery. As used in context, some of the dashes separate one metaphoric image from another. Specifically, the dashes after lines 3-4, after line 6, and after line 8, separate the 3 main visual metaphors. However, since these metaphors are describing the same concept, possibility, the dashes also serve a unifying function.
Ultimately, the dashes make the strongest argument for the author’s message. The dashes can serve multiple functions and give the reader more information than words alone. As a result, the dashes open numerous possibilities for this short 12 line poem and allow the author to enhance prose (reference to line 1-2).
Source: Emily Dickinson's "I dwell in possibility"
http://www.writing.upenn.edu/~afilreis/88/ed-possibility.html
A number of the dashes serve the role of commas by encompassing a modifying adjective. Several times in the poem, a word is followed by a phrase describing that word. In such a sense, the dashes are serving mainly a connective function by describing a key word in greater detail. In the first stanza, the first dash comes after the word “possibility” which is subsequently described as “A fairer house than prose”. In the context of the passage, this dash links the two concepts through a comparison. “Possibility” is described in relationship to “prose”. Since a poet is typically very fond of prose, the author clearly has a very high opinion of possibility. This relation between the two words serves to enhance the excellence of possibility. On the other hand, the comparison also implies that these two words are separate entities. As a result, the dashes also divide.
This use of dashes is also employed twice in the last 3 lines where the author describes her “occupation” in the dwelling house of possibility. Here “occupation” is modified by “this” which is further modified by “The spreading of my narrow hands to gather paradise”. Ironically, the word “this” is grammatically redundant; however, it serves an emphasis function. The dashes further highlight the word, thus forcing the reader to pay more attention to the last 2 lines of the passage. These last lines give an important conclusion to the poem.
The dashes also divide ideas and images. In lines 3-8, the author uses metaphoric imagery. As used in context, some of the dashes separate one metaphoric image from another. Specifically, the dashes after lines 3-4, after line 6, and after line 8, separate the 3 main visual metaphors. However, since these metaphors are describing the same concept, possibility, the dashes also serve a unifying function.
Ultimately, the dashes make the strongest argument for the author’s message. The dashes can serve multiple functions and give the reader more information than words alone. As a result, the dashes open numerous possibilities for this short 12 line poem and allow the author to enhance prose (reference to line 1-2).
Source: Emily Dickinson's "I dwell in possibility"
http://www.writing.upenn.edu/~afilreis/88/ed-possibility.html
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