Why I Write

Why does Orwell write? 

I believe he writes because of his aesthetic enthusiasm, historical impulse, and political purpose. Orwell writes to express something that he has observed and expose it to others to try to get them to see his concerns.

Why do you write? 

I’m not really a fan of writing but when I do write I think it is because of aesthetic enthusiasm and historical impulse. Sometimes when I find something I believe is beautiful, like nature and things like that, I write about it and share with others. I also write to express myself. I’m not really one for face-to-face conversations and I feel more at ease writing that I feel and think to others.

 What did you learn about writing?

I learned that it is very difficult. Writing takes a lot of time and it’s not going to come to you right away. It takes a lot of patience and thinking in order to get the right words to express your thoughts so that others can have a clear image of what you are writing about. Some people have amazing talents for writing, but even they need to practice and learn in order to become a greater writer.  

 What did you find most interesting about the piece?

I find that Orwell’s life to be the most interesting. He started out struggling with writing and had an empty feeling whenever he wrote. In order to write, there has to be some form of enjoyment, yet he didn’t have any. Even when he did figure out what he wanted to write about, he still struggled with writing. To me it seems that although he has successfully written a book, he has a sort of fear that it wasn’t good and that he is lacking something. From what I see from his work, Animal Farm, he did an excellent job at expressing his thoughts and captivating the readers.

What one sentence would be the best grounds for an argument? Why?

“And yet it is also true that one can write nothing readable unless one constantly struggles to efface one's own personality.” I think this sentence is arguable because personality is important in everything. I believe that if a writer tries to erase his/her personality, it takes out the feelings and thoughts of the writer out of the work. Personality is what gives things life. Writing should come from what the writer wants, they shouldn’t have to change themselves just to make something sound better. Of course there would always be critics but that is just life.

C.S. Lewis

C.S. Lewis on Trailmeme

"May it be a light to you in dark places, when all other lights go out." 

"All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us." 

Both of these quotes are from Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring. These quotes stood out to me because I realize that they can apply to a Christian’s life. The first quote is when Frodo received the star from the elves to use as a light. In a Christian’s life, Jesus is the light and leads his followers throughout their life. The second quote applies to the Christian’s life in how a Christian uses his/her life to serve God.

-For some more quotes from J.R.R Tolkien Click Here.

-For more information on J.R.R Tolkien himself Click Here.

Coronation Address and Truisms

I believe that the theme of the two poems was to listen and gain knowledge from the old generation. Both of these poems had a death of an older person and the younger person is the one that gains something new from the deaths. From the poem “Coronation Address,” there was honor and riches gained. From “The Truisms,” maturity was gained by the son.

Works Cited 

Graves, Robert. "Coronation Address". British Literature. Ed. Ronald H. Horton. Greenville, SC: BJU Press 2003. 712-712. Print. 

MacNeice, Louis. "The Truisms". British Literature. Ed. Ronald H. Horton. Greenville, SC: BJU Press 2003. 716-717. Print

Lord of the Flies

Golding Reading

Miss Brill Discussion

Miss Brill Discussion

Feuille D' Album Discussion

Feuille D' Album Discussion

A Haunted House Discussion

Discussion Link

Response of Hope

Dear Virginia,

I understand that you are struggling through life and feel as if there is no purpose to live anymore, but you must not end your life. You think you are a burden to your husband and that you are prohibiting him from succeeding in life, but this isn’t true. You are his life. He loves you so much and without you, he would loss himself and would soon follow you down the path a death. He is there to take care of you no matter what. You must be strong and continue living the happy life you two have together. Also God is there for you. He is always in control and watches over us all. You must trust Him to give you strength through your struggles. I hope you would reconsider your decision and live on without giving up.

Your Friend,

JN

Lawrence and the Rocking Horse

Mashup Link

Joyce Recap

An Araby Critique

Presentation Link

Yeats Tour

Kipling Short Story

How The Camel Got His Hump


The moral of the story, How The Camel Got His Hump, is to not be lazy and just let everyone else do all the work. Also it teaches that it is not good to have a poor attitude toward work. There would most likely be a punishment for laziness and bad attitude, in this case, the camel got a hump.


I thought that this story tells a good lesson. I personally am lazy and have a poor attitude toward work and that usually ends bad. I also think that the story implies that sometimes good could come out of the bad. Since the camel was lazy, he was given a hump. This hump allowed him to work for 3 days without eating. Through punishment we learn what is wrong and hopefully lean more toward doing what is right.


work cited:

Kipling, Rudyard. "How The Camel Got His Hump." Web. 11 Apr. 2011.            http://www.readbookonline.net/readOnLine/914/.

A Poem Inspired by Kipling

If you can stay awake when time is slowly passing,

If you can focus when all others are slacking,

If you can gain knowledge with every word spoken,

If you can have fun when having a difficult time,

If you can think, and not lose your mind,

If you can work without giving up when the task is hard,

If you can deal with hunger, when lunch is 3 hours later,

Then you are a student, diligent and likely to succeed.

Dickens' Stories

Pip, a poor orphan, falls in love and dreams to become a rich gentleman.

Pip goes through life and actually gains wealth but faces many struggles.

Pip loses his fortune but meets his first love again and believes they would never be apart.

The End

Links:

Book-A-Minute Great Expectations

Sparknotes: Great Expectations summary

Hound of Heaven

Sorry about the echo.

Housman

When I was one-and-twenty
I heard a wise man say,
"Give crowns and pounds and guineas
But not your heart away;
Give pearls away and rubies
But keep your fancy free."
But I was one-and-twenty,
No use to talk to me.
When I was one-and-twenty
I heard him say again,
"The heart out of the bosom
Was never given in vain;
'Tis paid with sighs aplenty
And sold for endless rue."
And I am two-and-twenty
And oh, 'tis true, 'tis true.

Housman, A.E. "When I Was One-and-Twenty." British Literature. Ed. Ronald H. Horton. Greenville, SC: BJU Press, 2003. 678. Print. 

Hopkins

Pied Beauty

"God's Grandeur"

An example of both alliteration and assonance:

"There lives the dearest freshness deep down things."

Hopkins, Gerard. "Pied Beauty." British Literature. Ed. Ronald H. Horton. Greenville, SC: BJU Press, 2003. 675. Print. 

Hopkins, Gerard. "God's Grandeur." British Literature. Ed. Ronald H. Horton. Greenville, SC: BJU Press, 2003. 676. Print. 

Foreshadowing and Irony Bonus

Irony
I believe that the third stranger being the brother of the first stranger was ironic. What are the chances of going to see your brother in jail to find him sitting in a house drinking and smoking? and to make it more ironic, the innocent brother is accused of being the wanted man due to his reaction of seeing his brother who has escaped from jail.
Also, it is ironic that the criminal and the hangman went to the same house and were sitting only a few feet away from each other. And they were quite friendly with each other because one didn't know the true identity of the other.


Foreshadowing
I believe that the weather of the night was a foreshadowing of the events to come. In many stories, rain could be associated with a bad occurrence soon to come. 
Also the shepherd's wife feeling worried about the strangers is another indication that there might be something hidden about them. 
I also think that the revealing of the hangman's occupation was a foreshadowing. With his occupation being a hangman, this causes a feeling of uneasiness and makes you wonder if something is going to die.

Hardy

I believe that the theme of the story was about how the unknown is slowly revealed. Throughout the story, three strangers come to Shepherd Fennel's home and as the story progresses the strangers' identities are revealed. However, due to the suspicious actions of the third stranger, he was mistaken as a wanted man. This was soon revealed to be a mistake and that the first stranger was the real criminal and had fooled everyone and escaped. 


Hardy, Thomas. "The Three Strangers." British Literature. Ed. Ronald H. Horton. Greenville, SC: BJU Press, 2003. 659-673. Print. 

Answer to the White Queen's Riddle

Answer: Oyster


It is ironic that the Carpenter asked the oysters if they wanted to return home, although they had all been eaten.

Have I Not Striven

Love Similes

How do I love you? Though words aren’t enough,

Let me try to express the ways.

My love for you is indefinite, as the sands on the beach.

I love you like fire loves fuel,

For you are what keeps me going.

My love for you is like the rain,

Sometimes seen suddenly and unexpected.

My love is like a gentle breeze,

Bringing comfort during the summer.

I hope that my love would be like God’s love,

Forever and ever.

For you are the one I love.

My Last Duchess

Ulysses and Crossing the Bar

Tennyson, Alfred. "Ulysses." British Literature. By Ronald Horton. 2nd ed. Greenville: BJU, 2003. 633-634. Print.
Tennyson, Alfred. "Crossing the Bar." British Literature. By Ronald Horton. 2nd ed. Greenville: BJU, 2003. 635. Print.

The Poet and Kapiolani

"The Poet" and "Kapiolani" audio response




Tennyson, Alfred. "The Poet." British Literature. By Ronald Horton. 2nd ed. Greenville: BJU, 2003. 615-616. Print.


"XX. Kapiolani and Pele." Internet Sacred Text Archive Home. Web. 08 Mar. 2011. <http://www.sacred-texts.com/pac/hlov/hlov25.htm>.

Dover Beach Audio Response

Arnold, Matthew. "Dover Beach." British Literature. By Ronald Horton. 2nd ed. Greenville: BJU, 2003. 643. Print.

Newman Survey

Survey Link: Newman Survey


Cody- Christian Relationships
Charles- Hard work
James- Applicability
Mathew- Working Hard
Justin- Discipline
Jane- God


Out of these six people, two people thought that God is the element and principle of all education.  The others were looking at it in an academic perspective where it is hard work and discipline is the key.


Result Sheet
*There may be some more responses on the spreadsheet. I only took the first six people's responses since others were busy at the moment and decided to fill it out later.

Carlyle Hero

"All blazes round him now, when he has once struck on it, into fire like his own" (Horton 607).


Carlyle believes that a hero is a person that is a leader that is a servant that would sacrifice everything to protect those that are weaker (Horton 605).
The hero I created is named Crimson and is able to control fire. Crimson is usually thought of as violence and bloodshed, my hero only uses his power to protect people from evil. Although he looks a bit intimidating, he is humble, unselfish, and willing to sacrifice himself to protect everyone. 


Carlyle, Thomas. "On Heroes, Hero-Worship, and the Heroic in History." British Literature. Ed. Ronald H. Horton. Greenville, SC: BJU Press, 2003. 607-608. Print. 

Timeless Themes

Connections between Jane Eyre and “The Reason”

The first connection that “The Reason” has with Jane Eyre is reason to live.  In both these works, the reason is a person, someone that helps mold who the character is.  In Jane Eyre, I believe this person is Jane herself.  She is an orphan that was poorly treated by others and she motivates herself to become better and be who she wants to be.  However, Mr. Rochester could also be another reason for her to live.  Although not clear, there might be strong feelings toward him that could drastically change her behavior or thoughts.  However, there is a possibility of these feelings being a waste and she knows that this is true. 

            The second connection is growth and change.  The lyrics are, “To change who I used to be, a reason to start over new.”  Jane has always struggle with people viewing her as bad such as Mrs. Reed and Mr. Brocklehurst speaking poorly of her.  However, she was willing to change and prove to others and herself that she is not what they say and that she could be someone that is good. 

Connection between Jane Eyre and “You and Me”

The connection between Jane Eyre and the song “You and Me” is the confusion of the person. In the lyrics, “And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you,” it says that the person doesn’t know why he loves and can’t stop.  Jane is similar because she has feelings for Mr. Rochester but doesn’t really know why. 

“You And Me” ~ Lifehouse

What day is it? And in what month?
This clock never seemed so alive
I can't keep up and I can't back down
I've been losing so much time
'Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do
Nothing to lose
And it's you and me and all other people
And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you
One of the things that I want to say just aren't coming out right
I'm tripping on words
You've got my head spinning
I don't know where to go from here
'Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do
Nothing to prove
And it's you and me and all other people
And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you
There's something about you now
I can't quite figure out
Everything she does is beautiful
Everything she does is right
'Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do
Nothing to lose
And it's you and me and all other people
And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you
and me and all other people with nothing to do
Nothing to prove
And it's you and me and all other people
And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you
What day is it?
And in what month?
This clock never seemed so alive 

Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York: New American Library, 2008. Print.

Keats' Song

 In Keats' "On First Looking into Chapman's Homer," it talks about the awe and amazement seen in the land.  In my poem, I express how the feeling of peace feels good and how the person feeling it doesn't want it to end but it does.


Song:
Rue's Lullaby ~by District Tribute

Percy Bysshe Shelley Resume

Percy Bysshe Shelley

Date of Birth: August 4, 1792

Education

• Sion House Academy: 1802-1804
• Eton: 1804-1810
• University College, Oxford: 1810-1811
• 1811- Expelled for his involvement with the pamphlet The Necessity of Atheism.

Experience/ Works 

• Author
•  1813- “Queen Mab”
•  1816- “Alastor”
•  1818- The Revolt of Islam
•  1819- The Cenci and “Ode to the West Wind”
•  1820- Prometheus Unbound
•  1821- “Epipsychidion” and “Adonais”

Family/Life 

• 1810- Marries Harriet Westbrook
•  1814- Meets William Godwin
•  Believed that marriage contract is not needed
•  1816- Marries Godwin’s daughter, Mary, after hearing of Harriet’s death.
•  1818- Follows Byron into social exile
•  Vegetarian

Horton, Ronald. "Percy Bysshe Shelley." British Literature. 2nd ed. Greenville: BJU, 2003. 565-67. Print.

"P. B. Shelley: An Overview." The Victorian Web: An Overview. Web. 19 Jan. 2011. <http://www.victorianweb.org/previctorian/shelley/shelleyov.html>.

Byron Poem

To many people,

You are no one.

They don’t think of you as an equal,

And think your words are poison.

They stare and point

As you walk by.

They think you always disappoint.

And see you as just shy.

Yet I think not

Those things they say.

To me you mean a lot,

In many ways.

You heart is so kind,

And as pure as a dove.

Those people who stare are blind;

For they see not the true self of the one I love.

This poem follows the rhyme scheme of "On This Day I Complete My Thirty-Sixth Year."  This poem is mean t to focus on the idea of individual over group perception.  In this poem there are people that look down on a person and basically labelling her as a outcast with trying to know her.  However, there is one person that sees her for who she really is and thinks that she is great. 

Gordon, George. "On This Day I Complete My Thirty-Sixth Year." British Literature. Ed. Ronald H. Horton. Greenville, SC: BJU Press, 2003. 562-563. Print. 

Old China Voicemail

Sorry about the static and a couple odd pauses.

Lamb, Charles. "Old China." British Literature. Ed. Ronald H. Horton. Greenville, SC: BJU Press, 2003. 556-599. Print. 

What Good Comes From Bad?

Jake returned to his rundown tent after countless hours of tending to the ill villagers.  Having spent eight months in this small village hidden deep within the Amazon, Jake is a missionary doctor.  People would first think that he was raised in a good Christian family and was well educated in the path of Christ.  However, Jake has only been saved for about 8 years of his 49 years of living.  He wasn’t raised in a Christian family, and he did things that are too horrible to mention.

            Being born in a rich family in New York, it seemed that little Jake would be set for life.  He was treated like a prince by his servants although they hated him.  As the years past, Jake grew to be a horrible person; lying, stealing, torturing “friends”, and even causing physical injures along with mental scarring.  Jake was never satisfied even when he did all those terrible things.  Hating his parents, he ran away at the age of 15.  Having stolen a large amount of money from his parents, he was somehow able to get to England.

            Using the money he stole, Jake was able to live in luxury for about 3 years.  However, he soon lost it all due to all the gambling and partying over the years.  Having very little money, Jake resorted to stealing from small shops and drug dealing.  After a few years of doing this, at the age of 21, Jake was caught by England police and imprison for 10 years.  Well, it was suppose to be only 5 years, but Jake caused so much trouble in the prison that his sentence was extended.  Finally after the 10 years of being in prison, he was released and sent back to America. 

            However, instead of being sent to New York, where he was born, he was sent to Florida.  Having no money, Jake had to resort to hitchhiking and stealing in order to survive.  You would think that he would learn by now and try to return home knowing his family was wealthy but there was that feeling of hate and rebellion in Jake’s heart.  However, this all changed one dark and stormy night.  After 3 years of wandering around, Jake had to resort to an old house he thought was empty to get out of the storm.  However, it wasn’t empty, but was occupied by an old couple.  Yet instead of calling the police to turn him in for trespassing, they let him stay. 

Due to their kindness that he hadn’t experience for such a long time, Jake stayed with them and although he never once did anything good toward others, he tried to repay the couple.  This couple was Christians and treated Jake as if he was their own son and every week invited him to church.  However, he refused every time.  Then after about 3 years, the old man passed away from a heart attack.  Feeling bad for the old widow, Jake decided to go with her once to church.  This was a life changing moment in his life. That one time sparked something inside of his heart.  Not knowing what this was, Jake continued to go to church and after another year, Jake was saved at the age of 28.

Now that he was saved, Jake realized that all his life, he had been a terrible person and only caused trouble for everyone.  Feeling this guilt, Jake decided to return to his family in New York.  However, he couldn’t just leave the old woman that had taken care of him for the past 4 years, so he stayed back for another year in which she passed away.  Now he headed back to New York, only to discover that his parents had passed away 13 years ago and that they still left everything to him since he was their only son.  Yet instead of living the life of luxury again, Jake decided to instead repay all that he had stolen and even enter the medical field so that he would become a missionary doctor to people that were suffering without the knowledge of God. 

As you can tell, Jake was able to follow his new dream and although he cannot change his past, he gives his life for Christ so that others could know God, and make the wise decisions that he failed to make in life.  Although he did have the chance to live a life of luxury, he gave it up but instead of giving it up for freedom for himself, he gave it up to help others find true freedom.

~The Christian journey of sin, punishment, repentance, forgiveness, and restoration

Common Things in an Uncommon Light

This is a picture of flames.  However, instead of the usual red and orange coloring, they are blue.  This makes it look like it feels cool instead of hot and as if it wouldn't hurt.  It's beautiful how the flames dance around as the wind blows, yet it is very dangerous.
For this project, I used fotoflexer.com to edit the color and add a bit more detail to the swirls.
I think that Wordsworth lived a life full of struggles and disappointments.  However, thanks to his sister and friends, he was able to continue on and write many interesting works of art.  Some of these works seemed a bit sad and expressed a feeling of loneliness such as " I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud."

Blake Video Response

Blake Video Response

Blake, William. "The Lamb." British Literature. Ed. Ronald H. Horton. Greenville, SC: BJU Press, 2003. 518. Print.

Blake, William. "The Tyger." British Literature. Ed. Ronald H. Horton. Greenville, SC: BJU Press, 2003. 519. Print.