Blog Portfolio # 6 December 2011

Coverage: 

Loves Labor Lost

Not So Bullish About the Future

The Sun Also Rises Top 10 & Dear Abby

Bull Market

The Bough of Nonsense

Deafening Silence - Repression of War Experience

Greater Love

Escape

Trench Duty

Facebook - Wildcard

Before the Mirror

Apologia Pro Promate Meo

Depth

Greater Love

Wilfred Owen's poem on greater love was extremely interesting as since at first it came across like a love poem on the lines of a sonnet in context if not structure, and it being a satirical condemnation of World War 1 belied its initial appearance. The poem due to its many nuances instigated greater research as it piqued my interest. What is interesting about this poem is that it invites debate due to its many interpretations. I chose to interpret the woman described as a metaphor for war, but I am sure this analysis is open to discussion which I

welcome.


Research - Greater Love by Wilfred Owen

Interaction

Blogging is not simply writing your own feelings and thoughts in isolation as in writing a novel or a poem. What is so interesting about the world of blogging is that your commentary is being shared with an audience who is able to interact actively with you and others in a lively debate and discussion. This sharing of ideas and thoughts, hearing other view points, agreeing and disagreeing brings alive this social intellectual medium. In this blogging portfolio i enjoyed interacting with Conor on the World War 1 poem, 'Escape'


Escape

Discussion

The blog on "loves Labor Lost" by its very explosive and controversial nature bought on an active discussion with Wesley. Often there are many ways to analyze a passage in a novel and this is a lot about personal view point and interpretation. There can never be a right or wrong ( unless we bring Hemingway into the discussion pool), so there is only opinion. It is always interesting to hear the other side of the coin as it brings freshness, ideas and a new perspective. I welcomed the lively debate and hope it continues.

Loves Labor Lost

Xenoblogging


While the blog written by Naoise was very well written and all points were relevant and agreed upon, I was surprised by the point made that the abandonment of God and death due to war was unnecessary and this prompted me to make the Comment Primo so I could put forward my point of view.


Naoise's Greater Love

Wildcard

Well i really need to press the 'like' button on this "Generation Why " article that discusses with great insight and humor the futility of Facebook. Virtual world communication has really revolutionized our lives not just in the way we interact socially but on our personalities. My blog goes on to discuss this article and give my own views on whether the social network has really made us more social as a society or drained us of old fashioned propriety and ideals and actually made into less social creatures that ironically no longer need to come face to face or pick up a paper book for that matter!

Facebook :)

Apologia Pro Poemate Meo

Apologia Pro Poemate Meo provides insight into Owen's intent when writing his poetry, which is to criticize "you" at home (contemporary reader for using war propoganda and images as a form of entertainment). He describes the various methods of propoganda throughout the poem with cynisism. There is much more than grief in this poem; he is blaming those who supported the war. It is almost a threat in the last couple of stanzas.

Wilfred Owens’s satirical Apologia utilizes religious diction, sarcastic tone and repetitive structure, to depict his vocal condemnation, trough contradiction and ridicule, an inadequate war that no longer holds his appeal.

Speaker – Owen 1st person – come back from war
Audience – Army commander/government official

Structure – I not We – Personal first hand account of his experience – I too saw god – replying
Intended to emphasize
Heroic couplet – Provide narrative account
Sarcasm- use of propaganda successful, promises fulfilled – pride, glory, heroic praise

(1) – I, too saw God through Mud – as Promised god will be with soilders in war….truth – god abandoned soldiers to die
(2) – Mud on Cracked checks – Soldiers put mud on checks for camoloflauge….mud cracked to due soldiers smiles – truth – mud cracked due to their pain and agony
Soldiers soul’s are contaminated with mud (metaphor) as murders….thou shall not kill, put mud on the name of Christianity
(3) – More Glory than Blood – glory doesn’t exist….blood shed of innocent
(4) – Laughs more glee than child – more laughter than excited child

Structure – I too saw God – in aggrence with other soilders – Indented to act as topic sentence…..personal account through contradictions
Dash – acts as topic sentence

Owen creating his own propaganda…contradictions used to create sarcastic tone….

(5) – Merry it was to laugh there – fun/frolic at trenches
(6) – Death absurd, Life absurder – Worse to be alive, than to be dead…absurd to kill, faceless war
(7) – Power was on us to slash bones – Politicians forcing soldiers to kill innocent lives… slash – violently kill
(8) – Not to feel sickeness or remorse – Politicians act as devil urging soldiers on

(9) – I too have dropped off fear – Argrees with other soilders…lost his soul/heart – can’t feel Fear anymore
(10) – Behind the barrage, dead as my platoon – Barrage – wall of bullets coming towards him, dead as my platoon – dead as my platoon – sarcastic tone no remorse of being dead like his other group soilders
(11) – Sailed my spirt surging light and clear –Religious diction - Sprit has left his body towards the religious light.
(12) – Past the entanglement where hopes lay strewn – contrast of entanglement of dead bodies scatted on ground and hope which is died, no longer with soldiers

(13) - And witnessed exultation – Religious diction – exultation – soldiers put on pedestal – worshiped for powerfully murdering - sarcastic
(14) – Faces that used to curse me, scowl for scowl – public/nation who used look down upon me
(15) – Shine and lift up with passion and oblation –Religious Diction - Publics face lights with shine, pride – Oblation – bow down to soldiers and offer bread and wine, as people bow down infront of church during mass. Bread – body, wine – blood. Sarcastic – people have no respect
(16) – Relgious Allusion/Diction – Seraphic for an hour, through they were foul – Seraphic – people treated him like angle like figure/mystical being – but are foul – poison filled


(17) – I have made fellowships – Developed comradery between soldiers
(18) – talks about love but makes clear this is real and true love not the frivolous romantic love of man with woman as described in love songs. (binding of fair lips- kissing a woman ).

(21)- Ribbon slips medal of honor held with ribbon is useless and worthless to a dead soldier
(22) - The soldier is wounded and medal of metal did not protect him as the sword of hard wire enters his heart his arm is wounded and bandaged and dripping with blood as the rifle bullet hits him and the bandage figuratively has been knit by the rifle as a metaphor for knitting needle. The effect of this is the uselessness of being honored by the government what use is a medal just to give up your life.

Talking about being in the trenches he sarcastically says he has seen beauty and found peace with the loud noises of bombs. He has found beauty in the oaths the soldiers make to pledge duty to their country, hoarse as signifies suffering no water dry throat. Describes music in the silence in between the gun fire. Silent means the soldiers have to obey and not question their commanders. Again sarcastic tone as truth is the soldiers are shell shocked and weary and not at peace mentally disturbed.

Soldiers after death abounded by god egged on by the devil (government) have to go to the darkness of hell religious diction heaven and hell. The world of the soldiers in this world before death is just watching the bombs (flare) and their only contact with heaven is a shell like a rocket traveling on a road upward to heaven (highway metaphor for the road to heaven). Accuses the government of being the devil residing in hell (you share with them) religious diction continues.

Final verse he taunts the government that now the soldiers are dead you cannot hurt or reach them anymore they are safe from your lies and propaganda. You cannot hear their laughter and joke (mirth) admits that owen has been sarcastic and is acting the court jester like in shakepeare as you like it. He has been taunting and insulting the government cleverly disguised by happy positive tone that states they have found all the false promises the government offered to soldiers to join the army (joy peace become heroes be loved by public honor medal etc). in a final line insult he says to the govt these men now dead were too good for you u are beneath them. You can only cry now that u have lost soldiers to fight your battle but u are useless and should not be given access to the joy and peace (merriment) they might find in death.

Before the Mirror

It is interesting to note that Owens poem Greater Love is inspired by Swinburne’s poem, Before the Mirror since both though describing the actions or emotions of a woman are quite different in content. Owens poem a wars per my analysis uses the female gender as a seductress as a metaphor for the war. The war (woman) with her allure and feminine wiles seduces young men to fight in World War 1 only to have them heartbroken by their disillusionment at the harsh reality to war. Please refer to my link

On the other hand Swinburnes’ poem deals with three women a mistress in part 1, a wife in part 2 and a prostitute in part 3. This was actually inspired by a series of three paintings by James Whistler (Symphony in white no 1, Symphony in white no 2 and Symphony in white no3). The title “Before The Mirror” conjures up the imagery of a woman staring at herself in front of a mirror, which is of course a feminine trait of vanity. But staring at ones reflection we are able to see into our soul. Each face tells a story of a life lived. From examination of every line, wrinkle scar or mark or color reflects a past since these are the wounds of a life lived in the same way a soldier holds war wounds. And of course beauty fading with the onset of age is hard for a woman to bear. A woman has many burdens in life and all this is reflected in the spirit of her face. Her sadness, heart break or happiness is there for all to see and especially her as she stares at her reflection.

In part 1 describing the mistress the first line reminds us of Owens poem “Red lips not so red”, and here “White rose in red rose-garden is not so white”. The former refers to a woman who has lost her allure while the second, the mistress is tainted by being party to an extra marital affair. White is the color of purity while red is passion but both women lack purity and are tainted. The reference to the “behind the veil forbidden shut up from sight “refers to the clandestine nature of their relationship which breaks the Christian Commandment of ‘thou shalt be faithful’. Ironically the veil normally refers to a bride dressed in white but here it is the veil the mistress needs to hide behind to keep her relationship a secret from society who does not condone such a liaison. The poem questions the many lovers that may have drifted into her life often leaving her lonely and heartbroken as she waits for crumbs from a man who will never commit to her. I think the last stanza here also refers to the danger a mistress faces of abandonment by her lover when she ages and her beauty fades.

Part 2 refers to the wife. The wife has many duties to perform such as looking after children, home and hearth and after many years often like the mistress can feel lonely and neglected especially if love has faded and is replaced by mundane routine. A wife is often egged by society to play a sacrificial role and stand by her husband as divorce often brings shame. The wife stares at her reflection and wonders at her life lived and her aging face. She knows she is simply “a rose at heart and not in reality now. “She knows not loves that kissed her” reflects her pain of no longer being loved and looks at her hand with a wedding ring “my hand a fallen rose” to depict the breakdown of her marriage. As she sees her face in the mirror she no longer recognizes herself and therefore describes her reflection as a “art thou the ghost my sister”, showing years have passed and she has changed physically but also internally. In the last stanza she ponders about the future, “new years will bear” but she consoles herself that surely she still has true self which cannot be taken away with time, “what grief what joy for dower, but one thing knows the flower, the flower is fair”.

Part 3 deals with a prostitute who in society is considered as the lowest rung in the ladder of woman hood as she knows not of love but sells her body to the highest bidder for profit. The first stanza reflects that as many men pass through her door on a temporary basis she feels little joy but little grief and all become her past quickly as she sexually, “lie down and lie”. The lie means lying down sexually but also lie as the lies she often tells to please her clients. The second stanza further builds on the temporary liaisons she forms , “take flight and fly”. She performs a service for men that serves not just their physical needs but their emotional ones as they bear their heart to her without the judgement, nagging or condemnation a wife or to a lesser extent a mistress will give, “the flowing of mens’ tears beneath the sky”.

Facebook :)

The greatest irony of Facebook is the title which is never explained or discussed in the article. In the virtual world neither does anyone meet face to face and neither does language or the art of reading books seem an important part of this mode of communication.” Generation Why? “ indeed as the title cleverly prompts. Do we really need this new invention, and why has it become such an important part of 500 million and counting peoples lives. Did we not get excited that we can be connected by text and instant messaging and email? Did we not marvel that we can carry a mobile phone with us 24/7 and can be in constant touch with anyone around the world? Then why the need for this limiting form of communication called Facebook whose rules we have to live by, whose set format we have to follow like sheep. Why this herd mentality for a device that robs us of our own freedom, privacy and creativity? I think deep down people want their 15 minutes of fame, they want to be a celebrity and feel famous. There is also a social status that people want to achieve. We can now can Google our name and read about ourselves in the way previously only a celebrity could. Yes we are now all celebrities. We add endless so called friends to show how popular we are. But how many of these people do we really know, or even meet. How many of these people will cry at our funeral or even attend? Facebook leads to insecurities galore and now we have another medium to feel small. Earlier you felt left out when you didn’t have a date at the prom or were not picked for the team or were left out of party invite. Wasn’t that bad enough ? Now we wonder why we don’t get enough friend requests or birthday wishes despite the set reminders and desperately hope our “friends” will place kind comments and press the like button of our pictures. Nothing has changed our medium has simply changed. We are still being judged and placed in social hierarchy.

But why the desire to gaze into the lives of others and tell the world about our thoughts, our activities our lives? I think Facebook is perceived as a safe place to get things off our chest, a form of therapy. So we put our status as “sad today” and wait for an outpouring of sympathy or a pat in the back for any small achievement we have Deep down we are all voyeurs who slow down to check a car crash. In the same way we are like flies on the wall checking on the profiles of our old school friends or the like. We snigger if ex boyfriends have not amounted to much or have gained weight. And we do all this in a safe environment in the comfort our own homes. But the question arises how safe are we? Surely there are greater forces who have our information and are monitoring our every move like a virtual Big Brother. Privacy is a big concern in Facebook and a controversial one. Facebook has just introduced a facial recognition technique without informing its users. This will invade our personal privacy as it automatically identifies people in photos without their knowledge. Are we browsing into trouble? Yes, but most users are oblivious to the fact.

There is of course a sinister side to Facebook. People put up fake profiles and fake profile pictures. They can pretend to be someone else and live a secret life far removed from their actual lives. They can chat with strangers and be the person they only fantasized about. Of course there are lurking dangers when phaedophiles lure young unsuspecting victims to their lair. Wolf in sheep’s clothing or computer geek pretending to be a handsome hunk to chat to women, who knows in the virtual world of make beleif.

I think we need to learn to reconnect to communication of the old fashioned kind. Technology is a wonderful tool for business and at times personal. But ask yourselves do you always want to eat at Mcdonalds or once in a while would you like to enjoy a meal at a fancy In the same way would it not be nice to receive a letter, speak on the phone or actually meet over a cappuccino. I fear where we are heading in our virtual lives which instead of giving us more leisure time is robbing us of our time as our lives become more busy. This reminds me of a movie I once saw when a bunch of friends never meet. They even dated and broke up online without ever meeting. Human interaction loses its human touch when we are sucked into the virtual machine.

Lets face it. We can live successful, productive and social lives without Facebook. Did we not do so before its inception? Its time to take our lives back and unfriend Mr Zuckerberg.