The Horses in ATPH.

I used to wonder about the book's title. However, after this past reading, I've begun to understand the meaning of it. Horses are all over the place! Rawlins and John Grady find work at the Hacienda de Nuestra Senora de la Purisima Concepcion (God that's a mouthfull) which literally means "Ranch of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception" (Irony, maybe?). At the ranch there are sixteen horses. After showing Don Hector his gift with horses, John Grady helps Hector breed a magnificent stallion. Lastly, the Rawlins and Grady are out in the mountains roping horses when they are found by the greyhounds.


Words cannot describe how happy I was when I saw Blevins return to the story. I find it extremely amusing that he had to return to Encantada to retrieve his gun; regaining his horse wasn't good enough for him. It's purely by coincidence that the three meet again in jail. (Well actually, I was kind of expecting this from a novel, but still.) I see Blevins as a sort of enigmatic character. I can't seem to figure him out. On one hand, he's an oversensitive boy scared of lightning, and on the other, he's a daring stuntsman and brilliant shooter who will fight and kill for anything that is rightfully his. Maybe this doubt will clear up later in the novel.


OHMYGOD I TAKE THAT BACK. What is this???!!!!??? That stupid captain killed Blevins? What's wrong with him?? Or rather, what's wrong with McCarthy? What was the point of Blevins in the novel anyway? I mean what did he do? I thought he was going to be a character that appeared in the beginning of the novel and reappeared later, making a significant impact on the plot. But I guess not!!! This is so disheartening.


~xE_Ax

The best of the interwebs.

I could never pick one site to be my favorite. If I was forced to be on one site for the rest of my life, I couldn't do it. I could never make the choice. If I was able to pick two sites, however, I think I might be able to do so without much difficulty.

My 2 favorite sites:
1. Facebook
2. Tumblr

Of course I would have to pick facebook. My social life, sadly, pretty much revolves around facebook and facebook alone. Without this paragon of social networking sites, my life would be in ruin. I would loose connections with literally hundreds of people. Dx
My second choice is tumblr. I lovelovelove that site. It's a blogging site that's not quite like blogger. I think they refer to themselves as a "microblogging" site. It's fun and addicting! If you do not have a tumblr, I would definately recommend that you get one. (:

~xE_Ax

Oh the things I'd do for extra credit.

I thought I'd do virtually anything for extra credit. And today, I realized was right. I've written last minute essays, researched obscure facts, and done extra powerpoints.
But now, I can add another thing to my list. Public humiliation.
I'm doing the Poetry Out Loud contest tomorrow and I already have this feeling that it will not go well. My second poem is only 30 words and I'm going to be reciting alongside great public speakers. Fantastic.
Wish me luck! I'm going to need it.

A Poem I wrote...

This is a poem I wrote some time ago. I just thought I'd want to share it with you guys. Enjoy! (:

 

A Poem
By: Me

What’s a poem but mastery of sense,
Of complex grammar wrought with greatest care,
Of meters, lines, and glistening ornaments.
Steered by winds of wise that to none compare.
A dress of silk so greatly sewn it seems
So seamless, by every tailor its sought;
So perfect that it flows in glossy streams
And sings much softer than a cradle rocks.
From where does it come? This good, loving hand
though sometimes amateur, forever deft
Each syllable and tiny turn is planned
‘Till words do disappear and art is left.
It touches lands that kiss mighty seas --
A poem is beauty, and all of these.

 

~xE_Ax

Nocturne Poetry Analysis

I can't seem to get my poem on this post without completely screwing up the formatting, so I'm just going to post the link to it. (:

Nocturne, by Li  Young Lee
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/archive/poem.html?id=171756

A nocturne by definition is a piece that is inspired by the night. With this in mind, nocturnes are typically calm and peaceful. However, Nocturne, by Li-Young Lee, is the exact opposite. With its vividly grotesque and distressing imagery, Nocturne embodies a tone of insecurity and fear. The poem begins with the “scraping of iron on iron.” The malicious wind doesn’t “quit,” but prolongs the grinding noise by slowly “dragging back and forth.” The sound is unpredictable; at times it is “faint, far,” but suddenly becomes “close, just beyond the screened door.” The irregularity of the sound adds to its spitefully frightening nature, for the sound seems to exist simply to scare those who are jumpy or anxious in the dark. Lee then intensifies the eerie bleakness by comparing the unsettling sound to a suspicious stalking man who “squats in the dark” “beyond the screen door.” This personification ties the sound to a very real threat. Lee continues by listing a number of disturbing images that have a likeness to this sound; all of which climax into an eventual representation of chaos and disgust. Lee then concludes by ambiguously warning that “something” is “loose” outside that should not be free. By using “something,” rather than a concrete image, Lee hints that the threat does not have to be a person, an animal, or even a thing of this world. By leaving it up to the imagination of the reader, Lee effectively adds another layer of fear into his poem.

Food for Thought. (:

Ironically, I just finished a game of 20 Questions before starting the assignment. (:

Setting

1. Consistantly, there are beautiful passages depicting the scenery around the travelers. What effect do these passages have?

2. Why is the setting of the desert so important?

Characters

3. Based on what we know about John Grady's parents and upbringing, is it a surprise that he turned out the way he did?

4. How are Rawlins and Blevins alike, even though they do not get along?

5. How could John Grady be a Christ figure?

6. Why do Rawlins and Blevins not get along?

7. What is Blevins's real name?

8. Why does a man try and buy Blevins?

9. Mary Catherine Barnett. What's her significance?

10. What's the deal with Blevin's horse?

Action

11. What is the significance of the boys separating from each other?

12. Where are Rawlins and Grady at the end of Part I?

13. What's with the thunderstorm and lightning?

14. Do you think it is odd that their ride has been relatively conflict free? It is the Wild West after all.

Style

15. What's the deal with the lack of quotation marks?

16. How does McCarthy use local color in his novel?

17. What purpose do the longwinded sentences serve?

18. Does this novel follow a quest pattern? If so, how?

19. How is the stereotypical West being depicted?

20. Why do you think McCarthy is being so ambiguous?

Best movie in the world! :)

The King's Speech is by far the best movie I have ever seen. It's sweet, funny, and serious all at the same time. And hey, as an added bonus, everyone is speaking in British accents. ;D
I loved how in-depth the characters were in the film; mainly Bertie (or King George VI) and Lionel. Lionel is played by Geoffry Rush, who also played Barbossa from the Pirates of the Caribben movies. Yeah. I was impressed too.
Anyway The King's Speech nominated for best picture at the golden globes and quite frankly I think it deserves it! I'll be behind The King's Speech all the way!!!

~xE_Ax