"...So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, so long lives this, and this gives life to thee" Sonnet 18
We discussed how this sonnet leads to immortality... for the object of his affection, even to this day because of these words he wrote, is still alive and immortal. I think the guys of our generation should try writing letters speaking of their affections... then no matter what happens, in one way or another.. their subject will live on immortally.. very romantic indeed... Get on it boys! After all Valentines Day is coming up!
Monday, January 31, 2011
Babies...
In class on Thursday... we talked about babies... then we talked about mind babies... then we were told to practice safe sex...and not make babies just mind babies.. enough said.. Glad I went to class! :-)
Be-all and the End-all
Macbeth:
If it were done, when 'tis done, then 'twere well
It were done quickly. If th' assassination
Could trammel up the consequence, and catch
With his surcease, success: that but this blow
Might be the be-all and the end-all—here,
But here, upon this bank and shoal of time,
We'd jump the life to come.
Only shakespeare could write one little phrase signifying life and death and all that presents itself in between. Only an author or person of his stature could put years of life, experiences, laughter, love, tears, joy, hardships and pains into a phrase that takes a second to say... remarkable
If it were done, when 'tis done, then 'twere well
It were done quickly. If th' assassination
Could trammel up the consequence, and catch
With his surcease, success: that but this blow
Might be the be-all and the end-all—here,
But here, upon this bank and shoal of time,
We'd jump the life to come.
Only shakespeare could write one little phrase signifying life and death and all that presents itself in between. Only an author or person of his stature could put years of life, experiences, laughter, love, tears, joy, hardships and pains into a phrase that takes a second to say... remarkable
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Shakespeare...
I wonder if William knew that centuries after he was gone, people around the world would know of his life, his works, his name....I wonder if he has hoped for this divine immortality...a life after death... his words have formed humanity as Harold Bloom has said.. His name and his works have stood the test of time; the true test of time. One does not even have to read a play from Shakespeare to know a phrase or cliche that originated from him... he is legendary just like The Beatles...and Train in my opinion.. These musicians have proven they too can stand the test of time with beautiful yet sometimes fragmented ballads of love, life, and death... everyone can say they have heard a Beatles song...and when Drops of Jupiter comes on the radio.. the lyrics and profound and poetic.
Venus
The Venus and Adonis poem baffled my mind. A god, and not just any god, but the goddess of of love is refused by the hands and affections of a mere mortal... how does this happen? As a goddess and celestial power how in the world is it possible for her to be rejected? Don't Gods hold a certain power over humanity... technically being the goddess of passion, and love, Venus should be able to get whatever and whomever she desires... yet she is refused by Adonis. Humanity always worshiped the gods for their invincibility and their profound power, their immortality. And, gods have always envied humanity for just that, its ability to feel, perish, for our normality. It seems in Shakespeare's poem, the power struggle is not just between man and god, but man and woman. Humanity takes a striking position of power denying the ever immortal gods which in actuality is unheard of. Granted, I know this is just a story, part of mythos, but nonetheless it still perturbs me. Adonis takes on a god like stature therefore elevating, or allowing for man to be ascended up with the gods...
Antony and Cleopatra
Cleopatra has an incredible speech in which she describes Antony her lover that has just perished. In it she says this...
His legs bestrid the ocean; his reared arm
Crested the world; his voice was propertied
As all the tuned spheres, that to friends;
But when he meant to quail and shake the orb,
He was a rattling thunder. For his bounty,
There was no winter in't: an Antony it
That grew more by reaping. His delights
Were dolhpinlike, the showed his back above
The element they lived in. In his livery
Walked crowns and crownets; realms and islands were
As plates dropped from his pocket
Then Cleopatra asks, "Think you there was or might be such a man as I dreamt of?"
She saw Antony in a sin free, perfect greek god way. But did he truly exist as such? When you love someone you do not see their flaws as everyone else sees them. Shakespeare was brilliant at making his characters either hate each other such as Beatrice and Benedick or he has his characters love each other so passionately they would follow each other into death; Romeo and Juliet. I often wonder, a man of such passion and love, what became of his love life? He did not pay much attention to Anne and some even speculate of his affections for men. So where did he draw his misery, joy, rapture, ecstasy, and fervor come from? ....It would be too simple to say that all of these inspirations came from the pen and paper he wrote with...
His legs bestrid the ocean; his reared arm
Crested the world; his voice was propertied
As all the tuned spheres, that to friends;
But when he meant to quail and shake the orb,
He was a rattling thunder. For his bounty,
There was no winter in't: an Antony it
That grew more by reaping. His delights
Were dolhpinlike, the showed his back above
The element they lived in. In his livery
Walked crowns and crownets; realms and islands were
As plates dropped from his pocket
Then Cleopatra asks, "Think you there was or might be such a man as I dreamt of?"
She saw Antony in a sin free, perfect greek god way. But did he truly exist as such? When you love someone you do not see their flaws as everyone else sees them. Shakespeare was brilliant at making his characters either hate each other such as Beatrice and Benedick or he has his characters love each other so passionately they would follow each other into death; Romeo and Juliet. I often wonder, a man of such passion and love, what became of his love life? He did not pay much attention to Anne and some even speculate of his affections for men. So where did he draw his misery, joy, rapture, ecstasy, and fervor come from? ....It would be too simple to say that all of these inspirations came from the pen and paper he wrote with...
Friday, January 14, 2011
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