(McCarthy Topic) Essay Intro:

      The passage from the novel, The Crossing, by Cormac McCarthy uses literary elements in order to portray his imaginative story into the mind of the reader. McCarthy uses techniques to create an event that is intense even more noticeably dramatic. His consistency of words contribute to the passages tone, which is isolated and lonely, not only because of the circumstances, but the comparisons being made. McCarthy uses several different techniques in the story in order to portray his view of the death of an animal. Though the passage could be simple, he uses similes, metaphors, pathos, and comparisons to contribute to his tone and his syntax.

Poetry Essay (Intro):

             Authors can incorporate their own views of an event or theory by using techniques in their writing. This allows them to be easily compared, because despite the major differences between texts and things that are said, there are always perspectives that may compare and contrast according to how they are described by the writer. These comparisons can be made between poems such as "Helen", one poem by H.D. and one by Edgar Allan Poe. In both poems, the author illustrate Helen's beauty using specific literary elements. In Poe's poem, she is described as one who is dedicated to her homeland, and loyal to the home she had left. In H.D.'s poem, the Helen that is portrayed is treacherous to Greece and is seen as a betrayer.
 These poems are able to contrast more easily through the use of elements such as tone, similes, attitude, and the authors structure of writing.

Poetry Analysis:

1) Howl by Allen Ginsberg

- The title, Howl, talks about the voice that everyone has, that has a baying howl that no one can here, but wishes for something more. It describes the life of many different kinds of people, conforming to society and living lives with false happiness, which is the ultimate emptiness.
- The poem begins with "I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked,..." and contiunes to say, "who... poverty and tatters... the supernatural darkness. contemplating jazz... ate fire in paint hotels or drank turpentine" Then it continues to explain the unnatural circumstances that exist when people stop caring, and start looking for self righteous pleasure.
- "Ate fire...; waking nightmares...; shoes full of blood..." These don't literally mean that they are eating fire, but being exposed to eating things that is bad for themselves. The term "waking nightmares" is used to describe the meaning of fear in someones life. Saying that "shoes" are "full of blood" indicates that there is pain in walking and going on for hours without help.
- This poem has a solemn tone. The author is critical and intense about his views on which this society seems to be organized. I felt that the poem led to very controversial points that people are afraid to talk about but are really crucial.
- The shift comes right from the beginning, describing the madness to people who were once good, then it goes into people who are uncaring, people who are inexperienced, and into the lives of people who don't care enough about their own lives to try to fix anything.
- The title is about the cry for help. That "madness" is the source of much anger and that many people look for excuses to not cry out in their lives.
- The theme of the poem is to have recognition of all of the things that can make us get distracted from what is important in life, and to recognize when people and objects have value... and when they do not.

2) Cat by JRR Tolkien:
- This poem is named Cat simply because it is about a cat that lounges around and sees things as an animal with little intelligence, day dreaming on a mat.
-"The fat cat... dreams... unbowed, proud, where loud roared and fought his kin, lean and slim, in the East feasted on beasts and tender men.:
- As we see that meat is referred to, but when in reality it most nearly means prey. "The cat leaps upon his meat..." This is not simply just meat but the thrill of the hunt through recognition of what the prey may provide.
- The author describes the cat as something that wishes for dignity. A longing to be more proud and independent then the life he has now. It makes me feel sorry for the cat, because he can't do what he truly wants to, but at the same time he is being lazy and doing nothing but daydreaming, giving a good idea of the selfishness of cats personalities
- The shift is from the cats reality to his day dream, where instead of being dependent on a master for food, stalks pray for his own benefit, then comes back to his senses, only just hoping.
- Not really, it is about a cat who wishes to be a greater cat.
-  The theme is that no matter how hard you wish to be something you are not, you will simply never get there by dreaming about it, and you will just bring yourself dissatisfaction by not trying to attain your goals.

3) Hope by Emily Dickinson:
- The title's meaning is to describe hope as something that can be carried out, with care, and will fall without guidance.
- "'Hope' is the thing with feathers... It sings... and never stops... and it's sweetest song... is heard... in the chillest land... and on the strangest sea"
- "Perches in the soul", most literally it would mean to take a spot on top of the soul where it could survey and rest. But this means that it will keep itself in ones soul, and sing sweet songs so that we can push ourselves to become more.
- The author of this poem seems very grateful for hope. She describes it as being there at the most awkward and lowly of times and being thankful for it's support of her, though she has done nothing in return. For me, I feel that it creates a realization that hope can be there in the most unlikely times, and it makes me feel satisfied and content.
- The shift is at the very end of the poem, when the author changes tone from warm and hopeful diction to dark and mysterious situations.
- The title says simply that hope will be like a bird to cheer you on, but never actually helping you.
- The theme of the story is that hope is like a singing bird, that can be found in unlikely places to warm you when you get lost or lonely, and expects nothing in return. Hope often and use it to your own advantage.

Macbeth: ACT II Active Reading Notes

• What is the purpose of the character: "Porter"? Is he like a mail person or someone who brings news?

•  It seems that Macduff is a servant to the king who was sent to retrieve the king in the morning and bring him back to his own estate. Was this common?

• Who is Lennox?

• I'm confused why Macbeth confessed the killing of the king to his men. Would they have found out otherwise?

• The Old man in the last seen is Ross's real father? or is he a priest or someone of religious importance.

• 'Gainst nature still!
  Thriftless ambition, that wilt ravin up
  Thine own life's means! Then 'tis most like
  The sovereignty will fall upon Macbeth.' 
• This is showing that Macbeth will not have people on his side, but be shunned and looked at as the murder he is.

Fahrenheit 451 Lit Elements

Brave New World: Chapter's 4-5

Literary Elements used:

• Huxley's use of connotation helps the scene between Henry and Lenina become sensual and much more entertaining for the reader, comically understanding the scenario.

• This scene could also be described as an extended metaphor, insinuating the sexual attraction between the two characters

• His use of parallelism when the lower caste helps the reader understand their lack of education through there repetitive use of short sentences and small sayings

• During the conversation between Bernard and Helmholtz, we see the irony of the two characters, and the purposeful place of foil, to point the weakness in one character and the strengths of the other

• The character's in the story use adjectives in the names of their factories and major facilities; this connects synthetic and techno-logic ideas to all of their items and buildings

• Huxley uses known objects and places to connect to the reader, and they are used for immoral purposes; for example: "Westminister Abbey, a very popular place of religious worship, is used as a dance club for the people"

• Puns are also used. When Lenina refers to the "growth" of "plants" through the cremation of people, she is not referring to nature, but referring to the success of factories, showing contrast between the importance of society in the story and in real life

BOB I

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