Literature in Film #3: To Kill a Mockingbird

I've never read To Kill a Mockingbird nor have I ever seen the movie, until now. Watching it for the first time, I realized that the story line seemed very familiar to me. I enjoyed the conflicts in the movie such as the conviction of a possible rapist and many acts of prejudice. On top of all of the stories' plot, what really stood out to me (as always) was the way in which this movie was brought together. Again, I was always focused on the cinematography of the movie, all the shots that created lots of emotion throughout, and the lighting for each shot. The cinematographer of To Kill a Mockingbird, Russell Harlan, used a variety of black and white shots for each scene. The most common shot that was displayed was either high or low close-up shots. I find this to be very interesting because these types of shots that include angles portray characteristic feelings or powers. For example, a low angle of a person makes them look bigger, stronger, and powerful whereas a person who is filmed from a high angle does the complete opposite, making them look small and weak. As for lighting, Harlan also used a variety of lighting techniques. For some scenes that were more romantic and included intimacy, he used a soft and darker light. For scenes that were more intense and essential (such as the courtroom scene), he made the lighting brighter with more shadows. Music played a huge role in this movie, always building emotion and feeling for each scene. Sad music would play when an emotional scene would take place. Fast and loud music would start playing for more suspenseful scenes.

After watching this movie and focusing on all of these elements, I got a better understanding of how a great movie is made. Without all of these aspects, the movie wouldn't be captivating and interesting for the viewers. Everything in a movie, for the most part, was planned and has a reason as to why it was included.

Literature in Film #2: Precious

I really enjoyed watching Precious. Not only because I started to feel a connection with Precious, but also because I appreciated everything that made up the film such as camera angles, emotions, and lighting.  Though, there were many scenes that were extremely intense for me to watch, the relationship between the plot and cinematography of the movie stood out to me the most. During the movie, from beginning to end, the storyline focused on Precious and the horrible life that she was given. There were many scenes that highlighted the very violent moments in Precious' life. While watching these appalling events that were occurring, I felt a mixed of emotions. That, in which, was definitely the director's (Lee Daniels) goal.

As the plot mainly focused on the life of Precious, the struggles she must overcome, and the barriers that constantly stood in her way, the cinematography throughout the movie held these diverse and different emotions that each viewer felt while watching. I couldn't help but closely analyze all of the camera angles, levels, and movement that certainly portrayed all of these emotions. I noticed that the cinematographer used lots of close up shots of Precious to depict and portray a sad and sorrowful feeling. The lighting for many of the scenes were more dark than bright, overall representing a sad emotion for both the plot and the viewers to feel. Despite the plot's sadness, Lee Daniels frequently incorporated humor into the film as well! The humorous aspects in Precious kept me engaged, always wanted to learn more. Along with engagement, I noticed that the camera never seemed to stay completely still. There was always a constant but steady motion of swaying back and forth or zooming in and out that I absolutely loved! This camera movement was always changing the focal point of the scene, furthermore, developing new objects to look at; always making the frame more interesting and appealing for the viewers.

Yes, the movie was very sad, but these enlightening moments gave me hope for both Precious and her life.

Literature in Film #1: Pulp Fiction

(Decided to write about Pulp Fiction b/c I was absent)

Over this past weekend I watched Pulp Fiction for the very first time. The beginning of the film was super straightforward and started out pretty suspenseful. This beginning scene foreshadowed the very ending scene, using the same characters and the same exact actions. Throughout the whole movie, director Quentin Tarantino included many montages of a few different story lines. Each montage represented a puzzle piece in the movie that all came together at the end. Within this gangster, humorous, violent film, one of the main characters, Jules, plays a huge role. What really caught my attention was specific dialogue that Jules would say before he was about to kill his victim.The very first time in the movie when jules states this dialogue, it symbolizes power. Saying these lines from the Bible is a source of power in which Jules believes that this will save his good morals. Killing is a horrible thing and a cruel sin. Knowing this, by stating lines from the Bible, Jules believes that it will save him from the negative things that may happen to him. The most interesting meaning of these lines is created at the end. In the last scene when Jules is in a horrible position of death and getting ready to kill someone (Ringo) , he analysis the use of the Bible lines.

"'The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he, who in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother’s keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know my name is The Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee."'

"'See now I'm thinkin', maybe it means you're the evil man. And I'm the righteous man. And Mr. 9 Milimeter here, he's the shepherd protecting my righteous ass in the valley of darkness. Or it could mean you're the righteous man and I'm the shepherd and it's the world that's evil and selfish. Now, I'd like that. But that shit ain't the truth."'

Jules realizes that he is the evil one. In the past, he has murdered so many people without even thinking about it. He has used the previous Bible lines to cover up his wrong doings. At this point in the movie, he knows that he must change for the better. Jules wants to believe that his victims are all evil, but it's actually the other way around. He has the power to kill anyone he wants, making him the most evil character. Jules transitions into a different mindset when he lets Ringo go with the money that he wanted to steal from the restaurant.

I love the ending because it is also the beginning of the movie. As viewers, we were left hanging in the beginning of the movie, only being showed two characters (Ringo and his girlfriend) who put a restaurant on lock-down in order to rob everyone. At the end, this scene comes together and we leave on a good note. The overall message to Pulp Fiction is established through this recurring scene, do what's right.

Poem Analysis 8: This Is Just To Say

This Is Just To Say

BY WILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMS

I have eaten

the plums

that were in

the icebox

and which

you were probably

saving

for breakfast

Forgive me

they were delicious

so sweet

and so cold

 Reading this poem for the first time, I honestly thought it had zero meaning to it whatsoever. The way in which the speaker informs us that he/she has eaten the last of the plums in the fridge seems super sarcastic. I compared this tone to how my sister and I would antagonize one another when we were younger; I would always take her stuff and she would always take mine. Furthermore, though, the speaker of this poem may be trying to articulate a certain message across for the readers. The way the lines are written makes it seem as though the speaker is just trying to get a certain point across because the words are so random and jumbled together. The message could possibly be a rude way of saying sorry or a thoughtful way of saying sorry. Even though the speaker sounds sarcastic in a way, maybe he/she is just trying to apologize to the "owner of the plums". In this case, I would think that the speaker is saying sorry in the nicest way possible.
 The jumbled words display a sense of un-organization throughout the poem which could represent the speaker's guilt for eating the plums in the first place. The title, "This is just to say", is the very start for an apology for the choice or decision that the speaker had made in his/her life. Overall, the author's choice of poem telling is very alluring because it's written in a simple way. Because of this technique, I felt more connected with this poem; as it resembled the reality in most of our lives.

Poem Analysis 7: The World Is Too Much With Us

The World Is Too Much With Us

BY WILLIAM WORDSWORTH

The world is too much with us; late and soon,

Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;—

Little we see in Nature that is ours;

We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!

This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon;

The winds that will be howling at all hours,

And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers;

For this, for everything, we are out of tune;

It moves us not. Great God! I’d rather be

A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn;

So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,

Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;

Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;

Or hear old Triton blow his wreathèd horn.

In the beginning of the poem, and even in the title, the speaker states his overall message. Unlike other poems I have already read before, this one clearly conveys the meaning of the poem as a whole. This message of "the world being overpowering, yet stunning at the same time" is a super alluring topic! I believe that some of the people in our world not only take nature for granted sometimes, but never get a chance to enjoy it because there's SO MUCH of it. Right away, I thought about nature as the main target for the speaker. Throughout the poem, he/she continues to provide examples of nature like "the Sea" and "the winds"; and better yet, he includes "Nature" as well. Though nature seems to be a huge part of this poem, the speaker may also be upset with the destruction of such balance between nature and man.

Reading the poem several times, I wonder if the speaker is actually sick of Nature. He/She elaborates on the idea of giving our hearts away; to give away our heart to Nature. Better yet, the speaker may be super disappointed in what Nature has to offer and is useless to man. I believe that the speaker is just in denial and super clueless with his views on Nature in our world. It's like a love hate relationship. It frustrates me that he/she can't just go with the flow. Instead, they sarcastically complain about the good and bad aspects of Nature and how it affects us individuals. Overall, this poem is just a sad representation of man versus Nature.

Poem Analysis 6: The Youngest Daughter

The Youngest Daughter

BY CATHY SONG

The sky has been dark

for many years.

My skin has become as damp

and pale as rice paper

and feels the way

mother’s used to before the drying sun   

parched it out there in the fields.

      Lately, when I touch my eyelids,

my hands react as if

I had just touched something

hot enough to burn.

My skin, aspirin colored,   

tingles with migraine. Mother

has been massaging the left side of my face   

especially in the evenings   

when the pain flares up.

This morning

her breathing was graveled,

her voice gruff with affection   

when I wheeled her into the bath.   

She was in a good humor,

making jokes about her great breasts,   

floating in the milky water

like two walruses,

flaccid and whiskered around the nipples.   

I scrubbed them with a sour taste   

in my mouth, thinking:

six children and an old man

have sucked from these brown nipples.

I was almost tender

when I came to the blue bruises

that freckle her body,

places where she has been injecting insulin   

for thirty years. I soaped her slowly,

she sighed deeply, her eyes closed.

It seems it has always

been like this: the two of us

in this sunless room,

the splashing of the bathwater.

In the afternoons

when she has rested,

she prepares our ritual of tea and rice,   

garnished with a shred of gingered fish,

a slice of pickled turnip,

a token for my white body.   

We eat in the familiar silence.

She knows I am not to be trusted,   

even now planning my escape.   

As I toast to her health

with the tea she has poured,

a thousand cranes curtain the window,

fly up in a sudden breeze.

One of a few poems that I honestly enjoyed reading. More so, I was able to fully understand every line of the narrator's emotions. Starting off with the title, "The Youngest Daughter", right away, I was very aware of the narration in this poem. I found it super interesting and heartening while reading through this first person narration. The Youngest Daughter expressed her feelings towards her family. Specifically, she focused on her mother and the struggles that both go through daily. She starts off with the aging of her mother as she describes her skin with her mother's skin condition. Though the daughter is caring for her mother, it almost seems like she resents her in a way because of the way she describes her mother's past.

I found it ironic that the youngest daughter, out of all daughters or siblings, is caring for the mother. It's also ironic that the mother isn't capable of caring for her youngest daughter. Instead, the daughter must nurse her mother back to health. Going back and forth between perspectives of both the mother and daughter's life, the daughter describes how both have similar problems and conclusions. Even though she helps her mother back to health, her mother provides much for her; as they do almost everything together. As I read the poem for a second time, I believe that the narrator really loves the bond she has with her mother despite both of their problems and struggles. The last line of the poem depicts the hope that the narrator has. Her hope is very inspiring!

Poem Analysis 5: The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner

The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner

BY RANDALL JARRELL

From my mother’s sleep I fell into the State,

And I hunched in its belly till my wet fur froze.

Six miles from earth, loosed from its dream of life,

I woke to black flak and the nightmare fighters.

When I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose.

 Okay. Not gonna lie. After I read the poem for the first time, I still had no clue what a "Ball Turret" was so I had to look it up. It is, in fact, a ball that is rotating with mounted machine guns located underneath the aircraft. The gunner is what actually sits inside this ball. Ahhhh! This makes sense to me now. This poem is pretty much about a soldier (who is the narrator), who is in this ball turret and suddenly is killed. What I find most fascinating about this poem is the ending. It's brilliant that Randall Jarrell continued to have the dead soldier narrate his (the soldier's) death.

From the very first line, the gunner tells us that he has fallen from his mother's sleep. This most likely points out the idea that since his mother gave birth to him, he has now ended up in such "State", death. The soldier goes on to describing the setting in which he is located at his death. He describes how cold he is so he balls up in the "belly". Lines one and two definitely connect: The belly of the "State" he is in, is his mother. Weird connection. The next line again describes the setting in which the soldier is in: "six miles from earth". Reading this for the first time, I just assumed that this distance was because he was flying in the aircraft. As I read it for the second time, I thought of how the soldier is in the heavens, as it is "a dream of life". But then death comes back into the picture. The "black flak" is the soldier's death that is actually his "dream of life". Oddly enough, he ends on a very straightforward note with the very last line. This last line could also reflect his mother that he was once hunched in. Figuratively, the solder has died of a possible abortion. This poem is crazy!

Poem Analysis 4: To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time

To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time

BY ROBERT HERRICK

Gather ye rose-buds while ye may,

   Old Time is still a-flying;

And this same flower that smiles today

   Tomorrow will be dying.

The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun,

   The higher he’s a-getting,

The sooner will his race be run,

   And nearer he’s to setting.

That age is best which is the first,

   When youth and blood are warmer;

But being spent, the worse, and worst

   Times still succeed the former.

Then be not coy, but use your time,

   And while ye may, go marry;

For having lost but once your prime,

   You may forever tarry.

 This is one of my favorite poems so far because I actually was able to understand the first time I read it. Since the structure of the poem contains a ABAB type rhyming, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The first stanza is referring to the virgins, stating that they shall find "rose-buds" while time is still available at their hands. In my opinion, rose-buds most likely represents a good life, with happiness and full of love. The description of the smiling flower is sort of like personification since flowers literally cannot smile. I really enjoy when authors include imagery and great use of description in their poems and stories because it allows me to get a sense of the story as a whole. There really isn't a huge shift in this poem, as the speaker stays consistent with his/her idea of living life to the fullest.

The speakers also uses nature throughout the poem. In the first stanza, he/she focuses on flowers. In the second stanza, he/she brings up an idea of the sun which gives us readers a sense of setting and time. In the third stanza, the speaker than ties together nature and youth in which youth is the best time period to live in because you still have a long way to go to do things, like to gather rose-buds. The references of nature dying reflects the theme of a time of fulfilling happiness. Even though everything around us is dying, the youth must live every moment the best they possibly can.

Poem Analysis 3: Rite of Passage by Sharon Olds

Rite of Passage

BY SHARON OLDS

As the guests arrive at our son’s party   

they gather in the living room—

short men, men in first grade

with smooth jaws and chins.

Hands in pockets, they stand around

jostling, jockeying for place, small fights

breaking out and calming. One says to another

How old are you? —Six. —I’m seven. —So?

They eye each other, seeing themselves   

tiny in the other’s pupils. They clear their   

throats a lot, a room of small bankers,

they fold their arms and frown. I could beat you

up, a seven says to a six,

the midnight cake, round and heavy as a

turret behind them on the table. My son,

freckles like specks of nutmeg on his cheeks,   

chest narrow as the balsa keel of a   

model boat, long hands

cool and thin as the day they guided him   

out of me, speaks up as a host

for the sake of the group.

We could easily kill a two-year-old,

he says in his clear voice. The other   

men agree, they clear their throats

like Generals, they relax and get down to   

playing war, celebrating my son’s life.

After reading this poem a few times over again, I came across a different meaning each time. First time reading it, it was more of just a story that the narrator was telling me, more than a poem. There wasn't any rhyming or repetition as the speaker was describing the little boys' actions. Once I read it a few more times, I came up with a perfect theme and meaning to the poem as a whole that fit very well. First, I was interested in how the speaker described the young boys as if they were gull grown men. She compared the boys to adults as they had conversations about problems that adults might go through such as money problems. Through it all, it was strange how the speaker did nothing to stop the boys from doing such actions or speaking in ways they did. Was there something holding her back? I believe that there was. The society steers childhood in the wrong directions sometimes and I'm sure that this is what happened to these boys. It was possible that the speaker was held back by society and the way that children are growing and learning. The theme "loss of innocence" plays a huge role in this poem as the boys face reality as if they were adults. Just like the title states, the speaker's child's birthday party is like a "rite of passage" and there are people and problems in his way from obtaining innocence. This poem truly relates to the society we live in today and that's why I felt super connected with it. As I'm growing older, I look down upon the children growing right being me; seeming so much older than I ever was at age ten or twelve. It's crazy how much things change over time and I believe that's how the speaker feels, at a loss of control.

Poem Analysis 2: Death, be not proud by John Donne

Holy Sonnets: Death, be not proud

BY JOHN DONNE

Death, be not proud, though some have called thee

Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so;

For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow

Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me.

From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be,

Much pleasure; then from thee much more must flow,

And soonest our best men with thee do go,

Rest of their bones, and soul's delivery.

Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men,

And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell,

And poppy or charms can make us sleep as well

And better than thy stroke; why swell'st thou then?

One short sleep past, we wake eternally

And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.

Wow, this was a super powerful and emotionally driven poem. From the very beginning until the very end of the poem, the speaker made it quite clear that Death would never conquer anyone or anything. Using a confident voice, the poem is filled with lines of hatred. The speaker starts out by threatening Death as if it were a real person and with real characteristics. The speaker goes on, telling Death to back off because he is not scary nor powerful towards anyone. This idea of overpowering death is very interesting; as to die is a natural human experience. The speaker doesn't want Death to exist so isn't that like wishing for it to die as well? Can a wish for death overpower death itself? Weird. Later in the poem, the speaker goes on by comparing Death to sleep, how it brings pleasure to people and not a powerful vibe.

One major in this poem is the idea of having the courage to take on an overpowering force. The speaker decides to try and fight with Death, he/she argues and threatens Death in so many ways. This brings up another theme of hopes and dreams. He/She wants to defeat Death to go to Heaven instead but later he/she understands that he will die anyways. It's really interesting how John Donne has the speaker start off in rage and defensive and leaves him feeling overpowered when he understands that he/she could never put up a fight against Death. Death will always conquer all.

Poem Analysis 1: [in-Just] by E.E. Cummings

in Just-
spring          when the world is mud-
luscious the little
lame balloonman
whistles          far          and wee
and eddieandbill come
running from marbles and
piracies and it's
spring
when the world is puddle-wonderful
the queer
old balloonman whistles
far          and             wee
and bettyandisbel come dancing
from hop-scotch and jump-rope and
it's
spring
and
         the
                  goat-footed
balloonMan          whistles
far
and

wee

This beautifully written poem shows us an image of a lovely Spring day through a child's eyes. Since Spring is finally here, everyone is out and about and this is something that the speaker admires very much. Throughout the poem, he/she clearly displays many images of all he/she is witnessing, using a sense of imagery in every line. Though the poem is very short and simple, a developing image is created when reading through the narration of the young boy/girl. One aspect of the poem that really held onto my attention was the way in which the speaker spoke to us listeners. The format of the poem does just so; constructing a use of tone and shifts from the beginning until the end. Spaces are used when E.E. Cummings decides to slow down a readers. To develop a more fast pace for the reader, Cummings positions words together. Not only does this affect the ways in which a reader reads the poem, it affects the speaker himself/herself. The use of vocabulary and words in the poem that the speaker uses displays an image of his/her youth and impacts an overarching theme of youth. Spring is for the youth and the youth is for the Spring. In this idea, children are developing humans as the lose their innocence as they grow older and older. Physically a child grows and mentally they do as well. The structure of this poem indicates a child's mental youth and as they grow until adults, we can then notice a change.

REFLECTION: We Real Cool by Gwendolyn Brooks

THE POOL PLAYERS. 
                   SEVEN AT THE GOLDEN SHOVEL.



We real cool. We
Left school. We

Lurk late. We
Strike straight. We

Sing sin. We
Thin gin. We

Jazz June. We 

Die soon.

Although this poem is pretty short, it has so much background details that are not in it and portrays a huge aspect of identity through language. Reading through the poem for the first time it was very easy to understand as there wasn't any complex lines and such. Reading through it a second time, I realized that the subtitle in the beginning is the most complex and important thing in the poem. Without the subtitle, the poem couldn't be comprehended easily on a deeper level. It is quite obvious that the speaker is observing these seven pool players and is writing in a way that is analyzing what they might be thinking.

REFLECTION: Since There's No Help by Michael Drayton

As I read through Since There's No Help for the very first time, I felt personally connected to almost every line in the poem. This was probably one of the very few poems that I actually understood on a deeper level. I loved that the first stanza started off with the speakers raging emotions and then in the second stanza, words like "Love", "Passion", "Faith", and "Innocence" were used as if they had human characteristics and features. The second time I read through, I noticed new things that didn't initially stand out to me such as the whole idea of a lost "Love". For the most part, I interpreted the poem similarly both times when I read it.

When answering the questions that went along with the poem, I felt pretty confident with half and a little shaky on the rest. Questions that weren't as hard for me include: ones that asked you to refer to a specific word and any about "shifts" or "rhythm" of a poem. Questions that I really need help on include: anything having to do with meaning of a poem, tone of the speaker of author, repetition, and what a specific phrase or line from the poem means.

Reflection "Spring and Fall"

I really enjoyed this exercise of reading the poem and then paraphrasing each line. It really helped me better understand what I as reading and further analyzing the poem to the best of my abilities. Poems are super hard for me to understand, as I usually just read to enjoy them. This exercise helped me slow my reading down and really think about what the speaker was trying to convey in the poem.

How to Analyze Literature- 3/25/15

3 important things I learned:

• The use of ¨pace¨ that the authors use to either slow down a reader or to speed up the reader while reading from a use of syntax, diction or dialogue. 
• Many tips for reading a poem during the AP Lit exam such as quickly getting to know the narrator, noticing the sound pattern of the poem like the terms being used or the rhyming, and the imagery within the words and phrases in the poem.
• From the section of Glossary of Literary, I learned new terms that I was unaware of such as anaphora, aphorism, assonance, caesura, couplet, elegy, jargon, panegyric, solilquy. 

2 questions I still have:

• How can I quickly develop a really good thesis statement in such little time? Any tips?
• Since there are many words in the AP Lit short stories that I always get stuck on because I don't know, are there any ways for me to get by this problem?

1 skill:

• I think I'm pretty good with identifying the narration and point of view of stories.