Entry 77: Pressure from Parents

In Faulkner’s story, “A Rose for Emily,” what conflicts existed between Emily and her father? How did the horsewhip fit into those conflicts? Why do you think their relationship ended up being the way it was? What similarities between your own relationship with your parents and the relationship between Miss Emily and her father do you see? If none, have you ever seen other people that have relationships with their parents like that?

• The conflict that existed between Emily and her father in the story "A Rose for Emily" by Faulkner was concerned with marriage. Because Emily's family was aristocratic and has a high status, Emily's father did not believe that anyone was fit to marry his daughter. Therefore, he drove away any and all suitors and kept Emily unmarried for a very long time. However, this conflicted with Emily's desire to love and to be love, and it twisted and distorted Emily's character so that in the end, she became a murderer who kills without any regrets. Emily's relationship with her father was that of a love hate relationship: Emily loved her father for being her father, but she hated him for keeping her away from love.
• The horsewhip was mentioned in the story when the narrator described the painting of Emily and her father. Emily's father was holding the horsewhip, and it signifies that his father is keeping and driving away the suitors using the horsewhip, and protecting Emily but sheltering and keeping her behind him and away from society and away from reality.
• My relationship with my parents differs because I am allowed a greater freedom when talking about relationships. My parents don't care who I am with as long as I still do what I am supposes to do, and in this case, it is referring to academics.

Entry 76: White Lie

Colonel Sartoris’s white lie to Miss Emily about her taxes is an attempt to spare her pride. Judge Stevens also takes steps to protect her, basically by allowing her to live a lie. What do you think about “white lies”? Is it morally acceptable to spare someone’s feelings by lying to him or her? If so, where do you draw the line? How do you feel about being lied to? Considering the disastrous outcome of the lies that were told to Miss Emily, what do you think might be the result of lying to help someone “save face” or simply just to avoid an uncomfortable situation?

• Many people tell lies to avoid uncomfortable situations, no matter if the lies are good or bad. Some lies are told to deceive, while other lies are told just to avoid awkward and uncomfortable situations. These are called white lies. White lies are usually harmless lies said to help and to protect other people. However, despite it appearing beneficial and advantageous, white lies are actually very similar to lies said to deceive. The only difference is the intention when the lie was told, and it is often very, very hard to tell the difference.
• White lies are usually not acceptable in society, because it is still a form of a lie. However, people often tell these lies because they believe that white lies are appropriate to save face during awkward and uncomfortable situations and help improve social relationships.
• I believe that white lies are essential because white lies are necessary for maintaining healthy social relationships. If we don't tell white lies, it will be very awkward. For example, imagine if a fat person asked you if he or she is fat or not. You wouldn't outright tell him or her that he or she is fat. So you tell a white lie so he or she won't feel awkward. The person wouldn't be hurt too because he or she knows that he or she is actually fat.

Entry 75: Shadow of the Past

In Faulkner’s story, “A Rose for Emily,” what ways is Emily affected by the shadows of the past? Explain how Emily has been shaped by the culture and historical period in which she lives. Discuss her family’s sense of its position in society, and cite details from the story to support your ideas. Then think about the world you live in today. Do you think that a similar story could be set in today’s world? Are there social groups in Taiwan, the US or elsewhere that are stuck living in the past, or that still reap the benefits of a bygone time? If so, describe these groups. If not, explain why you think so.

• Emily's higher social status as well as her father were two of the biggest shadows that affected Emily in the past, and these two things were influenced by the culture and historical period of the time Emily's story occurred in. In Emily's time period, the people of the South looked down on the African Americans. They also believed that women should marry and not be able to do the things that men know how to do. Emily didn't marry because her father drove off suitors because he believed that Emily was too good for them (because of their higher social status). This caused Emily's strong desire to find love, which she couldn't, because she was too old (for that time period). This later on caused Emily to cling onto her father even though he died, and ultimately, the events thwarted and distorted her personality so much that she became a murderer. Similar stories may happen in the present day, in isolated places that have not been influenced by globalization, in places that have kept it's cultural traditions alive despite of cultural imperialism. The places are most likely very rigid in thought, which is very similar to how people in Emily's time period think, and this may result in a similar story plot.

Entry 74: Poetry's Social Function

T.S. Eliot believed that poetry has a social function. He wrote, “I think it is important that every people should have its own poetry, not simply for those who enjoy poetry . . . but because it actually makes a difference to the society as a whole, and that means to people who do not enjoy poetry… Unless people go on producing great authors, and especially great poets, their language will deteriorate, their culture will deteriorate and perhaps become absorbed in a stronger one.” What do you think about this assertion? Do you agree or disagree? Do you see any evidence of deterioration in culture or language? Do you think poetry’s popularity has an effect on such things?

• I believe that this is quite a true statement. In human geography, there are the terms acculturation and assimilation. Both of these refer to when a culture that is not as dominate is integrated and merged with another culture that is more dominant. Then, as a result, the original not as dominant culture would disappear and people would conform to the society and traditions of the dominant culture. This is quite similar to what T.S. Eliot is saying in his quote. He says that unless people go on and maintain their culture (which is referring to the "...great authors, especially great poets,..."), their culture will disappear (which is referring to the "...their language will deteriorate, their culture will deteriorate...") and be assimilated into a stronger and more dominant culture (which is referring to "...and perhaps become absorbed in a stronger one."). An example of deterioration in culture or language today can be seen when hundreds of native languages are disappearing due to globalization and lingua francas (international languages used for communication, especially for trade and business). Not only poetry, but any and all literary works have numerous and various effects on things such as deterioration in culture and language as more people begin to pursue an education.

Entry 73: No Ideas But In Things

One group of Modern poets was the imagists. They wanted to describe commonplace subjects just as they are. The imagist poets were very different from many popular poets of the nineteenth century, who believed that poetry should be about certain lofty, “poetic” subjects. William Carlos Williams was one of the imagists, and you can see examples of his poems on pp. 667-669 of your text. His motto was “No ideas but in things.” Do you think there should be any limitations on the subject matter of poetry? What are poems written about today?

• I believe that there shouldn't be any limitations on the subject matter of poems. There may be many different forms and restrictions concerning the poem's structure as well as form, but I don't believe that this should also apply to the subject matter of poems. Poems are a literary device that allows for people to express their ideas and opinions on any subject matter that they wish to express their opinions or ideas or points of view on. People may but limits themselves, but it depends and varies from person to person. Poems can be on a wide variety of subjects nowadays. It can range from the most traditional subject matters to the most popular and unconventional subject matters. An example of a traditional subject matter may have to deal with religion and plain ways of living. For example, a poem may show one's ideas, beliefs, opinions, and points of views towards its author's god, as well as his or her beliefs concerning everyday life or concerning a particular subject in relations to religion. A more unconventional subject matter may be fashion and clothing. The topics that I would be interested would be associated with dancing, basketball, sleeping, eating, chatting, hanging out with friends, and so on (what a teenager would typically do).

Entry 72: War and Economics

A major war and major economic disaster marked the first decades of the twentieth century and had an important influence on the literary and artistic movements of the time. What similarities can you find with the beginning of the last century and the beginning of the one we are now living in? What differences do you see? How do you think historians of the future will describe the past twenty years? If the literature and art of the beginning of the last century was called “modern”, what might the label be for the contemporary period?

• Basically, there are many similarities when we take a close look at the beginning of the last century and comparing it with the beginning of the one that we are now living in. How so? Many people might ask. Let's look back at the question: a major war, the Great War, also known as World War I (as almost everyone knows, the "war that was supposed to end all wars"). Now think, are there any wars currently happening now? Yes, a lot, in fact. For example, there are many wars that are currently happening in the Middle East, as well as Southwest Asia. Then, let's look at the second part of the question: major economic disaster. This is very obvious and evident in the European economic crisis, where countries such as Greece, Portugal, Italy, and Spain are all in debt, and bringing down the other countries of the European Union. This recession in economy in Europe is influencing the economy at a global scale. Prices are also increasing drastically with global financial crises as well as the lack or dispute of natural and raw resources. This is making it hard for many people to survive, seeing as they cannot even fulfill their most basic needs.

Entry 71: Historical Influences

Look at the time line on pages 632-633 of your textbook and examine the political and social events that went along with the development of the Modernist movement. Which events are you most familiar with? Which events are new to you? Choose a few events that you think might have been particularly influential in shaping the artistic movements of the time period and describe what they were and why you think they were important. Do you see any historical, social, or political events in today’s world that might influence artistic movements, either now or in the future?

• The events that particularly had influence in shaping the artistic movements of the time period are usually bad and negative in some way. It is these negative events that caused the optimistic American Dream to be torn apart, resulting in people becoming pessimistic and causing and motivating them to change their ways of expression in art and literature. The main event is war. War caused many people to realize that the world is actually not optimistic at all, and the deaths and destruction of war just made people realize just how terrible war, and the world, is. Many people became depressed and pessimistic about the world, that war would not end and they would all have to suffer. Finally, the war ended. Then came depression, making it harder for everyone to survive. Prices inflated, money was lost, and people couldn't live without working themselves until they couldn't work anymore. This caused even more people to fall into despair, and this is when the modernist movement peaked. People began to not only depict the "true" nature of the world, also know as reality, they began to create art and literature that is totally and completely new, different from traditional ways of art and literature.

Entry 70: Social Influences – Entertainment

For most people in the 1930’s entertainment was limited to listening to the radio and going to the movies once a week. Considering the information text on p.638 of your book, reflect on the role popular entertainment then and now - what did it do for people? - and how it has changed in the last eighty years?

• The popular entertainment then was basically just something that people enjoyed when they were given the chance to, if they had the time as well as the money. Popular entertainment today is very different - it exists everywhere and every second. Most people enjoy entertainment through the medium of music. If you are able to afford for any more entertainment, then people may have books such as novels and comics, and even more advanced ways of entertainment through electronics such as radio, television, cellphones, and computers. How has popular entertainment changed through the last eight years? Well, the popular form of entertainment has improved through the new innovations and inventions of technology. It has become more sophisticated, and has become more widespread. For example, media in the form of television as well as newspapers and magazines can now be found in one place even though the place of production is somewhere else, maybe on the other side of the planet. Also, present day popular entertainment is more open minded, meaning that there are not as many restrictions as there were in the past. For example, girls may now be able to appear in media in "very revealing clothing" compared to the past, and there may be, for example, more fashion shows in the present day.

Entry 69: Make It New

Ezra Pound, one of the great modern poets, once said, “Make it new! Art is a joyous thing.” What do you think he meant by “new” art? Why does he emphasize the “joyous” quality of artistic creation? Why do you think that artists continuously break away from previous ways of doing things and traditional forms?

• When Ezra Pound says to "make art new", he is trying to convey the fact that people should be thinking of new ways to create art instead of copying or imitating the old ways of creating art. For example, people should stop following a certain pattern or format for art of literature. In art, people could try different shades of coloring, different themes, or different moods. In literature, people can try different themes, different moods, or even different point of views. For example, people could be writing in first person point of view, second person point of view, or third person point of view. Another way to vary it is whether the point of view is from that of a man, woman, child, or adult. The joyous quality of artistic quality is basically the ability of the visual or literary artist to create an art that is delightful and joyous, even though the topic or theme may be depressing. The joyous feeling still has a way to be expressed and conveyed. Art forms continuously break away from other art forms because artists want to be able to attract people's attention to their work, and sometimes when the work is too repetitive and predictive, then people wouldn't be attracted by it. Therefore, new art forms are created to attract people.

Entry 68: What's His Problem?

The “critical comment” on p. 662 of your text suggests that J. Alfred Prufrock has a problem. Now that we’ve had a very brief glimpse at Prufrock’s thoughts, what do you think that problem is? How would you describe it? How does the simile in lines 2-3 give us a clue to what is wrong with the narrator? What concerns does he reveal in lines 37-44? How do you think he feels about women, and how do you think he thinks women feel about him? What makes you think that? Use specific words from the poem to explain what is bothering Prufrock and what his problem is. Do you sympathize or identify with him? Explain.

• His problem is that he is too self-conscious; he cares too much about what others think of him. He hesitates and vacillates when it comes to decisions because he cannot decide which decision would please others and make others not think ill of him. Lines 2-3 suggest his depressing and negative nature, since he compared a natural, considerably beautiful scene, with an etherized patient. In lines 37-44, there is evidence showing that he's concerned about what others think of him. Prufrock wants to be with women mainly because he feels happy with them. However, he is afraid that the women don't like him that way and that he would take the intentions of the women in the wrong way. So generally, Prufrock is afraid that people will think ill of him, and he wants to prevent that. He is extremely self-conscious and he is never sure of himself. You could say that he has some signs of dependent personality disorder due to his inability to make decisions by himself, seeing as he ponders over possible circumstances too much. He is never sure of himself, even though he may appear confident, as lines 37-44 show (he's dress up, but people say he's thin).

Entry 67: The American Dream

The Modern Era in America was a time of great change. As you explore the introductory section to Collection 5, you will find references to the “American Dream.” By now you should have some understanding of the American mindset, formed by our readings up to this point as well as your own prior knowledge (from history classes, etc). Using that knowledge, answer the following questions: What is or was the American dream? What happened to the American dream in the early twentieth century? In what ways did modernism change tradition—especially in what people valued in art and literature?

• The American Dream is the ideal that America is a free country, and that it welcomes anyone and everyone. It includes ideas such as the possibility of being able to own property, which might have been impossible for people back in their home countries. The second part of the American Dream is very optimistic. It is the idea that no matter who, they will be able to succeed if they work hard. For example, they will be able to own property if they worked hard. Another important factor is that people will be able to pursuit happiness; there are not oppressive factors stopping or limiting people from their goals and dreams.
• In the early twentieth century, the American Dream shattered. The difficult conditions of life such as poverty, disease, and death all contributed to this. War that had broken out, as well as depression, brought reality to people, and they started to believe that the American Dream was all only just a dream. They then started to take onto more realistic approaches: first the realist approach, then the modern approach.
• The modernism movement started whole new ideas. These ideas differ from all traditional ideas. For example, it can be very fancy, compared to the plain style that the traditional Puritans used.

Entry 66: Better Things?

Willa Cather, one of the greatest American writers of the 20th Century, celebrated the courage, strength and fortitude of the frontier settlers in many of her works, and believed that a valuable way of life was disappearing with the advance of modern times. When referring to the modern age she said, “Men travel faster now, but I do not know if they go to better things.” How does this quotation frame the dilemma of the modern age?

• This quote frames the dilemma of the modern age by pointing out the fact that the human race now no longer has the courage, strength, and fortitude that the frontier settlers had before. Willa Cather is saying that even though present day technology is improving and even though current society is improving and becoming more and more convenient, people are losing the qualities that the people in the past have - the good qualities that a society need to thrive and succeed. The quote can also be quite literal. For example, the quote "men travel faster now" may refer to technology such as trains, ships, cars, buses, and airplanes (basically, technology that increases the speed we travel with). Willa Cather is saying that even though we now travel and transport at a faster rate and with more efficiency, it might not be a completely good thing because we are moving towards laziness, as well as issues such as the depletion of resources, pollution, and ultimately, the destruction of our environment, as well as planet Earth. Cather may be suggesting us to retain part of the past in order to continue on to a better future, and not a worst one.

Entry 65: You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby

In the 1890s, when Kate Chopin wrote “A Pair of Silk Stockings,” women could not vote, were not financially independent, and had few opportunities for education or employment. Women’s rights activists were beginning to seek social justice, but change was slow. As you read Chopin’s story, what differences do you notice between the lives of women then and now. What connections can you make between the lives of women then and those of women in The Handmaid’s Tale? Do you think that things could ever change back to the way they were before?

• The main difference between the women then and the women in the present day is the difference in the amount of freedom. Women before didn't have the freedom to do what they want. Instead, they were limited by certain unwritten rules, and if they broke these rules, then they would be viewed as scandals and never be respected again in society. Women nowadays, however, have more rights and more property, even though only certain places have excessively more compared to before.
• The connection between the lives of the women then and those women in the Handmaid's Tale is that both of these groups are limited; they don't have any freedom. Both of these groups are oppressed by the society that they inhabit in, as well as by their respective cultures, traditions, and rules and the expectations of others from and within their cultures. These groups also have certain very specific obligations. For example, the women living in the time of Kate Chopin had the responsibilities of a housewife, and they have to take care of the house and the children. The women in the Handmaid's Tale had the obligation of being housewives as well, and the handmaids have obligations to be surrogate mothers to couples who couldn't bear children. Another important factor is that these obligations are not those that the majority of women wish to comply with, deep inside them.

Entry 64: A Reprieve

From time to time, everyone feels trapped by the humdrum duties of daily life. All of us fantasize about escaping from our boring routines. For a nineteenth-century woman of limited means trying to satisfy the needs of her family (like the character in "A Pair of Silk Stockings"), even a brief reprieve from the demands of domestic life could be a life changing bid for freedom and a temporary escape from day-to-day duties. Think about your own life. When you feel that it has become too boring, what escapes do you seek, both in reality and in your own fantasy world?

• My life is generally very plain, and you can say that it's boring in a way. I don't have much to do - it is mostly just academics that I concentrate on. I have my own interests, such as dancing and playing basketball, but sometimes, I have too much academic work and pressure that I have to give it up. However, I always find time to read novels. They can be on paper, on the internet, in Chinese, or in English. But reading novels is the thing I do when I feel bored, tired, or when I want to escape reality. Thus, I am very picky when it comes to the type and style of story I read. Another way that I escape boredom and stress is to watch TV dramas. Usually I don't actively seek TV dramas, but my mother is a huge fan. And just to let you know, I do my homework in the living room where the TV is, and my mother always watches the dramas when I am writing homework (because the playing times for the dramas happen to contrast with when I write my homework). So generally, these are the two things that I do when I seek escape from reality.

Entry 63: On Impulse

Everyone has impulses, some to do “good” things, and some to do “bad” things. Most people can control whether or not they actually act on their impulses, at least most of the time. People who can’t control their impulsive behavior often get into trouble and have problems getting along with others. Describe a time when you did something on impulse, or a time in which you had a strong impulse to do something but were able to control yourself. Try to describe what it feels like to have something pushing (or pulling) you to do something that you know might be the wrong thing to do in the situation. For example, when you know it is not right to make an inappropriate comment in class, but you do it anyway. If you can’t think of a situation in which this happened to you, try describing an example of impulsive behavior that you have witnessed in someone else.

• One of the strongest impulses that I always have, no matter at what time, is to read good stories. Sometimes this is a good thing, sometimes it's a bad thing. An example of it being a good thing is when it helps me improve my reading comprehension (for example, when the story is written in Victorian English, etc.) and my vocabulary (since there is a lot of unusual vocabulary used in Victorian period stories). An example of reading stories being a bad thing is when it distracts me from work. For example, I am very tempted to open up one of my new found stories and read it, but right now, I must concentrate on my work, since this is a very busy period for me, a junior. I have the normal load of classwork, SAT, and AP exams. Therefore, I must control my strong impulses so that they don't come into conflict with my academics, amongst many other things. This sometimes becomes very hard, because even though I succeeded in preventing myself from opening up my stories, my mind is still very distracted - it continues to drift towards that idea of reading a story or the plot of a story that I was reading at that current time. This is a very annoying and uncomfortable feeling.

Entry 62: Romantics v Realists

The shift from Romanticism to realism brought about new literary forms, new styles, and, most important, new attitudes in writers and readers. Write an entry in which you compare and contrast the basic attitudes and beliefs of the Romantic writers with those of the realist writers. Consider, for example, the writers’ subjects, characters, and attitudes toward human nature and their views on the purpose of literature. Use “A Mystery of Heroism,” The Red Badge of Courage, and the information from the introduction to the Realist period in your textbook to inform your writing.

• The romanticists created works of a variety of broad and diverse topics. However, all of these works have one central, man theme, and that is nature. Romanticists focus their works on nature in contrast to civilization and the "sophisticated" society that the majority of people lived in. In contrast to the romanticists, the realists depicted realistic (as the name implies) and everyday common scenes, which focuses more on civilization and society after the Industrial Revolution.
• The characters used as subjects for romantic works, both literature and the arts, are of the youth. Why? Because the romanticists believed that the youth had most connection to nature, since they are not yet corrupted by civilization and sophistication. Instead, the youth are young and naive, and would prefer to interact with nature. The subjects of the realists conflicts with this view. Their subjects are everyday common and ordinary people, who are most likely poor and live in horrible conditions.
• Romantics are idealistic, and sometimes overly idealistic. They believe that people could find truths in nature. The realists, however, were very realistic, as their name indicates. The realists believe that everyone is essentially bad in nature, and this is why the world is cruel and realistic. The purposes of realism was to bring people's attention to the cruel reality of society and the world, which was a response to the Industrial Revolution, when many people lived in horrible squalor conditions and could barely survive.

Entry 61: Mystery of Heroism

Consider Stephen Crane’s story, “A Mystery of Heroism.” Where do you think the mystery lies? Is it in the definition of what makes a hero? Or is it relating to the motivations of people who perform heroic acts? In the story, what are the motivations of Fred Collins to risk his life to get water? How do you think he feels about his own motivations? Does he understand them? What about yourself? Have you ever done anything heroic? How well do you understand your own motivations for the things you do?

• The mystery of heroism lies in that there is no definite definition of the word heroism. What defines heroism? It varies from person to person because of people's different vocabulary. Also, we don't know what people expect from a hero: the characteristics and their actions and reactions towards different situations. Another point of view concerning the mystery of heroism is, should we consider people's motivations when we are talking about heroism? What if someone with a bad motivation accidentally did something good and was classified as a hero? What about the situation in the other way?
• Fred Collin's motivations started out as a simple need to drink water because of his body's thirst and desire for water. However, he was later motivated by peer pressure: people kept on asking him, didn't he want water, and why doesn't he get water when he wanted to drink some? To Fred Collins, his motivations are now turned into obligations and duty because of peer pressure.
• I do not believe that I have ever been a hero. Everything that I have done for my sixteen years of life was normal and not out of ordinary. I would say that most of my motivations for certain actions usually stick with selfish needs (well, not necessarily selfish, but I do things for my own good most of the time). Sometimes, however, my motivation for my actions is based off on the want to help my friends or family. I can very well distinguish what my motivations are for things.

Entry 60: Think About...

Referring to the text pages 442-461, answer the following questions:

• How and when did American writers and poets respond to the Civil War?
• What are the basic characteristics of realism?
• What did the naturalist writers believe?

• The American writers were the first ones to respond to the Civil War. After the first few attacks and battles in 1861, the American writers started to respond in the newspapers by publishing their articles. As the war continued on, more responses appeared in the forms of published poems instead of articles, but still in newspapers.
• The basic characters of realism are quite different from the basic characteristics of romanticism and other forms of literature. The style of realism differs from that of romanticism because it's literary and visual works are not "sugar coated", and are not idealistic. Instead, as its name implies, it depicts realistic things and situations in a very realistic way. Some examples of situations include suffering due to war, poverty, and hunger. Realistic works are usually about ordinary and common people who live in poverty. The realistic era mainly started because of the Industrial Revolution and the devastating effects it had on society, its people, and its environment. The realists were just trying to respond to reality and trying to gain the attention of people so that they could change their conditions.
• Naturalist writers mainly believe in the scientific disciplines of psychology and sociology. They also believe that human behavior determines individual power. The naturalists take after the rationalist beliefs.

Entry 59: A Change of Heart

Think about what you learned about the previous periods of American literature we’ve studied, and particularly the Romantic period. What were the defining characteristics? Now take a look at the pictures on pages 449-456. Based on those images, what changes in the American mentality can you predict will be evident in the period covered in "The Rise of Realism"? Explain why the pictures lead you to think that way.

• Looking at the pictures in the textbook concerning especially the Romantic pictures, then comparing them with the pictures from the realistic period, I realized that there was a large difference. The main difference is nature. In paintings from the romanticism era, there are a lot of depictions of nature, while in the realistic paintings, there is a lack of nature. As the transition between the romantic era and the realistic era occurred, people no longer romanticize about the world,
• The realist ea is one where the world seems to turn its views into very realistic ones (as realistic as possible). The adjectives that are suitable to describe the works, both literary and visual, during this period include adjectives such as gruesome, cruel, suffering, and many more. The scenes that are usually scenes that depict war, poverty and the poor, hunger, and mostly commonly, death. It shows the world just how cruel the world is, and what the lives of the poor are like while the rich live off the poor and continue to use the poor to their advantages.
• I believe that the transition into realism has to do with the people reacting to the increasing hardships in life as industrialism occurs. Nature faded. People were squeezed into small spaces called their homes. People had to work all day long without sufficient rest. People had bad sanitation. People got sick. People died. And people got tired - resulting in the realistic depictions of life as people tried to call out to people for change.

Entry 58: I Exist

A man said to the universe:
“Sir, I exist!”
“However,” replied the universe,
“The fact has not created in me
A sense of obligation.”

Before the Civil War, the United States was essentially an idealistic, confident, and self-reliant republic. What does the quotation above (from Stephen Crane’s War is Kind) suggest happened to the United States as a result of the war? What do you think Crane was trying to say about man's existence? How do you feel or what do you think about this point of view regarding the relationship between human beings and the universe?

• The quotation above from Stephen Crane suggests that as a result of the war, the United States changed its ideals about life because of the hardships of life during the war. People no longer believed that the idea of romanticism is the theory and idea of reality and of the natural world. They started to believe in realistic ideas, and thus came the period of realism and the realists.
• In the quotation above, Crane is trying to imply one thing about the man's existence: the man's existence is not at all important to the universe (which can also be thought of as god that created us). The man doesn't create a difference in the world, unlike what the universe can. The sentence "The fact has not created in me/A sense of obligation" allows us to infer that even if the man is reasonable or is asking for the universe to be obligated towards him, the universe believes that it should not be obligated to anyone, or else it wouldn't be fair.
• Regarding the relationship between human beings and the universe, I believe that it is quite reasonable, even though the truth is sad and depressing. Nothing will stop for any individual, and one person doesn't make a difference. The point of view of the poem is like saying that the universe continues on with what it was doing, regardless of what happens to any individual within it.

Entry 57: Free Write

Write about any topic you choose. Be sure to write at least 200 words.

• All of the academic stress has been getting to me lately. I've been extremely moody and having large mood swings these days. I snap whenever something irritates me or is annoying me. I also feel very tired, and always want to sleep - I'm not getting enough sleep. In other words, I'm thoroughly stressed out from all the homework, tests, and test preparations.
• I believe that an overdose of homework is really bad for people like me, also known as the STUDENTS, because our bodies aren't able to cope with all the stress. This will lead to exhaustion as the stress eventually depletes us of our body's resources. I strongly believe that the students shouldn't be receiving such a large amount of work, or that students should be given at least periodic periods of time for them to rest and recuperate. I also believe that test preparations, especially for standardized tests, are depleting students of their energy and resources.
• I sometimes wonder why teachers even want to give out such a large dose of homework to the students. The teacher themselves also need to check the work, as well as grade it. This means that they also have to spend time and energy. Therefore, the teachers shouldn't give so much homework - this not only benefits the students, but also the teachers themselves.

Entry 56: Power

Describe the power relationships in The Handmaid’s Tale. Who has power over whom? Why? Which relationships are overt (in the open and sanctioned by law), and which relationships are covert (hidden)? Does the narrator have power over anyone? Explain. Now discuss the power relationships in your own life. Who has power over you? Do you have any power? Over whom? Explain.

• In the Handmaid's Tale, women are extremely oppressed by men. A new order was created, crushing and eliminating any rules or laws that gave women power. Women couldn't own jobs or property, and they became handmaids, or tools that were only needed for men with wives unable to bear children, used as a surrogate mother to bear children. The women, especially the handmaids, had their freedom restricted by the government, as well as the household they served. The over relationships were the handmaids, the ones who were required by the law to have sex with men to bear children. The covert laws were the relationships where the handmaid's had affairs with someone other than their commander or owner, as well as the relationships between women and the secret organization that is trying to overthrow the current power. Basically, the narrator doesn't have any power over anyone, not even herself - she cannot decide her own life.
• In my life, I only have partial power. I can make some decisions, but not all. Most of my life is under the control of my parents. Basically, my parents and my family have power over me. I sometimes have power over my brother because I have to make him listen to me and make him do what he's supposed to do, and not pull me down with him when he doesn't do what he's supposed to do and get yelled at. I hate it when I get yelled at for something I didn't do, or did do. So, I have partial power over my brother.

Entry 55: Public Speaking

Most people don’t like to speak in public, much less perform. Since today is the poetry contest, and some of you or your peers will be reciting their own work in front of the whole school, write down your feelings about public speaking. Is it something you fear, or do you enjoy it? Is it easier to make a “prose” speech, or recite a poem? What is the difference from the kind of public speaking in which the speaker shouts out from the crowd, and the kind where the speaker stands before the crowd? Why do you think so many people like to do the former, but fear doing the latter?

• My feelings about public speaking are feelings that are very common among people: I am afraid of participating in public speaking. But this was only at the beginning. Now, I do not feeling that way anymore. Instead, I enjoy, and may even love, public speaking. When comparing prose speech to reciting a poem, I believe that prose speech is easier than reciting a poem, because prose speech allows for more freedom of expression and it makes it easier for one to convey emotions. Shouting out from a crowd differs a lot from a person actually standing before the crowd. The main reason is because shouting out from a crowd among many other people takes away the pressure that a person feels when actually making a speech in front of an audience. Making a speech in front of a crowd makes a person feel the pressure of preventing oneself from embarrassing him or her.
• I do not have any special liking or preference between the two types of speech: shouting from the crowd or in front of the crowd. When a person is in the crowd, he or she can talk to his or her friends to discuss about what they want to "shout" out to the other people around them. When a person is making a speech in front of others, he or she can practice their articulation and public speaking skills, as well as his or her confidence.

Entry 54: Nature's Nature

In Dickinson’s poetry she uses deceptively innocent observations about birds, flies, and flowers to reveal deep and sometimes disturbing ideas about life and death. Think about nature: do you think nature is nurturing and helpful, or is it threatening and hostile? What examples can you provide to illustrate your opinion?

• Nature can be nurturing and helpful under the following circumstances. First, nature provides us, as well as other organisms, a habitat and the environment live. Secondly, nature provides us materials that we need to live; it provides materials such as construction materials, raw resources, and other resources that we need to use to create daily use. One of the most important things that nature does for us is that it provides for us food and water that we need to consume in order to survive. The last thing that makes nature nurturing and helpful is that it provides us a place for solitude, as well as a cleaner environment, in contrast with the polluted civilization.
• However, nature can also be threatening and hostile. One of the most common examples is natural disaster. These are devastating because they destroy homes and take away lives. Some examples of natural disasters include floods, storms, and earthquakes. Also, there may be many dangerous organisms that can be found in nature. Nature may sometimes not only provide environments for habitat; it might also create environments that are very hostile and dangerous. This includes the different climates created by the environment, such as raining and storms.

Entry 53: Slanted Truth

Refer to p. 396 of your text and read Dickinson’s “Tell all the Truth but tell it slant.” The title of this poem may reveal Dickinson’s method of survival as well as the essence of her own poetry. What do you think it means to tell the truth “slant”? Is it the same as telling a lie? Also, examine the poem and look for its literal meaning, as well as figures of speech, rhyme, and other poetic devices.

• The title of the poem "Tell all the Truth but tell it Slant" reveals the methods of survival as well as the essence of Emily Dickinson's poetry by twisting and distorting the whole, complete truth to make it fit certain purposed and circumstances. To tell the truth slanted means to twist  and distort the truth that that it is acceptable by others. Sometimes people do this to prevent further chaos from occurring, because sometimes the truth hurts. Telling the truth slanted may also mean that the person is omitting some crucial information, which is another way of twisting and distorting the whole, complete truth.
• Telling the truth slanted is similar to lying, in some ways. Both of them mean that one does not tell the complete, whole truth. However, lying usually means to create and tell someone else a completely false version of what the "truth" is. Telling the truth slanted, however, means that one tells it in a version based on the real version of "truth", changing some messages and meanings of the original truth.
• I believe that telling the truth slanted is always better than telling a lie. This is because even if people found out that you didn't tell the complete, whole truth, you told them the basis of the truth. Another reason is that maybe the person might understand why you didn't tell the whole truth.

Entry 52: Hopes?

In Dickinson’s “If you were coming in the Fall,” the speaker indicates feeling some kind of hope. Do you think the hope expressed in this poem are fairly common, or are they rare and odd? Given the general pessimism of Dickinson’s work, does this poem stand out as showing some optimism, or does the attitude toward the hope and its likelihood of being fulfilled keep it consistent with her other works? What experiences have you had in life in which you hoped for something but had no way of knowing if it would ever happen?

• I believe that the hope expressed in this poem is fairly common. Many literary works include the aspect of hope, and the feeling of hoping for something, because the majority of the people will always hope for something good to happen, even if they are pessimists or realists. This poem, though generally pessimistic, has some optimistic attribute within it. However, this doesn't make it stand out. Why? Because the attitude towards the hope and its likelihood of being fulfilled is consistent with the other works of Emily Dickinson.
• There have been some instances in life in which I hoped for something but had no way of knowing if it would ever happen. For example, the lottery. Even if I buy a lot of lottery tickets, I will never know if I will win it or not until the results come out. So I speculate about what might happen, what could happen, and what would I do with the money if I actually win it. But in the end, I still don't know if I will win the lottery or not, so basically, all of my speculations were useless. This is very similar to Emily Dickinson's poem "If You Were Coming in the Fall".

Entry 51: Pessimism

Many of Dickinson's poems deal with topics like loneliness, isolation, or death. Given what you know about her life, as well as what you know about women's place in society at that time, discuss why you think she might have felt that way. Do you ever feel pessimistic? If so, why? What experiences have you had that might lead you to feel like Dickinson?

• I believe that Emily Dickinson felt the way she felt because of the circumstances that she were in. First, women during her time had no freedom, or if they had any, very limited freedom. For example, they were expected to stay home and do the housework and the chores. They were also ordered around and expected to complete tasks that were given to them. They couldn't complain, because they were in no place to complain to others. It was basically their role in society, and if they didn't conform to it, they would be condemned. Also, Dickinson felt extremely pessimistic, lonely, and isolated because she couldn't be with the people she loved; she was rejected even before she was able to communicate her feelings because the men she loved were married (in most cases of her stories, since we do not know the exact circumstances and situations). All of these together caused her seclusive nature.
• I do feel pessimistic at times. For example, when I have a lot of work to do, because I feel extremely tired. Also, I feel pessimistic when I have problems that cannot be solved. When I'm angry, I also feel that way, because I look at the negative side of everything. Another example is lottery. I bought many lottery tickets, but I have never won money, and this caused me to think that I won't win, so why bother to send money and buy lottery tickets?

Entry 50: The Soul

Dickinson’s “The Soul selects her own Society” is about making choices and the instinct that leads each one of us to prefer certain things and cherish some people about others. Dickinson implies that this instinct is not of the rational mind, but rather comes from the spiritual part of us called the soul. How do you think most people select their friends—with their minds (thoughts), with their soul (feelings), or with a combination of the two? Or is there some other answer? What about you? How do you select your friends? Give examples.

• Most people select friends with a combination of both the mind and the soul. How? When people are selecting friends with their mind, they are at the same time observing and evaluating and a person's doings, actions, behaviors, point of views, morals, and attitude towards certain things. People decide whether the other person is doing something wrong or right, and then decide whether the person is worthy or being their friend or not. When a person is using the soul to identify and decide if a person is worth being a friend or not, he or she usually use their initial feelings about the person. This makes first impressions extremely important, because one's first impression is what gives other people feelings - whether the feelings are comfortable or uncomfortable.
• I do the same to select my own friends. But, I am basically friends with almost everyone. There are only certain cases when I feel extremely uncomfortable with a person or when I dislike a person's attributes and characteristics so much that I wouldn't want to be friends with them. When there are actually these cases, I would try and stay as far away from these people as possible, so I don't necessarily break off all my ties with them, just in case I ever have to interact or work with them.

Entry 49: Tanku Poem

The Tanka poem is very similar to haiku, but Tanka poems have more syllables and they use simile, metaphor and personification. There is no rhyme scheme, and it is written in free verse, which is to say there is no specific pattern of stress, feet, or meter. It has very few distinct rules or boundaries. The only rule with a Tanka poem is that it has to have five lines and the five lines have to have the correct number of syllables.

Here is an example of a Tanka poem:

Line one - 5 syllables	Beautiful mountains
Line two - 7 syllables	Rivers with cold, cold water.
Line three - 5 syllables	White cold snow on rocks
Line four - 7 syllables	Trees over the place with frost
Line five - 7 syllables	White sparkly snow everywhere.

Tanka poems are written about nature, seasons, love, sadness and other strong emotions. This form of poetry dates back almost 1200 years ago.

It is important to use sharp, concrete images in your Tanka. Look at the example above: cold water, white cold snow on rocks, trees with frost, white sparkly snow. All of these are concrete images that really make you “see” the picture being described. The one fairly weak adjective use is “beautiful.” Beauty is an abstract idea, and it can mean different things to different people. It is also a rather general term, so it doesn’t tell us much. It is better to show what is beautiful about the mountain than to simply tell us that they are beautiful.

Please write three Tanka poems. Choose themes from above, or come up with your own theme. When you write your Tankas, try to make a very clear picture of something, some place, some event, or some person in your mind. Really visualize it—its colors, sounds shapes, motions, smells, and any other sensations you can remember. Don’t start to write until you can see a picture in your mind.

Tanku 1
Sky blinking yellow
Strangers walking on the street
Trees shaking lightly
Over the crowds of people
I look up towards the sky

Tanku 2
Sitting on the grass
Feeling the cold breeze pass by
Watching the kids play
Under the scorching bright sun
I sit in silence, thinking

Tanku 3
Hearing Sarah talk
Makes me want to laugh out loud
She likes to act smart
Making her very nerdy
She's the nerd of juniors

Entry 48: Haiku

Haiku is a poetic form and a type of poetry from the Japanese culture. It often revolves around nature and natural things in the universe. Haiku combines form, content, and language in a meaningful, yet compact form. Haiku poets, which you will soon be, write about everyday things. Many themes include nature, feelings, or experiences. Usually they use simple words and grammar. The most common form for Haiku is three short lines. The first line usually contains five (5) syllables, the second line seven (7) syllables, and the third line contains five (5) syllables. Haiku doesn't rhyme. A Haiku must "paint" a mental image in the reader's mind. This is the challenge of Haiku - to put the poem's meaning and imagery in the reader's mind in ONLY 17 syllables over just three (3) lines of poetry!

The pattern for Haiku is the following:
Line 1: 5 syllables
Line 2: 7 syllables
Line 3: 5 syllables

Please write three Haiku for today’s journal entry. 

Haiku 1
Sarah is a nerd.
Yes, she's a junior nerd.
Oh! Nerdy Sarah.

Haiku 2
Sarah likes to lie.
Sarah likes to lie to friends.
She's a big liar.

Haiku 3
Sarah likes James Lai.
She is all over James Lai.
She's James Lai's lover.

Entry 47: Real or Romantic

In Whitman’s “I Hear America Singing,” a feeling of acceptance or even contentment runs through many of the voices. Considering the long hours and low pay of laborers in the nineteenth century, would you say that Whitman is romanticizing or idealizing the lot of workers? Or do the songs express a realistic and positive aspect of American life at that time? Would workers now be more or less likely to express the kinds of sentiments that Whitman celebrates? Explain your response, using specific examples from the text.

• Considering the long hours and low pay of the laborers in the nineteenth century, Walt Whitman is both romanticizing and idealizing the lot of the workers just by writing down his impressions of the different workers (and he may not be fully aware of what the workers do). He writes his poem in this way because he has never experienced the hardships of a worker (since he was a writer). The ideal society that Walt Whitman described in his poem "I Hear America Singing" is a society that Whitman hopes to see. However, the poem may still depict part of the realistic and positive aspect of American life at the time because of religion - everyone sincerely believes that they must work hard and be a honest and optimistic person in order to reach salvation and  go to heaven when they die, and not go to hell. The workers nowadays are less likely to express the kinds of sentiments that Whitman celebrates because the majority of workers are becoming less and less religious, and not really accepting their fate of always being hardworking. They no longer feel the feeling of acceptance. To sum it up, the workers are generally becoming more pessimistic.

Entry 46: Work Songs

Look at the poem “I Hear America Singing” by Walt Whitman (Text p. 365) in which Whitman celebrates the American enterprise, in all its forms, through the varied songs of men and women who take pride in their occupations. Why do you think a poet who celebrates America would focus on work songs? List a few of the jobs you would expect to be celebrated in an American poem today? Would they be the same or different from jobs celebrated in Taiwan? Elsewhere?

• A poet who celebrates America, one like Walt Whitman, would focus on work songs and use it as a topic because the poet knows that work during that period of American life is the basis of everyday life. To the Americans in that time period, working is important, essential, and necessary because it is the thing that provides the Americans a living (with the food that they grow). Also, by writing about work, the poet will be able to convey to others the hardworking quality and characteristic of the American society.
• In American poems, I believe that the most celebrated topics are usually about idols and stars. In other words, famous people. Why? Because people like to see things about the idols and stars that they admire. Sometimes famous athletes will also be used as a topic because of the same reason - they are popular. One of recent popular athlete that is discussed all over the world is Jeremy Lin, an American of Taiwanese decent who is in the NBA and is starting to gain popularity because of his ability to lead the team and eventually win a game that seems as if there was no hope. This example can also be used in Taiwan (because Jeremy Lin is of Taiwanese descent and everyone feels proud of him). Basically, poem topics in Taiwan is very similar to the ones that might be used in America - idols and stars. Sometimes both countries will use topics about daily life because that's what people care about.

Entry 45: Acrostic

Today you will write an acrostic poem. Start by writing the letters of your first and last name down the left margin of your paper. Then use those letters to start short sentences or phrases about yourself. For example, if your name is “Tom Jones”, you would start by writing this:

T
O
M
J
O
N
E
S

Then use each letter to start a line that says something about you. When you finish the poem about yourself, write another one about someone else using the same form. Choose anyone you want, real or fictional.

Poem About Myself
Wanting to do something with my hands
And trying to pay attention while doing so
Not falling asleep because I had enough sleep
Yes! It's me
In class


Casting a glimpse towards the clock
Heads up! It's time!
Out the class
Unto the hallway and back to the lockers.

Poem About Another Person (Vivien Li)
Venturesome and wild
Interactive and funny
Vivien Li
Is on the way!
End your activities
Necks turned and ears perked

Look and listen
It's the terminator!

Entry 44: Barbaric Yawp

You’ve already studied some of the American poets who preceded Whitman—Longfellow, Bryant, Bradstreet—as well as other Romantics. Based on what you know about the Romantic poets and other writers and their styles and beliefs, what do you think Whitman means when he describes his own poetry as his “barbaric yawp” (from line 3 of “Song of Myself” number 52)?

• I believe that when Walt Whitman described his own poetry and said that it was his barbaric yawp in the "Song of Myself", he is telling to the world that he is going to change the world by bringing in his new ways of doing things, such as being more optimistic, being more unconventional (such as in clothing and behavior), and creating brand new poetry that does not conform to any type of traditional poetry - free verse. He uses the words barbaric because he believes that he may be considered barbaric by many people during his time, since many people then were religious and conventional people.
• In present day, Walt Whitman's poetry is no longer considered as barbaric anymore, because it has become the common way of using language to speak, write, and express ideas to others. Free verse has become a part of lives. Also, most poetry no longer conform to the strict ways of poetry in the past. Poems that do conform may in fact even be considered as old fashioned and rigid!
• The poems that the American Literature Honors class has to write this year must take the form of Walt Whitman's free verse "I Hear America Singing".

Entry 43: What I Hear Singing

How does Whitman's America differ from the America you know? How does it differ from Taiwan or the world at large? How have social, historical, religious, and ethical influences changed from his time to yours? Reflect upon your own life, and then create a catalog of items that describe America or Taiwanese society as you see it today.

• Walt Whitman's America is very different from the America I know. First, the most obvious difference is the economic gap between the two periods. In Walt Whitman's days, the majority of the population had jobs that were related to actual labor. In present day America, the population has oriented towards jobs that were related to service. Secondly, people in present day America are not that optimistic anymore. There have been many cases as well as studies created in America showing that there are many people who experience depression, and sometimes even commit suicide because of the extreme amount of pressure and depression. There are also very high crime rates in America, which may be another topic that creates the differences between present day America and Walt Whitman's America. The last difference may be that the people in Walt Whitman's days were very religious, but the people in present day are not that religious, compared to the past.
• Taiwanese society is also very different from the American society during Walt Whitman's time. Present day Taiwanese society is extremely fast paced. It has become quite a modern, mechanized, and industrialized country throughout the last decades, and can now be considered as a more developed country. Taiwan also has one of the lowest poverty rates in the world. Taiwan also has many service related jobs, or jobs that require high levels of skills. In Taiwan, education is also a very important aspect.

Entry 42: Elements of Poetry

When we talk about stories, we use words like “plot,” “character,” “setting,” “conflict,” and “resolution,” among others. In order to talk about poetry, we need to understand what it is made of. Aside from “words,” what are the elements of poetry? Do they share any of the same elements that we find in fiction? Explain giving specific examples from stories and poems you’ve read.

• The elements of poetry are basically very similar to the elements of fiction, except for the fact that it contains a few more elements. First, most poems, like fiction, contain a plot. The plot may be complete, or it may be partial. Second, a poem will have a character or characters, and it doesn't matter if it is the narrator, if it is the person/thing/item that the narrator is talking about, or if it is the person/animal that is actually doing the action. Third, there is always a setting for any poem or fiction. The setting of both of these gives the story a general mood and tone. Lastly, both of them have a conflict (or the issue that is being addressed in the case of a poem) and a resolution (depending on whether the author wants to give a resolution or not).
• Poems are different compared to fiction because of their structures. Other than free verse, poems follow a form or structure while fiction does not have any obvious form or structure. Poems also have rhythm and rhyme to give it a feeling of being sung rather than just said (many poems in the past are sung).
• An example of a poem is Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass. It contains characters (the narrator and the little boy who asked him a question at the beginning, etc.), a plot (the narrator trying to find out truths), etc.

Entry 41: American Poetry Today

Where do you find poetry in American life today? Are there "hidden" forms of poetry? In other words, is poetry sometimes present, but not recognized as poetry? Is poetry important to people today (especially compared with the past)? Why or why not? Is it important to you? Why or why not?

• Today American poetry can be found in many different places, though many people do not notice it. For example, the advertisements that we see every day contain poetry: the lines that are famous, or a famous small passage or speech in the advertisement may be in the form of poetry, though many people think that it's not because it's in free verse. Also, blogs that we usually come across in the internet are also types of poetry, especially when people are typing out their emotions (well, for me, I usually type out my feelings and mood in the form of free verse poetry, because it sounds better that way). Songs and speeches can also contain poetry. Poetry in songs includes rap and also just any normal lyrics. People us poetry in speeches to create mood. Lastly, the most common place where we can see poetry is in schools, starting from primary through intermediate, secondary, college, and finally to graduate school.
• In present day, poetry has become a subtle form of our lives. It is there, and it appears. It's just that we aren't aware of it because it appears to be too common, since most poetry today is in the form of free verse. People use poetry all the time, but they do not realize until someone points it out. Poetry is important to me because, as I mentioned above, it is the medium that I use to convey my own feelings.

Entry 40: Whitman and Dickinson

Look at the quotations on p. 353 of your text. Describe what you think Whitman and Dickinson are implying. Are their messages similar or different? How? Which do you feel most closely represents your own attitude toward life?

• Whitman: Whitman's quote is trying implying that he is everywhere, with the common people of the country. We can think of the quote as implying this because during this period, most working class people (the majority of the population) need to wear boots, mainly because they are the most durable type of shoe produced at the time.
• Dickinson: Dickinson's quote is trying implying that the "world", or everybody else on planet Earth except for her, does not pay attention to her, as well as her poems and her views of the world. I believe that she wrote her many "letters", or poems, to convey to the ignorant world what she is feeling and what her point of view of the world is.
• Whitman and Dickinson are very similar because both of them are trying to express themselves to the world. However, they are still different because they express themselves in different ways. Whitman expresses himself in a more extroverted way while Dickinson expresses herself in a more introverted way (partly because of her withdrawing from the world).
• I believe that I am closer to Dickinson because even though I want to express myself to the world as well, I wish to do so in a more subtle and introverted way.

Entry 39: Young Again

If given a second chance on life, do you think most people would be able to change, or would they end up making the same mistakes all over again? Suppose you were given the chance to be very young again and to start your teenage years over. Would you relive your life differently, or do you think you would make the same mistakes?

• I believe that if people were given a second chance on life, it almost wholly depends on several things to determine where they would be able to change or if they would end up making the same mistakes all over again. The first thing that the decision depends on is the person's personality, and the second thing is the person's attitude towards life, and other things. If the person was honest about changing, then they might be able to change their ways of life if they had a second chance. However, if the person just wanted to be young again for the fun of it, then they will make the same mistakes. 
• I don't necessarily want to change so much, because I'm quite satisfied with my life now. I have no motivation for changing. However, if I were really given a second chance on life, I believe that I might be able to prevent myself from making some similar mistakes that I have made in the past, but since my personality and most of my point of views and attitude on things are the same, I may make the same mistakes again. The only difference may be that I know how to solve the problem, unlike the time when I didn't know anything and had to panic when I made a mistake.

Entry 38: Winter Holiday

Write about all the joys and sorrows you experienced during the festive winter holiday break.

• Joys: There are many joys that I had experienced during my winter break. First of all (and most important of all), I was able to repay my sleep debt (not enough REM sleep!!!!!). For most of the days, when there is no errands or activities to do, I slept until one or two o'clock. Now, I know that sounds really exaggerated, but it's true. But I must also mention that I did not sleep at night until two or three o'clock in the morning. This leads to the other joy: I was able to watch all the television I wanted to and use my computer and internet access until I was satisfied. Watching television causes me to sleep really late at night because all the shows that I wanted to watch are played late at night. The other part of the holiday that was a joy was that I was able to play and gamble a lot (though I know it's not right, it's still fun). The final joy is also an important one: I feasted a lot with my family, mainly because there were a lot of birthdays and therefore a lot of celebrations.
• Sorrows: The sorrows that I had experienced are quite common sorrows. First is homework (something most students have). But I'm glad that I finished homework the first week during break. The second that comes is preparing for tests. Can you believe it? I have a precalculus final the Tuesday we come back! Next is the big test: SAT. Practice tests everyday can really make someone go crazy. Guess I'm going crazy the next two years! (<-- that's a bad thing if you don't know) Finally, the other main sorrow was that there were so many chores and errands that I have to do since my brother came back. Troublesome...