Mark Srand

I really enjoyed A blizzard in one by Mark Strand but i did not know how to go about writing something for my blog about it. So I decided to pick my top three favorite poems in this book and explaining their significance and depth.

"Old Man Leaves The Party"


"It was clear when I left the party
That though I was over eighty I still had
A beautiful body. The moon shone down as it will
On moments of deep introspection. The wind held its breath.
And look, somebody left a mirror leaning against a tree.
Making sure that I was alone, I took off my shirt.
The flowers of bear grass nodded their moonwashed heads.
I took off my pants and the magpies circled the redwoods.
Down in the valley the creaking river was flowing once more.
How strange that I should stand in the wilds alone with my body.
I know what you are thinking. I was like you once. But now
With so much before me, so many emerald trees, and
Weed-whitened fields, mountains and lakes, how could I not
Be only myself, this dream of flesh, from moment to moment?"



At first glance this poem seems to be the beginning of an acid trip story with a man leaving a party and taking off his clothes in the woods. However, he is actually describing the natural wonder that is the human body. He lays down the vivid, beautiful scenery in order to contrast the body. Even though this is an obviously perfect evening, the body of even an old man seems to transcend it suggesting just how amazing God's absolute creation is.

E = mc2 part deux

E is the son of the earth and sun
E produced when they become one
E creates life
E is energy
E is life

M are millions
M are billions
M is me and you
M is mass manifestation
M is existence

C is adrenaline
C reaches what can not be reached
C is transcends the transcendence
C is the light
C is omniscient

E= MC2

Life = the all knowing manifestation of existence
The lives of many,
Given for one,
The child which became the life,
That ended all and none,
Hiroshima, Nagasaki
Boom!

Transcendence transcended
Life return to where it ended
Infamy become fame,
Snow become rain,
America become Mexico,
Lake Michigan to Lake Tahoe,
Footsteps to crawl,
Hero to dreamer,

E=MC2

E = MC squared by David Bodanis

E= MC2 is one of the most famous equations of all time and this book makes its existence understandable and relative to every day life. When Albert Einstein came out with the this equation it was revolutionary because it linked mass and energy as just alternates of each other. They are interchangeable. E is energy, M is mass, C is the speed of light. In this way Bodanis displays how time is kept by the limitations of the speed of light. If one was able to exceed the speed the it waould result in time travel relative to how much faster the speed of light was exceeded.
Einstein might be its father but scientists such as Maxwell, Faraday, and Lavoisier also have contributed greatly to how the formula developed and its applications. The equation manifests as the life of each scientist who nurture it and develop it until it is fully "grown" in present day.
After David gives the formula life it shows how it became and infamous criminal through the retelling of a certain event in 1942. The equation becomes especially vital during the nuclear arms race of World War II. The equation leads to the nuclear bomb, which converts an ounce of the radioactiove elements plutonium or uranium an apacolyptic force that can engulf several miles. The formula killed Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In an ironic twist of fate, the scientists prized child became a cold blooded murderer.

Emperor Jones 3

Six foot four,
head thick,
Runnin out the door,

wit in his game,
mind drained,
only cares for money and fame,

Color?
hahaha,
Ain't no border,

Brutus Jones the name,
fiery infamy,
bang'n'boot's his game,

Golden ambtions,
met by,
unbeatible requisitions,

Brutus Jones,
got that silver bullet,
long way from home surrounded by the shadow drons,

Sin will be paid with sin,
In this way Jones cannot win

Emperor Jones 2

Eugine O'Neill boldly ventures out of the mold and stereotype of the black man in his novel. He Creates a character far from stupid and subservient. Quite the contrary Brutus Jones is an arrogant "negro" whose ambitions are not the slightest bit restricted by color. He even takes charge of a white man, Mr.Smithers, whose fears Brutus's might but hates his guts. Thus in a twist of fate, the white man, Smithers, becomes subservient to the black man in this chimera world of Eugene.

"The Emperor Jones" by Eugene O'Neil

In "The Emperor Jones" by Eugene O'Neil, Emperor Brutus Jones is a very selfish and cunning man. He is a tall powerfully built african american with characteristics "typically negroid" as Jones describes it. I take this to mean Jones is African American traits but it is actually one of three scientific race catagories. It is used to describe characteristics of people derived from Africa. Jones has a quick, sharp mind and a powerful drive which has landed him into trouble over the years. Jones is not the simple southern African American and after being jailed for his schemes, he breaks out and winds up in country where a revolution is going on. A man tries to shoot him and the gun misfires, giving jones time to shoot him dead. Jones immediatly asserts himself as almost a supernatuaral being to the population he deems "Bush Niggers" sayng he was so strong only a silver bullet could kill him. This allowed Jones to become emperor because the natives thought he was immortable. Ambitiouse Jones took full advantage of being emperor extorting "his" people for all they had and sadistically punishing them. Jones' rather crazy ambtition and desire for wealth cause him to get the money he extorts and put it in a bank in france. He suspects that they will oust him from the throne after a while and thus thinks ahead.
Only the immense pride of Jones can match his ambitions. The gun misfiring incident to him was him making the luck, and how he obtained power was just by out smarting the "dumb bush niggers". Jones' blinds himself to his surroundings however and miscalculates when the people will oust him. When his friend Smithers tells him, he is surprised but hides his insecurtity with laughs and says he has gotten everything prepared. In this way Jones alwasys tries to make it seem for himself and for others that he is under control all the time.

Shelby's Frankenstein

Altruistic to the core,
Perniciouse to the soul,

It's Alive, He lives

Beating heart fueled by coal,
Boiling, crimson blood which runs so cold,

It's Alive, He lives

Born of lightning,
life sustaining,

It's Alive, He lives

Glowing green eyes,
Reflects envy glaring,

It's Alive, He lives

Warm deceased skin,
to keep the cold in,

It's Alive, He lives

Being composed of many,
Lacking th mind of any,

It's Alive, He lives

Sense made from the sensless,
Sensebilty relentless,

It's Alive, He lives

Purest innocence risen from sin,
Sin developing from purity within,

It's Alive, He lives

He who plays God who God has played,
victor, inevitably slayed,

It's Alive, He lives

Life bestowed by he who it has been bestowed upon,
Died of revenge, with his hatred infecting everyone,

Its dead, He's dead

Uncle Cap's Cabin

In the novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe, the theme is slavery. The novel takes place in Kentucky. Mr. Shelby is at risk of losing everything he owns. In order to attempt to stop this from occurring, he plans to sell his two best slaves. Mr. Shelby and Mrs. Shelby treat their slaves very well and even teach them which is rare. To save the plantation, a slave trader, Mr. Haley, purchases Tom and Harry. Tom has been loyal to the family since childhood and Harry is Eliza’s five year old child. Mrs. Shelby did not know about Mr. Shelby’s deal and was stunned when she heard about it. Eliza had heard her master speaking to Mr. Haley, when she questioned Mrs. Shelby; she told Eliza that they would never sell her child. This would all change.
When Mr. Shelby is telling Mrs. Shelby the plan, Eliza is hidden in the closet and hears everything. Eliza loves Harry and that is the only thing she has from her husband, George. George is very versatile and does not want to go to a plantation owner that will torture him. To try to get away he plans an escape to Canada. Eliza is heartbroken from the news she received and rushed to tell Uncle Tom. She told him about her plan to go and that he should do the same. Mrs. Shelby was elated the next morning when she discovered that Eliza left.
Uncle Tom stays because he feels he must stay loyal to Mr. Shelby and does not go with Eliza. Eliza knows that her journey will be long and dangerous. She crosses the Ohio River and is safe. To get what he wants, Mr. Haley hires Mr. Loker, a slave hunter. Mr. Symmes helps Eliza because of his hatred toward slave traders and takes her to the house of Senator Bird, providing her with food and shelter. Mr. Bird feels sorry for what happened to Eliza and takes her to the Quaker Settlement where they agree to get her to safety. Here Eliza meets up with George and they can now be a family again.
When Loker attempts to take George and Eliza, George shoots him. Uncle Tom saved Eva Saint Claire while she was drowning and becomes part of the family. Eva dies and Mr. Saint Claire is stabbed. Eva tells all to remain Christian so they can meet once again in heaven. Mrs. Saint Claire sells Tom to pay off her husband’s debt. Simon Legree purchases Tom. He is taken to Louisiana and is a sex slave. Mr. Legree dislikes Tom because he refuses to whip another slave. Tom knows that, that is not the Christian thing to do. Tom meets Cassy and hears her story; he learns that she had a child who was taken away from her. She got pregnant but killed the child because she would not be able to bear having a second child taken away from her.
Loker is now a changed man after being with the Quaker settlement and actually helps George, Eliza and Harry to freedom. They have to go from Lake Erie into Canada. Tom has two visions: one of Christ and one of Eva which give him the courage to withstand the cruelties of Mr. Legree. Mr. Shelby finally finds Tom, but he is nearly dead. After Tom’s death Mr. Shelby goes back to Kentucky. While on the boat to Kentucky Mr. Shelby meets Cassy and Emmeline. Cassy discovers that Eliza is her daughter. Once the family has been reunited they go to France. After their time in France they decide to move to Liberia, which was created for former slaves. Mr. Shelby frees his slaves in honor of Tom’s death and tells them to live a pious and Christian life, just like Tom.

C.A.P. crazy ataliano person

Thomas Paine-second entry

After having read the "Common Sense" by thomas Paine I have come to one undeniable conclusion. Thomas Paine's common sense is a constucted propaganda. He is a master of word choice and manipulation. He uses homely metaphors such as when he compares the "mother" country becoming a monster and how children will suffer under British tyranny. In this way he appeals to famalies. Also he manipuilates religion and allusions in his favor to prove his point. Since most literate individuals at that time had read the bible, these arguments were very strong. Thomas Paine can be said to be the creator of ant-defferential writing. He does not envoke authorities to support his arguments but appeal to common sense. Also uses clear, striaght forward writing style incorporating lists and little latin so that everyone may understand his point. Paine's appeal to common sense was geniuse and some may say even revulutionary but there is a subtle trick he uses. Paine uses facts,religion,allusions, etc to produce his ideology in a form of a chimera common sense.

Max Paine Common Sense

According to Thomas Paine, there a distinct gap with qualities of society and those of the government. He belieivs both have different origin, socity being produced by the general wants of the people while government is an evil, intolerable but needed in order for protection He states a government is founded on tainteing of innocence, in other words implying all government is corrupt. The benign society would not need a government if the mind of humans were clear.
I disagree with Thomas in the origin of society and government. I believe as population in a certain area grows, a government developes and etches a true society from the metaphorical rock that is the population. In other words government developes stable society. I do agree with Thomas that had a true "good" society be established a law giver would not be needed but this is not the case. Society would have the same flaws he accuses the government as having so therefore one is the "bad cop" per say to produce stability which becomes known as the "good cop".

The Pearl-Hw Entry

The Pearl by John Steinbeck, concedes an issue that has carried on for many generations. It brilliantly addresses the sin of avarice and how it can spread like an influenza through populations. Kino (a pearl fisherman), and his family lived in a traditional, ingrained society until Kino's finding of the "Pearl of the World" as it was called toppled the delphic roots of his society. Once the Pearl came to be Kino dreamed of better for him and his family but so did many others ignoreing the fact that the pearl had an owner. The once simple pacific place Kino knew was gone. The pearl ignited a chimera of opportunity in people far and near sucking society's purity and causeing neighbor to turn on neighbor erupting in raw, sanguinary conflicts to make their dreams a reality. This can be connected to today's world, although a much more impure place, still able to be stained with this dire sin. This Cupidity has emerged the enormouse coercion all over the world, feeding on the innocence of the unexpecting and manifesting itself in the physical forms of robbery, murder, human trafficking, etc...

Fight Club Chapter one

When i get to it ill post it this is a test