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Bill Watterson's comic strip Calvin and Hobbes "Getting is better than having"

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Bill Watterson's comic strip Calvin and Hobbes "Getting is better than having"

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This Calvin and Hobbes comic strip (Getting is better than having) was created by Bill Watterson in 1995. It is featured within the collection of the Calvin and Hobbes series, in which Watterson always talks about and portrays complex and controversial concepts, in very simple ways, allowing for an audience of any age to really understand the message. This particular comic is about the materialistic society of today.
For starters, the speech bubbles and dialogue between Calvin and Hobbes really helps its readers in understanding what this comic is about. In a way, we can eavesdrop on the conversation Calvin is having with Hobbes, so that we can better understand the message of dissatisfaction that comes with materialism. Calvin states that "Getting is better than having. When you get something, it's new and exciting. When you have something, you take it for granted and it's boring", which shows how the ways of the world can be reflected in children, and that adults play a big part in shaping a child’s character. Materialism is not something a child like Calvin should be talking about, which means it can be assumed that the adults in his life and just overall society are this way. However, what Hobbes says is extremely important, because it is simple and eye-opening at the same time, which is "But everything you get turns into something you have", but Calvin just replies in a way any materialistic person would in these times, saying, "That's why you always need to get new things!". The bolding of the words "get" and "have" in the two center panels also emphasizes the contrast between these two ideas. What is more, the way Watterson left the second panel open, also emphasizes the psychological thinking of today’s society. That no matter how many materialistic things you have, it is never enough, because you always want more, proving that someone is never really satisfied with what they have if they lead this sort of a materialistic lifestyle and way of thinking.

Watterson’s inclusion of how young Calvin is, is also extremely significant. The author’s depiction of Calvin as a child and Hobbes as a sort of stuffed tiger, suggests that Hobbes is Calvin’s imaginary friend or maybe even conscience to whom Calvin talks to when he is thinking about large topics and someone who guides Calvin on a morally right path. The use of such characters sets a very friendly and childish tone, as well as mood, typical in Watterson’s comics.
Watterson also uses emanata to show the motion of Hobbes hand when he says, "I feel like I'm in some stockholder's dream". The mentioning of the word "dream" really shows that the idea of materialism bringing satisfaction is only a dream and unrealistic, because in reality it leaves a person dissatisfied and wanting more.
Lastly, the inclusion of a purposefully humorous punchline saying, "Waste and want. That's my motto" is perhaps the most important feature within in this comic, because it really portrays the message of materialism. What Calvin says here is the exact opposite of the popular saying, "waste not want not", which means that if a person never wastes anything, then they will always have what is needed, thus making them content. However, what Calvin says means that if he wastes everything, he will always be wanting more, in other words he is still dissatisfied, despite all the materialistic things he has.

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Calvin and Hobbes _Getting is better than having_

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Jourdon Anderson's letter to Colonel Patrick Henry Anderson

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Jourdon Anderson's letter to Colonel Patrick Henry Anderson

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Guiding Question: To what extent does the language convey the author’s intentions?
Sample introduction paragraph to this text:

Jourdon Anderson’s reply to his former plantation master, Colonel Patrick Henry Anderson, is a letter, written on August 7th 1865, which allows Jourdon to close past doors and receive closure from his traumatizing past. He uses polite, respectful words to prove his worth and make it clear that he is a free man, who deserves his independence, thanks to the victory of the Civil War. His light, humorous tone, makes this letter of reply eye-opening to the audience, including its addressee, Colonel Anderson. Therefore, through Jourdon’s use of imagery, word choice and contrast, this letter can convey the author’s intentions, which are to make Colonel Anderson aware of the wrong he has done and prove his right to equality.

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Guiding Question: Discuss how different features are used on this webpage to create an impression of Indian culture.
Sample introduction paragraph to this text:

This webpage containing the article "India's Soul Food" from The New York Times magazine, written by Indian chef, Julie Sahni in 1988, teaches Americans, as well as other non-Indians, about Indian culture through introducing a dish close to India's heart. The way that the author sets a very friendly tone and mood through mentioning personal family memories or experiences, will make any American want to try this delicious dish, called Tandoori, and almost persuades the reader to love it as well. Sahni uses many key features, such as the strong use of imagery, appealing to the reader's senses, a large visual or illustration of Tandoori, as well as includes a step-by-step recipe in order to create an impression of India's unique culture and allows for this culture to be shared with people from across the world.

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Persepolis is a graphic novel and memoir, written by Marjane Satrapi in 2000. Ever since it had been published, it has been extensively discussed and remains to be extremely popular, due to its uniqueness in tackling the untold and often biased story of Iran from the perspective of a child. It balances historical and personal events through the use of black and white drawings. Their simplicity enables the message of her story to be accessible and easy to understand for readers of all ages. What is more, at the end of the novel, the reader comes to realize that people are the same everywhere, that everyone wants the same thing, freedom and equality. Satrapi wrote Persepolis for people to see that she grew up just like other children, as well as wants the story of her country to be told and for the stereotypes accused of her people to be lifted. Persepolis truly is an inspiring story, unlike any other and is full of many elements for analyzation.

Themes in Persepolis:
-immigration
-religion
-war/revolution
-gender inequality
-economic inequality
-social class
-protest/rebellion
-politics
-role of education (indoctrination)
-past vs present
-family
-media and propaganda
-heritage
-growing up/maturing/coming of age
-capitalism
-martyrdom/heroism
-nationalism/patriotism
-violence
-justice

Symbols in Persepolis:
-bread swan
-veil
-jewelry
-western clothing
-cigarette
-key

Things prohibited due to the revolution:
-showing hair (thus the veils and men not shaved)
-alcohol
-bilingual schools
-mixed schools (in terms of gender)
-religious freedom (had to be Muslim)
-showing body shape, so no revealing clothing, but instead clothing that covered the whole body
-jewelry
-higher education/universities
-communism
-protests
-western culture, so certain clothes, shoes and things related to western media (celebrities, film, music, magazines)
-playing cards or chess
-women being equal to men (women were seen as less)

Tone:
The tone should be somber and sad (and is at times), but because she is writing the book from a child's point of view, it is actually light, naive, etc.

What the Satrapi family is like:
Consists of - Marji, Taji (mom), Ebi (dad), Uncle Anoosh, Grandma
-values education
-wealthy
-avant-garde
-honest with each other (is a core value within the family)
-look out for each other
-very close and affectionate, can be seen in Marji's relationship with Uncle Anoosh, as well as with her Grandma (Marji's role-model), who is a single mother, due to Marji's Grandpa being in prison

Marji's personality traits:
-quick-tempered
-rebellious
-stubborn
-leader-like
-knowledgeable/educated
-sometimes impolite and ignorant
-emotional
-privileged

Short timeline:
1. In 1980, it became obligatory to wear the veil, bilingual schools were shut down and boys and girls were separated at schools. Marji's parents also had less time for her, due to the protests.
2. Marji learns about her family's history, so she finds out her Grandfather was a prince. She also discovers the truth about the revolution.
3. Marji meets Uncle Anoosh and then he later gets arrested.
4. The Satrapi family take a trip to Spain.
5. Iraq invades Iran. Around this time, the scene where Marji and Grandma dump alcohol into the sink takes place.
6. Marji's street is bombed.
7. Marji leaves to Vienna.

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The photo featured above is from Vivian Maier's collection "Street 1", found within her portfolio on her official website: Vivian Maier Photographer | Official website of Vivian Maier | Vivian Maier Portfolios, Prints, Exhibitions, Books and documentary film. The photo does not have a specific name, but was taken on March 31st, 1966 in Chicago, USA.

Sometimes, in my opinion, pictures say more than words, where there is a whole story behind the faces of the featured individuals or in the background of the photo. In this case, I believe the main message, based on what is seen in the photo, is that even though there are people all around, life can be really lonely in the city. In other words, a million faces can be seen a day, but nobody really knows anybody or who they are as people, they are simply just reflections that come and go or pass by for merely a second and may never be seen again. Hence, the lonely lifestyle many people experience living in the city. What is more, a passerby may just seem like another person, but in reality everybody has their own story, experiences, successes, failures, a purpose, a destination, where the list goes on and on. Therefore, I will further analyze what is seen within this photo below.

What is seen?
-two middle-aged men: one standing in the doorway of a shop, observing people passing by, and the other walking
-some more people in the background
-reflection of the man walking by
-buildings
-suits and coats
-cigarette
-city/on-the-go lifestyle
-emergency stairs
People/Relationships/What they wearing
There are two middle-aged men, both wearing suits and one is wearing a fedora. Their relationship is unknown, in fact they most likely have no relationship at all (they do not know each other).
Photographer & studio
The photo is taken in black and white, giving it a vintage look. The main focus is on the man with a cigarette, who appears to be thinking, reflecting and/or observing. The photo also seems to be taken from the point of view of somebody who is just passing by.
Time of day/year/century
The photo is taken on March 31st, 1966, but it can also be assumed from the photo that the time of year is most likely spring, because both men are wearing light jackets. The time of day is also probably midday, due to the light color of the sky.
Objects/Animals/Plants
The photo contains a city setting, so there is no presence of animals or plants, just concrete, implying that the lives of people in the city are cold, lonely and private.
Place (buildings/landscape)
The photo takes place in Chicago, where several buildings can be seen within the picture.

Overall, the information mentioned above can be organized into four main sections: purpose, style and structure, audience and meaning -
Purpose

To show the everyday life of Chicago citizens, suggesting that their lives are lonely and private. There are so many people in a big city, but nobody actually knows anyone.

Style & structure

The photo is simple, focusing on the man in the middle, smoking the cigarette. The tall buildings and negative space in the top right corner put emphasis on the height and dimension of the photo. It is also in black and white, giving it a vintage look, as well as helps emphasize the lines and textures in the man's face. The reflection of the man is also eye-catching.
Audience

Everyone who looks at this photo and finds significant meaning within it can be considered as part of the audience.
Meaning

The man with the cigarette appears to be thinking about his life, and at the same time is observing people passing by. The man walking by also casts a reflection onto the building, portraying how people could see a million faces a day, but not really know anybody.

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The Great Gatsby is a novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald in 1925, whose setting takes place in the Jazz Age in New York City, so in the 1920s. However, for the majority of the time the story takes place on Long Island. Fitzgerald’s other novels and short stories also usually circle around life during the Jazz age and all the parties that took place in this era, for example “This Side of Paradise” or “The Beautiful and Damned”, but "The Great Gatsby" remains to be his most popular work. In fact, this novel to a certain extent reflects and almost mirrors the life of Fitzgerald. This can be seen in the featured characters and environment, for instance Fitzgerald was an aspiring writer whose fame grew during the Jazz age. All the mentioned parties within the book are extremely realistic, because Fitzgerald himself had first-hand experience as to how these luxurious Long Island parties looked, since he attended so many of them in his life. Many characters also mimic people Fitzgerald knew in his personal life. Daisy for instance is a reflection of Fitzgerald’s real wife Zelda, who just like Daisy did not wed Fitzgerald until he grew to wealth and fame. Therefore, aspects of Fitzgeralds’ own life really can be revealed within the pages of the book.
To summarize the novel very shortly, the book's narrator, Nick Carraway, tells the audience about the romance between Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan. The two loved each other when they were young, but Gatsby left to fight in the war and was never rich enough for Daisy, so things between them did not work out. Over the years, Gatsby grew to wealth, portraying the classic "rags to riches" story and built a mansion right across the bay of Daisy and her husband Tom's mansion. Gatsby also threw grand parties every weekend, in hopes that Daisy would attend one of them. Thanks to Nick's relations, Daisy and Gatsby finally got in touch again, but things start to go downhill when her husband finds out. After a heated argument between Daisy, Gatsby and Tom (Nick and a woman named Jordan Baker were also there), Daisy and Gatsby leave, but unfortunately Daisy hits a woman named Myrtle Wilson with Gatsby's car and kills her, but everyone thinks it was Gatsby's doing. Daisy decides to choose Tom over Gatsby, because Gatsby was never enough for her and in the end Gatsby is killed by Myrtle's husband, George, because he is so heartbroken with her death. Almost nobody attended Gatsby's funeral, except his neighbor and the book's narrator, Nick, as well as a few other characters, such as Gatsby's father and a man called "Owl Eyes". This shows that although Gatsby threw luxurious parties, attended by so many people, in reality he had nobody that actually cared for him. He was simply used by everyone, including the person he loved most, Daisy.
However, Daisy’s love for Gatsby is based on her fascination with his wealth. She loves the money and not Gatsby. For Daisy a man is only worth something if he wears expensive clothes, owns a grand mansion, a fancy car, and whose name is well-known by others and just is overall extremely wealthy. Sadly, this is not the Daisy Gatsby dreamed of having. He is more so in love with the idea of Daisy, and pretends that she is someone she is not. Gatsby desperately wanted their relationship to work, but the only way he could impress Daisy and win her over was through money. Therefore, The Great Gatsby has a strong theme of materialism.

The novel also contains the theme of the "American Dream", but did Gatsby actually achieve the American Dream? To a certain extent he did, because he became wealthy all on his own, even though he came from a family with no money. However, Gatsby's rich lifestyle will never be enough for him, because what he wants most is not to be wealthy, but to win over Daisy. Unfortunately, Gatsby will never really be part of the elite, in other words the social class Daisy and her husband Tom are a part of. He will always be new money, while they will always be old money, a fact that really emphasizes the difference between them. What is more, he lives in West Egg, but East Egg, where Daisy lives, is where old money lives. So Gatsby can run with this social class, but never really be one of them. Perhaps these are some of the reasons why Daisy never chose to be with Gatsby. He was simply never enough for her, and at the same time Gatsby's new rich lifestyle was never enough for him. Therefore, knowing all of this, maybe Gatsby did achieve the American dream, but he never achieved his dream. He never won over Daisy. There is a famous saying that can summarize this, which is that money cannot buy happiness.

Symbols in The Great Gatsby:

Clock - symbolizes wasted time, but Gatsby catches it before it falls to the floor, meaning he stops time from running. Catching the clock may also be an attempt to change the past.

Weather - rain at first, symbolizing the awkwardness and tension of the situation, next sunlight, symbolizing the peace and comfort of the situation later. (referring to the first meeting between Gatsby and Daisy after all those years)

Shirts - symbolize materialism and wealth

Green light - symbolizes Daisy, because she is someone or even something that Gatsby yearned and dreamed of having for years, despite all of the riches around him, proving that he is dissatisfied with his rich lifestyle and that she is what he really wants. (the green light at the end of Daisy's dock can be seen across the bay from Gatsby's house and is only mentioned three times within the novel)

What the 1920s were like ("The Roaring 20s"):

objection to traditional values

people dressed differently than before, especially women (shorter and more revealing dresses)

prohibition era

more electricity in homes

radios and music became more popular

black and white movies began to be produced

jazz (but first in African American communities)

most Americans had cars by the end of the decade

end of World War I

Short description of the main characters:

Jay Gatsby

The main character and protagonist of the book. He lives in West Egg and is Nick's next-door neighbor. He's extremely rich and throws lavish parties every weekend. Nobody knows too much about him, what he does or why he is so rich. His original name is James Gatz and is originally from the Midwest. He was not always wealthy, but he made his fortune by working for millionaires. He fought in the war and when he was still a soldier, he met and fell in love with Daisy in Louisville. He gets in between Daisy's and Tom's relationship and is killed by George Wilson at the end of the book. Nick thinks very highly of him and almost looks up to him.
Nick Carraway

The narrator of the book and neighbor of Mr. Gatsby with whom he is friends with. He is also Daisy's cousin. He went to Yale, fought in WWI, is a bond salesman and lives in West Egg.
Daisy Buchanan

Daisy is the source of conflict, her relationships precisely. She does not specify what relationship she wants more, the relationship from years ago with Jay Gatsby or her current one with her husband, Tom Buchanan. She is described as beautiful, but also portrayed as sort of shallow. The book suggests she falls in love with money and power and not people. She also did not attend Gatsby's funeral and let him cover up for her running over Myrtle Wilson (her husband's mistress). She has a child with Tom.
Tom Buchanan

The arrogant and rich husband of Daisy. He went to Yale with Nick. He is a hypocrite, because he got mad at Daisy for having an affair with Gatsby, when he had an affair with Myrtle.
"Owl Eyes"

A man who Nick meets in Gatsby's library, where he is drunk and expresses his surprise at the fact that Gatsby's books are real. He later appears at the funeral.
George Wilson

He is Myrtle’s husband and owns an old car shop. He thinks that Gatsby hit his wife with his car, but it was actually Daisy driving the car. He murders Gatsby and then kills himself as well. He can be compared to Gatsby, because they both suffer from women who love Tom.
Myrtle Wilson

She is the woman that Tom cheated on Daisy with. She is also married to George, but she wanted to leave him for Tom. She is jealous of Tom's wife, Daisy, and is later accidentally killed by Daisy, who hit her with Gatsby's car.
Jordan Baker

She is a friend of Daisy's and she later has a romantic relationship with Nick. She plays golf and attends several of Gatsby's parties. In the past, she was accused of cheating during one of her tournaments. She does indeed seem a bit dishonest, disillusioned with high society and slightly cynical. She is also sarcastic and is sort of the opposite of Daisy, because she lives her life by her own rules.
Meyer Wolfsheim

He is Gatsby's friend, has Jewish background and is known to be involved with criminal activity. He helped Gatsby become wealthy, but he did not show up to his funeral.

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A Doll's House is a play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen in 1879. It is composed of three acts and is considered very different in comparison to other plays written in those times, due to Ibsen's inclusion of social issues, such as gender inequality.
A Doll's House contains many themes, but the most central theme, in which the whole play circles around, is the idea that women are seen as objects, or better yet possessions, by society. Thus the title of the play, "A Doll's House". In other words, the title of the play already reveals to the reader the two main aspects, the doll and the house. The doll is one of the story's main characters, Nora, who feels trapped rather than free, as well as controlled by her husband Torvald. She believes that she is not really living and is just doing what the world wants her to do. The house (or dollhouse) is their home, which remains to be the setting of the entire play. What is more, Nora is a very dynamic character, who changes throughout the play. At the start of the play she goes from being the "perfect" wife to leaving her family and in a way breaking free from her life at the end.
To summarize the play, Nora borrowed money from a man named Krogstad and forged her father’s signature to make it official. This way she was able to pay for a trip to Italy to save her sick husband’s life. However, Torvald knew nothing about the loan and always thought the money was given to them by Nora's father. Moving to the present, Torvald is promoted to a better position at the bank, so Nora is excited to be richer and finally pay off the remainder of the loan. However, Krogstad returns to her life when his position at the bank is promised to an old friend of Nora's, Mrs. Linde, by Torvald. This causes Krogstad to blackmail Nora, by threatening to reveal her secret about the loan and her crime of forging, if she does not persuade her husband to let him keep his position. From there, Nora goes through a series of trying to keep her secret from Torvald, but unfortunately he finds out anyways and is furious at Nora, due Krogstad now having leverage over him, as well as is fearful for the affair to be found out by the public. In other words, Torvald cares more about his appearance and place in society than helping Nora get through this troubling period. However, they receive another letter from Krogstad, saying that Krogstad will no longer threaten them with this affair. Torvald asks for Nora's forgiveness, now that everything turned out alright, but it is too late. Nora leaves Torvald and their children, because she realizes that her husband loves himself more than her. This test in their marriage revealed to Nora that she is no more than a doll or puppet, always ruled by another, whether that was her father or now by Torvald, and realizes she wants to no longer be dependent, but independent.

What are the characters like?
Nora Helmer
The first impression of Nora is that she is a silly, dependent, irresponsible, rich, perfect wife. She is obedient, polite, materialistic, but not treated as an equal to Torvald. The audience later learns that she is ambitious, rebel-like, sort of selfish, since she always talks about herself and is constantly pretending to be a spendthrift in order to hide the secret and repay the loan.
Torvald Helmer
Torvald, Nora's husband, is very traditional, as he provides for the family, while Nora does not work. He is a lawyer and has three children with Nora (Ivar, Bob and Emmy). He is also a rule-follower, practical and his reputation, as well as identity are more important to him than anything else. Therefore, at first impression, Nora and Torvald seem like a perfectly married couple, but throughout the play it is learned that this is far from the truth.
Nils Krogstad
Krogstad is also a lawyer, who is guilty of forgery in the past, which caused his social position to be ruined. His children's reputations are also ruined, due to his sake, but he no longer wants them to be affected by the social prejudice. This is why he is so keen with threatening Nora with her secret after she borrowed his money. Krogstad also has a romantic relationship with Mrs. Linde.
Mrs. Linde
Mrs. Linde in a way represents the interruption to Nora and Torvald's perfect life, because she brought change and trouble began when she entered the play. Mrs. Linde is also very different from Nora, because unlike Nora, Mrs. Linde is independent, hardworking and no longer has anymore family, since they all passed away. She is not as rich as Nora and had to marry another man in the past for her family's sake, due to financial reasons, and never got to marry her true love, Krogstad. However, their relationship rekindles towards the end of the play.
Dr. Rank
Dr. Rank is a doctor who is polite, but oversharing and a gossiper at the same time. He is curious and a good friend of Torvald's, but is also fond of Nora. His role in the play is to reveal things about other characters to the audience, through his gossiping. Dr. Rank passes away at the end of the play, due to spinal tuberculosis.

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Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Chronicle of a Death Foretold

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Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Chronicle of a Death Foretold

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Chronicle of a Death Foretold is a short story and novel, written by Gabriel Garcia Marquez in 1981. It was originally written in Spanish and is a story that focuses on the murder of Santiago Nasar by the Vicario twins. The setting takes place in a small Colombian village in the 1950s and once again revolves around the murder of the book's protagonist, Santiago, as well as the events leading up to this tragedy. In fact, this story was actually based on real-life events that Marquez heard about in the town of Sucre, Colombia.
What makes this novel so unique and different from others is that this book is not like other classic detective, mystery novels. Instead, it shows how the death of Santiago Nasar was strongly foreseen from the very first line of the play. In other words, the reader knew what would happen. This can be seen in how the novel's narrator says, "there had never been a death more foretold". Therefore, the true mystery of the novel is not the murder of Santiago Nasar, but why the whole village allowed for the murder to take place, or more importantly, why nobody was willing to stop it or at least warn Santiago. Therefore, Santiago's death was not only the Vicario twins doing, but in the fact the entire village's responsibility, because nobody stepped in to prevent what was coming.
Knowing all of this, "Chronicle of a Death Foretold" is in a way about society, due to how Marquez displayed everyone's acceptance of Santiago's planned death and how a senseless murder deemed sufficient to avenge the family's honor, since Angela Vicario claimed that Santiago was the one who took her virginity and ruined her marriage. This also proves how society works, by depicting how fast rumors can spread and how dangerous they can be.

Several themes found within the novel:
-social tensions/social class
-honor of family
-violence
-traditional gender roles
-masculinity
-fate
-magic/dreams
-religion

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Samin Nosrat's "What is heat?" from Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat

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Samin Nosrat's "What is heat?" from Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat

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Above is an annotated fragment from "Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat" by Samin Nosrat

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The Gettysburg Address was delivered by Abraham Lincoln on November 19th, 1963 at the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, as a dedication to the Battle of Gettysburg fought between July 1st to July 3rd, 1963. The Battle of Gettysburg was one of the bloodiest battles of the United States Civil War, with over 51,000 casualties, but is also considered to be a turning point in the war. This is due to the Union's victory over the Confederate army.

President Lincoln's message was short, only lasting about two minutes, but remains to be one of the most memorable speeches in human history. Not only did he refer to bases and foundations of the country, by mentioning the ideals established by the Founding Fathers in the Declaration of Independence, but he also referred to the importance of abolishing slavery and reminded why winning this war was so important. So that every human, black or white, can experience equality in any sense possible. However, what makes this speech so memorable, is Lincoln's way of inspiring the living by honoring the dead who sacrificed their lives for the sake of others. This is what makes it so powerful and reminds the audience why the Union needed to keep fighting. The Gettysburg Address also includes many key features known to be found within speeches, in order to really grab any listeners attention, as well as last as memorable piece of history in centuries to come.

Several rhetorical devices featured within this speech:
-Ethos: "our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation", "all men are created equal"

-Pathos: "The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.", "It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us - - that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion"

-Logos: "We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who gave their lives that that nation might live.", "that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom"
-Allusion: "Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, on this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal." (Declaration of Independence - 1776)

-Anaphora: "we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground"

-Alliteration: "new nation", "poor power"
-Antithesis: "living and dead", "poor power"
-Repetition: " increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion", "It is for us..."
-Tricolon: “of the people, by the people, for the people”

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Get Down with Something Good at McDonald's Advertisement

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Get Down with Something Good at McDonald's Advertisement

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"Get Down with Something Good at McDonald's" is an advertisement created by the McDonald's Corporation in 1973. Below is an analysis on what is featured within this advertisement:

Eye-catching catchphrase at the top center of the advertisement, "Get Down with Something Good at McDonald's", making McDonald's sound like a "cool place to hangout" and easily grabs the reader's attention.

The yellow McDonald's logo in the bottom right corner stands out and contrasts with the neutral and dark color palette of the rest of the ad, perhaps in order to spot the logo quickly, as well as attract customers.

It can be assumed that the time period is the 70's, due to the car seat, clothes, etc.

It can be interpreted that McDonald's values family time, due to the portrayal of father-son quality time within the ad, where they are smiling and appear to be having a good time, "Daddy and Junior Gettin' Down". (this proves that photos tell a story)

"Daddy and Junior" appear to have a close relationship.

A relaxed, comfortable and genuine atmosphere can be seen, indicating that McDonald's is a great place to spend time with family and friends. This way McDonalds's can gain more customers.

Specific language or dialect is used to grab the attention of the African American community, such as "ridin' 'n rappin' ", proving that this ad from the 70's is sort of racist.

Dark colors that match the skin tone of "Daddy and Junior" are used, once again to possibly target African American customers. (again - racist)

The advertisement is portrayed from the point of view of a car window (side point of view), perhaps to show that McDonald's also has the option of a "drive-thru", once again a tactic used to attract customers. (McDonald's began using drive-thrus in 1975, two years before this ad was released)

Several alliterations are featured, such as "dig doing things", "ridin' 'n rappin' ", or "stopping for something good". This creates a nice flow and even musical effect for the reader while reading, as well as makes it easier for customers to remember about this McDonald's ad.

The "rule of thirds" is used.

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"The Tempest" is a play by English playwright William Shakespeare. It was written somewhere between 1610-1611 and is said to be one of Shakespeare's last plays. "The Tempest" is sort of a reflection of Shakespeare's life, where Prospero symbolizes Shakespeare and magic symbolizes his writing, which was given up for the greater good. Some people say that this play was in a way Shakespeare's goodbye to writing.

Themes in "The Tempest":

Forgiveness

Revenge

Justice

Freedom

Fairness

Power

Betrayal

Colonialism

Perspective

Love

What happened in the play:

ACT 1:

1. The storm happens

2. Prospero tells Miranda the story

3. Ariel gives Prospero an update about what is going on

4. Prospero goes to visit Caliban

5. Miranda meets Ferdinand

ACT 2:

1. Alonso, Sebastian, Gonzalo, Antonio and the Lords arrive on the island

2. Antonio and Sebastian attempt to murder Alonso and Gonzalo

3. Trinculo finds Caliban under his cloak

4. Stephano finds Trinculo and Caliban under a cloak

ACT 3:

1. Ferdinand carries and stacks logs

2. Caliban and Stephano plot to kill Prospero

3. Ariel distracts Alonso and his men with magic and tells them they are being punished for harming Prospero

ACT 4:

1. Prospero performs a play for Ferdinand and Miranda and they get married

2. Prospero remembers about Caliban's attack on him

3. Prospero and Ariel lead Caliban’s group into a trap and then they scare them always with dogs

ACT 5:

1. Prospero tells Ariel to bring Alonso and the nobles to him

2. Prospero forgives his brother and Alonso and reveals the newlyweds

3. Prospero gives up his magic

4. They all leave the island and Prospero sets Ariel free

Chronological order of events:

1. Prospero is betrayed by his brother, Antonio and by Alonso, the King of Naples.

2. Gonzalo helps Prospero and his daughter, Miranda escape from Milan to an island.

3. Prospero and Miranda arrive on the island and free a spirit named Ariel.

4. Prospero and Miranda find Caliban, who becomes their slave, due to the fact that his mother was a witch and that he attempted to violate Miranda.

5. Prospero and Miranda live on the island for 12 years.

6. Alonso, Sebastian, Gonzalo, Antonio, Ferdinand, Stephano, Trinculo and others sail to Tunis for the wedding of Alonso’s daughter, Claribel, to the prince of Tunis of Africa.

7. The group was sailing back to Italy, but they got caught in a storm, created by Prospero.

8. Prospero tells Miranda the story of his life.

9. Ariel gives Prospero an update about what is going on.

10. Prospero goes to visit Caliban.

11. Miranda meets Ferdinand.

12. Alonso, Sebastian, Gonzalo, Antonio and the Lords arrive on the island.

13. Antonio and Sebastian attempt to murder Alonso and Gonzalo.

14. Trinculo finds Caliban under his cloak.

15. Stephano finds Trinculo and Caliban under a cloak.

16. Ferdinand carries and stacks logs.

17. Caliban and Stephano plot to kill Prospero.

18. Ariel distracts Alonso and his men with magic and tells them they are being punished for harming Prospero.

19. Prospero performs a play for Ferdinand and Miranda and they get married.

20. Prospero remembers about Caliban's attack on him.

21. Prospero and Ariel lead Caliban’s group into a trap and then they scare them always with dogs.

22. Prospero tells Ariel to bring Alonso and the nobles to him.

23. Prospero forgives his brother and Alonso and reveals the newlyweds.

24. Prospero gives up his magic.

25. They all leave the island and Prospero sets Ariel free.

Colonialism in "The Tempest":
The theme of colonialism can be seen through Gonzalo as he desires a utopian society. He sees the island as an opportunity to make a new

world, with different laws. It sort of resembles the idea of the

New World (the Americas). Gonzalo also is the only one

from the other lords to appreciate the island and see its beauty.
He says, "Had I plantation of this isle, my lord, -

And were the king on’t, what would I do?

I’th’ commonwealth I would by contraries

Execute all things: for no kind of traffic

Would I admit; no name of  magistrate;

Letters should not be known; riches, poverty,
And use of service, none; contract, succession,
Bourn, bound of land, tilth, vineyard, none;
No use of metal, corn, or wine, or oil;
No occupation, all men idle, all,
And women too, but innocent and pure;
No sovereignty -
All things in common nature should produce
Without sweat or endeavour. Treason, felony,
Sword, pike, knife, gun, or need of any engine,
Would I not have; but nature should bring forth,
Of it own kind, all foison, all abundance,
To feed my innocent people."

I actually enjoyed reading "The Tempest", especially because of its main theme of forgiveness. Unlike a lot of Shakespeare's other works, this play is a comedy, where nobody dies and it has a "happy ending". I also think that the wide range of characters was essential to show motifs in human nature and I really like the aspect of family. In Act 4, Scene I, Prospero says "We are such stuff as dreams are made on; and our little life is rounded with a sleep", and I think it is an interesting way to look at life. It has a powerful meaning and puts emphasis on the various themes in the play.

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Oregon Center for Nursing's Are You Man Enough To Be A Nurse?

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Oregon Center for Nursing's Are You Man Enough To Be A Nurse?

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The Oregon Center for Nursing (OCN) created the poster "Are You Man Enough To Be A Nurse?" in 2002. It was made for schools and health centers to change the perception of men in the nursing profession. This poster is an example of counter-advertising and aims to defy the stereotypical expectations of men. They try to put the message across that men can be nurses too and that it is not a feminine profession at all. Unfortunately, even though the OCN had good intentions, this poster actually has features that reinforce existing stereotypes about manliness.

For starters, the facial expressions and body language on all of the men's faces seem emotionless, as well as tough and competitive. Not a single one of them are smiling and a few have their arms crossed across their chest, which makes them appear standoff-ish. The positions of all the men exude power, strength and the illusion that they are in control. The fact that the poster is black and white and is taken from a low-angle shot, so that the men are looking down at the viewer, also makes it seem that the men are dominant and tough.

Another questionable aspect of the poster is that the men's identity is not exclusively defined by their profession of nursing, but also by any hobbies, sports or military service that they may have had. This conclusion can also be made by noticing that not all of the medical employees are dressed in medical attire. All of the mentioned sports and hobbies are "tough-guy" hobbies or sports, such as rugby, karate or Harley riding. Another man is a marathon runner, but for some reason the creator of the poster felt that it was necessary to incorporate the man's marathon time, which is impressive, but not needed. These labels suggest that it is not enough for men to be specialized nurses, teachers or students of nursing, but instead must also be specialists or have hobbies in other fields. In other words, this poster implies that men must be skilled, powerful, strong and experienced in order to be successful nurses.

An extremely eye-catching feature is the sexist question, which also happens to be the title of the poster, "Are You Man Enough To Be A Nurse?" This statement implies that manliness can only be fulfilled with strength and toughness. This question is in a way ironic, because it weakens the message of this poster, to redefine gender roles in the nursing profession.

Nurses should be friendly, warm, caring people, so why are all of the men lacking that sort of impression? Why do neither of the men have labels related to family or friendship? Also this advertisement mainly targets men, but it should target women as well. Nursing is a tough profession that requires dedication, but it is a profession for both men and women. The subheadings, such as "intelligence, courage, unlimited opportunity" imply that this career path is for both genders, but unfortunately the main question says otherwise. I think that more ideal traits to be considered for nursing should be compassion or communication and not manliness.

The OCN had good intentions in creating this poster, by challenging norms and gender stereotypes in society. Some aspects of this poster are actually positive, by suggesting that the nursing field is not only for women, but for men too. It proves that nursing is a tough and dedicated job and I am glad that there are more and more men choosing to major in this field. Unfortunately, this advertisement also reinforces the ideology that there is only one way to be a man. In other words, if a man wants to have a successful career in the nursing field, then they must be strong and skilled.

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The "We Can Do It!" poster by J. Howard Miller is an iconic piece that we all have come to know and love. This classic was created 1943 and it sparked the beginning of change. Its original purpose was to recruit women to join the industrial workforce and fulfill the labor demands left by the deployment of men overseas, starting in 1941, just as war manufacturing began to emerge. However, it became a symbol of women empowerment and feminism.

After the war, women began to realize that they are capable of more than just being a wife. They began to fight for a voice, for equality and they proved time and time again that they are strong, independent and powerful.

The "We Can Do It!" poster features a bold and striking woman, with a focal point as the muscular arm that she is flexing. Its bright colors are appealing and they draw attention to anyone close or far away. The three primary colors, red, blue and yellow, make the poster fun and colorful, but also dynamic, classic and coordinating. The darkness of the blue balances the brightness of the red and the yellow, coming across as professional and industrial. The darkness of the blue also places weight on the poster’s border, the woman’s shirt, and the shape of the dialogue bubble.  A red polka dot scarf ties back the woman’s hair, simultaneously practical for an industrial worker and a sign of femininity. As a warm color, the yellow background contrasts with the blue and allows for the poster to be easily spotted from any distance.

The text "We Can Do It!" is easy to read, eye-catching, simple and just enough to get the message across. The rule of thirds is also featured here, making the poster look more professionally done. It also displays a classic 1940s look, but is also timeless and will always be recognizable.

The aspect of swapped gender roles in this poster gives women more confidence in believing that there is not only one way to look or one way to be a woman. This poster defies stereotypes and is the foundation of feminism. Thanks to strong, brave women in history, we are well on our way to achieving equality and the same privileges and opportunities for both men and women.

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"The White Man's Burden" by Rudyard Kipling

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"The White Man's Burden" by Rudyard Kipling

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"The White Man's Burden" was written by British imperial poet, Rudyard Kipling in 1899 and is a very popular, well known controversial poem. This poem taps into the motivations and mindset of colonizers as to what they believed was the "white man's burden". Although Kipling was born in India and was a journalist there for some time, he was educated in Britain and grew to fame there as well. He also spent some of his later years in the United States.

The Spanish-American War of 1898 ended Spain’s colonial empire in the Western Hemisphere and secured the position of the United States as a Pacific power. U.S. victory in the war allowed for a peace treaty that caused the Spanish to give up sovereignty in Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam and in the Philippines. This instead awarded the United States to have claims on these countries. During this time period, the United States also annexed the independent state of Hawaii.

"The White Man's Burden" was originally written to celebrate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897, but Kipling revised it in 1899 to encourage the American people to conquer and rule the Philippines. However, conquest and colonization in this poem is not portrayed as a way for white men to gain power or wealth. Instead, Kipling defines white imperialism and colonialism as a “burden” that white races must take up in order to help and provide for the non-white races to develop civilization, in this case the Filipinos. He sees colonialism as a way to help "primitive" people who have been waiting to change their ways. In other words, the white men will be doing the natives a favor.

The poem begins with explaining the hard work that has to be done and later talks about the lack of thanks the men will get for controlling this other group, as well as the pride they should feel when the job is complete. It is addressed to white men, who Kipling claims to be superior. It is a seven stanza poem, separated into sets of eight lines, with a rhyme scheme of ABCBDEFE. The structure of the poem is very clean and almost feels as though it should be read out-loud or chanted.

"The White Man's Burden" also contains many literary devices and elements. For instance, the whole poem is an allusion, because it refers to the Philippine-American War and colonialism without actually stating it. There is also imperative language throughout the poem, because it feels like Kipling is commanding what white people should believe and how they should act. The phrase "Take up the White Man’s burden" is stated several times, in fact at the start of every stanza, so this is repetition. There is also use of alliteration, such as "fluttered folk" and "silent sullen", as well as enjambment, such as
"To wait in heavy harness
On fluttered folk and wild -", which forces the reader down to the next line. Lastly, this poem contains personification, for example, "Fill full the mouth of famine".

Rudyard Kipling in "The White Man's Burden" does not see colonialism and the thought of superiority over non-white people as a bad thing. His racist and rude accusations are overlooked and prove the inequality that existed in those times. He believes, just like many others believed, that it is a white man's duty to bring civilization to the "half devils and half children". Sometimes it is hard to believe that men only wanted colonization, simply to make others more civilized and developed. Most world leaders colonized other countries in thought of power and riches. Anyways, I think that it is important to move forward, as long as that change is done ethically and morally.

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Take up the White Man's burden -
    Send forth the best ye breed -
Go bind your sons to exile
    To serve your captives' need;
To wait in heavy harness
    On fluttered folk and wild -
Your new-caught sullen peoples,
    Half devil and half child.

Take up the White Man's burden -
    In patience to abide
To veil the threat of terror
    And check the show of pride;
By open speech and simple,
    An hundred times made plain,
To seek another's profit,
    And work another's gain.

Take up the White Man's burden -
    The savage wars of peace -
Fill full the mouth of famine
    And bid the sickness cease;
And when your goal is nearest
    The end for others sought,
Watch Sloth and heathen Folly
    Bring all your hopes to nought.

Take up the White Man's burden -
    No tawdry rule of kings,
But toil of serf and sweeper -
    The tale of common things.
The ports ye shall not enter,
    The roads ye shall not tread,
Go make them with your living,
    And mark them with your dead !

Take up the White Man's burden -
    And reap his old reward,
The blame of those ye better,
    The hate of those ye guard -
The cry of hosts ye humour
    (Ah slowly !) towards the light:-
"Why brought ye us from bondage,
    "Our loved Egyptian night ?"

Take up the White Man's burden -
    Ye dare not stoop to less -
Nor call too loud on Freedom
    To cloak your weariness;
By all ye cry or whisper,
    By all ye leave or do,
The silent sullen peoples
    Shall weigh your Gods and you.

Take up the White Man's burden -
    Have done with childish days -
The lightly proffered laurel,
    The easy, ungrudged praise.
Comes now, to search your manhood
    Through all the thankless years,
Cold-edged with dear-bought wisdom,
    The judgement of your peers.

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Take up the White Man's burden - Send forth the best ye breed - Go bind your sons to exile To serve your captives' need; To wait in heavy harness On fluttered folk and wild - Your new-caught sullen peoples, Half devil and half child.

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National Congress of American Indians' Proud To Be (Mascots)

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National Congress of American Indians' Proud To Be (Mascots)

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The "Proud To Be (Mascots)" commercial by the National Congress of American Indians was first aired in 2014. It aimed to express Native American culture and to spread awareness on how offensive names or titles can actually be. Its goal was to teach people why the American football team, the Redskins, should change their mascot. In 2020, they actually accomplished their mission, because the football team finally changed their name to the "Washington Football Team".

The commercial mentions all these inspiring Native American historical figures and various tribes that used to and still exist across the USA and in other parts of the North American continent. The narrator of the commercial also states who Native Americans are as people, as well as who they are in society. Native Americans call themselves many things, but they never refer to themselves as redskins. This title is hurtful, outdated and should not have been a term in the English language for so long. Redskins is how colonizers from Europe would refer to Native Americans, so why would that name still exist today? Native Americans are not redskins, they are Americans and they should be considered as such.

The camera angle is at eye-level throughout the majority of the commercial. It features numerous vintage photos and headshots of all kinds of Native Americans. A great deal of the shots are zoomed in and closed up. Perhaps through this we are given the ability to really see what they are saying and expressing through their eyes. I believe that sometimes eyes say more than our words.

The opening scene is a sunrise and next is a man on a horse. The first spoken word is "Proud" and the next two are "Forgotten, Indian". A sunrise symbolizes the promise of new beginnings, so this suggests that a new movement has begun. By choosing "Proud" as the first word, Native Americans are emphasizing that they are proud of their culture, where they come from and most of all who they are. Words like "Forgotten" and later mentioned "Underserved, Struggling" hold the purpose of sharing the truth. Sometimes they are not treated equally and do not receive the support they deserve. Native Americans shaped our world, they were the origins of every country. They make our nations who they are and they play an important role in history.

Adjectives, such as "Survivor, Patriot, Resilient, Strong" convey how strong and powerful Native American culture is. By stating names, like "Father, Mother, Son,  Daughter, Teacher, Soldier, Doctor", it is shown that they are just like everyone else and should be treated as equals. All of these facts are more than enough reasons to validate why "redskins" are not who they are.

"Proud To Be (Mascots)" also features a dialogue that is spoken throughout the entire commercial, which is in other words diegetic sound. Lastly, I think that the montage is done appropriately. Each shot switches to the next person, with just enough time to really examine those vintage photos and see all of the different faces. There is a spiritual tune playing in the background that gives the commercial a sense of identity. Overall, I found this commercial to be extremely inspiring and I am so glad that the National Congress of American Indians achieved their goal.

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Chimamanda Adichie's The Danger Of A Single Story

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Chimamanda Adichie's The Danger Of A Single Story

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Chimamanda Adichie is a writer from Nigeria, who began to read and write at a very young age. She talks about the concept of the danger of a single story, which is basically a story that is biased and appears to have only one side. However, that is far from the truth. Single stories create stereotypes, which may be at times true, but are never complete. If we do not start looking at the full picture and have the want and drive to change norms in our society today, then we may forever be in "danger".

Adichie mentioned several single stories in her TED talk, for example:

English and American books from her childhood.

Her family's houseboy's background.

Two explorers from the 1500's and what they documented on their journey.

Her college roommate's opinion on what life looks like in Africa.

All of these stories show that our past influences and our future does play a part in who we are as people today. Maybe it maps our opinions and beliefs. Sometimes is causes us to form false opinions or beliefs. Sometimes we are unconsciously biased and only look at life from our own perspective. When you begin to really start thinking about it, it is crazy how society accepts some of these facts and stereotypes about certain cultures as a part of everyday life and conversation. Adichie mentioned that when she began writing as a child, all her characters were white, played in the snow, ate apples and did other things that Adichie, who lived in Nigeria at the time, knew nothing about. After that she began to see single stories everywhere and I believe that it is important to understand the consequences of these singles stories. Many times they can be racist, hurtful or rob people of their dignity. People need to start changing their opinions and ways and start looking at more than just a single story.

Global issues mentioned in the TED talk:

beauty

masculinity

racism

colonialism

immigration

war

protest

politics

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chimamanda adichie the danger of single story - Bing video

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Top suggestions for chimamanda adichie the danger of single story

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"Bright Star" was written by John Keats in 1819. It is an English sonnet, which is a traditional format for a poem used by Romantic poets.

The whole poem makes an emphasis on the importance of the figure of the star. The star represents eternity and Keats is almost envious of it, because in a way it is unchangeable and stays the same forever. He says, "Bright star, would I were stedfast as thou art-", meaning that he wants to be stedfast with the star. He says, "Pillow'd upon my fair love's ripening breast, To feel for ever in a sweet unrest", implying that he wishes he could preserve this moment with his lover forever, just as the star remains fixed in its eternal spot.

As the star is the main symbol, it is also personified throughout the whole poem. For instance, "watching with eternal lids apart". Due to the night setting and and constant rhythm, the poem acquires a dreamlike, melancholic tone. Its main theme is love and appreciation for things that are unchanging.

"Bright star" has a rhyme scheme of ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. There is a volta, as well as a caesura in line 9, "No - yet still stedfast, still unchangeable". There is also alliteration, like "feel forever" or "soft...swell". Lastly, there is a great deal of imagery in the poem, for example, "Or gazing on the new soft-fallen mask of snow upon the mountains and the moors". This allows the theme of the poem to be stronger and of greater value.

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"Bright star, would I were stedfast as thou art"... | Poetry Foundation

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Bright star, would I were stedfast as thou art-

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Carol Ann Duffy's collection of poems "The World's Wife", written in 1999, focuses on women empowerment by including famous historical figures or stories always told in first person, where the main character is always a woman.

"Thetis" is the second poem of the collection and it contains famous characters from Greek mythology. It tells the story of Achilles' parents, Thetis and Peleus. The poem is told from Thetis' point of view, where she is a shapeshifter, who tries to get away from her husband in every chance she gets. The Greek gods arranged a marriage between the two, because they knew their child, Achilles, would be even more famous and powerful than his father.

Thetis took on many shapes to escape Peleus, a different one in every stanza. However, her husband always found a way to make her stay.
The shapes Thetis took on in chronological order, as well as the weapons used to defeat her:
1. Bird - fist
2. Albatross - crossbow
3. Snake - firm clasp
4. Predator (lion) - gun
5. Sea creature (mermaid) - fisherman with his hook, line and sinker
6. Rodents (skunk, racoon, rat, etc.) - knife of a taxidermist
7. Elements (wind, gas, hot air) - fighter plane
8. Fire - asbestos

Thetis' final transformation to "turn inside out" and have her son is the only truly successful decision she makes. Although the idea of masculinity is mocked throughout the whole collection, Duffy never fails to show how strong a mother's bond is with her child, regardless of its gender and that it is poised to withstand anything. This last transformation was sort of a move of surrender, but it gifted her with a son. Thetis' love for Achilles is so strong, that she was willing to give up her dreams and her life, so that he could live and fulfil his purpose. All in all, a mother's love for her child can make a person forget their past, start over and even change completely.

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About "Thetis"

The collection of poems by Carol Ann Duffy entitled The World's Wife was first published in 1999 and presents stories, myths, fairy tales and characters in Western culture from the point of view of women, very often giving voice to the hitherto unsung women close to famous men. Traditionally these women have gone unnamed; many of the poems' titles follow a pattern (thus: 'Mrs Midas', 'Mrs Darwin') which starkly demonstrates the fact that, often, the only way of identifying real or implied women neglected by history and culture is by their husbands' name. Much of literature through the ages and even today is patriarchal, presenting the world from a male perspective. These poems were intended by Carol Ann Duffy to rectify that, to highlight the fact that women have long been ignored or silenced. The poems in the collection are witty, satirical, playful and complex.

In Greek mythology Thetis is a nereid or sea nymph, one of the daughters of Nereus the Titan. She is pursued by several men, including Zeus, the King of the gods, and Poseidon, the sea god, but neither will marry her once they discover The Fates' prediction that she will give birth to a child who will be greater than his father. Instead Thetis is promised to the mortal Peleus and has his baby. That child is Achilles, the hero of Homer's . Like her father, Thetis has the power of metamorphosis - that is, she has the ability to change herself into another form or incarnation.

It is interesting to note that Thetis was a protective mother, ambitious for her son. In the myth she attempts to render Achilles immortal by dipping him into the River Styx, but she fails to wet the part of his foot where she held him. Achilles was eventually killed by Paris from an arrow which penetrated his heel. This is the source of the anatomical name, the Achilles' tendon. The term 'Achilles' heel' is now an expression used to mean a fatal weakness in an otherwise strong person.

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I shrank myself / to the size of a bird in the hand / of a man. / Sweet, sweet, was the small song / that I sang, / till I felt the squeeze of his fist. / Then I did this

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Author and Type of Poem

"To Autumn" was written in 1819 by English Romantic poet John Keats. It is an ode, the last of his six, which include "Ode to a Nightingale" and "Ode on a Grecian Urn". "To Autumn" is the poet’s last major work completed before his death in 1821 in Rome, at just 25 years old, due to tuberculosis.

The poem consists of three stanzas, each containing 11 lines and representing a different stage of autumn. The rhyme scheme of the first stanza is ABAB CDEDCCE, whereas the rhyme scheme of the second and third stanzas is ABAB CDECDDE. The first stanza reveals the beginning of the season, the second describes the harvest time and the last talks about the conclusion of autumn.

Tone and Themes

The overall tone of the poem is hopeful, sincere, optimistic, joyous, celebratory, etc. Autumn is usually perceived as an end to summer, where there is warmth, happiness, and the feeling of freedom, and sort of a door to the cold harshness of winter. It is usually in the shadows of the lively months, such as spring and summer, and I think that Keats wanted to change that perspective. The poem states that autumn has a rich abundance of life, where everything is fully living its last moments before it reaches the brink of death. Keats suggests that beauty shines all the more brightly in the moments before it will soon be gone. This represents the simple fact that death is just as much a part of autumn as is life. I also believe that this poem symbolizes and compares autumn to human life, which comes and goes and cannot be stopped by anybody or anything. One must simply live freely and to the fullest, keeping in mind that everyday can be the last.

Themes:

-Nothing lasts forever.

-Always look at life with new perspectives.

-Nature can reflect our lives.

-Life and death are separated by only a thin line.

-Live everyday like it is the last.

-Beauty does not have an age and it is all around us.

-Be hopeful of the future.

Imagery

This poem has an abundant use of imagery, allowing autumn to be illustrated in a beautiful way for the readers to picture the author’s description and interpretation of the season, e.g.:

-“Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun”,

-”To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees”,

-”With a sweet kernel; to set budding more”,

-“Until they think warm days will never cease”,

-“While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day”, etc.

Stylistic Devices

Personification - “Thee sitting careless on a granary floor”, “Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind”, “Or on a half-reap'd furrow sound asleep”, etc. - the main character and topic of the poem, autumn, is being treated as a living being to better illustrate the point the author’s trying to get across

Rhetorical question - “Where are the songs of spring?” - this allows a greater emphasis of  the author's purpose of the poem

Onomatopoeia - “Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn”, “And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn”, “Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft”, “The redbreast whistles from a garden-croft”, etc. - this allows the reader to imagine what autumn sounds like

Apostrophe - “To Autumn” - the whole poem is basically an apostrophe, because autumn is being addressed in every stanza

Simile - “And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep, Steady thy laden head across a brook” - autumn’s being compared to a person, who gathers the remaining food from a field after harvest

Alliteration - “Clammy cells”, “Winnowing wind”- the usage of the same first letter aids in the better description of these things and of course autumn

Symbolism - “Autumn” can symbolize a woman, while “the sun” can symbolize a man; “gathering swallows” can symbolize the end of autumn

Assonance - “Among the river sallows, borne aloft”

Consonance - “Spares the next swath and all its twined flowers”

So all in all, I think that this poem can be interpreted in numerous ways and definitely gives people a new perspective on life. I used to think that autumn was one of the most boring times of the year, but this poem allowed me to gain a new outlook, as well as a greater appreciation for this season. I also believe that one of the reasons John Keats may have written this poem was because of the death of his younger brother, who died in 1818, as a way to let go of the past and let be of what is to come.

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Carol Ann Duffy’s "The World’s Wife" aims to celebrate female characters and display the injustice of men’s generalizations by inverting gender roles. It consists of the retelling of various popular stories, fairy tales and Greek mythologies, rewritten with feministic views and themes by maintaining women as the focal point of every poem. These recreations, all of which are dramatic monologues, are meant to bring forth the importance of the women who, in the original stories, are overshadowed by the men.

"Queen Herod" is the third poem of Carol Ann Duffy's collection "The World's Wife". It takes on the biblical story of the arrival of the Three Kings for the birth of Jesus Christ and tells of the massacre ordered by King Herod to kill all first born boys under the age of two years in Bethlehem. However, in this poem Duffy inverts the gender roles, where the main character is not King Herod, but instead Queen Herod and there are no Three Kings, but instead Three Queens. This switch gives the story a new meaning, as well as new purposes and themes.

In this version of the story, it was Queen Herod rather than King Herod who ordered the killings. After she received the news from the Queens, she believed that this new King, Jesus, who was prophesized to be the most powerful king of all, would be just like all other men and one day break the heart of her newborn daughter. In order to prevent a tragedy as such, she felt that her deep care for her daughter was a valid enough reason to have such a substantial amount of blood on her hands. This justification proves that aggression and violence is not only owned by men.

When the Three Queens arrive to see Queen Herod's daughter, they present her with qualities rather than material gifts, "Grace...Strength...Happiness". In the Bible, Jesus was given gold, frankincense and myrrh. This suggest that Duffy may have wanted to portray that men only desire material gifts, while women desire useful qualities, that obtain deeper meaning.

The mood changes as Queen Herod is told of this new King. She goes from a loving, kind mother to a selfish, overprotective mother.
Word/phrases said by Queen Herod used to describe and mock men/boys:
-"Who? Him. The Husband. Hero. Hunk. The Boy Next Door. The Paramour. The Je t'adore. The Marrying Kind. Adulterer. Bigamist. The Wolf. The Rip. The Rake. The Rat. The Heartbreaker. The Ladykiller. Mr Right."
-"No man, I swore, will make her shed one tear."
-"Some swaggering lad to break her heart, some wincing Prince to take her name away."

Queen Herod is obsessed with the idea that every man is evil, but she herself overlooks her own actions, which are extremely evil as well. She believes that what she did is just, "We do our best, we Queens, we mothers, mothers of Queens."

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About "Queen Herod"

The collection of poems by Carol Ann Duffy entitled 'The World's Wife', was first published in 1999 and presents stories, myths, fairy tales and characters in Western culture from the point of view of women. Much of literature through the ages and even today is patriarchal, presenting the world from a male perspective. These poems were intended by Carol Ann Duffy to rectify that, to highlight the fact that women have long been ignored or silenced. The poems in the collection are witty, satirical, playful and complex.

This poem subverts the bible story of King Herod ordering the murder of first born boys, and instead attributes the killings to the wife of King Herod. It is recast, so that his wife tells the story. She aimed to protect her new-born daughter from a suitor that three visiting wise women, not men, warn her about.

Instead of a star heralding the arrival of a saviour, it signifies the birth of a man who will threaten the girl's wellbeing. As far as Queen Herod is concerned all males are suspect.

The order to kill babies given by a woman is undeniably shocking, though consistent with the a mother's instinct to protect. Here it isn't King Herod, with his male ego and insecurity, who is the brutal murderer, but the powerful woman, with her protective maternal instinct.

Structure
The poem comprises ten stanzas of varying length, the longest sixteen lines, but towards the end three 3-lined stanzas speed the pace as the story reaches its climax. There is no regular rhyme scheme, but Duffy uses rhyme, including assonant and consonant rhyme, at key points to give the poem cohesion. For example, in the last two stanza she rhymes 'eyes' and 'lullabies'.

Language and Imagery
Given that this is a Queen speaking, Duffy uses appropriate, articulate language to reflect her status, and only a few of the colloquialisms that appear in much of the collection.

Duffy draws on the imagery of the birth of Christ - three Queens, a mother breast-feeding, a star in the sky and the luxury of the Palace.

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About "Queen Herod" The collection of poems by Carol Ann Duffy entitled 'The World's Wife', was first published in 1999 and presents stories, myths, fairy tales and characters in Western culture from the point of view of women. Much of literature through the ages and even today is patriarchal, presenting the world from a male perspective.

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"The Soldier" was written in 1914 by Rupert Brooke, who in fact was an English soldier that fought in World War I. The poem is about a soldier's love to his homeland, England. It does not sugarcoat the brutal events that take place in war, but it still has a hopeful attitude and tone. It is almost like a letter written to his home, England and it just expresses the theme of patriotism in the most beautiful way.

Brooke mentioned that "there's some corner of a foreign field", which implies the vast graveyards of British soldiers in foreign countries. Through this Brooke means that these graves represent a piece of the world "that is for ever England". During World War I, numerous soldiers never made it home, but instead were buried nearby where they had died. The soldier in the poem is considering his own death, but he shows no signs of fear and is neither regretful nor pitiful. Instead he focuses on what he is fighting for and on the love he has for his country.

Religion and faith also play a part in this poem, because the whole poem is in a way not only a letter, but also a will. He says "If I should die, think only this of me." Brooke later mentions that if he passes it will be with a heart full of peace, "under an English heaven". This expresses how important faith is in war, because anything can happen to anyone. The soldier is hopeful to awake in heaven as redemption for his death and sacrifice .

"The Soldier" has a rhyme scheme of ABAB CDCD in the first stanza and in the second ABC ABC. There are alliterations present, such as "foreign field", "ever England", "sights and sounds", etc. There is also a turn of thought in the poem, known as the volta, as well as caesura, "And think, this heart, all evil shed away". However, what is most visible in the poem is the extensive amount of imagery and personification. Brooke writes about England as if it were a real person and this feature just expresses all the more love he has for his home.
Imagery and personification in the poem:

"In that rich earth a richer dust concealed."

"Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam."

"A body of England's, breathing English air,
washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home."

"Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day."

"The Soldier" is a beautiful poem and is used to this day to remember and respect soldiers that have died for their countries. I think that it is so amazing and inspiring that even though war is terrifying, love can still keep a soldier going. Poems like this never fail to make me realize how thankful we should all be for our veterans' bravery.

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If I should die, think only this of me:

That there's some corner of a foreign field

That is for ever England. There shall be

In that rich earth a richer dust concealed;

A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,

Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam;

A body of England's, breathing English air,

Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home.

And think, this heart, all evil shed away,

A pulse in the eternal mind, no less

Gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given;

Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day;

And laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness,

In hearts at peace, under an English heaven.

Poetry Out Loud Note: This poem has had two titles: "The Soldier" and "Nineteen-Fourteen: The Soldier". The student may give either title during the recitation.

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The Soldier by Rupert Brooke | Poetry Magazine

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If I should die, think only this of me: That there's some corner of a foreign field That is for ever England. There shall be In that rich earth a richer dust concealed; A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware, Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam; A body of England's, breathing English air, Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home.

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"Mrs Midas" is the fourth poem of Carol Ann Duffy's collection "The World's Wife". It shares the fictional story from Greek mythology of King Midas, whose touch turns everything to gold. He asked the gods for gold, but after this chain of events, he begged them to take back their gift. Therefore, it was more of a curse than a blessing.

This poem is written from his wife's point of view, Mrs Midas. However, unlike Duffy's other poems this one actually stays quite true to the original. The stanzas are regular and the rhythm remains the same throughout the whole poem. It also focuses on themes, such as love, laughter, greed and relationships.

Stylistic Devices
"Mrs Midas" contains an extensive amount stylistic devices, especially visual and sensual imagery:

"I miss most, even now, his hands, his warm hands on my skin, his touch."

"Now the garden was long and the visibility poor, the way the dark of the ground seems to drink the light of the sky, but that twig in his hand was gold."

"And then his footprints,
glistening next to the river’s path."

This poem also consists of similes and personification:

"He sat in that chair like a king on a burnished throne."

"That night, I dreamt I bore
his child, its perfect ore limbs, its little tongue
like a precious latch, its amber eyes holding their pupils like flies."

"The kitchen filled with the smell of itself, relaxed, its steamy breath gently blanching the windows."

Although the situation the couple is put in is sad and almost heartbreaking, Duffy's use of colors in "Mrs Midas" creates a present mood and light tone. This tone almost makes the reader forget the fact that the lives of these two will never be the same. It is devastating that they can never touch again or pursue their dreams together of having a family. I would say that the most important and obvious moral is to be careful what you wish for.
Colors in "Mrs Midas": gold (golden September), green (pears, grass), white, amber (eyes), wine, blue (flame, river), yellow, black, red, crimson red, etc.

The poem also mentions the tomb of King Tutankhamun, "He was below, turning the spare room into the tomb of Tutankhamun." This reference to how King Tut had his tomb furnished with gold, gives the motif of gold a greater meaning. Many other motifs that can be frequently seen throughout "The World's Wife" happen to appear here in "Mrs Midas". For example, the motif of the heart, "And who, when it comes to the crunch, can live with a heart of gold?" or the motif of hands, "I made him sit on the other side of the room and keep his hands to himself." Lastly, quite a bit of humor can be seen in this poem. For instance, "I locked the cat in the cellar. I moved the phone. The toilet I didn’t mind." This factor also allows the poem to have a lighter tone.

Overall, I really enjoyed "Mrs Midas" and I can easily say that it is one of my favorite poems from Duffy's collection. I believe that some of the best poems contain an immense amount of imagery, because I feel that it is the best way to illustrate and imagine what is really going on. This poem did exactly that.

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Carol Ann Duffy

Carol Ann Duffy

From New Selected Poems 1984-2004 (Picador, 2004). Originally published in The World's Wife (Macmillan, 1999).
Reproduced by kind permission of the author

Carol Ann Duffy

First female, first Scottish Poet Laureate in the role's 400 year history, Duffy's combination of tender and tough, humour and lyric, jaded and curious, idiosyncratic and conventional has won her a very wide audience of readers and listeners.

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Mrs Midas by Carol Ann Duffy - Scottish Poetry Library

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It was late September. I'd just poured a glass of wine, begun / to unwind, while the vegetables cooked. The kitchen / filled with...

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"The Kray Sisters" is the twenty-fifth poem of Carol Ann Duffy's collection "The World's Wife". The roles are switched here in this poem, where the main characters are the Kray Sisters, not the Kray Brothers (Twins), who were British criminals part of a gang, known as the Firm. They organized crime in the East End of London in the 50s and 60s. Duffy does a really great job in giving off the vibe of that time period, especially because she mentions popular icons and events of those decades.

By depicting these two famous criminals as sisters instead of brothers in this poem, an emphasis of how women are in control is created and definitely gives the present theme of femininity more meaning. I think that the main purpose of this poem is to defy stereotypes and show that women can be independent. The fact that these two sisters in the poem "ruled" over East London and were feared by the public, allows a greater strength to be given to the message that Duffy was trying to get across. I especially think this way, because the time period takes place in the 50s and 60s, where women were typically the opposite.

"The Kray Sisters" also contain an extensive amount of dialect, known as a Cockney accent, which is popular in London.
For instance:

"Have a good butcher's at these" = have a look

"Two of our four mince pies" = eyes

"Savile Row whistle and flutes" = suit

"We were God Forbids" = kids

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The collection of poems by Carol Ann Duffy entitled 'The World's Wife', was first published in 1999 and presents stories, myths, fairy tales and characters in Western culture from the point of view of women. Much of literature through the ages and even today is patriarchal, presenting the world from a male perspective. These poems were intended by Carol Ann Duffy to rectify that, to highlight the fact that women have long been ignored or silenced. The poems in the collection are witty, satirical, playful and complex.

In this poem the reader is asked to imagine that the notorious London gangsters Ronnie and Reggie Kray had alter egos; two sisters, twins like themselves. They are therefore what the poet imagines two female East End villains would be like, - that is, militant feminists who would get men 'sorted' if they if they overstepped the line.

Duffy has described her "Kray sisters" as "sado-feminists", who regard feminism less as a liberating frame of mind that asserts women's independence, but more a creed that must be accepted by all women and forced upon those who look like wavering. Carol Ann Duffy is a feminist poet, but here she satirises those who take it to an extreme so that it becomes Taliban-like in its ferocity.

Structure
The poem comprises six 12-line stanzas, although their loose structure, with many enjambed lines makes this virtually a 'prose poem'. If read aloud the listener would find it difficult to tell that it was a poem at all. That seems to be entirely appropriate for the hard-bitten subjects of the poem, whom it would be difficult to imagine addressing the world in rhyming couplets.

Language and imagery
Duffy imitates the language and culture of East End London. These include the rhyming slang traditionally associated with the Cockney population, some of which have spilled over into more general use. In the first four lines there are three such uses, these being 'frog and toad' (road), 'whistle and flutes' (suits) and 'thr'penny bits' (no translation necessary!). 'God Forbids' is kids and 'Vera Lynn' is gin, which these ladies might have drunk in large quantities.

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There go the twins! geezers would say / when we walked down the frog and toad / in our Savile Row whistle and flutes, tailored / to flatter our thr'penny bits, which were big

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"Demeter" is the thirtieth and last poem of Carol Ann Duffy's collection "The World's Wife". It shares the beautiful story from Greek mythology of the special bond between Demeter and her daughter Persephone. Demeter is the goddess of fruit, crops, grain and vegetation or in other words agriculture. She was commonly associated with mother nature by the Greeks. Her daughter, Persephone, was abducted by her uncle, Hades, and was taken to the underworld. While Demeter searched for her daughter, the Earth became sterile. Persephone could only return to the world for six months a year, because she ate six pomegranate seeds, the remaining six months she had to spend with Hades. This was the period when the Earth seemed to be dying, but Persephone's return always heralded the spring. The ancient Greeks believed that this is how the seasons changed every year, because when her daughter arrived, Demeter made the Earth bloom.

"Demeter" is the only poem in the whole collection, whose story was left untouched and remained the same. Perhaps Duffy thought it was perfect just the way it originally was. It also does not feature any male characters, unlike the rest.

Duffy's use of imagery and personification in this poem, allows the beautiful relationship between Demeter and her daughter to be better illustrated. It clearly depicts the difference between life and death, where coldness and winter changes to spring, summer and warmth. The use of imagery and personification also proves that nothing can replace the love a mother has for her child, that only her daughter has the ability to change her mother's mood and to transform the Earth to a place full of love and life.
Imagery and personification featured in the poem:

"I sat in my cold stone room choosing tough words, granite, flint, to break the ice."

"My broken heart - I tried that, but it skimmed, flat, over the frozen lake."

"I swear the air softened and warmed as she moved, the blue sky smiling, none too soon, with the small shy mouth of a new moon."

This imagery and personification also portrays the romantic attitude present in the poem. Phrases like, "my girl" clearly expresses Demeter's love for Persephone, as well as a change in mood, from sad and depressing to cheerful and loving.

I believe that Carol Ann Duffy's whole purpose of writing "The World's Wife" was to give all these classic stories or historical figures new meaning, from a female's perspective. However, I think that this collection is not only about feminism, but also about relationships. One type of relationship in particular especially caught my eye in "The World's Wife", which is the bond between a mother and her child. This form of a relationship can be seen here in "Demeter", but also in two other poems, "Thetis" and "Queen Herod". All three of these poems have similar themes and in a way are connected. I believe that Duffy wanted to show that a mother's relationship with her child is unlike any other relationship, because there will always be love. Perhaps Duffy was inspired by her own daughter to write some of these poems and through this she may have been able to gain a personal connection with her characters by incorporating her life into these poems as well. I really enjoyed "Demeter" and I would say that it is another one of my favorites from "The World's Wife".

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About "Demeter"

The collection of poems by Carol Ann Duffy entitled 'The World's Wife', was first published in 1999 and presents stories, myths, fairy tales and characters in Western culture from the point of view of women. Much of literature through the ages and even today is patriarchal, presenting the world from a male perspective. These poems were intended by Carol Ann Duffy to rectify that, to highlight the fact that women have long been ignored or silenced. The poems in the collection are witty, satirical, playful and complex.

'Demeter' is the final poem in the collection and differs from the others in that it is purely lyrical. There is no trace of satire or barbed criticism of men. The poem is in essence a celebration of the mother-daughter relationship and of rebirth.
Persephone, by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 1874
In Greek mythology Demeter was the mother goddess of corn and fertility. Hades, the god of the Underworld, abducted Demeter's daughter, Persephone, (in some versions called Proserpine) with the intention of raping and marrying her. Demeter's grief at her loss is such that she plunges the earth into endless winter.

Persephone is returned to the world, but she can only stay for eight months of the year. While in the Underworld she had eaten four seeds from a pomegranate fruit, so she is forced to spend four months of the year with Hades. The myth depicts three fruitful seasons - spring, summer and autumn - when Persephone is on earth - and in winter she must return to the Underworld.

Structure
The poem comprises four tercets - that is three line non-rhyming stanzas - with a rhyming couplet at the end. It is almost a sonnet structure with its total of fourteen lines and, though mostly without rhyme, has the characteristic final two line resolution.

Language and Imagery
The voice is that of Demeter. Rather than addressing an audience of women in an intimate and sardonic conversation, this poem is in the form of a dramatic monologue. It is a spare opening - not a word is wasted - in which Demeter is in despair.

The poem is divided into three sections, the first focusing on hardness and cold, with notably harsh, percussive consonants in the words "cold", "stone", "granite", "flint", with plosive "t"s and hard "c". See the detailed annotations for deeper analysis.

Soft, sibilant "s"s mark the return of Persephone, Demeter's daughter, in "softened", "swear" and "spring". This forms a pivot, after which the poem is more positive.

The final couplet concludes the poem, with the cohesive, alliterative "smiling" and "small", forming a resolution. The satisfying image of the new moon indicates renewal and hope.

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About "Demeter" The collection of poems by Carol Ann Duffy entitled 'The World's Wife', was first published in 1999 and presents stories, myths, fairy tales and characters in Western culture from the point of view of women. Much of literature through the ages and even today is patriarchal, presenting the world from a male perspective.

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“If” by Rudyard Kipling is a poem, written in 1910, that I heard in my English A class and thought that it was so beautifully written, interesting and just overall caught my attention.

The author addresses the reader by giving life advice. He tells the reader how to be as a person and to not worry about what others think of you, to focus on yourself and your growth, but be caring and kind at the same time. Kipling informs the audience what to avoid in life, to be strong, patient and not too perfect. He says that it is important to never give up, stay motivated, but also be humble. If we achieve all this, then we will be fully adult and in a way fulfil our life purpose.

Attitudes/Morals:
-aim for virtue, not perfection
-individuality and humbleness is important for happiness
-nothing lasts forever
-working hard pays off
-life is full of ups and downs

The poem displays an emotional and motivational tone, as well as a stoic attitude. There is constant use of the anaphora "If" and personification when Kipling calls triumph and disaster two imposters.

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If you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

But make allowance for their doubting too;

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,

Or being hated, don't give way to hating,

And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream-and not make dreams your master;

If you can think-and not make thoughts your aim;

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

And treat those two impostors just the same;

If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken

Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,

And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings

And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings

And never breathe a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

Or walk with Kings-nor lose the common touch,

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,

If all men count with you, but none too much;

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,

Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,

And-which is more-you'll be a Man, my son!

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Poems, readings, poetry news and the entire 110-year archive of POETRY magazine.

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I recently watched an incredibly inspiring film, directed by actress, Angelina Jolie, called “Unbroken”. The story is about an Olympic runner, Louis Zamperini and his experiences as a soldier in World War II.

As a young boy growing up in an Italian household in California, he had a difficult time fitting in, focusing on school and was just an overall rebel, causing him to be bullied by other classmates. However, his older brother and role model, introduced him to running, and through this Zamperini grew a passion for the sport, eventually leading him to join the 1936 Olympics hosted in Berlin. He later enlisted in the US Air Force as a bombardier, when the war broke out in 1941, but unfortunately on a mission, his plane crashed into the Pacific, resulting in him and two other men having to float on the ocean for 47 days, where they were getting closer to starvation, dehydration and exhaustion every day. After a few weeks, he lost one of his friends in the process. When things could not get any worse, they were rescued, or maybe a better way to put it, caught, by the Japanese navy. They sent Zamperini and his friend to a small camp, where they were locked away for weeks, becoming even more weak. The two were later separated and Zamperini was sent to a brutal Japanese prisoner of war camp, where he experienced some of the worst years of his life, being neglected, beaten and tortured  in the most indescribable ways, by the leader of the camp, Mutsuhiro Watanabe, also known as “The Bird”. At the end of the film, the camp was liberated and Zamperini got to go home to his family.

Every scene in this movie was so raw, emotional and tear-jerking. I was constantly finding myself in disbelief that something like this could actually happen to a person. The film did not fail to show how Zamperini found a new courage in himself and how he survived the unimaginable. It portrayed his selflessness and forgiveness in the most beautiful way. Zamperini said he would devote his whole life to God, if he got through those events, and that is exactly what he did. Even though he was left with trauma and PTSD, he found his way, forgiving everyone that hurt him, including The Bird and he took multiple trips to Japan in the future, helping out those in need.

“Unbroken” also touched many global issues, such as war, politics, racism, masculinity, etc. It has so many life lessons and morals, allowing me to gain an even greater respect for people like Louis Zamperini. Films like this make me realize time and time again how much I enjoy learning about the history of World War II and how the fact that every individual, who was affected by the war has a different story. Sometimes I feel that not enough attention is put towards how the war played out in other parts of the world and everybody that was influenced in those parts at the time.

Overall, the film displays how Zamperini never gave up, even when life was treating him the worst, how he showed that forgiveness is worth so much more than revenge and that nothing is impossible.

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I recently finished watching the television series “Anne with an E” and I have to say that it is truly inspiring. I am familiar with the books written by Lucy Maud Montgomery from the early 20th century, so I thought it would be interesting to see how the story would be displayed no longer as a novel.

“Anne with an E” in my opinion is sort of a coming-of-age story, that takes place in the late 19th century in Prince Edward Island, Canada. It is about a young, 13 year old orphan girl who is adopted by elderly siblings, Matthew and Marilla. They initially thought they were getting a boy to help work on the farm, but instead got Anne. The siblings grew to love her and eventually could not imagine life without her.

Throughout the series, Anne evolves from a naive, little girl into a smart and beautiful young woman, who fights for acceptance, a place in the world and for love, learning all kinds of life lessons along the way. She has been through a lot as an orphan, having an abusive childhood spent in orphanages and having to deal with the way her social status was looked upon in those times. However, over time she transforms the lives of everybody in her town, Avonlea and Green Gables, and they grow to love her for who she is. She is unique, intelligent and has an outstanding imagination, as well as accepting towards everyone and everything.

Overall, I think that “Anne with an E” is such an educational and eye-opening series that can be directed really towards any audience. So many important topics are issued throughout this story, for example mental health, feminism, masculinity, protest, racism and so much more. In this show, there is a lot to learn from every character, who each have so much to share. All together, the series is happy, sad and rewarding at the same time, and makes me realize that things are not so different today, but actually quite alike to the past. People have come a long way in addressing all kinds of social issues, but there is definitely still a long way to go.