"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" - Robert Frost

For Arguments Sake: What is the speaker's promises to keep and why is out in the darkest night of the year?"

    To work on all this new terminology and make my opinion clear I thought I would contribute more to the class discussion and the debate about this poem.  Personally, the speaker in this poem seems to be procrastinating his journey home, and is fighting with the temptation of the snowy woods. I know this temptation seems vague, but in a metaphorical since he does have an issue and is trying in some way to figure it out. For instance, when stating, "Between the woods and frozen lake. The darkest evening of the year," the speaker could be referring to a difficult issue he is experiencing or debating with, and the snowy woods good be his saving grace per say.  If we are going in-depth snow could be what is saving his fight with temptation, and be coving up what doubts he maybe having about going home, and instead of going in the "tempting" woods.  Therefore, back to my main question, "What is the speaker's promises to keep?" He states, "The woods are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep," and I generally think he has an obligation, to maybe a family, that he needs to get back to.  The woods maybe lovely and tempting to him, but he made a promise and he intends on keeping that promise to get back to them, for he states the ending line twice. "And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep," as if he is reassuring himself that he has promises, or maybe just giving himself a gesture that he knows it will be a while before he gets to sleep. Just something to think about!


"Proclaimed the time was neither wrong nor right. I have been one acquainted with the night."
                                                                                         -Robert Frost

TRUE LOVE: One thing poetry has going for it!

As always I was a bit skeptical about starting the poetry unit, for it has never been one of my favorites.  I generally get confused on some of the poems we have to read, because the structure and the rhythm can throw me off trying to figure out the main idea.  However, we learned in class this week that we should read the poem and understand it on our own terms, and figure out what it means to us as an individual.  Therefore, as I read through the text of "True Love," one poem stuck out among the rest --True Love: By: Wislawa Szymborska (page 577 in our literature book for those who are following along). The poem follows as if she is just thinking all of this in her head. Asking questions about love, being sarcastic, making remarks about how pathetic the world would think they are, if they could actually understand the mockery and logic behind love.  Personally, I do not like the poem, because I agree or disagree with the writer, but I like it because she question's the reasons for love.  The fact that she question's whether it is necessary or not, and puts that into a poem is very interesting--I like it! So she may have just converted the originally unconverted poet 'disliker.'


"True love. Is it normal, is it serious, is it practical? What does the world get from two people who exist in a world of their own?"    -Wislawa Szymborska

What is Literature? With a CAPITAL "L."

Literature as defined by Webster's as, "writings in which expression and form, in connection with ideas of permanent and universal interest, are characteristic or essential features, as poetry, novels, history, biography, and essays." However, that gives only a vague description of the true meaning, what we all want to know is, what is Literature with a capital "L?" They might as well ask us also what makes classics...classic? The answer is, they are timeless pieces of art that can be related to during all time periods.   What makes literature matter is the fact that you can read a poem or a novel and find depth in your readings.  Literature is there for you to understand a more metaphorical theme that you can relate to on a personal level.  Hypothetically speaking, when you read a work of art in the form of literature, think of yourself as a detective.  You read the article first to get a skim of things and make vague remarks, but if you look deeper you find clues that help you solve the bigger picture and find a deeper meaning. The work asks you a question as you read, and to find the answer you must decode the sentences and find it for yourself. Everyones' answer maybe different, because we have all had different experiences that make us relate to the piece of work differently. The varies of diverse answers, puts the "L" in Literature! 


P.S.  I would like to end every blog with a little excerpt or quote that I found in the reading that I liked or  just stuck out to me, and here is the first!


"There is a point in the distance where the road meets itself, where coming and going must kiss into one. She is always at that place, seen from behind, motionless, torn forward, living in a zone all her own.  It is like she has burned right through time, the brand, the mark, owning the woman who bears it."
                                                                                             -Louise Erdrich
                                                                      The Lady in the Pink Mustang