Sparkling sunbeams dance in the September air, A kiss from the apricot light warms my soul, The heavens breathe a sweet, aromatic breeze, Amber leaves swirl and sway in timeless rhythms, Tips of dark, flowing hair encircle my small shoulders, Gentle, lazy waters lap the edges of ridged, brown rocks, Reflections of autumn trees paint the emerald lake, Water rippled paths trail behind purple-patched ducks, Swift squirrels prance through tangles of branches, Endless cement paths wind under tree-lined shadows, A rotted, wooden overpass captures an impressed memory, Engraved and hand-crafted, hangs a heart firmly nailed, Symbolic of our commitment and promise of a new life. Posts on Twitter:
#Twitterive: Squirrels hopping all around, chasing one another #Twitterive: Sunny, warm, refreshing, light breeze #Twitterive: Rocks along lake #Twitterive: Rotted wood #Twitterive: he ducks are so beautiful. purple, green, and blue patches. White & brown feathers, orange feet. “Araby,” the Dubliner written by James Joyce, is about an unidentified young boy who longs for the attention and affection from a girl known as Mangan’s sister. His crush becomes an anxious, dramatic, obsession of confused adoration. He reminds me of a middle school student with raging hormones that falls in love for the first time.
When the girl finally spoke to him, they talked of the bazaar, in which she could not attend. He offered he would bring her something, realizing this was his chance to gain her love. Impatiently and anxiously he tossed in bed through the night and watched the clock for the arrival of his uncle the following evening of the bazaar. When he arrived at the bazaar, everything was closing down, and as the halls became dark, he realized it was a sign that his relationship with Mangan’s sister was only an infatuation that would not prosper just as much as the bazaar did not prosper. He stated, “I saw myself as a creature driven and derided by vanity; and my eyes burned with anguish and anger.” I feel saddened for the young boy because he didn’t have a happy love story. He was defeated by the reality of the bazaar and the reality that gifts buy love. He was so caught up in buying the girl a present that he did not realize he could have done or said other things to impress her. This story describes what most young people feel at the first sight of love. He stated in the story, “my heart leaped” and “my body was like a harp and her words and gestures were like fingers running upon the wires.” I can confidently state that most of us have felt that way about someone whether it was a pop band, actor, teacher, friend, or classmate. When we are young, we over-exaggerate our anguish and longing for particular people. The Dubliner titled “An Encounter” by James Joyce is a story about a young boy who craves for adventure outside his ritual, Catholic community and life. In his efforts to make his wildest dreams become adventure, he witnesses the reality and truth of Dublin.
In the beginning of the story, the narrator and his friends, Joe and Leo Dillion, play games about the Wild West. I believe they did this because it allowed them to escape from the seriousness of school and their parents. It seemed as though their community was very sheltered from the rest of Ireland. The narrator states, “when the restraining influence of the school was at a distance I began to hunger again for wild sensations.” This proves the author was no longer satisfied playing or reading about Indians and only sought to know about real adventure in Dublin. He states real adventures had to be “sought abroad.” So the narrator and his friend Leo Dillon decided to cut class and venture out into Dublin. The young boys visited ships along the wharf, yearning to find a sailor with green eyes, one who has voyaged around the world. To their dismay, they found no sailors with green eyes among the ships. However, as they continued along their journey, they encountered an old, disturbed man by the bank in a field. The man had bottle-green eyes, rotted, yellow teeth, was shabbily dressed, and repeated his phrases. The old man continued to talk about abuse, sweethearts, and books, quickly creeping out the boys. I believe the old man was a symbol of the reality and unknown of Dublin. The old man was mean, perverted, and unsafe. Outside of the narrator’s community, Dublin was not much of an adventure and I believe the young boy was disappointed by this. "Telling our own stories is one way to hang on to these memories, to preserve the details, to save and treasure things that really mattered to us." - Gian S. Pagnucci
The writing, "Living the Narrative Life" by author Gian S. Pagnucci, is a powerful example of how narratives are an important part of teaching, preserving, and sensitizing life events. I really enjoyed Pagnucci's perspective of writing narratives. He has motivated me to write about my experiences and memories from life and to treasure each moment. One story he shared, has really touched my heart and mind as a writer. It was his story about a friend he met in the hospital who shared his common interest in comic books and who had leukemia. His friend idled Professor X, a superhero who was bound to his wheelchair, but used mind powers to fight bad guys. Professor X served as an inspiration to the boy where he felt he could look beyond his illness and still conquer life. This story showed me life will always hand us obstacles, always say we can't achieve, and always knock us down when we are already low. However, life is about getting back up and inspiring others. Our failures and trials can serve and relate to others through our writing. Pagnucci has shown me that it is the simple things in life that can influence others. When writing to different audiences, it is important that I consider the way that I conduct and express myself.
When I wrote to my Professor about my feelings and opinions about Rowan's CGCE program and preferences in writing, research, and technology, I did not voice my opinionated, harsh, truthful concerns. During writing to professors or anyone in an authoritative position, I prefer to appear professional. As I shared my views with my professor, I was able to be completely honest without appearing negligent in who my audience was. However, if I were writing to a friend, I most likely would have told my exact personal views of how I felt because I know that my friend would not judge or measure me on a scale of professionalism. Therefore, my writing can be kept very casual. As I considered ways to approach writing on this website, I found I wanted my readers to view my writing as revised, well-thought out, and scholarly. Therefore, I revised what I had wrote to my Professor, rewording my statements but not changing my opinions, to more accurately express what I was trying to say the first time. Writing_________________
I am interested in writing creative stories but only when I am into the assignment. I am not always great at making up elaborate stories but when I am given a theme or topic that is applied to the writing, I enjoy it. I also enjoy writing poetry and humorous songs. Sometimes I enjoy writing essays if it is for an interesting argumentative or persuasive topic. I am not a big fan of blogging or writing journal entries about class. I do not like texting nor do I have it. I also do not like writing repetitive research papers. Research________________ Some areas I'd like to research include classrooms especially ones that include special need children, animal shelters, writing, organizations that promote Eco-friendliness, and charities or rescue missions. Technology______________ I enjoy using Facebook, Google Doc, Wiki, Wordle, Photobucket, and anything that involves taking pictures or video taping. I do not enjoy using Twitter, Blogs, Tweetdeck, and anything that involves texting or a cell phone. However, I am willing to try Twitter for this course. It has been a journey in Rowan's CGCE program. Each semester has presented its difficulties through overwhelming course work, improper communication from Rowan to students, and meeting immediate deadlines. However, school is not always meant to be easy and it is always going to have obstacles and difficulties. With that in mind, I am able to stay focused on my achievements and I successfully work through each challenge. Almost every teacher I have had through Rowan has been great and has shown their willingness to help our class prosper.
One thing that I miss out on as a student in CGCE is the interaction and social networking with new people that I would be a part of at Rowan's main campus. In CGCE, I am with the same group of women rather than a different class each semester. I love meeting new friends and building relationships with a diversity of people. However, a positive of the CGCE program is that our class knows one another very well. We know the strengths and weaknesses of one another and we can branch out and collaborate. |
AuthorElementary Education and Writing Arts Student Archives
December 2010
Categories
All
|