My Initial Analysis of Annabel Lee (sans other opinions as well as proper formatting.)

The beach or the ocean could be associated with relaxation, young love, and a certain whimsy towards said love. Young love is often all consuming. The initial attraction combined with the infatuation causes the young couple’s thoughts and actions are over-shadowed by their inner passions. In the poem, Poe says, “And this maiden she lived with no other thought Than to love and be loved by me,” the way that he only mentions her point of view could be indicative of a certain pride in the fact that someone loved him and that their thoughts resided solely on him. His past had been filled with much heartache and rejection from the world (The Baltimore Literary Heritage Project). The idea that someone that he loved, loved him back, was a romance he could not refuse, no matter what the cost.

In the second stanza, he refers to them as ‘children’. Typically, children are representative of innocence, and purity, and un-bridled curiosity towards anything new. “But we loved with a love that was more than love – I and my Annabel Lee,” says Poe. One interpretation would say that though there is a certain child-like element, this love they shared was not mere triviality, it was the love that could crush a thousand men and make a million girls cry. There is much reference to time and age, in Annabel Lee, as would indicate its relation to their love as well as the people themselves. Night and adults are depicted as being the enemy and eventual destroyer of the entire relationship. In the beginning of the second stanza, Poe states that ‘..the winged seraphs of heaven Coveted her and me,” and later, after Annabel Lee is taken from him, he says, “The angels, not half do happy in heaven, Went envying her and me,”. Seraphs are child angels, and this again points to the metaphoric age difference between them and the rest of the world.

It also notes that his love was stolen away by her older, whether this be figurative or not is up for debate, ‘kinsman’. It says he came, “And bore her away from me, To shut her up in a sepulcher,” Also up for debate is if this is figurative for an unwanted marriage or for literal death. Either way, her death is described as a cold event. Perhaps her love had ebbed and she moved on, or perhaps she caught a nasty illness and her cold corpse was all that remained of their once love.
The poem ends by saying that no matter what other people, who may or may not know what they are talking about, say, and any supernatural being, good or nefarious, “can ever dissever my soul from the soul Of the beautiful Annabel Lee.” Poe goes on to boldly state that not a night goes by that he does not think or dream of her as he lays by her tomb.

Ozymandias

Ozymandias
by Percy Bysshe Shelley

I met a traveler from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;
And on the pedestal these words appear:
“My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look upon my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.

Part one:

We, as humans, tend to fancy ourselves as great and important beings. This is out nature. Most learn that while we are important, we can only accomplish what the Lord allows. Ozymandias is a poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley that narrates the tale of a king who had not learned this and what became of his self-importance.

I find that the choice of the word 'antique' in this poem is interesting. When I see this, I think of an antique land as maybe being a long-forgotten, and thus romanticized, place. The history of this place would be so old that it was barely remembered. The policies, rulers, people, and practices of this place could only be mere speculation. The work of, most likely, thousands of people, obsolete.

Along side the pride of the people, is the pride of their ruler. The king, Ozymandias, is described as how the typical villain/ruler is: proud, cruel, and in the end, inconsequential to the fate of the world. It would almost appear naturalistic, the way that the narrator portrays that the desert has taken over what was once a great and mighty statue of a self-declared hero.

The pride of this man is probably what ended him. Whether it be by the revolt of the people or that mind set that he was invincible and impervious to the forces of nature and time. The Bible does say that pride comes before a fall, and God is not one to flake on His promises.

Objective Whining.... Writing!

I am pretty much dry out of writing regarding social issues.


So, I asked amongst my FBook friends, and I got that I should talk about prestidigitation (sleight of hand). I am not too proud to admit that I did, in fact, have to Google it.

I enjoy this very much.

When I think of sleight of hand, I think of con men. You know, watch the red lady... This also makes me think of street urchins in Victorian London. Gorgeously grey and grimey streets that were littered with pick-pocketing children. I have always wanted to be a pick-pocket. (You should know that I fantasize about many an odd thing that I would never actually do).

The skill required to slip something out of someones pocket without them noticing is tremendous. And if you are going to be any sort of thief, this would be it. It's like being a sniper, you do the job with out getting caught or seen. You can usually get away before anyone sees you.

I really cannot stress enough that I sometimes blog about stuff that is merely something I find interesting. THIS DOES NOT MEAN I DO THEM! Just for you kids out there who would like to tell someone. The only thing you should be telling people is how gnome-tastic this blog is, and how incomplete their life is without reading it :). So go. NOW.

xoxo,
Liz

Staying together for the kids...

I miss the days when being friends with the opposite sex wasn't so territorially political. Now, that relationship is affected by who is dating whom, social status, and other friends... I do not understand why I can only talk to some people in private, or when we are around mutual friends. I am not certain when or if things can ever get better. I can cope for now, but will I break? Has there ever em a solution? Will there ever be? No system is perfect, but some get closer than others. Schooling both interferes with this situation and helps it. I largely feel the hindrance more than the growth, this is not biased.

As much as I can blame this on 'outside' forces, it is more than likely the fault is my own. I think I tend to sabotage relationships, subconsciously. I do not know if this is due to personal fears, or because I know that unless the afore mentioned forces are banished, it will, in time, fail. I believe the term is 'fear of commitment'. This is generally coupled with couples but all relationships require some form of commitment. Basic bonds are easy, but with opposite genders, you are agreeing to be friends in spite of romantic choices and/or feelings.

To be further discussed at a later date.

xoxo,
Liz

What to blog, what to blog...

Well, I have not stolen a few minutes of your time in a while. It has been a little stressful lately. I honestly do not understand how teenagers are supposed to juggle homework, parents, friends, abstaining from sex, drugs, alcohol etc. We all know it happens, even at Christian schools. Some things I understand, like projects and math homework, other stuff, is just absurd. Some of us have a harder time than others. As an introvert, I have a harder time with the whole functioning thing. I know I am not the only one, lots of students just want to take a nap by the time they get home. I don't know. I struggle with actually saying saying something to a person of authority, because I think things will eventually balance out. Unfortunately, I tend to wait too long for things like this, but I guess we shall see.

On a brighter note, I am pretty excited to hang out with the whole gang tomorrow. It can be difficult to organize everyone and talk to them all the time. I think we will be studying and maybe watch a movie. :OP