Cracking Shakespeare

Two weeks ago I ran into an old childhood friend that I went to elementary and middle school with. I noticed her from afar when I was working at the CA State fair and called our her name. It was a very exciting reunion. After sixth grade she went to an art charter school for the end of middle school and on to high school, while I remained in public school. When asking her about her current state, she confirmed she was attending school in Ashland, Oregon studying Shakespeare and theater, which like most faithful English saints know, Ashland is the heart of the Shakespeare festival and study. I laughed with joy. "How exciting!" I said. I told her about my English studies which brought us to talk about our separated interests now in our adult years. I confided that in my trip in September (which is in exactly one month today, I might add!) I will have the opportunity to attend "Hamlet" in the Globe Theater in London. Needless to say, when it comes to William Shakespeare, Theater and English majors will always join forces to unite. So as any good, true English major, I will dedicate this blog post to Shakespeare. I will give you my thoughts and feelings on him and a little bit of history.

William Shakespeare. How do I feel about William Shakespeare? I wouldn't quite say I'm one of those English majors that's completely in love with him and still thinks he's still alive somewhere (the theories I've heard countless times...the poor guy would be ashamed). I also definitely would not say I'm spiteful of him because of the endless hours I've spent in school listening to 70-year old teachers monotonously read his works and pretending I actually understand what I'm reading. Lets have a little integrity with each other for a moment-- I'd say about 10% of people actually fully understand Shakespeare and 90% pretend they do. And those 10% are found in Ashland, Oregon. (A little joke for you.) So here is where I stand with him: though hard to decode his work and not an easy read, I acclaim William Shakespeare and will always appreciate what he has done for literature. Probably my favorite play of Shakespeare is "Hamlet," where I really connected with Shakespeare and felt the passion of his theme of illusion versus reality in life. The most recent work I read was Macbeth, where I really liked exploring with Shakespeare the darker side of human nature and how he left readers to question where their own ambitions could leave them. Most of all, and easier a read I believe, I love Shakespeare's sonnets on love. His views and take on romance really leave me something to marvel at and help me feel something in my heart, which is the purpose of all poetry and writing. Whether William Shakespeare is his real name or not, dead or alive, people miss the true importance of what he has done. You do not have to understand or be in love with his work to really value what he has done for the world. Heck, he has a whole period of the English language named after him! (The History of the English Language, David Crystal). Many of the words we speak today are because of Shakespeare and how he altered English. He created a new era and dynamic of playwright, created a new genre, created countless words, created new types of poems and explored deeper sides of love and life. When I read his works, I feel the passion and the brilliance bursting through the page, even if I can't always decipher what it means. If you do not read his sonnets because you do not understand the expressions or definitions of words, at least read it because of the softness of his language on your tongue and how it feels to speak in his carefully crafted pentameter.

William Shakespeare's birth date is unknown but it is recorded that he was baptized April 26th, 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. A little bit of demographics for you: his works include 38 plays, 154 sonnets, and two long narrative poems. His plays have been translated into every known language and performed more than any playwright ever in history. Married at age 18 to 26-year old Anne, he begot a daughter and a set of twins, one of the twins dying at the age 11. It is unknown when exactly Shakespeare began writing, but records show his first play was on the London stage by 1592. Shakespeare kept writing up until three years before his death in 1616, then he was buried in the Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon. Something I will have the privilege of seeing when I travel there.

A quick word about his the Shakespearean style to really grasp the beauty of his work: his standard poetic form was blank verse composed in Iambic pentameter-- something he created himself. His work made a lasting impression on theater today because he created the ideas of tragedy related to romance and soliloquies to explore character's minds. The marvelous things he has done for history! We could go on and on. But I will end with even Shakespeare created theories on human nature, called Shakespearean psychology which was explored by Sigmund Freud.

Acclaimed author, pronounced dramatist, rejoiced poet, celebrated creator, and brilliant theorist. William Shakespeare made a dent in human civilization. What he has done relates to every side of the human spectrum-- not only the Iambic pentameter fanatics. I suppose the whole purpose of my writing this day is to urge my readers to give Shakespeare a chance. I encourage everyone to find something in Shakespeare that relates to him or her. Whether you choose to read him for his common themes in his work, choose to speculate at his creation, or would simply read him just because of his impact in our language, open a book or look online and read. He has quite the selection for every single person. This is our culture and life he writes about and I strongly believe he has written these things for our day.

I highly honor William Shakespeare and what he has done for me as a writer and reader. He has opened new doors and given me hope as I write poetry and short stories. I have an understanding that I do not need to showcase any obsession or fanfare for his works; all I need to do is simply appreciate him, even if at times I can only try to understand his works and sometimes succeed to only a minimum. Now, I love his dramas and the themes I can find in them, but I believe my writing is mostly based on poetry. I love poetry and everything about it. So below, I have posted two of Shakespeare's sonnets, which I think are written beautiful beyond measure. Normally I would go to analyze and give my thoughts on them for my readers, but this time I am simply going to post them and leave all to figure out the meaning and truly appreciate beauty of the Shakespearean language. Let this be a soloist journey to crack Shakespeare, and welcome him into our lives.

Sonnet 18, William Shakespeare
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate.
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date.
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimmed;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance, or nature's changing course, untrimmed;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st,
Nor shall death brag thou wand'rest in his shade,
When in eternal lines to Time thou grow'st.
So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.


Sonnet 116, William Shakespeare
Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O no! it is an ever-fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle's compass come:
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.

De-bugging: To My Readers

So I've heard from a lot of my readers that they are not getting my blog post updates even though they subscribed by email. I have looked into this issue and I think Google has fixed this for those who are not receiving my updates. So here are some simple solutions to "de-bug" these blog issues as well as more options to stay connected to this blog:

Try entering your email (again, if you have already tried) into the "follow by email" box you will find on the right. --->
It is listed right under my short bio and website URLs. When you enter it in, a second screen will pop up and it asks you to type in a code. I think it's required you type in that code or else you won't receive the updates. Type it in, then the next screen that pops up will say that your email is confirmed and that you should receive updates. If you still don't receive them, comment on this post and let me know and I will try to look into it more. That will be super helpful.

Another issue to fix this, is just to subscribe to me. That way my feed will pop up in your Google reading list. Even if you don't have a blog, I believe it is still possible to subscribe. It will be listed under "blogger" in your Google account. Also, if any of my readers have me on Facebook, every time I have a new post I update that on Facebook. So that is definitely an option.

Another way to keep in touch is to find me on my website! There you will find some more works done by me, my resume, career path, and perhaps a little more about me as well! The website is--

http://www.mkwalker.weebly.com

There you are also able to email me and let me know what you think of my work. Keep commenting and emailing. Feedback is super important to a writer and inquirer. I already appreciate all the support I've received! My blog is getting more page views everyday which I am so grateful for. Keep reading!

I am working on a new post that will be published this Sunday. So until then, have a great weekend to all!

The Big Scale; Words on Ambition, Dreams, and Philosophy

There's this old F. Scott Fitzgerald quote that has been on my mind a lot lately as my time is coming nearer and nearer to when I leave for the British Iles. I stumbled across this quote one day and it struck me personally as I vowed to live my life as Fitzgerald's words. The quote goes a little something like this:

"I'm not sure what I'll do, but -- well, I want to go places and see people. I want my mind to grow. I want to live where things happen on a big scale."
F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Ice Palace and Other Stories

Like most writers, Fitzgerald's writings reflect his thoughts and his intuitions. I always greatly admired the way he spoke and wrote. When I read "The Great Gatsby" or other excerpts I see from him, I feel a very personal connection to him and the way he is, even though he lived a century ago from me currently. I'd like to offer my personal philosophy on life and give a short insight into my sensibility.

I was born ambitious and with a clear perception of who I am and where I am going in life. In second grade I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up and my response was always the same thing: "I want to be a teacher Monday to Wednesday, a dog breeder Thursday to Friday, and a famous author on the weekends." In my mind, I was fully capable and willing to hold three careers. I was seven. Although I soon gave up my dream of breeding dogs when I realized I didn't like the smell, it's interesting to look back and realize I'm living my dreams right now and becoming exactly what I was born to be and what my ambitious seven-year-old self imagined. This speaks volumes to myself now as I develop and grow and embrace the dreamer inside me. Like Fitzgerald's quote, I picture myself living a life full of rich experiences, never ending opportunities, and eternal growth. This, I believe, is the big scale Fitzgerald refers to.

As a born idealist, I truly believe anything is possible. Change your thoughts, you can change the world and one person can make a difference. It is possible to be ambitious and get what you want, but also be soft and loyal in your relationships. Oscar Wilde is one of my favorite authors as well, because his philosophy is very similar to mine. He states, "Our ambition should be to rule ourselves, the true kingdom for each one of us; and true progress is to know more, and be more, and to do more." Self-mastery is the greatest of all trials. Once we rule the way we think and feel, conquering our dreams become a lot easier.

I also believe that our dreams come to us a size too big so that we can grow into them. When I was sixteen, I made a vow with my best friend that we were going to move to New York together after high school. He was going to pursue business and I was going to be a big-time journalist whom everyone knew and wanted me to write for them. We were going to live in the same apartment complex in downtown New York City and I was going to live on the floor above him. Looking back, that seems a little big or intense for a sixteen year old to dream, and though I have gained practicality and maturity with age, I still look back on that dream I had and just smile, because if it wasn't for me hoping and dreaming constantly I wouldn't be who I am today. Dreams can change and a lot don't follow through, but it never means that we should give up or stop dreaming. Dream your wildest of dreams, even if they don't come true, and make something work that fits your lifestyle and means. Even for big dreamers and idealists for me, there always needs to be balance in life. I suppose that's the yoga, mantra aspect of my personality too.

My senior year of high school is when I really developed my passion for English Literature. I told myself sitting in class one day and studying Wordsworth that I was going to go to England. I was going to go after my second year of college and study the historical sites. I was determined and never lost that spark of devotion. Now here I am, two and a half years later, and a month away from living my dream of traveling to what could be my most favorite place in the world. In my interview with the English faculty of BYU-Idaho, they asked me a lot of questions but one part of that interview sticks out in my mind every time when I reflect on these past six months of preparation. They asked me what made me want to go take this 3 week trip to visit the British Iles. I told them about my experience with English Literature and while slapping my hand on their table, I specifically said, "I told myself when I was eighteen years old that I was going to live my dreams and be successful. I told myself I'm going to go to England. So, I'm going to England." A little surprised, they smiled, and a week later I was accepted into their program.

If I have any final words I can leave with my readers, it is to take what I said into consideration and realize that anything is possible. If you want something bad enough, I promise you you will get it. It will take hard work, it will take dreaming and planning, and it will take many tries, but your dreams will come true. If you desire to travel, save and travel. If you want to be successful and get ahead in school or your career, nothing is stopping you. If you want to meet different kinds of people and develop your cultural awareness, go out, talk, and do. It is possible no matter where you live or who you are. Kick yourself, and make it happen.

"The lone and level sands stretch far away."

Hello readers! I just wanted to offer an apology that I have not posted in over a week. The California State Fair is running right now and I have the opportunity of working there this year at a booth. So a state-wide and magnificent fair has left me busy busy busy.

This post I would like to offer my thoughts and share "Ozymandias" by Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792). This topic and theme of ambition to self-destruction has been on my mind a lot lately and has intrigued me about human nature. It has also lead me to create my own poem running on this same theme. In this post I will offer both. "Ozymandias" is a very short, one stanza poem that speaks a tale of Ramesses the Great, who was Pharaoh of the nineteenth dynasty of ancient Egypt. Ramesses was a celebrated Pharaoh which lead many great battles and established peace and prosperity in his land. He created this great legacy and a great kingdom, which he left upon death. Well, as we studiers know the history and state of Egypt even to this day, everything that Ramesses (or Ozymandias for the purposes of this poem) worked for has been left to ruins. His ambitions are shattered and are lost. His kingdom is left desolate and buried in the Egyptian sand, as the poem gives account. Which is what inspired Shelley to write his interesting poem in a romantic-state England.

I think this idea of Ozymandias and destruction of his kingdom offers us as readers something interesting to think about. Think of all the great leaders in history and what they built and what are they now but legacies and stories? We can speculate about perhaps the things in our lives that we build (relationships, careers, families) and in an instant, those things can be destroyed and left desolate through natural life factors or self-imposing actions. In Ozymandias's case, the natural factor of death left his kingdom barren and easy to be mocked by life events. In our lives, how have our personal kingdoms been destroyed and can they be built again?

What an interesting topic and factor of life this is! It makes me wonder if my own life and kingdom I build will last forever and leave an imprint on the times. It makes me wonder if the family I create in this life will continue on the path and morals I have created and hopefully improve and strengthen that path. It makes me wonder if in my career, my teaching will influence my students and affect generations upon generations of learners and inquirers. My personal kingdom is being built currently, and hopefully by the time I am old, the foundation of my kingdom is indestructible and eternal, my monument a grand and forever imprint in desert sands.

Below I've posted "Ozymandias" by Shelley and "The Sandcastle" by myself. As you read, reflect on the words and find the connection in your own life.

Ozymandias, by Percy Bysshe Shelley
I met a traveller 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 on 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.'


The Sandcastle, by Melanie K. Walker
Seagulls sing softly in the easy breeze.
The sun peaks behind the clouds with subtle tease.
Back and forth roams the foam of the sea
Creeping closer, closer to the mastery made by me.

Careful stands this construction,
Strong and invincible to any destruction.
Trimmed, molded in gold this refinery,
Beautiful, timeless is the mastery made by me.

Innumerable are the grains of this sand.
So I was selective with what I had planned.
Each memory promised an infinity, it seemed,
And so was built the mastery made by me.

Alas; the clouds begin to darken and the sky turns to gray.
The salty wind starts to blow the sand astray.
Carnage rides the tide to fulfill a destiny—
To chasm the creation of the mastery made by me.

The ocean’s song fades into night.
Fog rushes in, suffocating any remaining light.
Desolation adores the shores of the sea,
Mocking what once stood a mastery made by me.


Comments welcome.

Photo retrieved from bensten.wordpress.com

North and South, by Elizabeth Gaskell

A Literary Analysis of North and South, by Elizabeth Gaskell. It will answer these questions:

1. The film’s title, North and South, represents the cultural juxtaposition in 19th century England between the genteel south and the industrial north. Margaret Hale is from the south; John Thornton is a northerner. Early in the film, what are the main points of difference between their worldviews?
2. As portrayed in the film (visually on the screen, by people’s character traits, and by events of the story), what contrasts do you see between north and south?
4. The film sets at juxtaposition two regions of England representing two ways of life. What thematic ideas does Gaskell seem to be developing through these contrasts?
3. Including both the north and the south, what conclusions do you draw about 19th century England, particularly about the people and their ways of living?

North and South, by Elizabeth Gaskell (1855) gives readers a perspective of the oppression that was found in industrial England in the 19th century. Some background for my readers: the story begins with Miss Margaret Hale moving with her mother and father from the warm and country-sided South into the ruddy, dirty town of Milton-Northern, after her Father Mr. Hale leaves his position of Pastor in the Church of England. Margaret finds the town of Milton-Northern harsh, smoky, and poverty-stricken as factories have overshadowed and polluted the air. She meets Mr. John Thornton, whom her father counts as a pupil in his new-found tutoring job, and they are at opposition from the beginning. Margaret finds Thornton unfeeling and harsh, while he finds her beautiful, yet prejudiced and even haughty. We come to find that Thornton lifted himself out of poverty and through ambition and success, started his cotton-mill business and is the best, most-giving boss in all of Milton. He’s tough on his employees, but does it out of professionalism and care for pristine work ethic. Margaret at first cannot understand his harshness, but begins to realize the essentiality of his actions as she becomes accustomed to Northern way of life. This juxtaposition of Northern and Southern culture cause differing world views between Margaret and Thornton—something that they overcome as they begin to fall in love and desire a life together. Being raised in poverty in an industrial society, Thornton’s perspective on life is based on hard work and a very self-serving outlook on how to survive in the world and become successful, whereas Margaret’s Southern roots are nursed with strong tradition and a warmer outlook on the possibilities of life.

I noticed some main contrasting differences in between the North and the South in the film version of North and South. The first thing I noticed was the lighting in the cinematography. When the scenery was displayed in the South, the color tone of the image was warm and sunlit with bright and vibrant yellows, oranges, and greens. The scenery was a lot softer and the characters talked quietly. When the scenery was set in the North, the color tone was black, gray, and cold. The character’s faces were pasty and the sky was filled with snow or cotton from Thornton’s mill. Another contrast I noticed was the differences between Thornton and his associates and Margaret and her family. In their dialogue and conversations, the Thorntons were more curt and dry whereas the Hales were more affectionate and emotional with one another and in their feelings. Mr. Thornton had a strong administration when it came to work ethic and moral conduct which tended to be where he put his emotions, where Margaret was a lot softer in her morality and showed her emotions.

Through this contrast between two cultures during this time in England, Gaskell brought up some interesting ideas that leave readers to ponder on. The main idea I noticed derived from this struggle is the idea of modernity versus tradition. With the industrial revolution, many left their old way of life and thinking as work became more efficient and quicker with the modernized inventions. As it is manifested in this book and film, the North and South cultures struggled with each other as the Industrialization birthed a new age of ambition, working classes, and more money. Northern culture was based on an “out with tradition!” perspective and moving forward and becoming successful and rich, where Southern culture held strong traditional ties to quality, hand-labor work mixed with religion and moral. These two perspectives in the book give us as readers a taste into what life was like in England during this time and the external struggles that were found in society.

Including the North and the South, my conclusion of 19th century England is that it was a time of cultural unrest as machines took the place of a farmer’s labor. I think this was a pivotal movement for the bosses and workers who desired an increase in productivity to gain more money, but was a struggle for those who still held strong ties to the past and religion. I think this created a type of cultural civil war between the people in England, as one side succumbed to modern technology and the other did not. This created a very diverse way of living: the industrialized North created a working environment that allowed many to become rich and more productive, but also forced many into poverty and a harsh, dirty environment. The South was a cleaner and warmer environment, but was not willing to progress forward with the ways of technology which caused a lot of wasted manual labor. This diversity caused two separate kinds of people in the 19th century, even though they were united in the same country which has the potential to weaken a nation.

Itinerary

For anyone interested in the specific places I will be going to on my trip, here is the itinerary of my English Literature British Iles Study Abroad Tour. Any comments are always appreciated on my posts, and if any of my readers have been to any of the places listed below, I'd love some feedback on what you thought of it! I also want to take this moment to thank everyone who has been so supportive of me and my goals. I would have never had the self-confidence to do any of this if it weren't for my family, mentors, and friends. Again, thanks a thousand and one times! Keep reading!

11 Sep flight SLC to DUB
12 Sep Cliffs of Moher
13 Sep Inis-Mor Aran Island
14 Sep Boyne Valley
15 Sep Church in Dublin. Free Museums, Gardens, Parks. Chester Beatty Library.
16 Sep Ferry to England. Coach: Holyhead to Bradford
17 Sep Skipton Castle, Bronte Parsonage, moor walk.
18 Sep York City
19 Sep Head South. Sherwood Forest. Salisbury Cathedral.
20 Sep Stonehenge, Avebury, Old Sarum.
21 Sep Glastonbury, Bath. North to London
22 Sep Museums and Galleries. Block at Hyde Park Building (9:00 am).
23 Sep London Pass Day (free day to use everything on your pass that you want).
24 Sep Windsor Castle.
25 Sep Canterbury day trip.
26 Sep Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s, Tower of London.
27 Sep Harry Potter Studio. London.
28 Sep Travel to Stratford upon Avon. Shakespeare Play (matinee)
29 Sep Block at StratfordWard (9:30 am). Oxford City.
30 Sep Stratford City. River Avon Trail. Holy Trinity Church. Guild Chapel.
1 Oct Coach and Ferry to Dublin
2 Oct Dublin City. Museums, etc.
3 Oct Flight: DUB to SLC

"But we loved with a love that was more than love--I and my Annabel Lee..."

As my readers will come to find out in this blog, Edgar Allan Poe is one of my favorite writers and "Annabel Lee" is one of my favorite love poems. Now, before you cringe thinking I'm a tortured soul who's only comfort is dark corners and eerie hallways, let me explain myself on why such a dark poem by one of the darkest writers in American history strikes my emotions that relate to love and romance. I first read "Annabel Lee" when I was sixteen in my Honors English class. We read it just to become familiar with Poe and his dictation in writing. After reading this poem, I was surprised at how very loving and sensual this was-- something I didn't normally affiliate with Poe's writings. For a little historical analysis behind the context, Poe wrote "Annabel Lee" to convey his feelings after the loss of his wife Virginia, who died of Tuberculosis. They were childhood sweethearts ("I was a child, and she was a child, in this kingdom by the sea...), and though Poe had many women in his life, she was the one who always inspired his tortured writings relating to loss of a loved one.

Which brings me back to why this poem strikes me. The way he writes about this maiden by the sea is so adoring and devoted-- something I've always wanted in love. He writes of a love that is so powerful and strong, that even the angels in heaven "covet" the love and the demons below cannot break it. At the end of the poem, he goes on to say that he lies down by the side of his "darling-my darling- my life and my bride," which goes to say that the bond he shares with his love continues on even after death and beyond the grave. To me, to have a love so strong that can break the bands of death makes a life worth living and a chance worth taking. Though this poem nurses a tragic ending, the message about love illuminates any shadows found in Poe's world and leaves something we as readers can take home. Read it below, and you'll find the amazing feel of the power of love behind the words.

Annabel Lee
BY EDGAR ALLAN POE

It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of Annabel Lee;
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
Than to love and be loved by me.


I was a child and she was a child,
In this kingdom by the sea,
But we loved with a love that was more than love—
I and my Annabel Lee—
With a love that the wingèd seraphs of Heaven
Coveted her and me.


And this was the reason that, long ago,
In this kingdom by the sea,
A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling
My beautiful Annabel Lee;
So that her highborn kinsmen came
And bore her away from me,
To shut her up in a sepulchre
In this kingdom by the sea.


The angels, not half so happy in Heaven,
Went envying her and me—
Yes!—that was the reason (as all men know,
In this kingdom by the sea)
That the wind came out of the cloud by night,
Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.


But our love it was stronger by far than the love
Of those who were older than we—
Of many far wiser than we—
And neither the angels in Heaven above
Nor the demons down under the sea
Can ever dissever my soul from the soul
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;


For the moon never beams, without bringing me dreams
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And the stars never rise, but I feel the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side
Of my darling—my darling—my life and my bride,
In her sepulchre there by the sea—
In her tomb by the sounding sea.