Special Post #2

1.     In The Old Man With Enormous Wings, I decided to focus on one of the scenes that most confused me. The part I focused my attention was the scene where the Pelayo and his wife Elisenda first discovered the winged man. In this first scene Pelayo was spending much of his time throwing away crabs that had been stinking up his yard. The rain had been falling for three days and the town they lived in had become very dark and dreary. It is obvious in this scene that Elisenda was caring for their child who was very ill, when Pelayo found an old winged man lying face down in the mud. Frightened by what he just discovered Pelayo ran to get his wife to show her what he had come across. After making many assumptions about what the man was doing in their yard and what creature the man actually was the couple decided to call the neighbor woman to tell them what was wrong. When the neighbor saw the man she knew instantly that the man was an angel.

2.     I decided to interpret this particular text in order to gain a better understanding of the story as a whole. When I first read The Old Man With Enormous Wings, I was not sure what to think of it. I especially never understood the first scene. I truly believe that this scene holds many secrets to the understanding of the entire writing. That is why I would like to dissect this portion of the story in order to gain a better understanding of the meaning of the story as a whole. I believe Marquez hid most of the true meaning of this story and that is why when reading the story for the first time I was unable to think of any deeper meanings that may have been hidden throughout the text.

3.     I believe the work as a whole has a very general meaning, or moral that is simple to understand after one read. It is apparent that the couple did not treat this creature with respect and one day the creature just got up and left. I wonder if the creature had given its life for the sick child. In which case it would have represented the sacrifice that this creature made for someone who didn’t necessarily deserve it. The moral of the story would be to treat others the way you would want to be treated. However, the particular passage that I chose was a little more unsettling to comprehend. The scene begins on a very dark and dreary day. Pelayo is most likely exhausted from working on cleaning up their yard and his wife Elisenda is probably stressed from caring for their sick child. Both husband and wife are probably physically and emotionally drained. It may seem to them like God has forsaken them. The weather combined with their child’s illness is causing them to probably forget about a higher power. I believe God sent them this angel to test them. To remind them that he is real and he is with them. To remind them about what is important. However, I believe God as a sacrifice sent the angel for the child.

4.     I believe this is the what the author meant when writing the story because of the obvious insinuations towards it throughout the plot. When the couple began to think about what this man could be they decided to skip over the wings. They wanted to pretend like the wings weren’t even there. I believe this is an obvious sign that the couple has lost their belief in the unseen. The mystery of a spiritual world. They are so concerned with the now that they can’t even pay attention to the giant white wings that were taking over the man lying in their yard.

5.     I believe my interpretation of the story matters to me or any other readers because it helps to remind us of the beliefs we should have. We should have a childlike faith and we need to believe the unseen. We also need to stop getting so caught up in the here and now. We should remember to keep our eyes open so we don’t miss out on a miracle from God himself. We should be able to look at a man with wings and see him for what he is. An angel. We shouldn’t pretend as if there is nothing unusual with that picture. Instead we should think to ourselves if this is truly something that God may be trying to tell me. I also believe the way the town treated the old man shows how we treat God a lot of the time. As a Christian I know first hand that it is hard to live above the influences of this tempting world. It is hard to not get distracted by something more interesting (spider girl). However as a Christian I know how important it is to follow God in everything you do. To not put him on the back burner and ignore him when he’s not interesting or when God is no longer benefiting you.  We should look at ourselves and make sure that we aren’t treating God like this. If Jesus fell into you’re front yard, helpless, and wounded would you show him the same decency that he has shown us?

The Temple of The Holy Ghost

When I first began reading The Temple Of The Holy Ghost by Flannery O’ Connor I was not sure what to expect. The title gave away little. However, I was curious to see what the story was about and what it would consist of. The first paragraph was written in a way where it subtly gave off hints as to the direction it was headed towards. The story began much like a good movie would. It gave little detail about where it was headed. It just began as if the story had been going on for a while before I picked it up and tuned in. It seemed very well written. It intrigued me to read on. The first characters that were introduced were two girls. These girls were attending a convent that they obviously did not belong to.

The story is told in third person by one of the main characters, a 12 year old girl. She seems to be related to the two 14 year old girls that are staying with her for a weekend. They are her second cousins. She shortly learns after spending time observing them that she doesn’t like them. She’s annoyed by their ignorance. However the child becomes lonely as the two girls begin to hang out with boys in the neighborhood. The cousins attend the fair and the 12 year old girl seems to be left out of the fun.

I’m not sure what this story could represent, however I believe it shows the innocence of a child. I can honestly say I have felt like I have been in similar situations growing up with an older sister and she rarely included me in outings she would go on. This story reminded me of myself as a younger girl. I could see myself in her shoes. I wish I knew what it could represent but I hope to be enlightened in class tomorrow.

The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas by Ursula K. Leguin

After reading The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas I was a little confused. The story focused more on the city Omelas rather then the characters, which were very abstract and somewhat weird. The Omelas lived very happy fulfilling lives. Everything about their city, and surroundings were pleasing to them. The only part that had to be sacrificed for this good fortune was the well being of one very unfortunate child. The child must always be kept living in misery and filth and all of her citizens should be told of this when they come of age. “The terms are strict and absolute; there may not even be a kind word spoken to the child” (Pearson 93). Most of the citizens initially become disgusted and upset about the ill treatment towards the child. However, somehow the people of the town eventually become okay with the sacrifice they are making for their good fortune. Sometimes the people do not get over it however. Sometimes when the citizens understand what is happening to the child they walk right out of the city. "The place they go towards is a place even less imaginable to us than the city of happiness. I cannot describe it at all. It is possible it does not exist. But they seem to know where they are going, the ones who walk away from Omelas" (Pearson 94).

This story was so obviously symbolic it was hard to miss. Symbolic of what I had to ask myself over and over. Perhaps the city of Omelas represents the earth. Perhaps the citizens of Omelas represents the citizens of the world, and perhaps the suffering child represents Jesus. I can see how the city Omelas can seem nice and sweet. The world seems good on the surface. As Christians it is so easy to assume that the world is not good, however at the same time I find myself constantly trying to sneak a peek at the worlds and everything its made of. The “sweet” life that everyone is partaking in. But Jesus is the one that has to suffer. And in order to be apart of “Omelas” or the world, we have to deny Christ, and satisfy ourselves with the here and now. The sweet satisfaction of the joys of the earth, as charming as it may seem. As Christians we need to cry and mourn for the ill treatment of our Lord Jesus and not stay and accept what has been done to him. We need to pick up our crosses and follow him to a better place. A more magnificent place then we can ever dream.

A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings

After reading A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, I felt very uplifted and almost childlike. Reading about “angels” made me think of many different movies or shows I used to watch when I was little that had to do with belief in angels. Having those thoughts again was refreshing and almost fun. In the beginning of the story Marquez begins talking about this old man that had fallen in the mud and couldn’t get up. It made me think of the symbolism of fallen angels. But not wanting to regard the poem as blasphemous I decided to set my religious beliefs aside, and just continued to read the poem.

One of my favorite lines of the story is located on pg. 96 when Pelayo runs to get their neighbor who “knew everything about life and death.”

It says “’He’s an angel,’ she told them. ‘He must have been coming for the child, but the poor fellow is so old that the rain knocked him down.’” 

 This line warmed my heart when I read it. The way the woman was able to look at the man lying on the ground and know without a doubt that he was an angel and what had happened. The woman could tell he was an angel as if it was completely normal. When I read this a million thoughts crossed through my mind. Knowing that the child was sick made me realize why the angel would be coming for the child and this made my heart hurt in a bittersweet way. However it was hard for me to see past the woman’s childlike belief in an angel showing up in their front yard as if nothing was out of place at all. This is the childlike faith I believe God calls us to have. And when we have it we may be able to have encounters like this and not think anything of it. I believe this is the mistake many Christians make in this day and age. We are so astounded by these events that occurred on a regular basis in the bible but we fail to realize that this really happened. Those angels really do come and give humans messages, or at least they have and they can. It may have not happened in a while but we don’t have that childlike faith to know when something astounding is God. We tend to believe its coincidence. We even write extremely spiritual people off as radicals. Why can’t we stop and believe in the things that children believe in.

Lake Bonny Park

After attending Lake Bonny Park I was able to understand the nature poetry on a deeper level. I sat still for about fifteen minutes allowing the words flowing through my head to settle into complete sentences. The winds were whistling around me. Rain was nearly falling from the dark depressing rain clouds that hovered above my unsettled head. I sat on the ground trying, patiently to arrange my thoughts. I needed to focus on what it was I wanted to say. What I wanted to express. Unable to concentrate on the task itself I pulled out the poems by Mary Oliver. I concentrated on every word trying desperately to find the meaning of each sentence. I finally decided that not all art should be dissected for a deeper meaning, or the authors’ reason for writing the poem. Some poems should just be read. They should be read and understood on a basic level. They should be heard and listened to carefully, letting each word roll off ones tongue. The way the words describe each aspect of Oliver’s thoughts helped me to begin to write my poem of nature. Before I met the paper with my pen I closed my eyes and bowed my head and thanked God for his beautiful creation. Then I asked God to grant me the words he would have me use to describe this indescribable earth that I was encompassed with. I then opened my eyes, read the words that applied to me directly from Oliver.

“I lounge on the grass, that’s all. So simple. Then I lie back until I am inside the cloud that is just above me but very high, and shaped like a fish. Or, perhaps not. Then I enter the place of not-thinking, not-remembering, not-wanting. Then the blue jay cries out his riddle in his carping voice, I return.”

I started my poem writing every word that God granted me.

Free To Dance by Kristen DeKlavon

I sat. I listened.

I let the winds cradle me in its gusts,

And whisper in my ear the song of freedom.

I let the fall leaves tiptoe their way around me.

Dancing as they fall to end their lives.

Almost as if they declare to the world their freedom from the life they’ve lived for so long.

However, they fall.

They slowly fall all around me, never to begin again.

Golden in their color they leave behind a beautiful spirit of joy.

Their short lives end.

And they dance in sequence with the wind as they fall to their death,

To their despair.

They don’t seem to mind.

That is how I would like to leave the earth. In a dance,

Without a care in the world,

Declaring to the earth the state of my freedom from he life I lived stuck on this earth.

I’ll be free to reside in the Heavens.

I’ll be free to dance.  

Circle B Bar Reserve

After rereading Robert Hass’s Poem State of the Planet while in the midst of wildlife at its best, I was able to understand his passion for nature. I could sense every word was written with care and thought. As I sat watching the wind thrust the nature around me back and forth I realized that I was living inside Hass’s poem itself. With a Tornado nearing towards Lakeland, Florida I could understand some of the first words Robert used in his poem. “Rain lashing the windshield. Through blurred glass gusts of a pacific storm rocking a huge, shank-needled Himalayan cedar.”

This poem didn’t speak to me the second time around as much as it did the first time. However, it allowed me to feel what the poet might have been feeling. The inspiration of the natural world around us that’s forgotten and helpless with no one to speak for it. I could understand the poets reasoning more then before.

 After reading Corrigan’s Notes on Nature and Poetry as Spiritual Practices I was able to understand the concept of reading poetry better. I agree with Corrigan when he talked about engaging with poetry and nature as spiritual practice.

“Learn to slow down, and actually slow down. Learn to calm down, and actually calm down. Learn to be present in the moment, and actually become present for a few moments…” This section was somewhat common sense but somehow it made me realize how often I try to slow down, but never slow down, or how often I desperately try to be present in the present moment, and actually become present for a few moments. I find that often I am physically present in a moment but my mind is elsewhere. With the distractions of this world it’s common to find yourself stuck in these moments not actually experiencing all you were meant to experience.

State Of The Planet

After reading State Of The Planet by Robert Hass, my eyes were opened toward literature about nature. When I first glanced at the writing, I was not sure about what I was to encounter. I’m not sure if I just didn’t know what literature about nature would look like or if I just couldn’t wrap my mind around the concept. Nature is anything outside of our doors, buildings, classrooms, offices, and cities. Therefore dissecting such a broad topic like nature seemed impossible to me.

It seemed as if Hass constructed this essay as a diary entry. Something with only one subject but no real structure to the essay. It was hard for me to adjust my reading to understand the work the way it should be understood. It was a difficult read for me. Not because of the vocabulary or the descriptions, but because I was searching for a point the entire essay. I wanted a reason. I eventually understood the work to be artistic literature. It was very much like scattered thoughts however when I looked closer I was able to grasp the artistic structure the essay was in.

Reading State Of The Planet made me think about nature in a new way. Growing up in a suburb of a large city in Florida, I was coincidentally surrounded by nature, however I rarely stepped outside of my air-conditioned car. I can honestly count on my fingers the amount of times I actually spent more than an hour in nature, taking it in, and appreciating everything around me. The passage that got me thinking the most is located on the first page under number two. It reads “Topsoil: going fast. Rivers: dammed and fouled. Cod: about fished out. Haddock: about fished out.” This passage convicted me and made my feel guilty about my lack of empathy for the earth. God gave us this magnificent world. To show him our appreciation we build buildings and destroy the beautiful world he created for us. God created this world. God made the trees and the flowers, the creatures, rivers, and oceans. He handcrafted everything that we so easily destroy. We are replacing magnificent, wonderful creations by God for second rate creations that we make ourselves.