Witness of Violence

The two poems that struck me the most were the two that seemed to be the most violent. First of all, The Colonel, the ears. What a vivid image that leaves in ones mind. The idea that you are a dinner guest at a foreign colonel's cottage that seems to be in the midst of a war in itself, and then to finish up your meal and walk out of the room having to walk on the severed ears of who all knows what races and what those poor people did to have this done to them.
 The second poem that stuck with me was Song of Napalm. The reader becomes entranced by a young woman running away from something that can not be out run! And to have to watch her destroyed before your very eyes is horrible! Coming from someone who works with clients that sometimes do suffer from PTSD, I realize that there has to be some sort of release of these memories, and that is exactly what these poems said to me, that these authors have seen unspeakable horrors that are always with them when they close their eyes, and for them to write so others can read is amazing in itself.

<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Ev2dEqrN4i0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

This video does get a tiny bit graphic, but it shows the effect of napalm on a naked child in Vietnam. This is the video I instantly thought of when I read Song of Napalm.

Introductory Video

I forgot to post this on the blog, just submitted it through black board, oops.

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/12204227/playgoz-movie

Summary vs. Analysis

To summarize a story or a poem, one takes the entire written piece and condenses it to a short description of what the long version is. You don't quite get all the details that you would in the original piece of literature, but you do get the main ideas of what is written. In an analysis, one actually takes a deeper look at the written piece. You take a look at specific parts in a different context than what you seem to think is what is intended. Often times, what is written has a deeper meaning, and it takes analyzing the written text to discover what it could all possibly mean. I like to think of these two different approaches as sitting through a church service. Most often, a Bible verse will be read, a Bible verse, is a story, but a true story that is being written down, so it is a summary of the past. And from there the pastor will analyze what was written in the text that was read. And with as many different beliefs there are and the different languages, each person is going to analyze the same text in a different manner. I have attached a good link that I use when deciphering when I have to summarize and when I must analyze something.

http://www.westga.edu/~mhenry/summary%20vs%20analysis.htm

Good Readers and Good Writers

Nabokov has a great point in that a great reader is really a re-reader. Upon first reading, the brain can not properly absorb what is being read. This is because it is the first time you have seen this content and your brain is busy wrapping itself around what you are reading. When a person goes back and reads again what they have already read, they will remember more of the detail, and they will absorb more  of the finer details that weren't understood when the content was first read. I feel that the best reader is one that has a genuine interest in the content that they are reading, the reader should have a memory for what they are reading, along with this must come some kind of imagination. When it comes down to it, after reading this article, I re-examined my ideas of being a reader, and while I am an avid reader, I can always improve upon my reading style.

Introduction

I have tried blogging before, but never stuck with it. Although that one was started as an incentive to stick to a new diet plan, which eventually turned into a new lifestyle for me thanks to medical necessity. But this one is started for completely different purposes. As of yet, I do not have a webcam, but should be getting one next week. So you can all look forward to videos of/from me!