The Conflict
I sang as one
Who on a tilting deck sings
To keep their courage up, though the wave hangs
That shall cut off their sun.
As storm-cocks sing,
Flinging their natural answer in the wind’s teeth,
And care not if it is waste of breath
Or birth-carol of spring
As ocean-flyer clings
To height, to the last drop of spirit driving on
While yet ahead is land to be won
And work for wings
Singing I was at peace,
Above the clouds, outside the ring;
For sorrow finds a swift release in song
And pride it’s poise
Yet living here,
As one between two massing powers I live
Whom neutrality cannot save
Nor occupation cheer.
Nor such shall be left alive:
The innocent wing is soon shot down,
And private stars fade in the blood-red dawn
Where two worlds strive.
The red advance of life
Contracts pride, calls out the common blood,
Beats song into a single blade
Makes a depth-charge of grief.
Move then with new desires,
For where we used to build and love
Is no man’s land, and only ghosts can live
Between two fires.
A failure
The soil was deep and the field well-sited,
The seed was sound.
Average luck with the weather, one thought,
And the crop would abound.
If harrowing were all that is needed for
Harvest, his field
Had been harrowed enough, God knows, to warrant
A record yield.
He gazed from a hill in the breezy springtime:
That field was aflow
With wave upon wave like a sea’s green shallows
Breathing below
He looked from a gate one summer morning
When the mist uprolled:
Headland to headland those fortunate acres
Seemed solid gold
He stood by the field as the day of harvest
Dawned. But, oh,
The fruit of a year’s work, a lifetime’s lore,
Had ceased to grow
No wickedest weather could thus have turned,
As I were overnight
His field to so wan and weedy a showing:
Some galloping blight
From earth’s metabolism must have sprung
To ruin all
Or perhaps his own high hopes had made
The wizened look tall.
But it’s useless to argue the why and wherefore.
When a crop is so thin,
There’s nothing to do but to set the teeth
And plough it in.
The poem Failure by Cecil Day-Lewis, simply put, shows us an example of how we often put a tremendous amount of work and care into the things that we do in hope of success, only to have them fail in the end. He shows us this through the failure of a crop. What is important to note about this is that the poem spends some time focusing on the failure, but then quickly moves on to something else, pointing out that a failure is irreversible, and that we should not brood over it, but merely begin again.
The first two stanzas in the poem describe the process of setting up what it is that needs to be accomplished, then the next two move on describing a stronger and stronger prospect for success. In this case, what has been done is the planting of the seeds needed for the crop to grow, as well as a hope for good weather. The poem then goes into explaining everything that has been done to ensure success in the line “If harrowing were all that is needed for Harvest, his field Had been harrowed enough, God knows, to warrant A record yield”.
The next two stanzas describe first off the farmer gazing at his crop from a hill, and noting how his field is flowing with wave upon wave of prepared crop. He compares it to a sea’s green shallows. The poem then goes into explaining how he once again looked on his crop one summer morning, and expresses an even stronger sense of upcoming success with the lines “Headland to headland those fortunate acres Seemed solid gold”.
The next three stanzas radically change in feeling. We are ripped away from hope, and introduced to failure. The fifth stanza describes how as the day of harvest neared, his crop had ceased to grow. The poem then moves on to the farmer explaining how he tossed and turned all night while his field was wilting. He then describes what he thinks could be the cause of the destruction of his crop “Some galloping blight From earth’s metabolism must have sprung To ruin all Or perhaps his own high hopes had made The wizened look tall.”. He first blames earth and nature, then turns to blame himself, suggesting that perhaps his high hopes made his eyes fool him. All of these aspects describe the failure of his crop.
The last stanza is the most important of all in regards to meaning. It explains that is useless to obsess and argue about why a failure happens to us. It says “When a crop is so thin, There’s nothing to do but to set the teeth And plough it in.”. This is essentially saying that because his crop is ruined, there is nothing left to doubt to plough it in. It is dead. There is nothing he can do to change it, but move on.
Overall, this poem is about failure and how we need to accept it and move on. I believe that Cecil Day-Lewis simply uses a farmer and his crop as an example to describe how we should view a failure. The point of view in this poem can be applied to every kind of failure.
Poetic Devices
Simile- He compares the crop to a sea’s green shallows: That field was aflow
With wave upon wave like a sea’s green shallows
Metaphor-
Headland to headland those fortunate acres
Seemed solid gold
Enjambment –
His field to so wan and weedy a showing:
Some galloping blight
From earth’s metabolism must have sprung
Personification-
Some galloping blight
* Stolen From Jayme’s Blog…
I. Dramatic Situation
A. Who is speaking?
B. To whom is that speaker speaking?
C. What is the situation?
D. What is the speaker’s tone?
II. Imagery
III. Theme
IV. Diction (word choice)
A. Connotation (suggested meaning of words)
B. Denotation (dictionary definition)
C. Abstract (can only be understood intellectually)
D. Concrete (words describing physical objects)
E. Kinds of language
1. Figurative
a. Metaphor (implied comparisons)
b. Simile (comparison using ‘like’ or ‘as’)
c. Personification (giving human characteristics to an inanimate object)
d. Metonymy (the use of an attribute or quality of an object to represent the object itself)
e. Synecdoche (substitutes a significant part of something for the thing itself)
2. Rhetorical
a. Irony (opposite of what is meant)
b. Hyperbole (exaggeration)
c. Allusion (reference to something)
d. Pun (play on words)
e. Paradox (contradictory)
f. Oxymoron (self contradictory term)
g. Litotes (form of understatement)
V. Syntax (sentence structure)
A. Length
B. Transposed elements
C. “Unusual” sentences
VI. Conclusion
(http://library.thinkquest.org/23846/writing_guide/poetry.html)
The following is a link to my Utopia project – I am experiencing some difficulties with my map for the moment, but I will try and have it fixed ASAP!
It is fixed, joy!
The following is my ISU – I finished it on tuesday but sadly for me, my internet has not been working all week (which has been stressful considering I have another ISU to do that needs quite a large amount of research). Finally, it is here!
Script
Opens up with jingle being sung by mel:
You work all the day (Person typing at a computer – showing clock turning)
So why not make it sunny(People walking outside in the sun) When you get home from work(Car coming in the driveway)Lets go spend some money!
(someone smiling holding out some money and shopping bags)
Show girl wearing an old dress, looking sad, spokesperson walks in dressed immaculately – looks at the screen
Spokesperson(jess): Tired of your old stuff? (girl nods).You shouldn’t stop that from making you happy
Girl(freddie): What should I do?
Spokesperson(jess): The answer is simple dear. You hold the key to your happiness. All you have to do is replace the old with the new. Consuming new products will change your life. Don’t you want to be happy?
Girl(freddie): yes
Spokesperson(jess): Well then, why would you settle for something old – like this dress, or those shoes? You will only be happy if you buy all of the things that your heart desires! Not just a new dress, or new shoes, but a new scarf, and new bracelets too. Are you ready to turn that frown upside down?
Girl(freddie): yes! (grabs purse and walks off)
Spokesperson(jess): At New World Order Inc, our job is to help you be happy. We want to lead you in the right direction. Buying a little is never enough. Do you want to live a fulfilling life? Do you want to be successful in all that you do? If you get rid of all of your old possessions (holding up an old hat, looking a bit disgusted), all of your dreams will come true! (while someone hands her a brand new hat, and she puts it on and smiles)
Girl walks back in, wearing brand new everything, and smiling!
Spokesperson(jess): You look breathtaking! (turns to camera)Don’t wait! Find out how buying new can bring you happiness. Your life depends on it!
First before and after. Child is sitting down pouting, holding an old teddy bear – in black and white. Switch to same child being given a new teddy bear – child is now happy (in color)
spokesperson(jess): how do you like you new teddy bear son?
guy(nick): well it’s better than my old one, I’ll tell you that
spokesperson(jess): of course it is ( looks at the camera), cause you know old is evil!
Second before and after Guy is standing with an old shirt, looking down, all alone – black and white.
guy(ben): gees, if only i had a better looking shirt. If only i could-
spokesperson(jess): open your mind in buying a new shirt?
guy(ben): why are you here?
spokesperson(jess): making your life bran new! It’s time that you open your mind to newer and better things!
Switch to guy wearing a brand new shirt, looking confident, surrounded by people- in color. 
Third before and after. Girl looking sad with messy hair – black and white.
girl cries out(sam): My hair. It’s horrible!!!
spokesperson(jess): ouuuu, you’re right it is horrible!! it’s worse than very bad fake hair!
girl(sam): well maybe i should just tie it back and put a hat on so that nobody will notice-
spokesperson(jess): No, no dear, that’s the wrong way to go. If you can’t see the bright side of life, polish the dull side. That would mean your hair. You need to get your hair done ASAP!
Switch to woman with hair done, smiling- in color.
girl(sam): my hair! oh wow it’s perfect ! it’s everything i ever wanted! i can go out now and everyone will notice
spokesperson looks at the camera
spokesperson(jess): …see consuming new products will change your life!
forth before and after. girl trying to clean her carpet with a sponge
girl(jen): old sponge. I can’t clean anything with this old raggedy -
spokesperson(jess): you’re right it is old. It’s torn up and it’s outdated. Why keep old material possessions? They only succeed in weighing you down. You know, they say that hard work never hurts anybody, but why take the chance?
girl(jen): because my carpet needs to be clean
spokesperson(jess): True, but not with that sponge. And plus that stain was never going to come out anyway. You need a bran new sponge. throws her the sponge
girl(jen): awesome! Oh yeah it cleans !
spokesperson(jess): Of course it does (looks at the camera )because it’s new and old is evil! And there you have it. New things make people happy. Most people would rather be certain they’re miserable, than risk being happy. So risk being happy and go shop till you drop! And remember Buying new will turn you into the person you’ve always wanted to be.
(actors gather together behind the spokesperson with their new stuff and say the slogan)
Actors: Don’t dream happiness, buy happiness!!!!!!!!!!!
*** Certain things were changed
I am almost finished reading brave new world and it is a novel that I am enjoying tremendously. I really like Aldous Huxley’s way of writing. The best thing for me is comparing all of the aspects of the society in the book to the one we live in today. Many may not believe me but many things are eerily similar.
My group project is going well… I guess. We have had some camera forgetting difficulties as well as missing members, but hopefully we will get all of the filming finished tomorrow as well as the editing tomorrow night so that we will be good to go on Tuesday, if that happens to be our day to present.
As far as my Utopia project goes, well, I have already thought out what an ideal society would be for me in the past, way before I even knew of this project, therefore I am not experiencing that many difficulties. The only thing I’m a little worried about is planning out the geography and so on, there are a lot of things to take into consideration if I want my people to have enough food to eat and so on. Also, the my ISU book explores an anarchist society, which is very similar to my own views of a utopia (not completely though), and I don’t want to rip off any of those ideas. The truth is that many of my own were similar to begin with.
Essay Outline
Thesis
- In the novel The Dispossessed, Ursula K. LeGuin manages to paint up an image of the extreme differences between two worlds, Annares of the anarchists, and Urras of the propertarians, succeeding in showing us, without telling us, which of the two worlds is the best. Through the comparisons and contrasts that take place throughout the entire novel, one can easily make up their own decision as to whether the anarchists or the propertarians have a better way of life.
Reason
- The Annaresti view women as equals whereas the Urrasti do not
Example
- Dr Kimoe and Shevek’s conversation about women on the space ship where Dr. Kimoe expresses his sexist views whereas Shevek explains how his planet sees women as equals. “Is it true, Dr Shevek, that women in your society are exactly like men?… In the matter of their social status… Is there really no distinction between men’s work and women’s work?” “Well, no, it seems a very mechanical basis for the division of labor, doesn’t it? A person chooses work according to interest, talent, strength- what has the sex to do with that?” … “Men are physically stronger”…”Yes, often, and larger, but what does that matter when we have machines? And even when we don’t have machines, when we must dig with the shovel or carry on the back, the men may work faster-the big ones-but the women work longer…. Often I have wished I was as tough as a women”… “But the loss of-of everything feminine-of delicacy-and the loss of masculine self-respect- You cant pretend, surely, in your work, that women are your equals? In physics, in mathematics, in the intellect? You cant pretend to lower yourself constantly to their level?”(p.16-17)
Example
- When Shevek is finally at the university, he asks Pae and Oiie where the women are. He explains to them how he saw many of them at the party they were at the night before, but that none of them were scientists. This was his reason for asking who they were. To his question Oiie replies that they were wives. Shevek then asks them where other women were are and Pae automatically starts making references to prostitution and how they could arrange something depending on his preferences. To this Shevek is extremely confused and we understand what he means by where are other women. “Are all the scientists here men then?”… “Scientists?”…”Scientists. Oh, yes, certainly, they’re all men. There are some female teachers in the girls schools, of course. But they never get past certificate level.”…”Why not?”… “Cant do the math; no heads for abstract thought; don’t belong. You know how it is, what women call thinking is done with the uterus. Of course, there’s always a few exceptions, god-awful brainy women with vaginal atrophy”…”You Odonians let women study science?”…”Well, they are in the science, yes.”… “Not many, I hope”… “Well, about half.”… “I’ve always said that girl technicians properly handled could take a good deal of the load off the men in any laboratory situation…We could free men for original work much sooner, if we used women.”… “Not in my lab, you wont. Keep ‘em in their place.” (p.73-74)
Reason
- On Annares, people trust each other and have a strong sense of brotherhood and solidarity, whereas on Urras, you can trust hardly anyone and you must always be on guard for others will use and manipulate you for their own gain.
Example
- “ Your a child among thieves. They’re good to you, they give you a nice room, lectures, students, money, tours of castles, tours of model factories, visits to pretty villages. All the best. All lovely, fine! But why? Why d they bring you here from the moon, praise you, print your books, keep you so safe and snug in the lecture rooms and laboratories and libraries? Do you think they do it out of scientific disinterest, out of brotherly love? This is a profit economy Shevek!” (p.138)- Chifoilisk
Example
- “It was difficult for him to distrust the people he was with. He had been brought up in a culture that relied deliberately and constantly on human solidarity, mutual aid. Alienated as he was in some ways from that culture, and alien as he was to this one, the lifelong habit remained: he assumed people would be helpful. He trusted them.”(p204) “ But like it or not, he must learn to distrust. He must be silent; he must keep his property to himself; he must keep his bargaining power” (p.204)
Example
- “You cannot act like a brother to other people, you must manipulate them, or command them, or obey them, or trick them”.(p.346)
Reason
- On Urras, they are obsessed with, and surrounded by material possessions. This also, in part, is indicative of their need for ownership, and their want for things that they do not always need. On Annares, you own nothing. You share everything with one another and you usually only have the things that you need.
Example
- “Saemtenevia prospect was two miles long and it was a solid mass of people, traffic, and things: things to buy, things for sale. Coats, dresses, gowns, robes, trousers, breeches, shirts, blouses, hats, shoes, stockings, scarves, shawls, vests, capes, umbrellas, clothes to wear while sleeping, while swimming, while playing games, while at an afternoon party, while at an evening party, while at a party in the country, while traveling, while at the theater, while riding horses, gardening, receiving guests, boating, dining, hunting- still different, all in hundreds of different cuts, styles, colors, textures, materials. Perfumes, clocks, lamps, statues, cosmetics, candles, pictures, cameras, games, vases, sofas, kettles, puzzles, pillows, dolls, colanders, hassocks, jewels, carpets, toothpicks, calendars, a baby’s teething rattl of platinum with a handle of rock crystal, an electric machine to sharpen pencils, a wristwatch with diamond numerals; figurines and souvenirs and kickshaws and mementos and gewgaws and bric-a-brac, everything either useless to begin with or ornamented so as to disguise it’s use; acres of luxuries, acres of excrement” (p131-132) “And the strangest thing about the nightmare street was that none of the millions of things sold were made there. They were only sold there. Where were the workshops, the factories, where were the farmers, the craftsmen, the miners, the weavers, the chemists, the carvers, the dyers, the designers, the machinists, where were the hands, the people who made? Out of sight, somewhere else. Behind walls. All the people in all the shops were either buyers or sellers. They had no relation to the things but that of possession.”(p.132)
Example
- “You are rich, you own. We are poor, we lack. You have, we do not have. Everything is beautiful here. Only not the faces. On Annares nothing is beautiful, nothing but the faces. The other faces, the men and women. We have nothing but that, nothing but each other. Here you see the jewels, there you see the eyes. And in the eyes you see splendor, the splendor of the human spirit. Because our men and women are free- possessing nothing, they are free. And you the possessors are possessed. You are in jail. Each alone, solitary, with a heap of what he owns. You live in prison, die in prison. It is all I can see in your eyes-the wall, the wall!”.(p228-229)
Reason
- On Urras, people work in order to gain money to survive. Often, there are those who are lucky enough to go to universities and get high paying jobs that provide them will all the money and luxuries that they need, while others must work extremely hard all of their life to barely meat the minimum amount of money they need to feed their families. This evidentally causes a “class gap” On Annares, the not so pleasant work is always spread out equally, and people do jobs depending on their talents and skills. Also, people do not have to worry about the issue of money, for it does not exist, therefore, no one lives in poverty and everyone is equal.
Example
- “ to be a physicist in A-Io was to serve not society, not mankind, no the truth, but the state”.(p.272). Odo wrote “ A child free from the guilt of ownership and the burden of economic competition will grow up with the will to do what needs doing and the capacity for joy in doing it. It is useless work that darkens the heart.”(p.274)
Example
- “Some of these aides and doctors are working 8 hours a day!” (p.121)
Example
- “How do you get people to do the dirty work?”… “Well, we all do them. But nobody has to do them for very long, unless he likes the work. One day in each decad the community management committee or the block committee or whoever needs you can ask you to join in such work; they make rotating lists. Then the disagreeable work posting, or dangerous ones like the mercury mines and mills, normally they’re only for one half year only”(p.149)
Example
- “I don’t know who does the dirty work here”… “I never see it being done. It’s strange. Who does it? Why do they do it? Are they paid more?… “For dangerous work, sometimes. For merely menial tasks, no. Less.” … “Why do they do them, then?” … “Because low pay is better than no pay” … “My grandfather was a janitor. Scrubbed floors and changed dirty sheets in a hotel for fifty years. Ten hours a day, six days a week. He did it so that he and his family could eat”, (p.151)
Example
- “This curious matter of superiority, of relative height, was important to the Urrasti; they often used the word “higher” as a synonym for “better” in their writing, where an Anarresti would use “more central”.(p.15)
Example
- “You cannot say good morning without knowing which of you is superior to the other, or trying to prove it”.(p.346)
Conclusion
- Restating of arguments, proving that Annares and Urras are two completely different worlds and that it is easy to see, simply through comparison, which one is better.
The creation of the universe…
“It was all white before, you know” said the bum on the side of the street.
“What do you mean?” I said.
” You know, the colour of a cheese-ball, and then it happened, the universe was created”.
I was beginning to understand that this man was on crack, and I wanted to get away from i as soon as possible.
“See this foot fungus I have” he said, pointing to his foot,”I got this from traveling through time on a rusty space ship. I went there with my pet koala”.
I could not believe what this man was telling me.
All of a sudden he began making this loud smooching noise, catching the attention of passers-by.
“That’s the noise it made, that’s the noise I heard when the universe was created” he said.
“I’m sure there buddy” I replied.
“It’s true. Captain spork told me that Buster, my koala, created the universe by being in the space ship before the universe was created because of his molecular structure”.
I then proceeded to hurtle away from this freak as fast as I could.
The End
