ENGL200 Summative Entry

The Nineteenth Century gives me real insights into human and social issues that are
still current in the 21st century.

“This humanistic model is sloppy. It has no bottom line. It is not geared for maximum productivity. It will not increase your arsenal of facts or data. But it rivals with rockets when it comes to flight and the visions it enables. And it will help create denser and more generous lives, lives aware that others are not only other, but are real. In this regard, it adds depth and resonance to what I regard as the shadowy, impalpable world of numbers and data: empirical notations that have no interest nor purchase in interiority, in values; notations that offer the heart no foothold.” So said Arnold Weinstein in his New York Times OpEd Don’t Turn Away From the Art of Life.

This sentiment is one that echoes the voices of the 19th century; it is a notion that was shared by them, and understood by them. With the oncoming wave of the Industrial Revolution and its mechanical fingers gripping hard onto society, artists of the 19th century had a firm understanding of the true underpinnings of the world they lived in.

In the age of the 21st century, humans are faced with new challenges that are eerily similar to those that were faced in the 19th century. There is much uncertainty regarding our world and the direction it is heading in, and while big corporations and warehouses were the result of the Industrial Revolution, the 21st century is at the helm of the Information Age. This is an age of AI technology; there are talks of robots and galactic travel and communication absent of speech, an age built on capita and political warfare and the stock market. We do not protest to have our working age increased, but we participate in a different kind of protest everyday: one that is spiritual in essence, one that we must strengthen if we are to fight back against the capitalist society we have built for ourselves and keep our inner soul protected.

This is the same kind of protest that the artists of the 19th century engaged in. Through their works, they ripped through the facade of the sciences, the facade of the pretences and the social standing and the quest for factual knowledge. Wordsworth’s wise passiveness, Dickens’ reflection of the town of Coketown and its inhabitants, and Wilde’s satiric irony portrayed through The Importance of Being Earnest are all just examples of the moments of protest these artists attempted; their art was their way to shout, their weapon against the decaying nature of humanity they felt was occurring.

In the same way that many 21st century artists fear for the direction of our future, these artists also pondered where their worlds were headed, and why not enough people stopped to appreciate the magnificent beauty of their sweeping landscapes. This fear, the apprehension for a new way of being and the austere focus on material possession, led them to create and express and declare solutions.

These solutions they suggest – cultivating wise passiveness, being still, appreciating the world around you, reflecting on which material possessions take away from your spiritual essence – are all solutions that could be applied to our modern issues.

The 21st centuries intense obsession with new cars and big houses and cyborg technology is all a reflection of the absence of soul, of stillness, of reflection. With a more careful appreciation and understanding, new ways of existing can be reached; new ways of being human and feeling wholesome instead of participating in competitive outbursts with our next-door neighbours.

Through the study of 19th century literature and its artists, whether it be reading Tolstoy and understanding through Ivan Ilyich what actually makes a life worth living – love and hope and family – or reflecting on the paintings of Botticelli, I have been able to grasp slices of wisdom to carry through life. This life of mine which happens to be occurring in the 21st century, with all its alien propaganda and brain chips to increase cognitive function, that is very different to the life of a young woman in the 19th century. The study of the 19th century holds no barriers to the modern age, and this is because human essence does not change. While we are continuing evolving, our issues still remain constant: we all want love, we all seek understanding, and at the end of the night we all want someone to love and understand us. Yet, we still value activities which will give us the highest prestige, or inflate our bank accounts to the highest potential. Our issues wear different faces, but our internal conflicts are still the same, the lessons we can learn from art are still the same.

ENGL200 Peer Review 3

Caitlin Burke – William Blake’s ‘London’

Hey Caitlin!

I really enjoyed reading your blog post on the critical reflection of William Blake’s poem ‘London’ against the effects of the Industrial Revolution.

I really like this poem in particular, so I was excited to read your thoughts about it.

I agree with you on most points, and I think you did a really good job of including technical analysis as well as adding your own thoughts to what Blake was trying to convey through this poem.

I think the examples you used were very appropriate, and I do believe that if someone had never read the poem but wanted to have a basic overview of this theme, they’d be able to read your post and gather a vague understanding of its core concept.

I do think you could have added an image, and perhaps maybe gathered your thoughts into paragraphs so that it isn’t just one chunk of information. I think this would make it easier to read.

However, I really enjoyed reading your blog post all in all. Great job!

ENGL200 Blog Post 4

Describe a contact you have had with some marginalized group (gypsies/ circus people etc). Has it shown you the deficiencies of your own world view?

I’m walking along the bustling streets of Parramatta. The night air is crisp, and I can feel the cold tugging on the tip of my nose. There’s a food festival, a celebration of cultures, and there are people everywhere.

I am on a date, and we’ve stopped for ice cream. He’s a local tattooist, and has a rich swagger in his gait and ink lining his flesh from his fist to his chest. You can’t tell under all the clothes, but you can see his daughter’s name scrawled under his left eye-socket, and the triangle of three inky dots on the top of his right cheek. He’s loud, and familiar with his surroundings, and a lady approaches us.

She recognises him, of course. Her in her tattered and thinning shirt, speaking in her slanted Italian english. I remember her eyes mostly, the way they dropped at the edges and only shone when the lights above us flashed onto them. No shoes on her feet. Hair clipped short but ragged.

She is asking him how he has been, and he is asking her if she is hungry, if she’s eaten that day yet. He hands her some money and she hesitates. Looks down at the ground. Takes it grudgingly.

“You are angel.” she says, lips lifting slightly.

Then, she shuffles away, her feet dragging as she wades under the glow of the McDonald’s glow.

“She was rich, you know.” we turn our backs from her and walk towards the stalls of fresh pide and fairy floss, “Her and her husband owned an Italian restaurant. It was really successful. Then he died suddenly, and none of it was left in her name. So, she lost it all.”

I prodded him further, asking him how he knew this, curious by the intricacies of this woman’s life.

“I sat with her one day.” he shrugs, “Now, I try to talk to her whenever I see her.”

A woman, who once sat inside the seams of society, who thrived within its confines, now stuck on the marginalised edges, with no home and no family.

I think about her every time I visit that corner of Parramatta, and it reminds me to carry gratitude with me in every possible moment.

ENGL210 Peer Review 2

Grace Mokdassi – How Technology has Maintained our Connection to Literature

Hey Grace!

I just wanted to say how interesting I think your blog topic is! Before I even read it, I was intrigued and curious and it spurred my own thoughts about the connections between technology and literature.

I really liked reading the way you write your sentences. I liked that they’re short when necessary, and I think that it makes your blog post have a certain kind of atmosphere that it not only easy to read, but also highly entertaining.

I thought your into paragraph was funny, and it actually made me laugh out loud!

I agree with your wonder about how adaptable we are as human beings, and how amazing it is that we can all be studying together at the same time over these mechanical devices that allow us to read Shakespeare and talk with each other, while being, like you said, kilometres away from one another.

I did enjoy your blog, and I would have loved to read a little bit more! I think you maybe could have delved a little deeper into the connections between literature and technology, and maybe adding some kind of media or photo could have really enhanced your post.

But, overall I really appreciated your blog, and it truly has got me thinking about the other ways we’re able to connect more deeply to literature through technology.

Thank-you!

ENGL210 Blog Post 3

Write a review of Marcia Williams’ “translation” of The Winter’s Tale into a comic book version.

“Thus ended the strange story of how Paulina had kept Hermione hidden and how Perdita had been found – a wonderful winter’s tale to tell by the fireside.”

Shakespeare speaks a language entirely foreign to our 21st century tongue. His works are a particular and intricate weaving of words that takes time to really grasp onto. Many of the words he writes are not common for folk of today, and while a lot of his most famous saying remain alive as jargon, a large number of the populace struggle to connect with his work due to the barriers in language.

This is particularly evident in high schools, where children quickly lose interest in studying Shakespeare because the time it takes to unpack what is being said in every scene is not something they are bothered to do.

While there are many online platforms that translate the soliloquies, and give clues about the main themes of all the plays, none do it quite like Marcia Williams.

She is able to turn the intricate and sloping plot of The Winter’s Tale and turn it into a story that is easy to digest for readers of all ages. It is broken down into easy to follow frames, and illustrated with beautiful images to accompany the translated words.

Instead of being a convoluted and confusing concoction that seems foreign and incomprehensible to the reader, they instead read something similar to a lullaby; it is much more soothing, and a perfect introduction for anyone to read before they dive headfirst into the original Shakespeare script.

ENGL200 Peer Review 2

Cameron Cole

Hey Cameron!

I read your blog post about Wordsworth’s “The World is Too Much With Us” and I have to say that I was really impressed! I think you have such a strong grip on the English language and really know how to phrase your sentences so that they are easy to comprehend and follow, whilst also effectively getting your point across.

I feel as though you demonstrated that you have a really good grip on the sonnet and showed a true understanding about where Wordsworth was coming from and what he was trying to convey.

I think it was good that for a critical blog you acknowledged the technicalities of the sonnet and drew attention to the effect of each particular technique.

Your blog is also really enjoyable to view with the picture you used, as well as exceptionally easy to navigate due to how organised it all is.

The only thing I think you could improve is length. I know we have a word limit, but I was very keen to hear some more elaborated thoughts on the sonnet!

I think you did a really good job overall.

ENGL200 Blog Post 3

Which painting made the strongest impression on you and how did it amplify your understanding of any of the literary themes that we have been exploring.

Eugene Von Guerard “Milford Sound” (1877-1879).

After the virtual visit, the painting that left the greatest impression on me was “Milford Sound” by Eugene Von Guerard.

Instantly, I was blown away by the unbelievable beauty captured in the painting. My first thoughts traced the mysticism of the mountains and the pretty colours and the towering nature of force that seemed to be held within the landscape. It is, upon first sight, both mesmerising and intimidating. The sharp peaks of the mountains compared to the softness of the surface of the water create a stark contrast that feels almost magical.

The entire painting itself looks magical, as though there are secrets hidden inside the pockets between the mountains. I immediately wanted to know what part of the world had inspired the painting, and wanted to visit it to see it with my own eyes once I knew it was in New Zealand.

In regards to literature, it deepened my appreciation for Romanticism. This is because I think it shows another side to romance. Not only is there a recognition of the beauty of the natural world, but there is also a certain awe, a respect for the mightiness of the landscape, that you can feel just by looking at the painting. At once the viewer can identify that the landscape is a powerful expanse of pure force, but also so beautiful it fills your heart with hope.

Eugene was able to position his viewer to feel as though they are looking directly at Milford Sound from the exact same spot he was in. He is able to inspire us to search for wise passiveness just through viewing his painting, because we can feel that he has found a certain kind of wisdom by staying still long enough to really understand the picture he painted.

ENGL210 Peer Review 1

Katelin Teen

Hi Katelin!

I’d like to start by saying I really enjoyed reading your blog. I think your language was so nice to read and really creative. The line: “Giving up on human decency would be the suicide of society as we know it.” really stood out to me.

I truly felt the darkness and anxiety that I feel as though you were trying to convey through your soliloquy, and I feel as though that is a true accomplishment on your behalf!

With everything that is going on in 2020, I was able to really understand the fear over the lack of control we have on life and how control is really just an illusion humans have created to give themselves some semblance of comfort.

I did enjoy reading the whole thing, but I do think you may have been able to convey your ideas with the same emotion with perhaps less words, only because I feel as though some ideas were repeated.

I appreciated your self-reflection at the end! I think it is so helpful to self-assess and I thought it was interesting to combine the creative + critical elements of our blog posts.

Overall, I think your blog was really, really well done!

ENGL210 Blog Post 2

This week, I have decided to create my own blog topic and discuss the importance of Shakespeare in the modern world.

I believe that both as a historic figure and a great artist, he is essential to every human being on the planet, if only so they are better able to understand themselves and the world around them.

Just a few days ago, I stumbled across a quote that perfectly sums up the importance of Shakespeare:

“”How much do you know about Shakespeare?” I once asked a friend who has committed much of her life to studying the Bard. She replied, “Not as much as he knows about me.” Remember this the next time someone tells you literature is useless.”

There are many remarkable facets of Shakespeare: the legend that has been preserved, the structure of his plays, the astonishing verses and intricate storylines. The most important part of all, however, is how much he mirrors humanity, not only for his era but even for the modern day.

His ability to reflect ourselves back to us, to remind us of something within ourselves, to search for better, to be better, to understand better, that is the true brilliance of Shakespeare. That is what keeps his art enduring.

The discovery of oneself is what true art is about, and Shakespeare has travelled through time and still continues to help us feel understood in a world that can feel very isolated.

ENGL210: Blog Post 1

Write a prose soliloquy in which you are either Hamlet or Ophelia commenting on the world around you in 2020.

Oh, the world can be dark. And love? Love can be even darker. Boys do not speak of their hallucinations, they do not vocalize their stresses and their visions and their worries, but they transmute it all the same. They do not say when, perhaps, their ghost of a father visits them in dreams. They do not say when they see a shadow out of the corner of their eye. They stay scared and they barrel their fists tight.

Oh, and the world suffers for it. The world suffers by the tight grip our boys hold on to sanity. If only they let go for a single minute, long enough to love a little louder. If only they spoke when they were angry, instead of driving their cars off cliffs.

There can be a lot said, for the violence of men. Oh, we see it every week. Another death, another murder, another bruised lover at the hands of her husband. We can watch it happen, throughout all the years that have already passed us with history. And we have not learnt. We have not learnt. This generations Hamlet is the same as Shakespeare’s hamlet. But now, boys do not speak of their hallucinations, they do not give them air, they only take deadly action.