AOW #22

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPTmsoZYkXI

This spoken word poem was written and performed by Rudy Francisco.  The poem is about his ex-girlfriend and essentially their strained, destroyed relationship.  Rudy shows his confliction through this poem by saying that he hates her and he loves her one after another.  Rudy uses an extremely wide range of rhetorical elements.  He uses metaphors, similes, puns, hyperbole, personification, allusion, digression, and even anaphora.  His metaphors and simile put his state of heartbreak and nostalgia into a new, presentable, light.  Heartbreak isn't anything no one hasn't already heard of before, but through his "gas chamber" and "hour glass" metaphors, he makes heartbreak sound freshly cruel and destructive as if we are hearing about it for the first time.  Rudy also describes his pride as "clawing out of his mouth" which gives Pride the persona of a self-minded demon.  His repeated "if I could" and "you wanna know how I got these scars" statements keep bringing the poem back to where it started, in order to remind everyone what the purpose of the poem is. Rudy also alludes to Jesus dying on a cross, wars and white flags, even the Holocaust.  By doing so, he expands the poem's potential and empowers it.  Perhaps most impressive of all is his presentation.  Rudy was not restrained at all.  He was passionate, natural as if he had just been heartbroken right then and there.  I could even see spit coming out of his mouth, which showed me that he was lost in his emotions with no consideration for what his audience might think.

As a poet, I'd say his purpose would first be to relieve himself of his inner thoughts.  Otherwise, he might implode.  I would argue that if he were a real poet, everything that he writes is first for himself; everything else is secondary.  This is a piece driven by emotion/pathos so there may be little acknowledgment of an audience.  After all, heartbreak has no time for debates.  It's just a time for coping and venting.  Poetry such as this, has little room for reconstruction.  Most likely how it falls and how it spills onto paper is how it should be.  For him to go back and logically/technically arrange the pieces of the poem would only show insincerity and betrayal of his own self.

AOW #21

http://pacificvs.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/picture-21.png

This political cartoon was created by Benjamin Franklin during the American Revolution.  It was a call for the American colonies to unite in an effort to defeat Great Britain.  Franklin communicated his message through the symbolic image of a snake divided into eight pieces.  Below the snake were the words in caps, "JOIN, or DIE."  This physically represented the idea that if colonies did not come together, they would perish under the British regime.  It also suggested the idea that all the pieces, or colonies, were needed in order for America to stand a chance.   Another interesting and effective memory that Ben Franklin pulled from was a common superstition that was held during that time: if the parts of a snake were put back together before sunset, the snake would come back to life.

The context of the cartoon was the approaching American Revolution.  Britain had limited the rights of its American colonies, angering many colonists.  Policies such as the various tax acts made colonists want to separate from Britain.  However, there was no single government that the colonies had; therefore, cooperation was difficult.

The purpose of the cartoon was obviously to unite the colonies.  Benjamin Franklin knew the importance of union in order to defeat Britain, which is why he would present his Albany Plan that same year.  While the colonies never were united in the way in which some would have hoped, it was enough to keep Americans from working against one another.

IRB: Everything is Illuminated

Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer

Roughly 270 pages (split into 90 page sections)

I chose this book because I have read small excerpts from it before, and based on what I have read it seems like a very interesting and passionate book.  I don't read novels often but I decided I would give this a try since it seems somewhat like a memoir as well.  I presume it will be a "life" book, which I enjoy.  I also have hopes that I can take away something genuine from this book.  I don't feel like books often have that effect on me anymore. And perhaps this one will find application into my own life; that would be the best case scenario.

AOW #20

http://articles.boston.com/2008-04-20/sports/29277449_1_paul-pierce-ocd-baselines

The following article was written by Boston Globe's Jackie MacMullan about  Ray Allen, NBA superstar.  The article talks about Ray Allen's routine for excellence and how he became not only one of the best players in the league, but one of the best three point shooters in the history of basketball.  Jackie MacMullan will revisit Ray Allen's past and observe his behavior, revealing a personal, often overlooked, aspect of sports.

The context includes having prior knowledge of what it is like to play a sport competitively, especially basketball.  It includes sharing the fact that we all have routines we go through before a game in order to perform the best way that we can. 

Jackie MacMullan takes a rather different approach than I've seen most sports journalists take.  She observes Ray Allen in more than just statistics and game performance, she goes behind the scenes.  She goes in to find out what makes Ray Allen so special and how he as a person has affected him as a player.  I think just this approach itself is an interesting and new rhetorical choice.  She pulls unique quotes from Ray Allen himself which give great insight about who he is.  Through this, one can see that Ray is more than just an athlete.  Jackie also contrasts Allen with other members of his team to highlight certain unique qualities about him.

I think the author did a very effective job in writing about Ray Allen.  What she revealed about Ray Allen's personal thought-process interested me far more than the actual basketball aspect of it all.  She truly does him justice by illustrating that he is a master at what he does, and that he holds wisdom far beyond the subject of basketball.

AOW #19

http://simplephilosophy.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/gautama-buddha.jpg

The painting shows Siddhartha Gautama, or the Buddha, sitting beneath a tree meditating.  Around him are demons and promiscuous women trying to influence him.  They attempt to penetrate his happy existence.  However he remains sitting peacefuly, undisturbed and unconcerned. 

The context includes prior knowledge of the Buddhist philosophy and Siddhartha's story.  The story is that he was formerly a young Indian prince, who lived in a palace unaware of the tragedies that occurred around him.  However, one day, he traveled beyond his kingdom's gates and saw a sick man and a dead man.  He saw the poverty that plagued his people and the pain that stained their lives.  He was forever moved and from then on sought to discover the source of suffering.  He sat under a tree for twenty years and finally came to a grand understanding.  He learned the secret of life and reached Enlightenment.

Rhetorical elements in the painting include symbolism and the juxtaposition of the light and dark.  There is a clear focus of golden light coming from the center of the piece, particularly Siddhartha.  This is symbolic for his Enlightened state.  The golden orb around Siddhartha acts as a shield warding off everything that is sad and unhealthy in the world.  In having discovering the intricacies of life, Siddhartha can avoid suffering and pain.

The purpose of the author can be many things.  One purpose can be simply to pay his respects to a interesting philosophy.  Another purpose can be to spread the influence of Buddhism.  After all, it is not especially a religion.  Rather, it is a practical pursuit, a way to achieve transcendence and contentment.

Unit 3 Post

           In Unit 3, we read many speeches that were defining moments in history.  In their respective times, such speeches such as Patrick Henry’s “Speech from the VA Convention,” Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address” and Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream,” turned the tides and defied great odds.  They revealed certain duties that different individuals have in their society.  These duties varied slightly from person to person, but some common responsibilities  included establishing principle within a society and also fighting for that very principle in the individual's own way.

Patrick Henry spoke about the principle of freedom.  During an era when America was torn between two nations, he used rhetoric as a tool to make people realize and to rally them behind the Patriot cause.  “Are we disposed to be of the number of those who, having eyes, see not, and, having ears, hear not” (Henry).  He recreated his own understanding about the situation and by spreading his insights, he allowed many people to side with his point of view.  Abraham Lincoln was able to a very similar thing during the Civil War.  Once again America was divided, and Lincoln called on the ideals of responsibility and liberty.  “…that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom --and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth” (Lincoln).  He convinced the people of the Union to continue to fight on behalf of the fallen soldiers and on behalf of freedom.  He inspired goodness and passion within people - a very powerful combination.  Lincoln knew his own obligation as well as the rest of society’s; he stated it aloud so that it could not go unacknowledged and overlooked.  He called attention to it and thus, did his part.

Lastly, King was a leading voice in the Civil Rights Movement in America, and changed the nation forever.  He not only spoke for the principle of equality, but also the principle of forgiveness.  He advocated a cause but at the same time urged for his supporters to approach it in the right manner.   “There is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice: In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred” (King).  By demonstrating this conduct, he avoided race war.  He allowed peace to prevail over violence, and forgiveness to prevail over vengeance.  He did his part as an individual by doing the right thing and manifesting moral character not only with his words but with his actions.

Personal obligations will always vary from person to person.  Therefore I do not believe there is one set standard for individuals to follow by.  I think what individuals ultimately owe to their governments however is personal awareness.  They need not be blind to the government’s needs, nor the government be blind to the individual’s needs.  All positions have their advantages and disadvantages, their powers and limitations.   There were things Lincoln could not do as President, but those things that he could do he acted on them to their greatest potential.  The same goes to King and Henry; although neither of them started with high authoritative power, they recognized their capabilities as everyday civilians and erected great inspiration.

IRB Last

The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama

As his second book nears an end, Barack Obama focuses on the more political aspects of family, race, faith and foreign affairs.  He continues to give his perspective on certain issues such as the increasing display of religion in the GOP, and almost inversely the decreasing display of religion in the Democratic Party.  Barack Obama, himself, was originally an atheist who emerged as a Christian.  He discusses America's role in the world through his experience living in Indonesia when he was a child.  He also acknowledges the more subtle but still existent racial barriers that stand between people today.  Obama had a very unique and diverse upbringing, and it is this perspective that has allowed me to make many overlooked observations.

Obama offers many anecdotes to support his views.  He constantly references his past; it is evident that Obama mainly bases his life on his experiences but leaves room for others' as well.  His diction is also very clear and logical.  He rarely, if ever, goes to extremes.  Instead, he shows that he strives for a middle ground, trying to avoid blind conservatism as well as overly-optimistic idealism.  Obama urges for politicians to return to the way politics used to be, that real compromise and cooperation is necessary between parties in order for government to work efficiently.