Poetry By: Savannah Hisch Poetry doth tell the greatest tales, Fantasy and reality alike; Poetry can raise the highest sails, The world is no match for the everlasting hike. Poetry is deep and dark, Its flames spread from the smallest spark. It can be light and senseless, And at times it may appear endless. Poets implore that our minds be given liberty That we may set our paths for uncharted waters; We can gain visions from what we see On the parchments of our sons and daughters. Yes, creativity comes from different places, Some very far off spaces; But often it comes from our dusty shelves, Perhaps even from within ourselves. The light that shines from one mind Can spread across a vast nation; Our senses welcome the very kind And one must truly learn to be patient. For poetry may take it’s time and course Because poets are full of glee and remorse. Time is of the essence and need Nothing will grow in a day from one seed. So here I proclaim, Inspiration is found everywhere; Not all moments remain the same You mustn’t blink, but stare. Look at the world as you wish Every mountain, person, or fish; And if you have no way to reflect on it now, Poetry provides the means of writing it down. This poem that I have written reflects the poetical styling of William Blake. It reflects Blake’s style of poetry in that it follows eight-line stanzas with a rhyme scheme of ababccdd. The poem itself reflects on what poetry is in a broad sense. The poem reflects on the variety of themes which poetry can portray. I designed the poem to incorporate language that can be found in the Romantic period, seeing as that was how William Blake wrote. I decided to write this poem to emphasize the importance of the very topic we are currently discussing in class. During the Romantic period, poems weren’t usually emphasized as “romantic,” but were written with a lot of emotion and imagery. The poem that I have written uses these characteristics and displays a lot of imagery for the reader. William Blake often centered his poetry around one topic, such as the night, love, time, religion, etc. I have done the same by focusing my poem on the whole concept of poetry. This poem derives from my personal opinion of what poetry is and I believe that Willima Blake would happily agree.

Shaekspeare and Romeo in the Future

Robotz Movie
by: sannyfeb24

Women in Power: Masculine or Sensitive?

As seen in Shakespeare’s famous play, Macbeth, Lady Macbeth is a character of undeniable spirit.  Although her disposition is meant to be seen as evil and power-hungry, it is obvious that she is passionate and eager in her plan to gain the throne.  In today’s society, it seems that in order for any woman to attain power, she must first release her masculine side on the world.  To become a great leader, one must hide emotions and portray bravery and dominance.  For men, this wouldn’t be a problem, seeing that men often don’t possess the same emotional standards as women.  Women have a tendency to let their emotion spill out of them, whereas men grow a barrier in order to seem strong.  The people want a strong leader, rather than a weak and whiny one.  How can women become leaders if they are so emotional?  Society proclaims that they should mask their emotion and have their masculinity shine forth.  I disagree with this idea.  Women and men are different for countless reasons. A woman is a woman for a reason; she must provide the absent sensitivity when ignorant men dominate.  A woman can be strong and independent without being manly.  For example, Queen Elizabeth was a strong and independent leader who ruled England for 44 years.  She never married because she desired power, yet she was not an overbearing queen.  She was well-liked for her feminine attitude and disposition.  Another example would be the first woman prime minister Margaret Thatcher, who brought the country out of a recession, led a war in defense of the British Falkland Islands, and confronted unions.  Her vigor was evident, yet she didn’t need to grow a mustache and muscles to prove how keen and strong she truly was.  Women do not need to show how masculine and tough they can be in order to gain respect.  Women use their brains in order to win battles.  In recent years of politics in America, Hillary Clinton is a woman who passionately ran for president against our current president, Barak Obama.  Hillary believed that showing her firmer and more manly side would attract voters.  In one article from the New York Times Op-Ed, she was reported crying and showing her “humane” side.  This revelation of her womanhood pulled many voters to sympathize for her and see that she is a person rather than just a candidate.  Woman can be strong while still keeping their God-given ability to show care and sensitivity.

"Can You Learn Anything from a Void?"

In such scenarios as that of Macbeth and the Holocaust, innocent lives were lost out of greed and hatred.  For some of the malevolent murderers, remorse and guilt could not be further from their minds.  In the article “Can You Learn Anything from a Void,” written by Adam Kirsch, Kirsch uses information and references from The Druggist of Auschwitz: A Documentary Novel, written by Dieter Schlesak and Reluctant Accomplice: A Wehrmacht Soldier’s Letters from the Eastern Front, written by Konrad Jarausch, to investigate the different attitudes of those people who are accomplices to evil.  Kirsch wrote about a doctor named Victor Capesius, who was a personal and professional friend to many Jewish citizens, and yet, he betrayed them when he began working for the German Nazis.  His greatest fault when he was on trial was his lack of emotion towards his wrongdoing.  He did not seem to feel upset or guilty by his actions during the Holocaust.  This lack of feeling is said to be the “void” by which a person lacks the capability to see a situation from another’s point of view.  Victor Capesius obviously lacked the sense to see his mistakes.  In such a scenario, Capesius was a bystander and onlooker of the Nazi cruelty during the Holocaust.  His responsibility should have been to stand against such cruelties and injustices.  Instead, he disregarded his humane duties and kept quiet.  In Macbeth, the three murderers who killed Banquo were simply assets in Macbeth’s plan to become king.  Their consciences should have prevented them from fulfilling such a treacherous act; however, they ignored their morals and carried out the malicious deed.  They are as guilty of murder as Macbeth.  These murderers, and those of the Holocaust, are as guilty of the crimes committed, as those who actually planned the crimes.  They could have declined their leaders and accepted the consequences instead of denying what they knew as moral.  In the article, Kirsch wrote about one man’s defiance of the “Nazi tide.”  Konrad Jarausch was a gentleman in Hitler’s army who did not agree with the views and decisions made by the men and leaders of his country.  He was able to escape this point of view due to the fact that he retained the ability to feel compassionate towards others, such as the Jews.  This compassion for others is the key to fight against the ascendance of evil.  Without such convictions and compassion, the world would be a pitiless and dark place.  It is important to always feel compassion and to step into the shoes of others to experience their point of view.

The Globe Theatre

If I were to be an audience member in the Globe Theatre, it would be one of the greatest privileges for me to experience.  To watch one of the many great plays written by Shakespeare in his famous playhouse would be an honor.  I would hope to see one of two plays: Romeo and Juliet or Taming of the Shrew.  I am more familiar with these two plays and I can understand their plots and humor better.  I would prefer to see Romeo and Juliet; however, it is not my favorite play because I believe that Romeo and Juliet were foolish and too young to be in love.  I would have enjoyed experiencing the play because the actors would have been entertaining to watch.  I'm sure I would have enjoyed seeing Taming of the Shrew as well, but I dislike the storyline of this play because it shows women as objects meant to be controlled and I disagree with that idea. In the Globe theatre I would see a massive crowd of people, since the theatre holds around 1,500 people.  The stage would be crowded and full of the actor's voices and music.  I would be a commoner in those times, paying only one penny to watch the performances.  I would stand in the Pit with others of my social class and watch the performances with the utmost attention.  All around me there may be people chatting, laughing and crying while they watch the plays, and I may see people dressed in fancy outfits.  I would hope to have a chance to see the Queen herself watching the performances.  On stage there would be many different sounds and actions that the actors would perform in order to keep the attention of the large crowd.  I would know what was going on onstage because I would be able to understand the dialect or the characters and I would be able to comprehend their different emotions and actions.  The characters would be dramatic and humorous at the same time which can be a joy to watch.  I would approve of their actions because they reflect the mind of Shakespeare.  To walk in the mind of Shakespeare for a day would priceless.  Before the play I would have been in my home, most likely cooking, cleaning or helping around the house.  After the play I would hope to be privileged enough to celebrate the performance and have a good time with friends.  I would hope to meet Shakespeare and have a conversation with him regarding his motivation for writing and creating such amazing plays.  To be able to have this experience would be the greatest in my life.