THE FINAL BLOG FOR CLASS!!

Okay well since this is my final blog for class, before I begin my story I will talk about my English Literature since 1800 class a little. So, I really enjoyed this class. I learned more than I thought I would and enjoyed the class as well. There were just a couple of things I did not like about the class, but for the most part it was great. The two things I did not like about the class were the following: first we had to do a group project and with a group project, the group really needs to meet in order to be efficient. However, because this was an online class we could not meet. Also the group project was part of an individual assignment and that made it difficult as well. You see we had to make a webpage for our individual assignment, but for our group assignment we had to join the pages together under a common theme and make a website out of them. Well we could not start on our individual webpage until the group agreed on a theme for the website. So even though that is a small matter, I did not really like the group project in the class. It was a lot of fun, but a little harder than it should have been. The second thing I didn't like about the class is that we had a couple of novels that we covered in class, however because the class was only eight weeks long an online we were not able to really read the novels completely. I would have liked to have spent a little extra time on the novels so we couple read them. Other than those two things the class was great. Okay so I know I have promised to tell the story on how I hurt my back so here it goes.

THE STORY: So I had been in the friend zone with this girl for a long time. We had been friends since sixth grade and once we graduated high school I decided to tell her how I really felt. Well I told her over the phone one night after she had moved into her dorm at OU and she tells me to come and pick her up the next day and we would go to lunch and talk. She had kind of hinted that our friendship was too good to jeopardize over the phone, but I still wanted to see her and talk to her. So the next day I get into my car and start driving to Norman. Well along the way somewhere on the turnpike I guess I ran over something sharp enough to mess up my front left tire. So I am driving along at 80mph, because the speed limit is 75mph, and my front left tire blows out. Well as you can imagine going at that speed I loose control of the car. I slid right, then left, then finally I was sliding sideways, but somehow my car straightens out to where I'm headed toward the median. So I hit the down slope of the grass median and when I hit the upslope I flip end over end and land on my hood. I continue to roll three times into oncoming traffic, until finally coming to a stop right side up on the shoulder of the other side of the road. Let me tell you, the whole thing might of lasted for 15 or 20 seconds, but it all felt and looked like slow motion. I was consciousness the entire time and when I was sliding on my roof seeing cars coming at me I thought I was going to die. Well I walked out of the crash without a scrape but I hurt all over. This is when my heart gets broken. I called the girl I was going to see, my best friend and the girl who I have loved since we first met. I get her on the phone and explain what happened and she replied, "Okay, well talk to you later" and bung up the phone. I was crushed. If the same thing had happened to her I would have rushed to wherever she was and stayed with her until I knew she was okay. So bam heart broken, and now my body hurts. So I let my mom take me to the ER. They gave me a pain shot a script and said I would be fine. Well turns out that wasn't the case at all. After a couple of weeks and the pain not getting any better, I went to see a specialist. I had an MRI done and bam what do you know I have a bulging disk and a ruptured disk. The exact locations were L4L5 and L5S1. So after a year or so of doing everything but surgery, I finally had to have a spinal fusion where they fused bone and metal into my spine and added two screws for good measure. That was supposed to fix me and it did for about four months. However, after that the pain returned and they did another MRI and found that the areas above where they did the surgery were now going bad. So to finish the story I still have metal in my back and now they want to do an experimental surgery on the other areas of my back that are screwed up. I have a bulging disk at L3L4 and the disk that was just bulging, L4L5, is about to rupture. They want to remove it and replace it with an artificial disk. Anyway, that is the story of how my heart was broken, as well as my back (kind of), all in the same day. Now you know why my motto is what it is and why my number one life rule is what it is.
So this is Silas Marner signing off and saying remember my motto and my number one rule to live by.
MOTTO: When a defining moment comes, you either divine the moment, or the moment defines you.
#1 RULE TO LIVE YOUR LIFE BY: Never bet money you don't have, on a dog race, with an ex-girlfriend who just happens to be a stripper.

Carpe diem,
The Real Silas Marner

Last Weeks Blog (2/24-3/2) LATE

Hey guys this was supposed to be last weeks blog and I was feeling ill so I will post it now. I will also post a blog for this week as well. Anyway Last week we looked at Virginia Woolf's book Mrs. Dalloway. I did not get to read the whole thing, so if you get the chance I recommend you read it. If not at least look at the Cliff Notes or Spark Notes. This is a really interesting look at the ways people view society, and the ways those views can be affected. I do not really have anything to post from class so I will just recommend the book and say that you need to read it carefully. It is a story that needs to be analyzed and read thoroughly. Well that is all for this short post from THE REAL SILAS MARNER so remember my motto, and never forget my number one rule to live your life by. Tomorrow might be my final post, or I might keep the Blog going I am not sure yet, but either way I will tell you the story of how I got hurt and my heart broken all in the same day.

Carpe diem,
Silas Marner

When you get old...

We read a poem in class that really made me think. So I will post it for you guys here and hopefully someone will reply. Anyway I owe everyone a story I know but I have been swamped and my back is in agony. I feel old LOL. anyway here is the poem I hope you enjoy. Until next time remember my motto and #1 rule to live your life by.

When you are old and grey and full of sleep,
And nodding by the fire, take down this book,
And slowly read, and dream of the soft look
Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;

How many loved your moments of glad grace,
And loved your beauty with love false or true,
But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,
And loved the sorrows of your changing face;

And bending down beside the glowing bars,
Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled
And paced upon the mountains overhead
And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.

Carpe Diem,
Silas Marner

Silas Marner and Artist Objectification

This week in class one topic we talked about was objectification in art. We read a poem and answered some questions about it. I am going to post the same poem and see what you have to say about it. So to start here is the poem.

One face looks out from all his canvases,
One selfsame figure sits or walks or leans:
We found her hidden just behind those screens,
That mirror gave back all her loveliness.
A queen in opal or in ruby dress,
A nameless girl in freshest summer-greens,
A saint, an angel — every canvas means
The same one meaning, neither more nor less.
He feeds upon her face by day and night,
And she with true kind eyes looks back on him,
Fair as the moon and joyful as the light:
Not wan with waiting, not with sorrow dim;
Not as she is, but was when hope shone bright;
Not as she is, but as she fills his dream.

So, what do you think this poem is about as a whole? How is this poem about objectification? Finally, do you think that artistic rendering naturally leads to objectification? Hopefully someone will post their opinion on this topic. Below I will tell you what I thought and maybe it will give you some ideas.

I think this poem is about an artist who painted a woman who was young and beautiful, the woman of his dreams. It is about objectification because it seems like the woman is no longer young and beautiful in real life only in his dreams. They seemed to like each other when he was painting her, but as she grew older she lost a little of her beauty he lost interest. He was not the type of man to wait or have sorrow. So he stopped seeing her and painting her, and left remembering her as she was not as she is. I do not think artistic rendering naturally leads to objectification. I think it is a fine line an artist must be cautious to avoid and be ever vigilant not to cross it. Because once they do cross the line into objectification, then it becomes a habit of sorts, and is hard to cross back over to the other side.

Anyway there is the poem and the questions, as well as what I thought of the poem and the answers to the questions. Feel free to post anything you want. If you want to answer the questions great, if not that is okay. The point is you can post anything you want whether it is about the poem or not. I hope to see some replies next time I log on here. On a side note I know I promised to tell the story about my accident and back injury, but I have been in a ton of pain this week and cannot sit and type for very long. So, hopefully next week I will feel better and can post my story.

Until then, remember my life motto and my #1 rule to live by. Until next time remember those and have a great week.

Carpe diem,
Silas Marner

A small post on the Victorian Age by Silas

This week in class we covered authors from the Victorian era. I had a picture and thought process in my mind when I heard the word Victorian or thought about that time period. However, I found out that the Victorian era was really the 2nd English Renaissance. There were huge leaps and accomplishments in every aspect of academics and human life in general. I just wanted to let everyone know that they might be thinking about the Victorian era all wrong, just like I used to. I am going to post a poem from class this week, and then sign off. I know I still owe everyone the story about my back injury, but I just do not have the time right now. Here is Mathew Arnold's "The Forsaken Merman."

COME, dear children, let us away;
Down and away below.
Now my brothers call from the bay;
Now the great winds shoreward blow;
Now the salt tides seaward flow;	5
Now the wild white horses play,
Champ and chafe and toss in the spray.
Children dear, let us away.
This way, this way!
Call her once before you go.	10
Call once yet.
In a voice that she will know:
'Margaret! Margaret!'
Children's voices should be dear
(Call once more) to a mother's ear;	15
Children's voices, wild with pain.
Surely she will come again.
Call her once and come away.
This way, this way!
'Mother dear, we cannot stay.'	20
The wild white horses foam and fret.
Margaret! Margaret!
Come, dear children, come away down.
Call no more.
One last look at the white-wall'd town,	25
And the little grey church on the windy shore.
Then come down.
She will not come though you call all day.
Come away, come away.
Children dear, was it yesterday	30
We heard the sweet bells over the bay?
In the caverns where we lay,
Through the surf and through the swell,
The far-off sound of a silver bell?
Sand-strewn caverns, cool and deep,	35
Where the winds are all asleep;
Where the spent lights quiver and gleam;
Where the salt weed sways in the stream;
Where the sea-beasts, ranged all round,
Feed in the ooze of their pasture-ground;	40
Where the sea-snakes coil and twine,
Dry their mail, and bask in the brine;
Where great whales come sailing by,
Sail and sail, with unshut eye,
Round the world for ever and aye?	45
When did music come this way?
Children dear, was it yesterday?
Children dear, was it yesterday
(Call yet once) that she went away?
Once she sate with you and me,	50
On a red gold throne in the heart of the sea,
And the youngest sate on her knee.
She comb'd its bright hair, and she tended it well,
When down swung the sound of the far-off bell.
She sigh'd, she look'd up through the clear green sea.	55
She said, 'I must go, for my kinsfolk pray
In the little grey church on the shore to-day.
'Twill be Easter-time in the world—ah me!
And I lose my poor soul, Merman, here with thee.'
I said, 'Go up, dear heart, through the waves.	60
Say thy prayer, and come back to the kind sea-caves.'
She smiled, she went up through the surf in the bay.
Children dear, was it yesterday?
Children dear, were we long alone?
'The sea grows stormy, the little ones moan.	65
Long prayers,' I said, 'in the world they say.
Come,' I said, and we rose through the surf in the bay.
We went up the beach, by the sandy down
Where the sea-stocks bloom, to the white-wall'd town.
Through the narrow paved streets, where all was still,	70
To the little grey church on the windy hill.
From the church came a murmur of folk at their prayers,
But we stood without in the cold-blowing airs.
We climb'd on the graves, on the stones worn with rains,
And we gazed up the aisle through the small leaded panes.	75
She sate by the pillar; we saw her dear:
'Margaret, hist! come quick, we are here.
Dear heart,' I said, 'we are long alone.
The sea grows stormy, the little ones moan.'
But, ah! she gave me never a look,	80
For her eyes were seal'd to the holy book.
Loud prays the priest; shut stands the door.
Came away, children, call no more.
Come away, come down, call no more.
Down, down, down;	85
Down to the depths of the sea.
She sits at her wheel in the humming town,
Singing most joyfully.
Hark what she sings: 'O joy, O joy,
For the humming street, and the child with its toy.	90
For the priest, and the bell, and the holy well.
For the wheel where I spun,
And the blessèd light of the sun.'
And so she sings her fill,
Singing most joyfully,	95
Till the shuttle falls from her hand,
And the whizzing wheel stands still.
She steals to the window, and looks at the sand;
And over the sand at the sea;
And her eyes are set in a stare;	100
And anon there breaks a sigh,
And anon there drops a tear,
From a sorrow-clouded eye,
And a heart sorrow-laden,
A long, long sigh	105
For the cold strange eyes of a little Mermaiden,
And the gleam of her golden hair.
Come away, away, children.
Come children, come down.
The hoarse wind blows colder;	110
Lights shine in the town.
She will start from her slumber
When gusts shake the door;
She will hear the winds howling,
Will hear the waves roar.	115
We shall see, while above us
The waves roar and whirl,
A ceiling of amber,
A pavement of pearl.
Singing, 'Here came a mortal,	120
But faithless was she:
And alone dwell for ever
The kings of the sea.'
But, children, at midnight,
When soft the winds blow;	125
When clear falls the moonlight;
When spring-tides are low:
When sweet airs come seaward
From heaths starr'd with broom;
And high rocks throw mildly	130
On the blanch'd sands a gloom:
Up the still, glistening beaches,
Up the creeks we will hie;
Over banks of bright seaweed
The ebb-tide leaves dry.	135
We will gaze, from the sand-hills,
At the white, sleeping town;
At the church on the hill-side—
And then come back down.
Singing, 'There dwells a loved one,	140
But cruel is she.
She left lonely for ever
The kings of the sea.' So that is a little taste of Victorian poetry, if anyone has any thoughts feel free to post them. I have my own interpretation of the poem, but I would like to hear yours. If I don't see any posts soon I will tell you what I think in a few days. Anyway, until then remember my motto and #1 rule to live by.   Carpe diem, Silas Marner  

"Frankenstein" Through the Eyes of Silas

Well we had to read Frankenstein in class this week and let me tell you, I was pleasantly surprised. I had never actually read the book or seen the movie but I thought I had an idea of what the story was about. Boy was I wrong! This isn't about a crazy mad scientist who creates this big green monster, who gets loose and causes destruction in the local town, then gets chased back up to the castle where he was created and both the scientist and the monster are killed by villagers with fire and pitchforks. I will not spoil the story for you, but if you have that image in your head, or one that is similar, I highly recommend you read the book. To me this story really kind of boils down to a love story. I don't mean a simple love story between a man and woman, but a love story about companionship, love, knowledge, family, and life. This was an amazing book and I highly recommend that anyone who has not read it needs to read it. Anyway, I just wanted to post something small and tell you about the book and revelation I had after reading it. I know I promised last week to tell everyone about my injury and the story behind my back injury and continued pain and problems in that area. But that will have to wait until next week when I am not so busy. Anyway I hope everyone is doing well and I am still waiting for my first comment. If anyone actually reads this. But if anyone does feel free to post and I will say something about it. As always I leave you saying remember my motto and my #1 rule in life that always needs to be followed. Hope all is well and everyone has a great week.

P.S. If you do not know my motto or my #1 life rule look at previous posts or I will post them again next time I write.

Carpe Diem,
Silas Marner

"When We Two Parted" by Lord Byron, Read it and think about it.....

Here is a poem by Lord Byron called "When We Two Parted." It is one of the things we had to read and write about in my English Literature class and I wanted to share it with you to see what you all think about it. I will give you my input later, but first here is the poem:

When we two parted In silence and tears, Half broken-hearted To sever for years, Pale grew thy cheek and cold, Colder thy kiss; Truly that hour foretold Sorrow to this.
  The dew of the morning Sunk chill on my brow --- It felt like the warning Of what I feel now. Thy vows are all broken, And light is thy fame; I hear thy name spoken, And share in its shame.
  They name thee before me, A knell to mine ear; A shudder comes o'er me --- Why wert thou so dear? They know not I knew thee, Who knew thee too well: --- Long, long shall I rue thee, Too deeply to tell.
  In secret we met --- In silence I grieve, That thy heart could forget, Thy spirit deceive. If I should meet thee After long years, How should I greet thee? --- With silence and tears.

So, what do you guys think this poem is about? What happened to the man and woman? Use your imagination and interpret it however you want to. This is what I think.
I believe that this relationship is a secret affair that the narrator was having with a woman. I am not sure whether they were both cheating on their spouses or if it was just the narrator, but either way it was secret. I also believe that the woman was lower in social class than the narrator, that is part of the reason he is shameful. I think he is also ashamed of his actions deep inside, but it was something he could not stop. I also believe that this might be partly autobiographical, and the narrator could be Byron, but that part will obviously never been known for sure. Now here is where I tend to drift off from what most people in my class believe. I believe that the affair ended because the woman died. That is why at the end of the poem he talks about his "spirit deceive" and if they "meet after long years." I think he is talking about if he should meet her in the after-life would be able to talk to her, and the answer is no. I believe something happened between these two lovers that caused the woman's death. There are various scenarios that I can imagine, such as because she was lower in class than he was, maybe his wife found out and she was killed to avoid a scandal. Or maybe the woman was a prostitute and she developed a relationship with the narrator, however she had to continue to make a living and one day the narrator walked in on her with another man and killed them both. There are several other scenarios I can come up with, but the point is I believe that this poem has a bit more shroud and mystery than most people first realize. Yes, we wonder about the relationship between the two people but I believe there is more to the story, and the reader has to open their mind to any possibility in order to see the entire picture. I think you have to read this poem several times in order to get a good understanding of what the poem is about and to allow your imagination to open up enough to come up with different scenarios. I am sure most people will say I am "reaching" or "stretching" in order to come up with my conclusions. However, that is what is great about personal interpretation.
So, like I said before tell me what you think, I still have not had anyone post anything but hey maybe one day someone will. Anyway tell me what you think the poem is about or what happened in the poem or what it really means or ANYTHING YOU WANT TO POST. It really doesn't matter because like I said that is the beauty of personal interpretation, you can't be wrong because it is your personal thought or belief.
Well as always this is Silas Marner signing off and remember my MOTTO and #1 rule in life!!! For any newcomers I will post them both below.

MOTTO: "When a defining moment comes, you either define the moment or the moment defines you!"

#1 RULE IN LIFE: Never bet money you don't have on a dog race with an ex-girlfriend who just happens to be a stripper!

Now both of those are words to live by people. Well that's all for now so keep an eye out for the next post of the life and times of the REAL Silas Marner.


~Silas~