Why I Write

1. Why does Orwell write?  He says that, "By nature -- taking your "nature" to be the state you have attained when you are first adult -- I am a person in whom the first three motives would outweigh the fourth" (Orwell). The first three motives would be sheer egoism, aesthetic enthusiasm, and historical impulse. But as he continued on in  his literary career, I think he started writing for political purposes. I think this is true because he makes it his goal to turn his political writings into art. He also said that he likes having a purpose to his works. He does not want them to just sound; he wanted them to have a meaning.

2. Why do you write? I usually write because I have to do it for homework. I have never  really written out a story or poem for fun, but I have had fun writing them and thinking of new things to add to them. I think I might fall under aesthetic enthusiasm for a motive when I write. I like perceiving the external world in different ways so I can make what I am writing about more entertaining to myself and others.

3. What did you learn about writing? A person's background will affect what they enjoy writing about and why they write. I also learned that some people actually like the sound of certain words or phrases. I do not read out loud too often, so this is probably why I have never thought that the actual sound of words can be entertaining for people. 

4. What did you find most interesting about the piece? I think it is interesting how Orwell's isolated childhood molded him to become a write. This isolated childhood made him exercise his mind by trying to compensate his loneliness. Being able to channel such a negative feeling and eventually making a successful output for it in writing is amazing.

5. What one sentence would be the best grounds for an argument? Why? When he says, "It is bound to be a failure, every book is a failure," this seems like a debatable idea. I do not think that all books are failures. Many books are able to carry across their ideas to the readers and become commercially successful. Unless his view of failure pertains to some other goal he is trying to achieve, then I think that statement is false.

Work Cited

Orwell, George. "Why I Write." K-1.com. Web. 19 May 2011. http://www.k-1.com/Orwell/site/work/essays/write.html.

C.S. Lewis

C.S. Lewis "trail"

Tolkien Quotes

"It's the job that's never started as takes longest to finish." 
- J.R.R. Tolkien
I like this quote a lot because it reminds me of how much I procrastinate in doing my work. I know that starting work is probably one of the hardest parts, but I still struggle making that first step sometimes. 


"I will not walk backward in life." 
-J.R.R. Tolkien
This is another simple quote from Tolkien that I like. I think it carries the ideas that we shouldn't fall into the same mistakes twice, and we shouldn't revert to bad habits we have. We should keep moving forward in life and try improve ourselves.


I have never read any of J.R.R. Tolkien's books before, so I didn't really know any quotes from him prior to today (except, "You shall not pass," which is a very epic line). I typed "J.R.R. Tolkien quotes" into Google and found a website with a lot of his quotes. 


Here is a link if you are interested in learning more about J.R.R. Tolkien's life.
Here is a another link to more information about J.R.R. Tolkien and his popular trilogy Lord of the Rings. 

Lord of the Flies

Video Response

Picture Credit

http://en.spongepedia.org/images/thumb/c/c2/DaConch.jpg/180px-DaConch.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1352/1241793099_e2d0b3b9ee.jpg

http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/18/cb/da/china-mans-hat.jpg

http://ocw.openhighschool.org/file.php/4/TKAM/LordOfTheFliesBookCover.jpg

http://randalrauser.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Camp-fire.jpg

http://www.laughoutnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/woman-finds-pig-head-on-pole.jpg

 http://www2.baby99.co.uk/f-3/NERDGLASSES/Nerd-Glasses.jpg

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hcBwtrrsqRo/S0Lqv_Je3bI/AAAAAAAAD1o/wa2zWwLA0A0/s1600/beast.jpg

Sorry the ending seemed rushed. There was a five minute time limit on the program.

^ Since I wanted to clarify my opinion on the book, I made another video to try and explain my opinion of the book.

Golding Reading

"Miss Brill" Discussion

Link to the discussion.

"Feuille D'Album" Discussion

Link to the discussion.

"A Haunted House" Discussion

Link to the discussion.

Response of Hope

Dear Virginia,

Don't you dare do anything crazy; I assure you there is still hope. You say you can't win this battle with your own mind, but we have a God that is greater than any kind of disease or illness. We have a God that can heal and is greater than any degree of impossibility. So please don't give up! Think about your husband too. Do you want him alone in this world blaming himself for your death? Show him the same love he has shown you and continue living with him. Your life is his happiness. I believe you were given life to live out a great purpose; don't leave here defeated. Please write back to me A.S.A.P and get some rest.

- Sean

Lawrence and the Rocking Horse

Picture Credit

http://www.casinoclubgambling.com/online-gambling.html

Video Credit

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeNFthOzr7A

Joyce Recap

Link to the Recap.

An Araby Critque

Link to the presentation.

Yeats Tour

Link to the tour.

Java was giving me some problems that wouldn't allow me to use the other screen recording sites. And I am sorry the mic is messed up a little in the video.

Short Stories by Kipling

1. "How the Whale got his Throat"

2. I think a life application from this story would be to be clever or "a man of infinite-resource-and-sagacity" like the Mariner. The Mariner was able to craft a brilliant device out of the few things he had while inside the Whale. The device worked and was able to prevent the Whale from eating any more humans and many other fish. The Stute Fish was also shown to be clever by setting up the whole event.

3. The story was pretty funny and enjoyable. I liked how it was easy to follow and how Kipling incorporated the list of rhyming words (I think it's called an asyndeton, but I'm not completely sure). It made it seem like I was reading a Dr. Seuss book again. I also liked how the narrator used recurring phrases; it added a nice mood to the story.

Work Cited

Kipling, Rudyard. "How the Whale Got His Throat." Readbookonline.net. Web. 11 Apr. 2011. http://www.readbookonline.net/readOnLine/913/.

A Poem Inspired by Kipling

If you're willing to do a daunting deed that must be done,

Even if it is winning a staring contest against the sun;

If you're willing to catch a nuke with your bare hands,

In order to save every person in every land,

If you can watch an Asian drama, and not shed a single tear;

If viewing such a thing is your greatest fear;

Then I must admit that you are braver than most people I know;

It seems like you're willing to do the impossible.

Dickens' Stories

Book-a-Minute

The poor Oliver asks for more food. Later, he accidentally gets involved in organized crime and has an evil half-brother. Surprise Oliver, you have more family; and you live happily with the guy you were suppose to pickpocket.

Work Cited

Dickens, Charles. "Oliver Twist." Comp. Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Web. 6 Apr. 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_Twist.

The Hound of Heaven

Work Cited

Thompson, Francis. "The Hound of Heaven." Bartleby.com. Web. 5 Apr. 2011.http://www.bartleby.com/236/239.html.

Housman

Housman by stkakigi

Comic Link

"When I was One-and-Twenty" By A.E. Housman

When I was one-and-twenty
I heard a wise man say,
"Give crowns and pounds and guineas
But not your heart away;
Give pearls away and rubies
But keep your fancy free."
But I was one-and-twenty,
No use to talk to me.

When I was one-and-twenty
I heard him say again,
"The heart out of the bosom
Was never given in vain;
'Tis paid with sighs a plenty
And sold for endless rue."
And I am two-and-twenty,
And oh, 'tis true, 'tis true.

Work Cited

Housman, A. E. "When I Was One-and-Twenty." Ed. Ronald A. Horton. British Literature. Greenville: Bob Jones University Press, 1999. Print

Poet's Corner. "Explanation: "When I Was One-and-Twenty"" Gale and Cengage Learning. Web. 4 Apr.
2011.http://www.gale.cengage.com/free_resources/poets/poems/wheniwas_ex.htm.

Hopkins

Pied Beauty.egg on Aviary.

Alliteration- "It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil crushed" (Horton 676).

Work Cited

Hopkins, Gerard M. "God's Grandeur." Ed. Ronald A. Horton. British Literature. Greenville: Bob Jones University Press, 1999. Print.

Hopkins, Gerard M. "Pied Beauty." Ed. Ronald A. Horton. British Literature. Greenville: Bob Jones University Press, 1999. Print.

Answer to the White Queen's Riddle

"The White Queen's Riddle"
It is easier to "dishcover" the riddle is about an oyster.

"The Walrus and the Carpenter"
It is ironic that the oysters thought they would be getting food to eat, but the Walrus and Carpenter end up eating them.

Work Cited

Gardner, Martin. The Annotated Alice. Varatek.com. Web. 29 Mar. 2011. varatek.com/scott/carrol_fish_ans.html>.

Carrol, Lewis. "The Walrus and the Carpenter." Ed. Ronald A. Horton. British Literature. Greenville: Bob Jones University, 1999. Print.

Carrol, Lewis. "The White Queen's Riddle." Ed. Ronald A. Horton. British Literature. Greenville: Bob Jones University Press, 1999. Print.