Winter Poem

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

By: Robert Frost

 

Whose woods these are I think I know.

His house is in the village though;

He will not see me stopping here

To watch his woods fill up with snow.

 

My little horse must think it queer

To stop without a farmhouse near

Between the woods and frozen lake

The darkest evening of the year.

 

He gives his harness bells a shake

To ask if there is some mistake.

The only other sound’s the sweep

Of easy wind and downy flake.

 

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

"What I like in a good author is not what he says, but what he whispers." - Logan Pearsall Smith

 This quote means that a good author tells a story but also has a lot of hidden meaning behind their story.  In other words there is something to read in between the lines or there is an idea that the author is trying to imply.  This is seen when an author is trying to teach a lesson using a different scenario or an analogy.  I agree with this quote.  Every story needs something in the background.  Also stories that have symbolism, themes, motifs and imagery are ten times better and good descriptions are a must.  Any story with some unexpected twists and turns and a larger picture is always  better.

Short Story

One short story that was very memorable was the "Masque of the Red Death" by Edgar Allen Poe.  The story takes place in a castle where the prince is throwing a masquerade party.  The guests at the party are living at the castle because there is a plague, called the Red Death, on the outside, killing many. Every room in the castle is painted a different color and the last room is black with red windows.  There is one guest that the others do not recognize and he is dressed as a victim of the red death.  The prince chases him down all the way to the black and red room where he dies.  The other guests follow him there and no one is beneath the costume.  Everyone then dies and the clock stops.  There was a lot of symbolism in this short story and a lot of hidden meaning.  For instance the colors of the room represented a life cycle and the clock represents the time going by in life.  This made an impression on me because it was very mysterious and interesting.

Do you think young people value their education as much as Sara Smolinksy does? Why or why not?

Yes!  I think that people today value their education as much as Sara especially in the competitive world that we live in.  Finishing high school, going to a good college and getting a good job are goals that all people have today.  I think in novel, set in the 1920's, it seemed as if Sara valued her education more than others and in that time period she did for most women.  Only men were really educated and it was odd for a young girl like Sara to want to get an education.  Today education is very important and without it, it is hard to be successful.  Many students need to get good grades in order to have a good GPA, and need to be involved in extra-curricular activities all to get into a good college.  The better college you go to, most likely the better job you will get.  Today an education is necessary and is very valuable.  

Quote

"There is nothing hard about writing.  All you have to do is sit down and open up a vein."

-Walter "Red" Smith

I think that the quote is correct in that writing can be difficult at times.  However there are also times when writing can be very easy when the words just go onto the paper with no problem.  It depends on mood and inspiration at the time you are writing and if there is more inspiration the more you may write.

Bread Givers

The Bread Givers, by Anzia Yezierska gives an accurate depiction of life as an immigrant family in a state of poverty during this time period.  The relationships and events in the novel are very interesting especially the beliefs of their father and how it affects the family.  He does not have a job and believes religion is the answer to everything.  He gives money to charity rather than giving it to his family and he didn't even work for it.  He sends 3 potential husbands for his daughters away despite what they want.  He disrupts a lot in the family and no one in the family does or says anything to make him see he is wrong.  However it is a different time period in the novel and their father still follows the culture of the old country.