Second half has been started

My first half year had been gone with no memories, and here I am to start my second half of 2013. In the beginning of summer break, I planned to read all the books I have, but it failed until now. I have not read anything at all, I think. Seriously, I need to do something, and I picked five books and read all together with blogposting. 

First book is "the True Secret of Writing" by Natalie Goldberg, to help my writing skill.

Second book is "the Twitter Book" by Tim O'Reilly and Sarah Milstein, to use social networking system more efficiently.

Third book is "A Sentimental Journey" by Laurence Sterne, which I really wanted to re-read to inspire on my self and life.

Fourth book is "Problem of Pain" by C. S. Louis, to nurture my religious belief.

Fifth book is "Sense and Sensibility" by Jane Austen, planning to read all the Jane Austen's book during summer.

It seems many, but reading them in a week is not bad. Here I am, Coming back blogger!!!! 

I will use Goodreads, to jot down some ideas and quotes. Hope I can keep moving forward!

The Only Life You Can Save

The Journey

 by Mary Oliver

One day you finally knew

what you had to do, and began,

though the voices around you

kept shouting

their bad advice - 

though the whole house

began to tremble

and you felt the old tug

at your ankles.

"Mend my life!"

each voice cried.

But you didn't stop.

You knew what you had to do, 

though the whole pried

with its stiff fingers

at the ver foundations,

though their melancholy

was terrible.

It was already late

enough, and a wild night, and the road full of fallen

branches and stones.

But little by little,

as you left their voices behind,

the stars began to burn

through the sheets of clouds,

and there was a new voice

which you slowly

recognized as your own,

that kept you company

as you strode deeper and deeper

into the world,

determined to do

the only thing you could do - 

determined to save

the only life that you could save. 

"The pain of loss, grief, and despair is not essential for transformation. It is possible to step into a new life in more graceful ways. But for most of us, and certainly for me, pan and loss usually prepare the way. The moment itself may seem effortless, but a lifetime of suffering may have preceded it. A new life requires a death of some kind; otherwise it is nothing new, but rather a shuffling of the same deck."

"Yet the true journey of your life requires a kind of madness. After all, from the standpoint of your old life, you may be throwing everything away for nothing. You do not even know what you are headed toward. Yet the first step can only ever be taken in darkness. You cannot know where it will take you. You cannot plan for this sort of journey because the entire undertaking relies on the unreasonableness of faith. Faith is unreasonable because it rests on no tangible evidence. It is beyond even belief. Th person of faith does not expect everything to turn out the way they want it to; they do not expect some higher power to pick them up when they fall. Their faith is beyond belief and even beyond hope. It is a faith that comes from gnosis - the knowing that has no need of information."

"You cannot know where that voice will take you, but in being willing "to save the only life you could save," you are affirming one of the deepest and most sobering truth of all: no one else can ever walk your journey for you. You alone can respond to your call."

- ten poems to change your life, Roger Housden, p. 14, 18, 20, Harmony books

Evolutionary Husband?, Samsung Televisions

All the wives dreams about?

Compared to others, Samsung applied the stories to each commercial, which is agreeable to every one.

I Will Survive, Gloria Gaynor

I Will Survive, Gloria Gaynor

 

 

At first I was afraid
I was petrified
Kept thinking I could never live
without you by my side
But then I spent so many nights
thinking how you did me wrong
And I grew strong
And I learned how to get along
and so you're back
from outer space
I just walked in to find you here
with that sad look upon your face
I should have changed that stupid lock
I should have made you leave your key
If I had known for just one second
you'd be back to bother me

Go on now go walk out the door
just turn around now
'cause you're not welcome anymore
weren't you the one who tried to hurt me with goodbye
Did you think I'd crumble
Did you think I'd lay down and die
Oh no, not I
I will survive
oh as long as i know how to love
I know I'll stay alive
I've got all my life to live
I've got all my love to give
and I'll survive
I will survive (hey hey)

It took all the strength I had
not to fall apart
kept trying hard to mend
the pieces of my broken heart
and I spent oh so many nights
just feeling sorry for myself
I used to cry
But now I hold my head up high
and you see me
somebody new
I'm not that chained up little girl who's
still in love with you
and so you felt like dropping in
and just expect me to be free
But now I'm saving all my loving
for someone who's loving me

This well-known song, released in 1978, accidently was remaked in South Korea in 1997. It was my mother's 'the most' favorite song and she was willing to listen every time she felt down. Last night, when I went to Subway, It was there. It instantly cheered me up as always and let me want to share on my blog to remember for next time.

 



Steven Lynn, Texts and Contexts: Writing About Literature with Critical Theory, 6th Edition

Own Books #2

Steven Lynn, Texts and Contexts: Writing About Literature with Critical Theory, 6th Edition

Copyright (c) 2011, 2008, 2005 by Pearson Education, Inc.

ISBN-13: 978-0-205-71674-6

ISBN-10: 0-205-71674-1

1. English language - Rhetoric.

2. Literature - History and criticsim - Theory, etc.

3. Criticism - Authorship.

4. Academic writing.

5. College readers.

Walt Whitman and comments on some poems

Walt Whitman

Walt Whitman (1819-1892)

There is no doubt for Walt Whitman's influence on American modern poetic world, although there were some arguments that went against his open form and style; "his prophetic stance, his long lines and broad cultural ambitions, his frank sexuality, his incantatory lists, and his search for a representative and unifying American selfhood" (Nelson, 1). Born on Long Island, Walt Whitman grew up in Brooklyn. He worked several jobs, but ended up with journalist. In 1855, he published his masterpiece, Leaves of Grass, which underwent several editions. In 1862, nursing injured veterans of the American Civil War for several months changed his point of view. In 1873, a stroke hit him and made him to move to Camden, New Jersey, where he lived for rest of his life.


One's-Self I Sing (1867)
From the title, Walt Whitman said clearly about its theme, identity, from the word, "self." The poem is all about identities of American, men, and women. Not being aware of American History, being a British colony, around the war, America experienced massive changes, and through the poem, Walt Whitman spoke about the change. It is a poem not only for individual, but also for Everyone who lived in United States. In the second line, "the word En-Masse" pointed out that its for the group of people living in the states. The fourth line, "Not physiognomy alone nor brain alone is worthy for the Muse, I say the Form complete is worthier far," directly said that neither appearance nor thoughts really mattered, but the way all the people got together. It also claimed equality, in line five, "The Female equally with the Male I sing." With capitalization on two words, "Female" and "Male," he emphasized and make the same sound of both sexes. In the last stanza, he finalized the theme, with their own identities, they were good.

Almost!

It has been so long since I could not post anything due to finals and schoolworks, which made me feel so guilty. I should have done before the time came, but every semester, I failed. Although I always tried to be organized, I am not born to be that way, and free me from all the plans I have set for my future. It is three fifty in dawn and I hope to see sun rises in the morning. Four more hours to focus on studying the last final and hope to end well. See you all soon, with the posting on A Sentimental Journey by Laurence Sterne.