Idaresay

My Teacher Niki

2009-07-15T06:36:00.000-07:00

Meet my 14-month-old miniature pinscher Shinnik Charlotte Ninotchka Nahunte. Like all pets, she has a pet name. I call her Niki.

Niki is very territorial and fiercely loyal. She claims half of my bed and declares dominion over my tiny bedroom. She has since become the protector of my private space. When I get home from work, she's almost apoplectic with excitement, running around, hyperventilating.

Niki is pretty much a loner, even when she was with her pack of 8 dogs. I guess this is why she relates with me very well. Everytime i have the blues, I just look at her snuggly curled up on my bed next to me or at my feet, and I'm ok. She constantly reminds me that home is where your heart is, because even if she's been with me for less than a month, she sorts of knows and senses that she's home with me as I am with her.

Jacob Black: My Archetypal Knight in Shining Armour

2009-07-13T05:27:00.001-07:00

"I couldn't imagine my life without Jacob now—I cringed away from the idea of even trying to imagine that. Somehow, he'd become essential to my survival. But to leave things the way they were… was that cruel, as Mike had accused?

I remembered wishing that Jacob were my brother. I realized now that all I really wanted was a claim on him. It didn't feel brotherly when he held me like this. It just felt nice—warm and comforting and familiar.Safe. Jacob was a safe harbor...

Would it be so wrong to try to make Jacob happy? Even if the love I felt for him was no more than a weak echo of what I was capable of, even if my heart was far away, wandering and grieving after my fickle Romeo, would it be so very wrong?

Jacob stopped the truck in front of my dark house, cutting the engine so it was suddenly silent. Like so many other times, he seemed to be in tune with my thoughts now. He threw his other arm around me, crushing me against his cheat, binding me to him. Again, this felt nice. Almost like being a whole person again." -Bella Swan, "New Moon"

Jacob Black. Not your average teen werewolf. He's gentle, nurturing, jolly (at least before he started morphing into a giant russet wolf), and, on top of it all, a true and mature lover. His love for Bella Swan is unselfish and liberating. He is very protective of her. He could "read" her, like he's her very own soulmate. I would have to say, I can't help becoming an official member of Team Jacob, as the New Moon plot thickens and I'm seeing this character as a "knight in shining armour."

I feel that his chivalry must be rewarded and his pure love requited and reciprocated. It seems quite unfair for Bella to feel so comfortable in Jacob's arms and dream of Edward every night. And yet, it seems understandable enough for her to pine for her first love. The Romeo-Juliet-Paris love triangle alluded to by Bella in her reflections over Edward's inconstancy and Jacob's comforting presence seems very appropriate. Indeed, Bella, like Juliet, may now give serious consideration to the possibility of making Jacob happy, and ultimately end her lonely days. Then again, her heart "thinks" otherwise and, in a bitter twist of fate, Jacob has now become as dangerous to Bella as Edward is.

The best that can be said of Jacob Black's presence in Bella's life is that Bella has a formidable protector and a selfless lover. I love the way he cares for Bella and respects her choices and feelings. His chivalry is almost palpable. At one point, while reading New Moon, I wished Edward wouldn't ever come back. I wished Bella would fall for Jacob. After all, it's not everyday that a small-town teenage girl meets a dashing, nurturing, and protective werewolf.

Psychoanalyzing Blake

2009-07-07T02:25:00.001-07:00

Here are two very interesting guys: William Blake [1757 - 1827], English artist, mystic and poet; and Sigmund Freud [1856 - 1939], Austrian psychotherapist and "Father of Psychoanalysis."

Here's one popular approach to literary criticism, called the Psychoanalytic or Freudian Approach:"

"Psychoanalytic criticism originated in the work of Austrian psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, who pioneered the technique of psychoanalysis. Freud developed a language that described, a model that explained, and a theory that encompassed human psychology. His theories are directly and indirectly concerned with the nature of the unconscious mind.

The psychoanalytic approach to literature not only rests on the theories of Freud; it may even be said to have begun with Freud, who wrote literary criticism as well as psychoanalytic theory. Probably because of Freud’s characterization of the artist’s mind as “one urged on by instincts that are too clamorous,” psychoanalytic criticism written before 1950 tended to psychoanalyze the individual author.

Literary works were read—sometimes unconvincingly—as fantasies that allowed authors to indulge repressed wishes, to protect themselves from deep-seated anxieties, or both. After 1950, psychoanalytic critics began to emphasize the ways in which authors create works that appeal to readers’ repressed wishes and fantasies. Not only is the diction examined for sexual imagery, but the whole work is seen through Freudian concepts: struggles of the superego, the Oedipus complex, with the repressed contents of consciousness, etc. The aim is illumination of psychic conflicts, not aesthetic ranking." (Adapted from The Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms by Ross Murfin and Supriya M. Ray. Copyright 1998 by Bedford Books.)

Now, here's one very intriguing poem by Blake:

The Sick Rose
by William Blake

O rose, thou art sick!
The invisible worm
That flies in the night,
In the howling storm,

Has found out thy bed
Of crimson joy,
And his dark secret love
Does thy life destroy.

Now may I ask, what is the above poem all about? What's with the "sick" rose? The "invisible" worm that "flies in the night"? What's with the "bed," "crimson joy," and "dark secret love"?

I'm pretty sure that if Mr. Freud were alive today, he'd have a really interesting "reading' of Blake's poem. I took this poem up with my English 106 (The Teaching of Literature) class and we ended up quoting Freud.

Let's hear your thoughts on this.

Of Vampires and Horcruxes: Quest for Immortality

2009-07-05T00:56:00.000-07:00

Now here's one tough (and maybe even, crazy) question for the Twilight and Harry Potter series junkies: What do Bella Swan and Lord Voldemort (Tom Marvolo Riddle) have in common?

You might ask, "What would Meyer's clumsy, compassionate 18-year-old girl-next-door living in an obscure town called Forks share in common with Rowling's scheming, evil, criminally-insane dark wizard of the wizarding world?"

I have just started reading New Moon, the second book of Stephanie Meyer's Twilight saga, alternatingly with J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter Book 6: Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince, which I decided to re-read in anticipation of the screening of its film adaptation week after next. Incidentally, I'm taking up Archetypal Criticism Approach with my Literary Criticism class. This critical approach "gets its impetus from psychologist Carl Jung, who postulated that humankind has a 'collective unconscious,' a kind of universal psyche, which is manifested in dreams and myths and which harbors themes and images that we all inherit. Literature, therefore, imitates not the world but rather the 'total dream of humankind."' (Walker, p. 17)

"Archetypes are the unknowable basic forms personified or concretized in recurring images, symbols, or patterns which may include motifs such as the quest or the heavenly ascent, recognizable character types such as the trickster or the hero, symbols such as the apple or snake, or images such as crucifixion (as in King Kong, or Bride of Frankenstein)--all laden with meaning already when employed in a particular work. " (Walker, 2002)

Archetypal critics search for archetypal patterns in literary works (e.g.,character types, story lines, settings, symbols). According to Jung, these patterns are embedded deep in the "collective unconscious" and involve "racial memories" of situations, events, relationships from time immemorial. (Murfin and Ray, p.23)

If this is starting to sound interesting to you, then you have chosen the right career path-- that of a future literature teacher. Knowledge and understanding of the critical approaches will also improve you as a reader. You will become a "critical" reader, not the passive swallow-everything-hook-line-and-sinker kind. Now, back to the question I posed earlier:

In the light of the Jungian or Archetypal Criticism, what's the common denominator between Bella Swan and Voldemort?

What archetypal patterns (in character types, story line, setting, etc.) can you spot and point out?

To those who have not experienced these phenomenal works of pop literature, you may cite at least two works of short fiction or two novels, at least, and share your analysis. But I strongly encourage you, soon-to-be teachers of literature, to expand your horizon and include in your reading repertoire books that define the generation that you'll be shaping.

Carpe diem!

FINDING THE PATH TO HEALING

2009-03-12T11:07:00.000-07:00

Dr. Phil, Deepak Chopra, Oprah, and, perhaps even the late Great Soul Mahatma Gandhi, would all agree with this: that the long journey to emotional healing begins with finding the right path and by taking the first step TODAY, not tomorrow, not next week, not "when you're ready," but NOW.

When we're hurt,deceived, or betrayed,and when we're left badly-scarred by our offender, we tend to "get stuck" in the ugly past and wallow in the mucky quagmire of bitterness, self-blame, and regrets. We say to ourselves, "I will move on when I'm ready...I will forgive when I'm ready...healing will then come and then I'll be ready to move on..."

That healing will JUST HAPPEN is an illusion.Healing doesn't just happen; it is made possible by (1) God's Grace obtained thru prayer; (2) the offended party himself/herself who should work out his/her own healing; and (3)the significant others (family & friends) who love us unconditionally and pray for us at the end of the day.

They say that there's no wound too deep that Time couldn't heal it. But there are memories too persistent that they get in the way of Time's healing action. This is where the Great Healer comes into the picture.

"My Grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness...Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong." -2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Healing is only possible when, by God's Grace, we stop hurting and look beyond our own pain and also think of the pain being suffered by our offender. The path to healing can be found only if we're looking at the right direction-- up in heaven, calling upon the Great Healer.

I forgive my offenders. I pray for their healing, too. This is what I feel is the easiest, surest path to healing.

TO BURY, OR NOT TO BURY: THAT IS THE QUESTION!

2009-03-10T10:32:00.000-07:00

Bury the hatchet - Idiom., means "to forget past grudges, make peace, and be friends again with former enemies;" originated from the Native American custom of literally burying their hatchets [called tomahawk- stone axe] and scalping knives as a sign of making peace.

********************

How exactly does one who has sustained deep emotional wounds and is still bleeding from a recent betrayal and deception "bury the hatchet"?

I can bury my hatchet, but I cannot promise not to "unearth" it the next time some insensitive vermin attempts to hurt, betray, or deceive me. Such is my predicament. I want to bury past hurts, pains, and bitterness, but it just seems so difficult to forget the lies,insults, and hurtful words uttered. Equally hard is recalling the happy moments before the rift or feud, to somehow make forgiving a lot easier.

I remember I wrote a little poem in college, which says:

"These are the things that torment me to death:

The things I can't recall and those I can't forget."

What I learned from the experience of being deceived and betrayed by the one person I least expect to hurt me, is this: that there is no point in wallowing in my pain and bitterness, in fretting about and grieving over my misfortune. Time will eventually efface all traces of the wrong done against me. Time is one of God's blessings to those who hurt. Time heals all wounds.

But some wounds leave ugly scars, which constantly remind us that we were once trampled upon, deceived, betrayed.

It is at this point of hopelessness that I hold on to the WOrd: "Do not fret because of evildoers...for they shall be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb...He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday." -Psalm 37:1-2, 6

"Vindication does not come from self-defensive arguments; it stems from integrity." -Psalm 26:1

With these assurances that God will vindicate me, I feel more secure. I strongly believe in Divine Justice. I don't think I'd still need my hatchet. But I'm not burying it. I'm BURNING it.#

THE NAMING OF DOGS

2009-03-09T12:09:00.000-07:00

"The naming of dogs is a serious business..." -H.P. Atilano

I know this isn't very original. To those who have read Alfred Lord Tennyson's "The Naming of Cats," this is no novelty. I just want an appropriate opening for a topic that is so close to my heart: the naming of my dogs.

Some of my friends find it weird that I give my dogs two to three names. I started with Sophia Athena Lauren (Sophie) and Shutruk Maximus Nahunte (Shutie). Then, it became an even more serious business with the arrival of the first batch of litters: Sui Simone Guinevere, Slim Shady, and Jack Sparrow.

A dachshund came along and he was christened Sultan Cassius Caesar. Then, another litter of three: Strudel Mishael, Socrates Leonidas Octavian, and Sage Augustus Caesar.A litter born solo was named Suri Hermione Dawn. And another litter: Shinnik, Shamook, and Shakespeare. The most recent batch of three litters are called Shylock Brabantio Nahunte, Sam Mercutio, and Sappho Juno.

Perhaps, the more interesting question is not "why" do I give them their names, but "how"? How do I name, my dogs?

I name my dogs the way a mother would name a baby she's long been waiting for: uniquely, lovingly, tenderly. I usually make allusions to mythological/literary or historical characters. At times, I just put two or three cute names together and love the sound of it. I give them a name that would give them an identity, a uniqueness to which they will eventually respond. Most of all, with every unique name comes the reminder that someone loves them so much that she's willing to run the risk of being laughed at or tagged as weirdo.

THE ART OF LETTING GO

2009-03-09T10:03:00.000-07:00

There are many ways of losing possessions, people, pets, etc. that we treasure so much-- through death, estrangement, distance, wrong choices, etc. In our lifetime, whether we like it or not, we will exprience terrible losses due to any or all of the ways mentioned above.

I've seen death steal a very close friend; I've seen death claim several of my beloved dogs; I've seen how estrangement creates walls and gulfs between people who were kindred spirits once.

Often, when we lose someone or something, we say, "Let go and let God." Some people elevate the act of letting go to an "art." They become masters of it. They learn to deal with the loss or separation and they sort of "withdraw" their "emotional bank account" before denial and despondence set in.

To some people, letting go means "detaching" oneself from the object of his/her affection. I say, this isn't exactly letting go. This is simply an act of self-preservation, a preventive measure to save oneself from the pain of losing someone or something.

I say, the true art of letting go is dealing with the loss, finding the wisdom behind the loss, and, with this wisdom, believe that we can't always have what we want; believe that, while we lost them, Someone found them and is taking care of them.

Sappho Redefined

2008-04-23T04:24:00.000-07:00

There was an island off the coast of Greece in the Aegean Sea whose inhabitants were noted for their sensuality and love for poetry. Now known as Mytilene, it used to be called the Island of Lesbos; its people -- men, women, and children -- were then referred to as Lesbians. The most famous of them all was the lyric poet Sappho, who, in 600 B.C., became as distinguished and as highly-esteemed as Homer.

Now, whether Sappho was gay or just a victim of those nasty rumor-mongering people of Lesbos Island (who are Lesbians themselves!), that is none of my business. My main concern is Sappho's contribution to literature; her outstanding, outspoken, and flawless poetry; her deep knowledge and understanding of femininity; her wisdom...

I believe Sappho of Lesbos is one of the most misunderstood writers, because the average-minded human species would rather associate her with homosexuality than with fine, sensible poetry. I believe that when Sappho penned those impeccable lyric poems, she was not parading her sexual preference; rather, she was baring her soul; she was trying to make sense of her insane world; she was trying to get her message across.

Fact is, not all of the handful of Sappho's poems that have survived to this day deal with her rumored flair for young girls. The poem that I'm posting here is my favorite Sappho poem:

To An Uncultured Lesbian Woman

by Sappho

Yea, thou shalt die,

And lie

Dumb in the silent tomb,

Nor of thy name

Shall there be any Fame

In ages yet to be or years to come:

For of the flowering Rose

Which on Pieria blows,

Thou hast no share:

But in sad Hades' house,

Unknown, inglorious

'Mid the dim shades that wander there

Shalt thou flit forth and haunt the filmy air.

Thirteen powerful lines of admonition. That's it. Then, you stop and ask yourself: How many women (and men as well) reflect on the meaning of their existence? How many of us have etched our contribution on life's Book of Fame?

I believe Sappho, gay or not, is, first and foremost an existentialist. One ought to "really" read her very few surviving poems to see the real Sappho: a woman of substance, not your average Lesbian woman.

An Argument as Hot as Summer Solstice

2008-04-10T23:31:00.000-07:00

Any intelligent reader who has encountered Nick Joaquin's short story, Summer Solstice, would agree that this work of fiction does not belong to the period when it was written. It scandalized the conservative Filipino readers of the early 20th century, the way Thomas Hardy's Tess of D'Urberville and Jude the Obscure rocked Queen Victoria's boat. But, look, Summer Solstice is, to this day, part of almost all basic texts in Philippine Literature used in the secondary and tertiary levels.

Why should poems about women, sexuality, and gender discrimination be any different from Joaquin's Summer Solstice? When will our society, particularly educational institutions that claim to be Christians, be mature enough for works of literature that advocate gender equality and educate the readers on female sexuality with the use of vivid, provocative diction?

My esteemed colleagues are asking: "Do you think the school community is ready for this kind of poetry?"

My answer: "Are you mature enough to deal with 'this kind of poetry'?"

My dears, this is not a question of whether we are ready or not to accept what you call "erotic" poetry, because whether you people are ready or not, contemporary writers who dare to exploit the power the language will continue to write feminist and even sexually-oriented poetry! This is a question, then, of whether we have matured as readers or if we are still categorized as infantile readers not equipped with higher-order thinking skills.

A critical reader would know after "really" reading a poem if it makes a serious commentary or if it's plainly "erotic," meaning written for pure self-expression. Problem is, not all readers are "actually" reading. More often than not, some of us read on the surface and stop at the word level. It's about time we learn how to really read, un-learn those biases against the author, and re-learn how to read critically. Read E.E. Cummings' "she being brand" and William Shakespeare's "Winter" and "Spring" and see for yourself how two different poets dare to play with words in an erotic poetry and not "scandalize" an illiterate reader. I believe you are literate, otherwise, you wouldn't go on reading this blog entry.

Alvin Toffler, author of Future Shock, aptly brands these people as illiterates of the 21st century. Toffler claims that the illiterates of the 21st century are not those who couldn't read and write, but those who "can't learn, un-learn, and re-learn."

There. No wonder, we have illiterates with Ph.D., M.A., etc.

Ars Erotica (Art of Erotic Poetry) and Authorial Intent

2008-04-04T02:08:00.000-07:00

Imagine reading this poem from a literary folio published by a Catholic school student publication:

Come, Man-child, Come!

Come, man-child, come!
Come closer, look deeper.
Ignore my inadequate bosom, my enormous hips;
Forget about the torn veil of chastity and its
Promise of orgasmic bliss.
Look at me and see in me the Woman
Who nourished you with her soggy breasts.
Mine are still firm and plump and erect.
Feel them. Suck them like you sucked your Mother's
Back in the days when your universe was just
A Pair of Nipples Overflowing with Maternal Kindness.
Know that I, too, am Masculine:
Provider. Preserver. Protector.
Penetrate me with the force you spend
When you thrust the nail into hardwood
And know that I, too, am
Tough. Strong. Virile.
Go into me deeper, deeper, deeper...
'Til you reach my abyss:
Your Climax; your Peak!
And when you get there don't drift away;
Don't conclude the moment in haste with your clumsy
Ejaculation!
Stay with me and wait for me to Come, too!
Be just.
Be considerate.
Be a Man.
Take time to fathom the depth of the womb
Which molded you and nurtured you
And excites you and delights you
Which you enter and re-enter
And know not yet!

I am a professor at a Catholic school... I wrote this poem about seven years ago to express my feminist sentiments.

Trouble came when the literary staff of the school paper's literary folio deemed this poem worthy of publication and approved its printing and circulation in March 2008. When the folio came out of the press last month, I was admonished by my immediate superior for writing such a "pornographic" piece of filth. Some of my colleagues thought the poem is too sleazy and is reflective of the author's moral state.

I remember a poet from Brooklyn named Walt Whitman, whose poems were considered trash. I remember e.e. cummings' "she being brand" and "i love my body when it is with your." I remember the Song of Songs, the Holy Book's contribution to erotica. I remember the summer of 2002, when I was chosen as one of the ten aspiring writers/poets from all over the country to represent my home city at a national creative writing workshop. This "condemned piece of filth" was my ticket to this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. This was, and still is, one of my most well-written poems.

Palanca award-winning novelist, Mr. Vince Groyon called this poem "a song of complaint" of misunderstood women who are being "used" as sex objects. Eurasian author of the novel Crocodile Fury, Elizabeth Yahp said that she would never change a word in it, as it already sounds perfect to her. Professor and poet Dr. Marjorie Evasco of De La Salle University finds this poem's diction artistically provocative when she registered that the line, "A Pair of Nipples Overflowing with Maternal Kindness" tickled her pink.

National Artist and multi-awarded poet/writer Dr. Cirilo F. Bautista calls poetry a "linguistic daring." In other words, the poet must dare explore the power of words and must harness this power to deliver his/her social commentary and express his/her observations of life in the real world, as well as to effect change.

I do not write poetry to describe the beautiful world, with all its birds and flowers and bees. I do not write poetry to sugar-coat realities. I write poetry to describe what traditional poets (who love to rhyme) would rather ignore. I write poetry to unmask the real world, where women are discriminated against, where poverty dehumanizes, where hypocrisy is second nature to man.

And now, I have fallen victim to this hypocrisy. Those who do not have what we call the "poetic insight" would, naturally, fail to go beyond the word or diction of this poem in question. I am not responsible for their ignorance. They fail to see the authorial intent, the meaning I would have wanted them to see. On the surface, this poem may scandalize the average church-going, Bible-reading individual. Then, I dare say, this same Bible-reading church-goer MUST read the Song of Songs and judge King Solomon by his "lustful" words!

To be or Not to be... Poetically-challenged

2008-04-01T01:16:00.000-07:00

Poetically-challenged.

Whether I just coined a recent addition to the dynamic vocabulary of political correctness or someone somewhere has invented this phraseology, that is not important. There is a more important issue concerning people -- some of them are even English professors who teach literature where I teach-- who are poetically challenged.

If you were a professor teaching at a Catholic university or college and you encounter a poem which contains words like nipples, ejaculation, "come," penetrate, and other "sexual" words, what would you do?

(a) Read the poem analytically, interpret it in its entirety and in the context of literary criticism (feminist, Marxist,etc.), and shut up.

(b) Read the poem, be scandalized by the sexually-loaded vocabulary, dismiss it as a pornographic poem, and burn the author at the stakes.

You could either be (a) or (b). You could either be educated or poetically-challenged.

A reading theory called Transactional Theory (proposed by Rosenblatt in the '70s) has this basic premise that MEANING IS IN THE READER. A poem is just a series of letters printed on paper until the reader processes it and shapes its meaning. As a simultaneous process, the reader is also being shaped by the text. Rosenblatt compares this process to the way a river shapes its banks; while the water shapes the banks, the banks define the river.

Now, this elaboration of a theory may sound too profound for the average-minded, poetically-challenged members of Group (b) in our categories of readers. Let me, then, simplify it for them:

A reader can choose whether or not to be scandalized by the poem s/he reads. Since the reader is the key figure in the reading process, s/he may read the poem maturely, i.e. within the context of literature, or superficially. The moment you view a poem as sleazy, merely erotic, or pornographic, you are, in effect, letting it influence you in an "erotic" way. A poem is said to be "pornographic" because the reader claims s/he got "aroused" by the words in it. Should a poem be defined by the reader's libido?

If you encountered the following excerpts, how would you react?

Ignore my inadequate bosom, my enormous hips.
Look at me and see in me the Woman who suckled you with her soggy breasts.
Mine are still firm and plump and erect.
Feel them, suck them like you sucked your mother's
Back in the days when your Universe was just
A Pair of Nipples Overflowing With Maternal Kindness...

I dare say that a reader who finds sexual arousal in these lines has got some issues. Either s/he is simply poetically-challenged, or s/he needs to see a psychoanalyst who specializes in repressed sexual urges.

What say you?

One Hell of an Epic!

2006-08-24T19:27:00.000-07:00

I never thought that my 21st-century college literature students would have fun with a medieval guy named Dante Alighieri.

The truth is, I even thought they'd be bored to a coma when we took up Dante's Inferno in our English 5W class. But there's something about this medieval epic allegory that is so universal and so real. It's our common fear: fear of eternal damnation. Fear of hell.

When we talked about how a certain Italian woman named Francesca is being "smitten and whipped about endlessly by violent winds," while "eternally stuck" to her contrapasso partner, Paolo, I saw my students cringe and grimace at the thought of such grim punishment. Carnal sinners, in Dante's Inferno, end up in the Second Circle of hell, where they rub elbows with Cleopatra, Semiramis, Dido, Helen of Sparta, and a host of other "cheaters." Of course, for the rest of the sinners there are eight more "circles" waiting to be filled.

This, to Dante, is God's perfection of Divine Justice. The contrapasso is a manifestation of the justice system in the afterlife. Much has been said about The Inferno, which is the most popular of the three books comprising The Divine Comedy, but whatever critics say, it's still the students' impressions and insights that matter most to me. That is why I felt elated when I read an article in the school paper, where the author, a student of mine in one of my English 5 classes, made an allusion to Dante's Inferno by mentioning "the 5th Ditch in the Eighth Circle of Hell" where hypocrites go. These hypocrites happen to be some of my colleagues. Talk about Irony of Situation!

Homer's Iliad vs Hollywood's Troy

2006-07-04T22:10:00.000-07:00

I am a voracious movie-goer. I feed on Hollywood films. But when it comes to classic literature, I only go for the original book version. This is because, with a few exceptions, movies based on or adapted from literature are generally inferior to the written version. All the deletions, modifications, and cinematic embellishments contribute to the film version's inferiority. It's like being served cold, highly diluted espresso.

Homer's Iliad is "the greatest war story ever told." It's the immortal tale of a ten-year war fueled by jealousy, greed, and pride. It's a war that redefined immortality. Heroes fought to the death to become "immortal." This is the biggest irony in the Iliad.

According to popular belief, the reason why the Trojan War was fought was the Judgment of Paris. When Paris gave the golden apple marked "for the fairest" to Aphrodite, who promised to give him the fairest woman, the fate of the Trojans and the Greeks was sealed. Aphrodite had to keep her word, so Paris must be led to Helen. Helen had to fall for Paris and run off with him. The wronged husband, King Menelaus of Sparta, had to avenge his tainted pride and save his face. His brother Agamemnon, a very powerful and influential chieftain, had to come to his brother's aid. The Trojans had to defend Paris and the kingdom of Troy. A war must be fought...

But who started it all? Who threw the golden apple on the banquet table that sparked jealousy among the goddesses Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite? Why would she do that?

This is where Hollywood failed us.

Of falling leaves and loneliness

2006-06-29T21:54:00.000-07:00

l(a leaf falls)oneliness...

"Poetry is the concretization of the abstract... the spontaneous overflow of powerful emotions... the lava of imagination that prevents its own eruption... blah...blah...blah..."

Let the poets -- both living and dead -- define poetry. As for me, poetry is simply a liberating force.

Poetry imbues me with the power not only to manipulate words, but also to create them. Poetry doesn't confine me within the bounds of standard vocabulary or prescribed grammar. It gives me the freedom to see what I want to see in a moss-covered stone, in mouth-watering plums or in a falling leaf. I don't have to give a hoot about what critics (with Ph.D. in literature) have to say about a poem; I am the critic, I am the poet.

They say that when a poem has been written down, the poet dies. S/he dies a "poetic" death, so to say. S/he no longer owns the poem. S/he is simply the source of the words on paper, which, in and by themselves, are nothing more than the printed words. It is the reader who makes sense of that seemingly nonsense, meaningless, silly doodles of random thoughts.

I'm a big fan of the Fantastic Three: William Carlos Williams, E.E. Cummings, and Walt Whitman -- three unconventional American poets. I like them not because they wrote outstanding poems. The fact is, some critics find them rather "unartistic" and their poems, "pollutants" in the orderly and musical world of fine-sounding poetry. I like them because they're stalwarts and mavericks. I like them because they're rebels with a poetic cause; because they dared to be different, to follow the road less traveled.

Their poetry doesn't have to rhyme or to sound musical to be "heard." Their poetry doesn't have to sound artificial and contrived just to be categorized as literary as the sonnet or ballad or ode. They are simply... poetic.

And, one other thing about poets: it is believed that most of them led a lonely life. The price of being different? The consequence of not being understood by average minds?

Perhaps , e.e. cummings has something to say on that, lying hidden in his poem about a falling leaf and loneliness.

[NOTE to ENG 5W STUDENTS OF MS. H: What thoughts do you have about the art of poetry? Who are your favorite poets? What do you like about their poetry?]

This Is Just to Say

2006-06-27T19:57:00.000-07:00

Idaresay

"So," I started, "what do you think of this poem by William Carlos Williams?"
"Is that a poem," blurted a homo sapien in black shirt.
"Yes, Einstein. It 'sounds' like a poem, so it must be a poem!" blurted Marie Curie.
"But it just looks like a note posted on the fridge by some insensitive swine who loves plums!" said the Neanderthal man in row three.
"People, this is poetry. Heller! As in 'ambiguous' bala! Hidden meaning! Heller," reacted a member of the Federation.
"Liza Minelli is right,class," said I. "Welcome to the world of poetry, where nothing is what it seems."
"Miss, this William...Carlos...Whatever, what is his point? I just can't dig him."
"Oh, you poor thing, you! You haven't even encountered e.e. cummings yet. Anyway, what is your reading of this silly-looking stuff:

I have eaten
the plums

that were in
the icebox

and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast.

Forgive me
They were delicious

so sweet
and so cold." ?

"Reading, Miss? What d'ya mean 'reading'?" asked Einstein again.
"The meaning of a poem is not in the text; it's not in the poem, Einstein. The meaning is in YOU. What does this poem mean to you?"
"Poem? What poem?"

[NOTICE TO THE ENG 5W, ENG 1A, and ENG 105 STUDENTS OF MISS H: If you have something SENSIBLE to say about the poem above, please post you comment herein. If, like Einstein here, who doesn't manifest any brain activity, you can't come up with a cerebral evaluation of W.C. William's poem, JUST please go read some comic books.]

Idaresay

2006-06-18T22:19:00.000-07:00

Idaresay

Ok. So, I had a trip to Slumberville and forgot about my blog. But that doesn't mean I have nothing left to say.

There is this reality show called Cheaters on Reality TV (if don't have cable or sattelite TV, you can stop reading this and spend your precious time on more worthwhile undertakings), which tickles my fancy. It's about men and women "playing fire" behind their "supposedly faithful" lover. So what else is new in the game of love? Watch it and tell me what you think of it... that is, if you're in my writing or world lit. class.

The Swan: In Memory of the Ugly Duckling

2005-11-24T00:00:00.000-08:00

I watch The Swan for two main reasons: (1) to be entertained; and (2) to improve my self-concept.

While majority of the regular watchers of this show are struck with jaw-dropping awe by the "finished product," I pity these women tremendously.

First of all, they're nothing more than guinea pigs and lab rats in the hands of these cosmetic surgeons who use them primarily to advertise their expertise in artificial beautification and body modification. They go through all the excruciating pain to lose what looks ugly and gain what nature deprived them of. At the end of every episode, they're made to stand in front of a full-length mirror, allegedly after three months of not seeing their reflection in the mirror, to utter any of the following interjections: (a) "Oh my God!" (b) "Oh my God, I'm beautiful!" or (c) "Oh my God, oh my God, Oh my God!" What could be more pathetic than this?

Secondly, these women fall under the same category-- The Rejected. Whatever their circumstance is, it always comes down to not being accepted, primarily by their spouses, who are themselves physically unattractive. Of course, there are some whose husbands love them just the way they are, but are obviously too eager to have their wives undergo a bust, nose, and face lift, tummy tuck, and other forms of augmentations and reductions. And at the end of the show, when they see their wives after the total overhaul, we'd see happy campers who seem to have hit jackpot and all they could say is, "Babe, you look gorgeous!" -- an adjective they haven't used for ages.

Now, I have nothing against this show, except for the message it implies to those who are not so happy about their physical appearance. On the upside, I like the coaching and therapy that they do to help the candidates deal with their issues and brokenness. But what these women really need is love and acceptance. They don't need a tummy tuck or a liposuction or a rhinoplasty in order to deserve love and acceptance.

The show is, indeed, aptly titled. The Swan-- from an ugly cygnet to a lovely swan. But whoever loves the swan should know that she was once the ugly duckling who did not belong to anybody.

Idaresay:Reality Bites

2005-09-18T20:07:00.000-07:00

"Why I Don't Watch Reality Shows (Particularly the Ones that Suck)"

Of course, not all reality shows fall under the "Sucks" Category. Some of them are informative and entertaining on a wholesome level. But there are reality shows that really get into my nerves and make me ask the inevitable questions: "What has become of the human species?" and "Whatever happened to discretion?"
To better convey my meaning, here are the reality shows which, to my best judgment, need to be viewed ONLY BY AUDIENCE WHO ARE MATURE ENOUGH TO UNDERSTAND "It's just a reality show," AND HEALTHY ENOUGH NOT TO SUFFER A STROKE WHILE WATCHING THEM:

ELIMIDATE. Since when did dating have an "elimination round"? What's the trophy, the gal who chose the winner?
CHANGE OF HEART. What's this, prelude to wife-swapping?
WIFE SWAP (or whatever the title is). How about swapping husbands? Or kids? Or in-laws?
AVERAGE JOE. I don't think that any of the "Joe's" would fall under the "Average" Category. They all seem Below Average. And what does this say about the "promising, intelligent, charming bachelor-girl" that decides whom to "love"?
WHO WANTS TO MARRY MY DAD. Talk about playing pimp to your own dad. I'm looking forward to a change of title: WHO WANTS TO BE A WICKED STEPMOTHER?
JOE MILLIONNAIRE. Ok, so "Joe," who pretends to be an average wage-earner, turns out to be a multi-millionnaire son of a... lobster magnate or whatever. Big deal. What I'd want to know if I were to marry him is, "How much is he insured for?"

Peace to all those who watch these shows and who consider themselves fanatics. We're all entitled to our opinions.

"Harry Potter and the Bummer of Bummers"

2005-09-14T18:14:00.000-07:00

So here are my throughts on the much-talked-about HP Book 6:

I think that J.K. Rowling has succeeded in her attempt to unsettle her more mature audience by completely moving out of their comfort zone and creating the ultimate bummer in the plot: the scandalous termination of the character that embodies the Good and symbolizes Wisdom.

I am more inclined to dwell on this huge loss, and so this commentary will revolve around the death of Professor Albus Brian Wulfric Dumbledore.

I call this a "scandalous death" because it took half the hope left in the readers, hope of finding good in a world replete with evil and of finding wisdom in tumultuous situations in the story. The death of Dumbledore is most unexpected in that, from Book 1, he has been made out to be powerful and nearly invincible. He has been delineated as a persona who exudes grace under pressure and who can crack a joke in the tensest of situations. His death, therefore, is tantamount to the death of hope, wisdom, and the Good.

And so, as the "half-blood Prince' was aiming his wand at him prior to that dreaded coup d' gras, I was hoping for some deus ex machina to pop from out of the blue. But no, this book is meant to be the bummer of bummers.