Blog Entry # 7

I chose the archetype that seemed problematic to me was "The Destroyer." Initially, I assumed it was a big tyrant doing whatever it please despite the pain it causes on others. But after reading the description, the destroyer isn't a archetype that is a one way mind-set as I thought. The Destroyer in fact can be seen as a victim who has experience something so tragic. When a tragedy occurs to people, the reactions and coping mechanism varies on the different people. The textbook uses the examples of Zorro and Robin Hood, someone who has experience oppression and is willing to do whatever it takes legally or illegally to fight for what they believe is right. In real life, the only group of people who I would classify to follow the archetype of the destroyer are protestors/activists. Some protesters/activists are peaceful ones, it may have worked for Ghandi. But it in the present day, if you're not doing something to get attention, even bad attention, nothing will change. People may have to result in a violent riot, and literally fight for their right. The Destroyer archetype, makes me think of the quote "

Blog Entry # 6

Archetype's are stereotypical personality characteristics that have been labeled and dissected and now is typically used when referring to pieces of literature on fables, fairy tales and folktales or in the psychological field when describing one's personality/ego. I choose The Magician archetype. Initially, I chose it before reading any of the other archetypes, because of my interest of magicians, witches and magic. But after reading all of the twelve archetypes, my decision hasn't changed. The Magician, is referred to as a powerful being that doesn't really have much authoritative power but is powerful nonetheless. The Magician prefers to be in the sidelines, than being the center of attention and being fully responsible. In real life the person/people I would think to follow "The Magician" archetype are my managers at my job. They have authority over my fellow cashiers and myself, yet they still have no authority fully of the store, the owner does. Customers typically confuse the mangers as the owners, although they know the entire store like the back of their hand and help cashiers and stock people, the managers do not want the resonipbility that comes with owning a store. People assume it's easier to own a store rather than manage it, and nine out of ten times, they're wrong. 

Blog Entry #5

During the semester, I learned a new way of learning with this class. This is the first time, I'm taking a hybrid class. Although, I was completely unaware that I signed up for a hybrid class, I do not regret it at all. I never knew learning in English class could actually be fun until this class, the usage of blogs makes writing an essay not feel like we're writing an essay. Class discussions on intriguing topics like the supernatural really interests me as a opposed to constantly reading and referring to Shakespeare's works of literature. Not trying to talk badly about Shakespeare, just after a while always talking about him, isn't the most fun. This course is not going the way I thought it was, since like I mentioned before of being unaware that this was a hybrid class, I thought it was going to be a standard English class, sitting in a room constantly writing and revising essays and analyzing pieces of literature. So far the two pieces of literature that really stuck out to be was "Goblin Market" and "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night" they're such powerful works of literature, and both stood out to me, out of all the pieces of literature we have worked on thus far of the semester.

Blog Entry #4

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Domenick D’Angelo

ENG 102

Professor Smith

"I Felt A Funeral in My Brain" by Emily Dickinson

On December 10, 1830, an American poet named Emily Dickinson was born in Amherest, Massachusetts. She passed away on May 15, 1886 at the young age of fifty-six. I am a huge fan of Dickinson and her writing style, recently I discovered she wrote a poem that I haven’t read yet, until now. “I Felt A Funeral in My Brain,” has become one of my new favorite pieces of literature. Dickinson is able to convey such strong emotions beautifully into words, something I try to aspire to do.

In Dickinson’s first stanza of this poem, she symbolizes that the “funeral” her brain is experiencing is in fact a situation the speaker is going through and is making the speaker feel overwhelmed to the point that he/she has shut off their brain. The “mourners” Dickinson refers to the loved ones of the speaker trying to get through to him/her and comfort them in their time of need. The “service” is in fact a gathering of the speaker and his/hers loved ones discussing the speaker’s situation. The speaker’s heart beats faster and faster, which Dickinson refers the speaker’s heart as a loud “drum.” The “box” is a symbol of the speaker’s situation. The situation has been discussed between the speaker and his/hers loved ones and now the loved ones have finally gotten through to their beloved speaker.

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The two words “funeral” and “brain” stuck out to me the most in this poem for many reasons. I feel that Dickinson purposely capitalized the first letter of those two words for emphasis and to think differently when viewing those two words out of our daily context of them. Funerals, in most cases give a person closure after losing a love one. Brain represents life, without brain activity are we as people actually living? The things the brain goes through correspond to the life experiences we as people endure on a daily basis.

In the last stanza, I really like the fact the Dickinson ended in midsentence. It gives the readers like myself, sitting at the end of my seat. Even though she ended in midsentence, I still comprehended what she was trying to convey. After the speaker’s “funeral” he/she realizes that the world truly does care about him/her, and the speaker wouldn’t have had realized it without hitting rock bottom. I personally, had to read this poem multiple times before really comprehend what tone the speaker is using. At first read I thought this poem was really depressing and talking about death and talking about an actual funeral occurring. It took me about the third reading, to realize this poem is actually a warm poem, that its not intended to make someone feel depressed but to feel the exact opposite. To be happy, grateful of what one has and to value the time spent on earth.

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This poem truly inspires me. As cliché as this may sound, Dickinson worded the expression, “you don’t know what you have until it’s gone,” in such a beautiful way that really makes one person revaluate their priorities and realizes what truly matters within

one’s life. This poem is a great practice for the career path I am pursing, being an American Sign Language interpreter. Conveying emotions while one is signing is one thing to master, but to be able to put it in words is another. In worst-case scenarios I may have to document conversations I am interpreting and with American Sign Language being a visual language with such emotion and depth, I have difficulty putting that on paper. Reading this piece of Dickinson’s work plus the others I have read in the past, will really apply to my future everyday life.

Personally, I believe this poem is about the death of a situation a person is going through. By having a “funeral” of a situation, one has acknowledged the situation, assessed solutions to the situation and now they’re putting their situation to rest. Having a funeral gives people closer whether they see it at first or not. Knowing that your loved one, or in the poem’s case a situation is in a sense packaged in a box that you are able to go back to and asses one’s life changes the entire concept of “not being there” a whole lot bearable.