So as some of you may or may not know, I like to keep lists. They help me feel like I'm somewhat of an organized person. Grocery lists, lists of songs to download, lists of my favorite quotes. The list of the different lists I keep goes on and on (I thought this sentence was funny, so feel free to chuckle). As I was brainstorming ideas for this blog post, I found myself looking back on a few of these lists, two in particular titled, "These are the Moments" and "The Things I've Learned." Whenever I experience something fun or an event worth remembering 20 years from now, I write down a few phrases about it in "These are the Moments." Whenever I experience something stressful or an event that has made me grow in some way, I write a few phrases in "The Things I've Learned."
Reading the things I've written during my past four years of high school has definitely made me a little emotional. The family vacation out West, the bonfires, the afternoons spent on the tennis courts, the relationships that probably shouldn't have happened in the first place. Looking back on these memories has made me realize just how much I have changed. All the experiences have made me into the person that I am today. Freshman year I was this timid and awkward person who was always looking for approval from other people. I was lost in a sea of people trying to find my place and new friends. I felt especially lost because all of my close friends from middle school had classes and lunch without me. They were all together and I felt extremely left out. Now, as a senior, I am much more confident and can comfortably be myself. I have also made the most amazing friends who have greatly impacted my life for the better (huge s/o to you guys!!!)(Especially Melanie because she read this and made me edit it).
I feel like when we reflect on the past, we too often look back on our regrets. The opportunities we missed, the chances we weren't brave enough to take, and all the little dumb decisions we made along the way. I think that it is important to think about these things, but not to dwell on them too much. You should always learn and grow from what you have experienced. I hope to continue to learn and grow as I embark on the new adventures that life places in front of me. I hope to appreciate every moment, every laugh, every late night study session. I hope to be ambitious and achieve all of my dreams and the dreams that I haven't even dreamt of yet. I hope to love and be loved. Most importantly, I hope to be to be happy and positive at all times, even in times of trial when life just isn't going the way I planned.
On that note, I'm going to peace out. Much love to the IB fam. You guys certainly played a large role in my life over the last 2 years. Can't wait to see all of the awesome things you guys accomplish!
Sunday, April 26, 2015
Sunday, April 12, 2015
Walt Whitman: Inside the Journal
Step One:
"President-elect"
"I shall know if there is anything in you, liberated"
"Does the Queen of England represent a thousand years? And the Queen of Spain a thousand years?"
"Ships of liberate, blow mad winds!"
"Come show we wide sea what you are made of"
"Ship of the world- ship of humanity"
"Ship of the hope of the world"
"The Bohemian"
Several sketches- heart with knife, old man, etc.
Lots of lines crossed out or have question marks next to them
Whitman's journal tells us a lot about his thought process when he was creating his poems. He was very careful and deliberate with the words he chose. From the words I could identify I can tell that he really wrote to encourage the people and give them hope. He's urging them to show the world exactly who they are. The quote "Come show we wide sea what you are made of" seems to encourage the people and tries to build up their confidence a little bit it. When I read the quote about the Queens I wonder if he has something against some forms of authority. Maybe not necessarily against them, but I definitely feel like he is writing more for the common man. Through the quote " I shall know if there is anything in you" I can tell that he is a very careful observer of people and his surroundings. He wants to write about life in the way that he sees it. He wants to make an impact on his readers and provoke an emotion.
Step Two:
-Whitman wrote just little notes to himself (addresses, etc.)
-worked as a nurse
-"deep latent sadness"
-Created conversation between himself and Abraham Lincoln
-Library of Congress stamp. Enhances the fabricated conversation. Plays into the fantasy/story
-Four sided God- Includes Satan and God. Good and Evil. Related to Civil War?
-lots of poems took real dedication. Several years it seems.
-wrote about slavery
-"libertad
-"is all lost?" Whitman responds to this question.
-Portrays Lincoln as a captain of a ship
-"Why now I shall see what the old ship is made of. Any body can sail with a fair wind, or a smooth sea"
-Change from calm to dangerous sea
-"hovering “black clouds … of death”
-"I welcome the menace – I welcome thee with joy"
-Whitman didn't draw pics
-Sketch of Whitman
-harp picture
-"The last war"
I definitely wasn't getting everything when I read the original text. The transcriptions really helped to provide some context. I think the topics that Whitman talk about are extremely significant. He talks about politics, slavery, and religion. All subjects that are quite controversial. Whitman cares a lot about America and the people of America. He isn't afraid to make his opinion know. He believes that there can be a better version of America possible in the future, but hardships must be encountered first. I think Whitman likes to be challenged. He welcomes a looming storm. He says "I welcome the menace- I welcome thee with joy". Storms enhance weaknesses that need to be improved. Storms can lead to new beginnings. Whitman wants peace and equality. I think the conversation he creates with Abraham Lincoln is also interesting. It reminds me of the question "If you could invite anyone you wanted to dinner, who would you chose?" question. His choice of creating the conversation between himself and Abraham Lincoln reveals that he cares about his country and wants the oppurtunity to impact/better it in some way.
"President-elect"
"I shall know if there is anything in you, liberated"
"Does the Queen of England represent a thousand years? And the Queen of Spain a thousand years?"
"Ships of liberate, blow mad winds!"
"Come show we wide sea what you are made of"
"Ship of the world- ship of humanity"
"Ship of the hope of the world"
"The Bohemian"
Several sketches- heart with knife, old man, etc.
Lots of lines crossed out or have question marks next to them
Whitman's journal tells us a lot about his thought process when he was creating his poems. He was very careful and deliberate with the words he chose. From the words I could identify I can tell that he really wrote to encourage the people and give them hope. He's urging them to show the world exactly who they are. The quote "Come show we wide sea what you are made of" seems to encourage the people and tries to build up their confidence a little bit it. When I read the quote about the Queens I wonder if he has something against some forms of authority. Maybe not necessarily against them, but I definitely feel like he is writing more for the common man. Through the quote " I shall know if there is anything in you" I can tell that he is a very careful observer of people and his surroundings. He wants to write about life in the way that he sees it. He wants to make an impact on his readers and provoke an emotion.
Step Two:
-Whitman wrote just little notes to himself (addresses, etc.)
-worked as a nurse
-"deep latent sadness"
-Created conversation between himself and Abraham Lincoln
-Library of Congress stamp. Enhances the fabricated conversation. Plays into the fantasy/story
-Four sided God- Includes Satan and God. Good and Evil. Related to Civil War?
-lots of poems took real dedication. Several years it seems.
-wrote about slavery
-"libertad
-"is all lost?" Whitman responds to this question.
-Portrays Lincoln as a captain of a ship
-"Why now I shall see what the old ship is made of. Any body can sail with a fair wind, or a smooth sea"
-Change from calm to dangerous sea
-"hovering “black clouds … of death”
-"I welcome the menace – I welcome thee with joy"
-Whitman didn't draw pics
-Sketch of Whitman
-harp picture
-"The last war"
I definitely wasn't getting everything when I read the original text. The transcriptions really helped to provide some context. I think the topics that Whitman talk about are extremely significant. He talks about politics, slavery, and religion. All subjects that are quite controversial. Whitman cares a lot about America and the people of America. He isn't afraid to make his opinion know. He believes that there can be a better version of America possible in the future, but hardships must be encountered first. I think Whitman likes to be challenged. He welcomes a looming storm. He says "I welcome the menace- I welcome thee with joy". Storms enhance weaknesses that need to be improved. Storms can lead to new beginnings. Whitman wants peace and equality. I think the conversation he creates with Abraham Lincoln is also interesting. It reminds me of the question "If you could invite anyone you wanted to dinner, who would you chose?" question. His choice of creating the conversation between himself and Abraham Lincoln reveals that he cares about his country and wants the oppurtunity to impact/better it in some way.
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