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Month: October 2018

Blog #2: Song of Myself

Alexandra Tu

10/22/2018

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1zHhiA7gDc

Song of Myself by Walt Whitman: Section 6 Analysis

In this video, Tim Mcgee facilitates a great discussion about one of the most important sections in the Song of Myself– that is section 6. This section is significant for Walt Whitman’s work because it’s ultimately the reason why he titled his collection of poetry, “Leaves of Grass”. Additionally, Section 6  highlights many important symbols which explain his overall theme that can best be described as “the Circle of Life”.

The beginning of this section (00:42) starts with a child asking him a question which he cannot provide a clear answer to, “A child said What is the grass? fetching it to me with full hands; How could I answer the child? I do not know what it is any more than he.” 

Whitman guesses that grass, “is the handkerchief of the Lord”  which is a symbol for a loving gift. It means that God is present in the manifestation of nature’s beautiful things such as grass.

So what is grass? After numerous guesses regarding its symbolic nature, Whitman finalizes his thoughts:  “And now it seems to me the beautiful uncut hair of graves.” This metaphor is based on the idea that the dead support new life. Grass is the symbol of the transcendence of life because it represents the cycle of life: living beings come from nature and go back to nature (are buried in the ground when they die). Thus, earth is one big graveyard because the soil is composed of dead bodies and soil is what allows for roots/new grass to grow.

Whitman concludes by saying: “The smallest sprout shows there is really no death, And if ever there was it led forward life” (6:13 in video) – Mcgee sums this up by saying: Life is beautifully lived when you appreciate how beautiful death is because it is apart of the experience. It is to be embraced.

Whitman’s idea’s / guesses of grass are meant to give us comfort about ‘life’ and learn to appreciate/value how beautiful the cycle of life and death is. He believes that death never ends anything – rather it’s the continuation of life and once we understand that, we get to recognize the beauty of our existence.

Blog #1: King Lear

Alexandra Tu

9/24/2018

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahFtoCq6CHw&t=394s

Ian McKellen: Understanding King Lear, the Character

In the video, Understanding King Lear, the Character, Ian McKellen explains his understanding of the title character by providing insight into Lear’s backstory. Initially, I was intrigued because of the way that McKellen articulated his thoughts — it drew me into the discussion. This play was not concerned with the past—there was no explanation, backstory or quick summary; we just jumped right into the present. It can be difficult for the audience to interpret the story and understand the characters, which is why I found this video to be helpful and worthy of a discussion.

This commentary discusses Lear’s character and his transformation throughout the play. McKellen made many excellent points towards the end of the video about the relationship between Lear and his daughters. At 6:32, McKellen states, “I think he has been a bit of a bully. And you see him bullying his daughters, which perhaps explains why the two elder daughters have the characters they do. They turn into dreadful bullies themselves. Like father, like daughter”. His analysis of Cordelia, the youngest daughter, stems from the ‘good’ characteristics of Lear—His willpower and strength (similar to that of a warrior). McKellen proposes that King Lear could have been a warrior because the man he liked the most in the play was Kent—the man who told him the truth from the beginning despite getting thrown out. Kent returns in disguise and was well liked by Lear. McKellen suggests this is because he can recognize a man who is sturdy and moral with military values.

The relationship between Lear and Cordelia was one consisting of love. The commentator believed Lear loved Cordelia the most and wanted her love back in return. Thus, in the first scene, he got very upset when he felt like his love was not reciprocated back to him. In summary, I believe the commentator was trying to analyze deeper into Lear’s character and provide an understanding of the type of King he was—Not just a politician, bully, or a king who ruled solely because his father did, but also a warrior who always had a heart.