Author Archives: Zerlina Chen

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Book 16 Lines 333-337

“The two of them met, the herald and the noble swineherd, going by reason of the same message, to report to the lady. But when they had come to the house of the sacred king, the herald stood in the midst of the serving maids and delivered his message: ‘Now, O queen, your beloved son is back in this country’.”

Odysseus and Telemachos are planning a surprise attack to take back their kingdom and get rid of the suitors. My question is, if you’re going to take them by surprise, why would you announce to your enemies your return? And why do you need two people to relay the same message?

I’ve only watched the first season of Blacklist but I think it would be safe to say that the American crime thriller incorporates a bit of Jacobean style into the show. There are moments of violence, revenge, manipulation, ambiguous relationships and betrayal. The show primarily centers around the long time wanted fugitive Raymond “Red” Reddington who used to work for the government but has converted into a life of crime selling government information and etc.

Reddington is a very calculated man that has a reason for every move including surrendering himself to the FBI. If you are on move A, he is already on move A plus 4. In other words, he is 4 steps ahead of you. He uses this ability to manipulate the FBI into helping him capture dangerous criminals that are on his blacklist. While watching the show, one can realize that there’s a main plot developing within each subplot. He does whatever it takes to get what he wants including violence; even if it means shooting someone in cold blood or dropping them in acid while they’re still alive.

We realize as the show goes on, every criminal that is on Reddington’s blacklist serves a purpose to his ultimate goal – who wants him dead and how he can protect himself. In addition, as the side plot, there is the ambiguous relationship between him and the only FBI agent he is willing to speak with, Elizabeth Keen, while he acts as a confidential informant. He uses her need for a father figure as a means to access her resources to help him. He purposely doesn’t state what their relationship is in an effort to maintain control over Elizabeth.

Blacklist

I chose to compare the short poem Sitting Alone By Jingting Mountain translated by Stephen Owen to Ronan Keating’s song “When You Say Nothing At All”.

The flocks of birds have flown high and away,
A solitary cloud goes off calmly alone.
We look at each other and never get bored-
Just me and Jingting Mountain.

The uniqueness of Jingting Mountain is it’s never ending inspiration for poets. It can keep attracting one without boredom. When I read this short poem,the impression I got out of this is the appreciation the poet has for being entertained by just the scenery. The mountain proves to be self sufficient even though he is by himself. The poem relates to the song in that both pieces describe an appreciation for attraction through silence. The following is a verse from the song:

It’s amazing how you
Can speak right to my heart.
Without saying a word
You can light up the dark.

Try as I may, I could never explain
What I hear when you don’t say a thing.

The smile on your face
Lets me know that you need me.
There’s a truth in your eyes
Saying you’ll never leave me.

This verse is pretty much self explanatory. Though it is a love song, the singer is amazed at how he can be enchanted by his lover without her saying a word. The object of his desire, her smile, is able to grab his attention. This correlates to how the Jingting Mountain itself can fascinate the poet without words.