Why I Write

1. Why does Orwell write?
Orwell writes with four motives. They are sheer egoism, aesthetic enthusiasm, historical impulse, and political purpose. However, he believed that political purpose was the motive that most improved his work.

2. Why do you write?
 I write mainly to communicate a thought or idea. Most of the writing I do is for school, so it is primarily explaining a truth or giving my opinion on something. My main motive for writing is usually historical impulse, but on occasion, I write out for Aesthetic enthusiasm.


3. What did you learn about writing?
I learned about the motives for writing. I never really thought about the different things that would inspire a person to write.


4. What did you find most interesting about the piece?
I thought it was interesting that he went through a period of time when he wanted to get rid of his desire to write. I don’t really understand why he would avoid something that he knew was his true nature.


5. What one sentence would be the best grounds for an argument? Why?
“All writers are vain, selfish, and lazy, and at the very bottom of their motives there lies a mystery.” This sentence is the best grounds for an argument because not every writer is vain, selfish, and lazy. It was just his view of writers, and it would be wrong to say that they are all like that.

C.S. Lewis

C.S. Lewis on Trailmeme

Tolkien Quotes

“All that is gold does not glitter; not all those that wander are lost.”
I like this quote because it shows that the appearance and stereotypes of people and things may be misleading. Just because something is gold, doesn’t mean we should assume it glitters, and just because someone wanders, doesn’t mean they are lost.

“Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens.”
I like this quote because it shows that true faith can easily be seen when life is not going as well as you hoped. It is a good reminder to keep faith even during tough times.

Both of these quotes are from The Fellowship of the Ring, which was written by J.R.R. Tolkien.
More quotes from J.R.R. Tolkien
More information on J.R.R. Tolkien

Coronation Address and Truisms

Graves, Robert. “Coronation Address.” British Literature. Ed. Ronald A. Horton. Greenville, SC: BJU Press 2003. 713-714. Print.

MacNeice, Louis. “The Truisms.” British Literature. Ed. Ronald A. Horton. Greenville, SC: BJU Press 2003. 716-717. Print.

Lord of the Flies

Golding Reading

Miss Brill Discussion

Miss Brill Discussion Link

Feuille D' Album Discussion

Feuille D' Album Discussion link

A Haunted House Discussion

A Haunted House Discussion link

Response of Hope

Dear Virginia,
Please don’t feel that all is lost, and you can’t fight any longer. You can do all things through Christ. He is close to those who are crushed in spirit. He is a stronghold in times of pain and struggle, and His love never ends. If you find Him, He will be sufficient in all that you do. He has a great purpose for you and your life. Also, you have a husband who loves and cherishes you. He makes you happy, and you make him happy. Think of how losing you could affect him. Please don’t lose hope.
-Courtney

Lawrence and the Rocking Horse

Joyce Recap

An Araby Critque

"Araby" Link

Yeats Tour

Kipling Short Story

1. “Watches of the Night”

2. One life application that I got out of the story is to not take jokes too far because they can greatly affect the lives of others. The joke, played by Platte and Mrs. Larkyn, ruined the relationship between the Colonel and his wife. Because of this, the mistrust had begun killing the Colonel’s wife and caused the Colonel to be miserable.

3. I thought the story was interesting and enjoyable to read. It taught a good lesson and definitely threw a lot of drama into the storyline. I also found it amusing how all of the mistrust and troubles started all because the Colonel accidentally dropped a watch.

Kipling, Rudyard. “Watches of the Night.” Readbookonline.net. Web. 11 Apr. 2011. <http://www.readbookonline.net/readOnLine/2469>.

A Poem Inspired by Kipling

If you can persevere when all seems lost,
Never giving up no matter what the cost
If you can adapt to a situation so new,
If you can trust that God will guide you through,
If you can wait for the things you want
And keep your focus on the positives in life,
If you can be a blessing to those around you,
Then you are likely to accomplish much.

Dickens' Stories

Scrooge, a wealthy but selfish man, is visited by the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future. Throughout their visits, they show him his faults, and he promises to change. Given the second chance, Scrooge turns out to be a caring and giving man.

SparkNotes summary link

Book-a-Minute link

"SparkNotes: A Christmas Carol: Summary." SparkNotes. Web. 07 Apr. 2011. <http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/christmascarol/summary.html>.

The Hound of Heaven

Sorry about all of the laughing

Housman

The time you won your town the race
We chaired you through the market-place;
Man and boy stood cheering by,
And home we brought you shoulder-high.

To-day, the road all runners come,
Shoulder-high we bring you home,
And set you at your threshold down,
Townsman of a stiller town.

Smart lad, to slip betimes away
From fields were glory does not stay
And early though the laurel grows
It withers quicker than the rose.

Eyes the shady night has shut
Cannot see the record cut,
And silence sounds no worse than cheers
After earth has stopped the ears:

Now you will not swell the rout
Of lads that wore their honours out,
Runners whom renown outran
And the name died before the man.

So set, before its echoes fade,
The fleet foot on the sill of shade,
And hold to the low lintel up
The still-defended challenge-cup.

And round that early-laurelled head
Will flock to gaze the strengthless dead,
And find unwithered on its curls
The garland briefer than a girl's.

Housman, A. “To an Athlete Dying Young.” British Literature. Ed. Ronald A. Horton. 2^nd ed. Greenville, SC: BJU Press, 2003. 678. Print.

Hopkins

Pied Beauty.egg on Aviary.

An example of alliteration: “And wears man’s smudge and shares man’s smell: the soil”

Hopkins, Gerard. “Pied Beauty.” British Literature. Ed. Ronald A Horton. 2nd ed. Greenville, SC: BJU Press, 2003. 675. Print.

Hopkins, Gerard. “God’s Grandeur.” British Literature. Ed. Ronald A Horton. 2nd ed. Greenville, SC: BJU Press, 2003. 676. Print.

Hardy

I think that the theme of “The Three Strangers” was wrong assumptions. These wrong assumptions were made because of little known information. Three strangers were brought to the same house within the same night. The fact that the story includes strangers shows that little is known about each of them in the beginning. An innocent man is thought of as guilty because of his reaction to the sight of the other two strangers. In the end, it is discovered that it was really the first stranger who was the criminal and the third strange, who was falsely accused,  was his brother.

Answer to the White Queen's Riddle

The answer to “The White Queen’s Riddle” is an oyster.
An ironic and unexpected twist in “The Walrus and the Carpenter” was that all the oysters were eaten. There was no clear sign that they had been eaten until the very end when the Carpenter had asked them a question, as if expecting a reply, but received no answer.


Carroll, Lewis. “The Walrus and the Carpenter.” British Literature. Ed. Ronald A Horton. 2nd ed. Greenville, SC: BJU Press, 2003. 652-655. Print.
Carroll, Lewis. “The White Queen's Riddle.” British Literature. Ed. Ronald A Horton. 2nd ed. Greenville, SC: BJU Press, 2003. 652. Print.

Have I Not Striven

Love Similes

How great is my love for you?
My love for you is as deep as the ocean.
It is like a smile that won’t fade away; you bring me real joy.
I need your love like I need air to breath.
My love for you is as certain as the rising sun.
It is as desired as a raindrop during a drought.
My love for you is as lasting as a diamond.
I love you for all that you’ve done.

My Last Duchess

Browning, Robert. "My Last Duchess." Poets.org. Web. 15 Mar. 2011. <http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15701>.



Ulysses and Crossing the Bar

Tennyson, Lord. "Ulysses." British Literature. Ed. Ronald A. Horton. 2nd ed. Greenville, SC: BJU Press, 2003. 633-634. Print.
Tennyson, Lord. "Crossing the Bar." British Literature. Ed. Ronald A. Horton. 2nd ed. Greenville, SC: BJU Press, 2003. 635. Print.

The Poet and Kapiolani

Tennyson, Lord. “The Poet.” British Literature. Ed. Ronald A. Horton. 2nd ed. Greenville, SC: BJU Press, 2003. 615-616. Print.

“XX. Kapiolani and Pele.” Internet Sacred Text Archive Home. Web. 08 Mar. 2011.<http://www.sacred-texts.com/pac/hlov/hlov25.htm>.

"Dover Beach" Audioboo

Arnold, Matthew. “Dover Beach.” British Literature. Ed. Ronald A. Horton. 2^nd ed. Greenville, SC: BJU Press, 2003. 643. Print.

Newman Survey

What must be made the element and principle of all education?
     Paige-The Bible and Christian beliefs

     Sherry- Good educators knowledgeable in the curriculum they teach

     Tammy- Life application

     Lauren- Motivated students who want to learn

     Wade- To inspire students to learn for the betterment of themselves

Newman, John. “The Tamworth Reading Room.”British Literature. Ed. Ronald A. Horton. 2^nd ed. Greenville, SC: BJU Press, 2003. 610-612. Print.

Carlyle Hero

HeroMachine

This is Hero Man. Hero Man is selfless, brave, and wise. He risks his own life to save the lives of others on a daily basis. He is fast, strong, and handy with his sword. It is said that he can outrun a tornado, lift cars off the ground, and slice with precision every time he touches a sword. People can depend on Hero Man to be there whenever there is trouble. He uses a mask to keep his identity hidden from the people. “The great man, with his free force direct out of God’s own hand, is lightning” (Carlyle 607). Part of the connection that I made between Hero Man and this quote was his speed, but I also connected it to the fact that lightning is seen as a magnificent occurrence, and I tried to make Hero Man to be magnificent.


Carlyle, Thomas. “On Heroes, Hero-Worship, and the Heroic in History.” British Literature. Ed. Ronald A. Horton. 2nd ed. Greenville, SC: BJU Press, 2003. 607. Print.



Timeless Themes

Connections between Jane Eyre and “The Reason”

A connection between “The Reason” and Jane Eyre is that the Reeds were Jane’s reason. “I've found a reason for me to change who I used to be a reason to start over new and the reason is you.” In this case, the reason was a negative thing. The situation at Gateshead provided Jane a reason to start over at a new school. She had a reason to seek success and respect at Lowood.

Another connection is the relationship that Jane had with those she became close with like Helen and Miss Temple. Jane wanted to gain the affection of them. The kindness that they showed Jane influenced her greatly. The lyrics, “I've found a reason to show a side of me you didn't know a reason for all that I do and the reason is you,” relates to Jane because Miss Temple and Helen gave Jane a reason to show her good qualities.

"Here I Go" -Relient K
Oh
Believe me I have tried
To work this out from the inside
Then I finally realized
I just need to move on with my life

Gotta make something happen
Not just sit around and wait for it
This place is like a prison
I think I'm going to make a break for it

Whoa
Here I go
It's like we're living for the first time
Whoa
Here I go
And I think that it's the first time I felt alive

I've been suppressed
I've been let down
Been pushed aside
Been pushed around
There's only one thing that I need

That's something you can't take from me
Gotta make something happen
Not just sit around and wait for it
This place is like a prison
I think I'm going to make a break for it

Whoa
Here I go
It's like we're living for the first time
Whoa
Here I go
And I think that it's the first time I felt alive

Whoa
Here I go
It's like we're living for the first time
Whoa
Here I go
And I think that it's the first time I felt alive

Move up
Move on
You blink and I'm gone
I finally got one life to live
I'll live it now
You have your doubts
I'll prove them wrong
This is the only thing I know
So here I go

Whoa
Here I go
It's like we're living for the first time
Whoa
Here I go
And I think that it's the first time I felt alive

Whoa
Here I go
It's like we're living for the first time
Whoa
Here I go
And I think that it's the first time I felt alive

Connections between Jane Eyre and “Here I Go”

A connection between “Here I Go” and Jane Eyre is that she wanted to leave Gateshead. “I've been suppressed I've been let down been pushed aside been pushed around” relates to the treatment Jane received. This led to Jane wanting to leave and seek better treatment.

Another connection that can be made between the song and Jane Eyre is that Jane grew tired of Lowood. The lyrics, “Gotta make something happen not just sit around and wait for it this place is like a prison I think I'm going to make a break for it,” relates to Jane and how she felt while at Lowood. Jane became too familiar with Lowood and wanted to experience something different and escape the monotony of her life there.

Works Cited: Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York: New American Library, 1998. Print.

Keats' Song

Keats.egg on Aviary.

I’ve seen much greatness throughout my days.
Beautiful and amazing creatures have crossed my ways.
A dazzling smile or a sorrowful tear,
Awakens my eyes to how things appear.
A stunning sunrise and a beautiful flower
have instantly overcome me with its power.
The feel of the mist that the ocean sprays
Has captured my attention in unknown ways.
Everywhere I look is filled with magnificence,
And the beauty I see takes my breath away in an instant.
All this I see is from no mistake.
It is just a few of the things that God could make.

Keats, John. “Ón First Looking into Chapman’s Homer.” British Literature. Ed. Ronald A. Horton. 2^nd ed. Greenville, SC: BJU Press, 2003. 575. Print.

Percy Bysshe Shelley Resume

Percy Bysshe Shelley

Education
Oxford University (1810-1811)
Eton College (1804-1810)

Skills and Qualifications
Writer of many literary works
Primarily focused on romanticism
Experienced in unconventional thinking and non-conformity to his time period

Some Written Works
The Necessity of Atheism-1811
Queen Mab-1813
“Alastor”-1816
“Ode to the West Wind”-1820
Prometheus Unbound-1820
Adonais-1821

Interests
Helping the oppressed
Independent thoughts and actions
The overthrowing of tyranny
Stirring social revolts
Vegetarianism

Works Cited

"Percy Bysshe Shelley." Shmoop. Web. 19 Jan. 2011.<http://www.shmoop.com/percy-bysshe-shelley/>.

"Percy B. Shelley: Works." The Victorian Web: An Overview. Web. 19 Jan. 2011. <http://www.victorianweb.org/previctorian/shelley/works.html>.

Horton, Ronald. “Percy Bysshe Shelley.” British Literature. Ed. Ronald A. Horton. 2nd ed. Greenville, SC: BJU Press, 2003. 565-567. Print.



Byron Poem

It never grew as it should.
It never let off that sweet scent.
I would have changed it if I could,
But that was never my intent.

Made of plastic, it’s beauty amazed.
It almost seemed to be enough.
Temporarily it kept me dazed,
but now I realize it was all a bluff.

At the time, it seemed like the better pick,
But its once vibrant color fades still.
Now it’s time to face the music.
Things not true can never fulfill.

Both the flower and our love,
Were masked by authenticity.
But from the beginning it was known,
Underneath hid insincerity.

This poem is “romantic” in that it portrays the natural over the artificial. In this poem, an artificial type of love is compared to an artificial flower. Like the flower, the love does not fulfill as if it were real. In the end, the natural or real type of flower and love triumphs over the fake. The poem followed the rhyme scheme of Byron’s “On This Day I Complete My Thirty-Sixth Year.”


Byron, Lord. “On This Day I Complete My Thirty-Sixth Year.” British Literature. Ed. Ronald A. Horton. 2nd ed. Greenville, SC: BJU Press, 2003. 562-562. Print.

Old China Voicemail

Lamb, Charles. “Old China.” British Literature. Ed. Ronald A. Horton. 2^nd ed. Greenville: BJU, 2003. 556-559. Print.

A Humbled Heart

Stealing had always been something that Sally had struggled with. She knew it was wrong, but the thrill of it had kept her going. It wasn’t until today though, that she had actually been caught. She had stolen a pair of sunglasses from a store by quickly slipping it into her purse. This was something that she had gotten away with many times before but just not today. She stood frozen as the security guard pulled her to the side and asked about the glasses. Knowing that lying would just get her deeper into trouble, she admitted to stealing. The punishment was decided to be a few hours of volunteer work, but Sally still had to be brought to the police station where her parents were to pick her up. As she sat there, she couldn’t help but remember all the things she had heard about repenting. She had accepted Christ recently, but there was one thing that she still had trouble doing, repenting. She found it hard to repent to God, but even harder to repent to the person she had wronged. Her pride had kept her from it, but it was at that moment at the station she realized her need for a change. She knew that admitting her sins would help her suppress the temptation to steal in the future. After the station, Sally headed straight to the store, found the manager, and sincerely apologized for her actions. Grateful, he expressed his forgiveness. Right then, Sally felt better and at peace. She knew that she was on her way to strengthening her relationship with God.

Common Things in an Uncommon Light

I used picnik to edit this picture of flowers. Typically, flowers are never black, and grass is never blue. With this different perspective of the flowers, the picture itself expresses a darker feeling than the original picture because of the black. However, that darkness is contrasted by the bright blue grass. I think that Wordsworth had a different perspective of things, which was reflected in his work. He included a lot of nature in his writings and kept them very interesting.

Blake Video Response

Blake Video Response

Blake, William. “The Clod and the Pebble.” British Literature. Ronald A. Horton. 2^nd ed. Greenville: BJU, 2003. 520. Print.