Note 8

Island of the Blue Dolphins

The short novel, Island of the Blue Dolphins, portrays the ocean through the eyes of young tribal children, giving the water an innocent appeal. The simple words and matter-of-fact tone describe the ocean in its most basic form. To the young boy, the ocean is "a flat stone without any scratches." His words are straight-forward and lower in diction, but they so vividly express an image of calm water. The young boy's sister argued with him, saying it was just unmoving water, but he saw the sea in the raw as a "blue stone," and the sky as "a small cloud which sits on the stone." A child's perspective of the vast, mighty sea is rare insight into its simplicity.

Note 7

The perfectly-timed photograph captures water landing with a splash, displaying the power of a miniscule droplet to shake the entire body of water. The image, filled with crisp blue tones, portrays the broken serenity of glass-like water. It looks as though the steady calmness of the still water has been suddenly interrupted, leaving it in shock. The effects of this unexpected discrepancy are portrayed by the continuously expanding circles around the site of impact. The crystal-clear reflection of the splash implies that the water has not only been visually changed above water but also below it. This tiny droplet has the power to change everything in the flawlessly quiet water, making the image a lesson in and of itself.

Reading Log

This past week, I continued reading Wuthering Heights. I had started reading this classic over spring break, but after taking a little break and reading other books, I forgot all of the details in this intricate story, so I reread some of the important parts. I read a total of eleven chapters, 108 pages, of Wuthering Heights. The book has classic language, and it is VERY elevated in style, so it takes great concentration and attention to details to really understand the storyline. Keeping the characters in line and understanding each of their connections to one another is probably the hardest part of the book. I have looked at a family tree though, which has helped my understanding. I am excited to continue reading this, along with watching multiple versions of the movie. I have accomplished my goal of reading a book in the literary fiction category.

Notes 4,5 & 6

 Note 4:

Water
By Ralph Waldo Emerson

The water understands
Civilization well;
It wets my foot, but prettily,
It chills my life, but wittily,
It is not disconcerted,
It is not broken-hearted:
Well used, it decketh joy,
Adorneth, doubleth joy:
Ill used, it will destroy,
In perfect time and measure
With a face of golden pleasure
Elegantly destroy.

In Emerson's "Water," antique words are used to personify water, implying that water is a double-edged sword by nature. The diction is very formal, adding extra wisdom and meaning to the words. The speaker is using a natural element such as water to simplify humanity. Just as with people, water sneaks up and does something negative to a person, but does it in a delightful manner, so as to deceive its victim. Emerson wrote, "It wets my foot, but prettily," implying that even though the speaker's foot was drenched, the water did it in such a beautiful way, that he was distracted from his annoyance at being wet. The author also writes, "Well used it decketh joy," and "Ill used, it will destroy." This exemplifies the double-edged sword that water can be. If water is used properly, it can be beneficial to humankind, but if its power is underestimated or mistreated, it can breed sickness and disastrous storms. This is a strong message that reflects on society too; it reminds people that anything used suitably is advantageous, but if used incorrectly, it has the ability to create more evil than good.

Note 5:

Overboard
By: Justin Bieber (feat. Jessica Jarrell)

It feels like we've been out at sea, whoa
So back and forth that's how it seems, whoa
And when I wanna talk you say to me
That if it's meant to be it will be
Whoa oh no
So crazy is this thing we call love
And now that we've got it we just can't give up
I'm reaching out for you
Got me out here in the water
And I

I'm overboard
And I need your love
Pull me up
I can't swim on my own
It's too much
Feels like I'm drowning without your love
So throw yourself out to me
My lifesaver
(Lifesaver, oh lifesaver)
My lifesaver
(Lifesaver, oh lifesaver)
Whoa

The lyrics to one of Justin Bieber's hit songs, "Overboard," vividly portray the powerful ocean, implying that the ups and downs of relationships are similar to the strong pulls of the ocean's tide. When he says, "It feels like we've been out at sea, whoa. So back and forth that's how it seems, whoa," the lyricist is comparing the good and the bad parts of love to the waves going in and out. Sometimes there are good times in relationships; these euphoric times are similar to calm ocean waters, serene and happy. Like waves though, just as soon as a relationship is steady and happy, it becomes a struggle again. The speaker says, "Feels like I'm drowning without your love," demonstrating the power of the waves, hardships in relationships, to drag a person down. In order to overcome these tough times, the two people in the relationship need each other to use as "lifesavers," to keep them afloat even throughout the waves of relationships.

Note 6:

from The Sleepers
By Walt Whitman

I see a beautiful gigantic swimmer swimming naked through the eddies of the sea,

His brown hair lies close and even to his head, he strikes out with courageous arms, he urges himself with his legs,

I see his white body, I see his undaunted eyes,

I hate the swift-running eddies that would dash him head-foremost on the rocks.

What are you doing you ruffianly red-trickled waves?

Will you kill the courageous giant? will you kill him in the prime of his middle-age?

Steady and long he struggles,

He is baffled, bang’d, bruis’d, he holds out while his strength holds out,

The slapping eddies are spotted with his blood, they bear him away, they roll him, swing him, turn him,

His beautiful body is borne in the circling eddies, it is continually bruis’d on rocks,

Swiftly and out of sight is borne the brave corpse. 

Walt Whitman's poem displays the sheer force of the ocean's current, reminding readers that even though certain things, such as the swimmer, may seem invincible, there are forces in life more powerful than anyone can imagine. As the poem begins, the swimmer is described as courageous and undaunting, making him seem indestructible. As the lines continue though, the waves creep into the mental images, threatening to overtake him. Just as in life, the seemingly imperishable swimmer is caught off guard, and even though he fights with all his strength, he is overpowered by the supremacy of the water over all of nature. Although it is a pessimistic view, the author is implying that sometimes no matter how much you struggle to overcome something, you simply may not succeed. There are some situations in life that are similar to the amazing strength of water, and it is near to impossible to come out on top. The author finishes off by mentioning the "brave corpse," a reminder that you don't have to go down without a heroic fight.

Spring Break Reading Log

Over spring break, I accomplished my goal of reading three books on the beach! I spent most of my free time reading and sunning. I read The Lucky One (just in time to see the movie come out April 20th), Maximum Ride, Perfect Chemistry, and I started reading the classic, Wuthering Heights. All of the books were completely different from each other, including the genres. The Lucky One was a sappy Nicholas Sparks novel; it was steady paced and very realistic, a huge change from the high-paced thrillers I have been reading recently. Maximum Ride was recommended to me by a friend, and with its super short chapters, it was a fast but eventful science-fiction read. Perfect Chemistry was an unconventional love story between two very different people from opposite backgrounds. Wuthering Heights is a piece of literary fiction, having a different feel to the writing altogether. I have seen the movie, so I am excited to read the original book. I felt like I did a good job of accomplishing my reading goals over spring break! I have a huge list of books to read now!

Reading Log

After reading the first book in the Maximum Ride series by James Patterson, I was immediately ready to dive into the next book, Maximum Ride: School's Out Forever. Patterson's fast-paced, action-packed series is about hybrid bird-children on the run. The six children are ages fourteen and under, parentless, and are running away from the unethical scientists who created them in an experiment. The second book in the series is just as intense as the first. After reading 142 of the short chapters, I finished the entire book in one week! This series has distracted me from my original reading goal of finishing the Left Behind series, but instead, I think I will make it a goal to finish or get close to finishing the eight-book series before school ends.

Notes 2&3

Note 2:

Swimming Ool
By Kenn Nesbitt

Swimming in the swimming pool

is where I like to “B,”

wearing underwater goggles

so that I can “C.”

Yesterday, before I swam,

I drank a cup of “T.”

Now the pool’s a “swimming ool”

because I took a “P.”

Kenn Nesbitt's youthfully reminiscent poem, "Swimming Ool," has the ability to bring out the inner child in
any reader. Each line is simple, yet extrememly clever, easily lending a smirk from the stiffest of bores. The insertion of capital letters in place of common words adds a childlike character to the poem, possibly reflecting on the author's young at heart attitude. The letter "T" is used as a homophone for "tea." These replacements add character to the words and produce a jovial atmosphere. "Swimming Ool" is energetic and light, taking readers away from the woes of a heavy world and bringing them into the carefree world of a child playing in the pool.

Note 3:

"The Breaking Wave"
Byron Pickering

The eye-catching oil painting by Byron Pickering titled "The Breaking Wave" displays cool, eerie coloring, which portrays the ocean's little-known sinister side. The bright green immediately draws my eye in, leaving me wondering what could be so bright that it would illuminate this seemingly dark water. The light begins to fade as the powerful current nears the dark, jagged rocks, suggesting an oncoming disaster or mishap. Above, the sky changes from white, fluffy clouds to mysteriously thick, gray skies. A mist hangs over the towering rocks and dark waters, adding to the mystery of the dangerously strong waters below.