Autumn's Embrace - Final

Alone on a peacock green park bench,
I slowly become solitude’s victim.
Dawn emerges, and the trees are drenched –
Drenched in the colours of a welcoming autumn.
The air is crisp against my paper white face.
A towering sun rises above it all.
One ray of warmth, and I’m quick to embrace –
Embrace the crimson pallet of fall.

On a peacock green park bench, I sit alone,
Waiting for solitude to consume me.
Without man’s corruption, true colours are shown,
The world’s and mine, alike; I’ve found an escape.
My childish instincts are prominent.

Covered - Final

Covered, head-to-toe, in your transparent coat of shame –
There’s nothing to be ashamed of dear.
Isn’t this what you wanted? Just a taste of fame?
Well, now you’ve got it. Hurry and wipe that iridescent tear.
Hide yourself and disguise that pain.
They feed off the stuff, with those blood-stained teeth. Looks like they’re starving.
Give them what they want, right? There’s nothing to lose. Oh, but nothing to gain.
Nothing to lose? Wrong! They’re little carpenters, and they’re carving.
Carving away at your dignity and your pride.
Is this what you wanted? A little taste of fame?
It’s starting to ache. I can see it in your eyes.
What a pretty picture. Well, here’s the frame:
They’ve gone fishing and tossed the bait.
You’ve taken hold and they’re in for the kill.
Your distress is tasty, but not enough. You give more, and they can’t wait.
They strive for your heart, and you give it with will.
Covered, head-to-toe, in your transparent coat of shame.
This isn’t what you wanted?

Autumn's Embrace - Rough Draft

Alone on a peacock green park bench,
I slowly become solitude’s victim.
Dawn emerges, and the trees are drenched –
Drenched in the colours of a welcoming autumn.
The air is crisp against my paper white face.
A towering sun rises above it all.
One ray of warmth, and I’m quick to embrace –
Embrace the crimson pallet of fall.
On a peacock green park bench, I sit alone,
Waiting for solitude to consume me.
Without corruption of man, earth’s true colours are shown.
So, I wander around aimlessly.
I kick the leaves around, and discover a path.

Covered - 2nd Draft

Covered, head-to-toe, in your transparent coat of shame,
There’s nothing to be ashamed of dear.
Isn’t this what you wanted? Just a taste of fame?
Well, now you’ve got it. Hurry and wipe that iridescent tear.
Hide yourself and disguise that pain.
They feed off the stuff, with those blood-stained teeth. Looks like they’re starving.
Give them what they want, right? There’s nothing to lose. Oh, but nothing to gain.
Nothing to lose? Wrong. They’re little carpenters, and they’re carving.
Carving away at your dignity and your pride.
Is this what you wanted? A little taste of fame?
It’s starting to ache. I can see it in your eyes.
What a pretty picture. Well, here’s the frame:
They’ve gone fishing and tossed the bait.
You’ve taken hold and they’re in for the kill.
Your distress is tasty, but not enough. You give more, and they can’t wait.
They strive for your heart, and you give it with will.
Covered, head-to-toe, in your transparent coat of shame.
This isn’t what you wanted?

Poe? A Romantic?!

Romanticism was an artistic and literary movement of the late 18th century. It originated in Europe and emphasized on the love of nature and dislike for the urban life (English Romanticism Worksheet). The source of a poem was found not to be located in outer nature, but in the psychology and emotions of the individual poet (The Romantic Period Worksheet). Romanticism was a way of showing that proof wasn’t the only necessity with respect to knowledge. There are various ways to be intellectual. One must be in touch with himself or herself to gain a better understanding of the world. That’s part of knowledge. “The Enlightenment stressed reason as the chief means for discovering truth. Although the Romantics by no means disparaged reasons, they tried to balance its use by stressing the importance of feeling, emotion, and imagination as sources of knowing” (Duiker and Spielvogel, 420). So, in opposition to the books and epics we’ve read so far, romantic poetry is all psychologically influenced, rather than both psychologically and sociologically. Poe wrote in the early mid-19th century, before he died in 1849. His time of writing was only a couple decades after the beginning of romanticism. In nearly all of Poe’s short stories and poems, he expresses his own feelings, and incorporates the influence of nature. In his poem, “Ulalume – A Ballad,” for instance, he starts off by describing the scenery, followed by a depiction of his feelings. Poe’s works are easily understood by all English-speakers, because he uses a relatively simple vocabulary. The usage of comprehendible language is included in the qualities of romanticism.

The works of Poe are classified as dark romanticism, a subgenre of romanticism, due to the transcendental influence on his poetry. Dark romanticism started in the 19th century in America. Though it takes on qualities of Transcendentalism, it is a more pessimistic view on nature, mankind, and divinity. Poe’s poetry and stories being referred to as dark romanticism, which branched off from romanticism, is proof enough that he fits in the romantic category.

It is difficult to discuss whether or not Poe would be considered a Romantic without looking at works aside from The Tell-Tale Heart. Though the story consists of many qualities of romanticism, there is one aspect, unnoticed by many readers. The Tell-Tale Heart expresses thoughts and feelings in an obvious manner, yet the narrator and Poe are not the same person. The narrator is a murderer, that may share similar feelings toward the matter that Poe does, but it should be recognized that the story is fiction, and the feelings expressed are not those of Poe, himself. This in no way, though, changes the fact that Poe is most definitely a romantic.

Covered (First Draft)

Covered, head-to-toe, in your transparent coat of shame,
There’s nothing to be ashamed of dear.
Isn’t this what you wanted? Just a taste of fame?
Well, now you’ve got it. Hurry and wipe that tear.
Hide yourself, disguise your pain.
They feed off the stuff. Looks like they’re starving.
Give them what they want, right? Nothing to lose. Oh, but nothing to gain.
Nothing to lose? Wrong. They’re little carpenters, and trust me – they’re carving.
Carving away at your dignity and your pride.
Is this what you wanted? A little taste of fame?
You’ve got it now, and there’s nothing to hide.
Such a pretty picture. Well, here’s the frame:
They’ve gone fishing and tossed the bait.
You’ve taken hold and they’re in for the kill.
Your distress is tasty, but not enough. You give more, and they can’t wait.
They strive for your heart, and you give it with will.
Covered, head-to-toe, in your transparent coat of shame.
This isn’t what you wanted?

Scrooged 2

A: Who's your favorite ghosts, and why? How does Director Donner characterize this ghost, and how does that affect the plot?


Scrooged portrays the three ghosts very differently from the description given by Dickens in A Christmas Carol. My favourite ghost, of the three, would have to be the Ghost of Christmas Present. In A Christmas Carol, the Ghost of Christmas Present is a large, burly man, while in Scrooged, the ghost is a psychotic fairy. The representation of the ghost in Scrooged is much more appealing to me, because of my abstract sense of humor. Donner characterizes the ghost as pushy and irritating, but such characteristics get Frank’s attention. The ghost’s sheer insanity is used in multiple ways: it adds comedic aspects, varying from those of scenes prior to the entry of the Ghost of Christmas Present, as well as presenting similarities between Dickens’ version of the spirit and Donner’s version. The most interesting and most prominent of the fairy’s features is her wings. Her wings allow her to fly around as she pleases, while, in A Christmas Carol, the spirit is conveyed as a large man, weighed down by balls and chains. The difference in the spectres’ appearances may be irrelevant, but it stands out to me.

Scrooged!

C. Is a comedic approach to the story as effective as the sentimental approach Dickens takes? Explain with details from the plot.


Every story can be told or explained in various ways; the essential plot of A Christmas Carol is no exception to the rule. Dickens uses a sentimental approach to depict the characteristics of people and places, while the writers of Scrooged, Mitch Glazer and Michael O’Donoghue, use comedic aspects to produce a more modern version of the same story. Society has changed since 1843, when A Christmas Carol was first published, so creating a universally understood tone makes the old story more comprehendible for people of all ages. The visitation of Jacob Marley is portrayed in a spookier manner than when Frank, or Lumpy, is visited by his old boss, Lou. Also, the Ghost of Christmas Past is vastly different in the movie, compared to its description in the book. In A Christmas Carol, the Ghost of Christmas Past is described to appear innocent, while Scrooged presents the spirit as dingy and disgusting. Despite the comedy in Scrooged, there are bits and pieces of sentimental value throughout the movie, to create a connection between it and the original plot of A Christmas Carol.