Adoration of the Kings (Poem explication on Blog)

The Adoration of the Kings
In the poem, Adoration of the Kings by William Carlos Williams, the speaker depicts the scene of the Christian nativity as seen through the eyes of the painter, Pieter Bruegel. The poem’s language favors the depiction of the Kings over Jesus and his birth. Williams makes a reference to the “Italian masters” (10) or the renaissance painters who may have better illustrated the scene. The painting by Brueghel shows the Three Kings “in their stolen / splendor” (4-5) and the offering of their gifts to the newborn Jesus and his mother, Mary. The attention of the poem is focused on the Three Kings and what they have brought to the painting when attention should be focused on the birth of the savior, Jesus. This conflict is evident in the title of the painting itself. Bruegel’s purpose in his painting is explained through reading of the poem when Williams makes a reference to Bruegel being asked to do something but does not.
The title Adoration of the Kings foreshadows the speaker’s intent and where the poem will head in its language. The title conveys a sense of liking and worship towards the Three Kings rather than Jesus or Mary because they are not mentioned. The Kings are adored by the people in the painting surrounding Jesus and Mary. The eyes of the onlookers seem to wander more towards the gifts and the garments of the Three Kings. The kings have stolen the light from the monumental birth of Jesus and Williams chooses to elaborate on that in the poem.
The speaker begins with “From the Nativity / which I have already celebrated” (1-2), conveying the fact that William Carlos Williams may have been Christian who celebrated the birth of Jesus. An inference can be made that Williams has seen many depictions of the Nativity but finds Bruegel’s depiction special because it focuses on the grandeur of the Kings rather than on Jesus though most other Nativity scenes do the opposite. This focus on the Kings is evident when the speaker says “Joseph and the soldiery // attendant / with their incredulous faces / make a scene” (6 – 9) because they are gawking at the riches rather than Jesus. Williams uses what he notices right away after first looking at the painting in the beginning of his poem to establish this point of adoration towards the Kings and begins on why Bruegel chose to paint the picture the way he did.
Bruegel painted Adoration of the Kings “with a difference” (11) from the “Italian masters” (10) or renaissance painters who were known to depict scenes of Christianity with beauty and sometimes sarcasm. Williams makes this known when he writes “the alert mind dissatisfied with / what it is asked to / and cannot do” (16 – 18) showing that Bruegel does not choose to follow the standard that was set for him by the renaissance painters and their typical depictions of the Nativity. Williams’ use of many words and his choice for the placing of line breaks helps the reader infer that Bruegel was compelled to paint according to how the renaissance painters did. But Bruegel “cannot do” (18) it and so the Adoration of the Kings is a very different scene than any of the other Nativity scenes. Instead, Bruegel chooses to paint with a different kind of reality; the reality of the people staring at the Kings and not at Jesus; the reality of the people coming from far away to catch a glimpse of the gold worn by the rich. Williams’ accepts Bruegel’s view on the Nativity because it highlights the negative view on hoarding materialism found in his many socialist ideas.
The poem ends with a general feeling of acceptance as the speaker goes on to describe the painting “as a work of art / for profound worship” (23 -24). The use of many adjectives such as “brilliant” (20), “downcast” (22), and “profound” (24) all help to convey that sense of acceptance. The speaker’s language compliments Bruegel’s painting and what it is depicting as Williams switches from the painter’s purpose back to his view on the poem. In Adoration of the Kings, William Carlos Williams succeeds at exposing the overwhelming adoration for the Three Kings when the adoration should be felt for the baby, Jesus and his mother, Mary. Through the speaker’s use of suggestive language and the strategic placement of line breaks one feels as though Bruegel paints with individuality and goes against the accepted standard set by the “Italian masters” (10). The ending to Williams’ poem depicts his happiness and excitement in the ideas suggested by the painting almost as though he applauds the degrading of materialism accepts the reality presented of the Three Kings and their lavish prowess.

A Stranger Blog from September! (Look at the difference)

On the third day of the class discussions, Taquan was able to elaborate for us the symbolism and reasoning for the use of the sun in Albert Camus’ The Stranger. He told us how in Greek Mythology, the sun reveals all and is power over everything. It is the eye in the sky and watches over everything. In The Stranger, the sun also causes Muersalt to unleash his weapon and take five shots at the Arab on the beach. The sun was the driving force behind a lot of the plot in the book.
There was also mention in our class discussion of Muersalt going against the society. Emily T, Meagan and I all realized Muersalt has no feeling inside. He was labeled “inhumane” in class. Albert Camus was an existentialist and happened to touch a lot on the theme of absurdity in The Stranger. The definition for absurd is 1. Utterly or obviously senseless, illogical, or untrue; contrary to all reason or common sense; laughably foolish or false: an absurd explanation 2. the quality or condition of existing in a meaningless and irrational world. He was greatly influenced by other existentialists Jean-Paul Sartre and Martin Heidegger. The reasons we think of Muersalt as an inhumane and emotionless person is because his way of thinking is without logic and senseless which is contrary to our reasoning. Muersalt’s aura of absurdity is evident in the quote, “I drank the coffee. Then I felt like having a smoke. But I hesitated, because I didn’t know if I could do I with Maman right there. I thought about it; it didn’t matter. I offered the caretaker a cigarette and we smoked.” (p 8) Albert Camus. This strikes me as being rude and kind of unnecessary when one is present at a funeral but Muersalt feels it is just fine.
Albert Camus’ great idea of the world as being meaningless is shown through Muersalt’s behavior. He is a character that is enigmatic and strange to the reader. To Muersalt, there is no point in certain things such as a punishment of death for killing another person because we are all supposed to die sooner or later. Albert Camus’ purpose for the sun was to show that there is a higher power in the world that is regulating his life and guiding him to his pre-determined fate which Meursalt believes he controls. But he does not control the thoughts of the judge or of the jury. When read the death sentence conviction, Muersalt feels nothing and accepts the fact that he is going to die just as he accepted everything else in his life.

Ghetto Nation Blog entry from November!

Hey Christina I can definitely relate to your experience on many levels because I have been the unfortunate target of many Spanish stereotypes and nobody helps out. You just have to keep opening your mouth and someday you will be surrounded by people who will back you up. The kid that said the joke thought it was harmless and wanted to make people laugh but it shows his lack of self-esteem. Just remember that next time you are near or the target of such ridicule; they are only words and they convey the speaker’s self-loathing. Cora Daniels is careful enough in her wording of Ghetto Nation making sure that she does not limit ghetto to any race or nationalities or even mention any sort of stereotype. There are actual surprising contrasts that help disprove stereotypes. I know that I was shocked when I read that one fourth of all non-Hispanic white births are to single white women, meaning that a lot of babies are going to be born missing a very important father figure in their lives. Back when I was in Melrose I actually had the stereotype that white people didn’t have to deal with those problems. Ghetto Nation has shattered a lot of stereotypes for me and it has also been humorous all the while. One idea that Ghetto Nation has solidified my belief in is that “ghettoitis” has no color or race and that ghetto comes in fat wallet sizes too. I never thought that ghetto could be used to describe the crazy relationships of Hollywood and all of its stars that go out late at night drinking their riches away. Ghetto. But, the majority of America does not see it as ghetto because the stars don’t go out in public and scream “I’m broke as a mofo!!!!” If they did, the paparazzi would be all over them in seconds. Cora Daniels tells us that ghetto is found in all levels of society. I was able to witness this idea when I was returning home from my dentist appointment in Stoneham late in the afternoon. My father and I had chosen to stop along the way back to Malden in Melrose for some pizza so that we could turn our cleaned teeth dirty and fill up our fat stomachs. Just for some background; Melrose and Malden though they are neighbors are two completely different worlds. Melrose residents are a little more affluent while the demographics of Malden can be seen as “struggling money-wise”. My father was ordering and I sat in one of the stalls awaiting a calzone and a meatball sub. A man walked in the small pizza joint and asked for half of a pizza. (It seems that the owner and I have never heard of this in our lives …) This man was white almost Italian looking, with dark colored parted hair, wearing a pair of tight Levi’s, a fitted worn-out forest green leather jacket, and a pair of yellow wood stained work gloves. My father happened to step out of the shop for a smoke on a cigarette and the man decided to start up some small conversation with the owner behind the counter. The man got on the tip of his toes so as to get a good look behind the counter and said, “What is that, a big block of cheese?!” The owner behind the register solemnly replied, “Yup, a hundred pounds.” So the Italian man said “DAAAAAAYYYYYAAAAAMMMMMMMNNNNNNNN!!!!” (And yes he said it in a pretty loud voice just like in the movie FRIDAY) Immediately, I began to laugh to myself and thankfully my father came in after the conversation between the owner and the customer had finished because my father would have joined in and embarrassed me. I laughed because I saw this man as he walked into the shop and take off his gloves. Never did I think that he was even going to say that as an exclamation. Maybe that is just me and my stereotypes that I have. But it solidifies Cora Daniels statement that Ghetto is found everywhere. This man, who looked like he was in his forties or maybe early thirties, chose to be hip and in the groove with things by saying “DAAAAAAYYYYYAAAAAMMMMMMMNNNNNNNN!!!” instead of a simple “wow,” which is what my stereotypical mind anticipated him to say. Ghetto Nation helps to do away with many stereotypes that I have about all kinds of things. It sheds light on problems that we face on a daily basis like what Christina had to go through. The stereotypes spoken of in ghetto nation can connected to the degrading of women in music videos and there always people who disagree but don’t open their mouths about it while others choose to stand up and say, “That’s not funny and it is wrong.”

Hamet's Soliloquy Act III Scene I

Act 3:1

In Kenneth Branagh’s rendition of Hamlet’s famous soliloquy from Act 3:1, the actor puts on a show that evokes emotion and feeling much like the player did for Hamlet earlier in the play. This third video is different from all of the other video because it most accurately portrays the actual play and the setting that the tone Shakespeare creates. Hamlet is in the palace in Denmark standing alone in front of a mirror which is fitting for this speech because a mirror allows him to speak alone and still get the impression that one is being listened to. Some of the most recognized words in the history of the English language are found at the beginning of this soliloquy in the play when Hamlet asks himself the question – “To be, or not to be, that is the question,” (III i 55). The King and Polonius spy as Hamlet ponders the pros and cons of continuing on in a life filled with trials and tribulations.

In the beginning of the video there is a long shot with the actor’s head and feet. He is the only one in the mirror able to seen. Slowly, as the lines go on, actor moves closer and closer as the camera follows. Eventually, the long shot is changed into an extreme close-up shot where only Hamlet can be seen. Because it is an extreme close-up the actor is isolated and alone. There is no one else in the shot, no one else to feel the pain and torment that the actor does. Close-ups are to alienate and show confusion or loneliness. Hamlet is confused and maybe fighting within himself as to whether or not he wants to continue this battle to find the answers.

His first line “To be, or not to be, that is the question,” (III i 55) has Hamlet questioning his existence; “whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer/ the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,” (III i 56). The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune are his father’s death and the marriage between his mother Gertrude and his Uncle Claudius. Or should he endure the pain and “take arms against a sea of troubles,” (III i 58) surviving long enough to fulfill the prmise made to his father’s ghost? Death is sleep and an eternal says Hamlet. Those that sleep do not have to deal with people higher than them disrespecting them and treating them like nothing, “For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,” (III i 69). “And by a sleep to say we end/ the heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks/ that flesh is heir to; ‘tis a consummation,” (III I 60-62) refers to Hamlet ending his life and coincidentally, he just happens to be carrying around a dagger with him. It was commonplace to carry around a weapon in those times merely for self-defense.

In the video while, the dagger is out, Hamlet says his lines and holds the dagger to the mirror. The shot is created in a way that it looks like Hamlet inches closer and closer to his throat with the knife but each time pulls it away creating the idea that he is toying with himself, or testing himself; trying to create the illusion that he can take his life right now if he wants to. When the dagger is unsheathed, there is a jump cut to King Claudius and the expression on his face is one of surprise. He could be surprised that Hamlet is about to kill himself or that Hamlet is carrying around a dagger on himself. King Claudius reaction could be surprise in that he is shocked to learn that Hamlet has gone insane and Hamlet’s life may be threatened by it.

The actual colors chosen for the setting are relevant to the tone as well because white and black as a mix represent the mind and the floor in the mirror has a box pattern of white and black boxes. There set surrounding Hamlet shrouds him and closes him off from the rest of the world. He is alone in the hall (or so he thinks that he is) and let’s his thoughts flow.

The score in the background is found or fitting to the tone of the soliloquy because it is not profound or in the middle of the speech. The score adds to the mood and its eeriness. There are chants or wails from a violin at appropriate times throughout the soliloquy. The most fitting of the soliloquy was at the pulling of the dagger.

Near the middle of his soliloquy, Hamlet rationalizes that death is not the answer and that the dreams found in the afterlife may be ones that are no different from the ones found in this world. Death is unknown to Hamlet and to all man, “But, there the dread of something after death,/ the undiscovered country, from whose bourn,/ no traveler returns, puzzles the will,” (III i 77-79). In the end of his speech he concludes that this question does not have an answer and he is interrupted by the coming of Ophelia. She is greeted by Hamlet under his breath and makes her to be an angel with his line, “Be all my sins remembered,” (III i 88).

Kenneth Branagh’s rendition of Hamlet is the best out of all of the Hamlet videos because the Hamlet chosen is believable and overall setting fits the description and the tone from the play. The cinematography, lighting, and colors chosen for the set design add the mood and help to elaborate one of the most studied and recognized soliloquies of all time.

Landscape with the Fall of Icarus

Pieter Bruegel’s painting, Landscape with the fall of Icarus, depicts the scene in the myth where Icarus has fallen into the sea after his wings have melted. The painting has all of the aspects f life going on at that time the myth took place. There is a farmer plowing his fields in the foreground and a large trading settlement in the background along with snow covered mountains to the west across the vast harbor leading to the sea in the center of the painting. I am guessing that this is Minos. There is also a small rock island in the middle of the harbor with a sole opening that probably leads to a cave or an underground labyrinth. If one does not have a keen eye, you may overlook the shepherd tending to his flock, looking up at the sky and wondering why he cannot just fly away like the seagulls above the water. The other fine point of the painting that one may easily overlook is the feet of Icarus as he falls into the water. They are sticking up out of the water and nobody seems to have noticed. He is just another foolish little boy who has not heeded the word of his father.

The actual structure of the painting says a lot about itself. There is a lot of symbolism behind where certain things are placed within the picture. I noticed that there are three defined ships in the painting all with their sails pointing towards the settlement. All winds blow towards the civilization and the freedom. Perhaps this settlement was the destination that Daedylus and Icarus had in mind when they lifted off from Minos. Along the bottom of the painting depicts the life of the peasants and the serfs of the time who were born and died in the fishing villages of the Greek coast. This life is like the prison that Daedylus and Icarus were forced to live in. Along the top of the painting there is the Sun and a bustling trade settlement filled with beautiful white buildings that almost look like a depiction of Heaven. Everyone in the painting would have a better life if they could find a way to get there. Icarus had a chance but he did not head his father’s warnings. Icarus and his father were flying to a better life, towards the light and the heaven and leaving behind the dark and damp world of Minos represented by the dark colors chosen. In the middle of the harbor there is a small, rocky island with some thick vegetation at the back end of it. In the front of the rocky citadel of the island, there is a large door to a cavern. This may represent the challenge of making it through the labyrinth of life and ending up on the other side where life is greener and more beautiful. It is almost like a sacred grove on an island with a dungeon. Maybe it is the actual Minos. The vast harbor in the center of the painting separates two very different coasts. On the west coast there is the settlement surrounded by lush forests almost jungles and the east coast is comprised solely of snow-covered mountains that look inaccessible by explorers. There is no life on the east coast and all boats and life are on the west side of the painting.

The peasant farmer wearing the grey and red clothes behind the horse and plow will never get out of that life. They never had lotteries back then. He is forced to work behind the plow for the rest of his life and perhaps that is why his head is painted facing downwards in a kind of sulking state because he is imprisoned in a life that he will never be able to get out of. There is also the shepherd and his sheep dog. The shepherd is depicted looking up into the sky daydreaming while his sheep are grazing at the seaside. He seems to be asking the God’s in his mind why he was born a shepherd and not a King. He wants to leave the island and explore the world like Icarus had the chance to. There is also a man who seems to be fishing at the shore and he is bending over the water with his hand in the air. He seems to be holding some sort of fishing line dangling over the water. Over his left shoulder, there is a tiny iguana-looking creature that reminds me of the snake from the Garden of Eden. It looks like the demon that persuades Adam and Eve to take a bite out of the apple but this time the snake/iguana has persuaded Icarus to fly towards the sun because of its warmth and beauty. Icarus failed to remember that the wax on his wings would melt the closer he flew towards the sun. The snake is small and blends in with the surrounding shrubbery and it looks like it is coming out of the tree branch; almost as if it is apart of the island of Minos. It does want to let go of Icarus and it looks like it’s laughing since he fell for the trap and into the ocean.

One of the biggest things that I noticed before I even looked at the rest of the painting was that it seems as if nobody has noticed Icarus in the water. The idea definitely explains the title for me and its order of the words; “Landscape with the Fall of Icarus”. The significance of having the word “landscape” before the main character Icarus highlights his place in the society of the time. The farmer, the shepherd, the fisherman, and the boats all continue with their lives. The demonic snake laughs as it watches Icarus drown in the large harbor. The only thing that seems to be missing from the painting is Daedylus himself. Why isn’t he in the painting with Icarus? Why isn’t he shown continuing to fly toward civilization?