The Glass Menagerie Symbol

Jim is a symbol for reality. As Tom puts it in his opening monologue, the gentleman caller (Jim) is an "emissary from the world of reality that we were somehow apart from" (p. 23). Jim is a stark contrast to Amanda, Laura, and Tom, who all looked to escape in some form. Amanda lives in the past and reminisces her glory days when she had seventeen gentleman callers; Laura avoids confrontation and reality by polishing her glass menagerie and playing the Victrola; Tom escapes reality by going to the movies every night. Jim serves as a wake-up call, since his visit triggered Tom leaving and escaping the monotonous cycle in which he was trapped. Jim was the catalyst that made Tom truly realize that there was a whole world out there that he was missing. Although it is less concrete, Jim's visit may have also given Laura more confidence and caused her to take action in her life, and Jim breaking her unicorn could have represented Laura's fantasy world being broken, exposing her to reality.

Jim is slightly more complicated than just symbolizing reality, however. Jim, as a character, hopes for the future, and even has some slightly unrealistic expectations. Jim longs to achieve the "American Dream," which is extremely unlikely and improbable during the Great Depression. Even though he is more present in reality than the Wingfield family, Jim still lives in the future and thinks too highly of himself to be entirely planted in reality. Therefore, Jim does represent reality for the Wingfields, while remaining a slightly unrealistic character himself.

Amanda's Apologia | The Glass Menagerie

To my children, Tom, Laura, please do not resent me. I know that you have made your feelings for me clear on more than one occasion, but please try to understand that I am just a mother who loves her children too much and is fearful for the future. Maybe one day you children will understand what it is like to be a parent, but even then I do not know if your love will run as deeply as mine does. I simply want the best for you children, and without my guidance, Lord only knows what would happen to you two? You need me to guide you, and I want more than anything for you two to be independent children, but until that day comes, I will continue to pester you two to improve your lives because you only deserve the best.

Laura, sister, I love you dearly, but you need to find a husband, if not you will become dependent on family and be resented. I fear for your future, you're so nervous all the time, and all you do is play with that glass menagerie and Victrola. That darned Victrola! I don't know why you insist on playing those old records all the time because that is not going to bring him back, and I need you to realize this and step out of this fantasy world that you're always living in. Laura, I do not want you to end up with the same fate as me, so find yourself a man, and never let him leave you, you won't survive otherwise. I am an old woman, and I am sure my time will come soon enough, but, Laura, you have a full life ahead of you and you need to take advantage of that and plan for the future, otherwise the past will be filled with regret.

Tom, I know that the two of us don't always get along, but I want the best for you, too. These days, you're becoming more and more like your father, and I want you to be a better man than he was. I know I may nag, but I see what a good man you've become, and I just want even more for you. I fear some days that you will just walk out with little more than a post card sent our way to tell us of your departure. I fear that you will become too much like your father, a drunkard who didn't understand family responsibilities, and I do not wish that fate upon you. I know that those genes will have their ways, and sometimes you can't help it, but I need you to try and think about sister at least because I won't always be here to protect her and remind her to come back to the world. Even if you leave us, promise that you'll come back for Laura, alright? 

With much love and regret that I have made myself hateful to my children,
Amanda 

The Glass Menagerie Scenes 1 and 2

Questions I Have So Far:

Why is Tom choosing to tell this story?
Why does Laura not have any gentleman callers/suitors?
How did Laura become crippled?
Why does Amanda want Laura to have a gentleman caller so badly?
Why does Amanda continue to reflect on the past?
How long ago did their father leave?
Does Amanda work, and if so, what does she do?
What is the D.A.R. society?
How does Tom tell the story of Amanda and Laura's encounter if he was not part of it originally?

Thoughts on the Play So Far:

I think that the stage directions in this play are actually really useful besides just staging since they provide insight into the story. This is different from the only other plays I have read by Shakespeare, which have minimal stage directions and rely more on the dialogue to tell the story. Tom seems to have the most poetic dialogue so far, with Amanda and Laura being a little more straightforward, which is most likely due to this being a memory play. I really enjoy Williams writing style so far, especially when Tom speaks and even in the stage directions as well. I am interested to see where the story goes, and I am interested to see what kind of impact the gentleman caller has on the family. 

The Nightmare of Romantic Idealism

"The Nightmare of Romantic Idealism" by Paul Cantor

In this article, the author argues that by ambiguously using myths and their characters the shape her own owns characters of Victor and the Creature, Mary Shelley has made Victor and his Creature "mirror images" of each other, and she creates a myth in which the ideals valued by Romanticism (pursuing greatness and knowledge) the downfall of her characters. The author begins by explaining how both Victor and the monster break the roles that they are supposed to play, since they both display some Satanic characteristics from Paradise Lost, and they both display some characteristics of Prometheus from his myth, which makes Victor and his monster doubles for each other. The author then discusses how Shelley's novel serves as a myth about Romanticism, and that the central conflict is centered around the flaws of humans in Romantic literature. Ambiguity is extremely important here because ambiguity in Shelley's characters also leads to moral ambiguity and a deeper, more complex conflict between the characters. Victor and the monster are not clear-cut or straight-forward characters by any means, which allows for the readers to decide for themselves who the true "hero" or "villain" in this novel are. This aids Shelley's commentary on Romanticism because instead of having her characters be a hero or villain, it is instead the broader spectrum of their pursuit of knowledge and their actions, which reflect Romanticism, that she was commenting on in Frankenstein.  

Frankenstein Final Chapters

1) What were your thoughts and reflections on this chapter and the death of Elizabeth?

Watching Victor sink into complete depression and despair in the final chapters was kind of upsetting, but watching him fret over his own death when it was obvious that his would not come was more than slightly frustrating. The reader has the advantage f hindsight since Victor is telling his story in the past tense to Robert Walton, so the reader knows that Victor will not die, but even then it is still quite obvious that Elizabeth will be the one to die since that would be similar to the crimes the Creature had committed previously. Although it may be slightly insensitive, I was not overly affected by Elizabeth's death since she was a fairly under-developed character who Victor worshiped for being beautiful, gentle, and pure, which was not enough for me to attach to her. The final chapters were 

2) In what ways might the Creature & Victor be considered “doubles” for each other?

The Creature and Victor were both obsessive, and once they set their minds toward certain goals, whether that be to create life or seek revenge, then they refuse to do anything except pursue these goals. At a certain point, this obsession that they both develop consumes their lives and is unhealthy, a negative aspect to both the Creature and Victor. Victor and the Creature also both refuse to take responsibility for their actions, pushing all of the blame onto others. For the Creature, he was isolated by people and I do see the effects of that, but I also believe that the Creature still made the choice to commit these evil acts, but he still blames the wrongs he committed on others. Victor also refuses to take take responsibility for his actions, like bringing his Creature to life, instead blaming things like fate or his father, for example. They both also long for female companionship and view it as the good in the world. The Creature views Agatha and then the potential female creature as possibly the answers to all of his problems, if they were to accept and love him. Victor also wants to protect Elizabeth, and views her as lovely and pure, something to be protected overall.

3) In the final chapters, Victor and the creature are involved in a mad contest of revenge. Record at least four statements made by each character that reveal his motives, feelings, or state of mind. Note the chapter number after each statement.

Victor:
"'Your threats cannot move me to do an act of wickedness; but they confirm me in a determination of not creating you a companion in vice. Shall I, in cool blood, set loose upon the earth a demon whose delight is in death and wretchedness?'" (ch. 20, p.157)
"A fever succeeded to this. I lay for two months on the point of death; my ravings, as I afterwards heard, were frightful; I called myself the murderer of William, of Justine, and of Clerval." (ch. 21, p. 167) 
"They were my brethren, my fellow beings, and I felt attracted even to the most repulsive among them, as to creatures of an angelic nature and celestial mechanism. But I felt that I had no right to share their intercourse. I had unchained an enemy among them whose joy it was to shed their blood and to revel in their groans." (ch. 22, p. 175)
"As the memory of past misfortunes pressed upon me, I began to reflect on their cause - the monster whom I had created, the miserable demon whom I had sent abroad into the world for my destruction. I was possessed by a maddening rage when I thought of him" (ch. 23, p.189)

Creature:
"Slave, I before reasoned with you, but you have proved yourself unworthy of my condescension. Remember that I have power, you believe youself miserable, but I can make you so wretched that the light of day will be hateful to you. You are my creator, but I am your master; obey!" (ch. 20, p. 157) 
"'Shall each man,' cried he, 'find a wife for his bosom, and each beast have his mate, and I be alone? I have feelings of affection, and they were requited by detestation and scorn.'" (ch. 20, p. 158)
"A grin was on the face of the monster; he seemed to jeer, as with his fiendish finger he pointed towards the corpse of my wife." (ch. 23, p. 187)
"Sometimes the peasants, scared by this horrid apparition, informed me of his path; sometimes he himself, who feared that if I lost all trace of him I should despair and die, left some mark to guide me." (ch. 24, p. 194)

Frankenstein Chapters 13-19

After hearing the creature's story, I do not think that he is entirely justified in declaring an "everlasting war" against humanity and his creator, Victor. I do believe that the creature has been wrongly discriminated against and judged based on his appearance, but I do not think that gives him a right to declare war on humanity. I think the creature can be angry and frustrated at his isolation and solitude, and I definitely think that Victor needs to take responsibility for his creature, but I do feel that sometimes the creature is a little too pessimistic and self-pitying. I will probably (or hopefully, at least) never understand how alone the creature feels, but he sometimes reads as kind of melodramatic when he is telling his story, and declaring war on an entire species is also slightly melodramatic in itself. I imagine that it is awful to be and feel like an outcast, tossed aside by everyone he has ever loved, but I do not think that this justifies ruining other people's lives.

I also think that he is not entirely justified in asking Victor to create him a mate. The creature hates his life and his existence, so if he truly hated it that much and was benevolent and good, then he would not wish that existence on another innocent being. I understand where he is coming from in making that request, and that he does not wish to be alone and he wants to be understood. However, he is very well spoken and is supposed to be very smart, so he should also understand that Victor would be creating another creature that would be outcast from society, which would not exactly be the right thing to do. Also, the creature may have begun to create sympathy for his tale, but then he describes killing William and the satisfaction it brings him, so that proves that he is not entirely deserving of this good thing, a mate. I think that he is a product of society and Victor's actions, but I also believe that he still has some control over himself and that he has chosen to commit these awful crimes, including murder even. Therefore, even though I do sympathize with the creature, I also believe that he has made some bad decisions that have ruined lives.

Frankenstein Chapters 1-6

Frankenstein begins with letters 1-4, where Captain Robert Walton is writing to hi sister Margaret Saville while he begins his travels north. Robert laments how lonely his is and how he desires an intellectual equal, then meets Victor Frankenstein while he was chasing after his creature. Victor agrees to tell his story, which Robert then copies down for Margaret. In chapter 1, Victor discusses how he had a perfect, idyllic childhood, and describes how his family adopted Elizabeth, to whom Victor felt an extreme attachment. In chapter 2, Victor discusses his interest in "natural philosophy" (science), and his fascination with alchemy, the secret to life, and the philosopher's stone. In chapter 3, Victor is preparing to go to university when Elizabeth catches scarlet fever, so Victor's mother nurses her back to life, but becomes ill and dies. When Victor arrives at university, he meets M. Krempe, who he does not particularly like, and M. Waldman, who becomes a kind of mentor to him and introduces him to more modern sciences. In chapter 4, Victor becomes obsessed with science and discovering the secret of life, throwing himself into his work, neglecting his health and neglecting to write to his family as he works to give life to a creature. In chapter 5, Victor animates his creature, but runs out of his apartment due to fear, running into Henry Clerval, a friend from back home. Victor falls ill due to months of obsession over his work, choosing to deny the fact that he brought this creature into existence. In chapter 6, Victor finally recovers and receives a letter from Elizabeth, informing him of Justine's (a servant) return to the Frankenstein household. Victor also decides to join Henry in taking language and literature classes at university.

As Victor's character develops, he seems to not take responsibility for his actions. Victor likes to blame fate for many of his actions in his life, he blames his father for not properly dissuading from pursing the old ways of science early in his life, and when Victor animates his creature, he runs away from it and refuses to acknowledge its existence. Henry Clerval is a kind of a foil for Victor because he is a happy, normal, kind, well-rounded man who is interested in languages and literature, while Victor is obsessive and loves science and "natural philosophy." Elizabeth and Justine are kind of similar characters because they are both pretty females who are seen are good and wholesome, who were taken in and cared for by the Frankensteins. A theme beginning to appear in the book is the similarity between Victor and Prometheus, both of whom tried to play God, but will likely face consequences for doing such. Frankenstein is also similar to the Paradise Lost because the monster was cast out by his creator, Victor, like how Lucifer and Adam were cast out by their creator, God.

Introduction to Frankenstein: Chapters 1-4

Question I Have So Far:

Why does Robert Walton yearn to travel?

Is Robert gay?

Does Robert's regret about not receiving a proper, formal education reflect Mary Shelley's feelings about her school?

How does Robert's affection for Victor Frankenstein affect his account of Victor's story?

Why did Victor feel such an attachment to Elizabeth?

What exactly did philosophers like Cornelius Agrippa discuss in their books?

How did the death of Victor's mother, and her deep affection for Elizabeth, affect Victor and influence his actions?

How and why does chemistry relate so closely to philosophy, as M. Krempe discussed?

What did Victor discover to be the secret to life and why will he not reveal it to Robert or the audience?

Thoughts on the Book So Far:

I think that since Robert is telling the story based on Victor's account of his past that there will be a decent amount of bias in the telling, since the audience is hearing from Robert who is hearing from Victor after the events have all occurred already. This allows Victor to reflect on his actions that led to the point where he is with Robert, adding more to the story than if it were told in present tense, as it was happening.

Victor seems to be a very complex main character, with questionable actions despite being the main character and likely the protagonist. In the first couple of chapters, Victor talks about when Elizabeth was adopted, and he describes her as his "more than sister," which I found to be kind of creepy and possessive, which could be an important trait that influences his actions later in the novel. Victor also justifies his actions, which he views as evils and things that led to the sadness in his life, by blaming destiny. This shows that he could struggle to accept responsibility for some of his actions, which may come up again later in his story. Overall, I am interested to see how Victor's character continues to develop and how his story unfolds.  

Merchant of Venice Reflection Question Two

13. Why do you think Shakespeare includes the sub-plot concerning Jessica and Lorenzo?

One reason that I think Shakespeare includes the sup-plot of Lorenzo and Jessica is to serve as a contrast to the relationship between Bassanio and Portia, especially a contrast between Jessica and Portia. Although Jessica chose to cross dress as man, similar to Portia, Jessica did it for very different reasons. Portia chose to cross-dress entirely of her own accord, and in doing so gained power and control over her marriage to Bassanio; Portia gained strength and the ability to be lawyer and save Antonio by cross-dressing. When Jessica chose to cross-dress, she felt weak and like it was a mere necessity, and she felt like she was ugly when dressed as a man. Jessica's reasons for cross-dressing were also fundamentally different from Portia's because Jessica chose to cross-dress specifically in order to be married to Lorenzo and as an escape, whereas Portia never seemed to lose her identity when dressed as a man and chose to cross-dress of her own accord.

Jessica also did not have the same respect for her father that Portia had for her father. Even after his death, Portia still respected her father, his will, and his casket test. Although Portia did not always agree with her father's actions and the constraint he put on her, but she always respected the rules of the casket test, even if she sometimes tried to manipulate the suitors within those rules. Jessica, however, outright disobeyed her father and ran away from him. Jessica not only ran away from her father, but she also eloped with Lorenzo, a Christian, spent all of Shylock's money, and converted to Christianity. Jessica seems to have seriously resented her father, and worked against all of his ideals and did everything he hates the most. Even though Portia may have disagreed with her father's methods, she still obeyed his wishes even after death, while Jessica made a point to disobey her father in every way she could when she ran away and eloped with Lorenzo.

I think Jessica and Lorenzo were also included to expand upon the Jewish-Christian dichotomy. Jessica converted to Christianity almost immediately after she eloped with Lorenzo, however she still faced discrimination for having been Jewish. This is specifically seen from Lancelet, who expresses his belief to Jessica that she will still end up in hell even though she converted to Christianity due to the "sins" of her father. Jessica and Lorenzo also serve as another relationship in the play, but one that had quite different origins. Jessica is fairly young, and Lorenzo and Jessica eloped without the permission of her father, so this is much different from the relationship of Portia and Bassanio, and even Nerissa and Gratiano. Both Portia and Nerissa seem to be older than Jessica, and their relationships seem to be less rushed and spur of the moment. Jessica and Lorenzo eloped suddenly, escaping from her father, so the relationship had a different beginning and may have a different ending as well. 

Merchant of Venice Reflection Question One

4. Does Jessica love her father? Why does she take and then spend so much money when she runs away? Do you think she'll live "happily ever after" in Belmont, with Lorenzo as her husband (and with Portia and Nerissa as friends)?

I like to believe that Jessica loved her, but I do not think that love is extremely prevalent in this play. Between a father and daughter, especially considering Shylock is a single father and the sole remaining parent, I think that there is an innate love present. However, I think Jessica harbors so much hate and resent for her father that the love is nearly nonexistent. For her entire life, Jessica has most likely been isolated due to her religion and her father's business practices (charging interest), and that would be difficult on any teenage girl. Jessica thus resents her father for, in her mind, essentially forcing Judaism upon her and separating her from Lorenzo and most other people. When Jessica runs away from her father, she converts to Christianity almost immediately, in an attempt to separate herself from her father and his religion, which she probably feels has restricted her for most of her life since most Christians discriminate against Jews.

I think Jessica takes and spends so much money when she runs away with Lorenzo in order to get back at and separate herself from her father. Jessica knows that Shylock loves his money almost as much as her, if not more than he loves her. Thus, in order to reach him and anger him for confining her to Judaism and this life of hatred, Jessica chooses to steal and spend this thing that is extremely precious to him. Jessica also probably resents her father for loving his money possibly more than he loves her, so she decided to steal and assert control and dominance over this thing that has captured her father's love, which ends up betraying him through Jessica stealing it. Based upon Shylock's reaction to Jessica running away with his money, and his cries for both his money and his daughter in equal measure, Jessica was probably correct in her assumption of his response when stealing his money.

I do not think that Jessica will get a perfect "happily ever after" living in Belmont. At the beginning of Act 5, Lorenzo and Jessica mention and relate their own love to other love stories, like Medea and Dido, that all ended poorly. These references could be foreshadowing for Lorenzo and Jessica's own relationship, especially since the Jessica is so young and the two rushed into the relationship. Jessica also will not likely get along entirely with Portia and Nerissa. Jessica already experienced some conflict with Lancelet in act 3, which will probably be typical of the other people in Belmont. Even though Jessica converted to Christianity, Lancelet disliked her and believed she was going to hell for being a Jew in the first place, which I think will be a similar response from Portia and Nerissa. Even if Portia and Nerissa do not outright hate Jessica, I do not think she will ever be entirely accepted in Belmont.  

Act Five -- Merchant of Venice

In Act 5 of The Merchant of Venice, Portia, Nerissa, Bassanio, Antonio, and Gratiano all return from the trial in Venice. When the men reveal to Portia and Nerissa that they gave away their rings, without knowing they had given the rings to a disguised Portia and Nerissa, the two women act outraged since they had made their husbands swear to never give away their rings. After messing with their husbands for a little longer, Portia and Nerissa reveal that they had disguised themselves as men and they were the lawyer and the clerk who had saved Antonio's life. I really liked that Portia and Nerissa revealed to their husbands that they had disguised themselves and proven to be strong women, and I also like how they used this information to their advantage. Portia and Nerissa gained some serious respect from Bassanio and Gratiano after revealing their positions in the trial, while also gaining more control in their marriage. I am also happy that the play ended on a high note, with Lorenzo becoming Shylock's heir, all of the couples (Lorenzo and Jessica, Bassanio and Portia, and Gratiano and Nerissa) ending happily and in love, and that even Antonio got his happy ending with a few of his ships out at sea actually being safe. 

Act Two -- Merchant of Venice

Scene 1: The Prince of Morocco arrives at Belmont to take the casket test. The Prince speaks with Portia, telling her to not judge him by his skin, and Portia basically says she does not have a choice in her marriage so he has as good of a choice as anyone.

Scene 2: Lancelet Gabbo is introduced, and he is lower class servant and a comic relief in the play. He pranks his father into believing he is dead and does not seem to treat him well. Lancelet also chooses to be Bassanio's servant because he does not wish to serve Shylock who is Jewish.

Scene 3: Jessica and Lancelet say good-bye since he is leaving to serve Bassanio, and Jessica gives him a letter to take to Lorenzo.

Scene 4: Lancelet delivers Jessica's letter to Lorenzo, and Lorenzo sends Lancelet back to Jessica to deliver money and a message.

Scene 5: Shylock is leaving to got to dinner at Bassanio's house, and instructs Jessica to remain safe inside the house while he is away, although she plots to run away.

Scene 6:  Jessica sneaks out, dressed as a male page, and finds Lorenzo, while also stealing money from her father. Antonio also arrives and delivers the news that Bassanio is going to leave for Belmont.

Scene 7: The Prince of Morocco attempts the casket test, choosing the gold chest, which had the riddle, "Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire." The Prince of Morocco fails, finding a skull with a scroll in its mouth, which basically read that it is unwise to judge a book by its cover, instead of a picture of Portia. 

Scene 8: Salarino and Salanio recount Shylock's reaction to discovering Jessica had fled with Lorenzo, which basically consisted of him yelling about his ducats and his daughter. The two also reveal that Lorenzo and Jessica fled on a ship separate from Bassanio. They also discuss the parting of Antonio and Bassanio, where Antonio basically says to not worry about him and just win Portia's hand in marriage.

Scene 9: The Prince of Arragon arrives to attempt the casket test. The Prince of Arragon chose the silver casket, which read, "Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves." This chest contained either a mirror or a clown's head (it is unclear which), since he was too arrogant and believed himself to be too deserving. Portia and Nerissa also receive a message that Bassanio has arrived to attempt the casket test, and Nerissa is hoping that he wins. 

Characters that are Introduced

Prince of Moroccco: black and a moor, wishes to be judged not solely on his appearance, fails the casket test by choosing the gold chest

Lancelet Gobbo: lower class, comic relief, dumb but tries to act smart, kind of a jerk to his dad, works for Shylock but wants to work for Bassanio since he is Christian

Old Gobbo: father of Lancelet, blind, tricked by his son and treated fairly poorly by him

Jessica: rebel, doesn't like being Jewish, supposed to be admirable because she wants to convert to Christianity, resents her father, eloping with Lorenzo and stole her father's money

Prince of Arragon: attempts and fails the casket test by choosing the gold chest, arrogant, thinks highly of himself

Emerging Themes and Issues

-Anti-Semitism: Shylock is seen and portrayed as a villain/main antagonist due to his religion, and is often treated like an animal ("cur"/ "dog") due to his religion. However, Jessica is supposed to be viewed as admirable because she wishes to convert to Christianity.

-Father-Child Relationships: Jessica and Lancelet both seem to disrespect and treat their fathers poorly, while also resenting them. Porita also resents her father due to the casket test and her lack of a choice in who she gets to marry.

-Cross-Dressing: In this act, Jessica must cross-dress as a man in order to escape her father and elope with Lorenzo. This theme also appears again later in the play when Portia cross-dresses during the trial to save Antonio and Bassanio.

Act One Character Analysis -- Merchant of Venice

Antonio:

-wealthy merchant with all of his money tied up in his ships

-close with Bassanio, sort of like a father figure

-sad but doesn't know why

-mature, sugar daddy

Bassanio: 

-immature

-borrows money often, a gambler

-talks big, manipulator

-wants to marry Portia

Portia:

-snobby, snarky, sassy, strong-willed

-quick-witted

-high standards

Nerissa:

-salty

-loyal

-voice of reason/philosophical

-Portia's closest friend

Shylock:

-referred to as cur/dog often

-smart, good with money

-main antagonist

-has a vendetta against Antonio

Exposition:
Bassanio wishes to woo and win Portia's hand in marriage, but in order to journey to take the casket test, he needs money from Antonio. Meanwhile, Portia resents the casket test that her father has put in place since it takes away her free-will and choice in who she wishes to marry. Venice is the world of money, wealth, ships, and men. Belmont is the world of love, romance, and women.

The Merchant of Venice Introduction Analysis

1. In this passage of The Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare is introducing the audience to Bassanio and Antonio, and their relationship. Bassanio wants to win over Portia, but he does not have the funds to do so, which leads to him approaching his fiscally stable best friend, Antonio, who cannot offer Bassanio money but does offer Bassanio his credit. Shakespeare conveys that Bassanio is arrogant and views himself as a hero, like Jason, because he compares Portia’s hair to the “golden fleece” (1.1.177), and he compares the other men who have tried to win her hand to “Jasons [who have] come in quest of her” (1.1.179).
2. While being heavily implied, Bassanio indicates that he is very much interested in the wealth of Portia. In line 168, Bassanio begins by saying, “In Belmont is a lady richly left” (1.1). This is the way Bassanio introduces Portia to Antonio, and while Bassanio does go on to discuss how “fair” (1.1.169) and beautiful she is, it still remains that Bassanio thought it was important enough to begin with Portia’s wealth. Shakespeare also sets up that Antonio is the responsible one of the two, a kind of father figure to Bassanio, because Antonio is fiscally stable and has good credit since he tells Bassanio to “try what my credit can in Venice do” (1.1.187).
3. When Bassanio is speaking, twice he uses phrases with multiple meanings when he says, “Nor is the wide world ignorant of her worth” (1.1.174), and “That I should questionless be fortunate” (1.1.183). The word “worth” has a double meaning when Bassanio says it, because it can mean both her worth in a sense of her physical being and what she would mean to him if he loved her, but it also means Portia’s financial worth because Bassanio has already mentioned that she is extremely rich. When Bassanio says “fortunate,” it again has a double meaning, since it can either mean that Bassanio would be very lucky to have the beautiful and lovely Portia as his wife, but it can also means that he will inherit a fortune since she is very rich.
4. From these lines, I can assume that Bassanio is kind of arrogant since, in lines 177-179, he compares himself to the great hero and leader, Jason, and he thinks very highly of himself (1.1). I can infer that Antonio is responsible since he is fiscally stable and knows how to handle his money, and he also mentions that he has good credit in line 187 (1.1). I cannot infer much about Portia since I do not get to actually see her speak in these lines, but based upon what Bassanio has said about her, she is beautiful and very rich.
5. The overall mood and tone is fairly jovial and friendly. Bassanio goes on a bit of a tangent while laying out his plan for Antonio and discussing how fair she is (1.1.169), repeatedly, and makes this extended comparison between him and Jason and the Argonauts. Antonio responds in a very positive, kind-hearted way, and agrees to help Bassanio. The entire exchange makes is seem like Antonio and Bassanio have a father-son type relationship.
6. It was not explicitly stated that Bassanio is arrogant, but, as previously mentioned, by comparing himself to a hero, it is clear that he thinks highly of himself. It also was not explicitly stated that Antonio is responsible, but it is implied since he manages his money well and is fiscally responsible.
7. There is a metaphor of comparing Bassanio and his quest for Portia to Jason and the Argonauts quest for the Golden Fleece. Bassanio compares Portia’s hair to the “golden fleece” (1.1.177) and explains that “many Jasons come in quest of her” (1.1.179). Through this extended metaphor, Shakespeare makes it seem that Bassanio does not view Portia as this woman whom he will love, but instead as a conquest and an end goal. This also makes Bassanio seem more arrogant since he believes he is comparable to the hero and leader Jason.

Sestina by Elizabeth Bishop

Every person deals with death and grief in a different, whether through revisiting the past, reminiscing over what could have been, or other coping mechanisms. In her poem, “Sestina,” Elizabeth Bishop portrays a grandmother and a child grieving on the anniversary of a close family member. Through her use of the sestina poem style, diction, and personification, Bishop creates a mournful tone where the grandmother and child reflect on the past and the death of a loved one.

Bishop utilized the sestina style for her poem. Sestina poems have six line stanzas that all end in the same words, which in this case are “house,” “grandmother,” “child,” “stove,” “almanac,” and “tears.” Then, in the final stanza, she uses two of the words per line. By choosing to repeat “child” and “grandmother,” Bishop establishes the main subjects of her poem. Bishop not only repeats “stove” and “almanac,” but she also personifies them throughout the poem. At one point, the almanac and the stove speak to the grandmother, stating, “It was to be, says the Marvel Stove. I know what I know, says the almanac” (lines 25-26), and, “Time to plant tears, says the almanac” (line 37).  In the poem, the grandmother appears to be mourning the death of a loved one on the anniversary of their death, and the stove and the almanac could represent the person she loved. If it were the anniversary of a loved one’s death, the grandmother may choose to reminisce over objects that the loved one cherished since the grandmother may link the two together in her mind. The almanac and the stove may also be personified since they represent the person who died.

Through Bishop’s word choice, the poem has a mournful tone, which then turns more hopeful towards the end. In the very beginning of the poem, the grandmother is “laughing and talking to hide her tears” (line 6) which portrays the grandmother as so sad that she has to work hard to her tears from the child. Bishop also describes the grandmother’s tears as “equinoctial tears” (line 7). By using the term “equinoctial,” the speaker establishes that these tears fall annually on the anniversary of the grandmother’s loved one’s death. The speaker continues to establish a mournful tone by describing the grandmother’s “teacup full of dark brown tears” (line 22) and how she “shivers and says she thinks the house feels chilly” (lines 23-24). These lines express the grandmother’s deep sadness on the day since she is crying enough to fill up her teacup and she shivers, which creates a dreary tone. However, in the final stanza, the tone seems to shift. In the first line of the last stanza the almanac says that it is “time to plant tears.” Even though tears represent sadness, the almanac introduces hope by saying that the grandmother and child should “plant tears” because planting seeds introduces new life into the world and the hope for this plant. After this, the grandmother begins to sing and the child begins to draw, so even though the grandmother and child were sad and mourning earlier in the poem, they can move past the mourning and continue with their lives and not are not forever stuck in a hopeless pattern.

In “Sestina,” Elizabeth Bishop tells the story of a grandmother and child on a day of mourning through a use of personification and specific word choice. Even though the tone of the poem begins as dreary and mournful, there is a tone shift towards the end that shows the grandmother and child moving on and becoming hopeful again.

Ars Poetica (Macleish) and Sonnet 18 (Shakespeare)

Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare and Ars Poetica by Archibald Macleish are both distinctly unique when it comes to style of poetry. One of the biggest differences between the two poems are the rhyme and meter patterns. Shakespeare wrote Sonnet 18 which is, as the title implies, a sonnet, so it has fourteen lines, with four quartets that rhyme (ABAB, CDCD, EFEF) and a rhyming couplet (GG) at the end. Shakespeare's Sonnet 18 also has a iambic pentameter, so ten syllables, per line. However, in Macleish's poem, while he does have consistent sets of couplets throughout Ars Poetica, he does not follow a specific rhyme or meter pattern. In Ars Poetica, some of the couplets feature a rhyme, while others simply do not rhyme. In these two poems, Shakespeare seems to care more for the format of his poetry, while Macleish does not view it as the most important part of his poem, simply bypassing it in order to get his message across. Shakespeare chooses to follow a much more rigid structure in order to communicate, while Macleish chose to create a free form poem.

Although both poems differ vastly in style, they do share similar elements. Both Ars Poetica and Sonnet 18 make frequent use of comparisons. Ars Poetica contains countless similes, and the very premise of Sonnet 18 is comparing (or contrasting) the subject of the poem to summer. Both poems are believe that poetry is timeless or eternal. Ars Poetica, especially through use of the second section where Macleish writes "as the moon climbs," describes poetry as being timeless, and continuing to be relevant even as the moon continues to "climb." In Sonnet 18, Shakespeare writes that his subject will continue to live on, even after death, through his poetry because his poetry is eternal. Both Macleish and Shakespeare see and believe in the power and beauty of poetry, and though their styles differ, both poets respect the art form. 

Ars Poetica by Archibald Macleish

This poem begins by stating all the things a poem should be, while the speaker lists things that are not possible for a poem. A poem cannot be "wordless" because a poem is a collection words, and this is also why a poem cannot be silent because that is against the very nature of a poem. Throughout the poem, the speaker continues to state things that a poem should be, but that it inherently cannot be or uses comparisons that contradict themselves. I think the speaker is expressing how it is fruitless to try and define or categorize a poem because, as the speaker says in the final line, a poem should just be, it should just exist as a work of art. The mood and the tone of the poem seem to be very reflective, as the speaker goes through all of the things a poem should be.

This poem relies heavily on the use of imagery. Almost every stanza in the poem creates an image in the reader's mind, and each varying image shows a different way a poem could be created or interpreted. No two poems are the same and poetry in general does not fit within a single definition, so all of the different similes in the poem create different images of what a poem could be. The speaker often repeats "a poem should be" throughout the poem, which adds to the message of the poem. No one person can define what all poems are, so in trying, and ultimately failing, to define what "a poem should be,"the speaker creates a clear message that the task is impossible.  Rhyme is used in some of the stanzas in the poem. I think this again adds to the speaker's message that a a poem cannot be defined or categorized because he does not seem to be following a rhyming pattern, thus showing that not all poems have to be strictly confined within in a rhyme or meter scheme. The poem is separated into two line stanzas, then further separated into three main sections of the poem. The two line stanzas present the idea of what "a poem should be" in an over-simplified manner, expressing in an exaggerated way how one should not try to define a poem because all definitions will be over-simplified since poetry is so diverse. Most words used in the poem are used in a metaphorical sense because, since a poem is an inanimate object, it cannot be "motionless" or "palpable."

Overall, this poem challenges people who try to set guidelines what a poem can and cannot be, for a poem simply is a poem and is a work of art that cannot be confined to a single definition.