A Streetcar Named Desire

White Woods

Blanche's deepest desire is to be desired. She has an obsession with her looks and the Stella is careful to often compliment her looks and make Stanley do the same. She is past her prime but desperately clings to her youth and anyone that can make her feel young and desirable again. She flirts with Stanley and even admits to Stella that she flirts with him. She does not reveal her true intentions in doing so, perhaps because she does not wish to admit her true desires to herself. Although Stanley is not Blanche's perfect picture of a man, she finds him desirable and there is a strong sexual tension underlying every heated discussion the two have. Stanley does not truly desire  Blanche in the same way she desires him. Though he can be abusive, he truly loves and their relationship is full of passion. He is immune to Blanche's fake feminine charms that have obviously worked on the other men in her life. This is what sets him apart for Blanche. He is unattainable and does not seem to want her. This drives her crazy, or crazier, and whether or not she admits it to herself this confuses her feelings towards him, which are definitely beyond the point of brotherly love. Stella desperately desires to keep the peace between Stanley and Blanche. She and Stanley have a strong, passionate connection that makes her overlook all of his abuses.

Poetry

Terza Rima: 

A form of poetry that uses iambic tercets. Terza Rima uses an "ABA BCB CDC" rhyme scheme and in order to link the stanzas together. At the end of the poem, the rhyme scheme is "XYX YZY Z." Dante's The Divine Comedy was the first poem written in terza rima. In English, it is usually written in iambic pentameter and the poem can be any length, there is not strict line limit. The tercets have often been used to symbolize the Holy Trinity, again originating with Dante's The Divine Comedy.  

Villanelle:

A villanelle has a very strict structure. There must be nineteen lines and contain repeated rhymes and refrains, two each. Villanelles have five tercets and end with a quatrain. The first and third lines of the first tercet are used as the last lines of the following stanzas, in an alternative fashion. This is represented by: AbC abA abC abA abC abAC. This form is derived from French poets that used the name Villanelle to describe their subject matter, idealized portrayals of country life with rustic themes. These poets did not follow the strict rules that Villanelles were later given. 

"Do not go gentle into that good night" by Dylan Thomas 

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Dylan Thomas' "Do not go gentle into that good night" is a Villanelle. "Do not go gentle into that good night" and "Rage, rage against the dying of the light" are the two refrains that are repeated. Each of these lines are a powerful, and emotional. This is a truly great feat to accomplish with a Villanelle in the English language because if its strict form. The inevitability of old age and death is one of the main themes of this poem. This is not a poem of despair, but a call to arms. Thomas is urging those that are near the end to go out with a bang, not fade away into nothing. The ending quatrain brings in his person connection with the mention of his father. He implores him to not give up the fight, but to "rage against the dying of the light." 

Sestina:

Sestina poems use a lot of repetition. They have 6 6-line stanzas, sestets. They have 39 lines and no set length for the individual lines but a very strict repetition pattern.  ABCDEF FAEBDC CFDABE ECBFAD DEACFB BDFECA ECA (or ACE). The last three lines are called the envoi and it also has to include BDF words within the lines. Instead of a rhyme scheme, Sestinas use this repetition of the last words of the lines for a semi-rhyme. 

Indefinable.

Poetry is whatever you want it to be. A poem can rhyme, but it doesn't have to. It can be broken up into lines or it can be in paragraphs. Poetry can be about anything or any subject matter. So, what makes something a poem? The author's intent has a lot to do with it. Poetry is an art form and therefore can come in any size, shape, or style imaginable. It can have any meter or verse. It can be conventional or shatter the mold of what we think a poem should be. It is truly impossible to define what a poem is; but Webster's dictionary makes a valiant attempt: "A piece of writing that usually has figurative language and that is written in separate lines that often have a repeated rhythm and sometimes rhyme." Even this official definition is very vague. It uses words like "often" and "sometimes" to try to cover as many bases as possible while still leaving wiggle room. There are no rules as to who can write poetry or what it can mean to a reader. That is why I think it is ridiculous to have multiple choice questions based on poetry that deal with meaning or interpretation. If I do not interpret the poem the same way as the person that wrote the question, I have no chance to get that question right. You cannot force such an art form into such a rigid mold. 

AP Literature is Depressing.

So far, AP Literature has been a truly depressing class, perhaps rightfully so. Plays like Othello and Waiting for Godot reveal many unsavory truths about mankind. We are a jealous, savage, purposeless, bored, worthless bunch. That is not a sentiment that incurs much faith for the future of humanity. There have been many lively discussions about each of the works we read and each one gave me something new to think about. Often though, these discussions led me to the conclusion that humanity is terrible, has always been terrible, and there is not much hope for the future. Learning about Transcendentalism was the exception. That taught me to "suck out all the marrow of life" but nihilism taught me that we cannot know anything and that everything is meaningless. Overall my outlook on life is much dimmer now than it was at the beginning of the year, but the jury is still out on whether or not this is a good thing. Through reading and discussions I discovered many new ways to look at life, and many hidden truths about human nature and purpose. If these things are true, whether or not they make me happy, this was a valuable class and my knowledge has been greatly broadened.

Existentialism, Nihilism, and Absurdity

Existentialism:

Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot is full of fast-paced dialogue but in all that wordiness, the characters do not actually say much. Existentialism is an analysis of human existence and how individuals, through acts of will, are ultimately responsible for their own development. It has also been said that existentialism is "thinking about existence." This aspect of the philosophy especially relates to Waiting for Godot. The characters talk incessantly but without saying anything of real substance. By constantly talking about absurd things or in a confusing manner, they are freed from their thoughts and they do not have to think about their existence or make any real decisions in their lives.

[Long silence.]

Vladimir: Say something!

Estragon: I'm trying.

[Long silence.]

Vladimir: [in anguish] Say anything at all!

Estragon: What do we do now?

Vladimir: Wait for Godot.

Estragon: Ah!

[Silence]

Estragon: This is awful! (Waiting for Godot act II)

Silences play an important role in the play. The characters seem to fear silence because it would force them to think about their life, their position, their actions, and their existence. The characters try to avoid existential thinking but through this, Beckett is able to make a powerful statement about human existence and its futility.

Nihilism:

Waiting for Godot drips of nihilistic philosophies and undertones. Nihilism states that nothing can be known, everything is meaningless and that nothing can be believed in. Beckett especially emphasizes that nothing can be known in Waiting for Godot. Vladimir and Estragon do not know anything. They do not know what day it is, what time it is, or what they did the day before. They do not know if events really happened or if they were a dream. They do not know what Godot looks like. They do not know if the road with the tree is the right place to meet him. Estragon seems the be even more confused than Vladimir and does not believe him.

Vladimir: The tree, look at the tree.
[Estragon looks at the tree.]
Estragon: Was it not there yesterday?
Vladimir: Yes of course it was there. Do you not remember? We nearly hanged ourselves from it. But you wouldn’t. Do you not remember?
Estragon: You dreamt it. (Waiting for Godot act II)

Vladimir and Estragon are unreliable and make the audience question what is real and if any of these events are actually happening. They do not seem to have a purpose. They do nothing. They say nothing substantial. Nothing changes in their world and they do not ever do anything. They are inactive, skeptical, and know nothing. They are nihilists whether they chose to be or if their situation forced it upon them.

Absurdity:

Waiting for Godot is a truly absurd work of literature. The dialogue and story-line are unique to say the least. The made up words and crazy characters add to the confusion. Waiting for Godot pioneered the "Theatre of the Absurd" genre. It is characterized not by rigid constructs and logical argument but by irrational thought and illogical speeches.

"I resume but not so fast I resume the skull fading fading fading and concurrently simultaneously what is more for reasons unknown in spite of the tennis on on the beard the flames the tears the stones so blue so calm alas alas on on the skull the skull the skull" (Waiting for Godot act II)

The first time the character Lucky speaks in the entire play is to utter a long speech like the except above. It is illogical and full of repeated nonsense. It is truly absurd. Through all of this confusion though, there is sense of beauty and truth to what Beckett is trying to say. What is Beckett trying to say? No one knows. There are many theories and interpretations of the play but he crafted it in such a way that it does not fit any one mold perfectly. It is not just a nihilistic play. It is not just a Christian allegory. It is the absurdity of the play that keeps it from being interpreted in one set way.

What are you waiting for?

Waiting for Godot is a thoroughly bizarre play. The fast-paced dialogue and strange characters seem to be completely absurd but in actuality the play is relatable. It asks the audience some truly great questions about humanity, society and even their personal lives. On the surface, many may see this play as a Christian allegory  and that Vladimir and Estragon represent all of humanity in our fruitless plight waiting for God to come save us. There may be some merit to this comparison and that may be one of the societal concerns that the play represents but there is so much more. One of the things that I take from this play is an overwhelming attitude that nothing we do or say really matters. This nihilistic message reflects a latent fear of all humans that they are truly insignificant. Many people would not be willing to admit that this fear exists, or they do not agree that they share this fear. Waiting for Godot also represents that we are all waiting for something. We don't always know what. We don't know if it will come. Sometimes we may even be scared that we actually might get what we want because that will bring changes and force us to do something new. There are so many human flaws, quirks, and idiosyncrasies that this play forces us to confront, even own up to.

What is Water?

One of my biggest fears in life is being unoriginal. I live under the constant awareness that probably every thought I have ever had, someone else has already had. It could have been yesterday or two years ago or a thousand years ago. It doesn't matter when, it just matters that my every thought or witty quip or action has probably already been done and that other person probably did it better, or had a better sense of comedic timing. David Foster Wallace hit this fear right on the nose in his speech and made my fear even more real and likely. I do not want to go through life live millions of other people are going through life at the same time all around the world. We are not all unique in our thinking and even if the thoughts themselves differ, the way we think or our "Default Setting" is practically the same. And that is what I want to fight against. I know that is a problem, one that I want to avoid at all costs. I want to be able to think for myself, use what I have been given to live a life that no one else has ever lived before. The key to this is all in the way we think and how we want to see the world. I want to see the world in a new light. I don't know everything, I never will, and I want to accept that and turn off my automatic negative reaction to most things. I want to be an original.