Walden

Henry David Thoreau and Chris McCandless have a lot in comman. They share the view that a person can live disconnected from the material world. They both think and enjoy living in a natural surrounding. People like these two are hard to find in the world. It is truly an inspiration to me. I never have thought like those two before, but it opens my eyes to a whole new way to live.

Smith Poem

I see
the wind
and taste
buildings in me
and feel
ground against my feet
and hear
fear
I need
life




This was about my experience seeing a tornado for the first time and seeing the damage after.

Blood Dazzler (first half)

Question: What are the major themes in this book? Are there any minor themes as well? Is there any kind of "subtext" in this book? What kind of murmurs run below the surface?

Answer: Poems by Patricia Smith have a complicated understanding. The major themes in this book have to do with Hurricane Katrina. She describes in her poems of the storm, the city and how her and the other people were feeling. The minor themes could have been the people. How Hurricane Katrina was affecting them. These poems show the sad, but real truth behind the devastating storm. It personifies Katrina into taking over them. Throughout the deep and strong poems it captures an unfortunate event in American in a better way then news could.

Snapshots

I was in Colorado and my family and I had hiked for hours finally reaching the top of this small mountain top. As I stood on the top I glanced over the edge to be shocked in awe with the stillness of the trees and rapidly moving small streams. It was beyond beautiful.

As I walked on the green grass on the the perfectly cut field I could hardly hear myself think. It was my first college football game and it was everything I had imagined and some. I sat on the sidelines soaking all my surroundings in knowing how lucky I was to be there.

My first time kayaking was on a lake right by my old house. I was expecting just to get some relaxing exercise in, but I was mistaken. A large snapping turtle swam up next to me under the water. I was a little startled at first. Then, I noticed its soft nature. I ended up touching its shell and knowing right there how pleasant nature really is.

The Summer Day

Question: Does any particular image run throughout the poem?

Answer: The image of a grasshopper is present in the poem. It plays a big part in describing the poem through a metaphor. The metaphor is one that has to do with life. The writer, Mary Oliver, questions life with the grasshopper. She is basically saying life is short and to do everything you can with it because there may not be enough time. I think the grasshopper image leads a reader to think of his/her own life.

The Ninemile Wolves

Question: What specific details stay in your mind? Why? How do these small details lead to larger ideas?

Answer: There is an in depth look at wolves from many different angles in this reading. It is easy to tell the author is very opinionated when it comes to wolves. That detail is one that I kept in my mind throughout the story. However, he does back much of his opinion up with minor details and facts. In turn, this builds upon his ideas about wolves making it more logical. This allows the reader to take the smaller facts and piece them together to develop one large idea.

Reading like a Writer

How the writer structures the essay.

Terry Tempest Williams structured Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place by giving in depth information about the topic he is discussing, then he relates many completely different topics to eachother. It jumps from Salt Lake to a bird refuge then finally to cancer. Not many could relate all these to make sense. Williams does a good job of fitting the pieces together to make it whole. However, it still felt as though he jumped around a little bit from my point of view. The effect it has on the reader is to make sure they are paying attention the whole time. If the reader does not stay engaged then most likely they will be lost.