To A Stranger

I think this poem is about a man who had a previous relationship with someone but this relationship was frowned upon. The reasons I think this poem is about that are that it says the writer isn't allowed to speak of this relationship, only think about it. I also think this poem is about the writer seeing someone who reminds them of a previous lover or relationship. The line "I have surely lived a life of joy with you" is the reason I think that. There's a line that says "you grew up with me" so I think the person the writer had a relationship with could have been a childhood friend or something. Since this poem is about walking past a stranger who reminds the writer of someone else, and it says "you must be he I was seeking, or she I was seeking" I think it could mean that the previous relationship was either with a man, or a woman. If it was with a man, then the part about it being looked down upon makes sense. Homosexuality wasn't accepted in the 1800s. If it was with a woman then maybe their parents didn't approve or something. But overall this poem is about a stranger who brings back memories of a lover to the writer. 

How Is Your Heart

In my opinion the author should be allowed to be content. People might argue that if you're living a life like that then you would probably want to change it for the better, but I think that since his childhood consisted of an alcoholic father, being abused, and his mother not sticking up for him because she was most likely scared, he never grew up with a healthy relationship and probably doesn't know much better than what he saw. The life that he's living now is probably better to him than how it was before and I think that if he's satisfied  about that then let him be. Maybe he's the type of person who doesn't want a good relationship and prefers to be alone. You could argue that he would probably be lonely and depressed but maybe sleeping with prostitutes everyday and getting drunk is how he wants to spend his time. If he was really unhappy with his life then I don't think he would be smiling. He would do something about it. But since he doesn't and he's content then I say whatever just let him live his life however he wants to. Being content isn't a bad thing. He gets through his tough times and that's all that matters. Everyone has had a time in their life when they didnt like something that was happening but found the positive in it and didn't change it. He's just doing that with his whole life. 

Interm #1

If my parents were to ask me what I have in English 10 so far, I wouldn't be able to tell them. I would explain to them that in this class we aren't handed a letter grade. All my work is on my blog and Edmodo. I would give my parents to link to both of those and tell them that they can read them. I would show them all the assignments we've done (tattoo, teen themes, Myers-Briggs, extended methaphor) and show them how in each assignment I've handed them in on time and put full effort into them. I think I've improved each and every time and I would leave it up to my parents to decide how Im doing. I would also tell them that if they really wanted to that they could go read my classmates blogs and compare. Overall I think I'm doing pretty good in the course and I would hope my parents think so too. 

My Tattoo

I personally really love tattoos. I love the way they look and what they represent. I think it's really cool when someone has a meaningful tattoo. A lot of people in my family have tattoos too. My mom has the Japanese symbol for strength on her ankle. My grandpa has an eagle on his forearm. My uncle has two full sleeves and his chest and back covered. My aunt has a flower vine around her waist. My dad has 6 tattoos. He has the outline of a bulls skull on his back, his firefighter logo on his shoulder, my first and middle name in my own writing on his left bicep, and my sisters on his right, our last name across his chest, and a full sleeve on his left arm which has a bunch of Celtic knots and crosses and stuff to represent our background.

I would love to get a tattoo eventually. If I were to get one I wouldn't get a picture or anything. I would either get a word or a date that's really special to me. My great grandpa used to call me "Sparky" because my initials were AMP. When he passed away, my grandpa continued calling me sparky. Eventually my mom and dad did too. That's my nickname in my family. My friends all call me Ave and stuff but Spark`y will always be my favourite nickname. My great grandpa and I were really close even though I only got to spend 8 years with him. He died from skin and colon cancer. I think if I got a tattoo I would get "Sparky" handwritten on the back of my neck with the date he died under it. The back of my neck doesn't have any significance I just would want to get it somewhere not too noticable but also not somewhere no ones gonna see. He died on April 30, 2007. My tattoo would be "Sparky" with 04/30/07 underneath.

I hope one day I can get this tattoo because it would mean a lot to me to have something to remember him by.  

Extended Metaphor

The extended metaphor I chose was the song "Firework" by Katy Perry.  I chose this song because not only does it have an extended metaphor, it also has similes and regular metaphors within it. The extended metaphor that the song represents is comparing people to fireworks.

The first verse says:

"Do you ever feel like a plastic bag

Drifting through the wind, wanting to start again?

Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin

Like a house of cards, one blow from caving in?

Do you ever feel already buried deep six feet under?

Screams but no one seems to hear a thing

Do you know that there's still a chance for you

'Cause there's a spark in you?"

The first two comparisons are similes. I think both of these (the plastic bag and the house of cards) represent being at the end and not having a lot left in you. Then when it says "buried deep" I think this means that you feel trapped and like no one can hear you and there's no way to get out of the situation. 

The chorus says: 

"You just gotta ignite the light and let it shine

Just own the night like the 4th of July

'Cause, baby, you're a firework

Come on, show 'em what you're worth

Make 'em go, "Aah, aah, aah"

As you shoot across the sky-y-y

Baby, you're a firework

Come on, let your colours burst

Make 'em go, "Aah, aah, aah"

You're gonna leave 'em all in awe, awe, awe"

This is where the extended metaphor really shows. It's comparing people to fireworks. I think what it means is that you always have to find what's inside you and let it show and that you can surprise people by how you portray yourself. 

The second verse says:

"You don't have to feel like a wasted space

You're original, cannot be replaced

If you only knew what the future holds

After a hurricane comes a rainbow

Maybe a reason why all the doors are closed

So you could open one that leads you to the perfect road

Like a lightning bolt, your heart will glow

And when it's time you'll know"

This verse is saying that no matter what you're going through, it's gonna get better. 

Finally, the last little verse tning says:

"Boom, boom, boom

Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon

It's always been inside of you, you, you

And now it's time to let it through-ough-ough"

This is saying that in a hard situation you just have to look inside you because you're strong and you're gonna get through it no matter what. 

I think overall this song is trying to say that people are like fireworks because they may seem like nothing but there's so much more inside them that you don't always see, but when you do see it it was surprise you.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QGJuMBdaqIw

Literary Terms

Epigram: An epigram is a brief, interesting, memorable, and sometimes surprising or satirical statement. 

Epigrams usually appear in poetry, but sometimes not. Some epigrams are like oxymorons where there are 2 words that contradict eachother together. 

Examples:

"To see a world in a grain of sand,

And a heaven in a wild flower,

Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,

And eternity in an hour"

"Both robbed of air, we both lie in one ground,

Both whom one fire had burnt, one water drowned"

"Candy is dandy but liquor is quicker."

http://m.poemhunter.com/poem/epigram-for-wall-street/

Myers-Briggs Personality Test

After completing the Myers-Briggs Personality Test I got the letters ESFP. That means I am extroverted, sensing, feeling, and perceiving. I think the test was pretty accurate because If I had to give myself the 4 letters that's what I would choose. 

I am extroverted because I'm the type of person who is very social, outgoing and finds excitement in the company of others. I don't like being alone. I prefer to go out and talk to people. 

I am sensing because I think about the present. I don't worry about what's gonna happen in the future and I don't look at the big picture. I think about the facts instead of the possibilities and I'm very to the point. I don't like having to figure things out on my own. I like to be told things how they are, especially in school. I don't like having to "read between the lines."

I am feeling because I make decisions based on how I feel. I think the letters S and F kinda contradict eachother but it makes sense to me. I make decisions based on not only myself but also the people it involves or could effect. I worry about others feelings, sometimes too much. As much as I like when others are direct to me, I feel like I'm indirect to them. Sometimes I don't say things because I don't want to cause conflict. It's sorta hypocritical because if someone did that to me I would probably be upset. 

Lastly I am perceiving because I like to go with the flow. When it comes to activities and stuff I'll basically do anything. I don't mind if plans get changed or anything. When it comes to school, like I said before, I like to be told exactly what to do but because I am percieving I wait til the last minute to do things. I prefer to mix work and play rather than work and then play. 

The careers that can go with ESFP range  from an actress or a musican to a lawyer or a church worker. What I noticed though is that all the jobs have one thing in common and that is that they all have to do with working in a very social environment, and possibly being the center of attention. I don't mind being in front of people and so I think any of this jobs could be good for me. 

The characters that go with ESFP are Homer Simpson, Kelly and Peggy Bundy, and a bunch of people I've never heard of. I guess you could say I'm like Homer. I'm sarcastic like him but I think I'm a lot nicer. 

Overall I would say this test is pretty accurate. I usually don't believe in this kind of thing because I don't think anyone knows me better than myself, but it was cool to see the results and all the jobs and stuff that go well with my personality.