Adieu, farewell, earth's bliss, p. 316

From the first stanza in this poem, irony is evident, “Adieu, farewell, earth’s bliss;/this world uncertain is;/fond are life’s lustful joys;/death proves them all but toys;”, where fond is used to mean foolish. The poet is blatantly stating that no matter what pleasure one may have found on earth, death will supersede them all.  Also, the constant repetition at the end of every stanza are the lines, “I am sick, I must die./Lord, have mercy on us!”, which proves the poet’s desire to part with the earth and enter the afterlife with the line “I must die”, yet he ironically also states “Lord, have mercy on us!”, even though he has already manifested his belief that death is more welcoming than life. The poet also makes a couple allusions to Greek mythology, specifically the Trojan War, when he references Helen and Hector. With both lines, “Queens have died young and fair;/Dust hath closed Helen’s eye” and “Worms feed on Hector’s brave;/Swords may not fight with fate,” he is referring to the inevitably of death, and also how accomplishments made on earth have no bearing on death. He further reinstates this idea with the final stanza “Haste,  therefore, each degree,/To welcome destiny;/Heaven is our heritage,/Earth but a player’s stage;/Mount we unto the sky./I am sick, I must die./Lord, have mercy on us.” This stanza basically says that everyone dies in the end, but heaven is where we are destined to be. The main idea that the poet is conveying with this work is that death should not be something that is feared, rather something that should be embraced.

The first time I read this poem, I did not pay too much attention to the specific diction used by the poet, and I interpreted the poem as being about regretful about death. However, upon a second, more analytical look at the poem, I noticed the irony that the poet uses, and how it completely changes the meaning of the work. The poem gives an alternate view to death which most authors do not express. This is a rather optimistic portrayal of death and offers a unique perspective on a frequently written about topic.

Siren Song, p. 271

From the title of the poem, the word “siren” alludes to Greek mythology, in which Sirens were deadly creatures, whom tempted sailors with their mesmerizing song, which always, inevitably led to their deaths.  The poet addresses the audience from the perspective of a Siren, as revealed first on line 10, “will you get me/out of this bird suit?”, referring to the fact that Sirens are oftentimes portrayed with the body of a bird. By speaking in a common, colloquial manner, the audience feels a connection to the Siren, and therefore listens to her when she speaks of her plight. “I don’t enjoy it here/squatting on this island/looking picturesque and mythical.” However, employing the use of irony, the Siren is actually utilizing her skill to seduce the audience directly into their downfalls, “Alas/it is a boring song/but it works every time.”

Upon reading this poem, it seems as though the poet is warning the audience against their own gullibility. By taking advantage of their curiosity about the Siren, she entices them into the poem, yet also to their figurative death. Sirens are commonly known to lead countless sailors to their death by calling their attention over to them, therefore steering their ship into their island, and crashing it. With this poem, the poet is essentially doing the exact same thing. She is pointing out a fault in human nature in which human beings ignore logic and reasoning, and succumb to their ignorant emotions.

THE HANDMAID'S TALE, Part C

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood is a message for audiences worldwide, warning them of the dangers of extremism. Her ironic style can be difficult to detect, however, it is a key component of understanding and correctly interpretating the novel. She is very subtle in her defiance against both religious radicals and feminists, yet once her true message behind the text is realized, her ideas about this subject are readily seen.

In beginning while reading this novel, I felt frustrated and angry with the way that Gilead was controlled, yet later I began to accept this harsh society because otherwise The Handmaid's Tale would not leave the same impression as it did. It is a difficult novel that can be challenging to get through sometimes because of its mature content, but on the whole, it is a captivating tale that really leaves a resounding message with its audiences.

Atwood makes the reader a part of the protagonist; feeling what she feels throughout the book. This powerful connection between Offred and the audience makes The Handmaid's Tale more relatable to the reader, and therefore more enjoyable to experience. The dramatic, unrevealing ending of the novel also leaves much to the reader up for speculation. The uncertainty with which Atwood ends the story is one of the many topics in this book which can be discussed. The Handmaid's Tale is a contemporary piece of literature that deserves much merit. It was a stimulating book to read that can appeal to massive audiences because of its universal message. Margaret Atwood certainly succeeded in writing a novel that is soon to be a classic.

THE HANDMAID'S TALE, Part B

“Nolite te bastardes carborundorum” (Atwood 52).

Translated as meaning “Don’t let the bastards grind you down”, this is one of the most powerful messages in The Handmaid’s Tale. Etched into a cabinet in Offred’s room by its previous inhabitant, she runs her hand over the words countless times, familiarizing herself with them thoroughly. Though she is unaware of its meaning, she understands its importance; why else risk being caught? This is a message of survival; an encouragement to keep fighting even when all the odds are stacked against you.

During one of Offred’s Scrabble games with the Commander, she mentions this phrase to him, hoping for a translation. He simply laughs at her question, and answers her in a mocking tone. The Commander’s utter disregard for the gravity of this message only enhances its meaning. He is one of the men in charge of Gilead, and therefore cannot understand the purpose of this message. To the Commander, Gilead is a society that bears no problems for him, so therefore bears no problems at all.

Offred stays true to the inscription, attempting to defy Gilead during any opportunity that arises. One of the ways in which she accomplishes this goal is by keeping unused butter in her shoes. She uses this butter as a makeshift face cream to keep her skin moisturized. Though this may seem like an innocent task, this exemplifies vanity, which is unnecessary for Handmaids, and anything that is useless in Gilead is unquestionably terminated.

Although the phrase “Don’t let the bastards grind you down” may seem like a revolutionist message praising anarchy, its meaning goes much further. Offred, along with all the other Handmaids, is shunned away from society; she has nothing to hope for in this world except to conceive in order to survive. Yet this resounding message brings new hope to her; it gives her reason to fight for her life. In a world where nothing belongs to the Handmaids, or women in general, this small, scrappy etching bears all the importance in her life.

THE HANDMAID'S TALE, Part A

One of the most important symbols in The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood is the Faith pillow. Described as being “faded blue, the leaves of the lilies a dingy green” (Atwood 57), it is evident that the letters inscribed upon the cushion have lost their meaning. Gilead is controlled by men, assumingly as a result of religion. The extremist views of this religion are what Gilead runs on; therefore, the word “Faith” on this pillow not only means faith in religion, but also faith in Gilead. However, because of the description of this forgotten cushion, it demonstrates that the makers themselves of that cushion do not believe the words sewn on it. Gilead is so thoroughly corrupt with power that it is doubtful that many of the men believe in faith.

This pillow symbolizes how the pious views of religion are lost once power is gained; only the oppressive, corrupt ones remain. The words of the protagonist, Offred, say that “Somehow it’s been overlooked” (57) in reference to the pillow; that once, this pillow meant something virtuous and pure, yet after the many years have passed, its original purpose was forgotten.  This same idea can be applied to the society of Gilead itself. Perhaps, during the time of its inception, it was formed to better our society, but as described in this novel, it has fallen to the temptation of greed and power. Faith is one of the main points and purposes of religion, but in Gilead, where all sources of faith have been skewed into something hateful, faith means no more than any other word.

WE, Part C

The novel We illustrates the importance of the individual, the necessity for passion and inspiration, and inescapable revolution. Yevgeny Zamyatin enunciates the virtue of unique thought through this work. At first, the book is frustrating with its nonsensical talk of the beauty of mathematics and the perfect logical reasoning though which OneState functions. However, as it progresses, it becomes evident that Zamyatin is mocking OneState, and he is actually sending a message to his audience about how absurd it is to possess such a state of mind. We is a novel that encourages irrationality and chaos; ideas fused by emotion; apprehension toward authority. Overall, the novel expresses free-spirited ideals that are necessary in our society. Written in an unconvential manner, with many bizzare notions in between, Zamyatin truly presents his literary genius in the form of We.

WE, Part B

"My dear, you are a mathematician. You're even more, you're a philosopher of mathematics. So do this for me: Tell me the final number" (Zamyatin 168).

With this seemingly innocent request, I-330 shatters D-503's perfect world of mathematical reasoning; he cannot give an answer. By proving this one fault in the majesty of OneState, D-503 no longer knows what to believe. The irony of disproving math with math is an unparalleled form of genius demonstrated by I-330.

With this quote, Yevgeny Zamyatin not only demonstrates the power which I-330 possesses over D-503, but also the vital necessity of rebellion in society. The above quote refers to the need of unending revolution; the constant need for change. However, in OneState, and mathematics in general, there is never any change. One plus one will always equal two even if the Earth stops spinning; this is a key idea upon which OneState is founded upon.

Rebellion stems from the dissatisfaction of individuals; in OneState, where there is no individual thought, this would never occur. However, when a group of outsiders from beyond the Green Wall enter OneState, chaos is unleashed. I-330 is part of these outsiders, and her sole goal is to overthrow the Benefactor, and demolish OneState. Her zealous passion is a main component of both the idea of individualism and the idea of revolution.

I-330, though an oddity in this society, represents all for which we as human beings stand for in this world: innovation, uniqueness, spirit. She challenges D-503 to break from the uniformity of OneState, and experience his own personal ideas and thoughts. Simply by encouraging this, I-330 is revolting against OneState. Her uncommon traits, as seen by the Numbers of OneState, are what make her relateable to the audience. I-330 symbolizes humans in the society in which we live now, and when she confronts D-503 and defies against OneState, she is protecting our individualistic freedom.