English Honors Profile

"Success is counted sweetest
By those who ne'er succeed.
To comprehend a nectar
Requires sorest need.

Not one of all the purple host
Who took the flag to-day
Can tell the definition ,
So clear, of victory,

As he, defeated, dying,
On whose forbidden ear
The distant strains of triumph
Break, agonized and clear."

This poem is all about success and how much people who never achieve it think of it the highest, as show on the lines of "success is counted sweetest by those who ne'er succeed".  To feel how much we want success, Dickinson uses nectar as success and the want as "sorest need". The next stanza is more complicated, but to me says of how soldiers who have had victory cannot explain as well as the soldiers who lay defeated, presented in the 3rd and final stanza. So, basically, one who is succesful cannot explain how great it is to the person who was unsuccesful because they wanted to experience it and feel it more when they didn't.

My wordle of this poem:

http://www.wordle.net/create

"Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.

I've heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me."

Hope is what this poem centers around and it is conveyed by a bird.. Hope is in the soul and it never stops as long as you have it, like Dickinson states: "..and sings the tunes without the words, that never stop at all." Sometimes, your hope can be destroyed by events that make it so. Dickinson describes this like "the storm that could abash the little bird", the bird being the hope. Though damage may be made to your state of hope, we must remember that it is with us even in "the chillest land" or "the strangest sea". Lastly, "yet, never, in extremity, it asked a crumb of me", meaning hope is simply a free gift and it shall never stop living in our souls as long as we let it live.

http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/1604013/Response_to_Poem

"The heart asks pleasure first
And then, excuse from pain-
And then, those little anodynes
That deaden suffering;

And then, to go to sleep;
And then, if it should be
The will of its Inquisitor,
The liberty to die."

From this poem, I conclude that pleasure and pain are found inside the heart, and we only want pleasure, but that's not the way it happens-we must also go through pain. Those "little anodynes" literally translate to drugs that take away the suffering, and how we want to sneak away from the suffering. The poem continues on with saying that sleep is a way to not experience the pain and, if asked for, take the liberty of dying. But, if you always wanted to sleep, or sneak away from the pain, you'd never get to feel the pleasure.

http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/1598180/Response_to_poem

"For each ecstatic instant
We must an anguish pay
In keen and quivering ratio
To the ecstasty.

For each beloved hour
Sharp pittances of years,
Bitter contested farthings
And coffers heaped with tears."

This poem has a negative tone throughout, but in a way it speaks the truth. "For each ecstatic instant" refers to all the happy, great moments in life; "we must anguish pay" meaning we have to pay for this moment someway. She means that it's too good to be true to just have a wonderful moment and not have a bad one later. "in keen and quivering ratio", meaning we usually pay without pleasure but equally "to the ectasty", or that moment. The rest of the poem continues with this theory, saying for each hour we suffer through the years with tears and payments.

Wordle Response to Poem:

http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/1598159/Response_to_Poem

"We outgrow love like other things
   And put it in the drawer,
Till it an antique fashion shows
   Like costumes grandsires wore."

This poem is all about love. What Dickinson is saying is that some people at some point outgrow love, or get over it and try to hide it away. Her place to hide it away is in a "drawer", which in mental terms could be deep inside our heart. With time, it get old, "like costumes grandsires wore", grandsires being grandfathers or great-grandfathers. Though it could be hidden away deep inside our heart, it'll still be there though.

http://www.wordle.net/create

The Harry Potter films are known by fans to "miss out everything!!!" or "not as good as the books", but I'm here to say the 3rd installment in the Harry Potter films can definitely cross out these two previous statements.

The first two films of the series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets were a faithful adaptation to the books, but were too fast-paced and closed in. In Prisoner of Azkaban, there is room to breathe for the actors and the story. Harry (The ever-progressing Daniel Radcliffe) and his classmates aren't tied down to just their robes, finally being able to wear their usual clothes. This is a taste of the difference we experience in the film. New characters are introduced to the series, including the murderous Sirius Black  (Gary Oldman) who is after Harry and the friendly if not mysterious Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher Remus Lupin (David Thewlis). Harry's best friends, Ron Weasley (Cute and cuddly Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Powerful Emma Watson) are also as wonderful as ever.

The film has a grayish look to it to match it's tone of Harry transforming from a child to a teenager. Harry must learn to control his emotions of despair and hurt and must learn to have hope and laugh at the face of fear (literally in the presence of Boggarts, or creatures that live in cupboards and under sinks which can only be taken over by thinking of something funny and confronting it). The film also introduces new terrifying creatures called Dementors, gray, ghostly creatures that suck the soul from you which are visually stunning, along with a creepy looking werewolf and shaggy black dog to join the ride.

Hogwarts looks as beautiful as ever, the castle old but just magnificent. This film is also...well, funny. The characters also seem to have more life and the actors growing into their roles. New classes are introduced, including looking into the future with Professer Sybil Trelawney (Emma Thompson) and care of magical creatures with the animal loving Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane). Hippogriffs, or half bird/half horse creatures make an apperance and somehow, in someway, look cute.

The music in the film also manages to capture the mood. An interesting concept comes along when Harry and one of his best friends, the bookworm Hermione Granger, go back in time (yes, time travel is highly fun and dangerous). During the whole time travel, a clock ticks in the background, reminding you that time is of the essence and one mistake could destroy all the characters lives forever.

Overall, the film is fresh from the first two films in every category. Harry Potter fan or not, you are guaranteed to enjoy the third installment in the series. It is definitely darker, both visually and mentally, so little children beware. Do yourself a favor and go enjoy the joy the film that is Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

The third entry in the book lacks Harry's horrid enemy, the darkest wizard of all time named Voldemort. Instead, what it is all about is Harry finding the next worst thing-despair and the controlling of his emotions. A mass murderer named Sirius Black, escapes from the horrid wizard prison that is Azkaban and may be after Harry. Definitely not a good way to start a new year at the brilliant school that is Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. After one particularly dreadful evening at Harry's living residence with his aunt and uncle, the Dursley's, Harry decides to run away, not knowing where he is going and what he will do (don't we all want to do this at one point?). During that evening, Harry gets his first taste of Sirius Black, and that thrill continues throughout the book.

The characters are as interesting as ever. Of course there's the brave and curious Harry, and along for the ride are his best friends Ron Weasley, the funny sidekick, and Hermione Granger, the smart bookworm. But easily the best new character is Remus Lupin, Harry's new Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher. Lupin teaches the students that the only weapon to fight against despair is hope. Using boggarts, or creatures that live in closets or under cupboards and take the form of whatever scares you the most, a lesson learned is a way to fight this terror is through laughter and happiness. See, the boggart turns into something funny once you think about something funny and confront it.

The setting of Hogwarts is still as beautiful as ever. 3rd years, the year Harry is entering, start new classes, which include the boring Divination (or looking into the future) and the quite dangerous Care of Magical Creatures, taught by the all-animal-loving Hagrid. Both these new additions are entertaining to read about, if not scary at some points. Plus, 3rd years get to attend Hogsmeade, or a wizard-ring village near Hogwarts that includes a joke shop, candy shop, and resturant  famous for it's butter beer (that many fans love to make in the real world).

So, setting and  review of characters aside, how about the story? The third year at Hogwarts is clever, witty, and absolutely shocking, and no dark wizard was required. The main idea of this book is all about emotions and how to control them. Fear and anger only lead to despair and hurt, while  laughter and happiness bring about hope, as Harry learns from his first year of being a teenager. Emotions aside, The book even experiences time travel, which is an interesting if not complicated process. It also introduces the soul-sucking Dementors which Harry cannot overcome. Each new addition comes together in the end for a thrilling finish.

Overall, the third book in the wonderful series that is Harry Potter is something you can't miss. These tricks are not only for kids, there is plenty for adults to ponder too, such as the controversy of the death penalty, shown through Sirius Black and a creature of Hagrids. If you're in for an adventure, a mystery, a thriller, a fantasy or just a fun read, this book is definitely worth a read. 

9.5/10

"It's All I have to bring to-day,
   This, and my heart beside,
This, and my heart, and all the fields,
   And all the meadows wide.
Be sure you count, should I forget, --
   Some one the sum could tell, --
This, and my heart, and all the bees
  Which in the clover dwell."

To me, this poem expresses how Dickinson has nothing to give but her, her heart, and the world around her. "This, and my heart and all the fields.." 'This' being herself, 'heart' being her emotions and feelings she can provide, and the 'fields' being the world she lives in. She also expresses the world through the words "meadows wide" and the bees "which in the clover dwell." The part where she writes "Be sure you count, should I forget, some one the sum could tell" says to me that be sure to remember where you are and where you come from should you 'forget'.

Further response to this poem can be found in my wordle:

http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/1586898/Response_to_Poem

"I had no time to hate, because
The grave would hinder me,
And life was not so ample I
Could finish enmity.

Nor had I time to love, but since
Some industry must be,
The little toil of love, I thought,
Was large enough for me."

To me, this poem talks about hate and love and how you shouldn't waste your time with hate and cherish your moments of love. As Dickinson states, "life was not so ample" , meaning life doesn't have a lot of time to finish "enmity", or hatred. Not having a lot of time means there isn't a lot of time to love either, but as Dickinson also says, "the little toil of love, I thought, was large enough for me." In other words, the love you do get to experience in life you should be thankful for.

I express my feelings of this poem through wordle also:

http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/1586885/Response_to_Poem

"A Thought went up my mind today —
That I have had before —
But did not finish — some way back —
I could not fix the Year —

Nor where it went — nor why it came
The second time to me —
Nor definitely, what it was —
Have I the Art to say —

But somewhere — in my Soul — I know —
I've met the Thing before —
It just reminded me — 'twas all —
And came my way no more —"

 Though the poem may be short, I believe it speaks volumes about our thoughts. Dickinson apparently had a deep emotion pass through her mind, that came back twice, not knowing why or even what, which makes more mysterious and therefore poetic. In the end, I believe this poem just shows that we have thoughts and are not sure why they pass through our heads, but they do and you can't help it.

More on my thoughts of this poem is expressed through the link to the worldle I created in response to the poem:

http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/1585301/Poem_Response