It may interest you guys to know that the exam is only 35 lessons away. I don't know about you but I find that very very frightening!!!
We have a lot of work still to do, folks, so let's get really focused now.
Just remember all the hours I have given to you in marking, preparation, revision, setting this blog up, drop in sessions, checking emails, going over prelims, informal chats....
Now it is time to show me just how much you appreciate it by really putting in the hours your self with revision at home and paying attention in class. I have invested too much of myself in you guys this year for you not to.
Don't let me or yourselves down.
Friday, March 02, 2007
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Human Spirit
Human Spirit – Snake
The poet suppresses his own conscience and conforms to society rule. He snaps under the pressure and acts rashly.
“A pettiness” shows how pathetic he feels after reacting the way he did. He feels as if he is not worth anything because the way he threw the log was so weak and the way in which he responded to it made him appear as a subordinate to the snake.
The violent images such as “burning bowels” and “Etna smoking” show how the poet’s emotions are boiling within him. The voices from his upbringing become more urgent which builds a sense of panic. We can see how his conscience presides over his human spirit. The “peaceful, pacified” contrasts with the “burning bowels” in the following line as “peaceful and pacified” show how calm and unthreatening the snake is compared with the harshness of the “burning bowels”.
The alliteration in this example highlights the conflict created between the snake and the poet. The repetition of “was it” shows how the poet begins to doubt his own education but describes his morals as “cowardice”, “perversity” and “humility”. The repetition of of “black” again creastes a harsh image. When it is followed by “innocent” it shows how the usual connotations of a snake are being reversed which justifies the poet’s feelings.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Snake -- D.H Lawrence.
The Natural World And The Threat Of Industrialisation.
The poet is against industrialisation. This is shown through the conflict between the voices in the narrators head. One voice is arguing to kill the snake (representing education/industrialisation) and the other is the poets own opinon. The snake is a representation of his "manhood" and also the natural world.
Evidence that shows the poet meant the snake to represent his manhood :
"proceeded to draw his slow length curving round, and climb again the broken bank of my wall face." -- This depicts the idea of a man getting an erection.
"And as he put his..." This whole stanza depicts the act of sex, but it is decribed as a "horror" because of the supression of sex in society.
"Into the black hole" -- representative of a vagina.. described as "black" because he regrets this sexual act (due to pressures from society again.)
"Stared with fascination" -- although he feels guilty for enjoying this sexual act he cannot tear himself away.
"Wished he would come back, my snake." -- Regrets caving and giving into the voices which go against his personal beliefs and feels actually like less of a man, despite being told if he DIDNT kill it (eventhough he only tried to kill it he feels as if he did within his own head.) he would be less of a man.
During the early 1900's sex was something seen as crude and peverse. This is shown by the fact the snake is going into the "burning bowels of the earth" -- HELL. This peversion on sex put upon by society is one thing which adds to the narrators inner conflict. He has been conditioned to believe sex is bad, but as a man -- he enjoys it. This makes him feel guilty.
Natural Imagery & Poets Feelings :
The poet sees Industrialisation as a growing problem which is suffocating human nature yet his education supports industrialisation so to back it up has been pushed upon him for so long that to make way for it has become almost part of his subconscious. "Voices in me said, if you were a man.. you would kill him!" This need for the snake to be killed shows just how industrialisation is taking over as the snake is representative of the natural world.
The poets own views are contrasting as he favours the natural world. It is down to this contrast that a conflict arises. We can tell his views due to the way he describes the snake -- " Peaceful, pacified."
Despite the guilt he feels after the verse about sex he still states that he feels honoured - this shows how he favours naturalness over the industrialisation.
The fact that the industrialisation over comes him in the end shows just how bad the industrialisation has become.
Religious Imagery:
"Carob-Tree" -- Adam and eve. This is from a religious story and relates to his education.
"Snake like a god a king in exile, uncrowned" -- Seems to mean waiting, like Christ and his second coming.
Lawrence also suggests that the snake will be crowned again thus showing that the narrator feels guilt and realises he waill fo a penance for driving the snake away.
"Burning Bowels" -- Image of hell.
Religious images make the snake out to be evil at the start so you can see the education coming through, convincing him to go against his own beliefs and masculinity, so that industrialisation can improve. But it is almost as if the voices know that his masculinity is very important to him and they play upon this. "If you were a man".
He does feel guilty after he "severs" himself from his masculinity showing just how powerful industrialisation can be.
The guilt is shown through his constant questioning of himself.
"Was it cowardice..?
Was it peversity..?
Was it humanity..?
In the end when the narrator gives into preasures of society, and attempts to kill the snakes. Eventhough he fails, in his mind he has killed it and given into education instead of listening to his instincts. He feels like a broken man.
And it is this image of a broken man which we are left with -- illustrating the power industrialisation can have over natural things like, sexuality and manhood.
The poet is against industrialisation. This is shown through the conflict between the voices in the narrators head. One voice is arguing to kill the snake (representing education/industrialisation) and the other is the poets own opinon. The snake is a representation of his "manhood" and also the natural world.
Evidence that shows the poet meant the snake to represent his manhood :
"proceeded to draw his slow length curving round, and climb again the broken bank of my wall face." -- This depicts the idea of a man getting an erection.
"And as he put his..." This whole stanza depicts the act of sex, but it is decribed as a "horror" because of the supression of sex in society.
"Into the black hole" -- representative of a vagina.. described as "black" because he regrets this sexual act (due to pressures from society again.)
"Stared with fascination" -- although he feels guilty for enjoying this sexual act he cannot tear himself away.
"Wished he would come back, my snake." -- Regrets caving and giving into the voices which go against his personal beliefs and feels actually like less of a man, despite being told if he DIDNT kill it (eventhough he only tried to kill it he feels as if he did within his own head.) he would be less of a man.
During the early 1900's sex was something seen as crude and peverse. This is shown by the fact the snake is going into the "burning bowels of the earth" -- HELL. This peversion on sex put upon by society is one thing which adds to the narrators inner conflict. He has been conditioned to believe sex is bad, but as a man -- he enjoys it. This makes him feel guilty.
Natural Imagery & Poets Feelings :
The poet sees Industrialisation as a growing problem which is suffocating human nature yet his education supports industrialisation so to back it up has been pushed upon him for so long that to make way for it has become almost part of his subconscious. "Voices in me said, if you were a man.. you would kill him!" This need for the snake to be killed shows just how industrialisation is taking over as the snake is representative of the natural world.
The poets own views are contrasting as he favours the natural world. It is down to this contrast that a conflict arises. We can tell his views due to the way he describes the snake -- " Peaceful, pacified."
Despite the guilt he feels after the verse about sex he still states that he feels honoured - this shows how he favours naturalness over the industrialisation.
The fact that the industrialisation over comes him in the end shows just how bad the industrialisation has become.
Religious Imagery:
"Carob-Tree" -- Adam and eve. This is from a religious story and relates to his education.
"Snake like a god a king in exile, uncrowned" -- Seems to mean waiting, like Christ and his second coming.
Lawrence also suggests that the snake will be crowned again thus showing that the narrator feels guilt and realises he waill fo a penance for driving the snake away.
"Burning Bowels" -- Image of hell.
Religious images make the snake out to be evil at the start so you can see the education coming through, convincing him to go against his own beliefs and masculinity, so that industrialisation can improve. But it is almost as if the voices know that his masculinity is very important to him and they play upon this. "If you were a man".
He does feel guilty after he "severs" himself from his masculinity showing just how powerful industrialisation can be.
The guilt is shown through his constant questioning of himself.
"Was it cowardice..?
Was it peversity..?
Was it humanity..?
In the end when the narrator gives into preasures of society, and attempts to kill the snakes. Eventhough he fails, in his mind he has killed it and given into education instead of listening to his instincts. He feels like a broken man.
And it is this image of a broken man which we are left with -- illustrating the power industrialisation can have over natural things like, sexuality and manhood.
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