Tuesday, March 18, 2008

My history with poetry...

I do not really read poetry. Nothing against it, I just have never really 'gotten into' reading poetry. Most of the time I have to have an interpreter standing behind me reading the poem over my shoulder giving me insight to exactly what the author is trying to express in the poem at hand. It is a hard task to try and decipher what an author is trying to get across when reading a poem. I think it all goes back to being force fed literary works as an adolescent. If you are given so to speak "forced" readings then how is one to ever absorb the information yet alone enjoy it. Speaking for myself, I have not really ever just picked up a book and decided to read it just for the heck of it. I truly do wish that I did enjoy reading things but I do believe that it goes back to whether or not you want to do it. If one is not forced to do so then the reader will get more out of the poem. But on the other hand, if one is not subjected to such poems then they may have been robbed of the privilege to be able to experience a beautiful poem and the meaning and feeling behind that poem. So I guess the question at hand still remains, to "force feed" poems and other literary arts or not to "force feed" poems and other literary arts. I guess it depends on the angle of the one who is doing the forcing.

What I have learned...

Well, I have never posted a blog before so this is a first for me. I have at least learned how to make a blog, post a blog, comment on other blogs, and all that good blog jazz! I have learned that there is no way that we could have done all of this BLOGGING in one class period, especially ones such as myself that do not blog. Now that all that is out in the open, I also learned the importance of attending class because you do miss a lot when you are out, hence the reason for this blogging, due to a snow day! I also learned about Ron Rash and how he grew up in a mill town and the living environment that he was surrounded in. I also grew up in a mill town, wow, how that has drastically changed over the years!

September, 1957

September, 1957

I chose the poem September, 1957. This poem speaks of his grandfather dying from cancer while still continuing to smoke. This poem speaks volumes to me. I can relate to that simply because about three weeks ago my family and I found out that my grandma has lung cancer. She has to attend eight weeks, five days a week, of chemotherapy and radiation treatment. It is very hard to watch loved ones continue to do things that harm them, especially to watch them commit a slow suicide. You would think that she would condemn cigarettes all together, but no, she still continues to smoke although the cancer is consuming her body. Slowly taking her life prematurely. It is such a sad, sad thing. On the up side of things, my grandma is adjusting to her chemotherapy and radiation therapy rather well so I guess there is an upside to this.

I just went to visit her over the weekend and she still is smoking close to a pack of cigarettes a day. She was coughing up blood, but yet trying to hide it in fear that my mom or uncle might not buy her another pack! So ridiculous! I guess we all have our vices! Since she has been taking chemotherapy her hair has been falling out so I bought her five beautiful hats, one hat per day a week that she has therapy, and she absolutely loved them. It just seemed to bring some peace to my soul knowing that I made her smile once more!

I pray for her every night, I also pray for her to have the strength to say no to those cancer sticks that have came so close to taking her life. I can only leave it in the good Lord's hands.