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I totally agree with your comments about Wilfred Owen's  Dulce et Decorum est . I too got the sense of an “orgy of madness”, just by the way Owen wrote in a way of such panic. I found your comments about soldiers as pawns in the war effort as true. It is as if they had no choice but to go over the top or face the humiliation or even the dangers of being shot by their own men.

Your comment about “where has ethical teaching has gone”, is so true even in today’s world. I believe that some leaders of countries have to ask themselves this question as all the past is happening again with such wars as the War in Iraq.  

Which poem introduced in the first two weeks has left a strong impression on you?

The poem that once I read I just had to read again, not so much for analysis, but more for the strongest and touching impression, is The Soldier by Rupert Brooke.

I believe that when one reads or watches war related sources they can have two feelings. One expressing the horrors of war and the other expressing the appreciation of the brave souls that went and took part. The Soldier is in fact showing the appreciation a soldier has on his mother country. The fact that a soldier was so willing to die for his country and even to write about this is a true testament to the bravery of these men and women. 

One line that really stood out was “In that rich earth a richer dust concealed”. This got me thinking of land all over the world where men were turned into dust which consumed the land. While they were fighting for such important land what impressed me was that “a richer dust concealed”. This shows the importance of human life and those that have died fighting for their country.

The soldier in the poem is expressing their love of England and expressing that his bravery was developed from his mother country. His stating why he is willing to die for his country. There is a sense of wanting to experience what he has in the past, just one more time. The stanza that describes England’s beauty brings a sense of reality and hope in a difficult and dangerous situation, and maybe this hope is just what the soldiers may have needed for the courage in each day to face machinery that could end their lives at any time.

This poem touches all emotions of the reader. It begins with patriotism and despair that the soldier knows and accepts that they may die, then appreciation of the land at home and perhaps the longing to see this beautiful land once more, then a sense of calmness with a religious presence.

A war poem by Christopher Azzopardi

When reading poems about war I cannot help but to think of my nannu (grandfather). When I was a kid I would sit and listen to him recall stories that he experienced during the war when he was a kid in Malta. I was amazed of what he had to experience at such at a young age. So I decided to write a poem about this.

Is it just?

Is it right what you had to see

The horrors of war, the gore

The stories that you told me

Will forever stay with me

For the bravery not only of the soldiers

But the citizens not only of the adults

But of the children.

Running from playing football

Straight underground

The sounds of bombs falling

Feeling the ground shake

Running to the strongest point.

Would you be alive now

If not for that old women

Whom died when the glass fell

All over her when she stood right behind who?

Would you be alive if not for

That person who had their leg torn off

When caught under the door.

Would I be alive now?

But you are and I shall listen

Sit there with anticipation for the next story

Sit in awe of the bravery

Wanting to hear more

Full of admiration

Hey everyone. well semester 2 has begun and soon we will have to knuckle down and get into the studying and work. Oh well I was really enjoying sleeping in and a chance to earn some money from work. Just hopefully this semester is fun and interesting.

“Now I find hidden away in my nature something that tells me that nothing in the whole world is meaningless, and suffering least of all” (Wilde 1742)

When I read this quote I was instantly inspired and found a new respect for Wilde. After all the hardships Wilde faces he maintains the ability to believe in the above quote and keep faith. For him to have the realization of this quote shows his personality and integrity. This I found linked with “that the two great turning points in my life were when my father sent me to Oxford, and when society sent me to prison” (Wilde 1743). It is just remarkable how someone can have this idea despite society sending him to prison for expressing his views. Here we see that his father sent him to Oxford and society sent him to prison yet these are the turning points in his life. One could see these, especially prison, as a totally demising of the human spirit yet Wilde sees this as a building of the human spirit.

Wilde begins this passage with the quote “And the end of it all is that I have got to forgive you. I must do so” (Wilde 1740). From this quote Wilde seems almost Jesus like, telling us we are forgiven. It now seems that we as readers are in the wrong and have had a personal impact on Wilde’s life and the reasoning why he was degraded in prison away from society.

To an extent Wilde is similar to Ivan Illych. Both were in a similar position. Wilde locked up from society relying on others to bring him his physical needs, as with Ilych. Both to an extent reach their fullness in such harsh personal times and it seems one need to be put in such a position in order to find themselves. While Ivan does attempt to reach his fulfillment completely Wilde does it completely and recognizes this ability much earlier. Wilde could have waited to the completely last moment but yet when he is put in prison he initially turns it into a positive “the evil things of my life to good” (Wilde 1743).

well another fa cup final has past this year. oh yeah for those that dont know the fa cup final is the most prestige football knockout competition in england and arguably the most prestige domestic comp. well i am a manchester united supporter and will always be one. and we lost in extra time with six minutes left. we also had a goal disallowed which clearly shows that ball over the line. so as any other man u supporter i decided to write a poem to express my anger :)

oh yeah and we lost to the team we most hate: chelsea

To support with great passion

a team that you love

to strive to reach the greatness

of years gone by.

Now its time to shine in front of many

to represent those in other countries.

A great cheer is heard

as the game bigger than itself starts.

Two rival teams

head to head

in more than just a game.

Both try to get in front

though none succeed.

The ball crosses the line

and a lot cheer

only for there to be no goal

But how can it be?

Is this not fair

A disappointment is experienced by many

but relief by some.

Now there is extra-time

another half hour for us to cheer

Six minutes left and there is a goal

disappointment I feel

the sense of a loss.

If only the earlier goal had stood

we would be champions.

But now we are not.

Despite a loss we are proud

for we are loyal and

there is always next year  

Hey people. Just expressing my thoughts in a poem. Don’t know how it came to me but just got the idea while driving home. A bit weird aye. Anyways….

How do we see adversities

in our lives

Do we compromise ourselves

or do we transform

Do we see the negative

and feel sorry for ourselves

Do we see the positive

and grow within.

How do we undertake

the task of life

Do we let life flow

and take whatever lies ahead

Or do we plan for every feature

in order not to be lost

Are we scared of the future

or eager for new challenges.

What is really important

to us in our lives

Is it financial achievements

or materialistic accomplishments

Is it more emotional and spiritual

or is it expressing love to others

Our choices are crucial

in our lives

We take adversities

as we will

We take life

as we will

We take importance

as we will

It is our will that

shapes our lives.

Hey anthony

I believe you have raised a view not only relevant to both Tolstoy and Dickens but to life in general. How do we begin to answer the question

What life is really about? What do we want out of it?

I believe that here is the issue of personal opinion and what each individual truly believes in. Even faith can provide some with answers they may be searching for.

I found it interesting about your comments on listening. There is no doubting that both Geraism and Stephen Blackpool both become one with themselves through listening to others. You hit the nail on the head when you state

We're all so caught up in getting the marks we need, making x amount of dollars, seeking success, overall 'being' something, but not necessarily being someone WE want to be.

We  have to try and shift away from this moulding of social expectations and brace what is truly important in life. We should try to have some characteristics that Geraism has in order to listen to the dying Ivan Ilych and by this listening make Ivan’s last moments a bit more enjoyable.

I too found it quite remarkable that Tolstoy has the ability to make a character that has such wealth and success have a broken spirit while a character that is poor and have such a large and welcoming spirit. I guess this portrays the message that money doesn’t make people happy. It is ironic that the powerful and mighty cling to the poor when they are helpless as other mighty people are no where to be seen. A person’s integrity needs to be based on fulfilling themselves rather than others but yet putting others before themselves. Geraism had the ability to do this in his integrity and thus is the character that us readers strive and wish to be like.  

You are not wrong in stating all those verbs in order to attempt to explain what life is about. If all people attempted to do those things we wouldn’t have half the violence we have in today’s world. It is true that to say things is easier than to act them but it is possible and we as humans should try and attempt this.

Well what a beautiful poem we read in the tutorials. It was by Percy Shelly called “To a Sky Lark”. I actually thought it was the best poem we have read all year.

Each stanza seemed to paint a picture, and it was written in a way that everyone could understand and take in the beautiful language and its imagery.

What got my attention the most in the poem was the sense of freedom. The bird could do what it wished and was not restained by the controlling society or the norms. We see this by “Blithe Spirit”.

Then Percy Shelly begs the bird to teach him its way of life, “Teach me half the gladness that they brain must know”. Honestly this poem was such fun to disect, due to the fact as we did we learnt how much more the descriptive language goes.  

Alright people I decided to write a poem this week. Basically I was inspired by walking to the car from uni and decided to write a poem about humanity, so here it goes:

Are we right or wrong

to strive in making the unknown obvious,

in making the uncontrollable controlled,

in making the impenetrable fragile.

Are we right in wanting to know,

in continuous search

for something always further.

Are we right in expanding our reach

in creating creations

in being intrusive for others’ benefit.

Are we right to mould solids

to suit us.

In the end are we right

in wanting to be

Kings of our domain.  

Well uni has started again, and so has literature. It already seems that we have been at uni for weeks with all the explaining we are getting and looking through relating to our assignments.

Literature doesn’t seem half bad (so far). I was actually quite interested in the lecture about prudence and passion. It seems that some poets became poets as a means of rebelling and yet fulfillment. It seems unfair that to become a poet was seen as radical, I guess we would all be seen as radicals if they read our live journal.

Anyway its good to be back and I hope literature stays as interesting as what it was today.