History+Memories

Eh, so I have kinda been slacking in the "post on your blog at least once a week" but I decided it was tiempo(time). 

I came across a quote by Oscar Wilde who once said "history is merely gossip" which is kind of what we were talking about in class today. It's interesting that we pretty much take peoples words for it(history) and events that have occurred. I mean yes, there are photos and videos but for actual specific incidents, not just the big picture, we basically open ourselves up to believing stories that people tell us. In this book the narrator tells us things in a very factual way and makes for a very believable case that these events could of maybe happened. I think its interesting how only because we KNOW its not true, we don't believe it, and just because it has things like flying carpets, that don't exist, we KNOW it's not true. BUT. What if those few mythical components weren't in it and we were not given the knowledge that it was not a true story, wouldn't most of us be convinced it was real? I probably would. It just goes to show you that it is our culture and our preconceived ideas that make us believe or not believe something instead of our gut and own ideas and thoughts. 

thats all I have for now, I was just inspired to write a tid bit.

Nothing

Not gonna lie, was not a huge fan of the other poems, but really enjoyed To Julia de Burgos and Nothing. 

The way she uses sarcasm throughout this poem really brought me into it, since its statements are intriguing and beg one to think and ask questions. The way she says "the nothing of your sensual lips" was interesting since sensual is anything but nothing, in fact it is the opposite of nothing in that it describes the fullness of them.The use of colors, with the blue kisses, the white oceans and skies, gave me really great visuals as I was reading this poem. The image in the 4th stanza of one soul riding its lie on a colt(a baby male horse) with no brakes really brought the story to life with that action packed image. I do not know if it is significant that it is a baby male horse or not but it could be seeing that in To Julia de Burgos, she talks about how men are controlling. So, in this poem it could be that a man has taken her soul and not let her go, though I am not sure if I am reading too far into this. 

I loved the last stanza. The way she basically says nothing is nothing in itself, just like zero is between zero and zero. Very cool use of imagery and ideas which force you to think but, at the same time allow for you to figure out what she is saying. Unlike some of the other poems where the poet forced you to think to the point of discouragement, forcing you to leave the poem and its ideas for sheer frustration as to what the poet is trying to get at. 

To Julia de Burgos

To Julia de Burgos is interesting on many different levels, one being that she uses the format of a letter, which she is essentially writing to herself, as the basis of the poem. She appears to view herself as two different people, the writer being a more free and unconfined person, and the woman she is speaking to in the letter being a captive of many different vices. The woman being written to in this poem appears to belong to her husband, and controlled by "everyone." The fact that she distinguishes herself as a free woman and spirit when in reality it appears she is confined is really unique and interesting. She shows the reader two sides of herself while at the same time acting as though she is only one. Not sure if that made sense, but yeah. 

I love when she is talking about how she owes her being nothing to no one and how she is dependent on herself and nature where as the woman she speaks of depends solely on everyone else. 

Oswald De Andrade

In the Portuguese Mistake, while it is speaking a specific instance in time, it is very easy to relate to. Its whole idea is based on the idea of timing and how it plays such a large role in how things play out, which is true to the life we lead today. Just the weather alone determines our fate of that day, what we will do, where we will go, what will happen to us, and he captures that in this short poem that is specific to one encounter yet pertains to the lives of everyone. 

Thoughts on Doris Sommer

I found the fact that she points out that Sab produces his own story on his own very interesting because it emphasizes the importance of the character and the type of man that Sab is. Sommers also makes note of Sab's description, which we also talked about in class. Not only is Sab not connected to a race, but the story itself takes on a feel of its own. She also notes that Sab remains without identity in another way, due to the absence of his father, making him a more mysterious and unidentified character. On page 121 Sommers makes an good point in that Sab is also some what seen by both genders as a hero. He is a passionate man and thus seen as a hero to women yet manly at the same time, where as Enrique somewhat disappoints the reader in that he does not have that same passion and love for Carlota.
Sommers talks about how feminists argue that the author is writing agaisnt the male tradition, which I found different and interesting, yet valid. Also, how she points out that the love between the two is an impossible love, but only impossible because slavery makes it impossible, which i found interesting because I had not thought of that before.