Jessica Nelson Assignment 4

Studying literature puts new thoughts into your head. You are exposed to new points of view and you make connections to them. There are no ridged rules or logic like in math or science, it’s all emotions and what the reader can create. In that regard it’s a new type of education because you are creating it not just receiving it. It also rounds out education because it is interactive and changes with time. Current events influence the reader and effect how they perceive and judge a text, which can bring past times and the present together to pass on wisdom to a new generation. Literature can be a call to activism that isn’t addressed in any other class. We can’t do anything about math formulas, but what we learn from literature we take into the world and use to pass on to others or to motivate ourselves to change something. Most of all it gives you a window into the time and place it was written and into the author who wrote it and allows you to empathize with them, forming you into a more sympathetic and graceful human.

Kevin LaZur - Assignment 4

I'm not sure if the study of literature is going to affect me in the future because, while I know that I won't study it outside of high school, the deeper question is whether or not it's going to have an impact on the man I'm going to be, even though I don't connect with literature in the present day.  It doesn't feel like I'm changed by anything we read for a grade, and I sure don't read anything with "literary merit" outside of school. But do the themes of these stories live in my subconscious? Do they tug on the strings controlling my ethical choices, guiding me towards a more whole life? Is there a god? 

Jack Phillips assignment 4

The liberal arts provides a baseline for communication. Literature in particular gives us a control of language that helps us all express our thoughts and ideas in a meaningful way. Even when you look at famous scientists, their work would have been all for naught if they had been unable to communicate their ideas to the general public. Take Carl Sagan for example was a completely unremarkable scientist, but he was able to explain the most complex topics to a fifth grader. This ability that he had made him one of the most popular and influential scientists for almost two decades. Bill Nye also has this ability, and despite the fact he doesn't even have a science degree from any college, he is one of the most trusted scientists of our generation. And this ability wouldn't exist were it not for things like a liberal arts education and literature.

Madye Moore Assignment 4

The study of liberal arts has impacted my life the past couple years by helping me to become a more well rounded person both academically and in my daily life. Through my liberal arts education at Henry Clay, I haven't just focused on one subject over another, I have taken advanced classes in all areas, which have like I said, enhanced my learning by not forcing one subject over another. The study of literature has, and will continue to, enhance my life by causing me to find a deeper meaning in what I read besides just the words on the page. Literature also forces me to have an open mind because it shows how there are often times many interpretations of one text that differ from my own. The study of humanities rounds out my education because it ties all of my subjects together in a way, and provides an escape from the cookie cutter subjects we are forced to take, as well as providing a more creative outlet to express your feelings. 

Isabel Jenkins Assignment 4

Some of my friends in MSTC programs are years ahead of the average Academy student in math and science. While they definitely get bragging rights for taking linear algebra in high school, I've never deeply regretted going into a liberal arts program instead. The problem with most MSTC programs is that their other departments, such as english and history, fair poorly since they put so much emphasis on STEM topics. I can't unbiasedly assess the quality of education I've been given, but if anything, a liberal arts education has taught me to be well-rounded. Although it might come off as a bit pretentious, I've always fancied myself becoming a "Renaissance woman" of sorts as opposed to any kind of professional ... jack-of-all-trades, master of none? (it also justifies my occasional lack of focus and direction.) Anyway. It's undeniable that art and literature can have an impact on our life, and not only teach us about others but ourselves. I may not have any specialties or specific talents, but from reading literature and studying humanities I've become versed in a wide variety of subjects. My life could go in many different directions, and I'd prefer that to being boxed in.

Charlie Payne - Assignment 4

A liberal arts education often boasts to produce well rounded academic literati who know how to think for themselves, and while this isn't necessarily untrue, a liberal arts education means more to me than just knowledge about literature and a comprehensive worldview. I don't read as much as I would like to, but I do consume quite a bit of art (in a wide variety of media) on a regular basis, whether that be music or fashion or writing or visual art, and more than just providing me with a variety of different perspectives and information, the ultimate goal of my exploration of art is personal growth and discovery. So far what I have learned is that as I get closer to a complete construction of an individual identity the further away I get from understanding the world I exist in and the more content I am with this lack of understanding. I want to learn embrace this uncertainty with a continued education in the arts and literature, but I have a hell of a ways to go.

Assignment 4 Ji-Hae Kim

The study of liberal arts enhances my life by giving me certain skills that I wouldn't get from math or science. Critical, analytical, and creative thinking and reading skills are important to have for college and the life beyond. I also learn more about different cultures when I study literature of different kinds. Art enhances my life by giving me the opportunity to think about the deeper aspects of life. My studies of the humanities help me appreciate more about the world I'm in and it connects me to times when I didn't exist yet. I learn more about philosophical things through music, art, and literature than I do through STEM subjects. My education wouldn't be as full without humanities. My character has been changed through my appreciation of literature and music. When I learn a piece of music or read a piece of literature, it makes more of an impression on me than when I learn a new math formula.

Assignment 4 Sam Flomenhoft

Liberal Arts education, specifically literature helps enhance my life by helping me exercise my mind. It allows me to read things critically and attempt to determine the deeper meaning behind the surface story. Reading is scientifically proven to help prevent Alzheimer's and keep people sharp.
The study of the humanities in general helps make me more well-rounded. It gives me the knowledge base and opportunity to study in almost any field. The widened window allows me to have more job opportunities in the future, as well as make me aware of myself in the world and the universe. When I learn chemistry, I learn how matter, the stuff I'm made of, works. When I learn history, it helps better my understanding of the place I hold throughout time, and how humans arrived at the point we are today.
Finally, I think David Foster Wallace described how the liberal arts add to character the best in his 2005 Kenyon Commencement Speech, "This is Water". The liberal arts helps give you the ability to choose how to think, and to be more aware of how the world is working. So for example, when you're in rush hour traffic, and you just want to go home, you don't just assume everyone else is an obstacle, preventing you from getting home, but rather they too are frustrated with the traffic. Being more aware gives you more empathy and feel less self-centered.

Beck Michul Assignment 4

     The study if the liberal arts will absolutely help me expand my knowledge of the english language and the arts. I'll be able to apply many more allusions and much more information to my writings and everyday life. I plan to go into some science-oriented field of work when I get older, so getting the English and artistic education would help to round out my education. A liberal arts would be great for everyone because it allows that person to be better versed in literature and in other studies such as philosophy, mythology, and more. It would affect my character by making me more mature and intelligent.

Raiffa Syamil Assignment 4

Having STEM education and encouraging interest in these fields is very important but as many people argue not everyone is going to need calculus or chemistry for their futures. And as much as I hate when people say that (because they use it as a mean to not try) it's kind of true. Having some knowledge of that stuff is useful but a deep understanding is not necessary unless you go into a STEM field. But liberal arts on the other hand, does more than let you participate in pretentious, artsy discussion of novels and plays. It teaches about critical thinking and art appreciation. It gives you an insight into the past and the culture of those before us. While I will probably never need to know how to deconstruct a poem and explain why the poetic devices prove a theme, the analytical skills I have develop through this process is something I will be able to use throughout my whole life.

Also, like if the only art you are exposed to is fanart for some cartoon or whatever is on Netflix then do you truly have an appreciation for art and life?

Andrew Hardy Assignment 4

The typical answer about why liberal arts education matters is because it teaches you "how to think, not just what to think." That's a bold claim for any institution or learning style. Exposure to the various aspects of life may alter your perception of how things exist and interact, but my experience has been of more rudimentary growth. Through the thousands of pages of prose and poetry I've read, I've gained only an inkling of self-awareness. I've gained an abundance of information through my studies, but I can't claim that the summation of this has granted me any insight. Before liberal arts education can develop a refined sense of how I interact with the world, I must gain a proper sense of identity. As my sense of empathy and self-awareness develops through my reading, I hope that I can accept a level of uncertainty with my identity. Only when liberal arts can establish this secure a base, can it enlighten me on how I might expand.

Assignment Four Noah Welch

There are many benefits to a liberal arts education. I think that it is important to learn about everything the world has to offer and the liberal arts provide a solid foundation in many categories. Reading is extremely important to learn about the past and develop and challenge new ideas. It gives us skills that help people think in the world, such as critical thinking and superb communication skills. These skills are useful in all fields and are applicable everywhere.  In my personal life, reading novels helps me relax and poetry makes me consider other options. The liberal arts provide a solid foundation in general studies that give people a firm grasp of useful subjects that make students well rounded. 

Assignment 4-Samantha McGehee

Studying liberal arts and literature impacts my life because it creates a more well rounded person. Studying classics creates a more historical and worldly view. It helps to understand a different time and culture that we otherwise wouldn't be able to experience so intently.  Studying other works allows readers to explore characters and personas that maybe they have not experienced before allowing them to empathize with that character. And when someone is able to empathize with a person in a work that's unlike them they are more capable of empathizing with someone unlike them in their daily lives. I also think that studying works of literature are just connection points between other elements in life, whether its is a connection to a person, time period or idea.

T. Stewart Assignment 4

One of the main benefits of a liberal arts education is the broad variety of material studied, this applies to literature especially. Rather than just focusing on a specific subject, mindset, or viewpoint, we are exposed to a wide range of ideas, and in turn given the opportunity ourselves to decide what to think. Liberal arts education emphasizes critical thinking and finding multiple ways to approach and deal with an issue. I believe this will aid us all later on, because once high school and whatever formal education we pursue afterwards is over, the main things that will encourage us to be "lifelong learners" are the techniques we've learned from having a liberal arts education. In a more general sense, though, this type of education can give people more exposure to different career paths. Rather than strictly pursuing a specific aspiration, we find ourselves exploring and experimenting along the way. I want to be a dentist, and that's pretty specific I guess, but I also want to be an artist, and I might even want to write (just for me, though) - and I owe that diversity in part to my education. To have this background, especially in literature, makes us great thinkers and empathizers.

James Apo Assignment 4

The ability to think creatively and grasp concepts and literary works on a deeper level is something that English classes throughout Middle school and High School have taught me to do. The Liberal Arts Academy has molded me into a more well balanced student. To be honest, I am more of a math and science, concrete answer kind of person, and so I initially planned on going to Dunbar for their MSTC program. However, I am glad that I chose the program at Henry Clay, because it has allowed me to improve upon areas that I was weak on, most prominently English/Literature. Rather it be SOAPSToning a poem or writing an analytical essay on a Charles Dicken's novel, the balance of perspectives and finding out why someone does something can truly further your understanding of the Language. In addition to that, the ability to accept that there are often multiple right answers is something that no other type of class really offers you. Sometimes that will lead to debate, which can allow for working minds to agree to disagree, yet still understand how something is applicable to a situation. That within itself is an important life tool, and if you enhance your knowledge of the beauty of language and literature, then you will genuinely become a better writer and a better well-rounded person.

Keanu Gomez Assignment 4

From the start, I have never really been fond of literature. I thought of it as a set of unnecessarily complex texts. I always dreaded English in general, but literature was just my most hated part of it. But as a science and math type of person, the study of liberal arts and literature has opened me up to new perspectives, which I would not have otherwise been exposed to on my own. The study of literature is filled with many different interpretations and I find it interesting how the person sitting right next to you is taking the meaning of the text in a completely opposite direction. Of course, deciphering the text’s theme might be the first thing you have to worry about. Analyzing literature is not fun, but I think in the end it is very rewarding. The critical thinking skills practiced, along with the text-to-world, art-to-world, etc. connections being made are essential for students intending to pursue a higher level of education.  My involvement with the liberal arts extend my understanding of the world and introduce me to the mystery of human nature itself. Being exposed to different perspectives has made me into a more proactive, accepting, and understanding person.

Harrison Inocencio Assignment 4

The main effect that the liberal arts academy's various literature related work and readings have had on me is exposing me to both cultural, and stylistic elements that I would've otherwise never learned, or taken an interest in. Before I came to the academy, basically the only things I read were sci-fi and fantasy related books, and that sort of descriptive and imaginative style is the only style I had really familiarized myself with, I be able to read other works and poetry like "To Kill a Mockingbird" and "Metamorphosis" exposed me to new styles that I could use to refine or add to my own. My studies in humanities I first believed to be irrelevant to my interests, but after spending time here and learning here I've realized that things like good writing and speech are essential in every field, and I still believe I can take these skills I've learned and put them to good use, even if I'm not doing an art or literary related major.

Keionna Bailey Assignment 4

The study of literature is important because it allows us to think. Compared to what we normally read in the news or tabloids, literature allows us to come up with our own ideas about the characters and meaning rather than it be given to us. It also demonstrates a variety of emotions, enabling us as the readers to empathize with the characters and also the people we interact with in real life. Humanities is the study of humans, so in terms of our life it can help with our communication skills and make us more compassionate human beings. Also studying humanities would be great to accompany anything that we choose to study later on in life because no matter what career field we choose to pursue, it will always involve the communication with people and it will be helpful to know about other people.

Maya Creamer Assignment 3

Studying the liberal arts has allowed me to become knowledgeable and confident in many different subjects, and is preparing me to be successful in whatever I do after high school and college. Studying and analyzing different types of literature has made me more aware of the variety of ways in which an author can present their theme/purpose, and has enhanced my critical thinking skills; I am now better able to pick out the meanings behind different literary devices within the context of certain texts. This extends to my life in general because it allows me to understand important parts of our society's history, and understand the world more deeply, making connections to things I've read. My studies of the humanities has rounded out my education because it has bridged the gaps between the different subjects I learn in school; the arts, literature, etc., have helped me see how everything I learn at school connects, as well as how it connects to our history as the human race. I also feel like studying the humanities has made me a more well-rounded person, because I am able to better appreciate the beauty of the world around me and the people I interact with.

assignment 4- Tapan Darji

The study of liberal arts will enhance my life because it will allow me to understand good literature. I will be exposed to good literature and be able to enjoy good literature. Humanities rounds out my education because knowing and understanding art and music helps with concentration as well as math. Music can calm people down. Humanities helps my character by giving me a soft side and  a way to calm down when I am mad.

Assignment 4

How does/will the study of the liberal arts, specifically literature (novels, drama, poetry) enhance your life?  Beyond becoming an expert juggler and test taker, how might your studies of the humanities round out your education? your character?   

Remember to put the assignment number and your name in the title of your post.

Isabel Jenkins Assignment 3

1. Lawrence creates a tone of wishful reminiscence in Piano. The speaker utilizes warm and homely diction choices contrasted with those of passion and emotion. While recalling the piano and the memories tied to it, he describes his mother singing "softly" as she "smiles," hymns in the "cosy parlor" with the piano "tinkling" in the background. These pleasant and innocent words are juxtaposed against the current sentiments of the narrator. His heart "weeps" at the thought of his time spent with his mother at that piano; he feels a "flood" of remembrance. These diction choices demonstrate his yearning for the naivety of his past.

2. I am drawn most to the quote by Conrad. Art is narrative, depicting stories that words sometimes cannot express. With this also comes a wide array of emotions. Personally, I often find it difficult to comprehend abstract concepts when people merely tell me about them. But art speaks to me emotionally, and furthers my understanding of myself and the world. It tells of other wondrous people, and places, and cultures. It also tells of uncertainty in our lives. It allows me to live vicariously through others. But, most importantly, it gifts empathy.

Jessica Nelson Assignment 3

 In the poem "Singapore" a tone of fascination is created through imagery. The images reveal to the reader that the the speaker has paid incredible attention to detail suggesting he is intrigued by it. All of the pictures created in the reader's mind are happy and cheerful which lends itself to the tone of fascination because none of the words have a negative connotation that would suggest something more like disgust and the images don't show as much emotion as a tone of something like sorrowful instead they show a lot of interest and imagination. The images help to put the reader in that situation in hopes of them feeling what the speaker is feeling. It also creates metaphors too things more tangible than pure emotions, which makes the reader more understanding ans fascinated by the situation as well. "Art is the desire of a man to express himself, to record the reactions of his personality to the world he lives in." --Amy Lowell

Art is an ideal way to express oneself. It comes in a lot of forms that are very adaptable based on the person using them. Some people like words and those people will write or sing and some people can't find the words and feel the need to make something tangible like a canvas. Regardless of the format the original desire to make something has to stem from an emotion, even if it's a weak one. Without that emotional motivation I doubt there would be any art because it wouldn't mean anything. For art to be worth making it has to resonate with someone and make them feel something that the creator has felt or experienced, or at the very least create to illusion that it is doing that to the artist so they can feel that they have released their emotions. Those emotions that motivate the art are all created as reactions to something happening in the artist life which ultimately makes art reactionary to something that is happening in the world and it becomes an excellent way to sympathize with one another on those shared situations or universal events. These essentially match those of Amy Lowell because we are both saying that art is meant as an outlet of expression for all that happens to us.

Jack Phillips Assignment 3

In the "Charge of the Light Brigade," Alfred Lord Tennyson sets the tone of the passage with a plethora of poetic devices, the most important of them being his allusion to the Valley of Death. This allusion is taken from the bible in Psalm 23, which is about strength in the face of certain death. Much like David in the Psalm, Tennyson sets the tone of gallantry with soldiers standing tall and fearlessly riding to their noble demise. Without this allusion, the poem becomes much darker and becomes a poem about death, not one of courage.

Jackson Pollock's quote on the variety of means that art can be expressed on is very similar to my view on art. Personally I hate it when "art snobs" look down on the works of modern artists like Banksy simply because of the medium that the artist chooses to use. Art is not static, but it is something that evolves with time, and whose meaning is never set in stone, so why do some people think that the mediums through which we can produce art should be? Just like how Alexander Pope says that the style of writing should mimic the meaning of the poem, the medium on which art appears can mimic its themes, or change them entirely. And so I have to strongly agree with Pollock that It doesn't make much difference how the pain is put on as long as something has been said. Technique is just a "means of arriving at a statement." 

Kevin LaZur Assignment 3

1. The figurative language used in The Harlem Dancer gives it a mystical tone. The dancer in the poem is portrayed by the author as other objects that possess grace. First he says "her voice was like the sound of blended flutes". He's saying she has a good voice, that sounds like more than one instrument. Because it's harmonious. With itself. Next up he compares her form to a "proudly-swaying palm". She's probably gyrating her hips or doing some other inappropriate dance number. He compares this to a palm blowing in the wind, and extends the metaphor by saying she has "grown lovelier for passing through a storm", which is clearly saying she has had a rough life, but pulls through to give these guys something to gawk at.

2. "Art is the desire of a man to express himself, to record the reactions of his personality to the world he lives in." - Amy Lowell

Everyone has their own subjective view on life, their own complaints and praises for what they see in the world. We have such differing opinions that art can be an opportunity to create a magnificent bridge for all people of the world to reach each other, under the pretense that we care about others' perspective.

Harrison Inocencio Assignment 3

            Samuel Taylor creates a powerful and expressive tone in her work, Kubla Khan. She accomplishes this mostly through her use of powerful descriptive phrasing, with many explanation marks and exaggerated, almost hyperbolistic diction, such as "demon lover", "savage", and "mighty" to express the grandeur and greatness of the poem's subject Kubla Khan.

            I'd have to agree the most with the first statement by Amy Lowell, mostly because I believe that her classification of art as a medium to express oneself and react to emotionally high, or inspiring events though out life is true for most works. Look at works like "The Star Spangled Banner" written by Francis Scott Key, its one of the most inspiring and well known poems of all time, so inspiring that is our national anthem, and it all spawned from and event that Francis experienced in his life during the battle between the British and Americans at Fort McHenry. Seeing the American flag waving through the artillery fire, inspired him, and let him write out what he was feeling, with this his new-found sense of place and patriotism.

Charlie Payne Assignment 3

Love and alcohol are two ideas often associated with great poetry. A countless amount of poets have confessed their adoration for the two, whether that be in writing or in practice, but perhaps the purest manifestation of this relationship is William Butler Yeats' short poem "A Drinking Song." As striking as it is brief, "A Drinking Song" brings Yeats' existential inhibitions to the table. His tone in the poem is melancholic, but accepting. His syntax makes this immediately apparent. The use of a semicolon between the second and third lines causes the reader to pause more than they normally would when continuing to the next line, simultaneously linking the actions and ideas expressed and clearly defining them. Yeats uses a similar tactic in the last line, using a comma to break between the two mentioned actions and create a rift between love and life.

Art is an enigma, something even the people who create it haven't been able to pin down and define. However, Amy Lowell wrote that "Art is the desire of a man to express himself," and I think this comes as close to a definition as possible. Art can be created by anyone to express anything, whether they be emotions, however complex or elementary, satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the world state, or anything else falling on the spectrum of human feeling. Artists use their art to express and explain themselves to the mysterious suffering that surrounds them.

Joshua Strange Assignment 3

In "Singapore" by Mary Oliver, Oliver used personification and simile to describe her emotions and display her tone of disgust and appreciativeness towards the worker.

In the first three stanzas of the poem Oliver's diction choices are extremely negative.  "Darkness" (l. 2), "ripped"(l.2), "Disgust"(l.6), "argued"(l.6), "gaudy"(l.9), and "falling"(l.12) show Oliver's negative tone to the work the woman has to do.  By personifying her disgust by saying it "argued" (l.6) in her stomach it is easy to tell the author is disgusted by the work of the woman.

Her tone changes in the 4th stanza, and mixes her positive and negative diction more through out the stanza. The "embarrassment struggled" is extremely negative, but to close the stanza the smiles exchanged begin to show the appreciation the author has for the worker.

Oliver uses a simile in l. 26 to show that she likes the woman, and is dissapointed that the woman has to work such a poor job.  In the last stanza the author begins to describe her empathy for the woman using verbs like "rise up" and "fly down".  Those diction choices show how the author is sad to see such a joyful woman doing work for such little reward.


"In everything that can be called art there is a quality of redemption." -Raymond Chandler

Personally I think that art is anything created by anyone.  If you create anything, it is reflective of what you have learned or have felt over your life time. So by expressing yourself through the creation of art, you are redeeming what you already have learned or felt in your past- or what you hope to redeem in your future. (While typing this I also thought of the most recent Under Armour commercial that says "You are the sum of all of your training" which is another way that can be used to describe any kind of artist or creation.)

Madye Moore Assignment 3

1. Mary Oliver creates both an empathetic and hopeful tone throughout her poem "Singapore" through her use of imagery. The tone she creates in the first 6 stanzas of the poem is empathetic. She talks about how "a darkness was ripped from [her] eyes" upon seeing the janitor in charge of cleaning the bathrooms, and how "her beauty and embarrassment struggled together, and neither could win." She continues to talk about how "we must watch her as she stares down at her labor, which is dull enough." These uses of imagery help create the empathetic tone because they show how the author is feeling bad for the girl, and her use of imagery causes the readers, like myself, to feel bad for her as well. The tone she creates in the second half of the poem is hopeful. This tone is also created through Oliver's use of imagery. She starts out by saying "I don't doubt for a moment that she loves her life,"  and she continues by talking about how "[she] wants her to rise from the crust and the slop" and find "the light that can shine out of life." This shows her hopeful tone for the girl because she knows that there are ways to come out of the situation she is in, and she is hopeful that the girl will find one of those ways so that she can make a better life for herself, even though she makes it seem like she's in a perfectly happy state.

2. I do not view myself as an artist. I can't draw or paint for the life of me, and I'm the least creative person I know. However, Amy Lowell's quote expresses a belief about art that is similar to mine. Lowell's quote states that "Art is the desire of a man to express himself, to record the reactions of his personality to the world he lives in." This is similar to my belief about art because I think that art is simply used to express things that are hard to express with words. Whether it's dance, music, poetry, or literature, I believe that all art forms are used to fulfill the need for expression that comes from one's experiences in life, from day to day experiences to just one moment or thing you saw that stuck in your head, making you feel the need to express it in a more artistic way than just explaining it. 

T. Stewart Assignment 3

1.)
A tone of apprehension is created by John Keats in "On the Sonnet" through allusions, among other devices. Keats alludes to Andromeda in line two, a mythological princess left chained or "fettered" to a rock, and compares her to the sonnet. By making this allusion he better portrays the sonnet as something trapped by a human complication, as if Shakespearean standards have turned poetry into a caged animal. Keats also alludes to King Midas in line 11, basically saying that when people pay such close attention to detail on poetry, it's like Midas and his "coinage." The allusion has a pretty negative connotation, that's why he uses it for this part. Keats questions the effectiveness of the strict constraints we have traditionally placed on sonnets in this poem, and allusions help create the tone of apprehension.

2.)
"The artist speaks to our capacity for delight and wonder, to the sense of mystery surrounding our lives, to our sense of pity and beauty, and pain."
     I love this quote especially because it's so all encompassing - and that's probably what I recognize and covet most from art - the breadth of emotions it can be used to represent. Art elicits so many different responses, even the same piece can speak on several different levels to many people. As well as what it bring out in us, there's always that question of the artist's feelings. And any kind of artistic expression can have so many emotions behind it - that's what this quote exemplifies best.