reflections on The Spiderman Blog

I be sittin here chillin tryin tah write mah blawg,

But nuttin's in mah mind, gotta shake da thoughts off,

Crazy thoughts runnin' tru' mah head,

So I think I right 'em down, just do that instead.

It's dem thoughts about life, that's plaguin' mah mind,

Who I is, what I done, and who I've become,

I feel like I put mahself inside a bind,

What has been, what's tah come, is dis life any fun?

It's dem thoughts a her, an' who she be,

I tried tah change up mah style but she sees tru' me,

I guess I am what I am, I cain't change wheneva,

Cain't become what she wants, I just ain't that cleva,

It's dem thoughts about me, an' how I look,

Can da outside world read me like a book?

Do dey examine my life, judge e'ry step i took,

To dem I play like a pawn, or do I rove like a rook?

It's dem thought's a mah style, that I be thinkin 'bout,

Is I an arrogant fool beyond a reasonable doubt?

That ain't what I wanna be, that ain't who I oughta be,

I better come off that high chair an' see what I gotta see.

All dese thoughts in mah head, now that dey've been put down,

jus' make me think a that spidahman clown,

An' how he said to put yah life in his shoes,

An' see that it's difficult to live a life like da fool's,

Well, spidey boy I gotta answer ya now,

And after some reflection here's jus' what i found,

E'rybody's life ain't easy, jus' like dey might show,

we all got some hardships, it's jus' part a da flow,

Life is a challenge, no matta what we do,

Whether ya got a blog tah write or ya got swine flu,

ya gotta save da world, or ya gotta go tah school,

But I guess that's da point that I'm tryin' to prove,

So, yes, we got flaws in our "costume suits,"

An' sometimes what we say, in our hearts ain't true,

But if we work hard an' try tah change da impression,

We jus' might end up teachin' others a lesson.

-I decided to write my blog entry like this for a few reasons. Firstly, I really enjoyed the style in which James Hall's poem is written, and wanted to give it a shot, with a modern twist. And secondly, the spiderman in the poem inspired me to write about my own struggles with my identity, who I am, and what I'm perceived as. This led me to think about other people's perceptions of themselves and others, and gives rise to the end of my poem. Overall, I think that we put on disguises and assume identities for a reason, and being judgmental is a major part of modern society. This is neither a good thing nor a bad thing, it just is. But what I've discovered is that these impressions, especially when hindering or harmful, are hard to break: one cannot easily go back on what society has deemed them. This makes redemption and reinvention nigh impossible, unless we really do work hard and try to change the impression. (536)

Antigone's Historical significance

Greek mythology has always held a special place in my heart. It does not matter whether I am reading about the fall of Troy or the triumph of a young Theseus over the Minotaur, the stories of old have always fascinated me. So when I learned that I would be reading Antigone by Sophocles for English IV, I was pleasantly surprised. I was familiar, of course, with the play, but had never taken the time to read it. But what truly captured my attention when read Antigone was its theme's historical relevance. The idea of martyrdom, or dying for what you believe in, has been a central theme throughout the course of history, and its complexities were beautifully captured in Sophocles' play. Whether it was the French resistance to Hitler's iron rule in World War Two, or the bloody American Revolution, humankind has always believed that there were things worth dying for. Antigone still holds relevance in today's war-torn world, as many radical muslim factions wage Jihad on foreign troops, just as the crusaders waged their "holy wars" over the desert surrounding Jerusalem.

While Antigone's choice to die for the sake of upholding a "Higher Law" is not as extravagant and destructive as a car bomb, the similarities between the two are quite apparent. Both commit suicide in order to further their belief, albeit Antigone's method is more indirect than that of a terrorist. And both martyrs have an effect on their targets: Creon is reduced to a raving madman at the end of Antigone, and the car bomber strikes chaos and fear into the unsuspecting community, damaging the public order and hindering the government's progress. Also, both are unchangeable, permanent, and life-ending. These actions carry a certain magnitude with them; the idea that someone believes so strongly in something that they are willing to die for it means that this idea carries weight. It is an ideal that has become a movement, which in turn has become a force to be reckoned with. And every force to be reckoned with is dangerous.

Antigone is an interesting take on an obviously ancient theme. The idea of losing one's own life is frightening, but especially moving when the ultimate sacrifice is given for a belief. This theme has raised armies, crushed tyrants, and spread chaos all around the world, and continues to do so today. (394)