Blog 4: Reflection

My English 102 has been the greatest class I have this semster. I am not saying this to suck up but it is very true. All my other classes are not as intersting as this one. I like the way this class is put together, the fact that we use blogs and the literature we have covered so far has been very good.

In high school english class I learned what the terms of literature means and how we can apply it to writing. But this class has not only refreshed my memory but it has allow me to understand it better. So far I am able to look for symbols in poems that I would have never read and also figure out the tone of the author.

This class has also made me a new blog. Now it will definetly become something I will be doing. I was never into blogging or seen the point of it but this class has opened my mind to new things. I am excited about this class and I cant wait to see what the next few weeks has in store.

Link to pic:http://www.alaska-in-pictures.com/data/media/16/glacier-lake-reflection_5438.jpg

Blog 3: Symbols and Tone

The poem I chose is called "The Battle" by Megan Rene (http://www.netpoets.com/poems/christian/1447001.htm). The reason I decided to use this poem because when I first read it, it stood out to me. I like the way the poem was written and the imagery she used to allow us to understand what she was feeling. I also chose this poem because it was not hard for me to figure out what she was saying once I read it I understood immediately. I was also able to relate to it personally. Anyone else who reads it will be able to understand it easily also hopefully will be able to relate to it.

Tone in literature is the way the author feels. The tone of the passage helps describe the emotions that was felt at the moment it was written (http://http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tone_(literature). In this poem the tone is like describing something. I think the author is just trying to describe what she went through so others can understand her struggles in that situation. It allows us to see what she is trying to say because it’s not like she is beating around the bush. She is being straight forward with her feelings and how she felt at the moment. When I read this poem I understand that she struggled a lot but never gave up. The words she used and how she wrote it allowed me to figure out that during the demons attacking her she kept moving forward and never gave up. The tone of the poem helps us to understand the meaning of the poem which is that without Jesus having her back she would have never made it through.

Symbolism is when an author uses symbols or an object to express an idea or emotion (http://http//dictionary.reference.com/browse/symbolism). In this poem she uses the symbols sword and shield. In the Christian religion this means is part of the armor of the Lord. The armor of the Lord is a big symbolism because it basically means to but on the Lord every day which just means to keep your mind state on him. The sword symbolizes the bible. It does not mean to carry the bible but to basically memorize some of the verses and the basics. The shield symbolizes faith. It means to have faith in the Lord and not to allow anything to come in the way of that. To understand these symbols helps you to understand the poem.

This poem allows us to understand that there is a God and how much it means to the author. Also, it helps us to understand the meaning that he has to the Christians. In this poem she describes him as her friend and how he has had he back all along. In the imagery of the boxing match that she uses it allows us to picture the difficulties she has went through. In the line, “Just like a boxing match I fight each round, As the bell dings with its echoing sound”, means that what she struggles with is a continuous battle. It never finishes it keeps going just like life itself. This poem describes life and how the problems continue to happen without explanation.


Link to pic: http://universbattle.com/god8.jpg

Blog 2: Poetry

At first I didn't know what to search for or what to put on my list. Then I decided to search God and Demons. The engine I used was google. At first I did not find anything that held my interst until I came upon the website its called poetry buffet, and then I came upon the poem called "The Battle", by Megan Rene (http://www.netpoets.com/poems/christian/1447001.htm).


The Battle
by Megan Rene
Fights and battles, battles and fights,
Absolute terror throughout the night.
Watching my life, wither away,
Breaking, piece by piece, day by day.
From the darkness the demons come,
Not all at once, but one by one.
Lacking the wisdom that God supplies,
They lure me in with all their lies.
Just like a boxing match I fight each round,
As the bell dings with its echoing sound.
First comes temptation, it’s coming to deceive,
He disguises himself, so I fail to see.
He brings me in, with all his lies and his traps,
And almost defeats me when something just snaps.
The demon gets terrified as he looks up,
And sees Jesus standing there, filling my cup.
Temptation is defeated, and I’m free at last,
All of a sudden, another demon is cast!
Here comes pain, with heartaches and sorrows,
Making me feel, there’s no tomorrow.
My friends all leave me and say they don’t care,
They spread rumors and pretend I’m not there.
In my times of loneliness, God was all I had,
So I reached out to Him, when everything was bad.
The demon realized he'd failed once again,
For I turned to Jesus, and not to him.
The battle’s not over, they have one more shot,
As one more demon comes forth with a new plot.
One of my friends say they tried taking their life,
Taking my happiness and giving me strife.
Family members then pass away,
Leaving me clueless on what to say.
But there’s one thing I learned through all these rounds,
That’s to turn to the One who wears the crown.
I turn to God and I don’t sit and pout,
And everything seems to work itself out.
The demons are amazed at how much I’ve grown,
And leave me alone, for as far as I know.
I turn around and I look at the field,
Holding nothing but my sword and shield.
The battle was brutal, with things everywhere,
Yet I made it through, though it was hard to bear.
I turn to the Father in the heavens above,
As he looks down on me with eyes full of sweet love.
It may have been brutal, and hard to the end,
But thanks to the battle, I found a best friend.

I chose this poem because once I read it, its touched me. Everything that is written here I have experinced it and struggled with it. This poem is basically talking about the struggle that you have as a christian. It expresses how even in the pain you may feel you will always have a friend. I also used it because I liked the imagery she used and also the symbolism. When I began to read the poem at first I could picture everything she was decribing in my head. I like the words she used they were so simple that anyone can understand yet so deep at the same time. She describe the life as a God fearing person the best way anyone can. The best line of the poem that I liked was, "yet i made it through, though it was hard to bear." This to me allows me to understand that even through a battle of the supernatural we are able to feel it. Its like when we are in a room full of angry people we feel the tension. That is what she is describing here that even though she was not able to see the battle, she knew it was happening.

Also, I believe this poem describe's the battle that the demons and God have when it comes about a person and this has to deal with the supernatural. Things that can not be seen but yet are real.

Blog 1: About Me.

My name is Jaileen. I am right now a college student and working part time. I go to LaGuardia Community College and this is my second semster. I am a Liberal Arts major but I am thinking of majoring in Psychology.

I was born in Puerto Rico but bascially lived my whole life in New York. I have moved around alot when I was younger so I am not from one borough. Right now I live in Queens but my heart is in the Bronx because all my friends and loved ones live there.