#eng130

Dedicating my #napowrimo #3of30 draft to my Spring 2018 #ENG130 students @wheelockcollege with special thanks to @thedaybooks for the impromptu prompt. #writeeveryday #napowrimo2018 #WheelockCollege #poetry #poetryexperiments #predictivetext #observance #poetryofinstagram #instapoet (at East Cambridge, Massachusetts)

"Gatsby in heaven (jazz cats) While roses fell for my death, the daisies attract gold, it wasn’t a part of the plan, we were supposed to grow old, where the kids? I mean, what I did was pretty bold, but the roles weren’t played, boy tom ain’t hit the road, it wasn’t about cash, where the freedom, if it wasn’t bad enough, we were drinking like some heathens, it didn’t get better since daisy planted a rose on the road, left somebody’s wife not breathing, It’s not like she was cheating, I’m what she wants, she tripped over her tongue, she putting on fronts, but I’m confident in my ignorance she’s gonna leave stability, we gon run away far away live lavish in the city, maybe move to Paris if she fucking with me, no hesitation, but I’m dead and there’s no pity, no show to my funeral, my first love did me gritty, maybe we’ll be together in the next life, that’s all k could hope for, maybe nick too, that old sport. The plan Hit him with the left, hit him with the right, gonna end the night with another fight, tell him you never loved him, right, we could leave and go catch a flight, we could go to Paris man, hey Juliet, he’s just another Paris man, lets not get distracted, we could back home, lets make sure we follow the plan, you know you deserve a man who not gon cheat, you know that you belong with me, so relax and take another drink, and tell tom what you really think, please, I threw every party I could, just for you to be in my arms, and every time I see you its war again, my hearts a ticking bomb, and could you deal with another affair, if you gon leave me for another man, it can’t be tom, nag,

I intend to show Mercutio's relevance as the anti-hero, and most significant character in both Shakespeare's and Luhrmann's Romeo and Juliet. Furthermore, I plan to show the roles of gender and sexuality, as it ties into the question of "Love or Lust?". Both in the play and adapted film.

Three of my favorite songs from the Romeo and Juliet soundtrack are “#1 crush” by Garbage, “When doves cry” by Quindon Tarver (Originally Prince), and “Young Hearts Run Free” by Kym Mazelle. #1 crush struck me as that sterotypical 90′s alternative rock song that you would hear in movies from that era. However, this song bears significance to the movie as it seemingly foreshadows the chain of events that follows. #1 crush can be compared to the love between Romeo and Juliet as they eventually become each others metaphorical “Number 1 “ by getting married. “When Doves Cry” struck out to me as a musical reference in the movie. I myself enjoy music from all decades stretching primarily from the 70′s to today. Although in the movie, Quindon Tarver played a quire boy with a pre-pubescent soprano voice singing this song, I realized it at that moment as one of Prince’s greatest hits from 1984. It was very fitting considering its placement in the movie. Mercutio had just been murdered and Romeo in a fit of rage to avenge his best friend killed Tybalt who is the kinsman of Juliet.The result is Juliet distraught over her cousin’s death, and Romeo being exiled from Verona further complicating the young lovers predicament. Doves being symbolic of love, devotion and purity and everything just ties into this song perfectly. Not only were more lines drawn between the Montagues and Capulets, but the two main catalysts of each house promoting the bridge to the testament of their “Eternal” love were suffering. The “Doves” in this scenerio were indeed “Crying”. As for Young Hearts Run Free, this song captured the essence of the moment at hand. Romeo and his kinsman were about to partake in going to the Capulet’s ball. The scence of Romeo and his Kinsman joyriding in Mercutio’s car while intoxicated on acid further enhances the notion of young hearts “Running Free” but in a more reckless manner. In Romeo’s case, his heart was running free that fateful night. In a matter of seconds, he fell in love with Juliet leaving his feelings of pure lust for Rosaline at the front door. With Juliet reciprocating the same feelings, they were both taking huge risks but as the expression goes: “The heart wants what it wants”. All three of these songs each helped set the tone for the movie throughout as it all tied back to the plot. 

Alas love is but a never ending cycle filled with expectation                            It is our journey to look to build a strong foundation  

Paintings embelish the room throughout. Windows enhanced with drapes in addition to the olive and cream colors enhanced the notion. It is seemingly antique giving a 1920′s feel where such unique colors were in style. 

College life has been tedious                                                                       Yet at the same time it’s been a coming of age and test                                 Antisocial crowds dwell all over campus I detest                                         Makes you wonder if high school days were really the best                               Or the best yet to come...                                                                         Nonetheless my time is now. My time to earn my degree                                 Social gatherings can wait what matters most lies ahead                                 And most importantly it’s all in my hands        

In regards to Sontag’s essay on the travesty that is intrepreting art, it led to a whole class discussion where for the most part, nearly everyone was on the same page. At first there was a general consensus of the Sontag essay being quite confusing. However, Professor Claman quickly clarified the significance of this essay in correspondence to how it will be utilized in our class. This was seen on the last page as is states;“What is important now is to recover our senses. We must learn to see more, to hear more, to feel more.” The quote that I best felt signified how our class as a whole will operate is in the very last paragraph where Sontag states: “The function of criticism should be to show how it is what it is, even that it is what it is, rather than to show what it means.” I believe this quote foreshadows how our semester will play out. Rather than just reading past tragedies and trying to decode and “Interpret” what’s in the given text, I feel as if this course will allow us as the readers to take what’s given at the surface and make our own assumptions. Analysis not to decipher, but rather “Appreciate” the work of “Art” in front of us. Simply because criticism requires for us to “Recover our senses.” that have been “Poisoned” as today’s style of interpretation looks to “Excavate” rather than acknowledging “What it is”.