I chose to read six poems from Questions About Angels because it was published the year I was born. I ended up reading more than six because I was really enjoying them. Normally when I read poetry I don't really understand what is going on. I miss the underlying meaning or can't picture what the imagery is trying to describe. However, Billy Collins's poems are simple and easy to follow and understand. I found them very refreshing and felt rather calm and at peace when reading them, which may sound corny, but since I am usually frustrated or confused when reading poetry this feeling of contentment was novel and wonderful.
Here is a specific list of the poems I read: "American Sonnet", "Questions About Angels", "Forgetfulness", "The Dead", "The Man in the Moon", "Not Touching", and "Purity". Collectively, these poems had a solemn tone to them. They weren't depressing or even particularly sad but gave me this feeling that not all was well with the world, something was missing or out of place. For example, in "American Sonnet" Collins describes how the sender of a postcard wishes that they "were where you are" and that the picture on the front displays where they "have strayed." The wording he uses conveys a sense that the person on vacation sending the postcard is not entirely happy with where they are. People who send postcards are usually in some exotic location taking some time off for R&R. Here however, the vacationer wishes they were back home with the receiver of the postcard, feeling they have "strayed" from happiness.
Another aspect of Collins's writing that I am fond of is his organizational style. Each stanza has it's own little subject. I read it as being broken up into streams of thought. In "Purity" the first three stanzas take you through the speaker's process of getting ready to write. First they take their clothes off, then they remove their skin, and finally take out their organs. The fourth stanza declares they are ready to write. Then the fifth stanza is written as kind of a side note. It makes the poem easy to follow and conceptualize. Not all the poems I read were as obvious in their structure as "Purity", but they did seem to follow the same basic set up.
I was particularly struck by "Not Touching". The twelve line poem is one sentence, ten lines of which are a simile to describe the first two lines. The imagery was clear and put into focus exactly what the speaker is feeling. However, due to the simile's length I wondered if the focus of the poem was actually on the simile and not the supposed subject of not touching the person the speaker desires. This passing thought was lost in the exactness of the imagery upon my second reading. I liked the image Collins used because it is one that everyone has seen and is familiar with. I think that's part of why I like his poetry. It's easy to understand because he writes in a way that people of all ages and intelligences can relate to. I am really looking forward to his reading on Thursday.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Limitless
Today Marcelo and I went to Movie Tavern and saw "Limitless" starring Bradley Cooper. On the drive there we talked about our weekends and what we had done this past week. He mentioned that he was really missing Brazil. 42 days until he goes back home, he's counting down. He mentioned that knowing his return home is just a little over a month away makes him miss it all the more. When I thought about it I realized I felt the same way. The week before Spring Break dragged on and on because I couldn't wait to get home to my family. This week I missed them more than normal as well. I think the more time that passes the less I'll miss them, until we get a couple weeks from the end of the semester. It's a vicious cycle I'd never noticed before.
We arrived just as the lights were dimming and quickly found seats smack dab in the middle of the theater. Perfect. Marcelo told me that the theaters in Brazil are nothing like the Movie Tavern. This didn't really surprise me, since most theaters I've been too are the traditional style, no rolling office chairs or waiters. We both really enjoyed the movie. I learned that Bradley Cooper is one of Marcelo's favorite actors, partly for his role in "The Hangover". I told him that I liked Cooper too, but his looks have something to do with that...
Marcelo and I have gotten to the point in a friendship where you are comfortable just sitting in silence. We were both tired from our weekends and were content to make the ride back to campus a quiet one. However, since the whole point of meeting is to converse we laughingly decided we should probably have some sort of conversation. We talked about trivial and unimportant things like homework, classes, and the weather. I have never had any trouble understanding Marcelo and he rarely struggles to come up with a certain word, so the conversation was very similar to one I might have with a friend from the area. He would like to tour Milton Daniel, so our next meeting I will play tour guide and show him around my current home.
We arrived just as the lights were dimming and quickly found seats smack dab in the middle of the theater. Perfect. Marcelo told me that the theaters in Brazil are nothing like the Movie Tavern. This didn't really surprise me, since most theaters I've been too are the traditional style, no rolling office chairs or waiters. We both really enjoyed the movie. I learned that Bradley Cooper is one of Marcelo's favorite actors, partly for his role in "The Hangover". I told him that I liked Cooper too, but his looks have something to do with that...
Marcelo and I have gotten to the point in a friendship where you are comfortable just sitting in silence. We were both tired from our weekends and were content to make the ride back to campus a quiet one. However, since the whole point of meeting is to converse we laughingly decided we should probably have some sort of conversation. We talked about trivial and unimportant things like homework, classes, and the weather. I have never had any trouble understanding Marcelo and he rarely struggles to come up with a certain word, so the conversation was very similar to one I might have with a friend from the area. He would like to tour Milton Daniel, so our next meeting I will play tour guide and show him around my current home.
Friday, March 4, 2011
A Good Night for Dancing
Last night I took Marcelo to Billy Bob's for some two-steppin'. He brought his friend Mark from Omaha who also has a Brazilian heritage and can speak Portuguese. We met up with a couple of my friends and immediately began giving the two boys country dancing lessons. They were very enthusiastic about learning! They were quick to catch on to the basic steps and spins and were very eager to practice their new skills. Mark especially showed great interest in learning and even sought out a couple random girls so he would have a partner when I was teaching him the steps! It was hilarious to see these two guys being so serious about learning to dance. Marcelo in turn taught me and my friends the basic steps of how they country dance in Brazil. It's pretty much the same as what we do at Billy Bob's, just an extra step.
While sitting and resting Marcelo and I went into more depth about the differences in traditions and behaviors between U.S. southern country dancing and Brazilian dancing. I was surprised to learn that it is a very big deal if a guy asks a girl to dance, because at the end of the dance they are expected to kiss! Asking lonely Brazilian girls to dance at parties is a serious ordeal. In contrast, girls at Billy Bob's line the dance floor hoping to catch the eye of some guy just so they can get our on the floor and enjoy the music. No commitments, just simple conversation while shuffling around the floor.
Marcelo remarked that in Brazil they don't have honky tonks like we do here. There is no place for people to dress up in boots and button-downs and hit the dance floor. The only time they don their country gear is for rodeos and stock shows. He really loved that there are places like Billy Bob's where people can dress up just to dance and have fun.
When is came time to line dance the boys had a little trouble. Once they got the steps down though, they got really into it. Later I told them that the particular line dance we did was probably the easiest one they play at Billy Bob's. This surprised them since they had so much trouble with it. Unfortunately there wasn't another line dance song played so I couldn't show them more complicated steps.
Overall the night was a blast. They were both inspired and motivated to get really good at two-steppin' because of all the pros they saw on the dance floor. Several times I caught them just staring at certain couples as they performed fast and intricate spin moves. It was pretty funny. They made me promise to teach them more and help them practice before they go again. This was the best meeting Marcelo and I have had so far!
While sitting and resting Marcelo and I went into more depth about the differences in traditions and behaviors between U.S. southern country dancing and Brazilian dancing. I was surprised to learn that it is a very big deal if a guy asks a girl to dance, because at the end of the dance they are expected to kiss! Asking lonely Brazilian girls to dance at parties is a serious ordeal. In contrast, girls at Billy Bob's line the dance floor hoping to catch the eye of some guy just so they can get our on the floor and enjoy the music. No commitments, just simple conversation while shuffling around the floor.
Marcelo remarked that in Brazil they don't have honky tonks like we do here. There is no place for people to dress up in boots and button-downs and hit the dance floor. The only time they don their country gear is for rodeos and stock shows. He really loved that there are places like Billy Bob's where people can dress up just to dance and have fun.
When is came time to line dance the boys had a little trouble. Once they got the steps down though, they got really into it. Later I told them that the particular line dance we did was probably the easiest one they play at Billy Bob's. This surprised them since they had so much trouble with it. Unfortunately there wasn't another line dance song played so I couldn't show them more complicated steps.
Overall the night was a blast. They were both inspired and motivated to get really good at two-steppin' because of all the pros they saw on the dance floor. Several times I caught them just staring at certain couples as they performed fast and intricate spin moves. It was pretty funny. They made me promise to teach them more and help them practice before they go again. This was the best meeting Marcelo and I have had so far!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Vogue, 1922
The first two pages I looked at in the July 1, 1922 edition of Vogue, the “Hot Weather Fashions Number,” were advertisements for hosiery. Right away I am swept into a different time and place. Wearing hose does not make one elegant here in 2011. Women like to show off their legs, not hide them. However, when I think about it the older a woman is the more likely you will be to find her wearing hose. My grandmothers wear hose. They were brought up in a time when it was lady-like.
The vacation ads I came across advertised similar things: beautiful beaches, golf, yachts, cruises, horseback riding, and good food. These are all activities people want in a vacation today. Yet the feel of the ads was different than what I feel when I view ads for Carnival Cruise lines. The 1922 ads seemed to emphasis relaxation, lounging, and doing absolutely nothing. Vacations today seem more focused on doing physical activities like snorkeling, hiking, or paragliding. From these ads it appears that the 20s were a much slower time then today.
About ten pages at the front of the magazine were covered in blurbs about different schools ranging from military academies to schools for girls. I’m not really familiar with the school systems of the time, but my guess is that education was gaining ground, importance, and increasing in variety. I really doubt I would find anything about a university in an issue of Vogue this year.
Flipping through the section about summer fashion I noticed two things. One, none of the models wore anything shorter than their calf line, and two, they all wore skirts. I guess this doesn’t really surprise me. Back then women were more feminine, fragile, proper, and sophisticated. They dressed more delicately. Today the focus is more on being sexy, fierce, and independent.
I also noticed that all the models and drawn figures had short haircuts that didn’t pass the chin line. Many women had soft curls or wore large floppy hats. There was also no emphasis on accentuating a woman’s chest. In fact, there seemed to be more of a focus on the lack of breasts than on the presence of them. Both of these characteristics of “modern beauty” are completely opposite of what women strive for today. Long hair and push-up bras are the fashion. However, it is true that popular fashions from previous decades are creeping back into today’s favored styles of dress. It makes me wonder, how long until the 1920s influence our wardrobes?
One article I found particularly interesting was titled “Vogue Essays on Etiquette.” It discussed how young women of the day were acting more scandalous then the previous generation. The article made a point that still applies today: “Of course, each new ‘younger set’ does things which the past younger set did not do, and the elders of both, perhaps, hold up their hands in holy horror” (pg 43). No matter what decade or century a person grows up in, the younger generation will commit outrageous acts of independence against what is considered the norm or appropriate behavior. Today, mothers are horrified when their daughters start walking out the door in a skin-tight skirt that barely covers their butt and a shirt that looks more like a bra. In 1922, “a young person of bold, self-assertive manners, with a painted face, ballet-length skirt, and bare back” is tsk-ed at by older generations. The main goal of the article was balance and peace between the generations; a goal society is constantly searching for. “Vogue seeks…to adjust the delicate balance between what the older generation must yield to inevitable change and what reckless youth must, in its own interests, leave to the judgment of more mature minds.” One final amusement I found in this article was the description of cars as “motors” and how they were responsible for a great deal of liberty for the youth. Technology seems to be ever-increasing what scandals young people can get into.
My favorite article was “Handkerchiefs a Lady Loses.” It outlined the best type of handkerchiefs to drop in certain places for the best results. The whole thing seemed so silly to me. I got a good laugh out of it.
There were several articles about gardens and furniture and maintaining a household. It surprised me how long the articles were and how small the font was. For me, this did not read as a magazine but more of a how-to book. There was so much detail and advice that it was hard to read through entire articles without getting bored or uninterested. I did not want to spend ten minutes reading one article. Did women in 1922 have more free time? They must have, and more patience, to get through an entire issue of Vogue. In fact, I even came across a paragraph that refers to the magazine as a book. That seems a much more apt description, a picture book. It was exhausting to get through, but an interesting experience.
The vacation ads I came across advertised similar things: beautiful beaches, golf, yachts, cruises, horseback riding, and good food. These are all activities people want in a vacation today. Yet the feel of the ads was different than what I feel when I view ads for Carnival Cruise lines. The 1922 ads seemed to emphasis relaxation, lounging, and doing absolutely nothing. Vacations today seem more focused on doing physical activities like snorkeling, hiking, or paragliding. From these ads it appears that the 20s were a much slower time then today.
About ten pages at the front of the magazine were covered in blurbs about different schools ranging from military academies to schools for girls. I’m not really familiar with the school systems of the time, but my guess is that education was gaining ground, importance, and increasing in variety. I really doubt I would find anything about a university in an issue of Vogue this year.
Flipping through the section about summer fashion I noticed two things. One, none of the models wore anything shorter than their calf line, and two, they all wore skirts. I guess this doesn’t really surprise me. Back then women were more feminine, fragile, proper, and sophisticated. They dressed more delicately. Today the focus is more on being sexy, fierce, and independent.
I also noticed that all the models and drawn figures had short haircuts that didn’t pass the chin line. Many women had soft curls or wore large floppy hats. There was also no emphasis on accentuating a woman’s chest. In fact, there seemed to be more of a focus on the lack of breasts than on the presence of them. Both of these characteristics of “modern beauty” are completely opposite of what women strive for today. Long hair and push-up bras are the fashion. However, it is true that popular fashions from previous decades are creeping back into today’s favored styles of dress. It makes me wonder, how long until the 1920s influence our wardrobes?
One article I found particularly interesting was titled “Vogue Essays on Etiquette.” It discussed how young women of the day were acting more scandalous then the previous generation. The article made a point that still applies today: “Of course, each new ‘younger set’ does things which the past younger set did not do, and the elders of both, perhaps, hold up their hands in holy horror” (pg 43). No matter what decade or century a person grows up in, the younger generation will commit outrageous acts of independence against what is considered the norm or appropriate behavior. Today, mothers are horrified when their daughters start walking out the door in a skin-tight skirt that barely covers their butt and a shirt that looks more like a bra. In 1922, “a young person of bold, self-assertive manners, with a painted face, ballet-length skirt, and bare back” is tsk-ed at by older generations. The main goal of the article was balance and peace between the generations; a goal society is constantly searching for. “Vogue seeks…to adjust the delicate balance between what the older generation must yield to inevitable change and what reckless youth must, in its own interests, leave to the judgment of more mature minds.” One final amusement I found in this article was the description of cars as “motors” and how they were responsible for a great deal of liberty for the youth. Technology seems to be ever-increasing what scandals young people can get into.
My favorite article was “Handkerchiefs a Lady Loses.” It outlined the best type of handkerchiefs to drop in certain places for the best results. The whole thing seemed so silly to me. I got a good laugh out of it.
There were several articles about gardens and furniture and maintaining a household. It surprised me how long the articles were and how small the font was. For me, this did not read as a magazine but more of a how-to book. There was so much detail and advice that it was hard to read through entire articles without getting bored or uninterested. I did not want to spend ten minutes reading one article. Did women in 1922 have more free time? They must have, and more patience, to get through an entire issue of Vogue. In fact, I even came across a paragraph that refers to the magazine as a book. That seems a much more apt description, a picture book. It was exhausting to get through, but an interesting experience.
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