Graffiti

For most of us, we have basically seen graffiti in every town we have ever been to. I know that for me, whenever I see graffiti, I never really think too much about it. Usually I just pass it by, without giving any thought as to what the meaning behind the art is. However, behind each work or art there is some sort of meaning.
As we discussed in class, for many, graffiiti is a voice. It helps people show their feelings, but rather than only in words, people are able to show everyone how they feel.
I recently read an article that brought about a lot of interesting points about graffiti:

Although the general public criticises graffiti for contributing to the 'ugliness' of an area, graffiti writers as a rule do not write for the public as an audience. They write for themselves, and other writers, engaging in a dialogue with others who they may have never met, who inhabit the same city or visit the same areas. (Ilse Scheepers)

Up until now, I always believed that a big part of the reason graffiti writers did what they did is to make a statement to the people that would look at their art. Now I am able to see that they do it for themselves.

Eros Artwork

The Study Collection has several images of Eros on vases -- one seated, another flying. There are also terracotta statuettes of Eros, either holding a torch or seated on a dolphin as shown here at left. Eros in Greek art is an active boy, riding various real and mythical creatures such as winged sea-creatures or flying animals.

Eros

Because of the difficult vocabulary and context of the reading, it was a little hard for me to understand and grasp the main points of the reading. However, this is what I was able to understand from the article:
Eros, the God of love notes:

Translation means love and also stands for sexual desire.

There are three kinds of Erotes:
the Eros of the ancient cosmogonies,
the Eros of the philosophers and mysteries
the Eros whom we meet with in the epigrammatic and erotic poets, whose witty and playful descriptions of the god.

EROS was the Protogenos of sexual desire who emerged at the very creation of the universe. He was the driving force behind procreation in nature

Was also a mishcaeveous god of love

Today common cupid symbol

the driving force behind procreation

Younger Eros=son of the goddess Aphrodite.

one of the fundamental causes in the formation of the world

all notes are from the source www.theoi.com

Love

Love is a topic that cannot truly be defined. People can try explain it, and people can describe it, however, until a person really experiences being in love themselves, they will never know what love is like. Unfortunately, some people never experience being in love. When a person is in love, they are overcome with a million different feelings all at once that are indescribable. Therefore, there really isn't a true meaning for being in love. Love is so many different things. It makes people crazy, and do things they would have never expected to do. It makes people truly happy. What we all must remember when it comes to love though, is that we should not expect others to makes us happy. First, we must feel complete with ourselves in order to love another person, and not the other way around.

Poem:
Love is an emotion that runs so deep
Love is a feeling we all want to keep
Love is Patient
Love is kind
Love is something that cannot be defined
Love is consuming and knows no bounds
Sometimes love is something that can never be found

Feb. 23

Lost Book Found is a rather interesting film that regards the topic of city life. This notion articulates an undercurrent of much of Cohen's work: a desire to investigate these things that are invisible to us, to find the resonances in the 'real world' that we so often overlook (sensofcinema.com). When first watching the film in class, I really did not see how it had to do with the topics we are reading in class. However, after thinking about it and a bit of researching, I now think I have a greater understanding of its relativity to the class material. Just as the quote above says, often times in this world people overlook things. Not only that, but in the film, people are overlooked. A sense of invisibility is brought about. Another important point to bring about is that in the film, “it meditates on a changing cityscape dictated by the demands of the dollar” (sensofcinema.com). It seems like in many of the readings me have read in class, the people are trying to escape from a society that is very much dictated by the thoughts of money and wealthy ness.

In Obie’s blog, she talks about the differences in the lives of Borges and Stevens. She brings up many valid points when contrasting the two.

In colleens reaction to The Poem That Took the Place of the Mountain, she brings up I point that I had never really thought too much about until reading her blog. She writes The idea that even though the book, or dream, lays face down on the table, still just somewhere in the mind, it can just as easily fuel your life. Even though it is just a dream or goal, and one might not be living that dream at the moment, the very thought of it can be enough to survive one's life.” These few sentences are very powerful. They definately convinced me and made me look closer into the meaning of the poem.

These two pieces of literature were both very deep and moving. While reading the two, I could not help but feel a sense of tranquility. In both of these works, the meaning of life is contemplated and deeply reflected on. Furthermore, these two pieces also relate to what the class previously read, as once again, they all discuss the meaning of life.
“A lots gust of wind has offended the taciturn streets like the trembling premonition of the horrible dawn the prowls the ruined suburbs of the world.”
This metaphor compares a wind gust to the sunrise. It portrays how the light overtakes the shadows as the gust overtakes the calm. The metaphor works in this poem because there is a great similarity between how a gust of wind travels calmly and without disturbance, just like the sun rises without distraction.
“In sense ideas are not eternal like marble, but immortal like a forest or a river.”
This next metaphor compares thoughts and ideas to natural features, such as a forest or a river. The underlying connection in this metaphor is that ideas, though they may shift and change,will always exist, just as the river may change course, or the tree may grow taller, yet still they exist.