Bereft

     The word bereft means lacking and while the speaker appears to be have, "no one left but God" he describes being surrounded by nature that has taken an expressive life. The notion of being alone often conjures quiet and uneventful images but the language and diction of the poem feels very animate. Objects found in nature are given aggressive descriptions compared to their connotative images. Wind is described as having a 'deep roar', clouds are massing in the sky, sounding heavy instead of buoyant.  Leaves hiss and strike in an unfamiliar manner. These gloomy descriptions create a sense of uncertainty and that things have changed in the perspective of the speaker. This feeling is exemplified by the last lines, which break the rhyme structure and punctuate the perception of ambiguity and loneliness.

Letter of Parental Advice

   Well this is exciting. We're so happy you were accepted to [insert school name here]. Before we send you off into the world, a few words of advice from your parents who know a little something about this thing we call life. First the clichés, but they are clichés because they are true. Pursuit what you love and what makes you happy although doing what you hate will make the happy things even better. Try new things and follow opportunities, the results could be beneficial or inconvenient, but the regret will be crippling. 
    Of course, don't do anything stupid. If you can't explain it to the paramedics, it is probably a really bad idea. Also, if someone comes from the future to stop you, it is a really bad idea.
   Become good at throwing things away. There will be more space for the present, less to keep clean and fewer things to trip over. We believe this applies in both physical and metaphorical terms.
    If someone asks you to participate in an experiment that involves electroshock therapy, say no.
   Stick to beer and wine, they're much easier to control than hard liquors. However, if you do end up in a drunken stupor to the point that the room is spinning, find a corner to stare into. This will help you establish your x, y, and z coordinates and slow the spinning of the room.  This can also be avoided by not drinking alcohol that was mixed in a bath tub.
  So carry on my wayward son, I mean daughter, live long and prosper.
                                     Love, Mom and Dad

Hamlet and Ghost

   The meeting between Hamlet and the ghost of his father exemplifies Hamlet's faithfulness to his father as well as his contemplation of suicide. When the ghost beckons for Hamlet to follow him, the other men warn him not to follow but Hamlet refuses: "Why, what should be the fear? I do not see my life at a pin's fee...what can it do for that... I'll follow it."(I.iv). Not only is he eager to be reunited with his father, but he seems to show a lack of concern for his well being in the possibility of danger. Hamlet is unafraid of death because he sees little worth in his life and even if he should die, he would be in the company of his father and away from his family form whom he has felt isolated. Since there is little resistance in his response, it is possible that these are thoughts Hamlet has had for a long time.

Hamlet: The Lion King but with people

   Before he was seen by the guards as a ghost, King Hamlet was challenged by King Fortinbras of Norway to a duel it which Fortinbras was killed. The bet made before the duel was that if King Fortinbras won, he would win large amounts of land from King Hamlet which would eventually be passed down to Fortinbras' son, also named Fortinbras. Since the king did not live to witness the aftermath of his loss, Prince Fortinbras is the only character who was cheated by this defeat. Now, Denmark is preparing for the ominous attack that is bound to come from Norway as retaliation. As Horatio explains, "So by his father lost: And this I take it is the main motive of our preparation" (I.i).
    Since neither King part of the original duel survives, this conflict has been passed down to the sons of the countries. Still suffering from the death of his father, It is possible that Hamlet will lack investment in the impending war especially if it is over a conflict in which he has little involvement. Both of the princes' reputations and the fate of their countries rely on the impending war.This could cause a tumultuous relationship between Hamlet and Fortinbras because of the differences in their dedication and involvement to a rivalry.
(Apparently I pressed save instead of publish so this is a day late.)

Othello Outline

Othello Outline

Iago manages to completely take over Othello by convincing him that his fears are true, manipulating his interpretation of the other characters and turning their positive qualities against them.

Even though Othello didn’t suspect Desdemona of cheating until Iago suggested it. Once the notion entered Othello’s mind, Iago controls conversations and events to make it seem that a completely made up affair actually occurred.

[Handkerchief]  "If she lost it or made gift of it, my father's eye should hold her loathed" (III.iv).

Since Othello is convinced that Desdemona has been unfaithful, he interprets what she says as evidence to support the claim. I undone, meant to mean that she is distraught and confused by the accusations of which Othello is convinced. Instead Othello thinks this means that she has admitted to the affair which causes him to lose his temper.

“Alas, he is betrayed and I undone” (V.ii).

Desdemona is known for her virtue and obedience. Iago’s claim that she has cheated on Othello severely tarnishes her reputation and makes her crime seem especially devious. Iago has eliminated what made characters likeable, giving them no redeeming qualities in the eyes of Othello

“Full of most blessed condition” (II.i).

Dr. Iago : How I stopped brooding and learned to ruin everyone's life

    Iago's most sinister method to carrying out his plot is his ability to turn the character's most admirable aspects and turn them against themselves. In the final act of the play, Iago's plan causes Othello to finally carry out revenge against two people who started out as his closest acquaintances. Since Othello is convinced that his wife has been unfaithful with him by sleeping with Cassio that he and Iago decide to collaborate and kill them both: "Thy bed, lust-stained, shall with lust’s blood be spotted" (V.i). Desdemona, who is respected for her virtue and purity, has been made out by Iago to be an adulteress who betrayed her new husband. Cassio is well liked for his charm and charisma which makes him all the more likely to be capable of seducing Othello's wife. Instead of the expected emphasis of unpleasant characteristics, Iago has eliminated what made characters likeable, giving them no redeeming qualities in the eyes of Othello. This strategy proves Iago to be a prime example of evil in the play.

The Widow's Lament in Springtime

     The poem "The Widow's Lament in Springtime" contrasts the ways in which nature and humans cope with the circle of life. The widow described in the poem is witnessing the flora in her yard transitioning from the barren winter to a flourishing spring. Even though nature suffers loss with the arrival of winter, it does not grieve because everything will return in the spring. The widow is seemingly envious of this luxury because after the loss of her husband, the garden is less beautiful knowing they have the ability to carry on after death: "The grief in my heart is stronger than they for though they were my joy formerly, today I notice them and turned away forgetting" (14-19). This contrast is evident in the colors described in the garden. The garden that isn't grieving is filled with, "masses of flowers...yellow and some red," colors that are vivacious and optimistic. However, the area of the woods that the widow wishes to visit has, "trees of white." White, a color which can mean cleanliness and new beginnings, can also in large quantities represent isolation and emptiness. The differences in which nature and the widow process guilt is depicted in the imagery of the poem.