Hear My prayer, O Lord,
and give ear to my cry;
hold not your peace at my tears!
For I am a sojourner with you,
a guest, like all my fathers.
Look away from me, that I may smile again,
before I depart and am no more!

Psalm 39:12-13

There is hope

There is hope,
Dream not of death
For he will live tomorrow
And you will see his face.

His dwelling is known,
It has been told to you.
Think of that day when
You will fly on, beaming.

It is not done for you.
Selfish and terrible but
It was never about you.
He is God, you are not God.

Inescapable, inexplicable
Horror, terror, blameless slaughter,
For in his presence
Sin meets its death.

Dead but alive – I am.
Others have not mine,
Theirs now my duty.
Words carry more than meaning.

There is a hope
Founded in fear.
Trembling you must come
Broken by his call.

Fall and be crushed
Under the weight of his
Terrible beauty and
Surpassing goodness.

God has come to
Steal for himself those
Who by sleep have taken
Themselves from their start.

Bad made good.
Good made good in him.
Find the perfect,
Find your yes in him.

All That's Best of Dark and Bright

This is a paper written for Prof. Issacs English 201 class.


In the early 1800s, a banker named Douglas Kinaird suggested to two of his friends that they collaborate to produce a collection of songs which would later be called Hebrew Melodies. Lord Byron graciously accepted his friend's suggestion and gave Isaac Nathan, a young rabbinical student turned composer, the copyright to use the words he had written (Gordon 11). While Nathan's popularity faded away, the works of Byron are still widely read by student and admirer alike. From Don Juan to Childe Harold's Pilgrimage and to our own “She Walks in Beauty” it is easy to see within the stunning verse why these works survived. “She Walks in Beauty” presents the reader with a different conception of womanly pulchritude by comparing the woman admired with a dark and shimmering sky.

In June of 1814, there was festivity in London's air and Byron was taken against his will to Lady Sitwell's where he met his cousin by marriage, Mrs. Wilmot (Marchand 169). Byron stopped and wondered at her beauty which was made all the more apparent to him by the black mourning dress she was wearing. Byron was known as something of a Casanova, so it is unclear what all he did with his awe. What is known is that he went back to where he was staying in Albany, locked himself in a room and produced this poem by the next day (Gamber). The contrast between the dark dress and bright face made such an impression on Lord Byron that it still makes an impression on us today. What is interesting about this poem is that light does not overcome darkness, but the two work in harmony to bring out the beauty of each.

It is important to realize when interpreting the first line of this poem that it is an enjambment; meaning the first line should be taken with the second (Gamber). So, it is not that she comes over the room like a darkness which leaves those within to stagger around in ignorant blindness, but that she is like the stars revealing themselves in the absence of the sun. She is in mourning dress: the brilliance of the sun has left her and she is nonetheless beautiful. It would seem that the simple gown she is wearing enhances her radiance and does not detract from it. If one were to look up at the sky and watch the sun set, what would one see? That person would see the skies dim and the stars come out. It is because that one overpowering star has gone away that we are able to see the little stars in the sky. It is the same with Mrs. Wilmot. She is not in a beautiful evening gown nor is she decked out in her finest ball dress, but those loud adornments have been silenced allowing her inherent beauty to speak for itself.

“She walks in Beauty, like the night[...] (1)” There is something significant conveyed by the word “walk” in this opening line. The sun at daybreak appears in brilliance and glory, but the night comes in procession, creeping in at a stately pace. The image of Mrs. Wilmot resolves itself in the eyes of Lord Byron much like stars which slowly make their entrance into the night. This idea is picked up in line six with “Heaven to gaudy day denies.” The word “gaudy” is interesting in that it is a word which specifically criticizes appearance. All of those fancy dresses and frills that Lady Wilmot has worn have not added to hear beauty only distracted from it.

“[The] best of dark and bright / Meet[...] (3-4)” There are three possible interpretations of lines three and four that can be proposed. First, the writer of this poem has previously seen the lady in her brightness and now sees her in darkness (mourning). This meaning that he has seen her in day and now he sees her in night. The second two go together and support the simile presented in the first line. One, night has veiled beauty and twinkling stars making nighttime the best of both worlds. Two, these lines are using the previous idea to say that Lady Wilmot contains the best of both dark and light. In line nine the phrase “raven tress” tells the reader that the Lady has dark hair to match her dark dress. Dark and bright meet in Lady Wilmot in her beautifully dark hair and her beaming smile that wins (15).

“One shade the more, one ray the less, (7)” means that if the lighting were a bit dimmer or a bit brighter her grace would diminish. The lighting in the room seems to play an important role in Byron taking notice of Lady Wilmot. This idea can also be seen in line five were the Lady's aspect and eyes are “mellowed [by] that tender light.” The lighting is just so allowing little pinpricks to be picked up that might otherwise go unnoticed.

“Where thoughts serenely sweet express, / How pure, how dear their dwelling-place (11-12).” Now, the poem moves away from the physical beauty of Lady Wilmot to the charm of her mind and personality. The way the soft light shines on her and they way she shines out amidst darkness tells the writer that what is contained within must be alluring as well. Lines fourteen and fifteen give one an idea about how this woman is carrying herself at the party. Line fourteen says that Mrs. Wilmot is shy and reserved but still confident enough to move about amongst the guests at the party with grace. Fifteen informs the reader that people take to Mrs. Wilmot almost immediately because all she has to do to win someone over is smile at them.

“A mind at peace with all below (17),” proposes that the woman viewed is actually an angel from the heavens. This is certainly fitting with the rest of the poem. All the way through the poem this woman is described as one like the beauty to be found in the sky. The last line tells the reader that Mrs. Wilmot is pure and good, a thing which should be taken synonymously with beauty.

Byron turns a common poetical convention on its head by saying that it is not the fullness of one extreme that is the epitome of beauty. The brilliance of the noontime sun or the supreme darkness of night would only half express the beauty of Mrs. Wilmot (8). A beaming sun washes out a dark night with its twinkling stars and full darkness leaves one to one's thoughts. It takes the two combined to equal the weight of such prettiness.


Works Cited
Gamber, Garry. “Lord Byron's 'She Walks in Beauty.'” Ezine Articles June 2005. n. pag Fri. 19
Feb. 2010 .
Gordon, George. “She Walks in Beauty.” Byron's Poetry. Ed. Frank D. McConnell. New York:
Norton, 1978. 11.
Marchand, Leslie A. Byron: A Portrait. New York: Knopf, 1970.

The Destruction of Hegemony

Lewis Carroll's magnificent nonsense poem, “Jabberwocky,” is a stunning portrayal of the struggle between the old world bourgeoisie (the Jabberwock) and the burgeoning proletariate class (the son). While it is not clear whether or not Carroll ever openly supported Marxist ideas, it is well known that Karl Marx lived within the lifetime of Carroll. It is obvious from inference of the text that Marxist ideology is a central theme. A new world order supplants the old; the boy defeats the Jabberwock.

The father lives in fear of the Jabberwock and the other creatures of the borogove. The Jabberwock is an archetype of those oppressive misers who long held sway during the Industrial Revolution by alienating the working class. The father shows us the desperation and hopelessness the working class had in the old world. The Jabberwock, the Jubjub bird and the Bandersnatch rule over the father not because they actually have any power, they are just animals after all, but they simply rule from the desperation inherent in the system. The father is afraid of these animals because of his own mind.

Let us consider the Jabberwock. We are not told much about this creature, but we do know that he has eyes of flame, lives in the wood and does not seem to like the boy resting up against a tree. Taking the third as important, why might the Jabberwock not like the boy resting in his wood? The answer is simple: The boy should be at work. There are two reasons why the animal might be offended by this act: One, the boy is not producing and is losing the boss money; two, rest affords one the luxury of thought. In line twelve, we see that the boy is lost in thought; it is thought that puts an end to the cycle of oppression.

The boy is an Übermensch, a transcendent savior of the people. We as readers have in this boy an example of how we can overcome and overthrow our capitalist oppressors. Starting in line nine, the boy is actively seeking out the Jabberwock to do away with him. In line eleven, the boy stops to think, reminiscent of the thought that went into producing such works as Capital and The Communist Manifesto or into creating the speeches that fueled the fires of the Bolshevik revolution. The boy kills the Jabberwock by cutting off his head. This means that when we are fighting against the evils of capitalism, we should start at the top and get rid of the aristocracy before instituting social reform.

“Jabberwocky” is a poem to read your children as they go to sleep: It is cute and fun, but it is so much more. It is a stirring work that wakes in the mind of every revolutionary the desire to rise up and defeat their oppressors. The first and last stanzas are the same, they tell the reader that all is good. Before revolution, during the twilight of capitalism, there is hope in the mind of the proletariate and all those who dare to dream for something better. After revolution, we have a glorious future in the embrace of communism and the equality of peoples.

Destiny

A rocket blasting up towards the void
Carrying with it the hopes of a nation.
A dream felt by our fathers:
The west now up in new expansion.

Seven are chosen and seven single sighted go
Up, up without hesitation and only one regret.
Loves left on the ground to watch their joy.
Hand holds hand, lip bitten: A singular fret.

What about the booster and the vast fuel?
The worry creeps in, the fire shakes their cool.
How is it that we are doing this witchcraft?
It might very well be that a scientist is a fool.

Ozone shoots in plumes and fountains,
Such violence harnessed in a simple machine.
What have we done? Seven times seventy
And all those eyes with a saddened sheen.

But, for the sake of our portion in the skies
And an upward desire manifested in each of us
We must continue and claim the heavens
As a statement of all things glorious.

Oh No, Zombies!

In case you haven't noticed, zombies make any movie better. Take for example the movie The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies. This movie which is probably the worst movie you could ever see is just barely watchable with the help of its zombie motif. This goes to show the power zombies have.

The movie starts out with a scene in a greasy Gypsy's fortune telling shop at a fair. In the shop is a portly man who is quite drunk and says, "There isn't enough booze in the world that could get me to sleep with you." This says a lot about these two characters: One is a raging alcoholic and the other is very unattractive. At any rate the drunk angers the ugly gypsy and she calls out her henchman Ortega to get rid of the offending man. Ortega proceeds to splash him with a mysterious liquid with a skull and cross bones on it which then turns him into a zombie. The movie suddenly get interesting... actually it doesn't but the credits do start to roll and that's about as much entertainment that this movie has to offer.

After the wonderful names of unknown actors and the uneasiness of the audience as they ponder why the camera is pointed at a Ferris wheel. This wheel is integral to the plot, or, I guess, movie (there is no plot) in that is shows up quite often for seemingly no reason at all. Now we meet the protagonist of the show. A rapscallion by the name of Jerry. He is an artsy type who the "lovely" Marge falls in love with. The two go to the fair along with Jerry's roommate Harold, who is a foreigner and barely understandable. They stumble upon the booth which holds the aforementioned fortune telling gypsy. They go in and give her they're generic punk kid attitude and she glares at them the glare that means they are about to die in some unfortunate way. Alas, they don't and the movie continues.

Walking out of the dingy gypsy stall they come across the booth with the strippers. This was probably to add some sex appeal to the movie. However, for this to work you would have to be middle aged and not have very high standards. This scene was a disappointment to say the least -- shame on you movie.

After my nap I was surprised to find that the movie had still not ended and in fact had not advanced in any dramatic way at all. Now we come to the climax of the movie. Forgive me if the description does not make sense, but as you can imagine, it probably doesn't matter. The tragically misunderstood youth, Jerry, gets sploshed with the instant zombie formula and is now a zombie, yay for Movie it's not a little bit better. He kills some people and then jumps off a cliff. I've never been so glad for a movie to end, but even with the terrible script, terrible acting and terrible movie-ness of this movie I want to see it again just to make fun of it some more. The Incredibly Strange Creature Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies is a must see movie for anybody who has a good sense of humor and like to make fun of things. Peace be with you.

Blesséd Knight

He deeply marréd in his present mire,
Not knowing the danger of what binds tight.
See this great knight in sin is but a sire.
Thinking himselfe great and Law out of sight,
He chose to live his life by his own might.
Swourd was his silver and battle his gold,
But it is all winde for Law wins the fight.
The Great Covenaunt rises from of old
To humble man with his true worth of worms and mold.

In the court of Lawe man hath no homage;
Such muck hath no excuse for things so grim.
Resigned to himselfe man is in bondage.
This castigation called for cherubim
To seal fallen man to fiery brim.
All men have failed to meet the Law's gloury,
Subject not to truth but to dungeons dim.
Alas, it is a loathsome hateful story,
for sinne to lash man with weight to make him hoary.

But blessed is this knight for a King reigneth,
Who has humbled Himself in love for men.
Help from the mire is for him who asketh,
But first the King troubles to awaken,
That sourrowed knight who by sleep has taken
Himselfe away to keep from the King's eyes.
Now awake, he sees a body broken
Before him to be received as a prize.
Shaken and afraide he joins Honor's glory cries.

He with a new name and Kingly armour,
Was given graciously a swourd of flame,
To wield in warfare and weld hearts to Wonder.
In battle he was sent as battle came,
Seeking to tell of that great King's great fame.
At a table round lauding this his Lourd,
Forevermore on serf's shield penned His name.
Known to this knight is the strength of King's sword;
He is altogether free but bound in accord.