Love is Not Love - In Shakespeare's Sonnet 18, Anyway

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Sonnets 18 and 116 are two of Shakespeare's most quotable love poems. If you're a fan of weddings, rose-petal-filled baths, or Kate Winslet in Sense and Sensibility, you'll probably recognize the lines "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" and "Love is not love / Which alters when it alteration finds." The problem with quotes, however, is that they lack context. Let's do a quick line-by-line overview of Sonnets 116 and 18. You might be surprised to find that one of these so-called "love" poems is very much not like the other.

Sonnet 116

Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments.

This is Shakespeare's equivalent of saying "Mum's the word" to the ol' "Speak now or forever hold your peace" bit of the marriage ceremony. In fact, Shakespeare won't even admit the word "impediments" to the line that talks about marriage. Love: 1; Impediments: 0.

...Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:

In other words, he's not one for pulling any of this "you've changed" crap.

O no! it is an ever-fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;

Psh, tempests.

It is the star to every wand'ring bark,
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.

The star to every wand'ring bark? That'd have to be the North Star, which never appears to move from its place in the Northern Hemisphere. The reason its "worth's unknown" is because Europeans didn't know a whole heck of a lot about stars back in Shakespeare's day, what with still being bitter about the Earth's roundness and all.

Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle's compass come:

Love: 2; Rosy Lips and Cheeks: 0. On a side note, remember that this is Shakespeare, meaning that anything a 12-year old could possibly construe as dirty probably is. Feel free to laugh, therefore, at the image of Old Father Time's "bending" sickle.

Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.

Love: 3; Edge of Doom: big ol' goose egg. If love could speak, it'd be saying "booya" right about now.

If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.

Did Shakespeare just take an oath upon his own poetry? Them's fightin' words. If you're not sure why, it'll all make sense when we get to Sonnet 18.

Like Sonnet 116, Sonnet 18 is ranked high up there on Sappy Poetry lists... usually by people who go for explicit rather than implicit meaning. If you've ever considered including a reading of Sonnet 18 at your anniversary party, the last three or so lines will probably change your mind. (If you're a really careful reader, the first two will do the trick.) Let's start from the top.

Sonnet 18

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:

Aww, how sweet! We think... To be sure, let's read it again - aloud. Remember to stress every second syllable, like so:

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:

Ah hah! Notice how "I" is emphasized but "thee" and "thou" aren't? Sneaky. Let's continue.

Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date:

Can't argue with that.

Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance, or nature's changing course untrimm'd;

Yeah yeah, we get it - everything in nature fades. Go back to that "thou" person already.

But thy eternal summer shall not fade,

Woohoo! And the "thy" is emphasized! We knew Shakespeare would come around eventually!

Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st,

We like where this is going.

Nor shall death brag thou wander'st in his shade,

Good, good. Keep it coming!

When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st;

Uh oh, we've got ourselves a conditional. So let's get this straight: all that not fading, getting ugly, or dying business depends on growing in some eternal lines to time? What does that even mean? And please don't tell us it has anything to do with the fact that Sonnets 1-17 are also known as the "procreation sonnets." If Shakespeare's saying that the best way to bottle up all them good looks is by creating genetic blood lines, we're going to go ahead and turn down that second date.

So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,

Another conditional?!? Okay, okay: "so long as men can breathe, or eyes can see" is actually a decent amount of time, so we'll let it slide.

So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

At last! - an emphasized "thee"! But hold the phone: what's giving thee life? Some unnamed "this"?? Is Shakespeare referring back to those eternal lines? To give him a little credit, he probably knows enough about grammar to use the pronoun "these" when talking about something plural. Dare we ask... if "this" is the sonnet itself? Might Shakespeare be suggesting that being featured in his work immortalizes you? Are those eternal lines the lines of the sonnet itself? Is the final thee only emphasized because it's the end result of Shakespeare's awesome, immortalizing poetry skills?

Probably. After all, being Shakespeare is like being an Elizabethan rockstar: you can bully the roadies, sleep with the groupies, trash the hotel rooms, and still be the world's darling. And let's face it: if you went down in history as The Bard, you'd probably swear by your own poetry too.

Shmoop is an online study guide for Shakespeare, Sonnet 116 and many more. Its content is written by Ph.D. and Masters students from top universities, like Stanford, Berkeley, Harvard, and Yale who have also taught at the high school and college levels. Teachers and students should feel confident to cite Shmoop.

Golden Spotted Deer - Based On An Episode In The Epic Ramayana

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

The great philosopher Socrates taught his disciples, never to accept anything without questioning. The question why has to be answered truthfully without flinching and requires great moral courage and indomitable spirit of adventure to pursue matters to a logical conclusion, which may be unpalatable and invite violent reaction from uninformed public, especially if religion is involved. May He grant me the toughness! I seek sincere apology, in advance. The theme involves Sita, whom I respect most, Ram, the maryada purushottam, venerated all over India and Lakshman, the faithful brother, who sacrificed his family life, to protect his brother and sister-in-law, in their long and tortuous journey through the subcontinent, disregarding the threat from wild animals and asuras who dominated the wilderness. Let us be extremely cautious!

All went well, until the fourteenth year of their picnic-like excursion, enjoying the splendor of virgin forests and emerald green hills. Then tragedy struck as in a Hollywood film.

A lovely golden deer appeared near the cottage, where the princely trio were camping. Its beauty and innocent eyes captivated the Princess. She just wanted to have it! They told her that it was no ordinary animal; it was some evil being, with ulterior motives, sent to harm them.They had already incurred the wrath of Shoorpanaka (in the South it is Surpanakha) and killed her brothers who attacked them. They were expecting trouble.

But Sita won't hear. She wanted the golden deer. Ultimately, her husband yielded. Entrusting the safety of his spouse to his faithful brother, Ram went after the animal.

Oh help me Lakshman: I am in immediate danger-When Sita heard these cries, she urged Lakshman to go and help Ram. On being told that Ram is capable of defending himself and that this is a trick of the evil spirit that came in the guise of the animal, Sita was infuriated, became wild, accusing Lakshman of entertaining dirty motives to posses her after Ram fell dead. That was the last straw! Lakshman left instantly, leaving Sita undefended. In comes a sanyasi (a hermit) asking for alms. Every Hindu respects and welcomes such people. Unsuspecting Sita comes out of the cottage and is kidnapped by Ravana, in order to avenge the ill-treatment of his sister Shoorpanaka. The seed is sown for the epic Ram vs. Ravana war.

In this single episode, the poet Valmiki exhibits his superlative qualities with regard to plot, characterization and human psychology! We are concerned with certain fundamental questions arising out of the whole sequence of events.

1) The first question is: why Sita behaved like a nine year old girl crying for a Barbie doll?

Sita is no ordinary woman. She forsook the pleasures of life in the palace and went along with her husband with bare clothes into the forest. This shows her high moral standard and extreme devotion to her beloved husband. During their sojourn through the forest, they must have come across hundreds of deer and fondled them. Therefore, the sight of the golden deer should not have excited her. When told that it is no ordinary deer but some evil spirit masquerading as deer with definite motives for revenge, Sita should have been convinced. In fact, any dutiful wife with some sense of responsibility would readily agree with her husband and forget the deer. Why did Sita of such high standard and integrity of character, fully devoted to her husband, insist on her demand for the pet?

2) As a responsible husband, Ram should have convinced his wife about the futility of seeking to capture the illusive deer. Why did he fail to do this? When he was fully convinced that the deer is a mirage, he should have refused to budge. Why did he fail? He could have thrashed his wife for being so silly and adamant, why did he not do it?

3) When Lakshman left his wife and accompanied the princely couple, he had only one thing in his mind: protection of his beloved brother and sister- in- law. He should have clearly told Sita that Ram is quite safe and there is nothing to worry about. If he could not countenance the vulgar insinuations of Sita, he could have pretended to go but actually hidden himself in the nearby bush. Why did he not do this?

4) Ravan was a very powerful and valiant fighter. When his sister Soorpanaka was insulted and her breasts and nose cut off (did they have to do this to a woman?), he should have challenged the princes for a fight and not sneak into the hutment like a thief

and stolen Sita. His wife Mandodari had actually advised Ravan against this heinous crime. Did he entertain finer sentiments for the lovely princess and was only waiting for an excuse?

The Unpredictability Principle

Every human being is subject to unreasonable and mysterious reaction some time or other. It is difficult to quote instances from my own life.Most of the time I have been carried away as by a current, as if I have no will of my own. It is recently that I have started writing and feel a bit nervous. We were not badly off when my father broke off from our ancestral home and wandered from one place to another. When he, at last, built a house and settled down, He called him. Mother, a young widow and we four children, all under sixteen, were left in the lurch with practically no earnings. Why did he break away in the first instance? Napoleon Buonaparte was a great statesman. He has written a lot during his last days in prison in St.Helena Island. It is worth reading even today. Why did he want to conquer the world? Hitler could have remained unbeaten, had he not attacked the USSR. Why did Kamsa not put Vasudeva and Devaki in separate cells in jail?

Every human being carries an invisible burden, which I call the spiritual baggage, consisting of the things he has seen and experienced, which is stored in his computer called his brain. It works even when he sleeps. Poets and writers try to dissect it. Scientists are far from even guessing what goes on there. We always blame something or other without understanding anything. This baggage vitiates our judgment at critical moments.

I am a strong believer in Him. My reason tells me that He is everywhere.It is not necessary to go to a temple. But I enjoy the trip to any temple It is very soothing. My Christian friend may like, if it is a church A Malayalam Muslim poet has written a beautiful hymn in praise of Sree Guruvayoorappan (there is one temple of the deity -Krishna in Delhi) ending with the plea that, at least in the next janam, he may have the chance to have a darshan of the temple deity. (If I am empowered, I shall allow all devotees free access to the temple as in gurudwaras)

To return to Sita.

She will have to answer a number of inconvenient questions. Why did she not resist as soon as she realized that he was not a sanyasi? Ravan had a curse. If he touched a woman against her wishes, he would perish. Without touching her, how could he drag her into the helicopter? (Pushpaka viman).Why did she not jump out and commits suicide as any chaste school girl could do now? Why did she not go on fast unto death even as Medhaji would do now? Ultimately, she ended her life when a repentant Ram requested her to come back to Ayodhya from the forest where she was unceremoniously and sneakingly cast away, merely because some worthless washerwoman made some derogatory comments about her stay in Ravan's custody. Why did she not show the same spirit at that time?

Ram:

He never behaved like a gentleman. He hid himself and killed Bali when the latter was fighting Sugriv, his own brother. (What a curse on humanity! Brothers rarely remain friends- Ambani vs Ambani).When the dying Bali confronted him with the question: why did you kill me like a coward, Ram, instead of expressing sympathy for the dying hero (Bali was a remarkable fighter. He once humiliated Ravan by holding him with his tail and dipping Ravan again and again in the sea!) abused him right and left: "Who are you to question me? Do you know that I belong to the Ikshuki race? You are only a monkey. You illegally took away your brother's wife. You deserve to die". A gentleman ought to be more polite to a dying hero. Will George Bush use such words to a dying Bin Laden?

New Book Explores Life in 600 Entertaining and Enlightening Limericks

The request channel timed out while waiting for a reply after 00:01:00. Increase the timeout value passed to the call to Request or increase the SendTimeout value on the Binding. The time allotted to this operation may have been a portion of a longer timeout.

Limericks can be fun to read and even to compose. I've composed a couple of my own over the years, but never could I have conceived of writing over six hundred of them. But Harold Richter has done so with a purpose, and he states on the back cover of "Love, Life, and Laughter in Limericks" that publishing this book of limericks has been a "long time ambition." He states that "A few years back, I listened to some audio books, directed towards enlightenment.

Though I didn't agree 100% with the authors' views on everything, they did put into words clearly, how they felt love and life work, in a fashion that, for the most part, didn't contradict my own outlooks and experiences."

After feeling he knew more about life and love from listening to these books and his own experiences, Richter wanted to write his own insights about them, but he wanted to do so "in an acceptable, enjoyable, and easily understood method." Since he had long been writing poetry, he settled on using the limerick form to convey his ideas to readers. A lot of self-help books are out there, but "Love, Life, and Laughter in Limericks" isn't one of them. Nevertheless, readers might become better people from reading this book-at least, they will feel lighter and happier, and they may come away with a new viewpoint about different aspects of life. And best of all, Richter's use of the short limerick form gets to the point of various matters, often with a sharp twist at the end of the poem, a turn that is often humorous or meaningful or both. Richter's poetry is sometimes sarcastic, sometimes just funny, now and then a bit sad, and frequently insightful; it is never cruel, biting, nor distasteful-he does have a few poems relating to body functions, but nothing too gross or grotesque. It's all in good fun.

In case anyone doesn't know what a limerick is, I'll quote a few of my favorites from this collection so readers can get an idea of Richter's style and some of his themes. The book is divided into several sections on different themes, and they appear at first glance to be lengthy poems, but each section is actually composed of numerous five line limericks. The section titles are: "What is Love?" "What is Life?" and "What is Laughter?" Each of these sections begins with a short essay on the topic. Several of the sections are further broken up into groups of poems with such topics as: Ego, Health, Smoking, Government, Cold and Flu Season, and Holidays.

Here are a few samples. Two of my favorites from the "Love" group, which reflect serious or philosophical aspects, are:

Love is magical when it's imparted.
Its mystical traits are uncharted.
You can take love today,
And just give it away,
And have more than you did when you started.
Some people pass judgments, with zeal,
In their minds, there is no appeal.
To add to distractions,
When you judge someone's actions,
It makes their love harder to feel.
Two of my other favorite poems come from the Christmas selections. The first one is an example of Richter's humor:
In his sleigh, Santa said a quick prayer
As his reindeer zig-zagged with a flair.
See, Rudolph, the bright,
Ate baked beans that night,
And the others were gasping for air!
And this other Christmas limerick is one of several limericks in the book that speak a bit to politics and current events (with humor):
The white house had a Christmas of drama,
When rockets shot past the first mama
They were fired at saint Nick,
Thinking terrorist trick,
He left nothing but coal for Obama!

I could quote several more, but I think those are fair representations of the variety of humor and seriousness in Richter's limericks, some of which made me laugh out loud, while others I went back to read over as they made me pause in thought.

Richter adds a few "Extras" at the book's end, poems not in limerick form, one of which pleasantly surprised me for what it reveals about Richter-I'll leave it up to readers to discover what that is for themselves. Richter concludes the book with "A Final Point," a thoughtful essay that asks us to think about how we define ourselves and how we think of others.

Overall, the book is thoughtful while being fun and easy to read. It's not Shakespeare, but it succeeds at what it aims at, and while I initially thought a book of limericks might grow tedious after reading a few dozen, it kept my interest throughout. A person could read just one limerick a day and have enough to be entertained for nearly two years, or read the book in a few sittings without being bored. Again, I cannot imagine writing so many limericks. I think I will have their rhythms in my head for many days to come and I will have to try to make up a few more of my own. I recommend "Love, Life, and Laughter in Limericks" for anyone who wants a fun, light, but meaningful book to read. I hope Harold Richter lives to write more limericks and give his readers more laughs.

Tyler R. Tichelaar holds a Bachelor's and Master's Degree from Northern Michigan University and a Ph.D. from Western Michigan University. His family's long relationship with Upper Michigan and his avid interest in genealogy inspired Dr. Tichelaar to write his Marquette Trilogy: Iron Pioneers, The Queen City, and Superior Heritage. Dr. Tichelaar is also a professional book reviewer and editor. For more information about Tyler R. Tichelaar, his writing, and his author services, visit:

http://www.marquettefiction.com/

The Fire Diaries - An Awesome Accumulation Articulating Actual Fires

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

This is such an excellent poetry book regarding "Fire Diaries" by Matt Schumacher. Some of the poems are historical and very educational regarding time and place analysis (Pages 22, 24, 29, 33, 37...and 93). The use of figurative language brings out the sensory details of the poems in many ways. Reading the book after hearing his recital highlights another dimension to his creative writing style.

Schumacher uses similes and analogies for comparative analysis in an effective and efficient manner. They are very ingenious and remarkable in helping one to understand the poems in more depth (Pages 31, 32, 57...and 89).

The paintings of colors in the poems are vibrant. The sensory reflection of seeing glows of fire, smelling smoke, hearing the crackles, seeing sparks, and feeling the corresponding heat are vivid and places the reader at the scene (33, 55, 59, 64, 73...and 91).

It is also interesting how the thrust of the poems is elusive regarding the fire investigators. The fire setters are always gone, never caught red-handed, or display a confessional character; however, they are always taunting and haunting (24, 37, 62...and 65).

The sprinkling of Greek Mythology throughout the book is wonderful. This adds another flavor to the poems, thus bringing out the diversity of styles in Schumacher's arsenal of creativity regarding the penning of poetic style, language, tone, vibrancy, and other elements (Pages 31, 35, 56, 61...and 95).

The book is divided into four sections as follows: 1) Grey; 2) Ochre; 3) Green; and 4) Vermillion (relating to the variation of colors from and/or of fires). Each section has its own flavor of styles and documentation for a particular effect. One will also find corresponding entries from The Diary of Fires in each, except the last section.

There is also a variety of poetic forms and styles used throughout the book. For example, one will find the following poetry forms: concrete, freeform, narrative, prose, tercet, letter, couplet, and double columns, just to name a few. The forms and styles of the poems are calm on the eyes and they can be followed quite easily based on their alignment on each page (23, 33, 55, 57, 77, and 81).

Schumacher uses the rhetorical question as a poetic technique which leaves an array of thoughts for any reader to consider. They will stimulate inquiry in the mind of the reader. Some of these are listed on pages 35, 52, and 74.

The book ends with a picture and short biography of the author and some of his publications (Page 99). The Fire Diaries is an excellent poetry book. It is also a compilation of actions one would have never thought about until reading this excellent poetry book penned by Matt Schumacher.

Joseph S. Spence, Sr. (aka "Epulaeryu Master"), authored "The Awakened One Poetics" (2009), published in seven languages, "A Trilogy of Poetry, Prose and Thoughts for the Mind, Body and Soul," and "Trilogy Moments for the Mind, Body and Soul." Joseph is a Goodwill Ambassador for Arkansas, and is a US Army veteran.

http://www.TheAwakenedOnePoetics.com/

Poetry As a Means to Negotiate Alzheimer's and Other Dementia Related Diseases

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Book Review:

Kakugawa, Frances H. Breaking the Silence: A Caregiver's Voice. Nevada City, California: Willow Valley Press, 2010.

Despite striking achievements of science and technology, the problems of human life and destiny have not ended, nor have the solutions been seriously affected by scientific knowledge. Alzheimer's disease, which currently affects about 10% of people over 65 years of age and 50% of those over 85 years of age, has no cure. As many as 5.3 million Americans are now living with the devastating disease. According to a study, unless new treatments are developed to decrease the likelihood of Alzheimer's disease, the number of individuals with Alzheimer's disease in the USA may rise to 14 million by the end of the year 2050.

Read against this background, Frances Kakugawa's book, a mix of poetry, story and practical guide, is a recognition of the services rendered by professional and voluntary organizations that seek to minimize the pangs of Alzheimer's sufferers as well as the sufferings of their near and dear ones. It pays tribute to caregivers who have been untiringly working for creation of a world without dementia, stroke, or cancer just as it seeks to help them endure the innumerable crises of caregiving.

Breaking the Silence: A Caregiver's Voice merges Frances Kakugawa and her poet-colleagues' varied experiences with a broad human perspective, engaging both mind and heart. The caregivers seek to share their compassionate spirit with a sense of gratitude to all those who help the victims of Alzheimer's disease negotiate their mentally vacant existence. They are not only aware of the sufferers' substantial loss of brain cells or progressive decline in their ability to think, remember, reason, and imagine, or their language problems and unpredictable behavior, confusion, or loss of sensory processing, but they also know well how the Alzheimer's victims suffer a sort of living death, becoming a mere body stripped of its humanity. They have been witness to caregiving family members of increasingly confused and helpless sufferers themselves often becoming the disease's exasperated and exhausted victims:

" Is she the mom who nurtured me?
Is it the dementia playing havoc with my mind?
Or is this really my mom? I don't know."

('More Glimpses of a Daughter and Mother')

and

"I am torn between two needy factions.
Mom unaware, daughter pushing all boundaries
Both out of control."

('The Sandwich')

For Frances Kakugawa, caregiving is a mission even as the memory and image of her Alzheimer's struck mother persists in her life as a "loud presence". She gives voice to many caregivers who are ever worried about their loved ones not even able to carry out the simplest tasks and/or are completely dependent on others for their care. She expresses the very haunting fear of death:

"Is she breathing? Is she alive?
Is she finally gone, freeing me once again?
I continue my sentinel watch."

('Unspoken Mornings')

Frances not only articulates their fear but also learns to negotiate it by boldly facing it as part of life. In fact, she turns the metaphor of death as integral to life, be it in the form of "an ache of emptiness", "unfulfilled dreams", or "unlived moments". In her deeper silences, she explores the very meaning of life:

"A second gust of wind
Lifts another fistful of ashes.
Be still and listen."

('Song of the Wind')

It is hearing the inner silence, which is something meditative, Biblical, and spiritual. It is awaking to the self, the Holy Spirit, the Divine himself. When the soul peaks into silence, human becomes divine. She sounds earnest and exceptional, seeking harmony with the highest ideals, irrespective of chaotic personal experiences. As Setsuko Yoshida says in 'Can I?':

"Poems by Frances this morning
Reveal the feelings of 'divine'
In caregiving."

In fact, as women poets, Frances Kakugawa and her caregiver colleagues (Elaine Okazaki, Linda McCall Nagata, Eugene Mitchell, and others) present a feminine and yet very humane perspective to the dementia-related illnesses. Jason Y. Kimura, Rod Masumoto, and Red Silver, though male poets, demonstrate the 'Prakriti' or 'Yin' aspects in rhythm with other contributing caregivers' sensibility. They variously turn the Alzheimer's into a metaphor for the loss of language, the loss of memory, and the loss of voice. Their poetry, often brief and personal, and rich and insightful, becomes a means to communicate the sufferers' loss of feeling, love, dignity, honor, name, and relationship; in short, their isolation, or threat to living itself:

"All my life I have lived
With crayons in one hand,
Filling in spaces,
Spaces left by departed lovers, family, friends,
Leaving me crayons smashed against walls
Creating more grief than art."

('Empty Spaces')

They also use the metaphor for challenge to survive, to exist, without fears and anxieties:

"I am woman,
Suppressed,
Dying."

('Nissei Woman')

and

"I am not merely heaven, man and earth
Rooted by cultural hands.
Sift those sands. Yes!
I am free!
I am tossed into the winds.
I shed my kimonos.
I spread my legs.
I am free."

('Lesson #3')

and

"When I am 88
I will still be woman,
Yes!"

(''When I am 88')

and

"I am still here
Help me remain a human being
In this shell of a woman I have become.
In my world of silence, I am still here.
Oh, I am still here."

('Emily Dickinson, I am Somebody')

They convert the Alzheimer's into a search for reprogramming the mind, the thought, and the attitude to overcome the irreversible suffering and helplessness. As Frances very feelingly asserts: it is the search for

"...the same umbilical cord
That once set me free
Now pulls and tugs me back
To where I had begun.
There must be hidden
Somewhere a gift very divine
In this journey back."

('Mother Into Child, Child Into Mother')

They are true to themselves as they voice their search for the whole. With an empathetic awareness, they disclose their innate goodness, trust, and compassion to make a "symphony of truth." At the core of their musing lies a desire to integrate themselves, to live in time as well as in eternity:

"What other path is there
Except the divine
Where love, kindness, compassion,
Help me discover little pieces of myself
That make me smile
Bring me such quiet joy
At the end of each day."

('Bless the Divine')

They reveal the working of the primal impulses of the human soul which rises above the differences of race and of geographical position. In short, they give vent to the thought of all people in all lands.

As poet-caregivers they cope with their tensions, fears and anxieties through introspection, and accommodate their inner and outer conflicts, sufferings and celebrations through imaginative insight. They mirror the broad social or familial conditions as well as their own personal state with perceptions that are often different from those of the male poets (or male caregivers). Their quest is for real reality vis-?-vis degeneration, privation, insecurity, helplessness, anonymity, and death. They search for life and live with awareness of what lies beneath the skin of things around, the psycho-spiritual strains, the moral dilemmas, the betrayals, and the paradoxes:

"Why do you say I am sacrificing
Good years of my life
For caring for my mother,
When it shouldn't be a secret
That I am really living
In a way I have never lived before?
...
No, this is not sacrifice.
It is just reality.
I am really living
In a way I have never lived before.
I am living love."

('What I Know')

Against the complexities of experiences, they demonstrate a sense of values such as love, faith, truth, tolerance, patience, peace, charity, harmony, humility, and healthy relationships. They tend to think intuitively and/or turn personal, inward, spiritward, or Godward, without indulging in intellectual abstraction. They write with poetic sensibility. Their metaphors and images reflect their inner landscape as much as their responses to what they observe or experience externally. They are often reticent and honest in their verbal expression, and their inner vibrations touch or elevate the readers' senses. As they create discourse of themselves as caregivers, they also sound committed to their home, family, children, motherhood, and neighborhood, often voicing their own vision and understanding which cuts across cultures and regions.

They seek to transcend their body or femininity and respect the woman in themselves, even if affected by the Alzheimer's environment. They turn inside out and reveal what is personal yet universal in their different roles as mother, wife, daughter, and feel the agony of the spirit while trying to know "Who I am?", or "How I should live, who I should be", or "What am I looking for? Why did I come?"

As they look back or reflect their present, they also voice the need for strong sense of togetherness vis-?-vis their inner conflicts, spiritual hunger, loneliness, or dependence. They sound challenging the Alzheimer's itself:

"You could not rob us, though we forgot.
You could not erase us, though we could not write.
You could not silence, though we could not speak.
The stories, the laughter, the moments that passed
Into their keep, you could not steal
Into a night of silence."

('Hey Alzheimer's')

As they fill one with hope for ageing with grace and dignity despite the challenges of loss, they create an alternative motive and impulse for social action at a very personal level:

"Through this deepest darkened night
I will hold the light
To take away all your fears.
Just know I will always be near."

('To My Mother')

There is an urge for changing the situation for themselves, or for being in peace with oneself. The poets and caregivers of Breaking the Silence seek to create a new culture as they rationalize how we ought to live in future.

Awesome Epulaeryu Poetry by Joseph

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Joseph Spence is a wonderful author and poet. His words are very inspiring and uplifting in this Award Winning volume of poetry entitled, "Trilogy Moments for the Mind, Body, and Soul." As a member of The World Haiku Association and a haiku practitioner, the haiku trilogy series written in sections of three verses in this uplifting book are very inspiring. I like the inspiring words of praise and how they are articulated for the soul in each series. Additionally, this is a wonderful and joy-filled book for anyone to read and enjoy.

The prayer poems in this book address many issues ranging from heart ailments to asthma, traffic accidents to chronic pain, and a lot more. The prayers are right on point and touched the soul of the reader. The messages of love and respect in his words for others are humbling. I have found his writings to be very inspiring and uplifting for the young and old. This book of poems is very captivation and his true talent is naturally demonstrated. He is not one to hide his talent under the bush. The intercessory prayers by Joseph for others really show his compassion, and state of being in caring for others in their time of need. Hopefully, others will read his works and come to the same conclusion or one that is much better than mine.

The newly created Epulaeryu poetry section is also very appetizing. I must try my hand at one of the recipe and poems. As the inventor of the Epulaeryu poems, Joseph projects a tone which I like in the articulation of the format in passing on the knowledge he articulates in impressing the dishes of the Epulaeryu poem and its development on others.

This Award Winning book, Trilogy Moments for the Mind, Body and Soul," shows how one is able to integrate life travels and experience in a creative way be putting both jointly in creative writing. God bless always!

Terri Lynn resided is Wisconsin and enjoys reading poetry and short stories.

British Poetry Is a Beautiful Genre of Literature

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

The theme of religion presents itself repeatedly over the course of the second half of the "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner". When the Ancient Mariner first stepped on the boat with the Hermit and the Pilot's he had a look of death about him. Even the Pilot Boy was laughing at the Ancient Mariner and said he thought that the old Mariner was the devil. It is important to note the times in which the Mariner and the Hermit begin to pray as these generally come at pivotal points in the poem. The Albatross represents sin and that is why the Ancient Mariner is forced to suffer for killing the great bird.

The main character who was the mariner had a change in heart and bent over to pray that the Albatross corpse slipped from his neck freeing him of the sin for killing the majestic creature. There are many parallels between the Ancient Mariner killing the Albatross and Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. Much like Adam and Eve the Ancient Man was punished because he failed to respect the boundaries that Christ has set for us. The Ancient Mariner was ignorant and thought he had and understanding of something that was far beyond of his reach. The seventh part of the poem is ripe with message that praying will solve all of your problems. The Hermit is used as a positive example how a person of faith should behave. Samuel Taylor Coleridge would claim that he did not intend for the poem to have any moral lessons. Rather that this is just an epic tale that needs to be told.

Although the author claims that nothing in the poem symbolizes religion that is clearly false. The hermit is a holy person and his demeanor is felt throughout the ending. Without the Hermit this poem would have no substance. This is a story about Christianity and the supernatural. The Hermit is essential in the development of either one. The Hermit was able to document the supernatural by witnessing the Ancient Mariner survive after being drown alive. At the end the Mariner the Hermit put more effort in the direction of Christianity and prayer. It is clear that because of the Hermits presence it helps the Ancient Mariner come to more peace with his relationship with God.