Vocabulary Assignment:

1. aromatic - giving off a distinctive and pleasant smell (ADJ)
2. luscious - delicious; flavor filled (ADJ)
3. vermilion - a bright red color (ADJ)
4. ululation - a howl or wail, in jubilation (N)
5. meander - a slow leisurely walk or journey (N)
6. mocha - a dark brown color, like mocha coffee (ADJ)
7. chartreuse - a bright yellowish green color (ADJ)
8. ingratiating - charming; agreeable; pleasing (ADJ)
9. bittersweet - smelling or tasting both bitter and sweet at the same time (ADJ)
10. frigid - having a very cold temperature (ADJ)

**several words have multiple parts of speech and multiple definitions.

The Kitchen:

As I casually meander into the kitchen I become overtaken by the intoxicating aromas that consume the atmosphere. I sense so vividly the aromatic foods being created. Too my right crowning the stove lies a gargantuan pot. Its contents draw my attention. The long slow ululation of the meat sautéing in the oiled pan awakens my senses. To the left of the stove I see a vermilion sauce draping lusciously flavorful pasta contained within a large chartreuse bowl. As I pass the oven and look into the window I witness the mocha-brown color of a pan of warm bittersweet chocolate brownies. Finally I turn to dispense myself a glass of frigid sweet tea. As I turn to leave these ingratiating flavors seem to draw me to remain in their midst yet I must continue on because my purpose only is to pass through.

Tim McGraw, Live Like you were Dying.

Tim McGraw,
Live Like you were Dying.

Music and lyrics can do different things for different people. From bringing one to tears to bringing another true joy and happiness, music has the power to invoke strong heartfelt emotion out of most people. With such a great diversity of listeners though comes diversity in opinion of what is a truly great song. The truly universally great song though, I believe, is one that can create a positive reaction in the largest possible amount of diverse individuals. Tim McGraw has accomplished this feat with one of his most recognizable songs, Live like you were Dying. I believe throughout his career he has been a key artist that can be credited for revolutionizing and modernizing the country genre itself.

McGraw released his first album in 1993 when country music was still mainly the stereotypical songs of old country hicks. When McGraw started out many people as they still do today looked at country as the story into the life of a redneck. That component though I believe is one which made McGraw so successful. Rather then writing songs of fantasy as many artists do in today’s popular genres he hybridized the new with the old. McGraw takes subjects close to his heart to write his lyrics about. These subjects come from the heartfelt sentiments featured so blatantly in few other genres except old country. McGraw eloquently blends these subjects with more pop melodies. Along with the modern music and instrumentals McGraw utilizes a modern diction and tone. He chooses words and phrases not necessarily confined to a southern dialect which also helps to boost the universal appeal of his music.

As artists such as Johnny Cash and Hank Williams were surely inspiration to McGraw, he has become a truly inspirational to the younger more modern country artists that are just recently becoming popular as McGraw continues to be popular. Young pop/country artist, Taylor Swift, felt so inspired by McGraw she released a song entitled Tim McGraw. McGraw has contributed to the modern country genre that many of today’s newest country stars are being categorized as. McGraw though was not only inspirational though to other country artists but also universally inspirational to his listeners. The song, Live like you were Dying, is possibly one the most inspirational songs of his. In the song McGraw discusses his father Tug McGraw, a subject very close to his heart, as he dies from cancer. McGraw states that you should live life as if everyday is your last directly without complexity to aid in the universal appeal he wishes to create. He states in the song that you should cherish the time that you have on earth and accomplish all that you wish too because at any moment your life or you life as you know it may be take from you. It inspires those that may have lost hope due to illness or other reasons to continue to hold on. I believe that this is truly a powerful message and one that applies universally to most all those living in western society.

The song that McGraw writes truly conveys a universal message to all those that have heard it. Even those people that despise McGraw as an artist or despise the country genre itself for whatever reason can see the genuine heartfelt message he portrays in the song Live like you were Dying. I first experienced the song with a close friend who was in a similar place as the artist of the song. They found it to be very comforting as I am sure it was for the artist to write it and that was when I realized that this song had more meaning then just lyrics with music as so many songs really are. Without complexity, or convulsion McGraw directly conveys a timeless message to his listener that is truly inspirational and hopeful for many people.

TRAP OR DIE

****TRAP OR DIE****

This piece of hypnopaedeia utilizes different sensory elements to convince the viewer of its point. The main message of the hypnopaedeia is to tell the viewer that "to be Fly, Trap or Die." Plain text coupled with pictures and also coupled with audio help to convey the message. The audio playing directly mimics the message set forth by both the text and the images. The images feature trappers being fly. These images are aimed to help the viewer see people being fly and help the viewer want to trap so they can too become fly. The hypnopaedia also offers an alternative to trapping and become fly. The alternative, dying, is much less desirable then becoming fly by trapping and this piece of hypnopaedia helps to convince the viewer of that.

Jack's Monologue

Why did I do that?

Why must I always be swayed by the influences of other people?

Now I know the truth. I know the judge was my real father.

How could I have not known?

Why didnt I realize before?

He always treated me like his son.

It was so obvious I can't believe I didn't notice.

I wish I would have known before I put him through this.

He really was a good father to me. He always treated me as a son should be treated.

And now I betray him like this.

How could I have been so careless?

I have caused my own father's suicide.

Just as he caused another man to kill himself.

I have followed my father in the path I wish not to have followed.

Why do I always follow Mr. Stark's orders?

I must learn to think for myself and not carry out orders I know are wrong.

I am so sorry I did this to my good friend.

I don't know if I'll ever feel the same after this.

I wish my father hadn't taken it so harshly though.

Why did he have to kill himself?

I wish he had just complied with Willie.

It would have spared him his life and myself all this pain.

All these years I wish I would have known.

I wish he would have told me at least now that I am older.

I never thought my mom would keep a secret like this from me.

I can't believe I never knew and now its too late.

Found Poem

The man stood up
And moved across the room in his sock feet
He was in a Joint in the next county
A cold cathartic rain fell ominously outside in the darkness
As he sat down at the bar next to his wife
He handed her a letter and she reached over and took it
Holding the letter with her other hand
She picked up the glass and lifted her head
As if to let the liquor tickle her throat
The woman read the letter that she had been awaiting for a long time
She got up and ran out into the cold dark night
The man remained in his place calmly stroking the big cat

Conflict in Long days Journey into Night:

Conflict in Long days Journey into Night:
In his drama, Long Day’s Journey into Night, O’Neill masterfully represents numerous conflicts faced by humans both internally and externally. Throughout the drama O’Neill interlaces such conflict and demonstrates to his audience the interconnection one conflict has with another. Perhaps one of the most exemplary conflicts found in this work, person verses self, is manifested several times at varying degrees by O’Neill. All of the main characters in his work experience some sort of inner struggle whether it be the product of a physical emotional or social tribulation. Each of the examples in the drama is also highly relevant to conflicts many humans experience. O’Neill effectively conveys to his audience the detrimental consequence of human inhibition presented by conflict with oneself and also demonstrates how many of these conflicts, although very real, often begin as a small problem not deserving of much attention but through ones own excessive contemplation quickly escalate to a larger internal struggle. The author accomplishes this showing not only how one becomes empty internally but also how one suffers externally because he is forced to cope with his inner problems.
O’Neill manifests himself in two characters during the drama. Ironically each of these characters faces arguably the two worst inner struggles of the entire work. Of these characters, Eugene dies at a very young age due to illness and experiences no other conflict other then his illness and death itself. Edmund, the other character biographical of the author, experiences conflict within himself that renders him unable to be successful in life. Edmund experiences conscription which multiplies the effect of his inner struggle. Edmund struggles with himself because he feels he is not able to accomplish his potential in life. He, unhappy with his current position, feeling he is unable to do anything to advance himself or change his misfortune and feeling he is unwanted by his parents, wishes to become a seagull. O’Neill utilizes this image masterfully to symbolize Edmunds wish for solidarity and to escape all of his internal unhappiness and disappointment of himself.
Mary Tyrone experiences internal conflict brought about by her desire for the past. She is depressed by her current marriage situation and where life has taken her and is disappointed by her husband and her children. Her unhappiness is escalated by her addiction morphine. She uses the morphine to escape her inner self yet when she returns to reality she is depressed even more then before. She regrets the decisions of her past and wishes she had taken a different direction for her life. This conflict within herself inhibits her daily functionality and causes her virtually perpetual numbness with morphine. She plunges into a cycle of dependency and is unable to overcome her addiction because of the conflict within herself.
Many things inhibit humans from achieving their aspirations in their daily life. Conflict of any form is always a major detriment to accomplishment yet conflict within oneself is arguably the most difficult to recognize and rectify. O’Neill shows that internal conflicts are often difficult to rectify because they create a barrier which will not allow one do anything including rectify his or her problems. This barrier perpetuates and worsens ones conflict which leads to a cycle of virtual death that is very difficult to break such as experienced by O’Neill’s character, Edmund. This type of inhibition caused by an internal conflict is present in the bible. God asks Moses several times to deliver the Israelites from Egypt yet several times Moses refuses saying he had a speech impediment. This internal struggle of Moses prevents him from accomplishing what God wants him to do. Moses does not change his mind until the great external force of God removes him from his cycle of doubt and inhibition allowing him to continue to accomplish his aspirations. Unfortunately for many people though they are unable to encounter any comparable help as Moses encountered and theses people remain locked in the continuous cycle of inhibiting self conflict.

















Works Cited:
Fleche, Anne. "Long Day's Journey into Night: The Seen and the Unseen." Mimetic
Disillusion: Eugene O'Neill, Tennessee Williams, and U.S. Dramatic Realism. Tuscaloosa: The University of Alabama Press, 1997. 25-42. Rpt. in Drama Criticism. Ed. Janet Witalec. Vol. 20. Detroit: Gale, 2003. 25-42. Literature Resource Center. Gale. LEE COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM. 21 Sept. 2008
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The Eloquent Poetry of Jordan Williams

Slime-Man

Slowly, Stealthily, Slimily

Slime-man slinks aimlessly through the halls

A thin film of slime remains behind on the walls

His limbs glide back and forth like slimy spaghetti

Oscillating as if the pendulum on a clock

Mirroring the rhythm of his feet sliding along

Going from his dingy lair to his slimy car

I watch him glide silently away from afar

Only to return with newly slicked back hair

Slime-man slinks back to his slippery lair