Vocab Poem

Words, Definitions, and Part of speech:

1. vociferous: (adj) Making, given to, or marked by noisy and vehement outcry.

2. timorous: (adj) full of fear; fearful

3. imbroglio: (n) a misunderstanding, disagreement, etc., of a complicated or bitter nature, as between persons or nations.

4. pandemonium: (n) wild uproar or unrestrained disorder; tumult or chaos.

5. servility: (n) slavishly submissive or obsequious

6. illation: (n) the act of inferring; conclusion

7. pastoral: (adj) having the simplicity, charm, serenity, or other characteristics generally attributed to rural areas.

8. kaleidoscopic: (adj) changing form, pattern, color, etc., in a manner suggesting a kaleidoscope

9. prosaic: (adj) lacking in imagination and spirit; dull

10. tessellation: (n) collage, mixture, abstract composition

Bittersweet Reality

That day I was awakened from the naive dream of my childish world. With the vociferous voices crying out like thunder pounding through the whirling gray clouds, I realized the imbroglio that soon broke out into a violent pandemonium. It was like a fight between two dogs, heightening and seemingly never ending. And the biting, growling, screaming, and yelling. My young mind poured over with timorous thoughts like flood waters breaking over a weakened levy. Like debris swept up by a catastrophic tornado, rocking chairs once used to rock infants to sleep were whirled across the room, along with random helpless objects. That day, my life that once seemed comforting and safe, despite the servility that I was ignorant to, reached an illation that seemed like a dead end in the road with no outlet. That day represents more than just this natural disaster that capsized my life. That day created my kaleidoscopic life. My life would become a mosaic of experiences, never prosaic or lacking in color or contrast. The tesselation of comforts and struggles that would inhabit my life would become who I am. That day, though painful and violent, led to the pastoral comfort like a soft breeze after a storm.

Defending America's Rock Tradition: Not A Petty Thing (Hilburn)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jsn7Ig8KCCM
In 1970, four average teenage boys living in Gainesville, Florida formed a band called Mudcrutch. Mudcrutch began performing in local bars and clubs in the Gainesville area. Four years later, the young men of this band begged their lead guitarist’s father to allow his son to drop out of the University of Florida. After a bit of a struggle, he finally consented. The band quickly signed with Shelter Records and relocated to Los Angeles, California. This band which would become Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers could never have predicted the events to come in their very successful future and their lives would never again be the same. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers have been nominated for and winners of numerous Grammy Awards, recipients of a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The band’s great talent, creativity, and determination has brought them their huge success.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers have left an impact on the complicated music industry, their countless fans throughout the world, and a myriad of other musicians. This band captured listeners everywhere with its unique and sincere music and lyrics. They have motivated many young aspiring musical artists, and even well-established musicians. One of their greatest contributions to the world, however, has been their persistence to dispute any injustices, especially in the music industry, and their willingness to not back down on what they know is right.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers defines and embraces rock and roll music, though Tom Petty occasionally has a country sound because of his Southern roots. Their unique and original instrumental sound and emphasis on the guitar and drums, together with Tom Petty’s very distinct vocals, characterizes rock music. The whiney and almost imperfect sound of Petty’s voice, similarly to many other rock musicians, creates the flawed perfection of their rock and roll music.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers honored and followed in the footsteps of their musical idols, while at the same time creating a sound and success of their own that many musicians would later strive to attain. The brilliant musical deities of Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, Elvis Presley, and Johnny Cash have influenced the passionate music of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. While they admired these great musicians, the band always managed to create their own unique lyrics and music full of passion and sincerity. The tradition of talent and success of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers have influenced numerous younger artists, such as Pearl Jam, Stevie Nicks, John Mayer, and many more.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are a band with a drive and force incomparable to anyone else. This ambition, especially within the leader, Tom Petty, is a result of struggles and anger. In the recently released documentary, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Runnin’ Down A Dream, Tom Petty discusses his troubled childhood. As expressed in the documentary, “the untold story of great rock musicians is you either lost your mother or your father hated you.” Bono from the band U2 said, “ If you were like me and you were lucky enough to have both, there is no limit to what you can accomplish.” Tom Petty was another one who had this same situation. Petty’s mother, who he adored dearly, died early in his blossoming career. His father verbally and physically abused him from an early age because Petty was interested in music and art. When Petty became successful, his father relished in his son’s success and enjoyed the title of “Tom Petty’s Father.” Tom Petty turns the anger that he experiences within him into the ambition that has brought himself and his band their achievements.

As Admiral David Farragut declared at the Battle of Mobile Bay during the American Civil War, “Damn the torpedoes!,” Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers also adopted this “full speed ahead” mentality in 1979 when MCA Records acquired Shelter Records without the band’s consent. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers then realized that, out of naiveté and inexperience in the music business, they had signed a contract giving up their publishing rights to the record company. The record companies told them that they were in no financial position to fight a lawsuit, but the unwavering Petty was only angered more and filed the lawsuit, as well as, for bankruptcy and rendered all previous contracts null and void, a first for anyone in the music business. Finally, MCA Records settled and gave the band their own label under Backstreet Records, let them set their own deal, and gave them the right to their songs. Through this whole process, Tom Petty’s persistence was constantly evident. Even faced by a powerful attorneys, Petty quoted, “ I will sell !@#$%^& peanuts before I give into you. I refuse to give into you. You can break me, but you can’t sell records.”

Through the months of legal battles, the band continued to work on their record. “Damn the Torpedoes” became their artistically greatest work and achieved Platinum status within four months. Petty transformed the anger from his past into the drive that he and his band needed to earn their well-deserved success.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers convey a message throughout all of their songs similar to that of “I Won’t Back Down.” Though there is unmistakable pain in his life, Tom Petty writes very artistic and romantic songs. He ultimately communicates through his music the often sad realities of life: the joys and the disappointments, the triumphs and the battles; and he communicates his determination to overcome the unfortunate aspects of life.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreaker’s ambition and determination is clearly defined in their song “I Won’t Back Down.” The title and the first line undoubtedly states his motive. Petty expresses his assertion that whatever the situation and the fear he may have, he will thrust it aside and persevere, “You could stand me up at the gates of hell, but I won’t back down.” Petty, as he proved throughout his life, again confirms that he will fight against the injustices that are evident in this vindictive world, “Well I know what’s right, I got just one life in a world that keeps on pushin’ me around…” Petty plainly explains that there are no simple alternatives to reaching a solution and you just have to face the difficulties, “Hey baby, there ain’t no easy way out…”

“I Won’t Back Down”

Well I won’t back down, no I won’t back down
You can stand me up at the gates of hell
But I won’t back down

Gonna stand my ground, won’t be turned around
And I’ll keep this world from draggin’ me down
Gonna stand my ground and I won’t back down

Hey baby, there ain’t no easy way out
Hey I will stand my ground
And I won’t back down.

Well I know what’s right, I got just one life
In a world that keeps on pushin’ me around
But I’ll stand my ground and I won’t back down

Hey baby there ain’t no easy way out
Hey I will stand my ground
And I won’t back down
No, I won’t back down

Hypnopaedia

"One can make a difference." Today, with the growing problems in the world from the energy crisis to poverty and natural disasters, a great number people have developed the mentality that their efforts to make the world a better place are futile. The idea that one man cannot create a change is evident. The world must leave this thought behind and take action. Each person must come to a realization that even though their voice is small, they have the strength to bring about change. There are always people in the world who think like you. So, we must find those people by speaking out about what we believe in, and, together, we can make a difference. Just by letting our small voice be heard, we can join together with others who want to make the world a better place.

Dramatic Monologue

I am alone in this Brave New World.

Why am I different from the rest?
I do not belong to these guidelines and rules.

Do they have to stare at me as I walk by them?

They judge me and why I look different.

They all have their own opinions,

but I hear most say alcohol was mistakenly dropped in my blood-surrogate.

Oh Ford! How dare they say such absurdities.

Cannot one be slightly different from the rest?

Must they comment and remark on my smaller size.

So what if I do not enjoy playing Obstacle Golf!

And so what if I am alone most of the time!

Oh, if only everyone knew what I suffer!

I wish that Lenina would notice me for once.

Henry Foster speaks of her 'as a piece of meat.'

He wants to give her away for his friends to 'try.'

Ford, how I hate them!

I do not want a gramme of soma.

Ford, I should like to kill him!

Their laughs are taunting as they shout,

"A gramme is better than a damn!"

These women that give themselves so freely,

like the ones that follow Helmholtz around constantly.

I disagree with their carelessness, but I must admit I am jealous of him.

They never follow me or beg to go out with me.

Oh, but Lenina will accompany me to the Savage Reservation.

Lenina is different and special.

Different from the rest of this world.

I don't understand what the world is becoming.

The structure and the rules are an annoyance.

I know no other world but I hate these rules.

They are absurd!

The Directors do not allow such differences as myself.

They warn me time and again of my transference to Iceland.

Do they really believe that I will be frightened by that?

Do they think my life will be miserable there?

They really do not know that my life might be easier there,

with no one whom I would be forced to converse with,

with no soma and no feelies and no judgement from others.

Maybe I should go to this desolate island and leave this world behind,

this Brave New World of fear and shame,

this world of soma to mask the pain of reality.

Allusion Paragraph

In All the King’s Men, Robert Penn Warren utilizes allusions to reveal specific and unique ideas about the characters of Cass Mastern and Jack Burden. Warren alludes to Cassandra from Greek mythology to portray the relationship between Cass and Jack. In Greek mythology, the son god, Apollo granted Cassandra the power to foretell the future, but then she was punished with the curse that no one would believe her. In a way, Cass Mastern represents Cassandra for Jack. As a history student, Jack studies the life of his ancestor Cass, and while struggling to find meaning and understanding, Jack eventually comes to a realization of his own life and each individual’s significance in the world. From Jack’s research of his ancestor’s life, he creates his theory of life: “ He [Cass] learned that the world is like and enormous spider web and if you touch it , however lightly, at any point, the vibration ripples to the remotest perimeter and the drowsy spider feels the tingle…” Warren alludes to Telemachus, from The Odyssey, to show the father and son relationships throughout the novel through the archetypical father figures in Jack’s life. In The Odyssey, Telemachus was left responsible for his mother when his father when on his epic journey. Telemachus conflicted with the many suitors of his mother. Each suitor competed for his mother’s hand in an archery competition. Finally, one man prevailed in the feat and Telemachus did not immediately recognize that the man was, in fact, his father. Like Telemachus, Jack struggles with recognizing and accepting the father figures in his life. Although Judge Irwin was always in his life as a sort of father figure, it wasn’t until halfway through his life that Jack discovered that his father was really the Judge: “All during the meal it had been old times, which was another tribute to me…Old times, just before dessert, worked around how I used to make models with him.”

All the King's Men Found Poem

somebody looked into the inky-black night

in a hope of finding a little salvation from the whir of life

the soundless white haze that floats above the water

the uncertainty that prickles in an effortless motion

the lightning kept forking out of the dark

reaching for the undernourished possibilities

a glossy, new passage is at hand

like the vastness of the sea with all its fishes

the first unlocked door is opened

it is bare and unanswered

or it is a kingdom with infinite depth

it is shapeless and droopy as an unfulfilled dream

or it is soundlessly humming in beautiful hope

Long Day's Journey Into Night- Biographical Criticism

Jillian Palmer
AP English
Often times, in a piece of literature, the author’s own experiences, whether it be triumphs or tragedies, reflect in the lives and experiences of the characters of the work. In Long Day’s Journey Into Night, Eugene O’Neill’s history and life closely mirrors the life of Edmund Tyrone. Through the Tyrone family, O’Neill accurately portrays his own family members and their dysfunctional lives. In the context of O’Neill’s work, he, again, displays similar childhood and adolescent experiences. From Edmund’s college experiences to his adult life, O’Neill reveals the similarity of experiences in his own adult life. Through O’Neill’s portrayal of the Tyrone family, his own life is revealed in spectacularly accurate detail.
Through biographical criticism, it is observed that while uniquely dysfunctional, Edmund’s and O’Neill’s family members mirror the other’s identically. O’Neill, like Edmund, was born into a severely dysfunctional family. Each member of their families suffered from his or her own disorder and struggle. Like Edmund’s mother in the play, O’Neill’s mother also suffered from a drug addiction. Their mothers’ problems destroyed both families foundations and contributed to much of the dysfunction. Their brothers were severe alcoholics and acted as poor influences in their lives. Edmund followed in the foot steps of his failure of a brother, who, himself, had no positive influence. O’Neill, also, after encouragement from his brother, joined the stage life and began his unstable life. These two families were both led by fathers who loved the theatre more than his family. Edmund’s and O’Neill’s fathers pulled their families after them as they struggled to become successful actors. Both of them, however, were futile in their attempts. Their fathers were not “family men, but men with families.”
O’Neill’s and Edmund’s childhood and adolescent years were filled with instability and uncertainty. They spent their days and nights, not in homes, but in different hotels, while their fathers acted. The absence of a home caused disorder and turmoil. Edmund’s mother complains to his father about never having a home: “Even traveling with you season after season, with week after week of one-night stands, in trains without Pullmans, in dirty rooms of filthy hotels, eating bad food, bearing children in hotel rooms…” O’Neill explained a similar situation to a reporter in 1932, “Usually a child has a regular, fixed home, but you might say I started as a trouper. I knew only actors and the stage. My mother nursed me in the wings and in dressing rooms.” O’Neill and Edmund both attended numerous boarding schools, when they received an education at all.
Even O’Neill’s and Edmund’s adult lives seem to be very similar. O’Neill, after being suspended from Princeton for a prank, took many different job opportunities; however, most of them failed. He began searching for gold in Central America, took many clerical jobs, fell destitute for times, drinking his days away at a local bar “Jimmy-The-Priest’s”, and finally returned to his love, the sea, as a seaman for an American line. When he no longer craved an adventurous lifestyle, he settled down for a more quiet lifestyle. Edmund desired this lifestyle, as well. After he was expelled from his prominent university, Edmund took up many jobs and found his love for the sea: “ God, Papa, ever since I went to sea and was on my own, and found out what hard work was, and what it felt like to be broke, and starve, and camp on park benches because I had no place to sleep…” Finally, both O’Neill’s and Edmund’s lives were crippled with tuberculosis. O’Neill spent six months in a sanatorium. In the sanatorium, O’Neill became a avid reader and artist. Although, the play ends before the audience discovers Edmund’s fate, all can predict that he spends time in a sanatorium, in order to regain his health.
O’Neill’s own life percolates through to his various works, like Long Day’s Journey Into Night. In his works and his life, O’Neill reveals the idea that a family is not always ordinary and normal, and most often, families are very unique and dysfunctional. Each individual family unit has struggles and obstacles and triumphs, as well. The members may not get along, but because they experience these ups and downs together, they embrace a measure of respect for each other. Although they may feel hatred toward one another for their faults, the love and respect that they have for them will always be superior.

Work Cited
1. "Eugene O'Neill." American Writers: A Collection of Literary Biographies. Vol. 3. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1974. Literature Resource Center. Gale. LEE COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM. 21 Sept. 2008.

overwhelmed confusion

Worried faces and their languid bodies
Rushing around in fear.
Throughout the day, their minds wander,
Questioning the future four years.

Feeling overwhelmed and behind,
Never experiencing respite.
The anxiety must have a conclusion,
But sadly not one in sight.