Romeo and Juliet Act 1 Scene 1

Dear Friend,

I have just recently started to read Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. I really like it so far. The language is so beautiful, even if he is saying something completely vulgar. When I was reading Romeo's monologues about Rosaline I could not help but be moved. The text is so witty and flowy it makes me feel as if I'm standing there talking to Romeo and feeling his pain. He is by far my favorite character so far.

So far one thing I've noticed that you really have to do to to understand it, you have to read carefully and thoroughly through each line and really use the definitions on the side of the page. They help a lot with understanding the main points of whats going on and convert it into modern day language. It makes it pretty easy to read at least for me.

I can't wait until I meet Juliet. I've seen the movie a ton of times and I either fall in love with some characters again or hate them even more than i did. Like Tybalt for example, every time he seems to get worse and worse. Everythign about this play is exciting. There is romance, betrayal, hatred, and so many other things that make it wonderful I can't wait to read more of it!

Sonnet (Untitled)

One of the most beloved in her life ever

You left an empty feeling in her heart

You had something they never could sever

You melted away and now you’re apart

She watched you go through all the tough harsh pain

But she couldn’t do a thing to help you

She thinks about it again and again

She’s awfully scared and knows not what to do

The little girl you taught so many things

She’s lost and only memories can help

Ever since those last lonely nights of spring

With all her desperate cries, screams, and yelps

And maybe soon she will finally dream

Then forget her troubles and childhood screams

2 Poems (3rd in post before)

What is Poetry?
Poetry is the wildest of storms
twisting words and letters

It is fire
lashing and whipping thoughts

It is the cool waters
calming your senses

And it is the wind
whisking you away
to other worlds
of unknown things

What happens to a dream deferred? 
Does it melt away like ice and snow

Or fall like a feather to the ground?

Does it sit like a watched pot and never boil?

Or does it stand proudly
at the end of a long tunnel

Maybe it piles up
because there is no space

And soon enough,
it will just be

Replaced.

New York Office by Edward Hopper

Edward Hopper was born in 1882 in Nyack New York.  He unlike most artists of his time, was a realist. People were starting to do abstract paintings but it never seemed to interest him. He studied art in New York City and his teacher Robert Henri taught him to like around there lives and to capture and see what life really was. (pg.12-13) Hopper loved this idea, something other artists didn’t want to do. Even when he went to Paris and saw some of the most amazing modern art he wasn’t very impressed with any of it. So he kept painting everyday things. (Edward Hopper by Mike Venezia)

Even though the painting above is simply of a girl at an office window I feel it is quite mysterious. The shadows and lightening of the piece give it that mystery. There are so many things for you to wonder about her. Is she happy standing there working? What could be going through her head? Is she stuck waiting for something interesting to happen feeling lost and alone.You won't ever know that's the thing, you are left to believe what ever you want but not knowing adds to the sense of mystery.

I think the coloring of the painting really helps set the mood too. The dark grays and black with very dim lighting, the use of blues and grays for the shadows is very depressing and bland yet so beautiful. I feel that if the office were bright and colorful you would not get the sense on loneliness and longing for something new, at least I wouldn’t. Even the windows of the other building are darkened and black instead of light. One thing I also noticed is how she is kind of the only light thing in the picture. I think she acts as the beacon of hope the shining light for everyone else, even though she doesn’t seem very content.

NEW YORK OFFICE

The shadows holding her in

Hiding behind her done hair

And icey blue dress

She is soft

She is caring

She is lost and alone

Waiting to be whisked away

To be torn out and found

Long gone from the dreary

Boring people

Longing for excitement

But until it comes she is stuck.

Drowning.

It's Kind of a Funny Story: Reflecting

     I am currently sitting in my bed starring at this page not knowing what to write about my book. I'm feeling overwhelmed and I would much rather forget about this and current events, get a zero, and go to sleep. To be honest I almost did. While reading It's Kind of a Funny Story -even though it is about a boy who does give up- I realized he is exactly the opposite of what I want to happen to me. Craig falls off the edge, he comes to a point in life where he thinks he can no longer manage it. Now, I've had days where I've been so stressed and told myself that I can't handle getting the work done. I'm too tired and too stressed to deal with it. But after reading this book I realized i shouldn't do that.
     I think if you tell yourself you can get your work done and finish everything no matter what you think you can. You have to push through and deal with it. It's all a learning experience. I probably have done the same thing for weeks, waiting till the very last minute to get everything done. And just like every other thursday here I am and 11:30 writing a reading response and knowing I'll be up late finishing the rest of my homework telling myself I shouldn't have put it off till now. Everyone I know has these things they wish they could change in their life. Whether it's the person they've become, bad habits they have about school like me or life in general. Yet everyone seems to not be able to break them. They are our safety points as much as they seem to be the opposite. They are the things we feel comfortable doing, going back to them day after day, week after week, year after year.
     I know people say to learn from your mistakes and most of the time i do try to. But there are some things in life you can't let go of. They may be bad but everyone has one thing that's bad for them that they always keep with them. I guess the difference between me and Craig is that he didn't try to bray these habits or change any of them. He let them sit there and build up before they got to overwhelming. You have to handle things as they come and have some sort if guide to how you want it to go, otherwise you will become completely lost.

It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini

     Reading this book has really made me realize how awful depression really is. I think overall the author really does a good job making everything seem realistic too. But everything that is going through Craig's mind all the time seems like something terrible i would never want to experience. It cycles through everything he thinks in his life he thinks is wrong like his grades, and the stress, and how he doesn't have a girlfriend, and no likes him, and he's pathetic. It's just sad. I know everyone has their ups and downs, but to feel like that every day would really suck. 

     The only thing i don't get about Craig is that he doesn't really try to fix these things. He just simply states he cannot do them. That they will never happen. I don't think this is the right outlook on life for him. I know when I'm not feeling my greatest and things seem plain awful i always try to find the best in something and it helps. I don't think everything is possible obviously it's not but you don't always have to be so down about everything. 

It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini

In my book I can really relate to Craig in some ways because i feel as if we both don't really know exactly what we want in our lives at the moment. 

    I know sometimes I feel very lost and confused about what and who I want to be or do with my friends, who I really am and it can make your brain a huge jumble of thoughts. I know I'm only 13 but i still can't help thinking about this kind of stuff. I feel like right now is when your actions really start to form you as a person. What high school you go to affects what college you go and what college you go to effects what you do in life. Which seems so far away but it can still be some what of a worry. 

     I know that Craig was very set at first. He knew where he was going to go to high school and focused on making sure he went there. But once he got there he started to question all the same things I've been questioning. Who he really was, what he wanted to be, if he could handle all the work and stress and the kind of person he wanted to become when he grew up. It is really starting to freak him out. 

     I think it's good for me to be reading this when I am because i was starting to really freak out. Seeing what is happening to Craig I realized I didn't have to be so stressed about everything. As long as I stay focused on everything that matters right now,  all the rest should play out just fine. I think if Craig just realized he needed to take one thing at a time instead of trying to do everything at once he might calm down a bit and be able to handle it all.