Nature is what we see

This past month I found my favorite poem and it is called Nautre Is What We See by Emily Dickenson. This poem would have to be my favorite poem because Dickenson it gives us a different perspective on the extensiveness of nature. Dickenson makes us think about how we perceive nature ourselves, what we hear, what we see, and finally what we know and how little it is compared to its full meanings. This poem yet short is packed with literary meaning, imagery with pictures and sound, metaphors comparing the sound of a little cricket and the roar of thunder, two very different things, and diction the way she uses Nay, as “nature” is one of her friends.  Everyone should ask themselves these questions and interpret them for themselves after reading the poem. I also really like DIckensons poetry she has a very calming effect on my mind, she makes things so relaxing. Her imadgery is very vivid and beautiful. Below is the link to to the poem if any of you are interested: http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/nature-is-what-we-see/

HIGH SCHOOL, the lessons, the life, the rewards.

To everyone in our class, I think we can all relate to some very common thoughts. The first being, "Woo hoo, we're done!", the second being, "What am I going to do in life now.", and finally, "Gee, we sure did learn a lot in high school." Not only in high school do you learn a lot about liturature, math, history and the very general academic things, things which are all very rewarding, but you also learn a lot about yourself, and the journey you have finally, hopefully, finished. Now I could go into what the 4 years were like step by step but instead I think I should just get to the point. At the end of this long journey, now, we all come out of this place productive memebers of socety ready to go onto the next steps of our lives, ready to learn more, and ready to gain the rewards of a new journey in our future. High school has changed everyone, this is a great reward, we know what we were then and what we are now and how much we have changed for the better. Some rewards we can use when we move on to college are the skill of managing our study life and social life, something everyone has had to learn to balance. Its crazy for me writing this right now, its really making me think about all the great times high school has brought me. That is probably one of the biggest rewards we can all take from high school, we have all made memories at or around Los Osos High that will never be taken from us. It has truly been an honor to go to school at Los Osos. And finally good luck to everyone in their future joureys, may the rewards be great.
-Kyle Fischer

Because I Could Not Stop For Death Analysis

In class last week we had to write an analysis on the philospohical and sociological merit in this poem and analyze Dickensons opinion on life. As I sat in class leausurly glossing over the poem I thought to my self, "Ehh another assessment, another poem" but then as I kept glossing over it a couple of things connected for me in the poem. First off Dickenson looks at life as a thing to be lived to its fullest, with of course the possiblility of death at any time. She talks about death so comfortably that it almost seems like she has come to terms that eventuially "Death will stop for her" but until that day she will do nothing less with her life, she wont stop loving the life she lives just because the thought of death may slow her down. And another thing I found quite interesting was the fact that Dickenson talks about death in such a calm, nice manner, something, or in this case someone that is taking her on an new adventure. She talks about going into "eternity", like after death there is another life to be lived in "immortality." If you think about it, this is a pretty cool poem, she gives you a feeling that nobody should stop for the inevitable death to get you and when it finally does come, embrace it.
-Kyle Fischer

What I Read That Mattered

What I Read That Mattered

                Hopefully when I’m looking back on this letter in the following years I remember all the “reading” I did in high school. I want to remember looking back at spark notes for all the reading that I didn’t do, and all the books that I should have read an I managed not to read at all but make it by in the class and still get a good grade. I’m sure the teacher reading this is snarling at this letter trying to think of all the way that they could eliminate spark notes from the internet and make their classes harder. But in fact through all the spark notes, I did read some books. I enjoyed the transition of books that I read from a freshman to a senior, the books not only got deeper, but they applied more to your life as you grew older and you life’s decisions began to transition. Freshmen year my favorite book was The Alchemist, now yes this book was the first book we read going into high school but it was a nice easy read that portrayed your future to you, at that point you were young in life and waiting for your future. Sophomore year the books weren’t all that interesting, but they did get deeper and made you think more. Junior year, the book that I liked the most was Walden, this book was a very refreshing book it let you look at the simpler things in life and help you look at the more important things. And finally senior year, this year Mrs. Elliott defiantly knew how to pick readings that directly applied to seniors, they all consisted of a journey that opened up your perspectives to the future and made you realize that right now you really are at a crossroads in your life and things are going to be changing a lot. The one for the year would have to be The Poisonwood Bible that book defiantly symbolized a crossroads in life and a change in those people’s lives that was defiantly significant, much like our lives right now. I really enjoyed this transition from year to year and the transition through them. I guess I will remember my memories with my English teachers more than the books that I read over the years. Anyone have any thoughts or opinions on this subject as well?

-Kyle Fischer

The Old Man and the Sea

Hemingway, Ernest. (The Old Man and the Sea) New York: Scribner Paperback Fiction, 1995. , 122pg
Reviewed by Kyle Fischer, Los Osos High School, Rancho Cucamonga, CA

This previous week I read the book, The Old Man and the Sea, by Ernest Hemingway. In the beginning of the book we meet our main characters, Santiago and Manolin. We learn that since the old man hasn’t caught a fish in 84 days he is ridiculed by the other fishermen. The young boy has a strong compassion for the old man and doesn’t like it when the other fishermen ridicule him so the boy offers to buy a beer for both of them. This tells us that the young boy will serve as an advocate for the old man and that they will develop a strong bond.

In telling the story Old Man and the Sea, Hemmingway uses visual imagery and symbolism. On the 85th fishless day the man wakes up and sets out to his skiff with high hopes of catching a big fish to show the other fishermen. Hemmingway makes a reference to the old man’s faith and to his Catholic religion. Previously the old man had set up boundaries that he knew that his skiff must stay within. But this day the old man chose to remove the boundaries and rely on his faith. After passing the boundaries the old man almost immediately catches two little flying fish then hooks a massive marlin. When the old man catches the marlin he says in his head that he is going to catch this fish or die trying. This marlin takes the man on a journey of a lifetime, a three day adventure at sea. This symbolizes mankind in its daily struggle. The lesson here is that if we remove the boundaries that confine us, good things may happen in life.

After hooking the marlin, the biggest fish he has ever caught, the man realizes that he does not have the proper tools to bring in the fish. Hemmingway creates a metaphor of the old man as a martyr just like Christ. The man has to hold the fishing lines with his bare hands and cuts his palms giving the reader the image of Christ suffering his stigmata. The stigmata is scars that Christ received when he had nails driven into his palms and feet at his crucifixion. The old man fights the battle for 3 days and towards the end of the journey the old man finally gets the fish and kills the fish. It was so big that the man had to troll the fish behind the skiff. On the way back the old man starts to feel guilty for killing the magnificent fish. He feels this way because along this journey the old man grew an alliance with the fish, after all, the fish is his savior. About half way back to the island the man encounters sharks and they devour the fish before the man could kill them. After the sharks devour the magnificent marlin, the old man realizes that he should have left it alive in the sea. The marlin now becomes the martyr just like the old man.

Eventually, the man gets the fish back to shore but is too tired to tend to it. He leaves the skeleton at the dock and shuffles home with the mast across his back and he has to stop 5 times before he finally reaches his home. When he gets home he gets a cup of water and passes out on the bed with his palms up and head down. This again symbolizes Christ carrying the crucifix and then suffering on the cross with his head down and his palms up nailed to the cross. In the final pages of the book we find the man being tended to by the young boy, Manolin, just as Christ is tended to by his disciples.

It is said by people that when Hemmingway wrote Old Man and the Sea it was towards the end of his writing career. In the book, the old man symbolizes Hemmingway’s struggles to write a good book and how he was being criticized by his peers. At the time he steps out of his boundaries to write something beautiful and it is destroyed by critics in the story those would symbolize the sharks that destroy the marlin. In a nutshell, the book illustrates his life and his struggles just like the old man’s in the book. I think that the book, Old Man and the Sea, is an amazing book that people should take the time to read.



-Kyle Fischer