Winter: A Dirge by Robert Burns

The wintry west extends his blast,

And hail and rain does blaw;

Or the stormy north sends driving forth

The blinding sleet and snaw:

While, tumbling brown, the burn comes down,

And roars frae bank to brae;

And bird and beast in covert rest,

And pass the heartless day.

"The sweeping blast, the sky o'ercast,"

The joyless winter day

Let others fear, to me more dear

Than all the pride of May:

The tempest's howl, it soothes my soul,

My griefs it seems to join;

The leafless trees my fancy please,

Their fate resembles mine!

Thou Power Supreme, whose mighty scheme

These woes of mine fulfill,

Here firm I rest; they must be best,

Because they are Thy will!

Then all I want--O do Thou grant

  This one request of mine!--

Since to enjoy Thou dost deny,

Assist me to resign.

"What I like in a good author is not what he says, but what he whispers." ~Logan Pearsall Smith

The idea Smith tries to convey is similar to the previous quote I have commented on.  He states that he appreciates the skill of a writer  that is not derived from the obvious context of the text, but rather the underlying meaning.  In his eyes, anyone can write what he "says" with text with a singular meaning, but it takes ability to write what he "whispers" with text with multiple subliminal meanings and interpretations.

For the most part, I do agree with Smith's beliefs on this subject.  I do appreciate those who are able to write a piece with multiple meanings and underlying messages giving them slightly more praise than those who write one-dimensionally.  However, this does not necessarily mean that those who write straightforwardly are without ability as their work has value for different uses than those of multi-faceted writing.       

Memorable Short Story

A short story that has left a lasting impression on me is W. W. Jacob's The Monkey's Paw.  In the story, one is granted three wishes if they possess the monkey's paw.  However, something is usually lost in exchange for the wish.  For example, when the main character wished for money, he received it in the form of compensation for his son's on-the-job death.  

This is meant to ingrain the idea of a set fate and that if one tried to escape it, they would be punished for such an attempt.  I am not quite sure if there is fate or not seeing that we live in the here and do not have any foresight.  By being trapped in the here and now, we cannot truly know if we have "free will".  However, if there is indeed a predetermined fate, than there was at least one decision made by someone or something in the "beginning" and everything that has occurred up until now are simply the effects of the decision.  In this case, "free will" is an illusion that has been put before us by the effects of the first decision.       

So how do we deal with this quandary?  Well I think you should try your best not to concern yourself with it as you really can't know for sure.  But of course, if the effects of the decision compel you to discover the answer, than there's not much I can do for you, can I?

Do you think young people today value their education as much as Sara Smolinsky does? Why or why not?

Sara Smolinsky was excited about and greatly valued the education she was receiving in college.  I believe that in today's world many people see education differently.  Often times young people take education is often taken for granted and see it as a "chore" that they are forced to do in order to better there future.  Education is merely a means to an end for numerous individuals.  

Many do not have the "hunger for knowledge" that Sara displayed numerous times in the novel.  They go to class not out of the drive to learn, but because they "have to".  That excitement Sara had when she was learning a topic is often non-existent in many of the students of today.  Since young people are not as driven to have an education, they will therefore give it a lesser value.       

"There's nothing hard about writing.  All you have to do is sit down and open up a vein."

- Walter "Red" Smith

I believe this quote by Walter "Red" Smith is true when it comes to writing well.  Writing in general is not difficult, but if someone wants to create a good piece of writing, it will not be an easy process.  Anyone can write garbage with little to no effort, but writing worthwhile is much more difficult.     

Bread Givers

During our group's discussion, we spoke of the Father's role in his family and his beliefs.  He fancies himself as a pious holy man who is the "light" of his community and family.  I believe he uses this status as an excuse to extort and take advantage of his wife and daughters.  The man does not earn any money and relies on others for an income.  

The father is naive and refuses to take the blame even when he is clearly at fault as he did when two of his daughter were married to two swindlers.  Instead of realizing his mistake in the judgement of the men, he blamed his daughters for not realizing that they were liars.  I greatly sympathize with them and hope that Sarah's decision to run away will turn out to be a smart one.  I enjoy reading this book and am anxious to see what happens next.