Songs of Holy Marry

7. This is quite the interesting song. It tells the story of an abbess (a nun who leads other nuns) who has sex with her servant and gets pregnant. Nuns, especially those who are high up and are meant to set an example, are not allowed to have get married or have sex. In fact, because the sex is out of wedlock it is doubly a sin. She is very loyal to the virgin Mary though so when she gets in trouble with the arch bishop, she prays and the virgin Mary essentially aborts her child and send it to France so the abbess will not get punished. I suppose the theme of this is that as long as you are loyal to the virgin Mary, she will help you out in tough situations, even if you're at fault. Perhaps because Marry is the moderator between God, and humans, she understands that humans are imperfect? It is very interesting how Mary really does essentially abort this child, and although it is supposedly still living, Mary just makes the "problem" go away. It is kind of crazy that Mary values loyalty more then she values virtue. This song kind of makes it seem like you can get away with almost anything as long as you are loyal to Mary.

26. This is the story of how a man cheats on his wife, so the devil tricks him into cutting his own penis off and killing him self only to end up in hell. Because the man is loyal to Mary, she sees this punishment as too much. She lets the man live, but does not give his penis back. The theme of this song, or moral rather, teaches the reader the dangers of cheating on your spouse, and the sin of sex out of wedlock. It is interesting how he does get saved in a sense because of his loyalty to Mary, yet he is still punished. When a lead nun got pregnant from sex in the previous song, Mary took all of her problems away with no punishment at all. Could this be because she was a women and this is a man? Is that why he doesn't get away scott free? They committed a very, very similar sins, why are they not treated as equals? The fact that the women was a nun is not a reason for Mary to take favor over her. In fact it makes her sin even worse. There seems to be some sexism going on here. In the previously mentioned song the nuns sex with her servant was essentially blamed on the devil. Couldn't the devil make the man cheat as well or are men just pig, and women always innocent? Is the penis seen as the devil inside of the man and that's why it was removed? It is also interesting that there is a sentence that essentially attributes these punishments, not to the action of cheating it self, but to the absence of going to confession after committing the sin. Can anyone do anything and just have a clean slate from going to confession right away?

Troubadour / Trobairitz Poetry

From the women trobairitz songs I choose "I." to speak about. What I find most interesting about this song is that the poet compliments her love so much before revealing at the very end that her love has betrayed her. It is interesting that although it seems as if her love has cheated on her, she still desires him and compliments him so much. Does she feel as if she has less power compared to him, so she sugarcoats her complaints, or does she truly love him so much that she is really that forgiving? There seems to be some sort of class difference here too. She mentions how her love is the noblest of men. Perhaps she feels powerless to a man of a higher social status, so she continues to compliment him. At the end she begs for help. It seems she has been taken advantage of by a "higher up" who she continues to compliment out of fear.

From the men troubadour songs I choose "26" to speak about. This song is about a man who falls in love with a women who refuses to love him back. Once again, I get the impression that this women is of a higher class status then the man, so there is a literal social awkwardness between them. The women has all of the power in this situation. The man is lost in her, and she seems to see the man simply as an annoyance and nothing more. He mentions that he is giving up on women, and he says he knows that they are all the same. He says he will run away, but will still be in pain. He almost seems suicidal. It is interesting how much power this woman has over a man she may not even recognize as existent. He makes a reference to narcissist mentioning that he saw him self in her eyes which then made him go mad. I wonder if there could also be a possibility of sexual innuendo when he says "I beheld myself in you."

Over all between the male and female songs, there are mostly similarities. It seems as if both write about unrequited love, and while both are extremely upset, they each gain happiness just from thinking of their love. It seems that they all have intense mood swings, and that they are all a bit crazy. There also seem to be class structure disputes throughout. Overall the men seem more dramatic. They seem more like "I am going to kill my self for this women," while the women seem more like "I'm pretty sad."

Arabic Poetry

1) Address two themes / ideas raised Ibn Hazm's "The Dove's Necklace" that interest you. How do these themes relate to the overall ideas of love that you find in this reading.

The first theme I would like to address is the theme that love is synonymous with pain. Hazm goes over many ways that love can be very painful. He describes how dreams of love can haunt people, how expectations of those unseen can turn out terrible. Hazm attributes fighting as a natural part of true love. He also describes how love can make many people paranoid. In one passage, Hazm even compared love to mental illness. This is not to say that Hazm doesn't describe the glorious parts of love as well. He goes on and on about the positive, and beautiful aspects of love. His portrayal of love from numerous perspectives (not just the blissful ones) makes true love seem more realistic, more part of life. In this way, he defines what love truly is. In a way this makes love ever more beautiful. The contrast in live between good and bad is truly the only think that allows good to even exist. He approaches love from a very realist point of view. My favorite display of this balance that is love and that is life, is when Hazm describes how ice burns skin just as fire does, and tears come from both joy and sadness.

2) How do the themes raised in "The Dove's Necklace" carry over into the poetry? Address at least two specific poems.

In the poems, this theme of shedding light on loves negative portrayal is also seen. In the last poem, labeled 9, the poet goes on and on about how love has brought him pain. The poet is forever separated from his lover. Perhaps his lover is dead. As a result, even though he his in love, he feels great pain. In the poem labeled F, Hazm speaks of sleeplessness from being in love, and in the poem labeled F, Hazm speaks about how the only moment he truly lived was when he kissed his love for a brief moment. All other life seems thus dreadful in comparison. Once again, the poets are not only negative about love. We are simply presented with negative perspectives so we can see the balance and hard work that is love. In the poem labeled H, we see a brighter perspective, where Hazm is simply grateful that he is on the same planet as his loved one. Poems A and C speak of the true blissfulness that is love. The negative side of love is simply portrayed in order to display the contrast that is real life.

1) Address two themes / ideas raised Ibn Hazm's "The Dove's Necklace" that interest you. How do these themes relate to the overall ideas of love that you find in this reading.

The second theme I would like to discuss is that of possible homosexual connotations. Perhaps I am reading into it too much, but from my point of view, I feel as if both "The Dove's Necklace" and the poetry have homosexual connotations. In "The Dove's Necklace," Hazm speaks of love, but it is not until the very end that he involves any trace of love having to do with just a man and a women. He even gives examples of how he has fallen in love with noble men through writing letters. In some instances the love fell apart, in others it lasted. Perhaps these are just his good friends, and once again I am over analyzing, yet Hazm is certainly not against homosexuality. He repetitively uses general words in sentence like "when a man falls in love with someone" (just an example, not an actual quote). It seems intentional that Hazm is cluing to the fact that all kinds of love between two people is acceptable.

2) How do the themes raised in "The Dove's Necklace" carry over into the poetry? Address at least two specific poems.

In the poems, the poets often talks about falling in love with "him". Hazm talks about not being able to take his eyes off of "him" in poem D. In F he talks about how he will never name his male love. In H he speaks of the joy he finds in the fact that his male love is on the same planet. In the first poem, labeled 4, the poet describes a male figure in beautiful ways that are metaphors to nature. It almost seems as if there was a general overall acceptance of homosexuality.

METAMORPHOSES by OVID Books 1 and 3

I will be discussing one of my own topics for book one, and answering one of your questions for book three.

The largest shock in book one, at least to me, was when Jupiter raped Io. Immediately in the beginning of the text we are told that Jupiter is not that great. He marks the end of the golden age, and rules during the lesser silver age. During this silver age the weather becomes more harsh and less temperate. Summer and winter are formed. It doesn't necessarily give a reason as to why Jupiter forms these new seasons, but I assume it is just because he is a mediocre god. Later in the text, Jupiter captures innocent Io and rapes her. His wife comes down from the heavens to catch him, but he quickly turns Io into a cow, and lies to his wife's face. He covers up that fact that he raped Io. Io then suffers for years in the form of a cow, unable to speak, all because Jupiter wanted sex. There are even more mentions later in the text of Jupiter cheating on, and tricking his wife. The gods in Metamorphoses are very different then those in The Odyssey. As it is, the only god in The Odyssey who seemed a little bit unfair, still had justification to act as such. Jupiter has no justification except for lust, and I don't think that should even count. He is a reckless god, that does not serve as a good example for humans.

5. Deceptively simplistic question: With what or whom does Narcissus fall in love? What is the problem with this? Many writers see in this myth the foundation of love found in all relationships (I would agree!) - what does the myth have to tell us about human desire?

Narcissus does not truly fall in love with himself. At least not at any deep level. He only falls in love with his own physical appearance. To prove the shallow nature of his love even further, one must also analyze his interaction with the echo. The echo is his own voice, his personality. He runs away from this. He is not at all inserted in a relationship with his personality, nor does he seem to like it. Shortly after running away from his voice, Narcissus falls in love with his own physical reflection. The problem with this is that what he feels is not truly love, rather it is lust. This myth is making a statement about how human desire is only skin deep. Perhaps for some people this is true. It is at least true at the beginning stages of many relationship, before the couple truly gets to know each other. That's why there is supposedly such thing as love at first sight.

Plato: The Republic

2nd Passage

In the second passage we were assigned to read, I find it interesting that the characters are discussing the problems between the rich and poor social classes. The idea that only a small precent of the population has a great majority of the wealth is still a pressing issue, especially recently with the occupy movement. I find it especially interesting that there are hints to the idea of shared wealth in the text. They are talking about democracy, yet there is an undertone of socialism. Democracy and socialism are two things that now a days, are never put next to each other.

The characters speak of true equality in government, and in life. This true life equality leads to the though of financial equality. Financial equality is something that still don't exist at all, yet it was though of so long ago (when financial equality is mentioned, many people call it socialism and dismiss it right away). The Republic also speaks of women's and children's rights. Women still are not completely equal in our "democracy", and children are not equal at all, especially not in the school system where time and time again court cases prove that children have limited rights in school.

3rd Passage

In this passage the characters discuss democracy not only as a form of government, but as a way of life. It is interesting how the characters go through an entire man's life, and point out all of his potential flaws and strong points. They even give reasons why each may exist. They mention bad parenting as a reason why many people end up flawed human beings. They essentially go on to describe how the principals in democracy can be applied to ones life, in order to make them better. This form of democracy is more then just government, it is a way of life. This once again is reminiscent of socialism. A way of life, true equality, government for the good of the people, people acting for the good of the whole. While that may be true, the most important thing is the sense of balance that is portrayed in the text. To much of anything is bad, and not just one thing will work. A balance of all ideals is imperative.

Question:

What context is this in? Is this a manuscript of actual meetings, or a story? What is the background info? It is hard to tell just reading excerpts.

Odyssey, Books 20-24

3. The symbolism of the bed

Penelope uses the bed that she shares with Odysseus, as Odysseus' last test. She wants to be sure that the man standing before her, truly is her husband, back after twenty years. She instructs one of her servants to move the bed, knowing that it is impossible to do so. Odysseus immediately makes this clear, describing how the bed is impossible to move. "Who could move my bed? Impossible task..." Odysseus then goes on to describe how he build the bed him self as he recalls all of its fine details. Penelope now knows that this is truly Odysseus. No one knows that bed as well as Odysseus does. No one has ever laid in it with Penelope, aside from Odysseus. Here is the symbolism. The bed represents Penelope's loyalness. She never let anyone lay beside her in Odysseus' absence, that is why she is so sure that Odysseus is the only one who truly knows the bed; That is how she knows that Odysseus is truly standing before her. Back when the suitors plagued the house, the bed used to represent a goal for the suitors. They all wanted to lay with Penelope. It represented extreme lust in the suitors' minds. Now, with the suitors gone and Odysseus back in his rightful place of power, the bed once again represents the love and between Odysseus and Penelope, and the loyalness that Penelope has show when Odysseus was gone. The bed is for them two, and no one else. That will never change, nor will their love for each other. Their feelings will never shift, just has the bed will never move.

4. The resolution of the final book

I didn't expect the poem to end so abruptly. After spending only one night with Penelope, Odysseus is off with his son and servants to visit his father. This makes sense, but why didn't he bring along Penelope? He has spent hardly any time with her. Then suitors' loved ones then try to kill Odysseus in yet another battle, but Athena stops it all and demands peace. So peace just like that? Not questions asked? Why couldn't this happen during other events in the poem? Is it just because Zeus finally wants to grant peace? Why now? Is it just to end the poem? I am sure the suitors' loved ones are still angry. Do they just fear the gods so much that they decide to instantly listen, or do they except peace because the instigator of this last violent out break, and their leader, Eupithes, is killed immediately? All of this doesn't bother me that much I suppose. The suitors are dead, Odysseus is again the ruler, the gods declare peace. What really bothers me is the absence of Odysseus' last journey. "...we have still not reached the end of our trials. One more labor lies in store-boundless, laden with danger, great and long, and I must brave it out from start to finish." Odysseus then goes on to describe the journey that the prophet in the house of death instructed him to go on: go far inland, pant his oar, make sacrifices to Poseidon, and so on. I feel that this is very important, and it is just left out. When will Odysseus go one this journey. What is peacefully Ithaca like? What will come of Telemachus? The poem kind of just ends, and I am not sure how I feel about that. It's as if there are some books missing or something.

Odyssey, Books 15-20

1. Meeting of father and son, hiding identity from Eumaeus

When Telemachus and Odysseus first met face to face, Telemachus was hesitant. Once Odysseus convinces Telemachus that he is the young prince's father, Telemachus embraces his father, as if he has known him all of his life. They go on to plan the suitors demise, and their future; father and son working together, as if they have been doing so all of their lives. Their instantly close bond may be surprising at first, but in a way Telemachus has always know Odysseus. "All of my life I've heard of your great fame." When Athena had Telemachus tour the world earlier in the poem, it way to help him learn of his father. He heard many long stories about his Odysseus, from ones that were close to him. Telemachus heard stories that Penelope, Odysseus' own wife, still doesn't know (at this point). Perhaps a reason why Athena had Telemachus learn so much about his father, was so when Telemachus does finny meet Odysseus, they do not spend time dwelling on the past, rather, they build their future. Odysseus hiding his identity is imperative if he wants his plan to test the suitors innocence, then ambush the guilty, to go perfectly. Word spreads fast, as we see when word gets to the suitors that Telemachus has come back.

3. Odysseus's test of the suitors

I found it rather interesting that Odysseus is testing the suiters and the servants of the house by seeing how they treat him in this disguised form of a beggar. It is interesting to me because I feel as if it is a test of Odysseus, just as much as it is a test of anyone else. Sure, Odysseus needs to see if any suitors will treat him well, and thus show a reason to be spared. While this is useful for Odysseus, one must not forget, Odysseus is not purposefully in this disguise. The disguise is all Athena's doing. She is making Odysseus look like a beggar, as if it is his last and final test. He has been a strong man all his life, but for once, he sees everything from a different perspective. He has harmed innocent people in the past, but now he is the innocent person being harmed. Athena purposefully makes the suiters harass Odysseus many times through out the chapter, just to test Odysseus more. "But Athena had no mind to let the brazen suitors hold back now from their heart-rending insults-she means to make the anguish cut deeper into the core of Laertes' son Odysseus." Time and time again, Athena prompts the suiters to become brash, and violent, so Odysseus can know what it feels like to be lower then anyone.

Not only does Athena's work test Odysseus, but it seems to test Telemachus' leadership skills as well. In these books more then any, Telemachus both recognizes him self as a man more, and is a better leader then he ever was. He says to his mother "the boy you knew is gone." Telemachus' reactions to the violent actions of the suitors against his own father, are so well constructed, and so well spoken with confidence, that the suitors actually start to listen to the young prince. A suitor even says this after Telemachus speaks: "Fair enough, my friends; when a man speaks well we have no grounds for wrangling, no cause for abuse." In fact, another suitor says the same thing again later on, as if they are starting to respect Telemachus. Telemachus standing up for his father (who is disguised as a beggar) is testing his leadership, and earning his respect, while simultaneously teaching Odysseus one last lesson.