What Does It Mean? Mystery No More!

I loved watching this compilation of Mystery Plays performed with such gusto and enthusiasm. While watching the performances and analyzing for elements of tragedy and drama, I was especially impressed with the effect of costuming on the presentation of the stories and audience's reaction. The symbolism behind the color and fabric quality of the costumes underscored the overall themes and enhanced the amateur performances.

Here are a few specific examples of costuming choices that I feel especially added meaning to the amateur performances:
- Adam and Eve's white jumpsuits with coarse ties, which symbolized purity and innocence. Their simple costuming enhanced the performance and their naivety. Eve's hair flowers emphasized her vitality and invoked ideas of her fertility.
- Satan's costuming of a shiny outer coat with an inner green lining obviously showcased his (though the actor was a woman- interesting choice) snake like qualities and suggested that the root of his evil was found in his inner jealousy. The audience is left to wonder: why is he jealous? of whom is he jealous?
- The Lord dressed in gold to emphasize his power and royalty.
- Judas with a simple yellow scarf around his head, symbolizing cowardice and sickliness. Perhaps this was meant to invoke ideas of spiritual sickness or weakness?
- Doubting Thomas' red cloak could be interpreted in many ways. Red can symbolize anger and passion, but in this example, I thought of two symbols: (1) Thomas' weakness because of his mortality and (2) Christ's blood, which atoned for his sins and his doubts.

In an outdoor setting with amateur actors, the costuming really focuses the audience's attention to the true meaning of the stories.

When the Past Meets the Present.

Mystery plays were once a great thing in England's past; bringing communities together to teach of their bible stories in an animated way that everyone would be able to relate to and find enjoyment from.

Lost for a great time, they were sorely missed, and thus we had the rebirth of the York Mystery Plays in the past couple of decades!

The plays themselves were worked upon to try to keep the authenticity of their origins. They still included handmade backdrops of various talents, as well as costumes fitting to the portrayal of their characters. People in attendance have the option of following certain acts around, or simply wandering through the fair at their pleasing.

Combining the old and the new can be a difficult task. But, with holding to the traditions of old, such as using actors from the actors guilds, and bringing in the feeling of new, such as fresh jokes and community outreach, they've been able to succesfully transport the modern world back into an old England. 

The actors draw the audience in by almost breaking down the fourth wall, but still holding true to their characters and their scene. They also put some fresh new twists on the old stories, such as even having Satan portrayed as a woman in one act. And, as with keeping to the old, they have little side shows between the main events to tide people over and refresh their interests. 

And while these plays originally were just a community event, they've turned into an internationally acclaimed event that many people from all over love to attend.

So not only have these plays been resurrected into the twenty first century, but they've also created a whole new classic atmosphere to bring neighbors all over the world to have a historic experience.  

"Community Literature"

After having a glimpse of the York Mystery Plays made me want to time travel back to the fifteen hundred England and watch the guilds perform the traditional bible stories. I admire their intellect to use this form of entertainment to preach the gospel to those not able to read the bible for themselves. So intuitive! 

One of the most intriguing parts of watching the Mystery Plays was definitely the actors, although amateur I feel that they really took on the part of imitation or mimesis. They seemed to be quite emotional and even at times yelling. In the very beginning the audience believed that the woman representing Satan was actually him they booed him as he entered the set. Obviously the acting was not perfect, but I was impressed by their conviction to the role they took.

Also for having such a small set; such as a mere float there was a lot of movement in the plays. There was time when the actors would walk through the audience. In the last scene Satan jumps out from under the float/set. With such simple props it was innovative how they decided to use them.  The only downfall of this for me was that it was hard for me to “lose” myself in the play and truly believe it. However, I believe the audience fully enjoyed the presentation. I was surprised to hear the humor and in turn the laughter that came from the audience.

How John Sutherland says, “drama is ‘community’ literature” was proved certain in the York Mystery Plays.

Power of Pacing

The performance The Flight into Egypt done by the Foxwood Community Centre in the York Mystery Plays depicts the biblical story of the angel, Gabriel, visiting Joseph to tell him that he and Mary must flee with the baby Jesus. Unlike the other guilds that chose to use music and visual aids to engage the audience, the actors in The Flight into Egypt use purposeful humor, movement, and sound of voice to catch the audience’s interest.

The first line of the play is spoken by the angel, Gabriel, but in order to set up the scene, the audience sees Joseph working with a hammer at a table. He pauses in his hammering, looks at the audience, and wipes his brow. The audience laughs. Joseph continues to play on the audience’s sense of humor by snoring while Gabriel tries to wake him, granting Joseph more laughter. In some of the other plays, the humor that came from the performances was not from the play itself, but from mishaps. For example, God’s hat almost falls off in one performance that causes laughter in the audience. The Flight into Egypt differs in that the character portraying Joseph is acting as the audience might in their personal lives when faced with hard work and being woken up in the middle of the night.

Later, as Joseph is telling Mary to pack because they must flee, he responds to Mary’s displeasure and worry by saying –

Bere harm? No, I trow but small. But God is what I must care for all, for bed and back and all the pack that needs unto us. . .

As he continues to speak of being dependent on God, Joseph moves below the stage near the audience and walks to the donkey and back to the stage. In some of the other plays, when a character begins a long monologue, the audience is tempted to zone out, but Joseph's constant movement keeps the audience’s eyes on him. Joseph’s movement also keeps the audience from focusing on Mary’s packing in the background and diverting the attention away from his words.

At the end of the performance, Joseph, while holding the baby Jesus, speaks of how God will help them come to no harm. As Joseph speaks, his voice becomes louder and more emphatic until he is shouting. Think of when someone is in danger or in trouble, people often use a loud voice to grab their attention. The force behind Joseph’s words added to the sound of his voice, engages the audience in what he is saying and helps the audience to feel his attitude of going “with cheer”.

The dynamic nature of Joseph’s character is such that he is able to provide the humor as well as the primary message of the play - to trust in God. Interestingly, the pacing of humor, movement, and voice in the play show the audience Joseph’s character developing from a man without motivation to a man with a strong drive to do the will of God.

A Play Within a Play

The York Mystery Plays are significant theatrical presentations. Their role is not to just entertain or tell a story. In a profound way they are designed to transport us into the past, to connect an audience with the mystery plays that made such a huge impact on the history of the theater.

Mystery plays were originally performed in England by educated members of the guild to share the stories of the Bible with community members. For nearly two centuries they were enjoyed by all in the provincial areas of England. It was a community experience. The presentations were not refined, but they still made their mark on history.

The York Mystery Plays connect us to these plays in a variety of ways.The sets and costumes must feel authentic to the mystery plays of the past. They are constructed with material that would have been used at that time. Nothing about the presentation feels "real" because it would not have back then. The teetering floats and hand painted backdrops are just right.  (The only materials I am not too sure about are the metallic afros the kids are wearing at the end...)  Actors have to be aware of the fact that they aren't just playing their part in the play, they are playing the role of a 15th Century guild member playing that role in the play. So it is perfectly appropriate for them to hop down off of the cross when they are done with the scene even though it completely ruins any sort of illusion that they were actually crucified.

This connection to the past is the significance of the York Mystery Plays. It is accomplished through authenticity of materials, set construction, and delivery by the actors.

Presentation is Er'thyng

There is something to be said for watching a play be acted instead of simply reading the lines.  As I watched the various acts and casts of the York Mystery Theatre plays, I was surprised to find myself drawn into the stories!  I’ll admit, I thought that they were going to be boring—the same stories I had heard since childhood, just with an Olde English twist.  

Well, they were.

 

But it was precisely the twist that drew my attention.

I was amazed at the way the actors really used their lines in these works.  Each line was made up not only of words, but of the emotion the actor was trying to express.  When Satan appeared, he was cocky and taunting, quick to anger and each of the words “he” said (because he was portrayed by a woman once!) had a menacing bite to it.  When he says, “And but thou do I will you won't,” we can hear the challenge in his assertion—an effort to mock Jesus into begrudging him prideful victory.  In the last act, a woman literally bewails her fate after Judgement Day.  The despair in her voice, in fact, tells the story better than the words on the script:

Alas we wretches that are forlorn that never yet served god to pay, but oft we have his flesh forsworn. Alas, alas, and wellaway. What shall we wretches do for dread, or whethir for feardness shall we flee. When we may bring forth no good deed before him that our judge shall be. To ask mercy us is no need. For well I wott, damned be we.

If I were to read this to myself, it would probably have a tone of resignation or depression.  I mean, judging solely by the text, there are no exclamation marks or cues that give sign of intense feeling. But the actress’s mourning is anything but solemn as she cries over her damnation.  I LOVED IT.

Speaking of, can we please talk about this fabulous alliteration?  The whole play is one string of similar sounds after the next.  This was and is a technique used by actors and writers to memorize their lines with ease.  Once the actor remembers the first word, the rest follow suit with like sounds.  I watched, impressed, as Thomas delivered a lengthy monologue.  He recites:

 
Alas for sight and sorrows sad. Mourning makes me mazed and mad.

That’s only a snippet, but the pattern continues throughout the passage.  I also found it interesting that the actors used each set of alliterated words to express a different emotion or build upon a previous 

one.  The phrases felt complete…does that make sense?

To conclude, I was quite pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this assignment.  Thank heavens for that script on the sidebar though, because otherwise I wouldn’t have understood a thing!  Ye Olde English maketh not senseth.

United Through Drama

I was really unsure what to expect from watching the York Mystery Play Highlights.  For those who don't know, The York Mystery Plays are a retelling of Bible stories put on by guild members (aka people from the town who specialize in a trade) of York England.  The version that my class watched is from 1998, and it was the first time in hundreds of years that the city of York participated.  It was very interesting to watch the city unite through many different aspects of the Mystery Plays.

York, England

 There were several things that really contributed to my enjoyment of the Mystery Plays.  I think the first thing that really stuck out to me had to be the wonderful rolling sets and backdrops that were used.  At the beginning of the movie clip, we were informed that some of the players only used tools and processes that were available to those who lived in York in the 1500s, and I feel like that united modern players and medieval players. Additionally, most of the sets had little moving parts that really contributed to the story that was being told.

York Mystery Plays, 2002

The second thing that I noticed was the audience's interaction with the players.  Surprisingly, many of the scenes were a bit humorous; it was unexpected, but I rather enjoyed it.  The audience also appreciated the humor and laughed along.  I also really noticed audience/player interaction when a guild retold the story of Christ's crucifixion.  Rather than be confined to the limits of the rolling set, the players in that story wandered out into the audience and really engaged the people watching.  I enjoyed watching the players and audience members unite in that fashion.

I thought that the Bible stories were very well told.  One of the biggest surprises to me was to see Satan, in the Adam and Eve scene, cast as a woman.  I don't think that necessarily detracted from the meaning of the play as a whole, but it sure was an interesting surprise!  Whether intended or not, I feel as if that casting choice was a very modern twist on an ancient story.  It is always interesting to see the unification of old and new.

Female actor portraying Satan, 1998

Exeunt Omnes

My first experience with this story came while I was at BYU, in the class called History of Creativity. After reading it I had to do a creative project based on the reading. I based my work off of the last two words in our version, which is actually a piece of stage direction:
Exeunt Omnes

It means "Everyone Exits." Meaning everyone leaves the stage. The phrase stuck with me, even though it isn't an intentional piece of the story. It's simply stage direction for "Everyone gets off the stage, we're done."

The phrase reminds me of Oedipus at the end of the play. From the very start, he has been prideful. In a way, he was without peers. One of the greatest of men and with a singularly disturbing destiny. When it is finally accomplished, Oedipus is just as peerless as before, although now peerless in loneliness. In some way I like to imagine that everyone exits except for Oedipus, who is left utterly alone. His Hubris has brought him low, and now he has no one there who could possibly help him. He is blind, bleeding, and tortured by his own decisions. He will literally never see a friendly face again. Oedipus is simply left alone in his own personal darkness, permanently unable to escape from it.

Everyone has exited from Oedipus' life, and now he is left to suffer alone.

That image in and of itself was sufficient for me to create an entire piece based on it, which now sits somewhere among my forgotten school documents. Somewhere dark and lonely, without a doubt.

Exeunt Omnes

Seeing Oedipus in a Different Light

I thoroughly enjoyed our discussion in class today on the basic elements and implications of tragedy and drama, specifically in reference to Oedipus Rex, a tragedy I'm sure we've all visited and revisited many times throughout our educational journeys. Upon further reflection, I was struck by Sutherland's comments about Aristotle's views on how tragedy "imitates" reality, specifically that "all is foretold," and "there are no accidents" (Sutherland, Loc 422). This was interesting to me because my favorite motif to analyze in Oedipus Rex is that of seeing, or loss of sight, and Sutherland argues that one of the core ingredients to a tragedy is the fact that reality is inescapable, and that all is foretold.

In Oedipus Rex, it is foretold by an oracle that Oedipus will kill his father, marry his mother, and go blind. In attempts to escape this prediction, Oedipus runs himself right onto the road that leads to the prophesy's fulfillment and his ultimate downfall. References to sight are made frequently: the oracle's ability to see the future, Oedipus' inability to see the truth clearly, and Oedipus' eventual self-inflicted blindness. Examining Oedipus Rex as it's own entity, physical sight may represent psychological understanding and acceptance as things as they are and will be, something that Oedipus tragically lacks.  Analyzing Oedipus Rex as a representation of the tragedy, the theme of sight is reflective of the juxtaposition of society's difficulty accepting reality but the relief and satisfaction in the wholeness and intricate piecing of tragedy. That is, tragedy is difficult to swallow, but its quality of being foretold and perfectly crafted, makes it a piece of art that allows us to reflect on the message's relation to us. In Oedipus Rex, Oedipus' blindness showcases his own hubris, but also ties together the circular plot of the tragedy, thus completing it and making it "enjoyable" (as Sutherland says) to examine it, rather than simply painful.

It's a Tragedy

Most turn to different types of literature with the hope to relax and be entertained, and occasionally take away a meaningful message, but mostly to get away from the worries of their own lives.

Recently I went to the movies with a few friends just for the enjoyment factor, but I left the movies with an annoying unending thought process. It left me reflective and a little more solemn that the characters had chosen so poorly and left a dreary future ahead of them. By the end of it all I was ready to pick up a good cheery book, or watch some chick flick, but instead I picked up Oedipus Rex.

The same feelings came over me again. I had already read Oedipus Rex, and I knew beforehand all his poor choices and his awful outcome. Somehow I was stringing myself along while reading hoping that he would do things differently this time.

Unfortunately, he STILL unknowingly kills his dad, marries his mom who eventually kills herself, blinds himself, and then becomes an outcast from his own home.

As we all know Oedipus Rex is a tragedy; it will not end well, and Sophocles set one of the greatest examples of what a tragedy should be.

Tragedy is still present in our culture today, but I have remembered all the decisions of Oedipus Rex because of his “hubris” since the first time I read about him in high school. I am sure Oedipus’ downfall is remembered by almost all who have read it; Sophocles knew what he had created.  Oedipus was too blinded by his own pride thought of himself as miraculously powerful and intelligent to realize he had only brought to pass his own cursing. Although unlikely that we may pass through the temptations that Oedipus passed through, we can reflect on our own personality traits, and essentially our own “hubris” so that we can avoid our own tragedy.

Oedipus the Ironic

The first time I read this story was my senior year of high school.  I had an English teacher who really didn’t care much about what was going on in the class and a roomful of students who couldn’t care less about classic literature.  Thus, my first exposition was not necessarily a positive one.  Something I did enjoy though, was watching the play on a DVD that my teacher brought in to show the class.  It was really old and badly acted, but it gave life to the story that monotone popcorn-reading just didn’t offer. 

Something that stood out to me the first time I read it and again as I analyzed the story for this class was the awesome dramatic irony that comes into play.  Like “Ozymandias,” this story is all about a downfall of one who was once great.  Even from the beginning, Oedipus is glorified for his wit and daring deeds, and it’s plain to see that he sees himself as unconquerable.  But then our buddy Teiresias informs him plainly of his warped identity and is an excellent example of dramatic contrast.  Once forced, Teiresias is blunt and to the point with Oedipus, telling him plainly the things that our poor ruler doesn’t want to hear.  Oedipus’s flat denial makes the truth all the more cutting.  

Starting out the story with an exposition of the truth leaves us as an audience squirming and antsy as we watch Oedipus discover it for himself until he cannot deny the murder and incest any longer.

This is a technique that keeps us riveted cathartically.  Most people, especially me, have denied something over and over, swearing up and down that it isn’t true, only to discover the veracity in a usually embarrassing manner.  The intense irony in this short play is something real to us, which makes us able to relate to Oedipus, though hopefully we cannot relate with the fact that he killed his dad and reproduced with his mom.

I think this story, while disturbing, is genius and thought-provoking.  It is painful to read, but leaves a lasting impression, possibly by the distorted nature of the plot, but also because of the skillful dramatic irony of which it is composed.  Even on a class of uninterested high school seniors.

Determining Death

Often determination is known as an admirable trait in people, yet sometimes it could be said that there's definitely such a thing as too much determination. This is very much the case in Sophocles' Oedipus Rex. 

Our dear friend Oedipus starts out this tragedy as a heroic man desiring to save Thebes from the curse that has befallen since Laius' death has never been avenged. And yet, with all of his research in trying to solve the problem, he ends up finding personal problems within his own life that he never knew existed. Such as the fact that he's the one who killed King Laius.

Oh, and there's also the fact that Oedipus married his own mother unknowingly. So there's that.

Throughout Oedipus' journey, he starts digging deeper and deeper through all of this information, he begins

obsessing over it, letting paranoia overtake him. Perhaps if he had never been so determined to be such a good person in the first place, then he never would have found out the horrifying truth of his life, and he never would have dug himself into this huge self depreciating hole. 

It's ironic really the way that he kept trying to be a good person, and wanting to keep those he cared about safe, and yet by doing so he walked right into the original prophesy and curse of his life.

If you're looking for something, you'll always find it, as Oedipus exemplified when he stated,

“Whatever is sought for can be caught, you know, whatever is neglected slips away.”  

So next time you feel the need to be motivated about something, just remember Oedipus and then remember it's okay to underachieve every once in a while.

Meet Me in the Middle

In the drama "Oedipus Rex" Sophocles employs a technique common of the Greek tragedies called "in medias res" or "in the middle of things." The audience is dropped right in the middle of the action and we learn the background of the story as the drama progresses. "In medias res" was employed throughout epic and mythical literature. Greek dramas developed out of those mediums so we find that it is frequently used.

As "Oedipus Rex" opens we find Oedipus as the King of Thebes and things are not going well. At all. There is a terrible plague and the people are suffering and dying. As the priest explains in the opening scene

"A blight is on our harvest in the ear,
A blight upon the grazing flocks and herds,
A blight on wives in travail; and withal armed with his blazing torch the God of Plague
Hath swooped upon our city emptying
The house of Cadmus, and the murky realm of Pluto is full fed with groans and tears."

But this is not the tragedy of this drama. So from there all sorts of horribleness ensues and as an audience we are filled about Oedipus's horrible back story.
Now what effect does "in medias res" have upon us as an audience in this play? As the audience experiences the story it is like we know the end from the beginning. This adds to the effect that tragedy is meant to have. Aristotle was of the opinion that tragedies were to help us experience two specific emotions, pity and fear. Since the audience is dropped in the middle our sense of pity and fear are heightened as we slowly experience Oedipus's downfall. We watch his terrible evolution and clearly see how it came to be. We knew it was coming the whole time and that makes the experience even more tragic.

Oedipus and Free Will

I've never escaped a literary class without talking about Sophocles' famous drama Oedipus Rex, which was written about 429 B.C. (holy cow!)  Even so, I happen to learn something new each time!  This time while reading it, I tried to pick up on something different and stretch myself.

One of the main themes of Oedipus often analyzed is the theme of "fate."  I would take things as far as to say that Oedipus' hubris (aka, fatal-flaw) is his lack of free will.  I guess that is sort of a backwards answer because his hubris is more of an externally based flaw (inflicted by the gods) instead of something that comes from within himself, such as pride.  But, the story clearly shows that Oedipus is really laking in the ability to choose his situation.  He didn't have any control over the fact that he was abandoned as a baby and he didn't have any beforehand knowledge that his wife was actually his mother.  Of course, one can say that he had control over whether to kill the king, but one also has to remember that he only fled Corinth because he was fleeing the prophecy.

I've always seen Oedipus as an ironic character of sorts.  As a reader, I feel pity for him and his situation.  At the same time, though, I tend to laugh at his misfortune.  His story is tragic because one thing after another seems to tear the poor guy down--It's so tragic that it's almost funny.  I know sometimes when bad things happen to me repeatedly, it's so horrible that it's often funny.  The joke is on me though, I interpret the story of Oedipus to mean that sometimes, situations are just out of our control.  I am not saying that my actions and the actions of Oedipus do not have consequences, but a lot of the time, we are just in the wrong place at the wrong time.  I think that the story of Oedipus shows that unfortunate situations can happen to anyone; everyone, at one point or another, will experience Oedipus' hubris of lack of free will.

CHOOSE WISELY

Many might say that Fate is the antagonist of the play Oedipus because it decides Oedipus' life for him. I argue that Oedipus, while being the protagonist, is actually his own antagonist because of his tragic flaw of making rash decisions when faced with emotional turmoil.

In the middle of the play, Oedipus reveals how he came to be the King. He speaks of a drunk telling him that he was not the biological child of his parents (Plybus and Merope) and uses words like “irked”, “insult”, “rankled” and “scandal” to describe how the accusation made him feel. With these feelings threshing about inside himself, he decides to “privily without [his parents] leave” go to Apollo and find out for himself if what the drunk told him is true . When the truth is confirmed, he learns of the prophesy of his life. His rash decision to calm his troubled mind leads him to take his next step right into Fate’s hand. He flees his parents, and his land.

On his journey, he is almost run off the road by two men and because it “jostled” him, he gave in to the urge to hit the guy. Few civilized people lash out with such anger that they kill without hesitation, but Oedipus does. His inability to control his temper leads him to kill his real father. Thus, falling deeper into Fate's trap.

Later, when Oedipus finds his wife/mother, Jocasta, dead in her room, he gives a “maddened roar” and takes her down from the noose. In the very next moment he stabs his eyes out with her brooches. Again, his emotions get the better of him and he performs the irreversible act of making himself blind.

Oedipus after stabbing his eyes out
Image: {link to:http://coursesite.uhcl.edu/HSH/Whitec/texts/Tragedy/OedipusRex.htm}

Oedipus makes his worst decisions in the heat of the moment. Unfortunately, each of these decisions allows him to become the fulfillment of his prophesy. Before Oedipus makes these decisions, the prophesy is just words, but once he allows his blinding pain to guide his choices rather than logic or thought, he becomes the man that he is foretold to be. Oedipus, the protagonist, runs from the prophesy while Oedipus, the antagonist, makes decisions that bring the prophesy to fruition.

Oedipus, himself, actually notes this when he says that Apollo brought these things to pass,

But the right hand that dealt the blow

Was mine, none other.

Oedipus being his own antagonist plays perfectly into the purpose of a tragedy. Which is supposed to be thought-provoking and allow the individual in the audience to make comparisons to his or her own life. In this instance, everyone can relate to making irresponsible and irrational decisions when we feel heart broken or sad or angry. We can learn from this play by thinking before acting.

FOR THE EMPEROR!

When I heard that the assignment for this Sonnet was to take an epic story and retell it, I began to think about Epic Poetry. Which led me to think about great heroes and warfare, which eventually brought me to something that is buried so deep into the depths of nerdhood that I don't think anyone who is in this class, or who has taken this class before, has heard of it. Which is a shame.

I speak of a game called Warhammer 40,000. (Or WH40k, as it is abbreviated.) Originally it was a "war simulator" style of game played on a tabletop using miniature figures and dice. Since then it has expanded into the realms of books, tabletop role playing, and even a handful of video games.

I have known about WH40k for a long time now, but only recently did I start to examine it in detail. I don't play the original game, because as a hobby it is prohibitively expensive for a young college student. (Some of the individual miniature figures can cost over $150.) However, the details of the world in which these mock battles take place is readily available, and a lot of the other media produced in the setting is able to be found for very cheap. I won't go into advanced detail about it, but I will link a very brief video that explains the absolute basics of the lore in about 60 seconds (and doesn't even begin to scratch the surface.) That video is HERE. I just happen to find the lore to be amazingly cool, and decided to write a Sonnet about it.

The sonnet about this world is below. I used the Italian Sonnet style as opposed to the Shakespearean style, as it sounds even more pointlessly ornate. (Which is a major theme of Warhammer 40k.)

The Emperor sits on his Golden Throne
A corpse kept living by their sacrifice
a thousand souls per day the vicious price
ensures that we the Emp'ror's death postpone.
When Horus wrought that Heresy well known
To take our Terra was his sick device
The Emperor's death for Horus would suffice
and he would take our Terra for his own.
But lo, the Emperor would not be spurned
The prodigal that he had once adored
The heretic who now could not be turned
The Emperor would strike down with the sword
and through his wounds, the lesson would be learned
The Emperor protects, our Deathless Lord

Hansel and Gretel

Oh boy. This was not easy for me. Iambic pentameter? I watched like eight YouTube videos about it, and I am still not confident that I have quite got it.
I chose Hansel and Gretel because I loved the possibility of strong imagery in the poem. I thought of how all of the senses are really influenced in the story and I wanted to try to capture that. I am going to try to put more of that into the revision! 

The stress of trying to get meter, rhythm, and rhyme combined with thinking too much about a house made of candy caused me to eat like 5 servings of ice cream and some chocolate covered cinnamon bears while I wrote. Thanks a lot Hansel and Gretel! Regardless of the state of my health now, I look forward to revising this poem to try to get it right. 

Hansel and Gretel

No end to trees there seems to be for us,

Alone and lost, no crumbs to mark our way

A house! We spy. We race. Outrageous fuss

Mouths fill, hands stick, we lose all track of day. 

From dream we're ripped, hands pull and shove us in

Barred up, dark air, her sightless eyes don't know

Be lunch we won't, the haggard witch won't win

Our trick, the bone. She shrieks! I will not grow. 

Flames lick, invite her closer still, we shove. 

Thick and sure the door we hear it thud now, 

Sent right down deep, for she can't be above.

Goodbye you witch, you hag, you wicked Frau.

Warm and safe in Father's arms, no fail,

Our query is will he believe our tale? 

When Dr. Burton said we would be writing a sonnet, I was intimidated but excited. I immediately thought "write what you know" and wanted to organize my thoughts on returning home from a mission in sonnet form. However, when he said that we needed to retell a myth or start an epic, things got more complicated. I decided to write my sonnet on the stereotypical RM (male) in the midst of his epic journey to find true love. This first draft has taken a turn that I didn't expect. I attempted to 'call on the muse,' start in Media Res, and introduce my hero all within the parameters of a classic sonnet. I used this website for help on what should be included in the intro of a sonnet. Let me know what you think! Just a first draft:

RM

And now he waits- palms sweat, heart aches- on her. 

"...and please," he prays, heart beat delays- she smiles

and laughs. First date, he's back! He gulps, words slur:

"Please help! I'm new, and dates- so few!" New trials!

"Dear God, you heard my prayers, I served so well

in Rome and now I'm home. New rules, new goals,

these girls- who knows? What's said, what's meant? Do tell!"

He tries to know how dates should go? He's dull:

"So PMG, what do you think of it?" 

So lame. No game. And oh, the shame. Why try?

She shrugs, eyes blank. "Does she ev'n think a bit?"

So cute, so young, but also dumb. Goodbye!

Journey's begun. Not actually fun. High stress. 

To find the one, and when he's done: success.

King of Elephants

Image: Indra riding Airavata
{link to: http://www.indianminiaturepaintings.co.uk/Marwar_Indra-Airavata_000610.html}

I love elephants. If you go into my room, you will see about 10 elephants; pictures, candles, and figurines. And so when we were told to write a poem about our own epic story or re-tell a myth, I decided to do a little bit of research on elephants. I found an interesting myth on the elephant from the Hindu religion. One very specific elephant is Airavata, the king of the elephants, believed to control the rain and to fly. He was completely white! He carried the god of weather and war, Indra, into battle to fight, Vritra, a serpent or dragon blocking the rivers. To defeat Vritra, Airavata reached his trunks (he had seven trunks and four tusks) into the water and sprayed the water to the clouds which killed Vritra (or stopped the drought). It is believed that Airavata stood in front of Indra's palace. I thought this was a pretty neat story. I hope you enjoy my sonnet!


King of Elephants


The melody of sacred hymns christened

My royal birth from the broken egg shells.

Whiter than a great waterfall glistens,

Pure and spotless, respected and special.



Airavata, they call me. King of the

Elephants – power of the rain and clouds.

Conveyor of the king of gods, Indra.

Mighty and battleworn, I trumpet loud!



Slipping my trunks into fathoms below

Sucking and guzzling and filling up full

‘Til about to burst, the water explodes

Reaching the skies, feeling gravity’s pull.



The enemy defeated, all’s restored,

To the palace, fly, there I stand adored.


I have to be honest. When we first got the assignment, I definitely misunderstood. I found a topic and wrote a super cute sonnet (also about elephants and also about a myth, but in a different context - ask me about it and I'll whip it out and read it to you). I shared it with lots of people because I was so proud! Of course, my bubble was burst when I realized I didn't quite follow the rules of the assignment. And so I wrote this one (let's hope I did it right!). I have now written 3 sonnets in 2 days. They may not be amazing or well-written, but that's still pretty amazing for someone who has never written a sonnet before! I think I actually enjoy writing sonnets...Cool!

Holy Hades!

You've crossed the Styx, and paid your dues, your life

no more is yours to claim. Time to move on,

make your way, just one last kiss from your wife.

For now your body's gone into the dawn,

The dark, it comes round cold and flat. The sky

it shines no more in here. The world's new 

and damp and dead. "Lost is my soul!" You cry.

Your world is now a much far darker hue. 

Cerberus the mighty beast, is apt to 

chase and chomp and feast. You look back up escape

planned out, and yet you see there's no way through.

Trapped as Persephone after her rape.

For then his chariot rides round with ease,

Ever stealing souls, the mighty Hades!

Tada!

But seriously. Writing a sonnet is a lot more difficult than I anticipated. I mean, this poem actually started out as a fun and sarcastic poem, and well, it kind of took a turn to the darker side. It's interesting the way sometimes words just sort of take off with an idea of their own until there's something totally different than the original thought.

Who knows, maybe one day I'll create my own sonnets that are so rad that they'll create a style called the Saren Sonnet. I think that sounds like a pretty great idea. And then no one can criticize my poor iambic pentameter because I'll be the rule breaker and famous so it will be okay.

Mythical Royalty

When we were given the assignment to write a sonnet, at first I was a little intimidated. I doubted myself for a moment and thought back had I ever written a sonnet? Maybe I had written a sonnet in one of my high school English classes, but I am almost positive it was nothing note-worthy.

However, when I started researching to write my sonnet I was quite excited to start writing! So here’s my sonnet! I am excited to get feedback on it. I feel pretty new at all of this, but you have to start somewhere right?

Sonnet 1

From a Father’s ached forehead I sprang, formed.

Yet with Father beside, I couldn’t fear;

For I his gift, shields and bolts I adorned.

No strength did derive from a mother dear.

I catch commonalities of the owl,

Endlessly perfect, snowy white, clever

Defending my nest against all prowlers.

Patient, perching, and spiraling, I ever

Soar, yet standing safe as an olive tree.

Pure branches stretch from my extremities,

Resilience in my roots. I can’t foresee,

A loss able to swipe my entities.

Behold, I Athena, Goddess of War,

Protect my home and live forever more!

So I picked to write about Greek Mythical Goddess Athena for many reasons…First of all I was unsure which myth to write about, and when I came across the Greek Gods my love for them was rekindled! I have always especially loved Athena. She is strong, compassionate and loves her family. She is also pure and confident; everything a woman could be!

It was a fun to research and write a little about her. Let me know what you think!

The King of Sherwood Forest

Hello all!  I greatly enjoyed the task that we had of creating a sonnet for our blog post today!

I chose to retell a myth because I really love folklore.  First, I had to do some research because I really didn't know which myth I wanted to write about.  There are countless myths and folklore tales out there from so many different cultures.  For some reason, I was particularly drawn to medieval English folk tales.  I read through a bunch of really funny (and sometimes somber) folk tales before I made my decision.  If you want to read some cool English myths, click here.  I think the most interesting thing about myths is that they tend to change over time and things are added and changed.  I think it adds to the "magic" of the myth that additions are made.

Eventually, I decided to write my sonnet about Robin Hood.  I decided to write my sonnet about a myth that I was more familiar myth so I could better express my thoughts.  I read some background info to refresh my memory and get the gist of Robin Hood.  To read the background information that I read, click here.  I decided to use the Shakespearian Sonnet form because I had never written a sonnet before, and also because I thought it fit the tale.  

The process of writing my sonnet was more difficult than I initially anticipated.  I thought the ABAB etc. rhyme scheme would "flow creatively" (for lack of a better term) more easily.  I think I got the hang of it though, to say the least!

Now for the moment you've all been waiting for:


The King of Sherwood Forest

A hero of medieval peasantry
Roams nightly castles of Lady and Lord.
Gems and diamonds acquired from gentry,
Many conquests won in fear of the sword.
King of Sherwood Forest, they call his name
Robin Hood: the Master of Thieves! But still
Unlikely savior of farmer and dame,
Every pence and jewel given at will.
“Grammarcy!” Sir Robin, cry all the poor,
As out King vanishes with wink and bow,
Refilling the quiver--off to explore,
Loyalty is his unbreakable vow.
His enemies lie in constant await,
Where the arrows fly through each turn of fate.

The Sonnet of a BYU Transfer Student

When we received our last assignment, to write a sonnet or memorize one, I first decided on memorizing, but then felt like trying my hand at writing after all!  So after class last Wednesday, I sat down in the hall, grabbed my notebook and pen, and thought about what I could possibly write about.  My lover?  Nope, don't have one.  The sunset?  Nope, it's really could and cloudy here in Utah.  The ocean?  Nothing really "called to me," as you could say.

Then, I happened to spy a couple walking down the hall, blissfully holding hands.  Ah, now this, this I could write about.

  I sat for a moment in silence,then thought of the first couple of ideas I wanted for the lines.  I love writing sonnets because the whole thing feels not only like a mode of self-expression, but like a game as well!  It's a puzzle to get the words to fit together the right way, rhyme the right words, and say the right things in a way that cleverly gets the point across.

Now, I'm no "Master of Sonnet-ism" by a long-shot, so I'm excited for some feedback on this one. Professor Burton told me I could just use it instead of doing an epic,so that's why it's nothing like the actual assignment.

At first, when I applied, they did not tell
I'd enter a new realm, not just a school
Where students seek escape from singles' hell;
Alone at 22 is just too cruel.
At most schools, prized is selectivity--
Frowned upon to be an easy dater.
But here is dif'rent, as I've come to see
By invites taped to our refrigerator.
Girls are vicious when their men are taken;
Best to not let flirty glances linger.
I did, one time, shamefully mistaken.
I know now to always check their finger.
I'm unsure how to best escape this mess...
To try for my BA or MRS?

"...A Kingdom of Isolation, and It Looks like He's the King."

Percy Blythe Shelley’s poem, “Ozymandias,” serves as both an insight to the history of ruthless and powerful leaders and a warning to those who are yet to come.  Shelley starts his poem from an outsider’s perspective.  This gives the feeling that he is unacquainted with what has happened in the past and has an unbiased perspective.  He’s enlightened by a mysterious traveler on the road.  We are clueless as to the name or past of this traveler, but his use of imagery and mystique portray him as one who is wise and wishes to keep the mistakes of the past from repeating themselves in the fates of the living.

 He describes the ruin of a king—one who was obviously mighty at one point because he had the resources to pay for the construction of an enormous statue in his honor.  Shelley uses many references to parts of the body when describing this crumbled statue.  Each represents a different action or attribute.  “Two trunkless legs” refers to someone who once had power and influence and the ability to do as he pleased but is now without direction, connection, or anything to hold his kingdom together.  “The sneer of cold command” on the “wrinkled lip” gives feelings of distance, cruelty, and selfishness.  The king thought nothing of the inhabitants of his kingdom or their well-being.  We are led to infer that he simply saw them as pawns to grow his own might and power. 

This is the mysterious traveler’s warning to not only Shelley, but to us all: The proud and the mighty cannot stand alone.  If we isolate ourselves in our own conquests for greatness, the only real future we have is in desolation, and it is best to learn from the past than make our own destruction in the future.