Interpretation - State of the Planet

State of the planet is an eight page poem about the condition of nature on the planet earth. The Author, Robert Haas, is speaking to himself, to humanity, and to the ghost of the Roman poet and philosopher Lucretius. This is puzzling stuff, and some readers will surely shake their heads. Hass will never give you the whole story, To read him is to use your imagination.

In my interpretation of the poem, I will attempt to go back into some history of how the earth came into such a bad condition. Robert Haas is an extremely knowledgeable literary writer. This big language will inform you and keep your interest.

The season is October and the narrator is driving in a rain storm. He observes a school girl walking and carrying a back pack. Inside of the back pack is probably a book titled, 'Getting to Know Your Planet.' The author descries the as "dog eared, full of illustrations." A dog's ear is designed for instinct surrounding his environment.

The book will tell her that the air has trapped smoke and gas from millions of cars and polluted the air. In fact, this is an accident, and man has nothing to do with it. It would seem, the production of cars in our society is more important than keeping our air clean.

It is evident, the author's comprehension of nature is the central theme of the poem. He says, "Poetry should be able to comprehend the earth." The meaning which lies here is that earth should remain loyal to nature, to set aside its natural principal and zeal. Haas agrees with Lucretius's observation of nature from two-thousand years ago, in Rome. With all respect, it is the shifting power, of the Creator, that nature is conceived with life beyond our human doing.

Lucretius, the philosopher wrote a poem about the earth around 99 B.C., about the condition of the nature. The poem describes that man was destroying the fertile land, and dams were interrupting the fish community with turbo power. Also, in China, sacred trees were gone, which is an upset to the Creator. These were the things the girl was likely to read in the book, 'Getting to Know Your Planet.'

3. The author is responding back to the poem written by Lucretius. Lucretius is dead, it is now in the 21st century, Haas is reporting that the condition of the earth is yet headed in a destructed way. In 1961, technology has found a way to extract two proteins inside of a jelly fish, and insert them into another organism that will light up. How this must be a cruelty to an animal, it does not understand the need for transplant surgery, and an artist in Chicago has asked Rome to teach him the method so he can sell dogs that glow in the dark.

4. The narrator flashed back to the scene of the girl walking in the rain with her backpack. The book will tell the story of how life on earth came to be.

The earth was formed by large amounts of dark hot liquid rock material, that fell off the sun. The clouds rained for a hundred million years and let off a strong gas onto the earth. It took a long time for the earth to cool off. The surface of the earth formed rock. the earth was quiet, and looked somewhat like the Mexico desert.

A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings

This story is a fiction about a man who had wings. The only man that I could think of with wings is a immortal being. That tells me right away that this man is a fiction character.
The rain, crabs, and the sea, all help with the setting of an angel out in the courtyard. I can see a connection here with the bible. I believe that this man was a fallen angel, maybe even a satanic being!

The description of the angel is terrible. His clothes were rags. He was muddy, teethless, a few hairs on his head, and looked pitiful. The author used vivid images of the role or characterization this angel would play.

In the passage, "he must have been coming for the child," gives me mention of the birth of christ.
Lucifer was the fallen angel who seek to kill the newborn child , Jesus.

A very old man with enormous wings is a piece of literary called "magic realism," drawing on stories and legends , as well as techniques of modernist writing. Garcia Marquez creates a fictional lanscape that challenges traditional thought and focus the reader's attention on making sense of the world.

The story truly kept my interest. To keep an angel in your home, and finally put him out in the chicken coop, that sounds like what one would do with a household pet. When the neighborhood found out about this angel they came over to feed and look on this angel in the coop. I can see how this story became a children's story. It is because this is what fascinates children, finding something different and special, for everyone to look at!

Garcia plays good characterization for Father Gonzaga. When Father Gonzaga takes one look at him, he sees him as a imposter of the angelic world. Angels are not dirty. This angel did not know the language of God or know how to greet his ministers. The angel smells like outdoors, bugs were on his feathers. Again, these kinds of things are important to children, wouldn't you say? The minister really thought that the angel was a trick of the devil.

Now, in the story the family thinks of a way to make money by showing off this angel.
People from all around came to see this angel, and this family acquired a lot of money.
The angel was treated poorly by the people that came to see him and by the chickens in the coop that were pecking for the bugs on him. To my mind that is how children do when they have a locked pet to show off.

This angel was treated like an animal. He was branded with an iron, the way that we do livestock in production. The angel became passive, and the people would therefore not annoy him any longer. This is also a picture of human life. As a christian sometimes people can treat you in a way that you can become passive toward them. I now see the picture of Christ!

I admire the author for being able to write fiction mixed with real life and also appeal to children in the writing. Children in the United States are not taught at an early age about the raw facts of life. They grow up for a long time thinking that everything is so good. The fact of the matter is that there is a real devil, who is evil, and they have to watch out for him!

The Boys Next Door Act II

As I read the many scene of these handicapped men, I am reminded of the simple things that I take for granted in everyday life. It is a blessing, and I thank God that I have a strong mind that can think out common situations. There are times when I am not reacting with a grateful heart about how gifted I am! People compare themselves with other people on so many things in life.
But, can I compare myself with myself. Then I would know how fornuately I have to have a good mind. I pause now to say thank you lord, for the mind that you have given me. I will strive daily to keep the mind of Christ within me.

Lucien is trying to vaccum and does not have the cord plugged into the electricity. He does not even know it. His roommate has to tell him to plug it up. Lucien does not like loud sounds, which he has to tolerate while he is vaccuming. The next thing, Lucien does not understands how the dust gets into the house, when there are no trees around the home. For the mental disable this is a great chore to vaccum the floor and without the understanding of why the floor needs to be vaccummed.

Norman has a desire to have a baby boy and a baby girl with Sheila. In reality, this probably will never happen. Having children for the mental disabled is discouraged, and they are given procedures to not be fertile, as it would cause more problems in their lives. For females I know that this must be hard, because it is the desire of most women to have children within a lifetime.

You know, a mind is a terrible thing to waste. These guys take literally everthing that you say to them, "Hold your horses," "You got horses." It is normal to make everyday expressions to pass the time away, without being serious. But, for the handicap every word you say to them is serious. Yet, the handicap can manage to use humor to make a day. What a great God that we have.

In this play when the men are talking they all mingle each conversation together. How is it a wonder to get some understanding out of a straight question or answer.

I complain about having to do the dishes at time. Here with the handicap it is a struggle to complete a simple chore like washing dishes. What are suds? What do suds do? Can you image not understanding suds in the dish water!

Mr. Klemper is a character that I don't care much for. Because he is a mental handicap man with one arm, my sensitivity goes out there for him. Because he talks awful. I wonder what his childhood might have been like. As an adult I'm sure that he does not understand his personality either. As a part of society, I accept him just the way that he is. Because I don't know why he is the way that he is.

I have the greatest respect for the author who took the time to write a play like this one. So many times society looks over at the mental handicap and put them out of their mind. The mental handicap is yet God's creation. The mental handicap is not to be pitied but to be accepted, even though we can not explain why they are in that position.

I don't quite know what all to say about the mental handicap. But I will take to a better attitude when I see someone in that way. It is a blessing to have dear life, and I thank my God for life!

Poem, "The Survivor"

"The Survivor"

A picture paints a thousand words.

The lady, framed in a white background, portrait in black and white sketch.

Isn't she lovely, the color pure white shows up her life.

Age is no stranger with her, in fact, it's been her gift.

God's creation is so all around us, not to be pitied, but cherished and admired.

Her hat sits proudly upon the soft-silvery curls on her head.

A beam of sunlight shines on her matured face.

Her eyes, they tell me "survival," through many years behind.

Not a smile from her light smooth lips, but an eventful casual look.

She appreciates life, allowing the story to be told, in this portrait of black and white.

A ribbon in the sky, grace her radiant look. How great is our God. It is in him, we have our

very being.

She has season of age and worth. Clear eyes, that has seen rest upon the face of the earth.

Nature is the creation of such a being, yet alive to look upon.

Many are the folds of her face, reveals the day of life.

Polk Museum of Art

Upon entering the museum, I went into the Japanese Art Room. There were beautiful fabrics of clothing in red-gold tone, and other colors. There were paintings in this room. All of the paintings detail an era: tempo, bunsei, bunka, kyowa, kansei, kika and kaei era. Most of the paintings were of a female, and the faces basically looked the same.

Upon entering the next room, Functional Ceramics was the highlights. There was a bean pot, its color was a dark brown. There was a large Jaguar ceramic from Costa Rica. In the batch was a Martaban jar, it was very beautiful. The ceramics were from Japan and Korea.

The next room I went into was of young artist paintings. Here are some of the names of the paintings: once upon a time fairytale, and Glenn. There was one painting in this room that struck me. The name of the painting is, "Woods near Juniper Springs.P Here are the details of the painting: pretty green trees, tan brown water flowing into the sunlight, large branches over the water, heading out to an open sky area.

I got on the elevator and went up to the second floor to view more art. There was a picture there which struck me. The name of this picture was "Survivor." The drawing was drawn on graphite paper. The drawing was of an old woman wearing a light straw hat. It was amazing how the artist used techniques to make her look really old.

Along the walls of the second floor there were pictures of families from different countries. There were brief descriptions of the valuables and the amount of income earned. I saw poverty, wealth, sadness, and joy in the portraits.

Last of all, I went outside to the "sculpture gardens." Among the artifacts were: chain hound VII, iron dinosaur, emergence, dark black thing, three of the others, and still life with pears.

I had a great time at the museum. I actually was there for 1 hour and 30 minutes. I really was relaxed and enjoying myself.

Thank you teacher for this experience!

"Good Reading Material"

From Francis X. McAloon SJ, a lady who practice lectio divina, she claims helps her to focus.
First, prayer began with silence. That's a different approach, most prayer began with words.
Second, followed by lectio, a slow reading of poetic text. Next came meditatio, reading and pausing at words or images that draw attention. Next to oratio, addressing God in personal prayer. Lastly, contemplatio, an invitation to silence, and remaining open to God's presence.
And this is a method for "Reading for Transformation" through poetry.

"The Spirit of God Hovered"

Steven M. Fettke, is speaking of having a disability in relations to creation. Instead of being loved and accepted for who they are they are often condemned for their lack of faith or apparent demonization simply by virtue of their having a disability or chronic illness. In creation God provides our animation or "life force" that identifies us as who we are. A disabled person should be valued in the way that God has made them. Lastly, nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. There is successful ministry in working with the handicap and disabled, and it is the church responsibility.

"Generative Tension Between " GOD" and "EARTH"
Through nearly fifty years of poetry, Mary Oliver has undertaken the task of loving nature as a deeply spiritual work. Nature is where the poet can discover the joy and terror, the truths and feelings that religion seem unable to provide. He or she, who loves God, will look most deeply into His works. She bows down at the presence of of God on Earth.

Beauty and the Creative Impulse
Luci Shaw says, Beauty is still visible in the fingerprints of the Creator on the natural world, in the wilderness, and in human beings who reflect the Creator's beauty. Beauty can neither be controlled nor programmed. The vocation of the artist is to awaken our sensitivity of beauty.
Too often beauty is taken for granted because we are moving too fast to take it in and allow it to deliver its message in us. We need to pay attention!