The Vale of Soul Making in Keats and Shakespeare

I have been throwing around a lot of ideas for my term paper which is of course involves John Keats. Because Shakespeare is about showing and not telling as we have discussed much in class, I thought that Keats would be a great tie in. Much of my focus though will be on remembrance and negative capability. Remembrance is greatly driven by images in Shakespeare, for example through stars and flowers (especially the cowslip). Tracing back through the real (the social world) into the mythological (where we have ecstasy, insight...rhapsodic). I am considering looking at negative capability mostly in response to Shakespeare's sonnets and letters, in which words are used to thread the soul together. This circles back around to remembrance as well, of course! I have a lot more to say about Keats and Shakespeare but at least wanted to post my "small" ideas thus far! I am excited to once again focus on Keats' amazingly intricate ideas and tie them into Shakespeare. Two men with amazing talent and a way with words like none other, with this I begin (or am i ending?)

Sonnet

I decided that my spring cleaning must also consist of "cleaning" my to do list....a long, long list of assignments. Blogging- I need to get going...so here is my sonnet that should have been written long ago. My creative writing class inspired me. I know the rhyme scheme is correct in regards to a traditional sonnet, it's almost an ode to a traditional sonnet, But the rhythm is a bit off. It was easier for me to write a sonnet than i thought, it really takes a different sort of focus to write a sonnet- it's amazing! I was skeptical when Dr. Sexton said writing sonnets when you can't sleep is soothing, but its true, it helps for the time being, it inspires. For me an ode to the past. I am inspired not only by Shakespeare and his sonnets, but by T.S. Eliot (of course) and the four quartets. This is obvious though, i didn't even need to mention it,


Tear drops fall like rain
Letting go, I take a deep breath
This is the paper where words reflect pain
No longer "us", memories treated like death
Do I cry and run or dance and sing?
No- I'll turn and sigh a breath of relief
Like a bird in the sky, my freedom rings
What we had was love though it was but brief
I could feel it burning like a fire
Your love, my wings. I could fly.
Singing loudly, our love ringing out, it was it's own choir
Why then? Why now? All it comes to is goodbye.
You were the fire. I was the rose.
Or so I guess, that's how the story goes.

It's all out of love...

Growing up with an older brother and 4 older sisters there was a lot of flyting going on in the household. Survival of the fittest. I had to laugh when Dr. Sexson asked who the favorite in the family was...I don't think my parents had a favorite, honestly we all drove them nuts! I have to give my sister brianna (the middle child) the most credit for her witty flyting. I think she gets worse as she gets older. When i was little though, if my sisters were teasing me I would respond with a question, "are you deaf or dumb?" they were usually so dumbfounded that they left me alone, Brianna would try to ponder the question seriously....that's how I came to the conclusion she was simply dumb. She can come up with some very creative insults...colorful to say the least though extraordinarily vulgar and inappropriate.



Sadly, my four year old nephew also is into flyting now. Poor addy, his sister, just 4 months old and he will insult her constantly telling her:
"no one wants to talk to you stupid baby" and "addy, keep your noises to your own self"...she never responds obviously but he sure is pro at flyting even with me!

I hate to say that as we grow older, the flyting only gets more cruel, but absolutely humorous. We get "catty" and we get even, but we also get over it. It's all out of love.

What do any of us really need?

When Dr. Sexson asked us to answer the question, "What do you really need?" I immediately whispered "nothing" to myself. But now that I sit here with my coffee (which I am delighted to say the barista has named "alice in wonderland" for me) I wonder..What do I need FOR WHAT? To live? to die? To breathe? to be delighted? Well....that one's answered, a special mocha with a fabulous name!

But really, this question could not have come at a better time for me. I journal every day, multiple times a day, convey thoughts and emotion through letters, create pieces of art every week expressing something. I think I "need" all of these things to stay whole, "get it out" and live more fully. But do I? Do I need counseling at $45 a session?! Goodness, I am rethinking everything here and I want to scream in answering this question. This is normally something I would reflect on in my personal blog but I suppose I will make an attempt to answer or explain and connect it to Shakespeare...?

I would usually come up with some artificial answer that satisfies my lifestyle. But right now I am going to go for the raw answer that no one wants to face. Call me a cynic if you will but here it is:

Do we need Love? No.
Friends? No.
Family? The die off.
Fun? Optional.


What do I need? Really need?
A little water, maybe some food every now and again. That's what I would need to just stay alive.

I am getting more frustrated by the minute thinking about this question. I can't really explain why but all I have to say is- I don't need anything. Nothing. No one.

Maybe I will carry on as I ponder this but really...

By having nothing I have everything right?