Up Next: The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

It was rather difficult to decide what to read next. I have a stack sitting at home of both borrowed and new books I acquired for Christmas this year. I also have to begin to chose 5 books for a European reading challenge this year. Ahh so much to do so little time. Anyhow, after careful consideration I have chosen to read Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray.

Why you ask? Frankly I love Mr. Wilde. I know what you may be thinking...you love EVERYONE! I will tell you that THAT my dear friends is a farce, an absolute FARCE I tell you! I am practically a curmudgeon, there are plenty of people I do not like such as Bono...Hitler...and for reasons that can not be explained Tom Cruise....but not to trail too far off the point, Mr. Wilde is fantastic. This seems to be a short book so I hope to have something posted about it next week.

Also, a little update. Monday will be the start of a little segment I would like to do on music. Have a safe weekend everyone.

A+

Love Poem #6 Sonnet 43 - How do I love thee? Let me count the ways by Elizabeth Browning

I noticed a trend in my favorite love poetry...they are all men. I know Bob Dylan always said that women can't be poets but I say let's give the ladies a chance to show they can!  I think frizzy Lizzy might have won my heart with this poem and I would imagine it was for Robert Browning. They were mad for each other. Both were prominent poets of this era and frizzy Lizzy had been writing since the age of 5 or 6. Her first known poem was "On the Cruelty of Forcement to Man". I think at that age I was eating glue and drawing stick figures on colored paper. How the times have changed...

As I mentioned in the Robert Browning post I know she had a complicated family life. This poem says to me that she might have felt trapped. She wanted so much to be with the man she loved but was unable to go for it. Obviously she feels for this guy but the last line implies that she will not be able to love him the way she wants to until after death. Lucky for her she didn't have to wait that long...

Sonnet 43 - How do I love thee? Let me count the ways - Elizabeth Browning

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints,—I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life!—and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

Coming soon to theatres near you...poem #7

Love Poem #5 Life in a Love by Robert Browning

 Happy V-day and good morning! My next favorite love poem of all time is by Robert Browning. I chose this poem in particular because it reflects his relationship with his wife during their (secret) courtship. His wife Elizabeth was a complicated woman and as it seemed to Robert at the time she did not return the same affections that he did. However, it was due to her home life which is why they ended up marrying in secret initially. Through their book of poems you can tell how passionately they both felt for each other. 

At my first read of this poem I thought it was an unrequited love poem but after many reads I believe I have been wrong. It sounds as though he may have been pushed away by the woman he loves but he proclaims his love for her will never cease as long as she was still in this world. He knew what he wanted and went for it no matter how many times it seemed as though he was about to fail. In the end it worked out for Robbie B...he got the girl. Enjoy...

Life In A Love - Robert Browning

Escape me?
Never—
Beloved!
While I am I, and you are you,
So long as the world contains us both,
Me the loving and you the loth,
While the one eludes, must the other pursue.
My life is a fault at last, I fear—
It seems too much like a fate, indeed!
Though I do my best I shall scarce succeed—
But what if I fail of my purpose here?

It is but to keep the nerves at strain,
To dry one's eyes and laugh at a fall,
And baffled, get up to begin again,—
So the chase takes up one's life, that's all.
While, look but once from your farthest bound,
At me so deep in the dust and dark,
No sooner the old hope drops to ground
Than a new one, straight to the selfsame mark,
I shape me—
Ever
Removed!

Up Next: #6

Love Poem #4 Love's Philosophy by Percy Bysshe Shelley

 I hope you all are getting in the spirit of the upcoming holiday...you know the one. The holiday where lovers walk hand in hand sharing their chocolate ice cream cone. The one in which you gaze deep into each others eyes and say "I love you." That's right folks, Arizona statehood day is upon us and it is three days away!! I for one will be strapping on my cowboy boots and heading down to the saloon to celebrate the birth of my home state. As for all the other stuff happening that day here is for the hopeless romantics with an unrequited love. Poem number 4 is by Percy Shelley, husband to the author of Frankenstein, Mary Shelley. This guy was a rock star during his time. He and Mary were quite the power couple for that era. I highly recommend reading both authors, they are both quite good. Anyhow, poem #4, enjoy.

 

Okay, I know I was going to post love poems without all the turmoil but really this is sort of an anti-love poem. To me, this poem is about a man trying to make sense of the world. He seems to love a girl who doesn't return his affections. He sees everything as a pair ie. the river and the ocean, moonbeams and the sea. He does not seem to understand what it all is worth if he can't be paired with the one he ardores.

Love's Philosophy - Percy Shelley

The fountains mingle with the river
And the rivers with the ocean,
The winds of Heaven mix for ever
With a sweet emotion;
Nothing in the world is single,
All things by a law divine
In one spirit meet and mingle -
Why not I with thine?

See the mountains kiss high Heaven
And the waves clasp one another;
No sister-flower would be forgiven
If it disdained its brother;
And the sunlight clasps the earth,
And the moonbeams kiss the sea -
What are all these kissings worth
If thou kiss not me?

More to come...A+

Love Poem #3 I Carry Your Heart With Me by e.e. cummings

Howdy there! So my number 3 choice for this weeks love poems will be by e. e. cummings or E. E. Cummings...I'm not too sure which one is supposed to be correct but I heard he had his name legally changed to be all lower case letters. I have seen it written both ways. Anyway, I am new to this author but I fell in love immediately. It even sparked an interest to read his novel The Enormous Room which was a novel he wrote inspired by his time in a military detention camp for rumored espionage by the French military. He was highly regarded by many of my English classmates so I finally gave him a try.

I chose this poem because it was simply beautiful...

I Carry Your Heart With Me - ee cummings

I carry your heart with me (I carry it in
my heart) I am never without it (anywhere
I go you go, my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing, my darling)
I fear
no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet ) I want
no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart

I carry your heart (I carry it in my heart)

 

 

4 will be soon to follow...

Love Poem #2 To a Stranger by Walt Whitman

Hello there and happy Friday from the BOOKWORMportal! Here is love poem #2. I am a HUGE Walt Whitman fan so I absolutely had to add him to my 7 favorite love poems of all time. He was a man ahead of his time and due to much of his work his sexuality has been up for debate for quite some time. His poetry was very controversial for this time. I always have an admiration for authors (and anyone in general) who are not afraid to be bold in what they say or write.

 

Who knew Whitman dabbled in wizardry!

I chose this poem in particular because it seemed sweet and innocent in a way. I think it is about soulmates. Perhaps he had feelings for a someone he may have felt he shouldn't have or even was allowed to have since homosexuality was so very under the radar during his time. My favorite line is the end...enjoy.

"I am to wait—I do not doubt I am to meet you again,
I am to see to it that I do not lose you."   

To a Stranger - Walt Whitman

PASSING stranger! you do not know how longingly I look upon you,
You must be he I was seeking, or she I was seeking, (it comes to me, as of a dream,)
I have somewhere surely lived a life of joy with you,
All is recall’d as we flit by each other, fluid, affectionate, chaste, matured,
You grew up with me, were a boy with me, or a girl with me,
I ate with you, and slept with you—your body has become not yours only, nor left my body
mine
only,
You give me the pleasure of your eyes, face, flesh, as we pass—you take of my beard,
breast,
hands, in return,
I am not to speak to you—I am to think of you when I sit alone, or wake at night alone,
I am to wait—I do not doubt I am to meet you again,
I am to see to it that I do not lose you.

Have a safe weekend. A+

"Love is the beauty of the soul." -St. Aurelius Augustine

Bonjour mes amis! Just a little update, I have decided to do new things with the BOOKWORMportal. I have had a blast writing about books and authors but I have decided that I want to do more. I will still continue the book portion on here because I like doing it. However, to be a true "bookworm" I feel that it extends to MUCH more than just books. I believe it extends to art, music, poetry and in some cases movies... Anyhow, for those of you who actually read this thing I would like to say thank you!

So, I would like to begin a new change of pace right now. In honor of Valentines Day (also known as Arizona Statehood Day) I would like to post my seven favorite love poems of all time. One poem for each day on here until the big day. Oh man I have gone soft in my old age! I remember the days when I liked my poetry filled with angst and turmoil. Here goes day 1, I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.

This first poem is by Pablo Neruda. He is arguably one of the best love poets of all time. Neruda is the man. This poem has a hint of sadness to it because it seems like an unrequited love poem. It could be that the narrator is a sailor and left a girl behind. Perhaps there is no sea at all! Is it all metaphorical that the woman he loves seems out of reach as though she were across the sea...or across the port (Gatsby anyone?). Who knows, but I do love me some Neruda.

Here I Love You - Pablo Neruda

Here I love you.
In the dark pines the wind disentangles itself.
The moon glows like phosphorous on the vagrant waters.
Days, all one kind, go chasing each other.

The snow unfurls in dancing figures.
A silver gull slips down from the west.
Sometimes a sail. High, high stars.

Oh the black cross of a ship.
Alone.
Sometimes I get up early and even my soul is wet.
Far away the sea sounds and resounds.
This is a port.
Here I love you.
Here I love you and the horizon hides you in vain.
I love you still among these cold things.
Sometimes my kisses go on those heavy vessels
that cross the sea towards no arrival.
I see myself forgotten like those old anchors.
The piers sadden when the afternoon moors there.
My life grows tired, hungry to no purpose.
I love what I do not have. You are so far.
My loathing wrestles with the slow twilights.
But night comes and starts to sing to me.

The moon turns its clockwork dream.
The biggest stars look at me with your eyes.
And as I love you, the pines in the wind
want to sing your name with their leaves of wire.

Have a great day everyone. À plus tard!

"It is true that those we meet can change us, sometimes so profoundly that we are not the same afterwards, even unto our names": Life of Pi

Ladies and gentlemen I have finally finished the wonderful story of Life of Pi. I know I know what in the heck too so long?! I won’t prattle on with excuses but I will say I am so very glad I revisited this novel after so long. I forgot much of the story is intertwined with subtext and hidden meanings even in the title in itself…The Life of Pi…let’s think about that. "Life" meaning the life of the main character Pi (Piscine) or it could mean life in general. Pi’s name could stand for Pi (Piscine) or pi (3.14) as an infinite never ending thing. 

“Life is so beautiful that death has fallen in love with it, a jealous, possessive love that grabs at what it can. But life leaps over oblivion lightly, losing only a thing or two of no importance, and gloom is but the passing shadow of a cloud...”

Without further ado Life of Pi.

The story is told through a flashback which is one of my favorite ways in which a story can be told (I am partial to Wuthering Heights.) Anyhow, we are first introduced to Pi as an older man with children, a home and a whole life we can only assume was typical. He seems just like any other family man but people are so very interested in his story which leads us to have many interpretations of the man through the eyes of multiple characters. When Pi takes us back in time, he is this animal loving vegan Hindu with parents who look after him and his brother. He had a magical childhood growing up in a zoo with his family as his father was a zoo keeper. He gains an appreciation for all forms of life from learning to care for the animals and he expresses such a reverence for them that he speaks of them as though they were human.
 
What I forgot about this novel is the huge element of religion that is present. It took me awhile to decide how to write about this segment because everyone is so willing to fight about this topic and I am by no means an expert on the subject matter. People are passionate. I think Martel sort of exposes the hypocrisy of those that fight so hard against another with differentiating ideologies. My favorite scene is when the 3 religious leaders that Pi had been conversing with met and started bickering with each other about the "true" religion of Pi. It was almost endearing how Pi gets enamored with a religion and finds a new one that has opposing ideologies and is just as enamored due to the similarities he finds, however minor they may be. He discovers three of the worlds most prominent religions and decides to follow all of them because his main objective was simply love God and in his eyes God was the same in all three. Faith is a huge element right from the start and becomes much more important with the impending doom looming over the life of Pi.
 
::SPOILERS::

Pi's family decides to uproot from everything they know and love and head off to Canada (quite a cultural change). Their exciting journey on the boat is short lived due to a cataclysmic and unexplained crash that sends the boat to the bottom of the sea. When reading about what happens during this scene, it was not unlike Noah's Arc and the great flood that occurred, except for the fact that Noah's Arc didn't bite the dust. The elements were there though, animals, flood, great death and doom. Pi was the proverbial Noah and attempts to save as many animals on board as he can while his entire carefree life was ripped from his arms. His father, his mother, his brother were no where to be found.

Now, I suppose in a state of chaos a heroic person would try to save the lives of the people or animals around him in distress but our young little Pi forgets that the animals he was trying to save were behind cages for a reason. However, due to the present situation at hand, they have commonality and that is that they are forced to coexist in the same desolate situation. But, it is in the nature of some animals to be predatory regardless of the situation so this harmonious bevy doesn't last long when a hyena on board decides to mix things up. If you chose to read this beware, some of the scenes described during this portion of the book are not for a weak stomach!

Strange that Pi forgets about the giant Bengal tiger named Richard Parker on the boat when the hyena turned into a menace. His father was really persistent on convincing Pi never ever to trust him. He was startled at first when he came to this realization but it became imperative for Pi to pick the lesser of the two evils and since the hyena seemed to be reckless and more untamed, Richard Parker (RP) seemed like a smart choice for the time being.  When Richard Parker eventually kills the hyena, Pi realizes once food runs low he might be next on the menu. So, fight or flight? In a state of panic I know I would have jumped ship and  died a horrible death drowning at sea. It beats getting your face eaten off.  Pi, decides when he can't beat him join him. He places himself in the alpha male role so RP will eventually realize he cannot live without him. They eventually form a bond with each other  and Pi does his very best to take care of both of them (not without reservations) while lost at sea.

After a long time has past and by divine chance Pi runs into a person who is also stranded and due to lack of nutrition both men went blind. The fellow castaway tries to kill Pi but being blind he didn't realize RP was on the boat. Being the alpha, RP protected Pi and got a free meal for the trouble. I think Pi's innocence can still be shown through this scene because in spite of the man trying to kill him and harvest his organs, somewhere in his mind he had hoped they could be friends. Pi buddy, I know you are stranded but you really need higher standards for friends!

::ENDING SPOILERS::

I generally do not like to include endings on my reviews but the end of the novel was my favorite part and in spite of losing my appetite it was thought provoking.

Ultimately all that happened to Pi while he was a castaway sounds very outlandish to the people trying to find out what happened the night of the crash...and I did not even get to mention the man eating island! We have to either take it on good faith that Pi is a reliable narrator or a big fat liar. There were so many elements that would not make sense but as Pi eloquently points out just because you do not see something does not make it any less true as life, love and God can not be explained.

So, to appease the men who accused his story of being a lie, Pi tells another story. This was by far the most gruesome tale I have ever read so please if you get sick to the stomach easily like I do put down your meatball sub and wait a bit before you dive in. I suppose any story with a touch of cannibalism added to it would be a tad off putting. But, the second story that was told was just as outlandish and the outline of the story closely follows to what Pi initially said happened with the animals...but the men found the tale with people more believable because of the gruesome brutality men inflict on one another mirrors reality. I think I would much prefer the story with the animals...This segment of the novel can also be tied back to the very beginning of the story when Pi is intertwined with 3 different religions. Neither story could be proved because Pi was the only soul survivor. It was all about faith.  

This book was beautiful stylistically and jammed packed with metaphors and deep meaning, the storyline was a unique spin on the castaway story we are use to, and although some people I know did not care for the ending, I found it engaging. I have to give an overall score of 4/5 just because at times the pace was a tad slow.

I can't wait to catch this on film...

Music Monday #1: Electronic...UH?

Howdy there and welcome to my first Music Monday and I will be your host AJ Riley but I suppose you know that already. I chose to start off this segment with a music genre that I am not too familiar with but have thoroughly enjoyed this past week. Some may call it trip hop and some call it electronica but whatever you may call it there is an underlining feel to this music that simply can not be labeled. So call it what you will but I call it damn good music. 

I am absolutely in love with this genre and I was unaware of how vast it is! It has a very urban New York City kind of feel and some artists mix in hip hop. I was never a huge hip hop fan after the 90s but this genre has a dark, almost menacing jazzy feel to it mixed in with a little bit of an electronic vibe going on which appeals to me. Plus, the lyrics are kick ass. Here are my top 5 favorites (in no particular order) that I have been diving into this week.

#1 Wax Tailor: How I Feel. His real name is Jean-Christophe Le Saoût and he is a French artist. I would like to share with you my favorite song by him but I suggest you go out and pick up this album, or at least this song, because it is outstanding.

This song is taken from Wax Tailor's 2005 album Tales of the Forgotten Melodies. This was by far my most favorite song off the album. This song in particular features a cover of the song How I Feel (Originally by sung   by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusee) sung by Nina Simone. To quote TMos (ahem Himym fans) Nina has a hauntingly beautiful voice and Wax Tailor highlights her almost caramel-esque sound with an electronic tone. He does not take away from the song, he simply makes it his own while respecting the integrity of what was already great. I also like that he mixes in soundbites from old classic movies. This is something I personally have never heard before but glad to have the opportunity now.

2# Bonobo: Stay the Same. This song was by DJ Bonobo (real name Simon Green). I am not new to Bonobo, I think I stumbled upon Black Sands last year but after hundreds of times playing this song it has yet to lose its appeal.

 

 

I will tell you why I love this song so much...it features Andreya Triana, a British singer/song writer. The melody in the background is also beautiful but when she steps in the song becomes sultry. I am in love with the lyrics, I love the saxophone, and as a whole this song makes me think of a rainy day in the city. Andreya also sounds like a young less polished Sade.

#3 The Submarines: 1940. While I tend to migrate my taste in music to European artists The Submarines hold their own. This band sprang up from LA in 2006.

The vocals are done by Blake Hazard, the alleged great grand-daughter of F. Scott Fitzgerald. If that is true, then she has my heart on family bloodline alone. Anyhow, I thought she was a nice contrast to the female singers featured in the previously mentioned songs. Her voice lacks the deep and sultry tones we heard but she has a classic old-time style that you would hear from Ruth Etting in the 1920s. Actually, this band has so many eras mashed into one I am surprised it works so well!


#4 Little Dragon: Twice. This song is...absolutely heartbreaking. Little Dragon is a Swedish group with lead singer Yukimi Nagano.

This song in particular is off their 2007 self titled album. I love it just because of how heartbreaking it was. The simple two note piano accompaniment is genius. I think John Williams proved with the Jaws theme song that the simplicity of two notes can create a villain...a dark tone that just sticks in our minds evoking a feeling of fear. Two notes accompanied with Yukimi on vocals...perfect. Not much to say about that.

#5 Lykke Li: I'm Good I'm Gone.  Lykke Li is a Sweedish singer/songwriter.

Although I know her voice is not one of the most accomplished I have heard but it is unique. I love her accent especially since often they are not pronounced with singers. The style of the song and her voice is reminiscent of a different era much like Blake Hazard does. I love this song!

Well I hope you enjoyed my first Music Monday. More to come! A+