Analysis of "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe

     The "Tell-Tale Heart" is a fantastic yet haunting story about a seemingly insane man (though, who says it is a man?). It concerns his ambitions to kill an old man to rid himself of being haunted by the man's "evil eye". Once the deed is done and policemen come to investigate the crime, he is haunted by a noise that sounds like the beating of the old man's heart. The specific line used is "a sound much like a watch makes when enveloped in cotton". The noise becomes so unbearable that he eventually turns himself in to rid himself of the anxiety attack that he is clearly experiencing.
     The narrator, throughout the story, assures the reader of his being sane, which leads the reader to suspect his actual insanity, which is seconded by the deed he decides to go through with committing. Every time the narrator tries to do something, he does so with such precision, as if one false move would result in utter catastrophe. The odd thing is that he makes a mistake when spying on the old man as he sleeps on the eighth night, which could foreshadow (yes, Mr. Scotese, I'm using the word foreshadow, in case you are reading this...anyways...where was I? Ah, yes.) his ultimate arrest.
     The old man's evil eye could represent many things. It could be that it was something that had haunted the narrator since childhood, depending on how long he had been living with the old man. The ultimate thing that comes into question is when did the old man's "evil eye" start to bother the narrator? This can only be inferred, unless one would like to make assumptions based on Edgar Allan Poe's life before the writing of "The Tell-Tale Heart".
     Ultimately, "The Tell-Tale Heart" is a story that questions a killer's motivations for committing a crime. However, it adds the first-person aspect, which allows the reader to experience the frantic thoughts he or she is experiencing all this time. However, is there a political aspect to this story? The story was written in 1843, the year in which the American people attempted to impeach President Tyler. This attempt of course did not succeed. Perhaps Poe is making an analogy, in that the killer's attempt to silence the heart of the old man failed, so did the American people's attempt to silence the authority of President Tyler. It is a possibility! Think about it!
A Presto,
Simon

The Date

     It was a dark and stormy night.
     Actually, it was daytime. It was also mid-afternoon, and sunny. There was not a cloud in the sky. It's funny how clichè certain beginning phrases in a story can be.
     Anyhow, it was a bright and sunny afternoon, and a momentous occasion for a certain individual. This individual was Mark.
     As he looked in the mirror, preparing for his big night, he debated trifling changes in his appearance. Mark was a handsome young man, appearing to be of Russian descent. His porcelain skin glinted in the sunlight cascading in through his window panes. His soft blue eyes twinkled as he turned back and forth, adjusting his tuxedo before his eyes, practicing the poses he would strike and the attractive expressions he would put on his face should a camera come strolling by. Finally, he turned to walk out of the room just before remembering that pants are generally expected to be worn in public. Though Mark was a very smart young man, and of great intellect, he got distracted very easily.
     One more look in the mirror and he was ready to go. His muscular limbs stripped his outfit off, carelessly throwing it against his wall, quickly replacing them with a muscle shirt and athletic shorts. Running, he decided, was much more important than fashion.
     Mark bolted out the door into the humid Spring air of West Town. He breathed in deeply, inhaling the smells of nearby bakeries on Grand Avenue, the smell of a far away chocolate factory, breathing in the sounds of passing dog-walkers and musicians practicing, and sucking in the dreary sight of the treeless street. This was home. Though, it could be made better. A person standing nearby would have been astounded by the sounds and smells of West Town, but with little to no trees, the image was certainly not complete. It needed change.
     However, change was simply a figment of Mark's thoughts at that moment, as they were mostly concerning not tripping over his newly-grown legs. Though a senior in High School, Mark was a late-bloomer, and he was only just getting used to his new height and strength.
     Mark took a tour of his neighborhood, starting at his place of residence and working his way around the block. He passed houses that had been sitting where they were for approximately a century, and ones that had just been built and looked like something out of an old 20th Century sci-fi movie. On his jog, Mark ran alongside children playing in their not-yards and kids flying kites in their not-parks. Amidst his passing thoughts about sweating up a storm and how it would ruin his carefully perfected scent that night, Mark thought about how much the neighborhood was lacking, for all it had. If there were a touch of greenery in some places, everything would seem that more vibrant. And we know how great it is to be vibrant!
     As Mark returned home and dashed upstairs, said hello to his mother and father, tousled his little sister's hair, and pet his dog as she attempted to tackle him to the floor, though in a friendly way...Then he strutted over to his room. Yes, he strutted. He did not walk, skip, hop, nor did he jump, but he strutted off to his room and changed back into his fancy clothing. He had an amazing girlfriend with whom he was infinitely in love with, and they were on their way to become Prom King and Queen. Life could not have been better.
      After a re-examination and several frantic showers to allay the sweaty scent from running, Mark hopped into his car and drove off into the tree-less neighborhood of West Town. After picking up his date, Rosemary, he drove to his High School Prom, chatting with her all the way.
     The dance itself was fantastic.
     Everyone in Mark's grade was there. The decorations were phenomenal, and the music was loud and invigorating. Every time a photographer passed them by, Mark and Rosemary stuck a pose. It turned out that Mark's poses in front of the mirror actually came in handy! Though, what he didn't know was that Rosemary had been practicing as well...
     In any case, when they were called up to give their acceptance speeches, they strode up with style. While up on the platform, Mark scanned the crowd. He saw all the teenagers with their dates looking up at him and started sweating profusely. Mark was still nervous as he approached the microphone. As he took it in hand, one adult in the room recognized him. It was his alderman.
     During Mark's speech, he mentioned growing up in his neighborhood without any trees or greenery of any kind. Then he went into the normal jargon that a teen fills his speech with, but with style!
     Afterwords, he received much applause. "They LOVE me!" he thought with surprise. He hadn't practiced enough, in his opinion, but his speech went over very well. After Rosemary's speech, they stepped down from the raised platform and Mark's alderman approached the couple.
     He first said, "Wow, I'm very impressed with your speech, Mark! Very professional!"
     "Yeah, I spent TONS of time on it!", he muttered under his breath.
     "What's that?"
     "Oh, nothing! You were saying about me being great?"
     "Oh, right! Excellent speech! I was particularly moved by the section on the paucity of greenery in West Town. I've taken it upon myself to add trees and other shrubbery to your neighborhood! That should fix the problem, don't you think?"
     Mark thought he was dreaming. "That would be amazing," he said, "but how can that happen?"
     "I'm the alderman..." was the quick reply.
     Shortly thereafter, trees were added to West Town, making the aesthetic view of the neighborhood much more convivial and eco-friendly. After this, Mark was able to jog with Rosemary feeling satisfied that he'd done something right. And why shouldn't he? He got the girl and made a difference.

"In a Sentimental Mood" -Duke Ellington, sung by Ella Fitzgerald (I understand the speaker's feelings!)

In a sentimental mood
I can see the stars come through my room
While your loving attitude
Is like a flame that lights the gloom

This introduction sets the scene for the sentimental, blissful mood of the song. The stars coming through the speakers room add to the romantic feeling of the poem, and the simile put in place (a loving attitude like a flame that lights the gloom) shows the passion of one lover for the other.

On the wings of every kiss
Drifts a melody so strange and sweet
In this sentimental bliss
You make my paradise complete

  This stanza starts off with a metaphor of a kiss with wings. The aforementioned description gives life, emotion, and meaning to the kiss, from the speaker's perspective, and gives it life. With the next line, "Drifts a melody so strange and sweet", comes the theme of the piece, the cascade of notes and then a lilt upwards and downwards in a Perfect 4th, a major tone, which is a strange sound over the E minor, a second in the key of D minor. (Quick music theory lesson: In a minor key, the second scale degree should be diminished). To top it all off, when these pitches are sounded, she says the word "strange". And when she says the word "sweet", the chord resolves to a relaxing major chord, a G5 resolving to just a plain old G major, simultaneously completing the Perfect 4th. Interestingly, whenever, the word "sentimental" is stated, an A7 is called for by the chord chart. The next couple lines involve romantic ideas in the speaker's mind, relating to his or her loved one.

Rose petals seem to fall
It's all I could dream to call you mine
My heart's a lighter thing
Since you made this night a thing divine

  This is the bridge of the tune. The speaker is, at this point, incredulous that his or her lover has chosen this person. She is in a state of mind in which her lover is the center of her universe, having the ability to affect her in ways unexplainable to an outsider.

In a sentimental mood
I'm within a world so heavenly
For I never dreamt that you'd be loving sentimental me

This last stanza summarizes the tune in a recap explaining once more the speakers stupefied and ecstatic (and sentimental) feelings about how it could be possible that his or her lover has chosen the speaker. It even includes an oxymoron, that is, "within a world so heavenly" which really shows that the speaker is in absolute bliss. An interesting piece of information is that all the other times in which the word "sentimental" is sung, an A7 chord is used, though this time, the fourth scale degree is used, as the key changes to F major. Instead of the usual A7, a diatonic B7 is used, making a strange resolution to the seventh, E minor, which should be diminished, and then taking a strange twist with a final resolution on a strange chord--D major. This is a strange chord to end on, because it involves ending via a deceptive cadence, a cadence normally used to continue truckin' through operas. However, this cadence ends the tune, though it ends on a major version of the usually minor sixth, D major. Although, astounding female vocalist Ella Fitzgerald's voice can make anything sound good. Thus, it is a more interesting ending than it is strange.

     This poem's words speak of concrete ideas in an abstract way, which adds to the blissful mood of the poem. The words themselves are organized so that the syllables are perfectly intertwined, causing them to float across the air into a listener's ear and thus becoming much easier to listen to. "In a Sentimental Mood" is an extremely relevant song today because, to me, love, care, passion, emotion and connectedness are the most important ideas in a relationship. All five of these ideas are both explicitly and implicitly present in this song. Love is Life.

A Presto,
Simon

Liberty is one of my Rights

     Propaganda. It is a word representing a thing that is in our midst as citizens of the world each and every day, all the time, in almost every waking hour of our lives. This is what it used to be. Though nothing has changed, it, propaganda, has been taken to the next level. It is now a political strategy, a means of gaining attention from the common people, as well as a general nuisance in most of our lives.
     Propaganda, in my own words, is a voice of forgotten reason, a shadow of the past, a blur of the present, and a flicker of the future. It is a voice telling someone what could be, what should be, and what one must do. This obviously means it can not necessarily be taken very seriously. It equivocates exactly what it wants one to say or do or buy or subscribe to, etc. so as to plant an egg of an idea and spawn a new creation, growing steadily and increasingly larger every second. This is propaganda.
     Propaganda today seems to be used to gain the "home-field advantage", even if the person employing its powers is not necessarily on his or her home turf. It "trash-talks" the opponent, whomever this may be, and it gloats for the employer.
     Propaganda. In the past it was used mainly new product advertisements, rarely for politics, and the majority of the propaganda was used for recruiting for the army. This can be shown by the vast display of "Uncle Sam" posters placed all around the country, telling the common people that Uncle Sam wants YOU to join the army. These posters were seen in the form of wall-cut-outs, photographs, advertisements in newspapers and magazines, or even on billboards. Because of the high availability and commonality of these posters, the powers of propaganda get inside one's mind and plant ideas there, trying to make a person think a certain way.
     Propaganda. Many politicians today utilize propaganda as a way to win over the wills of the common people. It is also used by companies to promote their products on television, on the radio, on the internet, in newspapers, and in magazines.
     Propaganda. (Have you gotten annoyed yet? Yeah, that's the point.) I believe everyone should have free will and the right to choose a side. This should be an unbiased decision based solely on the person in question. The constitution guarantees us "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness". One of these guarantees, liberty, can be obtained by recognizing an individual's free will, which propaganda does everything but promote. Though some good properties can be obtained by utilizing the powers of propaganda, such as awareness, it should most definitely be a rare occurrence.
A Presto,
Simon

B-boying Emerson Meets Richard Wright?

     Beat Street is a movie directed by Stan Lathan. It deals with the struggles of a group of friends as they try to climb their way up the art's chain in 80's Bronx New York. Each member of the group of friends has a special talent that helps the whole "gang" experience many aspects of 80's life. For example, the main character, Kenny, is an all-around hip-hop artist. His brother, Lee, is a "wonderful breaker", as Tracy, a choreographer, puts it. Then, there is Ramon, a graffiti artist, the one "white" person in the group of friends.
     As far as the actors themselves, there is only one familiar face I recognized. That is of Kenny's and Lee's mother, Cora, played by Mary Alice. I recognized her from her rather important role in The Matrix III, as the oracle.
     Each character in Beat Street has a distinct personality and exhibits certain flaws. For example, Kenny has trouble coping with situations that might pose as a minuscule threat to you or I. Though, with him, he "blows up" instantly. One could call it a "short fuse". However, he is the likely hero, as he is the character with the dream to be famous, yadda, yadda, yadda...He eventually gets his job as a fantastic club DJ, blah, blah, blah...And he gets the girl (Tracy) in the end. (DUH!!!)
     Lee is the one I know the least about, which could contribute to some of his apprehensive characteristics. He is a fantastic b-boy and partakes in myriad "battles" throughout the movie at various locations throughout the Bronx. However, for all his capacity as a great breaker, he does not talk very much, and seems to be, only at times, slightly shy. Obviously this shyness instantly leaves him every time he goes into his "uprock".
     Ramon is perhaps the most conflicted of them all. He must deal with his father's pressure to settle down and have a "real life" while he blatantly ignores Ramon's beautiful "burns" on the city's trains. Because of this, Ramon eventually bursts and gives in, deciding to work double-time and get a day job but still act the part of a graffiti artist at night. He does all this while juggling the responsibility of having a family, complete with a baby and all. Eventually, he moves into an apartment with his family together at last.
     As opposed to the book, Black Boy, which deals with the times in which young boys like Richard were extremely confused about racial differences--so much so that they felt they had to feed into and fit these pre-determined stereotypes--Beat Street deals with the difficulties of finding one's self amongst the temptation to stray from one's path in order to become something one does not want to be. This can be a very difficult thing to do, and is almost always easier said than done. Though, as Emerson says, with Self-Reliance, one can accomplish almost any task. Remember that and carry it with you at all times. It will come in handy in surprising situations.
A Presto,
Simon

Interacting with a Peaceful Attitude: Seattle

     This reading on "This Sacred Soil" was extremely meaningful to me because it showed exactly what it meant to be a Native American in the time in which white Europeans were invading their lands. It provided an account of a representative's exact thoughts and feelings on the whole situation.
     Seattle's state of mind was that the world is apt to change at any moment, and she used many similies such as comparing the number of Europeans to the number of blades of grass in a prarie, or comparing the attack on her people to the "scattering of trees in a storm-swept plain".
     It is an interesting first-person account because it shows how the natives strongly believed that they, the natives and the Europeans, could not exist together in harmony, as they were opposites in almost every aspect. However, the Native Americans were willing to attempt at tolerance, like brothers.
     I enjoyed this piece because many states of mind that the natives exhibited should be emulated today in interacting with other countries, such as peace, tolerance, and abstinance from war. One interesting quote from the reading shows why the natives were so outgoing towards the Europeans: "There is no death, only a change of worlds." Because of this mentality, they seemingly had nothing to fear. This is a mentality that has the power to adjust many lives for the better if applied in the modern-day.
A Presto,
Simon

Our King Governs Ideals

     Is Martin Luther King Jr. Still the "King" he was back in the 1900's? I believe he is more of a king nowadays, seeing as we remember him as a seemingly fearless rights activist today, when he was shunned back then for saying and doings his actions. These actions were remembered after the time of segregation, though our generation today does not consider King's actions as much. Instead, most of us just recognize that we get a day off of school for his birthday. However, he was much more than a name, a face, and a list of facts.
     Martin Luther King's ideas are still very prominent, though there does not exist much physical need for them anymore. Instead, people are now segregated in the mind--which causes some to think certain things about other peers, cultures, etc. In class, his ideas are useful for learning about history, and that the Civil Rights Movement happened, though we are now moving into an age in which one needs the rights to believe something, as opposed to existing in sync with others, which Martin Luther King Jr.'s ideals certainly cover.
     Is King still King? Yes, but only in some ways. He governs not a state of being, but instead a way of thinking. We as the a generation can use King's ideals and apply them to our own troubles as a society in order to surpass them.
A Presto,
Simon