Literature Entry the Twelfth
Hey everyone.
Wow. I cant believe its week 12. This semester went by so, so fast, and I’m really quite sad that our Shakespeare class is over. I’m sure learning about Blake will be quite interesting, but he isn’t Shakespeare. Ive just really, really enjoyed this past semester and I know it’s not a good thing but I will probably end up comparing everything next semester to this semester, and I doubt it will be as good. Because as I’ve said, this semester was awesome.
Do you want to know what else was awesome? This week’s lecture! Probably one of the best lectures I’ve ever been to! (Last week, when we had Matt from Bells Shakespeare, comes equal first) Everyone did so, so well with their performances. And not only was it entertaining, but seeing the plays acted out was also really helpful in understanding the often ‘meaty’ text and dialogue Shakespeare wrote. My personal favourite moments were the overly ‘eager’ Ferdinand and Miranda in the final performance, the rapping fairies/spirits, and the drunken shenanigans/ramblings of Gabe and Kat as Stephano and Trinculo.
But again, I think everyone did well, and I wish we could do it all over again.
So for this weeks creative section I decided I was going to write another poem. I wasn’t sure what about, until Michael started telling us how ‘the powers that be’ are looking at getting rid of live journal. To this I say… “so not cool!” (not very eloquent I know, but that’s one of the things I love about Live Journal, that we are encouraged to speak more casually about the literature we love and how it affects us)
So as I was contemplating how to put my feelings about the possible loss of Live Journal into some poetic form, I went looking through my friends page (yet another benefit of Live Journal) and found Reilly’s thoughts on the subject. He put everything I was thinking into very passionate, articulate language- I just hope the right people read it! You can find Reilly’s great entry here
http://reilly88.livejournal.com/19110.html?view=25510#t25510
and this is what I commented:
Wow Reilly, so eloquently and passionately put! I, like everyone else who has commented on this awesome entry, agree completely.
Live Journal has so many good points, and so few negative points, you have to wonder why the idea to get rid of it is even being considered.
I, like you, feel like I’ve benefited so much from my live journal experience. While at the very beginning of the live journal process I cursed the commitment required to keep ontop of the entries, I now look forward to writing my entry each week as it’s really the only chance I get to stretch my creative legs. Being busy uni students, doing creative writing in any other context feels like a waste of time that is keeping me from ‘real’ uni work- but because we are marked on our live journal’s, it is uni work and I feel all the better for doing it, and my creative work is also benefiting.
I hope the ‘powers that be’ read your livejournal and these comments and realise how important this element of assessment has become to us literature students.
(p.s. I also agree that blogging in blackboard is not a legitimate replacement. As you would know, we are already meant to do it in history, and I haven’t. It was so boring and impersonal. No thanks- give me live journal any day!)
So after reading that, I went on to write my poem, which I decided to make a sonnet. (The fact that I am now confident to write a sonnet is all thanks to Live Journal. I had never tried before, and if it hadn’t been for live journal I probably never would have tried! Then add to that all the positive support and feedback I got from my friends which encouraged me to keep trying more! I just cant believe they want to get rid of it)
This is not one of my favourite sonnets, but I believe it gets the message across. Hope you all enjoy.
An Ode to Live Journal
Oh my live journal, my creative space
Mine to own, to build, to share
At my own pace
Oh to loose it would not be fair
Oh in my live journal Im shy at first
Writing only an haiku here and there
But now in sonnets I feel quite versed
But writing them anywhere else? I wouldn’t dare
Oh my live journal, don’t take it from me
Where else will I create, discuss and write?
This is my space, not yours, so leave it be
In the dreary world of assessment, its my beacon shining bright
Oh my live journal, I hope they will see
Your real worth, your pricelessness. This is my plea.
Wow. So I guess that’s not just it from me for the week- but for the semester also. Its surprising how sad that makes me. Don’t get me wrong I’m looking forward to the holidays, but I really did have a great time this semester. So thank you to you all who made the lecturers interesting- and an especially big thank you to Michael for making the whole subject so enjoyable.
Until next time
Bec xoxo