The Art of Love

Love is compared to War. The author of The Art of Love, Ovid, talks about similar love and war is. A few things he says I believe are completely true!

            He states, “Who but a soldier or lover would put up with freezing nights—rain, snow, sleet?” (p. 295) People truly in love are so determined. It is hard work. Many people think that love is a destination. They believe that once you get somebody to love you, you don’t have to work on it anymore. But the only way that a love can last is if both are always giving, and lifting each other as they work together to talk through anything. They should treat each other as their greatest priority, and stewardship. I love movies where the guy goes through so much for the girl. Lovers do things that otherwise they would not. I think about Darcy in Pride and Prejudice as he does those things for Elizabeth even though she before had rejected him. “Love calls for guts and initiative.” (p. 295)

            Its amazing how well love and war relate. I was so surprised as I read his comparisons. One last quote that I really thought about said, “The defeated can recover, while some you might think invincible collapse; so if you’ve got love written off as an easy option you’d better think twice” (p. 295).  The men we view as “invincible” do have a weakness. Love, like war, can make grown men cry. So is anybody strong enough for it? It all depends on how hard you are willing to work. It can make anyone the happiest they have ever been.

Song of Songs

Photo I took of Kallie Sommercorn's and her husband’s rings.

As a class we read a piece of the Hebrew Bible, called Song of Songs or Song of Solomon. These “lyrics” are written very beautifully and portray the love between man and woman. As I read a long I found a few sections that I loved and underlined.

The man and woman talk about each other in the most loving and special way.  This kind of talk from a lover is ideal and very romantic. I love the names they give each other. It reminds me of how I feel when I get called a sweet name by my man. J The one I can relate to the most is the name My Love. I know that these simple but sweet namesmean a lot to me so I connected with that probably more that some people in our class. I think the greatest joy is to be able to say these names to each other in person.

Today, relationships are becoming all in writing. Guys text what girls want to read but then cannot say the same things while they are actually around that person. I imagine that these songs were sung or recited to the one they love. It would be amazing to have someone that loves you to recite a poem he/she wrote in person. Our culture is completely different now though. We don’t see that very often. I think about all the things that Romeo says to Juliet when he is with her. We don’t speak to our loved ones like that anymore.

Chapter 2 also has one of my favorite quotes. “—As a lily among the thistles, so is my love among the maidens. –As an apple tree among the trees of the orchard, so is my Beloved among the young men.” This quote has things said from both the woman and the man. It’s very sweet the way they talk to each other. 

What is Love?

  

The general point made by Helen Fisher in her work What is Love? is that there are biological explanations for the reasons that we feel the emotion of Love. More specifically, Fisher suggests that our brains have different networks and chemicals that are released in certain sections of our brain. He writes about the science behind romantic love and stated, “Dopamine is associated with excessive energy, elation, focused attention and the motivation to win rewards—basic traits of romantic love.” (page 335) In this passage, Fisher is suggesting that romantic love is a craving just like our need for food because dopamine is also released then. In conclusion, it is Fisher’s belief that our brain and the chemicals in our body create these reactions of love. It is in our culture and how our brains are taught to react and what they have been taught to be satisfied with.

In my view, Fisher is right because the chemicals released are real. It is scientifically proven through tests of the brain. For example, they can do test on the brain to show what parts of the brain are active during certain situations. The author talks about a test where they would show those under testing a picture of their beloved and their reactions in their brain were specific to a certain part of the brain. Although Fisher might object that there are also reactions within the heart associated with love. I maintain that the heart allows us to feel the actual reaction to seeing a loved one. We do not have the nerves in our brain to actually feel love. But the heart skips beats, beats faster, aches, and all of these reactions are felt physically. Therefore, I conclude that love isn’t only connected to the brain’s reactions but also to the heart’s.

Introduction to Passion and Romance

          
           This unit we are studying something very hard to explain, define, or determine its source. To introduce this topic, this passage familiarizes us with the stories and articles that we will read. Many have different ideas about what Love is.

           

There are many different theories and experiments led out to figure out how this connection we have with others affects us so much. Some even try to argue their explanations on how it affects us. All of these plays, songs, movies, tell us a majority of things about love.

           

In the Introduction to Passion and Romance it states, “Loving is the way we tap into that divine, immortal world. Love becomes a way to talk about the eternal, about our innate desire to feel that there is something permanent about our selves.” I really like this. It makes me thing about how I want love to be eternal. Even Plato argued about this so many years ago. Have we gotten closer to understanding it since then? Not much. It’s still a mystery to every one of us.

           

My favorite way that people describe love is very poetic. Metaphors are used to compare love to something we are familiar with because there aren’t many other ways to explain it! I love how clever people get with their metaphors. Many of them just make sense to us, especially those who have experienced love. Those metaphors become truthful, and create a visual of love and not just the feeling. When I was in Jr. High I loved to collect quotes and poems about love that describe it very creatively. I want to look through some of the ones I wrote down and share them with the class. 

Divine Lovers- Our Own Creation Myth

Divine Lovers


Before there was a before, there was a then. Before there was a below and an above, there was a there. It was called The High, and all Gods dwelt there. A community of Deities, living, roaming, and loving. The most true of those that loved was the love of He and She. They could not be separated, and completed one another fully. One not surviving without the other.

A war broke loose in The High, out of greed for power. Gods are powerful creatures, so the horror was immense. Destruction was eminent, and He and She became fearful. They decided to make a safe haven for themselves, knowing the fate that lied before them if they retreated to it. The safe haven was genuinely beautiful, and full of color, and they named it Earth. As a symbol of his love, He created small beings that he called Animals as a gift for She. They were created to represent him, and for his spirit to live within if anything were to happen to him. She was amazed and thankful, and knew that she must create something in return. With He in mind, She created nature, the plants, trees, water, and sun. When presented to He, it was said that they could sustain the animals that He had created, keeping them alive and pleased. Her spirit would live throughout them, constantly providing for the spirit of He. The plants and animals worked together constantly. One not surviving without the other.

Since He and She were Heavenly beings, they could not live on this Earth that they had created, unless they were to forever become spirits. This made Earth a last resort for He and She,so they created a protector that could live on Earth, as well as in The High temporarily. This protector wass a being, similar to He and She, yet not as powerful because it was not a Godlike figure, and could exist on Earth. They named it Soul.

Complete demolition began to occur in The High until nearly everything was destroyed, but He, She, and Soul made it out just in time. As they were bursting through space at the speed of light, blasting down into Earth, the evil Gods did not want them to escape! They used their powers to destroy He and She, but Soul who was following behind surged a globe of safety around Earth to protect them. Earth was made forever round, and protected all inside it from the evil Gods, but Soul was seemingly destroyed. He and She instantly became spirits, and were hidden throughout Earth, to stay forever.

He and She felt great sorrow over the loss of Soul, and searched high and low upon Earth for it. Suddenly, they came upon Sould, but it seemed to be different. Soul was found in two halves. These halves resemble that of He and She, only weaker and Earthly. They were called Soulmates. He and She helped the Soulmates to find one another, and they lived in harmony, simply sustaining one another, living off of the plants and animals created by their own creators. The spirits of He and She, in gratitude for protection, helped and guided them the rest of their lives, living through the Soulmates, sustaining one another forever. One not surviving without the other.



Rachel Voorhees and Abbey Smiley

Nature Argument Paper

Several of the authors in the Nature themed section such as Carson and Leopold, agree and believe that  becoming more respectful and acquainted with the earth will protect it from getting destroyed and will benefit ourselves.

For example, Carson stated, “It is a wholesome and necessary thing for us to turn again to the earth and in the contemplation of her beauties to know the sense of wonder and humility.” (p. 370) Our relationship with the earth has been neglected and ruined. Carson stresses the idea that is necessary for us and maybe even vital to enjoy the beauties of it. We will be benefited mentally, physically and spiritually. There are so many opportunities for activities revolving around the land and natural surroundings.

 Author of Wildlife in American Culture, Leopold, stresses the concept of “Unplugging”. Gadgets have become a necessity and are often times being used to destroy nature. He stated, “The conquest of nature by machines has led to much unnecessary destruction of resources. Our tools improve faster than we do.” (p. 372) We need to Use these new tools gently. He describes a conflict that I think is very true and interesting. The new good and easy to use guns are creating people who go out and shoot just because they have this gadget. These people are called bad shooters with good guns. They just leave the dead carcasses behind. This skill that used to be a practice to feed, clothe, and sustain your family is now used as a damaging tool.

Because nature is not being enjoyed, many of our historical nature plantations will be torn down. Fighting for the interest in these places will help restore them. Programs for kids, which help them to become more knowledgeable about the trees, animals, bodies of water, and plants around them are very important and should be encouraged. I remember when I was in Elementary School, I attended field trips to the local Nature Center. There I learned more about the nature than I did anywhere else. Getting kids to think critically and to become more interested in being outdoors will help encourage future generations to preserve it. Statistics show that we are coming closer to the destruction of all of the natural nature sights.

Nature is getting destroyed. We have created a power to destroy nature. Foreseeing what our actions are doing to the earth should be addressed so that we can more appreciate and protect it. It is becoming more destroyed and less flourished. Not only is nature becoming more damaged because of the technologies that we build to further destroy the land and the humane ways of hunting, but because of our lack of getting out of our houses, cars, and comfort zones to enjoy them. Technology is moving us further and further away from the enjoyment of these lands.

On the other hand, people believe that we have a need of increasing the children’s knowledge of technology. It’s amazing to me to see small children operating IPads like its no problem. My niece Jaylee knows exactly how to turn on a movie for herself at the small age of 2. I have heard people talk about studies about those that play Call of Duty. It was said by a man in the Army that if you want to be in the armed forces and learn more about the wars of America then just play Call of Duty because you’ll learn more accurate things there than anywhere else. The story lines are accurate and that’s great! But how many of the people that are spending hours and hours on these games actually want to pursue a carrier in the armed forces?

Our time is being wasted. Agreeing with the authors, it is my opinion that the time we spend on our technology instead of outdoors should be limited. Every person should have a goal to do something to get involved and enjoy these beautiful surroundings. And as we visit these beautiful places we should not abuse the abilities that we have to control these technologies when we are dealing with nature. These goals will benefit our family time, stress relieving skills and many other aspects of everyone’s lives.

Drama Event Critique- WICKED!

1.) What play or musical did you attend?

On March 30 of this year, I attended the musical Wicked performed in New York on Broadway.

2.) Give a summary or description of the play you saw (at least 150 words).

This breathtaking story is a behind the scenes look on the classic tale of Wizard of Oz. It shows the lives of the good and the wicked witches of the land and how their lives were leading up to the original classic story.  It explains questions like how Elphaba became green, and the different relationships between the witches.  It also explains how she becomes wicked. The story goes from their days in school to after the Wicked witch of the West “melts”. It is interesting because you find out things that you would have never thought about before. Elphaba becomes Wicked because of the way other’s judged her wrongly and she started to believe them and give them what they wanted her to be. The Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion are all incorporated as well and the story goes through their lives as well. Almost any question that was left unanswered in the Wizard of Oz gets answered in this musical.

3.) In 250 words, discuss the quality of the performance [include a discussion of the costumes, lighting, acting quality, direction, sound quality, and any mistakes or other problems that detracted from the performance.)

The set for this play was phenomenal! This play has been running around 10 years and has used this same stage and set the whole way through. People that I know who have seen the traveling cast and stage for Wicked said that that set doesn’t even compare to the one they have at this original stage. Everything abut it went smoothly and sometimes you didn’t even realize that the scene changed until minutes after. There was a live band that sounded very professional and the mic set up in the pit was absolutely perfect so that you could hear every single instrument. The only thing that detracted from the play was he temperature in the theater. That was the only thing but it would quickly be forgotten once the play started more into it. It was pretty cold in there.

These people are professionals so their acting quality was amazing. You compare it to other plays and its amazing how talented at acting people can get. The story was believable and you were apart of it because of how well they acted it out.

Once again I want to talk about sound quality. Their sound system is very well put together. You heard every little thing that you were supposed to hear. I don’t know how other places have some hard times with mics not working at all or making very loud noises that are distracting and sometimes hurts your ears. There was absolutely none of that. It was simply amazing how clear their voices the music, and every little detail was. And we were on the last row in the balcony!!

4.) In 250 words discuss the social & philosophical issues the play addresses and indicate what answers/conclusions were reached. What is the argument?

There are a number of issues in this play that either get solved or cause many things to happen.  First, because Elphaba is green, she struggles with fitting in anywhere.  Her father uses her to be protection for their other child and doesn’t treat her like a daughter of his own.  At school, all of the students judge her and make fun of her for the way she looks.  The good witch Glinda in her school years roomed with Elphaba which was a problem at first because Glinda is very confident in herself and is popular.  As they grow older they both love the same guy.  This messes with the friendship they had developed and by the time Elphaba is in hiding, Fiyero runs off to find her and protect her from all the people who believe she is wicked.  Every good deed that she did was viewed wrongly and the stories told by certain people were believed and Elphaba was viewed as a very wicked person even though she isn’t.  Eventually the criticism made her believe that she in fact was a wicked person.  Because she got punished for all the good things she did, she decided to never do a good thing again.  She just figured that she would just get criticized for everything she did so why try?

One connection I made with Humanities class, was how Elphaba wanted to protect the animals of the land.  In our humanities class we discus doing what we can in saving wildlife and protecting the environment.  That’s what Elphaba does and was criticized for it as people are today.

5.) If this was a musical or opera, discuss the role of music played in the work. (150 words)

Music is a very large part of this Musical. It is called a “Musical”! All of the feelings of characters and very prominent parts of the book are expressed through the Music. The music is very important to me because that is all I was able to hear of the play before I got to see it. For many people that is the only part of the Musical that they know. Even just by listening to the CD you get pretty much all of the story There are only tiny details that you don’t hear in the music. I was very impressed by those who played and sang the music when I was there. The music very much gives a dimension to the play that is wouldn’t have gotten anyway else. It is amazing to me how much Music can impact any musical or play. Can you imagine a movie without background music. Try it sometime and put a horror movie on mute. Its definitely not as scary, or maybe even not scary at all. The same is with musicals. It would not be the same without the Music. And I LOVE  to sing a long J.

6.) What did you find out about the background of the work or playwright? (look it up on the web, 100 words)

Wicked was originally a book but when it was read by Stephen Swartz, music writer and composer, he knew instantly that he wanted to make it a musical. With the help of Gregory McGuire they worked together to revise the book so that it would be compatible as a play. After getting the music and costumes finalized they took it to the San Francisco Pre-Broadway trial. After they were done playing they received a standing ovation. The crowd’s reaction was as if they were already a smash hit on Broadway. They were then placed on Broadway were the city buzz about the show made it become a big hit and still is today. (http://www.wickedwestend.co.uk/articles-reviews/wicked-history.htm)

7.) Would you recommend this performance to others? Why or why not? (100 words)

I would definitely recommend this performance to others!! I really enjoy Wicked and it was amazing to see it on Broadway. If people don’t get a chance to go to New York and see it there then the traveling show would still be worth seeing. The story is very interesting and I think that those who don’t know what it is are missing out on a huge story that occurred before Dorothy even got to Oz. It’s amazing what else is incorporated and the things you find out for yourself. When you see the story you become shocked to know the “truth”. It becomes the real story and makes watching Wizard of Oz so much more fun!

8.) What was your personal reaction to this performance? Would you enjoy attending this type of event again? Why or why not? (100 words)

My family has loved this play and we sing to the CD all of the time. I remember the first time I listened to the music, we listened to it the whole drive to and from Las Vagas. Watching the musical live was exciting and I couldn’t help but sing along. Which probably was very annoying to the people sitting infront of me but I loved it. I am excited because the traveling cast is coming to Utah this summer and I will most likely be attending. Any Broadway experience in one that you will never forget your whole life because of how well done it is and how much you fall in love with the story! I am very excited and so yes, I would definitely attending this event again.

Tao Te Ching

The general point made by Lao Tzu in his work Tao Te Ching is that there is a state of mind, and specific ways that you can gain more integrity. More specifically, Tzu suggests that your identity can become one with the “the Great Integrity.” He writes, “But when the universe becomes your self, when you love the world as yourself, all reality becomes your haven, reinventing you as your own heaven…for you will be not you but she (the universe) and both—the universal Great Integrity.” (pg 167) In this passage, Tzu is suggesting that we should love the world as ourselves and then reality will become where we want to be, and as he describes, “your haven.” In conclusion, it is Tzu’s belief that people need more wisdom about the world they live in. Obviously he knows what should be known to make your life better and more fulfilling.

In my view, Tzu is right because all of these strait forward yet philosophical analogies really are ways of forward thinking. It is all based on positive values and ways of life in many different situations. For example, the concept of Tao is “often translated as ‘the Way’” and also translated as “the Great Integrity.” Although Tzu might object that many people may not understand his analogies if he wrote them just in regular paragraph form. But because of the way they are written through balance of words, I believe that they are easier to understand the way they are. I maintain that his sayings through rhyme and rhythm connect to people more that just words. Therefore, I conclude that these writings would reach to people and inspire them to have more integrity.