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I just read “The Shack” by Wm. Paul Young and it had a great deal of inspiring words in it and it was a great story about Mack and his struggles to connect to God during “The Great Sadness” of losing his youngest daughter. “The Shack” shows that you should find a way to forgive God for what he has done because there is always a reason why God does everything.

What is a happy life? For Mackenzie Phillips, a happy life is having a great, supporting family, great friends that stand by you and spending every living moment with your friends and family. In Mack’s eyes he has a great life. He has a wife, Nan and five kids, Josh, Katherine, Jon, Tyler and Melissa. Mack has been married to Nan for just more than thirty-three mostly happy years. He says she saved his life and paid a high price to do it. She loves Mack more than anything else in the world. As you can see Mack’s life is going pretty good, that is so far.

A happy life to me is one where you can just sit down and enjoy life to the fullest even if it is just for the simplest things. It involves having a great and strong relationship with God and hanging out with friends and family. Doing things that make you happy, such as sports can make you happier. A happy life is when you can do anything and everything and enjoy every living moment of it.

What doubts and fears do we have? Mack had many doubts and fears in this book. There was one weekend where Mack took a trip with his kids to Multnomah Falls and Wallowa Lake. There, while playing on a canoe, it flips and Katherine and Josh fall into the lake. While Katherine manages to escape, Josh almost drowns. Mack wastes no time and immediately jumps into the lake to save his son, leaving behind his youngest daughter, Missy alone at their campsite. Mack was filled with fear when that happened and his fear caused him to immediately react to the situation. But after he returns to the campsite with his two sons he finds his daughter missing. Later, he discovers that his daughter has been abducted and murdered by a serial killer known as the “Ladybug Killer”. Mack had a lot to think about then. Where could Missy be? Why was I not protecting her? Is this my fault?

Mack feared for Missy the very moment she went missing until the time they found her body. This is a very common fear among many human beings, the fear of death or losing somebody close to you.

How can strength and healing arise out of tragedy and loss? Three years after Missy died Mack received a note in his mailbox from “Papa” saying that he would like to meet with Mack on the upcoming weekend at the shack. He goes there and finds nothing, but as he leaves the area transforms into an extravagant and inviting place. Mack questions his sanity but cannot deny the realness of what the Shack has become. He goes into the shack and finds manifestations of the Trinity within three people. While Mack is there he connects with God and finds out many things about God. Also while Mack is there, Jesus talks to him about his past, present, and what his future might look like.

In this book I learned the absolute nature of what is good and that evil exists only in relation to what is good. Also that God is good and I can only truly trust God if I believe Him to be good. This book showed me that even the little things in life can have a great impact on other people and that God is always trying to help us get through something just as bad as “The Great Sadness”. God does everything for a reason and we must learn to forgive him or at least come to an understanding of why God was unable to help us or do something good for us.

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Being judged by who we are, by our words and actions, are all we can ask for as a human being. Not our appearances, not by the color of skin, or the power we hold in life. That being said, it relates to a recent book i’ve read called Julius Caesar. Caesar is a Stoic, who happens to outsmart the conspirators that work under him at work. Caesar gained the love and trust of the Epicureans and others of the Stoic nature, without having to share any power with the other men at work. This causes the men to react in a negative way, they plot to kill caesar and to obtain his power in their favor. Caesar is judged by the power he holds not only to his enemies, but to his ” so called friend ” Marcus Antonius. When the Conspirators plan to take Caesar down, there is nobody to speak out in his defense, nobody to help him stay afloat. Therefore, brings the question: when is it important to speak out in someone’s defense, when is it important to stay quiet? Marcus Antonius thought the saying ” keep your friends close, but enemies closer”, was more important then helping a man who thought Marcus was his friend. Even though Marcus wasn’t involved in the association of Caesars death, he sat back, and let the plan unfold in front of his eyes. Which can sometimes be worse then being involved in the death. In this situation the conspirators should have kept quiet, and dealt with not having all the power, because they ended up loosing in the end. Marcus hoped to benefit and take complete control of Caesars power. This is where Marcus Antonius should’ve spoken out in Caesars defense, not judged him by the power he held. In the end the Conspirators kill Caesar, soon finding out Marcus Antonius was smarter then they thought. Marcus becomes so close to obtaining all of Caesars power, he can taste it. Until Caesars nephew Octavius shows up with a will written straight from Caesar. Marcus and Octavius stick together and become to strong for anyone to touch, even the Conspirators. Until Marcus realizes he lost, Octavius had taken all the power from him, as he had taken from the Conspirators, who took it from his beloved friend. In this case Marcus must realize, he should’ve spoken out in Caesars defense.Or kept quiet and obtained some amount of power the the Conspirators as they offered to him, instead of none at all. It is important to speak out in you’re family and friends defense, no matter the skin color, appearance, or the power held in their favor. If the right action is not displayed, most times defeat is the only feeling we feel.

Speaking out in someone’s defense is often tough, take it from the Anti-Racism group that met last Saturday in Downtown Calgary. They were doing the right thing by speaking out in African American, and other cultures favor. When they clashed with a White Pride Day group. The white group’s members, many of which covered their faces with scarves and sunglasses to contain their identities. They wore White Pride flags and jackets with white pride slogans. If they felt the need to cover up and hide, they obviously felt that what they were doing was wrong. Speaking out for the cultures that need our help is the right thing to do, keeping quiet is not important in this situation. Racism still exists in our society, maybe not as highly as it used to, but it is still a problem that in unjust and unfair. Situations like the Anti-Racism group should be praised, and the people around should realize racism is wrong. This story talks about how it was a spit in the face to the racism group. Not only because they were beaten by the white group, but because police officers were protecting the group. There is nothing wrong with being proud of being white skin, but hurting other cultures around us who have done nothing is completely unfair. It is in our hands, and it is our responsibility to speak out in other skin color’s defense, the world won’t change by itself.

Books about Racism can often be as powerful as life events. “One Day The Soldiers came” was one of the most overwhelming books i’ve ever read, it’s the voices of children in violence-torn regions across the globe, 20 million children have been orphaned, or injured by war, famine, and poverty. In this powerful and unforgettable book it takes painful turns, funny, terrifying, and triumphant. Charles London takes the reader into the world of refugee children, celebrating their unique skills for survival and reflection. Their remarkable stories and drawings chill the blood and touch the heart, offering a portrait of the war that rages beyond the headlines. He interviewed child soldiers and other young people affected by conflict in Africa, Burma and the Balkans to bring attention to Americans. London tells of children forced into prostitution and military service. Burmese refugee children unable to leave their dirty, disgusting, Bangkok apartments for fear of deportation and other tragic consequences. The stories are chilling and London is an inside interviewer, getting children to open up by joining their soccer games and getting them to draw pictures for him. He tells the story as true as possible, blunt and straight to the point that these Children need the worlds support to survive. It is things like this that make light of the fact speaking out in others defense, especially young children is so very important. In the situation of poor, poverty starved countries speaking out and helping out is the only option.

Since writing about speaking out and how important it is will not get the complete message across, using an example of a current world event that has stricken
a country in poverty and an example of speaking out and reaching out is necessary. On January twelfth an EarthQuake shook Haiti, and left it in complete ruins. Three million people were killed in this tragedy, there life was left destroyed from the loss of family members and friends. Not to mention their homes, and lives, were banished in front of their eyes. Fortunately, Canada is realizing how important speaking out, and reaching out is in this current situation. The Canadian Military opened up a medical clinic and is now functioning at full capacity, treating hundreds every day. Meanwhile Canadian telethons have raised 20 million dollars for the Haiti Relief. Children across the country have raised hundreds of dollars in just days, for the lives of the Haiti people. Concerts like the Calgary benefit concert raised thousands, also for Haiti. We understand the scars will last forever, but our efforts to help put them back together will be greatly appreciated. Not only is Canada helping, Montreal, and places in the U.S have also rushed to the recovery of Haiti. The world is pouring in money from all over the world, the world is coming together, because that’s what needs to be done. Speaking out is the most important aspect of life, we live in a dangerous, cruel, and unfair world. Those words explains everything for the people of Haiti, together we must not only speak out, but reach out to all of those who need our help.

So, in conclusion the importance of speaking out in all situations that take away a persons equality, or pride, is very important. Even speaking out in someone’s defense, like Marcus Antonius should’ve done, or people should do if a racism act is enflamed is all important.  Everyone is part of the same world, it is our responsibility to come together and speak out for those that are less fortunate. The world will become a better place, if we continue to stride across the long path, and stay connected and intertwined. Just as the world is doing with the Haiti relief, it is never important to stay quiet when it comes to somebody’s well being. The sooner this statement is realized, the better for everyone.

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The winter king is the first of the war lord chronicles trilogy.  This book displays many circumstances with doubt and fear involved.  One one of these circumstances is that many of the people in the army hope that Merlin will come back and help them fight against Saxons.   Another is a par in the story that Arthur has to face a rival general In a trial of arms or the court of swords.  And the last circumstance is when Galahad rides to get help form the Allies of Arthur army while the army is being beaten in a fierce battle.

In the Middle part of the book The people of the kings court are fighting over who should be the next high kings protector. Some of the men think that it should be Arther.  Many of the people in that point in the book are concerned that if it is not Arthur the kingdom will not fall into the right hands.  Many wish that Merlin were there to give them guidance in what to do.  Merlin in this story is made out to be a very old wise man that no many thing about the way that things should be done.  As it happens Merlin dose not come then but later on in the book when all of the armies are about to fight a massive war against each other.  He tries to make them see reason, but the army’s are content to continue fighting with each other.

Near the beginning of the book Arther chooses to fight a general named Owain.  Owain had been charged with murdering a bunch of miners,  and he had pleaded not guilty.  He almost won the trial but Arther challenged him to trial by arms with the victor being the on that was telling the truth.  Many of the bystanders though that Arthur would lose that fight but he pulled it off in the end by defeating the rival general.  There was much fear in that arena many though that Arthur would lose but it turned out that he didn’t.

The last is when Galahad is sent riding back to the main fortress to get reinforcements from other lords.   For a whole day Arthur army fought against there enemies many doubting that Galahad would return with more men.  When he dose come back he only brings a very small portion of men but still some relief for some of the men.  It still isn’t enough and many of the soldiers think that they will be defeated by the army of the enemy.  It turns out that the Irish come to Arthur rescue and every thing turns out fine.

So as you can see there are many things in a life that a person can doubt and fear but most of the time if you do what you know is right it will turn out ok.  For example this is a trilogy and it would be very short if Arthur had died or his army had been crushed and out of loyalty to his king it think that he will survive till the end of the series.

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Passion, forgiveness and love emphasize important emotions in human life. As human beings romance is a major aspect of life. Personal romance as well and watching others romance in movies, television shows, and novels is loved by millions worldwide. I love reading a classic love story because these novels are light, happy  reads that always make me smile. Personally my favorite romance novel author is Nicholas Sparks. Nicholas Sparks is an exceptional author and multiple of his novels have been made into successful motion pictures. The last current Nicholas Sparks novel I have read was Dear John, which was just released in theatres as a motion picture in 2010. Dear John was extremely well written along with addicting and heart-wrenching. I would recommend not only Dear John but also all other Nicholas Sparks novels.

All individuals deal with individuality and discovering self in different stages and ways. John’s character in this novel portrays a youth struggling with finding a path in life. I honestly can say I do not know exactly where my path in life will take me and my path will differ from every other individual in life. I have ideas and plans for my future and I may not know exact details but I do have a basic plan. John did not even have a basic plan, John was just going through life with no meaning, drinking and partying without a care in the world. John joins the army in order to make a meaning in his life and this story shows the drastic life change John went through. Savannah being the other main character does not struggle with the self search to the extent of John. Savannah has strong values and beliefs and lives her life according to her morals not caring how others looked at her. The two characters are extremely opposite characters and I personally loved analyzing the two lives.

John and Savannah meet and fall madly in love with one another.  I find it so fascinating how two individuals, completely different can connect at such an insanely deep level. Nicholas Sparks does not just write a typical love story but throws depth, pain, and hardships in his writing. In this novel John is in war while Savannah is home going to university. The struggle between keeping love alive is so hard but letters and phone calls are all Savannah and John have. Complications occur and this novel kept me glued to the words. This novel causes readers to look at love in different perspectives. I loved how Dear John shows that true love is not all a fairytail ending but love is wanting happiness for another person before your own.

I have seen the motion picture, Dear John, and also enjoyed the movie. Novels always create more depth and meaning into a story which is why I would recommend reading this novel as well as seeing the movie. Comparing and contrasting the a novel and movie can help clarify questions and emphasize key messages.  This novel was not just a surface story but portrayed a message and meaning. Life is not all happiness. Personally I have lost loved ones and dealt with pain proving to me life is not fair. Happiness differentiates between individuals and this novel showed me a different perspective of love and happiness in which I have never realized before.

Dear John is definitely a novel that I would recommend to all others. This novel is a romance novel with a classic love story but with depth and meaning. I almost get angry with romance novels where boy meets girl, falling in love and living happily ever after. This is a feel good, perfect love story but I know that life does not always work out and reality needs to be portrayed in novels. Nicholas Sparks in Dear John, creates a novel with romance but also demonstrates a honest life story. Dear John is a story that a reader can relate to or imagine as a real life scenario. I  enjoyed reading Dear John and is a must read for all my friends and family.

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Over the past month and a half Gilbert Arenas has been all over the news. The sporting world has been very critical of superstar since the dangerous actions that took place in the Washington Wizards dressing room on Christmas Eve. Gilbert Arenas pulled a gun on Javaris Crittenton that had first stemmed from a gambling debt controversy between the two players. Pulling a gun on a teammate during your practice is unacceptable and dangerous. The outcome of pulling a gun on your teammate can never be positive. Negative consequences would obviously arise.

The National Basketball Association can not have players attempting something this dangerous. The media gets all over that stuff and then it looks bad for the NBA. Also Commissioner David Stern looks at fault because he isn’t giving out harsh enough regulations for the players. To play in the NBA there should be a code of conduct. You should have to respect your teammates, coaches, and the players you play against. If there isn’t any respect amongst players the game will not be played the way it should be. Gilbert Arenas’ teammates told him to keep his gambling away from the team but it ended up getting out of hand during practice. Gambling is not something the NBA is about and they don’t want their players looking like gamblers that don’t put basketball as their number one priority. The NBA wants its players to be role models and actions like this are the exact opposite.

Although Arenas first claimed that pulling the gun was a “joking matter,” he now realizes that guns and violence are a serious matter. If I was able to have a gun registered to my name I would not bring it to work. If I felt that I wasn’t safe and secure without having a gun I would leave it in my car when I go to practice and games. Your team should be one group of people that you should feel secure when you are with them. A person should not feel like they have to have a gun in the locker room. Teammates stick up for each other and always have their backs when it comes down to it. I believe that bringing a gun to work just shows that you are not fully part of the team and that you don’t have respect for your teammates.

Gilbert Arenas did not have respect for Javaris Crittenton. Regardless of how upset Gilbert was there is no reason to pull a gun on Crittenton. The way that Arenas plays on the court makes it appear that he believes he is more important than everyone else on the team. It seems like he believes that If they don’t have him on the court the Washington Wizards chances of winning drop. That could have been part of the reason why he pulled the gun. The team thought that Arenas was so important to them that no matter what illegal acts he committed he would not be suspended by the team or the league. This incident must have been a rude awakening for him. He was instantly suspended by his team and the league indefinetely without pay. Considering that his gun was not registered did not help the cause either.

Another reason why Arenas may have pulled the gun could have been because of stress. He could have been short of cash and needed the money as soon as possible. Crittenton might have owed the money for a long duration of time and Gilbert finally had enough. Although everyone is blaming Arenas the fault could partly be on Crittenton. He owed the money, and Gilbert deserved the money so Crittenton should have payed him. Although there could have been all of these reasons of why the gun was pulled on Javaris Crittenton the point is that Gilbert did something illegal and he should be punished.

Arenas not only violated NBA rules against bringing firearms into an arena, but also violated D.C. rules as well. On  January 14, Arenas was charged with carrying a pistol without a license, a violation of Washington D.C.’s gun-control laws. Arenas pleaded guilty on January 15 to the felony of carrying an unlicensed pistol outside a home or business. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 26. I think that Arenas should receive the same penalty that any other citizen would receive. They shouldn’t let up on his penalty just because he is a sports icon. It is Gilbert’s own fault that it happened and he should have to pay for the actions.

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In the chimney sweeper by William Blake it shows how people can be optimistic while living in serfdom. The very definition of optimistic is to always have a favorable view in all events and to always expect the best possible outcome. Tom Dacre exemplifies this very quality even after he has been sold into slavery and has to sweep chimneys for the rest of his life. I cannot imagine how a father could sell his son or how the son would feel. Yet in the poem it talks about how Tom doesn’t think about this but rather he thinks about how one day he will have God as his father. I believe that it is only human nature to have a positive outlook on present and future events. To always look at the positives instead of lingering on the negative aspects of life. Why is it in mans darkest hours do we truly see the light? In the Chimney Sweeper by William Blake it shows that a person who exemplifies optimism can rise above anything?

In Chimney Sweeper song of innocence Tom Dacre courageously demonstrates optimism. Even after his father had sold him in into serfdom he still is able to have a positive outlook on life. In stanza twenty it perfectly demonstrates what I mean in how Tom Dacre has an optimistic view of life. ‘And an angel told Tom, if he’d be a good boy, he’d have God for his father.’ Tom Dacre knows that if he continues to be positive that in the afterlife he will be rewarded for his good deeds and in the afterlife he would finally have a father in God. I find it extraordinary how people can always find the positives in bad situations.

If everyone had a positive outlook on life, life would just be that much simpler. Instead of people just being content with doing nothing about the hardships that they have had to endure or always complaining about them. People would strive to achieve a more favorable outcome and would do something about their current hardships. In life I always aim for the clouds. I always try and do my best in everything that do, whether it be an academic exam or a hockey game. My grandpa use to always tell me was to aim high cause the sky is the limit. If people put their minds to a goal they can achieve whatever they want.

In the Chimney Sweeper song of experience it shows a pessimistic view on life. In stanza twelve it talks about the sweepers parents going to praise God and his priest and king, who make up a heaven of our misery. This is clearly demonstarting a negative view. As William Blake talks about how the sweepers parents and his priest have made heaven a place of misery. When I think about Heaven I think about being With God our father and reuniting with family who had already passed onto heaven. I just do not know how anybody can have a negative outlook like the sweeper does about heaven. Sure the sweeper might have to endure many hardships to get to heaven but God asks for all of us to make many sacrifices in our life time. Those who do will be rewarded in heaven.

It is only human nature to go through life with a optimistic view. People naturally want to always hope for the best possible outcome. In some cases when people have went through a major tragedy they might just give up on life. The gain a pessimistic view on life and they start seeing everything as negative. Just as the sweeper boy did in William Blake’s song of experience. During the Industrial Revolution it was common to see poor people sold into slavery and forced to sweep roofs for the remainder of their lives. But many of the sweepers knew that if they had been a good boy, they would be rewarded in the afterlife. I honestly do not know how I would have gotten through some of my past experiences without God. God is my rock in which I can rely on to remain constant and steady.

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Everyone aspires to have a better life. To be able to do more, see more, and have more. Everyone sees the rich Hollywood stars on television and how much money they have and figure that’s the good life. For most people that life is just a fantasy that will never become reality, but it is a goal we all want to achieve. I often associate a high standard of living with happiness because the freedom to buy anything, or go anywhere would just be awesome. Although I’ve been taught a high standard of living doesn’t always result in a high quality of life, it is hard to accept. I think many people tell their kids that so they won’t miss important things in their life due to a pursuit of wealth.

In the poem “Chimney Sweeper” in the “Songs of Innocence” it takes of a boy named Tom, who has what I would call a terrible life, who is quite happy with himself and his life. His mother died when he was young and his father later sold him, now he is one of many child chimney sweepers in the city. But one day Tom had a dream where an angel came to him and told him that if he was a good boy that one day he’d go to heaven and God would be his father who loved him. This promise meant the world to Tom as even in the cold nights his happiness would keep him warm, and his spirits high. There is no way I could be content with my life in a situation such as this. First off his mother is gone and his father sold him, there is no way I’d be the way I am today if it wasn’t for the love and support my parents have given me. Tom had one of the worst jobs in his time, crawling down filthy chimneys  to clean all the soot and dirt of the walls. Despite these terrible aspects of his life he remained happy because of something he was promised in a dream. He was happy with his life even though he didn’t have a mansion in a tropical country or drove a Ferrari, but what he did have was faith. His faith was able to keep his spirits high, he overlooked the negatives in his life, and he believed that if he continued to be good and behave that he would someday find the home he deserved. I know I couldn’t just overlook the life this boy had been given because of a promise in a dream, I’d always be down on myself and looking for a way out, but Tom believed he had a good life, and this most readers would disagree, but he did have the good life because he was happy with the life he had.

In the “Song of Experience” version of the same poem, there is a similar story told, but with some differences. The child in this story has parents, who were presently at church. I see this poem talks of the boy being dead, and has now transcended to heaven. If this is the boy from the first poem it’s good to know he has reached his goal, and will now have God as a father who loves him. These parents were obviously irresponsible as they made their son do the hazardous job of chimney sweeping. Although they thought they had done no harm as the boy was always happy with his life, because of his belief in something better. It’s amazing how a kid could be happy with the parents he had, and the job he was forced to do. The thing I find strange is how this boy is happy to be dead, usually that would mean he had a terrible life on earth, but somehow this kid was always happy with it.

Both of these kids aspired to go to heaven where God would take care of them. In the second poem i tells of it happening and it’s everything he hoped for, he was able to sing, dance, and rejoice in his newfound home. Although both of them had terrible lives, being homeless, one of them alone, and having the job of crawling through chimneys cleaning them . Most people couldn’t handle what these people go through everyday, as I’m accustom to having a home, being able to hang with my friends, and not have to work to scrap by  in life. I’ve followed a Catholic religion all my life so I’ve believed since I was young that I will eventually go to heaven but that alone hasn’t had a huge impact on my outlook on life, although it is always in the back of my mind. These poems have shonwn me just how much I take for granted. It seem the most important things in my life are the those I forget to thank for the most, such as family, friends, and freedom, because they’re there every day. There are plenty of people who don’t have these oppurtunities but still beleive they have a good life, so it’s hard for me to ignore how great my life is.

It is really up to the individual to determine for themselves if they are living the good life. Once I stopped chasing my fantasy life I could accept my life for what it is. I’m truely happy with my life, and what path I’ve taken it on. If I said my life was terrible and i beeived that, then my life would become terrible. Sure not everything is perfect, but I have alot more going for me then I do against me. As I’m doing well in school, have many great friends, a close family, and feel like I’m making a difference in my school through student council, all of which I’m thrilled about. After you accept that your unrealistic dream may not come true, you can discover your realistic dreams have come true. I don’t need a huge house, or a fancy sports car to have the good life, because I’m already living the good life.

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This book is brought to us by Steven D Salinger. It is a classic action novel filled with fire fights, hand to hand combat ,and treks through hostile jungles. The story takes place in the jungles of vietnam and on the streets of Washington DC. In chinese restaurants to corporate buildings there are fire fights and rogue Vietnamese agents.

A young John Carpenter was captured in the vietnamese war and was presumed dead for twenty four years. Finally his salvation comes after saving the life of one of his own. This salvation turns into an armed conflict between the US and the vietnamese government. The hopes of John being reunited with his mother are high but very unrealistic.

What kept john carpenter going through most of the book was the thought of seeing home and his mother again. with the drive and determination to stay alive he survived in the jungles of Vietnam and the urban jungles of New York City. With an assassination on his back and the police at his heels John is forced to stay in hiding. No where to turn, No one to trust he survives only by his will to survive and his skills to kill.

I would recommend this book to more of my friends that are guys than those of the girls. The constant gun fire and and fist fights makes this novel very exciting. This book keeps the readers interest all the way through.
This novel was well written with small chapters and four sections to the story plot. Readers with a low level of skill could read this book due to the simple sentence structure.

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Happiness is what I strive for everyday of my life. I want fulfillment when trying to discover what the meaning of life is and what will truly make me happy. A romanticist is a person who is in tune with their emotions and truly experience the feeling that art conveys. They believe in individual creativity and self-expression through art and they find happiness in being able to feel what others can feel. A differing opinion comes from a group of neoclassicals. They believe in a more logical approach when it comes to the expression of art and feeling within the arts. They are more forward in their approach of art, they don’t believe in reason or feeling. Their findings of happiness come from outside findings such as symmetry in art and the surroundings of the art.

The first chimney sweeper poem gives us a glimpse of the hardships, and feelings of sadness and rejection that the very poor feel on a daily basis. The poem exemplifies how this boy had to live and what he had to go through. He lives a lonely life because his mother had died and his father sold him into being a chimneysweeper. This young boys struggle through his life at such a young age is aggravating, and in this poem he seems to be waiting to find a way out.  His feelings of confusion and waiting are apparent throughout the stanzas. “And by came an angel who had a bright key, And he opened the coffins and set them all free, Then down a green plain leaping, laughing, they run, And wash in a river, and shine in the sun” shows that the boy knows that better is yet to come for him and he is just waiting for his time when he will be free. Even in the conditions that this boy is living in he still can find happiness and relief in knowing that there is more to his life.  A romanticist would find both sorrow and hope in this poem. They would feel the feelings of rejection and sorrow, while also believing that there is more for the boy and that one day he will find his relief in the afterlife.

The second version of this poem shows a completely different side of the chimney sweeper. The second poem does not show any hope for the boy. It shows his anguish and grief. He doesn’t understand why his parents have abandoned him to live like this, and he is confused and very alone. He doesn’t believe that there is anything more to his life but simply being a chimney sweeper. “And are gone to praise God and his priest and king, who make up a heaven of our misery” shows that he doesn’t believe in the beyond. He believes if anything that it is gods fault that he is living like this. Heaven to him is place of misery because life on earth is misery.  A neoclassical would agree with this  stanza because they to do not believe in the beyond. They would support the writings of this poem more than the first because there is not as much emotional detail as there are physical descriptions of the characters surroundings. They would see the beauty in the characters surroundings that were described.

The first poem entitled songs of innocence creates a vision of the characters self. Blake shows the emotional state of the character and his feelings of looking to the beyond and knowing that there is more meant for his life. The young boy truly believes that his suffering at the present time will one day be rewarded which I think is the true beauty in this poem. The songs of experience poem is just the opposite. The character does not believe that there is more to his life but suffering. His life will always be suffering until he is gone. His parents are gone to pray to the lord but he doesn’t believe that heaven exists. The child believes he is simply here and nothing more can come for his life. The author’s use of color in the second poem such as the line “the little black thing in the snow” more concretely displays the sadness that the boy is feeling.

A romantic would find happiness in knowing that there is more to life then life on earth. They believe in the after life and the beyond. A neoclassical would find happiness in the more physical knowing of what is here on earth and not in the beyond. Blake’s description of the boy and emotions in both poems accurately displays the ideals of both a romantic and a neoclassic. The fusion of these two expressions through art together, display where Blake is able to find his inner happiness.

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