Similarities and Differences Between McCandless and Thoreau

When I read from "Walden" by Thoreau, I right away noticed many of similarities and differences between Chris McCandless and Thoreau. One similarity that stood out to me was that they both just want to live free in the wilderness. They both love to pay attention to the little details in life that other people just let slide right on by. The two love to build things on their own and are very crafty resources. One big difference that I notices was that McCandless was very careless with his money. He just burned his were Thoreau was very careful and planned his expenses. It seemed to me that Thoreau interacted with more people and maybe wasn't as excluded from the world as McCandless. Thoreau and McCandless are just two people that you wouldn't normally come upon in they world today.

Blood Dazzler: Imitation Poem("Didn't Need No Music, Neither" pg. 47)

Mountains

You told me we were here, brother,

and we were, mountains high in the distance,

and they were layered with icing towards the top.

Everyone in the truck sat up straight,

gazing at the horizon.

There was not a word to be heard,

then my brothers said

We’re

In

God’s

Country

as loud as they could.

You could see the mountains coming from miles away,

out over the horizon like huge mounds of dirt.

Now, we were here,

destination upon us.

Blood Dazzler: "Prologue - pg. 34"

Q: What kind of rhythm does the writer create? Is there a variety in the sentence structure? Write about the writer's rhythmic choices and their effect on the overall tone of the piece.

A: When I read through the first half of the "Blood Dazzler," I found that Patricia Smith had many different rhythms throughout this piece. There were some poems throughout that seemed very fierce and concise and then others that were more elaborate. The rhythm throughout didn't seem to flow to me. It was more on a poem by poem basis, but that is just what I felt. In the first half of "Blood Dazzler," there was a lot of variety in the sentence structure. Some were longer and others were more choppy. Overall I think Smith picked good rhythm for each poem she wrote.

3 50-word "snapshots"

Wyoming: When I was in Wyoming on vacation the sun was shining brightly on the freshly laid snow. That day my brothers and I were snowmobiling and we came upon a huge snow covered mountain. Its size was astounding as it seemed to reach up out of the clouds. A snowmobile attempted to climb the mountain and it appeared as the snowmobile was an ant slowly crawling to the top.

Golfing California:There was not a cloud in the sky and the sun was gleaming as high as can be. As I stood on that recently mowed tee box I looked towards the hole and then on the horizon was the everlasting ocean. It was unlike anything I have ever seen. The slight breeze brought the distinct smell of the ocean over my body. Golfing that day was unbelievable.

Hunting: The small layer of fog covered the tall grass field like a think icing on a cake. I gazed to the east as a small shimmer of light appeared over the horizon. Every breath I took could be seen in front of my chilled face. The day was just beginning for many but I had been sitting there just patiently waiting.

Poem: "Place" -- Reading Like a Writer

Q: Break the piece down section by section. How does each piece act as a "building block"? How does the writer create dramatic tension or interest through these building blocks.

A: When you break down this poem from W. S. Merwin into sections you can really get a good feel for this poem. Each little section of this poem speaks loudly to the entire poem. These pieces come together in the end and really put it all together. Merwin really uses the correct words in each section to set up what he is talking about and tell the reader what his point is. He also creates interest when he says, "what for, not for the fruit." When I read this I wondered why he would say that. I read on and I found out that it wasn't just about the fruit. There was a deeper meaning that W.S. Merwin put into this piece and I think that he did a good job with this piece.

"The Ninemile Wolves" -- Reading like a Writer

Does any particular image run throughout the essay? If so, why does the author chose it? Does it have any "metaphorical significance"? Does it transform in any way from the beginning to the end of the essay?

When I read this short excerpt from Rick Bass I found myself always seeing the image of the wolves. Obviously the reading is about wolves, but I am seeing a more intense image of the wolves. He talks about the coats of fur on the wolves a lot and the color. Especially in the beginning of the excerpt he compares the wolves to coyotes and there differences. The author did this I believe to create a strong image of the wolves so the reader could see exactly what he was seeing in the Montana mountains.
To me it has a metaphorical significance to it. It seems like the coat of fur is always of importance to the author and it helps to display the wolves' beauty.
The image of the wolves transforms throughout the story a little bit. In the beginning Bass talks about how they coats are gray. Towards the end the coats of fur on the wolves were black. It seemed like it was a sign that things were changing. The wolves were coming back to the U.S. and they were different, but yet in ways, still the same.

Reading like a writer -- Refuge: Terry Tempest

What specific details stay in your mind? Why? How do these small details lead to larger ideas.

Throughout this reading there were many specific details that stuck out in my mind. Terry Williams did an awesome job explaining in words how she saw everything that went on. Whether it was when she was young and they went camping with her family or older and came back to the bird refuge that she loved so much.
One image that stuck in my mind was on page 743 when Terry was talking about the owls at the bird refuge.
She stated, "They can burn grasses with their stare. Yellow eyes magnifying light."
That line really stuck out to me. They are two really strong sentences. I was able to really see the owls and there strong stare that they have. These little details really showed me that Terry Tempest was really intrigued with the owls and she loved to watch them as she described them thoroughly.
Another detail that stuck out in my mind was in the epilogue where Terry learns that it was not a dream that she saw a large explosion. Her dad told her the story about when they saw the mushroom cloud and where they were at. Her description of the event really stuck out to me because it is something you don't normally see and will never anymore.
This little excerpt about her father telling about the explosion really set the rest of the epilogue up to talk about cancer and the effects of what the radiation was doing to the people.
Terry does a really good job of making this piece of writing come to life.