of redwall abbey and upside-down reading

It’s been quite some time since I last wrote a piece of literature. If literature it be. The point is I think I’m starting to slack from writing poems, short stories and flash fictions.

On the other hand, I still haven’t slacked in my favorite hobby–reading!

I’ve aquired some cheap paperbacks on Bookshop outlets in malls. I’ve noticed Brian Jacques work called the Redwall. I was quite fascinated of how he used ordinary animals as characters in his story. He used mice, badgers, voles, rats, etc. Jetcetera! hehe. It’s quite new to me though the work was copyrighted long ago.

Along with Redwall, there are other works of Jacques that are also connected as a sequel or prequel to the Redwall novel. Mossflower, Pearls of Lutra and Salamandastron were the title of the books I’ve bought along with the Redwall paperback. And I’ve only spent 65 pesos for each one of them.

I’m still searching for other books to add up to my starting collection. hehe. If you want to learn more the Redwall series, try visiting their website.

I also started reading one of Bob Ong’s books called “Bakit Baliktad Magbasa ng Libro ang mga Pilipino?” (”Why do Filipinos Read Books Upside-down?) As usual, it’s written in an informal manner. Ong writes as though he’s just talking. I’ve read some of his books and I genuinely like it. It’s straightforward and frank addressing the different issues of Filipinos. I guess he’s one of my inspiration in starting my other blog “simpleng pagong”.

At least I’m keeping myself busy. But I guess I’ll start writing later. And I do mean writing writing! I have to make a portfolio of my works. hehe.

ciao!

wuthering me

Yey! Here’s the conclusion of my Wuthering Heights paper. I’ve passed this paper to my instructor but I still haven’t heard his feedback or even know my grade in British Literature 2. And because I really want some feedback from practically everyone, I decided to post a part of my paper here in my blog. And hopefully, I get some constructive criticism to give me an idea of what could be my grade in this paper. So here goes:

Conclusion

Wuthering Heights is one of the most amazing and awful novels I have ever read. It’s all about love, obsessive and passionate love between two powerful characters. Emily Brontё is to be commended to this marvelous work! It definitely stands out in the literary canon during the Victorian Period.

Her characters are either very whole or very flat. She made rich characters like Heathcliff, Catherine, Edgar and Hindley. But he also made flat ones like Mr. Earnshaw or the Lintons’ parents.

The plot is very devious and scheming like Heathcliff. Brontё has succeeded in making her characters alive. Her characters are quite consistent and life-like. Though there is of course the hint of being eccentric in her work, Brontё made it in such a way that her message about life and love is told to the reader.

The novel centralized to the plot. After the significance of one character has expired, Brontё immediately eliminates them. Examples of this scenario are the death of Mr. and Mrs. Earnshaw, Mr. and Mrs. Linton, Isabella and Linton Heathcliff. Brontё’s killing of these characters are so sudden that it actually sounds too much of a coincidence.

Wuthering Heights is the kind of novel that would leave you astounded, amazed and at the same time creeped out. It was said before that Wuthering Heights was a work of a mad person.

The novel is very intriguing with its themes and motifs. Considering the fact that it was made in the Victorian Period where propriety is observed, I would say that Wuthering Heights is one of the best works in that time.

Until now, it still does not fail to get the admiration of young readers of today’s generation. Wuthering Heights has definitely worthy enough to be called as one of the greatest additions to literature.

not travelling

Here’s another one of my most favorite poems by master ee cummings. I remember my classmate Aaron presenting this poem in front of our class for our American Literature Class. I have to hand it to him. Even our professor, Dr. Genevieve Jorolan-Quintero remarked that the way he performed it was so good that it felt that it was the poet cummings himself was reciting his poem to us. A big hand for Aaron!  

somewhere i have never travelled

somewhere i have never travelled, gladly beyond
any experience,your eyes have their silence:
in your most frail gesture are things which enclose me,
or which i cannot touch because they are too near

your slightest look easily will unclose me
though i have closed myself as fingers,
you open always petal by petal myself as Spring opens
(touching skilfully,mysteriously)her first rose

or if your wish be to close me,i and
my life will shut very beautifully,suddenly,
as when the heart of this flower imagines
the snow carefully everywhere descending;

nothing which we are to perceive in this world equals
the power of your intense fragility:whose texture
compels me with the color of its countries,
rendering death and forever with each breathing

(i do not know what it is about you that closes
and opens;only something in me understands
the voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses)
nobody,not even the rain,has such small hands

ee cummings

i am a lord of the rings fan

Elen síla lumenn’ omentielvo!

I’ve got four reasons why J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings is one of my favorites:

1 The story, of course. The work is told in an omniscient point of view that centralizes on the plot of the whole story. The focus shifts from character to character and situation to situation. In one chapter, the hobbits are being featured then the mighty people Gondor. The different twists and turns keeps you on the edge of your seats! It’s a real page-turner.

2 Characters. As we all know, LOTR is under the fantasy genre of literature. Tolkien perhaps took the characters’ nature from him. He made Hobbits from Tolkien’s attitude towards simplicity and tobacco. Elves are probably derived from his wisdom and experiences. Men, of course, from the human nature within him and Dwarves from his interest in crafts. If you cross read with Tolkien’s Silmarillion which is a prologue of the LOTR, you’ll learn more of the origin of Gandalf and Saruman. Their order of wizards is actually called the Istari. Sauron isn’t originally evil. You’d understand more about the poems’ origins in the Silmarillion.

3 History. In Middle-Earth, Tolkien is god! He made everything there. It’s wonderful how he pieced things together in such a way that everything there fits! He even bothered making a timeline and history of events after the book! The different locations are accurately mapped and the different family trees particularly of the hobbits were expertly illustrated with everybody accounted for.

4 Language. Being a linguist, Tolkien was actually capable enough to make his own language. Languages, actually. He made Quenya, Sindarin, Adunaic, etc. along with dialects! Beautiful, beautiful words springs out of the pages!

Le hannon a tholel!

books and bookcases

Cabinet! Bookshelves! Furniture!

Library! I would definitely want my own library. For a Creative Writing Major like me, libraries are like temples. We love books. It’s an understood fact that you can NEVER write well if you are not an avid reader of books. You should definitely love the smell of books.

Internet comes to town but libraries will definitely stay. There’s nothing like holding the hard copy in your hands. I know the Internet is easier to operate and more accurate at times but it also has its lapses. You definitely cannot use the internet without electricity. That’s one.

Here’s the thing. I plan on buying a lot of books! And I would really want them to be stored in a place where they’re neatly arranged. My books would never be placed in a termite infested cabinet. I’m going to purchase the best bookcases for my books. I know this company based in the UK who’s known for making gorgeous and wonderful furniture, wooden or metal. The furniture are so durable that they are actually guaranteed 8-15 years!

They also offer office furniture good for professional people. You don’t actually need to fret because the furniture are quite affordable. What’s an office without trusty filing cabinets, right?

I want quality in my furniture and this site offers quality in their products!