Thursday, February 23, 2012

Hmmmm A Draught of Sunshine

I began typing thinking I would write about a book I bought on iTunes because it was free....well I know why its free. So Anyways I think I'll explicate a poem because I found and interesting one and need to work on poetry studies.
A Draught of Sunshine by Keats
"My bowl is the sky,
And I drink at my eye,
Till I feel in the brain
A Delphian pain -
Then follow, my Caius! then follow:
On the green of the hill
We will drink our fill
Of golden sunshine,
Till our brains intertwine
With the glory and grace of Apollo!"

This poem is filled with Greek references which I find appealing because I went to Greece and went to Delphi, to the temple where the famous oracle was. Apparently there is a methane gas leak underneath the temple which might have contributed to the vague predictions, leading to Keats's "Delphian pain". Keats spends the first six lines of the poem disowning drink, saying happiness does not need to arise from that. He transitions into "drinking" from his eye and other descriptions which bring stark images into ones mind. This poem seems to reflect the Ode To A Grecian Urn. It speaks of the beauty of the culture and what Keats wants himself and the world to remember.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Lamb The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal

I picked up this book expecting to find another hilarious read from Christopher Moore, and it was to a certain extent, but then I felt his need to not offend and his desire to please all audiences hindered this. Comedians can't please everyone, somebody has got to be insulted. This book did that, and in those times when our standard characters, like angels, start screaming at a TV while watching wrestling....yes, it was funny. But when the book began to take a serious side towards the end of Jesus' life, I felt that the author felt he couldn't entertain further and the book began to feel like deja vu (yes I know the gospel stories, I don't need to hear them again). The scene where a guard is stabbed is very Monty Python-esc. Allusions like this appear throughout the book, and although mostly lighthearted and enjoyable, I felt the serious sides did not pander to the comedy I expected. I'd end with a quote but the closest funny one is a bit inappropriate.