The Understanding of Poe

Edgar Allan Poe was a very melancholy man, which brought forth his creativity of many of his poems and stories. He had a very troublesome past which involved the many of his loved ones to die at the grip of illness.

With no one to call his family and no one to love him, how could anyone expect him to write an uplifting poem? From the moment of his birth, he knew that he wasn't welcomed in the world.

Many of his poems and stories come from his personal experience, reflecting his inner emotional turmoil. Lost and abandoned, he writes like a child, calling so desperately for someone to relieve him of this loneliness.

 Within many of his stories involve madmen who lost something, just like he had. Their grip on reality, their beloved, he had been through that so often, that he knew not of a happy ending. Death and insanity were the only way in which he lived, in which he knew how his own story would eventually end.

Edgar Allen Poe

January 19, 1809- October 7, 1849

Macabre works- dark, gothic

• Parents died when he was three
• Orphaned
• Failed to be successful in college/military
• Married his young cousin (true love)
• Wife died after he became successful
• He died shortly after (mysterious death)
• Poor his entire life

Whose heart do you think the narrarator is hearing?

Trapped in dead silence, perhaps the heart the narrarator is hearing is nothing but pure fear speaking out loud. What he hears is nothing more than a figment of his imagination, scaring him out of his own senses.

Who is at the door?

Due to the past shriek from the old man, it was a shriek the neighbors were sure to hear. Upon their worries, they called authorities, assured that it was they who could take care of the manner. At the door of the residence, the police await.

Why is the story creepy, and did you like it?

This story has an eerie ring to it because of the percautions the narrarator takes in thought process with the proceedings of the murder and of the hiding the body. What was also a fearful aspect of this story was the leisure the narrarator was taking as he talked. He talked freely, and calmly, as if he had no worry. He talked as if he were sane, hear things that perhaps weren't even really there.

I liked this story because of the madness emenating from it. Madmen talking of murder as easily as if it weren't a persecutable task, and the thumps in the night that raise suspicions truly caught my interest.

Shakespeare's First Thought

Soldier's Dilemma

     Although there is a 50/50 chance that this woman is part of a terrorism group, there's also the 50/50 chance that she's an innocent bystander. To kill an innocent civilian, or to stand by as his comrades are blast into nothing is a decision that would make even the wisest of men circling in thoughtless questions and possibilities.

     Should Dillon shoot her and she be no more than a mother trying to get by, he would forever be in the spotlight as a cold-blooded murderer. However, should she be a terrorist and he stands by to watch his friends die without warning, the guilt of him knowing he could have prevented that will lay heavy on his shoulders.

     Dillon already faces the fact that his superior has told him to not take a chance and simply shoot who he sees. By doubting himself, he's doubting his superior's orders and intuition.

     Disobedience, plus the two possibilities that she be a terrorist or a civilian, are difficult things to weigh on a soldier's shoulder.

     If anything, Dillon should shoot the area around her, startling her to either run- or to detonate what she had been so suspiciously covering up. In that sense, he'd be able to tell her motives in that moment, without too severe of a consequence.

Politics

In politics, there's plenty of friction as is. But the problem with politics is that when the government takes a downfall, everyone blames the current leader. In situations, it's good to have a leader who will manage the funds of the country for the good of the people, and to distribute troops when protection is at top priority. But when time for election comes, things get dirty. In order to beat their opponents, candidates often dig into the background of others, pointing out the many past flaws. Past problems shouldn't matter, but when it comes to the stake of their position in the government, people aren't afraid to get dirty. Politics unleash the worst in people. Especially with beliefs, those who become head of government make their opinions top priority. For example, those with hatred against gay marriage may outlaw this type of marriage. Forcing beliefs down the public throat isn't part of the government as a Democracy. I'm personally not involved enough in politics to form a firm belief against who I'd vote for and where I stand as far as concerning Republican or Democratic, but in personal morals and beliefs, I stand in with saying that the leader shouldn't be allowed to force belief or hatred down the public throats, nor do I believe the leaders should be persecuted for something they don't mean to do. When leaders wish to be in charge of the people, they usually have the intentions of doing good for their people. Past flaws, firm beliefs, even dirty methods, are parts of politics that I don't believe are justifiable. A true leader wouldn't need to do any of that to prove their point. A true leader would be able to lead their country with the faith of all of the people- not faith from the underlying filth and past.

Free Write Critical Thinking

It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. - Aristotle

By having an open mind, you see the world around you. Your mind is open and able to accept the thoughts filtering around it. Your vision is not clouded, but nor is it crystal clear. You stand with your heart and opinions, but you don't let narrow mind keep you from seeing all the problems within a situation. It's the simple fact that you understand and sift through both sides of a story before standing your ground. Before judging something based on what you saw or heard, you take the time to understand and grasp the concept of two sides of one stone.

In order to obtain pleasurable human interaction, it is vital that you see the world through their eyes. It doesn't necessarily mean that you have to believe in their beliefs, but in simple terms, it means you have a generous amount of mutual respect not to thrash on someone for their view and or vision to an occurrence. 

Opening your mind is in the same respect, opening your future for new, untold possibilities.