While I watched the movie, a number of feelings appeared. It was a shocking boy’s life story but hopeful at the same time. Even when this innocent and pure boy experienced the worst adversities, the film showed exactly how Oliver kept his soul clean by wisely overcoming the difficulties. For instance, he was always exposed to the limits but he never lost his self-control.
In the film, I could see how children were battered and marginalized at work. Poor children had to spend their precious time working hard and being exploited by their “owners”. It was very shocking to see the humiliating ways in which children were treated, specially Oliver who was an orphan the which in those times could not even have a name.
On the other hand, what also really bothered me was the shocking image of those people who supposedly believed in God who were just a bunch of hypocrites. They gave children terrible beatings just because they asked for more food (to ask for more was considered an inconceivable fault because it meant to be ungrateful before God).
In short, Oliver Twist’s life was drama and hope, but mostly innocence. Although he had to be exposed to the slums’ life style it did not distort neither influenced him keeping his purity no matter the circumstances.

Progress Meaning

Having read this short story, I may say that it is difficult to understand it at all, but at the same time it is interesting and catchy. While you read it, the characters involve and take you in to the story making you feel as one of them.

On the other hand, after reading and discussing in class I could identify a number of key words that help me to read between lines (immobility, isolation, mechanization, etc.) and infer some hidden meanings. However, I think the most relevant word or concept developed through the story is progress and how it affects people’s daily routine. In this sense, the story conveys exactly the contrasting outcomes which progress may have. For instance, as a result of progress we may obtain mobility, connectivity and money but it always generates the centralization of success. Unfortunately, it means the segregation and marginalization of the poorest population.

According to an educational point of view, I think we can associate this topic with what standardized educational practices are causing nowadays. For instance, with these kind of tests we make generalization about students; taking their quality of being different away. Students understanding performance is only being measure with these tests which catalogue students according to their grades or final scores.

In short, the importance that we give to GRADES reflects the same misconception of progress that we see in the story, because the same question appears: Progress For Whom?

Frankenstein ...

How many similarities do we have related to Frankenstein (the “monster”)? Who is the “monster”, actually?
According to what we have discussed in classes I have found too many similarities among Frankenstein (the wretch monster”) and us, the human beings. For instance, how many times have we fell or see ourselves as outcasts? or how many times have we feel somehow that we do not belong here? Indeed, how many times have we been considered as weird as Frankenstein (the wretch “monster”) just because of being different?
Unfortunately, what society consider right or wrong (what society believes in), certainly, affects how we see ourselves, how we behave, or what is more; it affects how we look (the importance of physical appearance). In this sense, this wretch “monster” deals with discrimination and marginalization only because he is particularly different.
In short, how many times we call for diversity’s respect but the quality of being not alike is rejected? Otherness is set aside as inferior in quality only because it conflicts with the “normal”.

I wandered lonely as a cloud (by Wordsworth)

A joyful company

Having read the poem, it strikes me that these daffodils represent one of the means which nature uses to convey its majesty to the poet. In addition, I think that the daffodils keep the poet company because of his loneliness. In this sense, I think there is an accomplice relationship among them because nature accompanies and pleases him with its dancing movements.

Thus, it is also a pleasure for the readers to read this poem because it exactly portrays what most of the time we feel whence we contemplate nature. Nature makes our solitude something pleasant and really inspiring.

When the poet says: “A poet could not but be gay, in such a jocund company", he
is expressing gratitude and happiness towards nature company. He clearly enjoys the landscape and states how nature certainly renders calm and satisfaction.

"When I have Fears that I may Cease to Be" by John Keats

According to what we have learnt as the main characteristics of Romanticism, I think this poem deals with “nature” (the main subject of these kind of writing) as a means to reach human beings transcendence. These kinds of poems allow us to realize the value of nature and understand how the conscious communion with it may certainly be an inspirational tool for artistic creations. For instance, when Keats mentions the grain and the night's starr face I make sense of this relationship between human beings and nature. Furthermore, when he says that on the shore of the wide world he stands alone and thinks; I think that he is being inspirited by this spacious scenery that world and its nature provides him.

On the other hand, the writer does not mention several natural elements at all. Therefore, the main themes present in this sonnet are not very related to nature. In this poem, Keats’ main themes are willpower, fears, love, fame and nothingness. In this sense, I may identify how “reason” (another important subject of Romanticism) dominates his writing. What is more, I may clearly identify these themes with Keats’ lived experience in terms of how fame most of times means nothing because good writers are seldom recognized during their times.

Kubla Khan's Contemplation

As a particular way of expression, poetry may have certain patterns but as a free language manifestation it deals with several and assorted human affections. In this sense, the quotation which best points out the poem for me is: " “It is essential to poetry that it should be simple, and appeal to the elements and primary laws of nature; that it should be sensuous, and by its imagery elicit truth at a flash; that it should be impassioned, and be able to move our feelings and awaken affection”.

Indeed, in “Kubla Khan” Coledrige develops his thoughts by simply describing this place but at the same time calling readers’ attention with the use of sensuous and catchy words. He gives an account or representation of how the landscape flows and changes with the human beings intervention. How some natural elements such as caves, gardens and rivers can picture the majesty of nature and at the same time evoke us feelings of awe and fear. For instance, he calls the river “sacred” or tittles the place as a “charming abyss”.

In short, he moves our feelings and communicates truth by showing us this place as a picture from which we can infer how things occurred and how changes affect the landscape’s beauty and autonomy. It wakes our human retiring feelings up after a long time of indifference.

Thoughtful Poetry

Having discussed and analyzed the poem “The Little Black Boy”, the understanding of Blake’s world has become a bit clear for me because poetry is such a huge world of subjectivity that means it is impossible to agree with everybody. Many of the keystones presented in Blake’s poetry have been developed in this work.
One of the most important human characteristic represented in this poem is: the searching of equality. For instance, when the boy states that he is black but his soul is white what Blake is pointing out is that we are all the same and there is no skin color which makes us different or special. In other words, what really matter is the color of our souls.
Secondly, the mother and son relationship is representing eternity because there is no such real love and complicity as mother’s love. For example, here we have the image of a mother who is really present in her son’s childhood teaching him values and sharing with him experiences.