Doors

 

Doors by Choi Jeong-Hwa

Doors by Choi Jeong-Hwa – A sculpture featuring 1,000 doors arranged in mosaic fashion on a building

1,000 doors, but which to choose?

We all want freedom until it’s time to choose.

 

A white, wooden door opens up

Revealing a room disheveled and unkempt.

I recognize it as my own,

But back away to continue searching the unknown.

 

Glass and hardwood for the next one

And I don’t know why it draws me in.

Voices on the other side quickly reply,

But those memories need to be kept far from the eye.

 

A new door, decorated, red, and shiny, beckons next.

Something new, something complex.

On the other side is a city filled with busybodies and bustling with life.

But would the flurry and loneliness bring me too much strife?

 

Another one, plain and comfortable

catches my eye and seems approachable.

I see myself and kids, laughing, running, then crying.

But I look so young, could I be happy in something less binding?

 

I reach the top floor, where whipping winds wreak havoc,

Where most do not dare to go.

And one door, the knob barely hanging on calls forth.

Of this one, the voice is demanding and shakes me to my core.

 

I reach the end of the hallway and can see straight through.

This door wouldn’t stop the weakest of intruders.

I grab the handle and pull and push, waiting for something to happen,

But on the other side, there are still 10 stories to concrete.

 

I walk back down, cursed with the choice of 1,000 doors,

Hoping the freedom of choice doesn’t lead me back to the top door.

 

This poem does not, in any way, match up with the meaning intended by the artist. The actual meaning is quite ambiguous and has been interpreted in several ways. My take was interpreting the doors as choices. A thousand doors are a lot of doors. One interesting aspect of this sculpture is that, from far away, it looks like a pixilated image. The doors themselves get lost in a broader view of them. I was also drawn to how the doors change as you get closer to the top. The removed windows are filled on the lower floors by the building behind them. The doors near the top, however, have nothing behind them, making them look more like an empty frame than a door. I chose to use rhyme schemes in the parts with “normal” choices but to break it off towards the end to make the reader feel uncomfortable.

 

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Starry Night- Charlotte Foreman

It is dark out now, but it doesn’t feel like it

The stars shine bright enough to paint the sky light blue

Bright, but calm

And ever so still.

The clouds and sky swirl into itself, causing an array of loops and turns

Each going on its own journey

And guiding each passerby’s, safely on their own journeys 

And making them wonder

Why the stars are shining so bright tonight.

The moon is the real “star” of the show though.

Orange and Yellow, 

If you stare at it too long you might go crazy, or it might just help you stay sane,

So you stare at it for hours, and test your fate.

I wasn’t sure what to pick for this assignment, so I was thinking about paintings that are popular, and have always instilled longing in me. I could look at this painting for hours, observing every swirl, and how they move around the stars and moon. I can look at the different shades of the stars and the moon, and the sky. In the beginning of the poem, I focused more on the art, and then moved to the artist, Vincent Van Gogh. He created this painting while he was in an asylum in France, being treated for mental illness. This was his view from his window, just before sunrise. He wasn’t allowed to paint in his room so he did this off of memory at a later time. Because of this he was truly able to make it his own, in ways like adding a village below, which at first glance, some people miss. I think that him being able to paint was what kept him sane for the meantime, as there was clearly a tough war going on in his head, that he was unable to silence, but this night was a calm and silent night. 

I did not use generative AI to create this poem

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“The Third Wheel” by Gianna Bullington

thethirdwheel gianna bullington

“The Third-Wheel”
By Gianna Bullington
A three-person party on the windowsill
City seeming disturbingly far from the gathering
The intimacy of the three spirits
One bringing them together using its attractive light
This mighty, powerful hold the one party member has on the others
A clear hold that the whole city can sense
This 3rd party member, so captivating
Its ability to burn
Its ability to be craved
Its ability to extract
Capable of taking the gaze off the other lover
Blinding each from the other
Was it its majestic light? Or its inviting warmth? Or the silly feeling one gets from it?
Who granted this 3rd entity its persuasive sorcery?
The two lovers made their decision
Collectively knighted the flame inventor
Two peasants ruled by the thing they made
It always happens this way.
Reference Image:
Explanation of Art:
My poem is an interpretation of the amazing painting that was in the Halsey. The first
aspect that I noticed was that the two people were not looking at each other. For some reason
this was not something I could move on from. I decided to take this feature of the work and run
with it by making the lighter its on entity. In the process of creating a poem about how I
perceived the two-person party to actually be more of a three-person party because of the
intense gaze towards the lighter, it got me thinking about how we humans create the things
that then come back to have power over us. A human created the lighter which can burn
cigarettes, another item obviously invented by humans. These material things that we create
can often have enough power to deter us from humans, the creators themselves. In the picture,
I decided to use this idea of the gaze being toward the lighter and not each other as a way to
comment on how easily us humans let material items take away from intimate, interpersonal
moments. I broke up the stanzas in the way that I did simply based on what made sense to me.
The first stanza introduces the idea of the lighter being its own ‘person.’ The second stanza
describes the lighter and expresses that the speaker sees this entity to have much power over
the individuals. The third stanza is emphasizing its claim of the flame being in the dominant
position which is why this idea of the knight and peasants metaphor was used. The last
statement is an overall critique of our material world and how that can take away from life’s
purest and most intimate moments as well as the almost dark relationship between human
creations and its creators.
I did not use generative AI to create this poem

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Christ The Redeemer

The Embrace of The Redeemer 

With his arms spread, He stands really tall,

A beautiful sculpture for us all.

He watches over the city with a gentle stare, 

A city full of emotions like joy and despair.

 

Bellow him the streets are bustling,

Plenty of his people are running and hustling.

Just some stone so he cannot speak,

But still keeps people from feeling weak,

 

When the sun sets, the light goes thin.

But his light will never die from within,

A sculpture of Jesus watches over the night.

Guarding all of us sinners with all his might

 

I picked the Christ the Redeemer statue because it’s such a powerful symbol that stands over Rio. I have never been to Rio, but I can assume that the people feel like the statue is always watching over them. My main idea was to capture how peaceful and yet powerful the statue is while people live there own lives underneath. The line “With his arms spread, he stands really tall” shows how his arms feel like a big embrace, welcoming the people of the city.

The poem contrasts the busy life in the city with the peace of the statue. I used lines like “Bellow him the streets are bustling, Plenty of his people are running and hustling.” to show how the city is always active, while Christ remains peaceful and calm. I took breaks between the lines in certain places to give the reader a second to really think about what’s being said.

The last part focuses on the light because while looking the statue up, it is almost always shown in front of a sunset. I wanted to end with the idea of Christ watching over the people, protecting them even as the city quiets down.

I wasn’t trying to explain the statue or its religious meaning too much, although I am a Catholic and I believe the religious aspect is a huge part; I understand plenty of people who love this statue are not religious. I focused more on how it makes people feel, calm, safe, and connected. The way the poem is structured, with shorter lines and steady rhythm, is meant to match the steady calm of the statue.

 

I did not use generative AI to create this poem.

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Journey by the River

I imagine I’ll see you one day.
I hope you’re at peace.
The wind gives me tiny kisses against my skin—
it’s like you’re here again,
with me, playing by that river,
like we used to as kids.

Roses were always your favorite,
so I dedicate this one to you.
Hues of blue, shifting, changing,
Transforming from the darkness to the light,
shining as bright as the dreams you had for me.

Yellow by the river, I am finally free.
Free to let go,
to cherish this moment and the memories we shared.
Forever locked and intertwined,
I can finally see the future we once dreamed of—
Though you are gone, I carry you with me in essence,
Standing tall, in this yellow dress by the river, I am happy.

Yellow By The River (2022) by Johnson Ocheja

When writing this poem, I thought about what stood out to me in the painting. From the deep blue hues, the bright yellow dress, and the small yet significant rose that contrasts against them. I wondered what the woman might be thinking, what she was looking toward, and what might her connection to the river be or is there any connection to it at all? While I admire the beauty of the painting, I also wanted to explore the presence of pain, grief, and healing, showing how they can coexist. 

At first, I wasn’t sure what message I wanted to convey. However, as I wrote the first stanza, after experimenting with multiple versions, this one stuck with me. I didn’t want the poem to focus solely on sadness. Instead, I wanted to highlight that it’s okay to move forward and find happiness after loss, without guilt. The woman in the poem dedicats a rose in remembrance, symbolizing her shift from being in a dark place mentally to realizing that there is still a future worth living. 

The artist used yellow in the painting to represent happiness, and I wanted to continue that theme with my own twist. By the river, she recalls shared memories and dreams, yet I left the identity of the lost loved one open-ended, allowing readers to connect in their own way. Maybe it reminds you of someone you’ve lost or the feeling of figuring out what’s next. The poem reflects the stages of her healing, moving through grief and embracing life again, as if a heavy weight has been lifted. Just as the yellow dress stands out in the painting, I incorporated it to bring the poem together, ensuring it tells a story that offers both reflection and a sense of closure.

I did not use generative AI to create this poem.

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Bridge Over A Pond of Lilies

Nothing else in the world seems so calm

No wind to break the water

The fresh smell of the flowers surrounds you

The only sounds you hear are the creatures 

that make the garden their home

 

A white bridge sits over the water

You can see the bright lilies below

There are delicate white petals

Reflecting in the water they lay on

 

Time feels like it slows here

You can pause and breathe

Feel your feelings

and hear your thoughts clearly 

 

Here the water carries everything away

Giving you a sense of clarity

and relaxation

Even though nothing is moving at all 

 

I don’t think I was trying to emulate a certain poem or anything like that. I was just trying to keep to the four lines per stanza. I was trying to show how the painting made me feel and how it would feel to walk through the gardens. I think when I was younger and I went to France I got to visit Monet’s gardens and it was really gorgeous and relaxing. I love going to gardens and places where there aren’t a lot of people and all you hear are the sounds of animals hiding and the water moving. I also love the smell of everything like the flowers and the water, everything smells so fresh and clean. I feel like it makes time stand still and it gives you the best opportunity to think or turn your brain off for a little bit, which I love. I mainly focused on the art itself and not the artist. I also did not have any specific reason to break lines where I did either, I just did it where I thought it sounded good, even though sometimes I would break them halfway through a long sentence. 

 

I did not use generative AI to create this poem. 

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Wunderkind – Film adaptation

Starting with the most fundamental of details necessary for this adaptation, I think the story of Wunderkind would be best suited as an animated film rather than a live action one. I think that, while possible with live action, much of the imagery would be difficult to fully represent in the manner/tone which McCullers intended when writing her story. As an example, let’s take this excerpt from around the middle of the piece.

“A Wunderkind– a Wunderkind– a Wunderkind. The syllables would come out rolling in the deep German way, roar against her ears and then fall to a murmur. Along with the faces circling, swelling out in distortion, diminishing to pale blobs– Mister Bilderbach, Mrs. Bilderbach, Hime, Mister Lafkowitz. Around and around in a circle revolving to the guttural Wunderkind. Mister Bilderbach looming large in the middle of the circle, his face urging– with the others around him.”

This imagery, which one would find quite difficult to adequately represent in a live action film, would be especially easy to represent through the medium of animation. And, given the lack of constraints in the imagery an animated film can bring to life, the many scenes of this nature in the story could be as refined an impactful as they’re meant to be.

And, just as the medium of animation is not constrained in what images it can bring to life, you’re also able to emulate the same sorts of camera angles and cinematic techniques that a live action film could do in order to have the best of both worlds.

As for the plot itself, I think it’d be best to keep it largely the same, not dramatically altering its flow, the progression of events, or its ending. However, by technicality, a character that does not appear in the original story will have to appear in this adaptation. That character, of course, is Heime.

Heime never makes a physical appearance other than in the photo Bienchen describes, but even then, it only goes as far as describing his clothes. In this adaptation, Heime would have to make a physical appearance (in any of the scenes which Bienchen remembers/flashes back to) which inevitably would show his face. I think it would be particularly interesting to intentionally obscure his face and general appearance in the animation just as the story did. You could do that by creating shots where his face is out of view, or through the use of shadows. Either way, Heime’s appearance will add something unique to this adaptation of the story that I think is worth exploring through this new medium.

Regarding the soundtrack, I think that the film shouldn’t have one. By that, I mean that other than the pieces we’re supposed to hear Heime, Bienchen, and Lafkowitz play, we shouldn’t hear any background music at all. This is all for the purpose of making the viewer’s focus hone in on what we hear each of the characters play in order to further emphasize the plight Bienchen finds herself in. It’ll also make the moments of silence, where the piano isn’t being played, all the more impactful.

For the dialogue, I think it should be kept strictly to the external dialogue that’s spoken out loud in the original story. While internal dialogue would be interesting, I think it would inevitably be a hinderance which detracts from what we could represent with the animation itself. It will also help to engross the viewer, as they’ll wonder exactly what’s going through the mind of Bienchen.

This excludes the flashbacks that Bienchen has at certain points in the story, where the viewer will get to see in her mind, but of course, this approach will help add further weight to those scenes.

With all that in mind, I think that this story is one that deserves a wonderful adaptation by a talented studio who could bring McCullers’ vision to life. I’ve seen my fair share of brilliant animated works in my time, and how they can be used to reach a huge audience (children and adults alike), and thus, by adapting this story in this way, you could have this work reach people that would’ve otherwise never seen it. And, there’s something wonderful about that.

 

*I did not use generative AI to conceptualize or
write this pitch.*

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The Lady of Shalott- Poem

The Lady of Shalott 

 

Ethereal skies and veiled sanctuary

bound in the borders of a reflection. 

Chained by a curse and suspended in time,

Until her daring gaze parted the glass,

Shattering stillness and breaking her past.

 

Now this river winds through mist and trees,

waters dark but still at ease. 

Her frail boat drifts along the tide, 

with lips parted to sing in kind.

 

Stories of old woven in that dress,

And a clutched chain carrying her duress.

Two small swallows follow closely behind,

Watching, waiting, biding their time.

Two candles blown, only one stays lit,

Fighting, clamoring at the bit. 

 

Dreaming of reaching Camelot 

before her final breath beckons,

Or her chance at love 

will die with her last few seconds.

I wrote this poem to both relay/explain the tale of The Lady of Shalott, while also pulling key characteristics from the specific moment in her story that this painting captures. I focused on certain parts of her story, but also instrumental artistic choices found in this painting. One key detail I believe was that the three candles in the painting represent the three fates from Greek mythology, two snuffed out to show they decided she will die and one holding out hope. I also believe that the chain represents how she carries the curse with her despite having broken it. This ties into how I describe the artistic choice of the sparrows as I think the artist included them to allude to how the woman was dying, as “sparrows flying low” is symbolic of an ominous meaning. While most line breaks were intended to aid with the flow of the words, the second to last line broke after the word love to highlight the weight that finding love had in her story. While I wrote the piece from a third person “objective” perspective, it is intended to be reflective in a tragic, yet illustrative way similar to some of the other pieces we have read in class. 

I did not use generative AI to create this poem.

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Why a Blog?

In addition to writing essays that are directed primarily to your professor (me), I want you to have the opportunity to write for each other,

Nighthawks by Edward Hopper

and to practice writing as if your audience were considerably larger and more diverse. So we’re doing three shorter assignments in the form of blog posts, where the form and tone of your writing might be different than it is with an assignment that’s basically “a paper for an English class.”

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