Farm Implements and Rutabagas

The poem "Farm Implements and Rutabagas" written by John Ashbery was very difficult for me to read and to keep my attention. I listened to it and read it several times over. I have only seen a few episodes of Popeye, so I understand the characters and can picture it in my head as well.

I believe that Ashbery mixed technical form with cartoon characters because it is common for a sestina to be a heavy and deep form of poetry. By using cartoons it lightened the idea of the poem.

My favorite line from the poem would be "From that shoebox of an apartment,". I know that many apartments are very small, and I feel that i can relate to tight living quarters because of my dorm room at school. 

"Bluto. Even though you're bigger than me, you can't win, 'cause you're bad, and the good always wins over the bad"

Popeye

Blog 7: United States and War

To be completely honest, I do not know much about any war, at anytime, in anyplace. History is not my strong point, I passed history in high school with extra credit projects galore! I do not have a grandparent or a great grandparent who was ever involved in the wars in the past, so I do not have any personal stories to share either.

Although, when I think of the war in Vietnam I think of the draft, President Kennedy, and the fight against communism. I know that the Bay of Pigs Invasion was a failure and the construction of the Berlin Wall occurred. 

The war in Vietnam is similar to the one going on now, in Afghanistan and Iraq for several reasons. Young soldiers are risking their lives everyday and we are involved in affairs overseas; trying to improve the government in other countries. 

"The best weapon against an enemy is another enemy."

Friedrich Nietzsche

"My Best Friend"

You and me, the best of friends forever,

Meeting when you were four and I was five.

Always together, and apart never,

The fights were scarce, we would always survive. 

Never shared a class, teachers knew better.

Your house was mine and then my house was yours.

When we were twelve I wrote a letter,

We started drifting, closing were the doors.

Thankfully, it stopped and there was no wrath,

We both started dating, two boys, best friends.

You did stray away from the beaten path.

Your boyfriend, “the druggie”, needed to cleanse.

Let’s drop the fake smiles, I need a strong friend.

I hope you read this, don’t mean to offend. 

"Things are never quite as scary when you have a best friend."  

Bill Watterson