The Happy Virus - Hafiz

A few days ago in class we read some poems written by the Persian poet -Hafiz. The poem that I most liked was "The Happy Virus". Even though the poem is just a few lines long, undoubtedly grabbed my attention. Once more Hafiz managed to bring us the beauty of love and life which nowadays have a deep impact in our lives. Through "The Happy Virus", Hafiz transmits  a contagious virus which is meant to be - love. "I caught the happy virus last night, when I was out singing beneath the stars", that is how the poem starts, making us immediately understand the climax of the poem. Like other poems of Hafiz, "The happy Virus" conveys a message too. Although many times people hide their true feelings about love, I believe that there is no escape from love. Once it captures, you have to deal with it...We can notice it from the line where the author says "kiss me" meaning that the love is already presented on that time.

If it is not too dark- Hafiz

BIOGRAPY

Well, even though I tried to find out about Hafiz's life, I could not find any credible source :S except one. His real name was Shamseddin Mohammad and obviously he was a muslim. He was born on 1325 a.d. in Shiraz, in South-Sentral Iran. From this I understood that he was an Iranian poet and for it is the first time that I read poems from Iranian writers. He had two brother and was married in his early twenties and had a child. After his father death, his family moved to his uncle’ s home. He used to deliver bread to many citizens and by doing this work he meets Shakh-e Nabat- a young woman of incredible beauty. Many of his poems are addressed to Shakh-e Nabat. He died at age of 69. 

What others say about Hafiz:

Goethe: In his poetry Hafiz has inscribed undeniable truth indelibly ... Hafiz has no peer!
Emerson: Hafiz defies you to show him or put him in a condition inopportune or ignoble ... He fears nothing. He sees too far; he sees throughout; such is the only man I wish to see or be.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: ...You may remember the old Persian saying, 'There is danger for him who take the tiger cub, and danger also for whosoever snatches a delusion from a woman.' There is as much sense in Hafiz as in Horace, and as much knowledge of the world.
Edward Fitzgerald:  The best musician of Words.
Gertrude Bell:  It is as if his mental eye; endowed with wonderful acuteness of vision, had penetrated into those provinces of thought which we of a later age were destined to inhabit.
A. J. Arberry:  Hafiz is as highly esteemed by his countrymen as Shakespeare by us, and deserves as serious consideration.

THE FULL POEM

If It Is Not Too Dark

Go for a walk, if it is not too dark.
Get some fresh air, try to smile.
Say something kind
To a safe-looking stranger, if one happens by.

Always exercise your heart's knowing.

You might as well attempt something real
Along this path:

Take your spouse or lover into your arms
The way you did when you first met.
Let tenderness pour from your eyes
The way the Sun gazes warmly on the earth.

Play a game with some children.
Extend yourself to a friend.
Sing a few ribald songs to your pets and plants -
Why not let them get drunk and wild!

Let's toast
Every rung we've climbed on Evolution's ladder.
Whisper, "I love you! I love you!"
To the whole mad world.

Let's stop reading about God -
We will never understand Him.

Jump to your feet, wave your fists,
Threaten and warn the whole Universe

That your heart can no longer live
Without real love!

~ Hafiz ~

ANALYSIS OF THE POEM:

This poem was wonderful; it is like it was dedicated to someone. The title itself tells us that dark days exist too. At the beginning I thought that this poem was related to title itself but at the end I realized that the poem was related to love-the magical feeling. The line that I mostly liked was “That your heart can no longer live-without real love”. Doubtfully, that is true. If you do not have your lover by your side, you will feel empty. The author suggests that when you are feeling bad and you cannot even talk then walks in the streets, makes the strangers laugh and gives them at least a smile. Maybe, these thing would make your day be brighter…

Love Story (Movie)

Where is the good in goodbye????


I can say that "Love Story" is one of the best love stories ever told as well as the movie. The imaginary characters that I had in my mind somehow became true ones in the movie. The movie begins with Oliver saying the same words as were written in the novel. Maybe the movie was not quite good as the novel was, because in the novel we could capture every single detail of any situation; while in the movie there was just a single detail. The thing that captures my attention is that in the novel there was not mention the part where they play in the snow or maybe it was mentioned at least I dont remember. Another thing that grabbed my attention is that the girl in the role of Jennifer was not acting as a real actress. She seems to me fake; it was like she memorized the whole text and she was not feeling what she was saying. Finally, I really liked the novel "Love Story"; the young lovers confronting every problem together one of them dies as a consequence of an illness. Oliver seems to be totally destroys by the death of Jennifer. But still what does it take a minute to say hello and a whole time to say goodbye????

Love Story (Chap 8-22)

In those chapters we know that Jenny was awarded with her degree and she invites in her graduation ceremony all her relatives. It is interesting how Oliver tells about the rings, even though they soon will be married none of them was wearing rings in that day. As Oliver said "none would be offended". On the other hand, Jenny introduced Oliver to her family and teased him that he "still is not a college graduate". But soon Oliver graduated from Harvard and he was so proud of himself. It seems like everything goes as they planed; they graduated from college and now they just wait for the marriage. Well, the day when they got married finally came. In the ceremony they invited just their close relatives. After they got married they moved to North Cambridge in a small apartment and they were surviving without the help of Oliver's father. I noticed that Oliver and his father did not have a good relationship; Oliver's father is a rude man without feeling who shows no affection to Oliver. In the story we find him indifferent toward his son and always opposing his son’s desires.  After that, it comes the part when Oliver goes to meet Jenny’s father. At the beginning he was afraid that Jenny’s father will not accept him-but that was not the case. Opposite from Oliver’s father, Jenny’s father likes Oliver a lot. Then, it comes the part when Oliver applies for scholarship. On the other hand, in the story we notice Oliver a little bit aggressive. He and Jenny were invited to his's father 60th birthday. Oliver did not want to go and Jenny told him that they must go because his father is caring for him. Even though Jenny insists on going at birthday party, at the end they did not go. Then, she calls Oliver's father in order to tell him that they will not be going, she is so sorry and that Oliver loves him so much. When Oliver heard this he told her "Why dont you get the hell out of my life"? Well, from that moment we can see that Jenny was upset with Oli and decided not to stay home rather than escaping from him. While Oliver was seeking for her everywhere, Jenny was waiting in front of their home. Oliver apologies to her and Jenny say “I come here because I forgot the key”. Oliver again says to her “Im sorry”. Then, Jenny replies “Love is never having to say you are sorry”. When everything was going in a perfect way, there seems to be something stops this young couple from being totally happy. Jenny is diagnosed with leukemia. Oliver somehow feels guilty because he does not let Jenny to go to Paris (her dream was to visit Paris) and wants to make her dream a reality but Jenny rejects his offer. She said to him you don’t need to do this because I just need you. At the end of the novel Oliver is left in a tragic world together with Phill expecting for the worse to happen. Jenny dies and her last words were “Thanks, Ollie”.

Love Story (Chap 1-7)

" Love means never having to say you're sorry"

Erich Segal

Erich Segal, an American author who was born on June 16, 1937 and died on January 17, 2010.  He finished Midwood High School in Brooklyn and traveled to Switzerland for summer school. In 1958 he graduated as a poet from Harvard College. Then, 1959 he finished his master's degree and 1965 he obtained a doctorate in literature from Harvard University. In 1975 Segal married to Karen James and they had two daughters, Miranda and Francesca Segal.  Segal suffered from Parkinson's disease and consequently on Janyary 17, 2010 dies from a heart attack. In a speech delivered at his funeral, his daughter Francesca said, "That he fought to breathe, fought to live, every second of the last 30 years of illness with such mind-blowing obduracy, is a testament to the core of who he was -- a blind obsessionality that saw him pursue his teaching, his writing, his running and my mother, with just the same tenacity. He was the most dogged man any of us will ever know." Segal was known for writing the novel Love Story (1970), a best-seller. A New York Times No. 1 bestseller, the book became the top selling work of fiction for 1970 in the United States, and was translated into 33 languages worldwide.

INTRODUCTION:

In the novel “Love Story” written by American author Erich Segal the life of two college students who fall in love with each other is described. The main characters of the narrative are Oliver Barret and IV and Jennifer Cavilleri. Oliver Barret a student of Harvard College, rich, smart and an outstanding hockey player falls in love with Jennifer Cavilleri who plays music and is poor. They come from two different worlds; Oliver is the son of the most important family in region, while Jennifer is the only child in the family whose mother died when she was young. They get married and cherish every single moment of their marriage but at the end one of the main characters dies. There would be no much time to enjoy the life together. 

Chap. 1-7:

The story begins with Oliver telling readers about the death of his wife, saying “What can you say about a twenty-five-year-old girl who died?” I wonder why the story starts in this way. I think the author wanted to inform us that one of the main protagonists of the novel dies without mentioning the reason why the girl dies. In this way the author grabbed our attention right at the beginning of the story. Finally we  read a love story in class. We were back then in 1970s where everything seems to be in a way complicated for two people to fall in love. Even though the protagonist of the story have different social classes, they still fall in love with each other. Everything happens in Radcliffle library when Oliver goes to borrow a book. There he meets the beautiful Italian-American girl called Jennifer and immediately falls in love with her. Even though she says to him "I would not go for coffee with you", she ends up having coffee with Preppie (Oliver). While they were having coffee they introduce their selves. Jennifer tells Oliver that she is a pianist, while Olivers tells her that he plays hockey. I think their love begins when Oliver asks Jennifer why she is staying with him even though he is a loser. She says to him "I like your body". Then, Oliver invites her in the Dartmouth hockey game because he will be playing. After the game, Oliver and Jenny go for a walk where he kisses her. He says to her that he will not call her because he want to see if Jenny cares about his call. Immediately, Jenny asks why, Oliver says that he will call her as soon as he gets home. 

This Be The Verse-By Philip Larkin

On Tuesday we read a collection of poems written by different authors. The one that I liked the most was “This Be The Verse” written by an English poet called Philip Larkin. The poem begins with “They fuck you up, your mum and dad.” It is interesting how the author wrote these words right at the beginning of the poem. I think he did this because he wanted to grab our attention and makes you read it till the end. When I read the first line of the poem I started to laugh then I realized that this poem it is one of my favorite. The poem talks about parent-child relationship. At the beginning we see that the author tells us that there will be many cases when something goes wrong our parents will think that is our fault and they do not have to do anything with that. Even if it is not our fault, they still will say that it is ours and maybe sometimes they will add “extra” problems.

The no-reasons of Love by Carlos Drummond de Andrade

The poem:

I love you because I love you

You don't have to be a lover

and not always know how to be one.

I love you because I love you

Love is a status of grace

and it is not payable

Love is given freely

it is sowed in the wind

in the waterfall, in the eclipse

Love runs from dictionaries

and several regulations.

I love you because I don't love

Enough or too much me

Because love is not swapped

nor conjugated nor beloved.

Because love is love for nothing,

happy and strong in itself.

Love is Death's cousin,

and of the death, winner

Even if they kill it (and they kill)

in every moment of love.

Don't kill yourself...

On Thursday we read three poems from Brazilian writer  Carlos Drummond de Andreade. The poems that we read were: Ballad of Love Through the Ages, Dont kill yourself and Seven-Sided Poem. We also read another one called "One Art" written by Elizabeth Bishop. The poem that I mostly liked was "Don't kill yourself" by Carlos Drummon de Andrade.

AUTHOR'S BIOGRAPHY: 

Carlos Drummond de Andreade was born on 1902 in Itabira in Brazil. He was one of the most important poets of the 20th century. 

His place of birth ITABIRA

He went to a school of pharmacy in Belo Horizonte but never worked s a pharmacist.  

Analysis of the poem:

The main protagonist of the poem is the author itself Carlos. It is like the author is talking to himself and is in a bad situation. The reason why he finds himself in a bad situation is because of love. I guess he is totally destroyed because he broke up with his girlfriend and the only cure for him is suicide. The title of the poem it is like a message “Don’t kill yourself.” Well even if someone finds himself in a bad situation, he/she never should think of suicide. During the process of growing up the people encounter many problems that come as a consequence of something they have done and doubtfully lead them to drastic changes in their lives.

Tonight I can write the saddest lines...

Here is the list of poems that we read yesterday in class:

1. Question- May Swenson

2. Tonight I can write the saddest lines- Pablo Neruda

3. Black Stone on Top of a White Stone- Cesar Vallejo

4. Susie Asado- Gertrude Stein

5. Filling Station -Elizabeth Bishop 

I chose to write about the poem “Tonight I can write the saddest lines” written by a world famous writer Pablo Neruda.

THE AUTHOR’S BIOGRAPHY

Pablo Neruda was born on 12 July 1904 in Chile. Her mother Rosa Basoalto was a teacher and his father José del Carmen Reyes Morales a railway employee. Consequently, his mother dies when he was only a baby and his father married to another woman with whom he had a child. Neruda spent his childhood and youth in Temuco. At the age of thirteenth he published his first work, an essay titled “Entusiasmo y perseverancia” (Enthusiasm and Perseverance) in the newspaper, La Mañana. In 1919 he wins the third place for his poem Comunión ideal or Nocturno ideal. His father did not want to have a poet son so he opposed Neruda’s interest in writing and literature. In 1921 he moved to Santiago to study French at the Universidad de Chile in order to be a teacher, but soon Neruda was devoting himself full time to poetry. In 1923, he publishesh his first volume of verse, Crepusculario ("Book of Twilights") together with Veinte poemas de amor y una canción desesperada ("Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair"), a collection of love poems. Both works were translated into many languages. 

THE POEM:

Tonight I can write the saddest lines.

Write, for example, ‘The night is shattered
and the blue stars shiver in the distance.'

The night wind revolves in the sky and sings.

Tonight I can write the saddest lines.
I loved her, and sometimes she loved me too.

Through nights like this one I held her in my arms
I kissed her again and again under the endless sky.

She loved me sometimes, and I loved her too.
How could one not have loved her great still eyes.

Tonight I can write the saddest lines.
To think that I do not have her. To feel that I have lost her.

To hear the immense night, still more immense without her.
And the verse falls to the soul like dew to the pasture.

What does it matter that my love could not keep her.
The night is shattered and she is not with me.

This is all. In the distance someone is singing. In the distance.
My soul is not satisfied that it has lost her.

My sight searches for her as though to go to her.
My heart looks for her, and she is not with me.

The same night whitening the same trees.
We, of that time, are no longer the same.

I no longer love her, that's certain, but how I loved her.
My voice tried to find the wind to touch her hearing.

Another's. She will be another's. Like my kisses before.
Her void. Her bright body. Her infinite eyes.

I no longer love her, that's certain, but maybe I love her.
Love is so short, forgetting is so long.

Because through nights like this one I held her in my arms
my soul is not satisfied that it has lost her.

Though this be the last pain that she makes me suffer
and these the last verses that I write for her.

This is the most beautiful love poem that I have ever read. I just love it. The poem is related to the love between two people. I think the reason why Neruda wrote this poem is that he was terribly and deeply in love with a girl. And I guess they broke up therefore he started to write about his feelings. In the poem we see that author tries to convince himself that he did not love her (his girlfriend) we can notice that between them was a powerful love relationship. We also see that through this piece of writing Neruda feels loss, sadness, anger and pain. Moreover, to lose the one you wanted it is hard and really hurts.

Love is so short, forgetting is so long. (that is true :p)