Lion and Men

"There is nothing alive more agonized than man
of all that breathe and crawl across the earth." - The Iliad



As individuals, what is the strength of the bond we share with others? For Achilles and Patroclus, it unleashed a rage that slaughtered hordes of men. For the greater and lesser Ajax, it gave them strength to protect their ships from ruin. However strong these bonds are, they can be used to manipulate the other. Hera blinds Zeus with passion and betrays his orders, and the Gods consistently abuse mortals trust to get them to do their bidding.

As Valentine's Day came around, I was presented with two views of relationships: the power to destroy or the power to create. While Hallmark cards whispered sweet nothings into a couples heart, Homer revealed the power that lies within a pact between men. The suffering we endure throughout life, agony not apparent in many other lifeforms, lies in our ability to form relationships with others. When Achilles refuses to make a pact with Hector, he essentially refuses to form a bond with him, thus shielding himself from the strongest blow Hector could possibly give.

Entaglement

Recently, a physicist has discovered how to transport energy, utilizing the quantum theory of entanglement. Two "entangled" particles can exist that share the same existence, and a "measurement on one particle immediately influences the other, even though they are light-years apart."

Despite its incredible impact on the scientific community, entanglement holds more value to humanity and existence than advancing technology, as it gives us insight into the
nature of the universe. The idea that space separating matter can be an illusion for these molecules that exist simultaneously in two places, emboldens romanticists everywhere.



Even though we may be insignificant masses of carbon, the universe lets us be linked to other human beings just as these entangled molecules are to each other. When you know you aren't alone, the dark void of space is a little less frightening. In The Illiad, the relationships between fighters are the driving force that keeps them moving, running into sharp point of death only because their comrade is right beside them. The next time I look up and am belittled by the vastness of the universe, I will keep in mind how connected everything really is.

A Modern Myth: Frank Luntz

My keystrokes fall like hammers,
crafting weapons,
brazen points
single minded on their soft target.
And from my forge,
Prometheus took his glory,
bringing the warm comfort of words
to man.
So give me your first cut,
your finest drink,
and I will make you victorious,
with my hammer I will carve your name
into every history book
and though you will die,
you will be immortal.

We are Determined.

Determinism is the view that any event, whether physical or simply a mental process such as making a decision is determined by a chain of prior occurrences. In a purely scientific world, this is the only rationale that can be understood, as free will and a soul that makes unique, unpredictable decisions only can exist in a metaphysical world. A recent experiment has shown that your subconscious knows what random decision you are going to make about six seconds prior before you realize it.



So what does this mean for individuals and humanity as a whole? Since we are destined, our past essentially determining our future, does that relieve us of our control of our lives? Does this absolve us from the weight of our decisions and actions, or can we be held accountable to what is out of our control? Whether Kurtz is a monster, or just a product of the environment he was placed into is in the reader's hands to decide, and to blame Pandarus for firing an arrow and resuming the Trojan war overlooks Athena's interference in the situation.

This leaves me stuck between two sides of an argument... where does the control of one's life lie? In the hands of Man or God? Can I change my fate, or is it set in stone by the simple reactionary properties of the universe?

Regardless of whether I can only have one fate or many, I still feel it is in my control, for the weight of it sits heavy on my sholders. If Athena is at my back, whispering ideas into my head I believe are mine, so be it. I am determined of who I am, and the sweet nothings of an immortal or the simple reaction pathways my neurons follow may shape the path my life takes, but to exonerate myself from the consequences of my decisions kills any sense of being I hold dear.

Piece By Piece

As the days keep turning into night, its often hard to make the effort to slow things down for a minute, not to only smell the roses, but to recognize "the roses" importance to you, the world, your community, and what they may represent. As we focus on picking apart poetry and Heart of Darkness, which are close relatives, I have tried to teach myself to notice the small details that make works of iterature great. It could be a single word or phrase that give a poem or idea a completely different connotation, the smallest jumble of letters with the largest impact.

I have realized that the study of literature is not just the study of writing things down, it is the study of human life, struggle, and triumph. Thus the smallest details in my life can also have the greatest meaning, and I have begun to see the metaphors, foreshadowing, irony and significance of otherwise ordinary occurrences. When I leave in the morning, I begin my hero's journey, when it rains, I experience a rebirth, and when I cross a river, I am traveling to the underworld. Has my life began imitating art? Or am I simply becoming cognizant that art imitates my life? Nevertheless, it certainly gives me something to think about.

In the Midst of Chaos

A storm rages upon a city, wreaking havoc with all the power of Mother Nature behind it. Torrents of rain slam down on cement walls, winds rage through streets, and everything is swept away by the swift hand of the clouds. In the midst of chaos, however, there is a place of peace. In the eye of the storm there is serenity, there is safety, there is salvation. I currently find myself in this sanctuary, watching the world tear itself apart around me. It seems as long as I move with the storm and stay in my bubble, I will be okay.

As I look upward, the glimpse of sunshine I see gives me hope that there are better things yet to come for me, yet I worry for those around me. Will my departure leave them in the wake of the tempest that has stricken my life? Or is this simply another rainy day that will pass as all those before it? The answers seem irrelevant as I all can focus on is staying in the eye, and avoiding the chaos that swirls around me.

Return to Normalcy

I distinctly remember the first day of Senior year, and how long the path ahead seemed. Now, right before the last week of finals, I realized how short it has been. Time seems to have slipped between my fingers, and all I'm left with is a few memories.

After the rush of it all, the homework, the tests, college applications, I am looking forward to a return to normalcy. As I sit with a friend who has recently returned from college, I feel as though everything is going to be just fine. It always is.