Giovanna: December 2008

In both of the poems “ The Blessed Damozel” from Rosetti and “The Raven” From Edgar Allen Poe one can see a common theme. In both poems the principal characters are kind of sad and lonely because they lose the love of their life by death. Apart from this the poems are really different.
In “The Raven”, on a December night the central character is in his bedroom when he hears a sound. He thought the sound was coming from his door, but when he opens the door he doesn’t find anything. Then he begins to think that this could be his lover, Lenora. He begins to be afraid of the idea that his lover could come back for him. When he returns to his room he hears the sound again. This time he thinks it is at his window. When he opens his window a big black raven comes into his room, and perches on the top of his door. When he thinks that this could be his love he gets really scared. He asks the raven to go away. It seems that he is not comfortable with the idea of having his love come back in this way afterall.
This is a difference between both poems. In “The Blessed Damozel” we see that the principal character wants her love back after she looses him. She keeps asking why she cannot be with him. Towards the end of the poem she starts to feel better because she realizes that she doesn’t need to be next to him to feel close to him. She feels that when she dies she will find him and be with him in heaven.

In one of Tennyson poems, “Ulysses” he says “I am a part of all that I have met”, and if you stop to think you will see that it’s true. Every one you meet leaves something with you..
For example, how you think, the kind of clothes you wear, how you react with different kinds of situations, how you eat, what you eat, what kind of music you listen to, and all these little things that make you who you are. These are all influences from someone you met some day during your life. One could say that during all your life you are ‘making’ yourself by what you learn from the others.
Almost 70 percent of what I am and I’m pretty sure what others are come from our parents. Since our first day of life we have been influenced by our parents. If at home you see your mother, father, brothers and sisters eating dog, like in China, eating dogs will be something normal for you. However, to another country like America everybody will think you are strange and mean to the sweet dogs.
I’m from Brazil and all my family over there has dinner after 9pm, I grew up watching them having dinner at this time, so for me this is common.
When I came to Unites States, I found out that this is not common here.
I grew up around people having dinner at this time so for me this is normal, but for someone from America that grew up watching people having dinner at 6pm, having dinner at 9 is most strange. This is one example of how you are influence by the others around you.
In my home my parents never say bad words so when I hear some one saying bad words I think it is the worst thing. If you hear bad words all the time, you get used to it.
I’ve been here in the United States for around 4 months and during this time I’ve had a lot of new experiences. I’m living in a totally different way and when I go back home I will do some things different then I used to do.
During my year here I’ve leaned some things that will influence me on the future.
I can remember when I was on fourth grade I had a best friend who only listened to pop music. I used to be around her during most of the day and after short while I noticed I was listening to pop music too. Now I’m not her friend anymore, but I still listen almost only to pop bands.
Last year I met a girl who aet marshmallow with nutella. At first I though that was probably not good, but after a little time got used to her eating this. I decided to try it and now I love marshmallow with nutella!
In conclusion the people around you influence your life without you even realizing it. That is why Tennyson says “I am a part of all that I have met”. Everybody has something to teach. Just look back on your life and see that a lot of what we are today comes from someone on.