An Amateur and Some Authors' Advice
Hi guys! For my last post (tear) I am on my stuff and I am writing this at 11:30 (AM)! Today I have been watching Buzzfeed Worth It videos and have been really hungry as a result. Unfortunately, all I had to eat was goldfish and I am not too happy about it.
Anyway, throughout the year my method of annotation has been to highlight quotes that I liked or connected with. Today I thought I would take that seemingly unhelpful technique and share my favorite quote from each text and what I learned from it. So, in effect, this is advice from me and from the authors.
To My Peers,
The Handmaid's Tale
"Whatever is silenced will clamor to be heard, though silently"
You are important. Your voice is important. You cannot be silenced. These are the things that come to mind when reading this quote. I have learned that silence can be powerful and can also take power away. I hope that in this next chapter you will never hesitate to speak your mind. In speeches, in lecture halls, in quiet conversation; I hope your voice echoes loudly and defiantly.
Beowulf
"I'd rather burn myself than see/ Flames swirling around my lord."
Loyalty is valuable and important. In life, do not prove yourself to be a person who cannot be trusted. If you are a loyal individual and somebody who can be counted on, you will be able to count on others too.
The Tragedy of Macbeth
“...Who could refrain,/ That had a heart to love, and in that heart/Courage to make love known?”
I am surrounded by the most intelligent, perseverant, creative, kind, hard-working, inspiring friends on the Earth (though I may be biased). I could never run out of adjectives to describe you. It takes courage to be vulnerable, but vulnerability is also powerful. I hope you tell people you love them. I hope you hold on to those people because human connection is more important than any material satisfaction one could recieve.
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
"The less I understood of this farrago, the less I was in a position to judge of its importance..."
If you do not fully understand something, you cannot fully judge it. In a world that often prioritizes spectacle over fact, it is easy to get caught up in the narrative that you have always told to believe. You do not have to change anything about what you fundamentally believe, but you should know why you believe it. I hope you judge less and try to understand more.
Never Let Me Go
“Memories, even your most precious ones, fade surprisingly quickly. But I don’t go along with that. The memories I value most, I don’t ever see them fading.”
The memories I have made in high school have been the best and worst memories I have made in my life. The best ones, however, have a way of sticking with you in the back of your mind, easily accessible for bittersweet nostalgia. You will always have them. With that in mind, I hope you live in the moment. Constantly dwelling in the past or looking to the future will make you miss the parts you will remember forever.
The Stranger
"I felt a little lost between the blue and white of the sky and the monotony of the colors around me..."
Sometimes you will feel lost in your life; like the world could swallow you up. However, beauty is everywhere and life does not have to be monotonous. It is okay to be sad; count on others to lift you up in difficult times.
The Great Gatsby
“I was within and without, simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life.”
Life can be so many different things at once and that can be exhausting and inviting. Take it as it comes. Thinking too much could ruin its effect.
Leaves of Grass
“From this hour I ordain myself loos'd of limits and imaginary lines.”
Finally, only you can impose limits on your own potential. Often times we hold ourselves back because we worry about what others will think of us. In reality, nobody thinks about us as much as we think about ourselves. Do not limit yourself based on an unfounded fear of judgment. I hope you see no limits on how far you can go because I know your potential is limitless. Whitman reminds me of this.
I would like to give a shoutout to the people who have made high school worthwhile! (in no particular order)
Emily! Louisa! Otto! Melissa! Anne Ross! Maddi! Bell! Blake! Andrea! Brooke! Lily! Arianna! Morgan! Cole! Connor! Joslin! Hannah! Madison! Sabian! Susy! Valeria! Graycen! Waverly! Hope! Michael! Adia! Katie F.! Sam! Sean! Sarah! So! Many! Others!
To Mrs. G,
Thanks for an incredible year in English! Your dedication keeps me motivated and makes me enjoy reading and Engish class 100x more. I hope when my sister comes to Millbrook she will be lucky enough to have you as a teacher. I will miss you!
Finally, Some Fun Pics!
Anyway, throughout the year my method of annotation has been to highlight quotes that I liked or connected with. Today I thought I would take that seemingly unhelpful technique and share my favorite quote from each text and what I learned from it. So, in effect, this is advice from me and from the authors.
To My Peers,
The Handmaid's Tale
"Whatever is silenced will clamor to be heard, though silently"
You are important. Your voice is important. You cannot be silenced. These are the things that come to mind when reading this quote. I have learned that silence can be powerful and can also take power away. I hope that in this next chapter you will never hesitate to speak your mind. In speeches, in lecture halls, in quiet conversation; I hope your voice echoes loudly and defiantly.
Beowulf
"I'd rather burn myself than see/ Flames swirling around my lord."
Loyalty is valuable and important. In life, do not prove yourself to be a person who cannot be trusted. If you are a loyal individual and somebody who can be counted on, you will be able to count on others too.
The Tragedy of Macbeth
“...Who could refrain,/ That had a heart to love, and in that heart/Courage to make love known?”
I am surrounded by the most intelligent, perseverant, creative, kind, hard-working, inspiring friends on the Earth (though I may be biased). I could never run out of adjectives to describe you. It takes courage to be vulnerable, but vulnerability is also powerful. I hope you tell people you love them. I hope you hold on to those people because human connection is more important than any material satisfaction one could recieve.
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
"The less I understood of this farrago, the less I was in a position to judge of its importance..."
If you do not fully understand something, you cannot fully judge it. In a world that often prioritizes spectacle over fact, it is easy to get caught up in the narrative that you have always told to believe. You do not have to change anything about what you fundamentally believe, but you should know why you believe it. I hope you judge less and try to understand more.
Never Let Me Go
“Memories, even your most precious ones, fade surprisingly quickly. But I don’t go along with that. The memories I value most, I don’t ever see them fading.”
The memories I have made in high school have been the best and worst memories I have made in my life. The best ones, however, have a way of sticking with you in the back of your mind, easily accessible for bittersweet nostalgia. You will always have them. With that in mind, I hope you live in the moment. Constantly dwelling in the past or looking to the future will make you miss the parts you will remember forever.
The Stranger
"I felt a little lost between the blue and white of the sky and the monotony of the colors around me..."
Sometimes you will feel lost in your life; like the world could swallow you up. However, beauty is everywhere and life does not have to be monotonous. It is okay to be sad; count on others to lift you up in difficult times.
The Great Gatsby
“I was within and without, simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life.”
Life can be so many different things at once and that can be exhausting and inviting. Take it as it comes. Thinking too much could ruin its effect.
Leaves of Grass
“From this hour I ordain myself loos'd of limits and imaginary lines.”
Finally, only you can impose limits on your own potential. Often times we hold ourselves back because we worry about what others will think of us. In reality, nobody thinks about us as much as we think about ourselves. Do not limit yourself based on an unfounded fear of judgment. I hope you see no limits on how far you can go because I know your potential is limitless. Whitman reminds me of this.
I would like to give a shoutout to the people who have made high school worthwhile! (in no particular order)
Emily! Louisa! Otto! Melissa! Anne Ross! Maddi! Bell! Blake! Andrea! Brooke! Lily! Arianna! Morgan! Cole! Connor! Joslin! Hannah! Madison! Sabian! Susy! Valeria! Graycen! Waverly! Hope! Michael! Adia! Katie F.! Sam! Sean! Sarah! So! Many! Others!
To Mrs. G,
Thanks for an incredible year in English! Your dedication keeps me motivated and makes me enjoy reading and Engish class 100x more. I hope when my sister comes to Millbrook she will be lucky enough to have you as a teacher. I will miss you!
Finally, Some Fun Pics!
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